May 2, 2023 | Total Issue 3223
Yun Xiang (played by Chen Xiao) came out of the cloud platform in plain clothes, and the thousand doors came as promised.
Last night, starring Chen Xiao and Mao Xiaotong, Li Yingying as the chief producer, Liang Zhenhua as the chief screenwriter and chief producer, and You Dazhi sat down, "The Legend of Yunxiang" was launched on iQiyi and Tencent Video as scheduled.
Six episodes were updated on the opening day, and the sword and shadow laughed and talked about the decision, which awakened the dreams of many viewers and quenched their martial arts thirst.
Since the start of filming, "The Legend of Yunxiang" has attracted much attention from inside and outside the industry. What fans are concerned about is that Chen Xiao and Mao Xiaotong's ancient costumes meet, and what sparks will collide with the collective appearance of Wang Jinsong, Hui Yinghong, Qin Lan and other drama bones? How will the "Qimou rivers and lakes" that have never been seen before? The industry's concern is, how will "Yunxiang" be "different"? Under the clear creative pattern of male and female frequency of costume dramas, this story that seems to be neither ancient nor fairy is destined to make a new chapter if it wants to survive.
At the preview screening before the start of "The Legend of Yunxiang", we had the opportunity to see this story in advance. Unexpectedly, there are not only hearty fights, interlocking wisdom fights, but also many other rich flavors, such as the refreshing feeling of fighting black and eliminating evil, the joy of penetrating personality, and the business war with hidden modern logic...
The fusion and superposition of many elements gives "Yunxiang Legend" a wonderful "gene mutation". This kind of innovation cannot be described by new martial arts and anti-martial arts, but it has obviously explored a new channel in addition to ancient puppets, fairy tales, and martial arts.
How is this new channel for the creation of costume dramas positioned, excavated, and where does it lead? The film and television monologue took the opportunity of the launch of "The Legend of Yunxiang" to talk to the three core creators of this drama, and spit out the doubts in their hearts to the chief producer Li Yingying, the chief screenwriter and chief producer Liang Zhenhua and the chief director You Dazhi.
Refreshing taste: two ways of happiness and revenge
First, use the plan of "borrowing a knife to kill" to get rid of most of the minions of the evil forces in the salt field; Later, with the "bitter meat plan" in the casino, he broke into the enemy's interior while making the bullies unpretentious; Finally, with a vicious battle with real knives and guns, the black and evil forces in the salt field were completely eradicated.
If you want to summarize the look and feel of the beginning of "The Legend of Yunxiang" in one word, it is probably "refreshing". In essence, the core of "cool" is justice. But in terms of expression, "cool" can be in different ways.
In "The Legend of Yunxiang", we can not only experience the instant refreshment of "people don't talk much", but also perceive the delayed satisfaction of planning thousands of miles away. The two-pronged approach brings a rare double heartiness.
"When it comes to enmity, there are not many heroic bones. Happiness and revenge will always be the main theme of martial arts and rivers and lakes. There are many last resorts in real life, so the audience has to find happiness in the stories of the rivers and lakes. The first thing that "The Legend of Yunxiang" pursues is comfort, so that the audience can enjoy it after seeing it and have emotional substitution. Liang Zhenhua explained the primary visual pursuit of "The Legend of Yunxiang". And the most direct expression of happiness is the martial arts design in the play.
Chief director You Dazhi has rich experience in filming action and martial arts-themed film and television dramas, and in "The Legend of Yunxiang", he proposed the design of using different environments to add points to important scenes. Implemented in the play, we see many beautiful and unexpected action designs such as fighting in the snow by the river, fighting on a rainy night, and a melee combined with salt drying equipment in the salt field.
Especially the rainy night martial arts drama in which Shu Yanan (played by Mao Xiaotong) appeared was quite hard-won. "Fighting in the rain will bring out a romantic beauty, which is very in line with the identity of the heroine. But this short few minutes of the scene was filmed for three nights. At that time, the temperature in Hengdian at night was only about 10 degrees, and Mao Xiaotong had to be drenched in icy rain all night, which made people look very unbearable. But she gritted her teeth and persevered, and seeing the current effect, everyone felt that it was worth it. You Dazhi introduced.
In the action scene design of "The Legend of Yunxiang", there are also some unexpected details that double the sense of refreshment.
For example, Yan Luowang (played by Ruan Shengwen) and Shu Yanan's first confrontation in the casino. When Shu Yanan exposed his "out of a thousand" trick, Yan Luowang turned his face on the spot and insisted on turning black and white upside down. At this time, according to the path of ordinary martial arts dramas, it is inevitable that there will be a few more verbal battles of first salutes and then soldiers. But "The Legend of Yunxiang" is not, Shu Yanan directly took off his hairpin and launched an armed attack unexpectedly, which made people just want to clap their hands.
Similarly, the appearance of the swordsman Jin Biao (played by Liu Guanlin), who costs ten gold per head, and the revelation of Yun Xiang's "escape ten breaths" kung fu, there are similar details that make people feel refreshed. When you think he's just a killer who takes money, he can scare off those black-eat-black, dog-eat-dog pickled goods without a knife. When everyone thought that Yun Xiang was a scumbag with no chicken power, he was able to make a move to "change shapes" to scare the opponent and the audience.
"This kind of flexible, stitch-and-needle 'playing pig and eating tiger' makes the story look good. I hope that "The Legend of Yunxiang" will be closer to the audience, so that everyone can first feel comfortable and happy, and then show the turbulent waves of the rivers and lakes, and the entanglement of people's hearts is complicated. Liang Zhenhua said.
Of course, as a conspiracy drama, "The Legend of Yunxiang" is more refreshing or comes from the stratagem of ambushing thousands of miles and making the wicked unpreventable.
"Do not use force, do not use soldiers, use IQ to walk the rivers and lakes, overcome difficulties." Shaking an elephant with the power of a grasshopper is also a kind of coolness. "In order to make Qimou generate an effective sense of refreshment, Leung Zhenhua and the screenwriting team spent a lot of brain power. On the one hand, it is necessary to let Yunxiang defeat the invincible, and on the other hand, it is necessary to bring the seemingly "dead chess" to life.
Just six episodes of "The Legend of Yunxiang", Yun Xiang first killed Yan Luowang, a salt bully who was harming one side, and then lured the Caogang and the local rich Tang Gate, who controlled the waterway transportation of the core city, to his set up step by step. Obviously, in Yunxiang's subsequent net closing operation, these two evil forces will also fall soon. But how the Cao Gang will fall and how the Tang Gate will break is difficult for the audience to guess.
"When we write stories, we beat ourselves to death. And then use all your brain power to undo this button. We have enough of ourselves, so that the audience will not guess the ending after seeing half of it. This is our respect for the audience. Liang Zhenhua said frankly.
In the view of chief producer Li Yingying, Qimou has a deeper meaning.
"The so-called 'plot to stop the war', the scheme is not only for the purpose of plotting and calculating, but also a means to calm some contradictions, but also for the sake of love and peace." In my opinion, 'odd' is a multiple expression of 'strategizing', and the story has unexpected reversals and high energy for the audience. ”
Interpreting the human heart and human nature is an eternal theme that can cross the cycle of times and subject types. I believe that the happy revenge of "The Legend of Yunxiang" can not only be refreshing, but also naturally bring some thinking to the audience.
Fun: The "Difference" of the Warrior
Nowadays, the "joy" of costume dramas is what the audience just needs, which has become an industry consensus. The joy of historical dramas dissolves depression, and the joy of ancient puppet dramas makes suspension land, and joy is also indispensable for the kind of rivers and lakes told by "The Legend of Yunxiang".
"The rivers and lakes are not just bloody, there are many daily things worth excavating. Comedy elements can make the protagonist group more vivid and vivid, not simply for 'fighting and killing', people have their own pursuits. At the same time, it also allows the audience to ease the tension a little, neutralizing the thick atmosphere of the rivers and lakes. Li Yingying defines the importance of comedy to martial arts stories.
However, to make the joy feel natural, it is not possible to shake the baggage and exaggerate the body funny. As comedy master Chen Peisi said, the act of laughter has a lot to do with the "poor situation". Whoever can grasp the "power difference" well will be able to create high-level comedy that shines with wisdom.
A major feature of "The Legend of Yunxiang" is that the comedy is wrapped around the "Nandu Squad", and everyone has broken through the complete image of the previous warriors, forming a "gap between them and the audience".
"Yun Xiang, this person is not a knight in the usual sense. Although he walks the rivers and lakes, he has no kung fu, and will only bluff people to 'escape ten breaths'. When he was in danger, he pulled his face down and begged for help. In order to achieve his goal, he will even have a hippie smile and do anything. In short, he is not a son for the audience to look up to. I don't know when, he will leak air everywhere. In this way, the laughter comes. ”
In Liang Zhenhua's view, Yun Xiang, the protagonist of "The Legend of Yunxiang", is a young man who entered the rivers and lakes with the hatred of exterminating the race. Years of hard work in Yuntai failed to let him let go of his obsession, but instead added a layer of deadly loneliness to his body. Such a character must find a light way to be close to the viewer's heart.
The same "potential difference" is also reflected in several other people in the protagonist group.
Shu Ya man looks weak but does not talk much, and when the image of a sassy woman with excellent martial arts stands, it exposes the thoughts of little girls who love to wear beautiful skirts. This reversal not to mention the audience, even provoked Jin Biao's eyes to widen and say, "Why are you dressed so girly". "There is also a huge reversal in the later development of the role of Shu Yanan, and the comedy tonality in the early stage can also pave the tension for the reversal in advance." Leung added.
Su Mingyu (played by Tang Xiaotian) has a rich family business and does not want to inherit, and looks like a stupid handsome guy with ten fingers that does not stain the sun and spring water, but he did not expect that he was a broken mouth "martial idiot" who knew the martial arts moves of various schools well. Jin Biao appears as a rough warrior with a knife in his hands, his eyes are bright in identifying customers, and he reveals his humble nature when he first sees Yunxiang.
When the four less traditional warriors gather in "The Legend of Yunxiang", the situation difference is also formed, the characters' language confrontation is good, or "around, hide, walk, dodge" in the rivers and lakes, the audience will have their own thoughts and value judgments, and then trigger "laughter".
Producer Li Yingying believes that the unconventional "male O female A" combination of the male and female protagonists of this drama also increases the comedy of the series. The tall Yunxiang hid behind the weak Shu Yanan for protection, and Shu Yanan often took pleasure in watching Yun Xiang's anxious appearance, and the picture was very interesting.
"The male and female protagonists in the play are not the common male protagonists with high martial arts skills and the female protagonists attached to him, but the game of two strong and fight side by side. One relies on brains, the other relies on force values, which are very complementary. This is also an emotional mode that the audience prefers at the moment. Li Yingying said.
The actors' live collisions and improvisations also ended up with extra points. For example, during the communication in the early stage of filming, Chen Xiao agreed with the chief producer and chief screenwriter Liang Zhenhua on Yunxiang's "not dull" performance tone, "In the subsequent script revision, I adjusted it according to Chen Xiao's interpretation of Yunxiang." Will add some less serious, light and witty drama to Yunxiang. ”
During the actual shooting, director You Dazhi also retained a lot of improvisational clips, which raised the joy of the series to a higher level: "There was a scene where Yun Xiang jumped off the roof, Shu Yanan caught him, and during the test shooting, Chen Xiao quietly added a force after Mao Xiaotong hugged him, Xiaotong and Chen Xiao both fell, and the scene was full of laughter. When we were officially shooting, we added this action as well. ”
Rich taste: the more rivers and lakes, the more extreme
Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and conversely, rivers and lakes are composed of living people. "The Legend of Yunxiang" clearly captures the essence of this. The whole drama does not emphasize the difference between sect organization and setting, but builds a big opening and closing river and lake by creating the ultimate group portrait.
In this river, the wicked remove the shackles from their bodies, and the righteous also liberate their minds. This confrontation between good and evil has become more turbulent and flavorful.
"For example, Yun Xiang, he was not noble at first, and he was even unable to extricate himself from the abyss of revenge for a while. In the first six episodes, in order to catch the Su family's unsinkable ship, he did not hesitate to set fire to the Su family's silk warehouse to blame the Cao Gang. Isn't this an extreme measure? But then he will experience a moment of disillusionment in his life, when he will rethink how to live. Leung explains.
A strong man must find his weaknesses; The heroine is looking for her darkest place. Shu Ya man is lively and cute, seemingly fierce and fast, but in fact, there is an unexpected reversal hidden in his body. The contrast between the external conditions of the actor and the inner part of the character deepens the confusion of this character. "Mao Xiaotong's sweet appearance is her great advantage, but she is resolute and firm in her heart and full of female strength. Her performance in the play is remarkable, exceeding our expectations. Li Yingying added.
Liang Zhenhua revealed that in addition to Yunxiang and Shu Yanan, Su Mingyu, Ke Menglan (played by Xu Lingyue), Jin Biao, Su Huairou (played by Qin Lan), Qi Tianfeng (played by Wang Jinsong), Mo Bufan (played by Peng Bo), etc., who have appeared, almost everyone has a complete "personal history". They have different identities and personalities, directly or indirectly affecting the important choices of the protagonist.
The owner of the gambling house, Ke Menglan, has a strong temperament and loves Su Mingyu, but he refuses because of his identity. At present, there have been three large and small disputes around Ke Menglan, and the direction of his relationship with Su Mingyu is temporarily unclear. Su Mingyu's eldest sister Su Huairou supports the Su family industry with her own strength, calmly elegant and gentle temperament, and Qian Rong (played by Huang Haibing), the big treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce, is Su Mingyu's dependency, and the unclear past of the two also affects Su Mingyu's emotional outlook.
Qi Tianfeng, the leader of the Cao Gang, is extremely deep and absolutely forbearant. As the plot unfolds, the history of his grassroots growth and destruction will be reconciled, which will be a drama mixed with blood and tears. Mo Ye (Mo Bufan), who currently appears as a comedy, also has a surprising side, "This character is extremely literary, and the audience is likely to shed tears for him in the end." Leung Zhenhua revealed.
epilogue
Finally, let's return to the two questions that are generally concerned by the industry - is "Yunxiang Chuan" male or female? Is it an ancient puppet, a fairy or a martial artist?
After watching the six episodes of the main film, plus the supplementary interpretation of the three main creators, I think the answer is already clear. It has both the refreshing feeling of male frequency, the contrasting emotions that female audiences love to watch, and comedy elements that meet universal tastes. It does belong to the big category of martial arts, with the highlights of traditional martial arts "love, righteousness, and chivalry", but it has more than that. It does have refreshing martial arts scenes, but its conflict goes far beyond the level of force, but also the vertical and horizontal of the shopping mall, and the grandeur of the benefit of one side.
It can be said that "The Legend of Yunxiang", which focuses on "Wise Heroes Out of the Mountains" and "Jianghu Adventure", has opened a new dimension in the creation of costume dramas with its coolness, resourcefulness and funny appearance.
【Text/Tin Snare Drum, Shiichi】