"From Literature to Film and Television - "The World of Man" Symposium" was held in Beijing

Since its publication in November 2017, the 1.15 million-word novel "The World of Man", created by writer Liang Xiaosheng, has distributed more than 400,000 sets and sold nearly 100 million yuan, creating a "miracle" in the publication of original novels in recent years. Especially since winning the 10th Mao Dun Literature Award in 2019, "The World of Man" has received more attention. This year's Spring Festival, the TV series of the same name adapted from the novel was broadcast on CCTV a set of golden files, iQiyi and other platforms, and the average rating of CSM's national network and the highest rating share of a single episode hit a new high in recent years for A set of TV series on CCTV. With the popularity of the TV series, the original novel of "The World of Man" has once again climbed to the top of the best-seller list of major book sales platforms. As a successful case of the deep integration and connection and development of literature and film and television, "The World of Man" provides experience inspiration for the continuous extension of literature in the new era and the great value of guangda itself.

On February 28, the "From Literature to Film and Television - "Human World" Symposium" sponsored by the China Writers Association was held in Beijing. Tie Ning, chairman of the China Writers Association and chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, attended and delivered a speech. Zhang Hongsen, secretary of the party leading group and vice chairman of the China Writers Association, attended and delivered a speech. Yan Jingming, vice chairman of the China Writers Association, Deng Kai, secretary of the Secretariat, Liang Xiaosheng, author of the novel, Wang Haiyu, screenwriter, Li Lu, director, and experts and scholars from all walks of life attended the meeting. Cheng Wu, the producer of the drama and vice president of Tencent Group, delivered a speech online. He Xiangyang, director of the Innovation and Research Department of the China Writers Association, introduced the transformation of literary works into film and television. The forum was presided over by Li Jingze, member of the party leading group and vice chairman of the China Writers Association.

Convergence of Forces Explore the infinite possibilities of literature

Tie Ning said that from the midwinter to the early spring of the New Year, many Chinese families spent time with the TV series "The World of Man". People sat around in front of the TV set, experienced the ordinary and simple with the three generations of the Zhou family, felt the life full of fireworks in the world, joy and sorrow, experienced the love and integrity of our common life, and harvested from it, shocked, and harvested the vision and confidence of a better life. At the same time, many people will also open the novel "The World of Man", once again deeply understand the Chinese spirit of being sentient, righteous, tenacious, responsible, kind and upright in the world constructed by language and writing, and relive the magnificent course that Chinese society has gone through in the past half century. This work, which won the 10th Mao Dun Literature Award, highlights the epic mind and realism character, and also gives the TV series a grand atmosphere. The hit of "The World of Man" is a magnificent landscape formed by the integration of literature and film and television, which once again strongly proves the intimate relationship between literature and film and television. From literature to film and television, this is not only describing a process, but also marking a vast space of vibrant creation and acceptance. Looking back at the history of the development of literature and film and television since modern times, we can all profoundly look forward to the power of film and television in the power of literature, and understand the power of literature in the power of film and television. Let our strength be integrated, let literature and film and television enter the hearts of the broader masses of the people together, which is also the common direction of efforts of generations of writers and filmmakers. I believe that when literature and film and television come closer together, our literature and our film and television will continue to open up new realms with more connotation and more potential, and continue to make new and greater contributions to meeting the people's spiritual needs and enhancing the people's spiritual strength in the new era and new journey.

Zhang Hongsen pointed out that the novel "The World of Man" has been successfully adapted into a TV series and has become a "hot spot" and a "blockbuster", which fully proves that in the cultural life map and modern communication pattern of the new era, literature should and can better play its role as the "mother" in various art categories, and should also be able to expand its own value in a more three-dimensional way. We hope to be able to discuss the general, see the trend trend from the phenomenon cases, and start from a higher position and a broader perspective to constantly think about and open up the rich vitality and diverse possibilities of literature in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The new journey of the new era is the historical orientation of contemporary Chinese literature and art", and it is in this historical orientation that we put forward the concept of "literature in the new era". At the same time, this means that the work of the Writers Association and the literary cause must be based on the new development stage, implement the new development concept, build a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development. When thinking specifically about how to promote the high-quality development of literature, we are deeply aware that if literary creation wants to better integrate into the modern communication pattern, it must be more fully and proactively exchanged and learned from and integrated with many art disciplines and cultural forms. At present, the China Writers Association is launching and implementing the "New Era Mountain and Countryside Great Changes Creation Plan" and the "New Era Literary Climbing Plan", hoping to focus on creating and launching a number of high-level and weighty literary masterpieces through a series of new ideas, new measures and new methods. The connection and interaction with film and television and the "two-way initiative" between different cultural and artistic fields are important points and contents in the word "new". I believe that with the joint efforts of everyone, literature and other art disciplines will be able to achieve fuller and deeper exchanges and exchanges, better realize the "circle-breaking" development of literature and "cross-border" dissemination, so that literature can truly be as requested by General Secretary Xi Jinping, in the integration and interconnection of various art disciplines and the cross-integration of various forms of expression, "correctly use new technologies and new means to stimulate creative inspiration, enrich cultural connotations, express thoughts and emotions", and "present a new realm with more connotation and more potential".

Authentic and believable Epic pursuit with the triumph of the people's aesthetics

Cheng Wu believes that an outstanding work of the times depends on a great era, on the choices of everyone in the times, and on the creative design of the writers of an era. Spanning more than half a century, "The World of Man" contains hundreds of characters, containing family, light character pieces, Ji Chun and the spatial dimension of the whole of China. The real texture presented by the "Human World" episode and the figurative performance of the actors make the plot move smoothly and freely. The main characters in the play are flesh and blood, and at the same time have a warm and kind background. From literature to film and television and from film and television to literature, "The World of Man" is becoming a representative IP of an era in China. "Many people are book fans, becoming the first audience of this drama, many people buy books after watching the play and then read it, this is the success of the play, the power of light and shadow, but also the success of the original work, is the charm of literature."

Liang Xiaosheng recalled that when Li Lu came into contact with "The World of Man", he frankly said that this was the work he was looking for, and everyone hoped to shoot a work that could pay tribute to the majority of laborers. The title of the TV series lyrically and soothingly presents the temperament of the play, the theme song lyrics have concentrated on the ideas to be expressed in the whole play, some of the characters in the film have been greatly improved compared with the original work, the actor's performance is remarkable, the director also chose to use many northeastern actors in the play, and the dialogue between the actors is natural and vivid.

Li Lu believes that the original novel of "Human World" provides a foundation for the transformation of literature into film and television: one is a living and standing group portrait of the characters, the second is the depth of history, and the third is the human fireworks smell of the story. "TV drama is a system engineering, and if one link is not done well or wrong, it may lose everything." Fortunately, the hot hearts of our creators have been accepted by hundreds of millions of viewers, and the audiences have felt the warmth of a long absence. ”

Wang Haiyu shared his creative journey. Before the creation began, she repeatedly read through the original work, consulted the relevant materials of the old industrial base in northeast China, and gradually clarified the idea of script creation in learning and thinking - the family culture in traditional Chinese culture, so that each life is no longer an isolated life, but also an emotional connection with other lives, which is not only the reason why the Chinese nation is invincible, but also the reason why the working class of the light character film in the novel can go on tenaciously. She also said that we should pay attention to the attributes of serious literature, "the most basic point of serious literature is the truth of human nature, the more real the more credible, credible is moving, writers hope that their works can be widely disseminated, film and television is a good way out, but if you are in a hurry, it is difficult to write a novel." ”

Two-way initiative and strive to build a "literary and artistic community"

From "There Is a Snowstorm Tonight", "This is a Magical Land", "Snow City" in the 1980s, to "Zhiqing" a few years ago, and then to "The World", Liang Xiaosheng's novels have been repeatedly adapted into TV series and attracted much attention. In Yan Jingming's view, this is because the realistic character and realist spirit of Liang Xiaosheng's novels can always arouse the attention of the audience. "Realism here is not a concept of creative method corresponding to Romanticism, but a spiritual pursuit of literary creation." At present, the film and television art relies heavily on literary works and no longer rigidly implements "faithful to the original work", and the requirements for secondary creation are also very high. Sometimes, film and television art may not fully express the connotation of fiction works, but as an independent art, it will also exhibit a new and own artistic texture. In this regard, literature should also learn to improve itself with a more open mind and coexist with other arts.

He Xiangyang said that the two-way empowerment of literature and film and television has a long history. Taking the Mao Dun Literature Award as an example, since the first selection in 1982, 31 of the 48 novels have been adapted into films, TV series, dramas, Peking Opera, etc. The creation of young writers has gradually attracted attention, and the figure of online literature is also active in high-rating dramas. At the end of 2019, the China Writers Association, in consultation with the National Film Administration, established a film and television promotion mechanism led by the Innovation and Research Department of the China Writers Association. Since its launch in January 2020, the mechanism has recommended nearly 100 outstanding literary works suitable for film and television adaptation to the National Film Administration, further expanding the influence of literary works.

At the meeting, Pan Kaixiong, Shen Jijun, Meng Fanhua, Wang Yichuan, Rao Shuguang, Liu Qiong, Li Shidong, Hu Ping, Liang Hongying, Zhang Dexiang, Cong Zhichen, Zhang Huiyu, Dai Qing, Zhang Li, Li Yunlei, Yang Qingxiang, Wang Guoping, Sun Jiashan, and He Hong spoke successively.

What is more important than human emotions? What is deeper than the human heart? Some experts believe that "Human World" precisely grasps the fluctuations of characters' emotions and hearts, and explores and reveals people's spiritual world. The film and television literary adaptation of "The World of Man" polishes the literary brand to a certain extent, embodies the spiritual principle of Chinese spiritual wisdom leading realism, and has embarked on an artistic path of Chinese realism, which can give useful aesthetic paradigm enlightenment to contemporary TV dramas of similar themes and other types of artistic creation.

Everyone said that the success of the film and television literary adaptation of "The World of Man" proves that the writer thinks of the people in his heart and stands with the people, and the works he writes are naturally what the people need. There may not be earth-shattering feats in the works, but the days when the people catch up year after year have pushed the solid pace of Chinese society forward step by step. Literature in a sense for all other forms of literature and art to provide the foundation, on the other hand, excellent literary works should be handed over to the excellent film and television production team, so as to ensure that the second degree of creation on the basis of the first time to improve again.

From the ratings analysis, it can be seen that soon after the launch of "The World of Man", it has led to a significant increase in the ratings of people of all ages, especially stimulating the enthusiasm of young people to chase dramas. The awakening function of literature, film and television works on collective historical memory across ages and classes should not be ignored. In addition, the popularity of "The World of Man" has inspired us to understand the "broken circle" of literature from a deeper level, which is not a representation that can be measured by traffic and click rate, but means to pay close attention to the common concerns of all levels and achieve a real sense of "breaking the circle".

Li Chaoquan, Li Xiaodong, Ma Hao, Chen Tao, Yue Miao, Zhang Yuling, Zhang Ying, Liu Xin, Wang Ning, and Bai Juan attended the meeting.

(Speeches at the symposium will be published one after another)