"The director on the spot is a general, a soul. Everyone has his direction, you invite this director, you have to respect him, but also respect his decision, all in the early stage everyone can communicate well. —Zhang Jiazhen
Mr. Zhang Jiazhen
Born in 1949, Zhang Jiazhen is a well-known producer who has been a producer, executive producer and producer for more than 30 years. After studying filmmaking at New York University, he returned to Hong Kong in 1978 to work as the production manager of two Jiahe films, "The Thief Detective Toto" (1978) and "Tower of Death II" (1981).
After two years at Lai's Voice Television, he joined Madon-Hsiung Productions In 1981 as a producer of Pretty Sister Boy (1982), Detective Skinhead Sister (1982) and Unstoppable Love (1984), the latter of which was also selected for the 1984 Cannes Film Festival Directors Bi-Week. From 1986 to 1988, he served as the distribution director of Debao Film Company, which became popular with two superstars, Li Guohao and Yang Ziqiong. He joined Tsui Ke Film Studio in 1988 as general manager and served as executive producer for a number of contemporary classics, including "Two Heroes in Blood" (1989), "Smiling Proud of the River" (1990), "Sino-Japanese North and South Harmony" (1988), "Tianluodi Network" (1988), "Hero's True Colors 3 Sunset Song" (1989), "Qiannu Ghost II Human Road" (1990), successfully pushing these films internationally.
In 1990, Zhang Jiazhen and director Wu Yusen formed New Mileage Film Co., Ltd., and the two worked together to create films such as "Across the World" (1991) and "Hot Hand Detective" (1992). He also serves as the manager of Asian superstar Chow Yun Fat and renowned writer and screenwriter Li Bihua. In 1993, Wu Yusen entered Hollywood with The Ultimate Target (1993), and Zhang Jiazhen served as a co-producer. In 1994, he and Wu Yusen teamed up with the duo's first Hollywood production company, WCG Entertainment, to produce such well-known films as Broken Arrow (1996), Changing Faces (1997), Stand-in Killer (1998), Don't Go Away (1998), The Edge of The Battle Again (1999), Mission Impossible 2 (2000) and Anna and the King (1999).
After "Taiping Wheel", he began to work with more young creators, and "Rogue League" is also the new one of his many attempts. It is also because of the opportunity of the release of the new film that the film and television industry network had the opportunity to interview Mr. Zhang Jiazhen and Luo Yaohui, the screenwriter of "Rogue League". Mr. Zhang Jiazhen said that the original origin of "Rogue League" was that he wanted to remake "Across the World", because of copyright issues, he had to write a new story. Then, "Rogue League" experienced the "accident" of replacing the protagonist before filming, and this problem almost led to the miscarriage of "Rogue League", so for the actor, Mr. Zhang Jiazhen also expressed his views. Of course, for Mr. Zhang Jiazhen, we ask more about the production aspect, he is a famous producer, and his experience and experience are very rare among domestic producers. From the way of cooperation to the process of cooperation, it can give you a lot of reference experience.
Film and television industry network: "Rogue League" was filmed abroad, and the staff is also foreign, for you is how can you have the confidence to do such a project?
Zhang Jiazhen: For me, this is not the first time, because I used to say that I shot in France 27 years ago, and "Across the Sea" was also mostly filmed overseas, so it was not a difficult thing for me. We were shooting in France with the Czech Republic, and you couldn't hire domestic staff, because it was more efficient to use the local area.
Film Industry Network: What is the positioning and theme of this story?
Zhang Jiazhen: It is a play that makes the audience happy to watch and entertains the audience. Of course we want the box office to be good.
Luo Yaohui: The main thing is to give the audience a very entertaining and very good movie-watching experience. It's a genre film, and then there are a lot of different elements in it, so it should also be an entertainment film for the audience. In fact, the theme is trust in my position. It is a kind of trust between everyone and every team member.
Film and television industry network: a story must have its own point of view, what is the point of view that you belong to "Rogue League"?
Zhang Jiazhen: I think it is still a character, because the character is very successful. On the one hand, Zhang Dan, Xiao Bao, and Ye Hong are three of them, and on the other hand, Pierre and Amber want to arrest them, and there is a dramatic conflict here. And Amber is Zhang Dan's former girlfriend, their previous relationship is very complicated, and Zhang Dan wants revenge, so the drama conflict is very rich, I think it is very good.
Film industry network: How to look at it is the personality characteristics of several characters.
Luo Yaohui: Zhang Dan (Andy Lau) is the smartest and calmest one in the game. Ye Hong (Shu Qi) is a more cute type, she will have a lot of different outfits, in this team is also a more lively kind. Then Xiao Bao (Yang Youning) is the kind that makes more use of technology. So everyone has everyone's role, so a team is formed.
Film and television industry network: the movie is actually a reversal in the end, how to design this reversal in the end?
Luo Yaohui: In fact, no one in the movie is really a bad person, and King Kong (Zeng Zhiwei) also feels that Zhang Dan wants to leave him, so he asked Shu Qi to come over, and he needs someone who can be trusted to take his place. So that reversal I think as a whole movie is a climactic period, testing a kind of trust between their players, so I think that reversal is a must. Then the role of Zeng Zhiwei, I also feel that in the movie is the most critical role.
Film and Television Industry Network: Then I would like to ask Teacher Zhang a question, now in terms of creation, how will you divide the work with the director?
Zhang Jiazhen: I made a play called "Across the Seas" 27 years ago, but I actually wanted to remake "Across the Seas". But the copyright owner refused to sell it to me, and the conditions put forward were very unreasonable, so I wanted to get a new story.
I found another screenwriter and handed it over to the director, and the director took over to cooperate with director Luo Yaohui and another screenwriter on their version. Because my script was more one-sided and more exaggerated, they made it very good, very human. When shooting, I found other teams except for the photographer, and I tried my best to cooperate with the director's requirements.
Film Industry Network: Will you participate in the direction of the creation of the story?
Zhang Jiazhen: A little bit. Beforehand, everyone had a direction to agree with, and I was very relieved about the director, I didn't have much to interfere with him, I felt that I interfered with it but it was not good. After everyone communicated the direction beforehand, I gave the work to the producer and director, because I was on the shooting scene every day, and I could see all the situations, and there was no situation that I had to interfere with. Some people may say that interfering with the creation, I will never do that kind of thing, the director on the scene is a general, is a soul, everyone has his direction, you invite this director you have to respect him, but also respect his decision, all in the early stage everyone can communicate well.
Film Industry Network: So between the tribute and the creation, how does Rogue League master this line?
Zhang Jiazhen: Director Feng Delun has a very good grasp, this movie is just a tribute to some shots, but the whole story is different. For example, the shot of the three people driving the car is still the shot of the two parties facing each other with guns. "Across the Sea" is about a triangular relationship, and its inspiration was also stolen from the French film "Zu and Zhan". Today to watch "Across the Sea", in fact, its shortcomings are particularly many, very that the style is not uniform. In fact, when it was filmed, it was not made by a director, and there was no script when we shot it, and from the first day of shooting, it was discussed in two directions, and the success of this film was its feelings and romantic mood, and this film was also the most popular film for female audiences under the director Wu Yusen at that time.
Film and television industry network: the work of the producer is sometimes a little chaotic in the domestic industry, and the function is not clear, is there a new interpretation of the producer Zhang Jiazhen?
Zhang Jiazhen: In China, we have always taken the director-centered system, so in many ways, the so-called producers are investors, they only need to pay, and the rest is decided by the director. But because we are now more concerned about the box office, in this case, the director likes to do as he likes, this is impossible, need to consider many aspects, to find a balance. You can shoot it expensively, but what do you want the future box office of this play? This requires knowledge of production.
There is also the relationship between producers and directors, for example, in terms of creation, sometimes because the producer's mistakes are too much, he can't take care of too many things, and he can't stare at the scene every day, so it is necessary to supervise the emergence of producers, and producers and producers are not divided in the United States, but there is a difference in China. For example, the director of "Rogue League" itself is also a producer, and Mr. Andy Lau is also a producer, and Andy Lau believes that he has a lot of constructive opinions on the script.
Film industry network: So "Rogue League" you are actually forming a creative triangle, producer, producer, director. The producer may have more creative management, and the producer will be more detailed in this financial management. You started working as a producer in '78, what's the biggest change in comparison with what you have now?
Zhang Jiazhen: At that time, the play was relatively simple, not so complicated, because the requirements were not very high, and I could get a play by myself. Most of the Hong Kong films made at that time were very rudimentary. But now it's different, the audience watches too many Hollywood movies, they will have a comparison, so the requirements are raised.
Film Industry Network: What is the most difficult part of the movie "Rogue League" from the perspective of the producer?
Zhang Jiazhen: Funds are no problem for us, because many people want to invest. If I have to say it, the hardest part is finding actors. Honestly, we've talked to a lot of people. But there was no actor, and at that time we really almost stopped this scene, because the actor had signed a contract and taken the money, and temporarily stopped filming. Because the TV series gives a lot of money. This is actually a very unhealthy phenomenon. For example, I heard that a drama chased after an actor and gave 200 million to shoot, which is really terrible.
The director sun changed the trouble caused by the actor
Film Industry Network: What do you think is the reason for this unhealthy formation?
Zhang Jiazhen: I think the biggest problem is that many investors and issuers do not accept it. For example, I now have a project to find an actor, this actor just went to a play and did not sell money, the play does not sell money is not because of the actor's relationship, but I want to use him, everyone will oppose. Say: "He doesn't sell money how can you use him." "They're afraid what if I use a new person, or an actor who doesn't sell money, and the play doesn't sell?" But look at Wu Jing before "Wolf Warrior", he was playing male 2, male 3 kind, but he made a play called "Wolf Warrior", no one was willing to release at that time, and the final result sold more than 500 million, and now "Wolf Warrior 2" has no need to say anything more.
India's Amir Khan, before only fans in China knew about him, but he made "WrestleMania!" Daddy", now every Chinese producer goes to him to shoot a scene. So as long as the scene is filmed well, as long as the actor is suitable for that role, whether he is a newcomer or once did not sell a certain play, it actually does not matter.
Film and television industry network: In the management of producers, it is a problem that will arise, or a perfect way to help this project to solve the problem, I hope that Zhang Producer can tell us about it.
Zhang Jiazhen: "Rogue League" filmed very smoothly, because the staff we used was very good, and the director was very good, the director he knew the production very well, so he was very cooperative, and after we finished filming the scene "Rogue League", instead of overspending, there was money left, which was very rare.
The main reason why we were able to do it was that the director was willing to cooperate, and there was no talk about changing the script on the spot, or improvising how I became and how to shoot. I used to come across this situation a lot, and it was very unhealthy. But because Von der Len knows the American set very well, because he understands, he is very, very cooperative. For example, we arranged a schedule according to the schedule given by the actors, and then went to shoot in this way, there was no way to delay, but because the staff we selected was very good and very professional, so they were successfully completed. Everyone at work focuses on their job and does it best. Instead of saying that I'm a master, I just like to do whatever I want, not like that. Staff are not serving one person, they are serving a project.
Film and television industry network: Some people think that producers are best not to participate in creation, as long as they are responsible for good job management and financial management, some people will feel that producers need to participate, understand some situations, and better integrate into it. Which do you think is better?
Zhang Jiazhen: This depends on the specific projects and problems. For example, I participated in another play last year, because I saw that some situations were not quite right, at this time I must participate, if there is no problem, then do not blow to participate in the creation, I participate is not to show my status, this will never happen.
Film industry network: In the supervision and production of this piece, in what aspects does it play a role in promoting "Rogue League"? For example, you just said that there is a benign job in financial management, so what else is there?
Zhang Jiazhen: "Rogue League" I just gave the director and producer a very good creative environment, give them to play, that's it.
Luo Yaohui: Teacher Zhang is very free, as a director and screenwriter, I like to cooperate with Teacher Zhang, because he really gives a lot of space to the director and screenwriter.
Zhang Jiazhen: Because after all, the film is the work of the director, not the work of the producer. When I first entered the industry as a producer, I told me that you can't have a self-thing, the job of making a producer is that others can't see you, you just serve, and you have to control while serving, but you need your invisible control.
For example, the film was originally conceived at a film festival, because the film festival was very crowded and active, and the thieves who stole things in Cannes were very powerful. Initially we didn't decide to shoot in the Czech Republic, we initially planned to shoot all of it in France, because there were terrorists that year, and Cannes wouldn't let us shoot it, for fear of accidents. After Cannes didn't let the shooting, we were still thinking about whether to go to Venice, Italy or something, because we had considered it. Later, we felt that when we first saw the scenery, we saw that some streets in the Czech Republic were very similar to Paris, so should we take the Czech Republic as Paris to shoot? Later, we thought about it, let's just think it's Czech. Because Jean Renault is a French policeman, it seems unreasonable for the French police to run to the Czech Republic, so the story needs to find a reasonable reason for him to pass, so as not to tie up the Czech Republic because you want to shoot a lot of things in Paris. So this is a result of considering it from the production angle and that photographic angle. I decided to do it, and I left the rest to them and let them play.
Film Industry Network: You have such an experience for so many years. Can you share some of the producer's experiences that will make it easier for young filmmakers to complete a film project?
Zhang Jiazhen: Actually, I think when I first entered the industry, there was a producer of my previous generation, and he told me two sentences, and you said that the main thing you remember when you are a producer is two things. First, you find a way to make that big difficulty into a small difficulty, and a small difficulty into nothing. To figure out how to solve a problem is not to create a problem but to solve it. Some people should not allow me, I will lose my temper, in fact, this is useless, this will not solve the problem.
The second point is that you should never turn ASSUME into Ass, U, Me. For example, people say that you buy me an apple, then I will buy an apple, but I didn't ask clearly, I thought it was a red apple. The result is a green apple, which is what I assume an answer to be like this. These are two things he taught me that I still use to this day.
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