Chen Duo, born in Shanghai in 1939, was one of the first television workers in China. He has presided over large-scale TV programs and series such as "Talking about the Yangtze River", "Talking about the Canal", "Ten Thousand Miles of Sea Frontier" and so on, among which "Talking about the Yangtze River" has created the miracle of thousands of empty alleys and the "myth" of documentary ratings so far. Photo: Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing
China's first television station, CCTV (early known as Beijing Television), began a pilot broadcast of black-and-white television on May 1, 1958, and officially began broadcasting on September 2, which was the beginning of China's television industry.
In July 1958, after graduating from high school at the age of 19, Chen Duo entered the China National Radio and Television Experimental Theater Troupe in September, becoming the first batch of television workers in China, witnessing the development of Chinese television.
Chen Duo initially did not want to engage in the television industry because he "could not defend the motherland", but he did not expect to do it for a lifetime. In Chen Duo's career, he has served as an actor, editor, director, photographer, dubbing, narrator, etc., participated in the production, broadcasting and acting of TV dramas and literary and artistic programs, and has done all kinds of work in the radio and television industry.
In 1983, Chen Duo and Hongyun hosted a 25-episode special documentary "Talking about the Yangtze River", which set a record of 40% viewership on CCTV, which was the most popular TV documentary in the 1980s and the highest-rated documentary in China to date. Chen Duo also became a generation of famous broadcast hosts because of his elegant image and kind explanations.
Chen Duo and Hongyun served as the hosts of "Talking about the Yangtze River"
Enter the industry
Not sure what TV is
In the summer of 1958, Chen Duo was preparing for the college entrance examination in Shanghai, and he attended a key middle school with a history of more than 260 years. Chen Duo wanted to study foreign languages and journalism, and in that era, Chen Duo, like other aspiring young people, believed that having an ideal future was to go to college and have real ability, defend the motherland and build the motherland, and be a combat hero and a model worker.
In 1958, the Central Committee decided to set up television, and the original Central Radio Theater Troupe was reorganized and expanded into the Central Radio and Television Experimental Theater Troupe, and the expanded theater troupe was to recruit a group of high school students in Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Chen Duo participates in many extracurricular activities in school, and likes drama and recitation. The troupe took a fancy to him and wanted to recruit him into the troupe. But Chen Duo was unwilling, saying that where is this, these recitations, acting, dancing, are all amateur play, playing these every day how to defend the motherland and build the motherland?
Chen Duo was criticized by the recruited teacher for this idea, and even brought him to do ideological work, saying that any work can defend the motherland and build the motherland, which is what moved Chen Duo. On September 1, 1958, Chen Duo reported to the troupe and began to engage in radio and television work. The China Central Radio and Television Experimental Theater Troupe has undertaken the production and broadcasting of various television programs other than news programs.
At that time, the Central Radio and Television Troupe was called the "Central Radio and Television Experimental Theater Troupe", and the addition of the word "experiment" was to explore and move forward. No one had done television at that time, and they didn't know what television looked like. When Chen Duo took the exam, several candidates were there to discuss, what is the tv, is the TV a movie? "We only know theater companies, radio, and we don't understand what television does."
Chen Duo, 19, became one of the first television workers in China. At that time, he did not know much about television, and he did not expect that television would have such a big impact later. After reporting to the troupe, the leader told him at the first time: You must face the microphone, face the camera, and speak to the whole of China and the whole world on behalf of the party, the state, and the government. Chen Duo thought that since work is so important, how can he always think about going to college, "I will criticize myself, I can no longer think about the east and the west, and I must work seriously." In those days, revolution was work, and work was revolution. ”
In this way, Chen Duo began to work in the radio and television industry step by step.
Photo: Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing
Practitioners
A recitation actor does a lot of work
Everyone has no idea what tv really is, but Chen Duo, who is familiar with the radio work, began to do radio programs. Another job is to participate in the production and broadcast of some TV series as an actor.
In 1959, Chen Duo starred in the first large-scale TV series in the history of domestic television, "New Generation". You can't see people on the radio, you don't need costumes, you don't need makeup, but with television, you have to have these requirements, you can't just sit there and recite, even if you just stand there, you have to move, you have to communicate. Therefore, through the training of stage plays, everyone masters the rhythm and practices the sense of communication. At that time, the troupe rehearsed many plays, such as Cao Yu's "Beijingers", "I am now reciting, everyone thinks it is good, and it is also the result of the accumulation of exercises including acting at that time." ”
Although he was recruited into the troupe as an "actor", when working in the troupe, Chen Duo participated in the editing, collection, broadcasting, acting and production of radio and television programs such as literature and art, special topics, and children's programs. The sound group was short of people, and the leader let Chen Duo work part-time to engage in audio, imitating chickens, dogs, cats, radio trains, ships. He also took the initiative to ask to be a music editor, choosing his own music and singing.
Played Qiao Guanhua in the second part of the TV series "Five-Star Red Flag Fluttering in the Wind".
In 1967, Lin Biao spoke at the Workers' Stadium, and Lin Biao's live speech missed a word, he should have said, "We must liberate Taiwan", but said "We must let Taiwan go". The live broadcast passes in a flash, but when it is replayed, it can not miss a word. What to do? I can only find a way to edit it from Lin Biao's entire speech.
Chen Duo was in charge of sound effect synthesis, he and the best recording engineer in the recording department discussed the solution, saw Lin Biao's manuscript, there is no other place to have a "solution" word, and finally can only find two syllables to cut out and spell, which is very difficult. Unlike today, watching the sound waves combine two syllables together is enough. Chen Duo worked with the recording engineer for nearly three hours before editing it. When the news is broadcast in the evening, for most listeners, the word "liberation" is heard.
"Talking about the Yangtze River"
A change of broadcast voice, the explanation is eloquent
At the end of the 1970s, CCTV did not have many programs. After the reform and opening up, international cooperation in the form of co-production appeared on television programs. In terms of documentaries, a series of feature films introducing cultural relics and geographical landscapes were filmed in the form of Sino-foreign cooperation. The "Silk Road" filmed in 1980 is a Sino-Japanese cooperation. Chen Duo participated in the later commentary work.
Chen Duo was working as a business secretary in the troupe at the time, and one day, the choreographer of "Silk Road" came to the troupe to find Chen Duo and said that he wanted to ask two actors to serve as the narrator of "Silk Road". During the chat, the choreographer found that Chen Duo's voice conditions were good, so he asked him to audition, and passed a try. Soon, the general director of "Talking about the Yangtze River" also found Chen Duo and invited him to be the host, saying that it was because he watched the "Silk Road" explained by him. At that time, Chen Duo did not know what kind of work the "host" was, and the director told him that the host was "out of the picture and explained".
Filmed in 1979, "Talking about the Yangtze River" is a documentary jointly produced by CCTV and Japan, and premiered on CCTV in 1983. "Talking about the Yangtze River" debuted the form of documentary host in the creation, Chen Duo and Hongyun two announcers changed the previous form of voiceover, and their images appeared directly on the screen, facing the TV audience. This way makes the audience feel fresh, plus the explanations of the two hosts are no longer the right and round broadcast voice, but broadcast in a kind and eloquent tone, and the temperament of Chen Duo and the dignified and generous Hongyun have also become the first hosts in the history of Chinese television with "Talking about the Yangtze River".
Before "Talking about the Yangtze River", China did not have the profession of a host, and no one taught how to host and how to explain, let alone imitate, all by secretly pondering. Even in terms of dress, Chen Duo did not know what to wear, and began to wear a jacket, open. Later, he was criticized by the old leader for not being serious, so he had to change into a Zhongshan suit that he thought the leader would wear.
After the broadcast of "Talking about the Yangtze River", thousands of people were empty.
After the broadcast of "Talking about the Yangtze River", the effect of "ten thousand empty alleys" was truly achieved, and the ratings at that time reached 40%. Chen Duo said that he also gradually discovered that there were so many people watching "Talking about the Yangtze River". At that time, there were many letters from the audience, and they were sent to the office in sacks every day. In addition to having a special audience letter group, the letters are all taken by everyone at any time, and they can't see it at all, take a bunch of them and leave it there, who has time to look at it, just adjust it.
Later, the program team found that there were many people in the audience's letters to provide clues, such as there was a very important omission in this place, and what should be filmed in that place. "Invisibly, it is a kind of national mobilization and participation of the whole people. So we made an answer to the audience's letter, as a form outside the main program, to answer the audience's letters in the various questions. ”
In Chen Duo's view, the need for such interaction is caused by the historical situation. "Now there is no need for an audience letter, everyone will directly use the barrage." Chen Duo also looks at the bullet screen now, but he will not use it, "it is to see everyone's various statements."
Work experience
Television and the audience are equal friends
Later, Chen Duo successively hosted series of programs such as "Talking about the Canal", many of which are still regarded as classics.
Chen Duo appeared in "Talking about the Canal".
In Chen Duo's view, the 1980s was a specific historical period, and the opportunity to cooperate with foreign countries began to be available at work, which also made Chinese TV people open their eyes to understand the world. From makeup to documentary performance techniques, they have absorbed and learned more advanced ways. At that time, the Japanese used a sponge to base the color, and we used to pat it with our hands, and then use our fingers and palms to apply makeup, but the Japanese used a sponge, which was convenient and practical. "Talking about the Yangtze River" is almost all the same sound, photographing the tea house in Chengdu, the lively sound inside, the sound of pouring water, the sound of children snoring, and the sound of telling the book about the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", all recorded, so that the film is vivid and lifelike.
What makes Chen Duo nostalgic is also the creative atmosphere at that time, everyone cooperated, discussed, exchanged, and argued, no one cried bitterly, and no one asked for anything. At that time, whoever had a good idea, everyone would encourage and support together.
According to Chen Duo's recollection, in "Talking about the Yangtze River", the manuscript written by the choreographer at that time had such a sentence, "When a monk strikes a day's clock, compared with those who only do not strike the bell as a monk, this monk can be said to be loyal to his duty." "Used to satirize some people for being passive and slack. The first day to finish the manuscript, the next day the choreographer said to take this sentence off, do not get someone to automatically correct the number. Chen Duo said that this sentence is a social phenomenon that we have discovered, and we should not throw it away casually. Finally, chen Duo's tone of voice in the film was handled, "I am setting an example, persuading, and not criticizing and accusing, but in fact, this is criticism in it." ”
It is precisely because of reform and opening up that Chen Duo said that if we cannot stick to the rules, we must have new ideas and new ideas. "Talking about the Yangtze River" always sees blue skies, green trees, smiling faces, and the commentary does not have a sense of preaching and compulsion, and one of the principles that I wanted to grasp at that time was: television and the audience are not the relationship between educators and the educated, but equal friends, including Chen Duo's commentary and tone when hosting, "This is the relationship and position between TV workers and TV viewers." The relationship we established at that time seems successful and correct today. ”
The Chengdu section of "Talking about the Yangtze River" presided over by Chen Duo vividly and vividly records the lives of local people.
Rewind for 40 years
Beijing News: Where did you go when you went abroad for the first time?
Chen Duo: In 1996, he went to France at public expense to participate in the international basketball amateur tournament and played ball. At the airport in the capital and on the plane, people thought we were going to report, and when we got off the plane, we were scattered and lived in the Homes of the French. Because the place where we competed was not visited by Chinese mainland people, they only knew Taiwan, so they really did some work when they went abroad, and people began to know that Chinese was the way it was.
Beijing News: Do you remember what was the first thing you bought after the reform and opening up that you wanted to buy but couldn't buy?
Duo Chen: I bought a radio. Because of the dry radio and television, the TV could not afford to buy, so I bought a radio, portable. It was probably the early 1980s, and it was still expensive to come up with a part of the salary, but it was very practical. At that time, there were also many radio programs, and the family was very happy.
Beijing News: After the reform and opening up, which literary and artistic works have had a great impact and influence on you?
Chen Duo: Scar literature. Because we have all lived through that era, those works have shown the course of our lives. Tragedy is profound, although I am a very optimistic person, but I am particularly receptive to tragedy, although it is very heavy, but after the heaviness let us think, so that such a tragedy will never appear again.
Beijing News: What made you realize that reform and opening up has affected your own life and your family's life?
Chen Duo: That's what we call a mobility car. About the 80s of the last century, my brother knew that I could drive, he bought a small car, at that time the car was a cadre above the bureau, very prominent, I said this is not OK, too detached from the masses, so I did not want it. In the 90s, I bought an Alto myself, I wanted 60,000 yuan, or borrowed money to buy it. I was finally happy to be able to drive my old mother-in-law to see Tiananmen Square.
Beijing News: As a person who has embraced a lot of changes and created some "firsts", do your children have children to inherit their father's business?
Chen Duo: No. Du Fu said that there are tens of millions of buildings in Ande, and the cold people in the world are happy. Many people, including our family," lived in a poor condition at that time, and we lived in a room for three generations and six families for many years, so I hoped that my son would build more houses. My son studied urban planning at university.
Beijing News chief reporter Liu Wei Editor Tong Na Proofreader Zhao Lin