At the beginning of 2021, Shanghai filmmakers are still busy. The Jiefang Daily And Shangguan News reporter learned that China's first 8K panoramic live opera film "He Luting", starring well-known singer Liao Changyong, and the Shanghai opera film "Dunhuang Daughter" starring well-known Shanghai opera artist Mao Shanyu have entered the stage of late finishing. Two films rooted in Shanghai and with distinct styles are planned to be released around July 1st, and their unique artistic quality and charm have aroused multiple expectations and attention.
Both films are produced in Shanghai. With the support of the Propaganda Department of the Municipal Party Committee, the two films are based on the creative principle of "small Zhengda", that is, "small investment, positive energy, and big feelings", and are carefully filmed and produced on the basis of He Luting and Fan Jinshi, two outstanding Communist Party members on the cultural front, and jointly produced by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Shanghai Shanghai Theater and the Shanghai Radio and Television Station, and directed by Teng Junjie. Not long ago, the 3D Peking Opera film "Zhenguan Event", which is also produced in Shanghai and directed by Teng Junjie, won the "Golden Rooster Award" of Chinese films, adding a brilliant stroke to the films produced in Shanghai in 2020.
"Zero Accident" Strives for Excellence in Filming "He Luting"
Stills from the opera film He Luting
In January 2020, due to the sudden outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the opera film "He Luting", which was scheduled to start, had to be postponed, but the creators did not sit idle, revised and polished the script and music, and asked experts to conduct systematic training in opera art for the main creators of the film crew.
At the end of July 2020, "He Luting" officially started filming. With the theme of "basing on Shanghai's red genes and greeting the centenary of the founding of the Party", this is China's first 8K panoramic sound live-action original opera film, which is a major project of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Shanghai Radio and Television Station to welcome the centenary of the founding of the Party. The film takes He Luting, the first dean of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, as the prototype character, and adheres to the high standards of "red spirit, professional characteristics, era style, and first-class audio-visual". Liao Changyong plays the protagonist He Luting, in order to achieve the effect of both gods and forms, he insists on running for an hour under the hot summer sun every day, often sweating. SMG's Magic D Film Studio undertakes the whole process of film production, and the main actors and extras are mainly teachers and students of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
The opera film "He Luting" tells the story of how He Luting integrated his individual into the big era and grew into a "people's musician" during the national crisis in the first half of the 20th century. Teng Junjie said: "How to greet the centenary of the founding of the Party with the latest artistic achievements in Shanghai is the mission of Shanghai cultural workers. It is also hoped that the use of the latest film technologies such as 8K and Atmos will bring a new audiovisual experience to the audience and promote the empowerment and development of the industry. ”
Due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the filming plan of "He Luting" has been postponed many times. After the official start-up at the end of July last year, on the basis of being forced to adjust the original plan, the film crew racked their brains to maximize the effect of real-life shooting and to do enough epidemic prevention work with the strict control plan of "special combat readiness". During the filming period, the crew strictly formulated and implemented a set of unique and scientific closed-loop epidemic prevention management methods, introduced management specifications from multiple links such as shooting, accommodation, dining, round-trip and so on, strictly disinfected the venue every day, did a good job of personal protection, and completed the film shooting with "zero accidents".
Director Teng Junjie gave a speech to the actors on the shooting scene of the opera movie "He Luting"
In addition, Shanghai Radio and Television Station and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music also jointly established a temporary party branch of the crew, which put forward clear requirements for all party and league members to rush forward on high standards of artistic creation and overcoming difficulties during filming. The temporary party branch exchanged experiences in a timely manner through dynamic work meetings, and the ideological work was pasted on the crew. Shangyin turned the shooting scene into a unique lecture hall for the "ideological and political class" of university education, and the SMG film team overcame difficulties to create a new model for Shanghai school-enterprise cooperation and ensured the efficient completion of this difficult shooting task in the special period.
Mogao Grottoes has two "Fan Jinshi"
In September last year, shortly after the 8K movie "He Luting" was completed, Teng Junjie and his party rushed to the Mogao Grottoes and began filming the Shanghai opera film "Dunhuang Daughter".
Stills from the Shanghai opera movie "Dunhuang Daughter"
The Shanghai opera film "Dunhuang Daughter" is jointly produced by the Shanghai Shanghai Opera Art Institute (Shanghai Shanghai Theatre), Shanghai Radio and Television Station, Dunhuang Research Institute and Shanghai New Culture Film Co., Ltd., starring Mao Shanyu, and other main, supporting roles and group performances are also all starred by Shanghai Shanghai Theatre actors. Based on Fan Jinshi, honorary president of dunhuang research institute, and based on the Shanghai opera stage play "Dunhuang Daughter", the film truly and delicately presents the touching and profound ups and downs of Fan Jinshi, the "daughter of Shanghai", who has been carrying out archaeology, academic research and cultural relics protection in Dunhuang for more than 50 years, telling the "Mogao spirit" of Dunhuang people represented by Fan Jinshi to "choose one thing and live a lifetime", and at the same time showing the unique artistic value of Mogao Grottoes in the history of world civilization.
At the boot ceremony, Fan Jinshi specially wore a red dress, and Mao Shanyu stood with her in the shape of Fan Jinshi in the film. The two "Fan Jinshi" stood arm in arm, making many onlookers, including the staff of the Dunhuang Research Institute, can't help but sigh, "It's too similar!" ”
Most of the shots of the Shanghai opera movie "Daughter of Dunhuang" were filmed in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and the vast desert Gobi and other places, and more than 150 cast members fought for more than 20 days, often with the departure of the stars, until late at night to return to the station, sometimes the box lunch was just opened, and the wind and sand swept in. When filming the scene of "Sandstorm Raid", Mao Shanyu's mouth was full of sand grains, but he insisted on shooting in order to ensure the quality of the shot.
Throughout the filming process, the Dunhuang Research Institute gave strong support, and Fan Jinshi visited the scene many times, "hoping that this film can encourage Dunhuang people to work harder to do a good job in protection and research." It is worth mentioning that due to the precise prevention and control measures in place, the crew of "Dunhuang Daughter" has also achieved "high efficiency, safety and zero accidents" throughout the filming.
At the shooting scene of the Shanghai opera movie "Dunhuang Daughter", director Teng Junjie was lecturing to the actors
Teng Junjie said that the film should reflect "two walks in". One is to truly enter the hearts of Dunhuang people, carefully photograph the unique contributions of generations of Dunhuang people represented by Fan Jinshi to Chinese art, and reflect the lofty character of Dunhuang people of "sacrificing youth and life"; the other is to truly enter the core of Dunhuang art and carefully display the wonderful splendor of today's Dunhuang Caves. These "two walks in" are the most valuable core of the film.
Mao Shanyu believes that the filming of Shanghai opera films is more delicate and realistic, making up for the limitations on the stage, "I hope that through such a film, I will greet the centenary of the founding of the party and pay tribute to Fan Jinshi, the winner of the national honorary title of 'outstanding contributor to cultural relics protection'."
At the same time, the film's main creative team also filmed the 8K long documentary "Dunhuang: Distant Clarity" (tentative name). The documentary is directed by Teng Junjie and produced by SMG's Magic D Film Studio, and the four producers strive to use international cutting-edge film shooting technology to portray the beauty of Dunhuang Grottoes murals and sculptures in ultra-high definition.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Li Junna Text Editor: Li Junna Photo Editor: Xiang Jianying
Source: Author: Zhong Han