1. Lee Yiu-chung's artistic background
From an early age, Li Yaozong showed a high grasp of the arts, and he originally studied acting at the Beijing Broadcasting Institute, and was good at observing the details of characters and bringing them to life. During his time at the university, he participated in the production of a number of TV dramas and radio dramas, not only starring in his own roles, but also providing dubbing services for the crew. These valuable experiences have given him an in-depth understanding of the form of performance and the structure of the play. Despite his young age, the crew already saw him as a reliable assistant.
2. Photographs and Awards
After graduating, Lee began to try to capture the mentality of the characters through the lens. He has worked on the TV series "Into the Storm" and "The Daughter-in-law", both of which are trendy and layered, but also reflect the insistence on detail. This earned him the Golden Eagle Award and the Flying Sky Award, and other veteran routines are also optimistic about his future. His talent and achievements in photography laid a solid foundation for his future participation in Dream of Red Mansions.
3. The filming process of "Dream of Red Mansions".
In July 1984, the filming of the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions" was officially launched. The filming project is expected to take three to five years to complete, and during this long time, the crew will need to find locations in different locations across the country to suit each scene. Director Wang chose Li Yaozong as the director of photography for this big production, and his vision is very accurate. In the following three years, Li Yaozong crossed mountains and rivers and visited 219 scenic spots, only to escort more than 10,000 shots broadcast in the final version, which was not easy.
4. The hard-to-find photographer with Lee Yiu Chung's choice
Due to the time span of three to five years, many senior photographers are reluctant to undertake such a long-term project. While he was confident in his own abilities, Li Yaozong also hesitated to consider family issues. At this time, Director Wang suggested that his girlfriend Dongfang Wenying join the crew, and the daily relationship between the two solved his concerns. Under this arrangement, Li Yaozong finally joined the team of "Dream of Red Mansions" and completed this classic in three years.
5. Lee Yiu Chung's professional approach to filming
Before starting filming Dream of Red Mansions, Li Yaozong did a lot of research and preparation. As a cinematographer, he has a deep understanding of the language of the lens. He carefully read the original book many times, discussed every detail with director Wang Fulin, and conceived a complete shot language for each scene. In his view, the language of film is not only to show the story through the picture, but also to integrate psychological description through layering and perspective transformation.
Under the constraints of the conditions at that time, "Dream of Red Mansions" adopted the method of single-camera shooting. In order to make up for this shortcoming, Li Yaozong pursued the quality of each lens to the extreme. He visited each location for two months, looking for a variety of perspectives and meticulously setting up professional lighting for each important scene. When filming the Jamsil scene, he used hazy lighting to recreate the "quiet and long" atmosphere described in the original book. In addition, he also personally participated in the design of props and costumes, pursuing the greatest restoration of the original world.
6. The challenge of single-camera shooting of "Dream of Red Mansions".
Single-camera shooting brought great challenges to the production of "Dream of Red Mansions". In order to complete the complex alternating shots, Li Yaozong did not hesitate to use innovative methods, such as adopting the method of "double passing" to complete the perspective transformation in important scenes. For example, in Qin Keqing's funeral scene, the first time started with a close-up of Qianlong's face, and the second time shot the whole scene from the side. This requires the actors to repeat twice with precise movements and expressions, which is very demanding for them.
In addition, large-scale group scenes also make it more difficult to shoot with a single camera. During the filming of the scene of the provincial concubine, Li Yaozong personally designed a viewing platform more than 20 meters high to capture the dynamic performance of all the actors from above. This move reproduces the beauty of the scene, but also adds difficulty to the actors. In addition, post-editing also requires exquisite technology to complete the fit of the shots. But it is these difficulties that inspire Li Yaozong's higher production level and film edification ability.
7. Detailing and scene depiction
Li Yaozong is extremely persistent in the handling of details. As a professional photographer, he understands that every subtlety can affect the overall result. He not only requires the actors to be involved in the play in terms of language habits and movements, but also to be very thoughtful in the details of daily life. For example, in the scene where Jia's mother wrote a letter, Li Yaozong spent a day teaching the actor how to use a brush correctly and mix paintings. This has a significant impact on the expression of the temperament of the writing and the subtle emotions of the text.
In addition, he also put a lot of effort into the restoration of the scene. During the filming of the Linmen curtain scene, he personally reproduced the picture effect under the shade of the rain scene according to the description of the original work, vividly interpreting the "fluttering" state of mind of that scene. When filming the scene of Tianke Shuyu, a professional art team was invited to build a pavilion and bridge flow in a 1:1 ratio. This brings convenience to the post-production program and helps the audience fully immerse themselves in the world of Red Mansions. It is this dedication to detail that makes the entire plot visually smooth and coherent.
8. Lee Yiu-chung's shooting style and perspective
Lee Yiu-chung is good at expressing psychological drama through perspective shifting, which has also become one of his signature styles. For example, when filming Wang Xifeng's appearance, he used close-up shots to set off her inner loss, and then quickly zoomed out to show the character. When filming the scene where Jia's mother blames the attacker, the small-scale switching also makes the emotional ups and downs more obvious. His lens language is detail-oriented and can convey mental activity vividly.
At the same time, Li Yaozong is also good at creating an overall atmosphere through the choice of perspective. When filming Qin Keqing's funeral, looking down from above gives people a sense of the overall situation, setting off the strict rules of the royal family. When introducing close-ups of characters, you can put in a strong emotional component. This processing mode brings a strong sense of immersion to the audience. When filming the princess, the gorgeous scenes alternated with the compact and simple character shots, which also reproduced the original style. This is Li Yaozong's unique perspective language.
1. The cameragraphic tone and artistic achievements of "Dream of Red Mansions".
In the 1987 version of the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions", cinematographer Li Yaozong attaches great importance to the transmission of emotions. Each of his shots pays attention to the interpretation of the emotions of the original work, not a simple visual record, but a reproduction after deeply understanding the essence of the original work. He vividly interprets the subtleties in the original book, so that the audience can truly feel the inner world of the characters.
For example, in the description of Grandma Liu and Xiao Ban'er before entering the Grand View Garden, Li Yaozong skillfully shows the poor image of Grandma Liu and the stark contrast formed by the arrogant attitude of the servants in the Grand View Garden by highlighting the atmosphere and environmental details, and profoundly interprets the important emotional core of the class gap in the original work. Every frame in his shots can understand the essence of the original book.
In addition, when filming large-scale scenes, Li Yaozong also put a lot of effort into it. The design of important scenes such as Qin Keqing's funeral and the provincial relatives of the concubine have excavated many details that the audience has not noticed, and brought out the momentum of the grand scenes of the original work with a single machine. These reflect his in-depth thinking and unique interpretation of the original work.
2. Li Yaozong's regrets and evaluations
Looking back on the filming of the entire "Dream of Red Mansions", Li Yaozong also has some regrets. Due to the constraints of the conditions at the time, some scenes could not restore the grand and shocking scene effect in the original book, which left him with regret. But it's not so much a regret as a high demand for your future work.
With the progress of the times, today's multi-camera shooting or special effects may be able to achieve inspirations that he could not achieve at that time. But in any case, the artistic level of the 87 version completed with a single machine is still difficult to surpass. He integrates the language of the lens into his bones and blood to interpret the real and profound emotional world, which is the essence and achievement of Li Yaozong's video art.
Director Wang Fulin once commented on Li Yaozong: "He was born in acting, but he can express the tone with the lens language and reproduce the true meaning of the original work on the screen, which is his uniqueness." This also explains why he was able to grasp the true meaning and charm of the super long novel "Dream of Red Mansions".
3. The contribution of the behind-the-scenes team to "Dream of Red Mansions".
The success of the 87th version of the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions" is inseparable from the joint efforts of the entire team behind the scenes. From the costumes to the music, every detail is obsessively drawn.
Costume designer Shi Yanqin meticulously redesigned dozens of costumes based on the original book, so that each character is vividly displayed in the camera. Makeup artist Yang Shuyun creates a subtle image according to the character's personality.
Composer Wang Liping named the theme music according to each occasion to render emotions. The ingenuity of using Peking Opera instrumental music increases the sense of affinity. Everything else has been done to bring this fantastic epic to life.
Everyone did their job 100 percent to make this classic. The reason why it has been able to survive for more than 30 years is inseparable from the hard work of all the people in this team. This also makes it one of the most memorable works in the history of Chinese television.
The above is an analysis of the unique achievements of the 1987 TV series "Dream of Red Mansions" in terms of image performance and behind-the-scenes production. As an epic masterpiece representing classical Chinese culture, it has indeed reached an unattainable height in terms of lenses and details.