On the screen in recent years, the "national wind" has blown a lot. When domestic entertainment idol albums, parties, film and television dramas and derivative products are labeled as "national style", they have a better chance of being out of the circle. So, what exactly are we talking about when we talk about the "national style"?
Chinese style screen works
Explore aesthetic recipes
Not long ago, the animated short film "Chinese Strange Tan" launched on Station B, with a Douban score of 9.6, is rooted in traditional Chinese mythology, strange and folk customs, and netizens commented that the short film is "a pure Chinese style that is not influenced by American and Japanese styles".
Although it is presented in 2D, the painting style is very stunning, quite like the "old" domestic animation flavor that I loved to watch when I was a child in the 80s and 90s. Whether it is a storyteller on the street or a simple shop, there is a strong traditional folk custom.
Figure 1 The image comes from the Internet
Figure 2 The image comes from the Internet
The animation uses traditional techniques such as paper cutting and hand-drawing, as well as modern techniques such as CG and three-shaded two, and boldly attempts to combine sketching with Chinese ink charm.
In terms of content presentation, there is "Goose, Goose and Goose", which inherits the hazy emotions from the classical Chi Wei novel "Continued Qi Huanji", giving the audience the aesthetic imagination space of "endless words and endless meanings"; There is also "Jade Rabbit", which was born out of ancient mythology but placed in the future world, staging a Jedi escape on the moon.
Among them, the short film "Goose Goose Goose" was born out of the ancient Chinese Chi Wei allusion "Yang Envy Scholar", Wang Mo recorded in "Continuing Qi Harmony Ji Ba" that "only the goose cage scholar in the record is extremely fantastic", and Ji Yun also mentioned in "Notes on Reading Wei Caotang" that "Yang envy goose cage, illusion in fantasy". ”
Figure 3 The image comes from the Internet
Such a story full of absurdity is depicted delicately and realistically by cartoons. There are not many gorgeous visual effects and plot reversals, but the 20-minute short film accommodates the twists and turns between men and women, and the big world of Chinese strange world, which is evocative and thrilling.
The final ending is even more speculative in Chinese philosophy, the seller brings two geese but loses three geese, this third goose seems to refer to his sweetheart, in fact, the third goose in his mouth does not belong to him at all.
This third goose, and what he saw at the feast, may have been illusory, but only selfish thoughts and desires.
This is the sobering spiritual philosophy of "national style" and Chinese aesthetics, that is, to look at the world and contemplate the heart. Mountain illusions, yellow millet dreams, people's desires, sometimes in the cage without knowing it. It can be said that "China Strange Tan" is a surprising attempt at "national style".
The national style is prosperous
Is it Renaissance or impetuous abuse
Why are we paying more and more attention to the "national style"?
In addition to the strong charm and endless vitality of traditional culture, "security" is also an important key. At a time when the younger generation is full of uncertainty and confusion, people are eager to trace the ancient genes of the nation and find a sense of security and steadfastness in the traditional culture precipitated with Chinese charm.
When the wind rises, people in the wind will miss their homeland and want to hold something ancient and safe.
In this sense, the prosperity of the "national style" is the confirmation of the strength of the "backbone" of traditional culture.
For example, at the moment of leaving the old and welcoming the new, this year's New Year's Eve parties of various David TV stations and platforms have shown their attachment to the "national style". At the New Year's Eve party of Station B's "The Most Beautiful Night", Zhou Shen sang four classic songs of the four famous books with four voices: "Falling Eyebrows", "Rolling East of the Yangtze River", "White Dragon Horseshoe Facing West" and "Good Han Song".
Figure 4 The image comes from the Internet
Users of different generations, such as post-05s, post-90s and post-70s, have found resonance and connection across time and space on the barrage. These are all good attempts to explore the expression of "national style".
Sichuan Satellite TV's 2023 Flower Blossom World Guoyun New Year Concert officially announced the first release of the cultural relics excavated in Sanxingdui Xinkeng, and the top kneeling figure and the sacred beast appeared together for the first time at the party, shockingly showing the complete picture of the newly excavated cultural relics in Sanxingdui. The national style stage of Xu Song's "Ancient Ages" perfectly integrates the performance with the stage design of the bronze ancient city, and also reflects the integration of ancient civilization and the trendy science and technology stage.
The fusion of Chinese style aesthetics and cutting-edge stage presentation shows a more diverse and inclusive new atmosphere of the times.
Figure 5 The image comes from the Internet
However, the tide of the revival of the "national style" in recent years has brought not only high-quality screen works, but also many impetuous and unaware artificial national styles.
In previous domestic costume dramas, the frequent appearance of Japanese-style dry landscape was criticized, and these dry landscape gardens were once a gimmick for many film and television dramas to promote "Chinese style" aesthetics, and were often seen in art specials of Xian Xia costume dramas.
The construction of dry landscape is a choice for batch copying and shoddy production by the film and television city and the crew in order to reduce production costs and catch up with the progress cycle.
The soul of Chinese classical garden aesthetics is the unity of heaven and man, and every stone and wood are taught by nature, step by step.
With "Chinese style" as a fig leaf, stealing beams and changing columns, aesthetics compromise with the progress cycle. The pre-production of domestic dramas, from setting up to shooting, is full of the word "rush". Under the guidance of cost reduction and efficiency increase, the set often wafts an impetuous smell that penetrates the screen.
"National style", in this context, is no longer precipitation and ingenuity, but more like a "very useful" fig leaf.
Integrity and innovation
Tell the Chinese story well
Where to create a "national style" classic?
To be sure, gorgeous visual effects and novel concept packaging are certainly the icing on the cake, but the core of the classic "national style" must be based on a deep insight into national culture.
The special effects in the old version of "Journey to the West" were limited by factors such as age, technical conditions and funds at that time, and many special effects were presented today as "earthy" and "five-haired". At that time, there was only one ADO stunt machine in the entire crew, and many special effects were made using the method of 'combining earth and ocean'.
However, under such conditions, the rich Chinese mythological color and profound oriental culture and human touch in "Journey to the West" are hard to get tired of. At the beginning of filming, director Yang Jie established the overall aesthetic style, "decided to make the TV film "Journey to the West" into a mythological feature film with Chinese national style, intriguing and full of human touch. In the adaptation, in the spirit of 'being loyal to the original and cautious in renewal', take its essence, discard its dregs, and highlight the thoughts and feelings of the characters. ”
The performance style of the actors reflects the classical charm and national color everywhere. Nearly 40 actors in the play are all from opera and dance, not only have a solid foundation in singing, chanting and writing, but also have a classical temperament.
Although many classic old dramas do not have gorgeous special effects, the lens language draws on the white space and composition methods of Chinese aesthetics, and pays attention to artistic conception and charm.
In the 87th version of "Dream of Red Mansions", Lin Daiyu first entered Jia Fu in an episode, and Daiyu, who had recently lost her mother, bid farewell to her father and left her hometown Gusu by boat to go to the fate of sending people under the fence. The empty mirror about Lin Daiyu throwing his father in the play is very simple, only the green mountains are faint, the blue water is leisurely, the cold smoke and grass, and the light boat on the Yanbo River is shaking, like the fate of the characters wandering.
Figure 6 The image comes from the Internet
There are only a few empty mirrors, like the waste shots of film and television migrant workers, but they all reflect the Eastern-style unity of things and me, and the love of mountains and rivers. The expression of melancholy in Chinese aesthetics is subtle and tactful, and the lens language in the play fits it just right.
When the camera turns, the shepherd boy riding a scalper as a background panel, his coarse cloth clothes, rolled up trouser legs, and hairstyle on his forehead are all full of rural wildness, real and vivid.
Figure 7 The image comes from the Internet
The core of Chinese style aesthetics lies in artistic conception and charm. A few traces of blue water, a lone sail, this is the traditional Chinese aesthetic way to leave white. Mountain hedge and wild houses, back to basics, this is only a poem with a painting, a poem in a painting.
Why do current film and television dramas rarely have such heights?
Many marketing live-action dramas of famous rivers and mountains, there is no lack of aerial overhead shots of grand mountains and night mayor streets, but because of excessive abuse, beauty is beautiful, and after all, it lacks a soul.
With exquisite special effects as the flower, only seek "likeness", unfortunately it cannot be "godlike".
When we talk about "national style", we should not only care about concept packaging and gorgeous visual effects, but also equate what kind of makeup and clothing are equivalent to national style.
The core of the national style is artistic conception and spirit, which requires a sense of awe to appreciate those stories that have been precipitated in the years with a human touch, and needs to be simplified and returned to the basics.
Only by keeping the right and innovating can we tell Chinese stories well in the sound of noise.