Per reporter: Ding Zhouyang Bi Yuanyuan Per editor: Wen Duo
In the past half century of China's changes, a history of the lives of the Chinese people, in the sad and happy clutch of the three brothers and sisters of the Zhou family, the TV series "The World of Man" finalized on March 1.
Image source: Central video screenshot
Since its launch on January 28, the popularity and reputation of the long-form drama "The World of Man" from the civilian perspective have gradually fermented, and it has been reported by the news network many times. It set a new high in the ratings of CCTV in the past 5 years, with a Douban score of 8.1, which is the second episode in the history of iQiyi to break the popularity of the station. Together with "positive dramas" such as "Mountains and Seas" and "The Age of Awakening", which have frequently appeared in the circle in recent years, "Human World" has become a cultural phenomenon in which realistic film and television works trigger social effects.
Such a phenomenon is not only hotly discussed by the Chinese film and television industry, but also makes the Chinese Writers Association feel very excited. On February 28, the China Writers Association held a symposium in Beijing on "From Literature to Film and Television - "The World of People"", and the Daily Economic News Reporter listened to the guests speak at the symposium.
Image source: Courtesy of the organizer
"The popularity of 'The World of Man' once again proves the intimate relationship between literature and film and television." Tie Ning, chairman of the China Writers Association and chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said, "Integrating the power of literature and film and television and entering the hearts of the broader masses of the people together is the direction of the joint efforts of generations of literary and film and television people."
Tie Ning, chairman of the China Writers Association and chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Image source: Provided by the organizer
Zhang Hongsen, secretary of the party leading group, vice chairman and secretary of the secretariat of the China Writers Association, said that the TV series "Human World" was adapted and transformed from the award-winning works of the Mao Dun Literature Award, and became a "hot spot" and a "blockbuster", which is an encouraging thing and a full of inspiration. "Today, 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." Zhang Hongsen said.
Literature takes the initiative The Chinese Writers Association has launched two plans
This is one of the few symposiums on film and television adaptation held by the China Writers Association in recent years.
"The TV series 'Human World' comes from our Mao Dun Literature Award and from our long fiction lineup, and the China Writers Association is very proud and excited about this!" In Zhang Hongsen's view, the seminar initiated by the China Writers Association is not simply to discuss film and television creation or novels, but to explore in depth how to effectively integrate and coexist between literature and film and television. "See trends and trends from phenomena and cases, and constantly think about the vitality and diversity of literature in the new era."
Zhang Hongsen, Secretary of the Party Group, Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Writers Association Image source: Provided by the organizer
The two-way empowerment of literature and film and television has already existed, and this list can be listed for a long time. Ling Zifeng's "Camel Xiangzi" is adapted from Lao She's novel, and Xie Jin's "Furong Town" is adapted from Gu Hua's novel... The fifth generation of directors after the reform and opening up is inextricably linked to literature, and Zhang Yimou's film "Red Sorghum" is based on Mo Yan's novel and has become a landmark work in the history of Chinese cinema.
"Since 1982, the Mao Dun Literature Award has been awarded ten times, and of the 48 award-winning novels, 31 have been adapted into movies, TV series, dramas, etc." He Xiangyang, director of the Creation Research Department of the China Writers Association, said that at the end of 2019, the Creation and Research Department of the China Writers Association took the lead in establishing a film and television promotion mechanism, which has recommended nearly 100 outstanding literary works suitable for film and television adaptation to the National Film Administration since its launch in January 2020. "Recently submitted works include Liang Xiaosheng's "My Life and Me", Ah Lai's "Record of the Clouds", Chi Zijian's "Fireworks And Fire", Ye Zhou's "Dunhuang Benji", Haifei's "Jiangnan Campaign", Teng Xiaolan's "Heart Residence" and so on."
Since 2021, the China Writers Association has led the development of different degrees of cooperation with different institutions - China Writers Publishing Group and Mango TV signed a strategic cooperation agreement on literary resource sharing, and the two sides will work together to create cultural achievements that "scream loud" and "stay down"; the China Writers Association and Xinhua News Agency will establish a new media communication platform in the 5G era in the field of literature. China Central Radio and Television Corporation and Tencent Group also actively interacted with the China Writers Association.
"Recently, we have repeatedly discussed the need to explore and extend the value of literature and achieve circle-breaking and cross-border dissemination." Zhang Hongsen said, "Today, 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 categories and cultural forms. The circle-breaking and cross-border success of "In the World" is a good example. We are willing to see that more artistic fields, cultural fields, and all kinds of fresh and active elements and forces can pay attention to literature, hold hands with literature, and graft and coexist with literature. ”
It is understood that the China Writers Association will launch and implement the "New Era Mountain and Countryside Great Change Creation Plan" and the "New Era Literary Climbing Plan" this year, and through a series of new ideas, new measures, and new methods, concentrate on creating and launching a number of high-level and weighty literary masterpieces, and send more and better literary resources to film, television, and other cultural fields.
"Does Bingyi have to die?" Liang Xiaosheng and Wang Haiyu calmly responded to regret
When Chen Daoming's familiar voice in the narration came, and when the green-skinned train passed through the snow in the camera, the story of "The World of Man" slowly unfolded. At the beginning of the birth of the original work of "The World of Man", Liang Xiaosheng did not have the idea of filming and television.
Back in 2017, the 1.15 million-word realist novel "The World of Man" came out. After the film and television circle experienced the situation of being dominated by the mysterious IP in previous years, the realistic theme has gradually returned, and Wu Fengwei and Wei Tong, the founders of Beijing Yiwei Culture, who felt the change of wind direction, knocked on Liang Xiaosheng's door.
"The first time they talked to me about the copyright of the agent of "The World of Man". I know both of them well, and I have always been supportive of the cause of young people, but I am very adamantly opposed in this matter, because I know that the adaptation of this book is quite difficult. Liang Xiaosheng recalled, "In my home, Wu Fengwei and Wei Tong were splashed with cold water by me and shed tears several times, and they came to my house to talk about this matter, it is estimated that they did not hesitate to do so ten times." Young people want to do things, can not stop, the later drama is also their efforts to push up. Because of them, the set of books was placed in Tencent's editorial department. ”
Liang Xiaosheng, author of the original novel "In the World", Image source: Provided by the organizer
At the symposium of the Writers Association, Wang Haiyu, the screenwriter of "The World of Man", and Liang Xiaosheng crossed the crowd and shook hands excitedly. Long-form serious literature is transformed into a market-oriented series, and adaptation is the primary difficulty in the film and television creation process. When making the script, sparks are everywhere, and friction is inevitable. Liang Xiaosheng took the initiative to write a 5-page pencil authorization letter, saying that as long as the creative team followed the common principle of "professionalism and purity", it could be changed in any way.
"As a screenwriter, I have a personal experience that the more I hear, the easier it is to lose myself." In order to protect intuition and innocence from interference, Wang Haiyan no longer communicates with Liang Xiaosheng in creation. "I don't ask him not to say anything, until the episode is broadcast, I think he must have a lot of regrets in his heart, but Xiaosheng fully shows his wisdom, tolerance and kindness." Wang Haiyu said.
"The World of Man" screenwriter Wang Haiyu Image source: Provided by the organizers
"Just now Chairman Tie Ning said that I was tired, but in fact I was not affected by this process, and I wisely flashed next to them to see how they were affected." Liang Xiaosheng responded humorously that in his opinion, "In the World" has many adaptations that are higher than the original work, "for example, the image of Zhou Mu is higher than the original; the old lady Jin played by Song Chunli is also very well adapted... I deeply feel that if my novel could be rewritten, I would incorporate all those points of wisdom I had just had. ”
"In the end, the details of Bingkun leading everyone to start a business were presented well in the TV series. Bingyi's death is written in the original book. To be honest, I have been thinking about this question since the start of filming, does Bingyi have to die? If I could rewrite this work, I might actually seriously consider it. So a good comrade, why should I deal with it that way? Liang Xiaosheng said, "In fact, he was a person who felt so good at that time, his inner loneliness was not understood by more people, he almost understood that I had done what I wanted to do most, for everyone to do, I should be like Prometheus completely retire and die." That's one of my writings about loneliness at the time. Now look, this is too writerly. If I were to rewrite it, I would really seriously consider your revisions, so thank you very much to the director, thank you very much to the screenwriter. Everyone has a lot of regrets about the play, and I really think it's a regret that I can't reach a higher level in my creation. ”
Image source: Video screenshot
National IP refinement: "fake" is not passable
After reading the "Human World" masterpiece for the first time, Cheng Wu, vice president of Tencent Group and CEO of Reading Group, was deeply impressed and also very supportive of the team's idea of obtaining authorized adaptation. "We quickly reached a cooperation with director Li Lu, which lasted nearly four years, and finally created this masterpiece."
Cheng Wu, producer of "The World of People", vice president of Tencent Group and CEO of Yuwen Group Image source: Provided by the organizer
The writer Chernyshevsky once said, "Anything, if we see in it what we understand to live as such, is beautiful." This sentence was engraved in the mind of Cheng Wu, the producer of "Human World", and this sentence also confirmed why "Human World" can become a "national drama". Because in the span of half a century and hundreds of characters, the audience saw the spatial dimension of the entire China reflected by the Zhou family and saw everyone in the big era.
Everyone liked Zhou Bingkun very much, and Cheng Wu was the same. This ordinary person who runs the entire Zhou family knows that his study is not as good as his brother and sister, and when his father asked himself whether this was the truth, he finally broke out the extremely impactful sentence "Should the facts be said", and the details of the sincerity and déjà vu made people tear up.
After watching the episode on February 12, Wang Haiyu sent Li Lu more than a dozen voices, "I said how good the shooting is, how good Bingkun's colorful sweater pants are, we were like that when we were young!" Eat there, really eat, use chopsticks to poke at the salted duck egg, the bullet screen is praising, 'This can extend the tip of the tongue of the "Human World"'. Music, costumes, makeup, props, photography... They are all top-notch, not to mention how neat and fit the actors are. ”
A personal character, a scene after a scene, director and chief producer Li Lu "brick by brick" to set up the light and shadow "building". The highest period of the "Human World" crew was 1,000 people, no matter how big or small, Li Lu had to ask about everything. "TV drama is system engineering, there is a link that cannot be done well, and it is all lost. I'm not afraid to work hard, even the empty shots have to be managed. Li Lu laughed and said, "So it's also quite annoying."
"'Fake', in my case this can't go through. If the audience feels 'fake' or 'suspended' at first glance, then I will not accept it. Li Lu told the Daily Economic News reporter, "In order to make this drama that spans fifty or sixty years and records China's contemporary history from the perspective of ordinary people 'not fake', there must be all kinds of differences in the middle, I have repeatedly said NO, repeatedly offended people, repeatedly persuaded people, and hurt my brain and sadness." But the end result is still good. ”
Li Lu, director and chief producer of "The World of Man", Image source: Provided by the organizers
"False" is also the antithesis of serious literature. Seeing that the trend of realistic themes is about to become the focus of attention in the film and television industry, Wang Haiyu suggested that the success of "Human World" should be used to strengthen the emphasis on the attributes of serious literature. "The most basic feature of serious literature is the truth of human nature, and the more real it is, the more credible it is. Film and television is a good way out, but if you are in a hurry, it is difficult to write a novel. The current film and television companies are very different from the past, such as Li Lu's team, which has a high literary quality, which makes me deeply feel that the film and television atmosphere has gradually moved towards the track of art itself. Therefore, writers can only impress people if they insist on what they think and feel. ”
"Human World", together with "1921", a key film celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China" released on July 1 last year, and the upcoming TV series "Heart Residence", adapted from the novel of the same name by Lu Xun Literature Award winner Teng Xiaolan, will jointly constitute the "Melody of the Times Trilogy" between Tencent Pictures and Reading Group. For Tencent Pictures and Reading Group, "paying attention to the stories that are happening in this era" is their most important content direction.
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