1905 movie network feature To make a skit, make a lot of noise.
Recently, Zhou Xingchi officially announced his entry into the field of short dramas, launching the comedy record label "9527 Theater", which will cooperate with excellent young creators to create content for users based on the Douyin account of "Zhou Xingchi’s director works". The first micro-short drama work "Golden Pig and Jade Leaf" is planned to be launched in May this year, produced by Zhou Xingchi, supervised by producers, and starred by first-line actresses.
It has not been announced whether Stephen Chow will personally hold the camera. Fans who are familiar with Stephen Chow see the number "957" and naturally think that this is the number of Tang Bohu played by Stephen Chow in Washington as a servant.
In an interview, Mr. Chow expressed his views on short plays: "Short plays are a rapidly developing field of technological innovation and media innovation in recent years… I’m looking forward to this new attempt, and everyone will join us." When Chow’s nonsensical comedy collides with the fast-paced short form, what kind of spark will be generated?
2023 can be called the "year of short plays". According to relevant statistics, the total number of short plays launched in the whole year exceeded 1400, with a year-on-year growth rate of 50%. The number of records was nearly 3,000. The size of the short play market was nearly 40 billion, and it was close to 70% of the film market in the same year. The short play industry showed a trend of explosive expansion.
After the "9527 Theater" was exposed, netizens held different positions. Some people said that Zhou Xingchi followed the trend of capital and consumed classic feelings, "I am afraid that the evening festival will not be guaranteed, and I will smash my own signboard for so many years"; some people look down on the king of movie comedy to reduce the dimension and drop the price to shoot micro-dramas; some people remain optimistic about this, hoping that "Xingye" can bring high-quality works to the current barbaric growth and serious homogeneity of the subject matter of the short drama market.
In fact, this is not the first time Stephen Chow has broadened the runway: in the technology field, he has previously posted a public search for Web3 talent (Web3 refers to the potential next phase of the Internet, a "decentralized" Internet running on "blockchain" technology), saying that he is working on Web3 + AI projects. In the animation field, he was the executive producer of the Netflix animated film "Monkey King" last year, and his Bigao Group will also develop animated films and produce three independent animations.
Judging from the existing achievements of "Monkey King", Douban scored 5.5 points, IMDB 5.7 points, and Rotten Tomatoes had a freshness of 59%, which was not ideal. However, it is unknown how much Zhou Xingchi participated in the content as a producer.
There may be an interest in testing different fields, or there may be considerations of making money, and the two are not in conflict. What can Zhou Xingchi bring to the short drama industry that is becoming a new trend in content? Good or bad, it doesn’t matter if you give it a try. Besides, he is also preparing his new movie "Shaolin Women’s Football".
After many directors went through the creative peak and created a batch of classic masterpieces, they did not keep up with the changes of the times in time, could not find new positioning and goals, and were soon surpassed by Hou Lang. Like Zhou Xingchi "does not put eggs in the same basket", contact in multiple fields is actually looking for different opportunities to prolong their creative life.
The director is the most representative. For example, his new Spring Festival film, judging from the materials and information released so far, does not have the iconic color aesthetics of the past, nor does it pay special attention to the composition, shape and other forms of audiovisual aspects, and the overall appearance is very "simple".
Zhang Yimou said that this is a "new realist" film, the story is intended to be understood by ordinary people, and the serious rule of law theme is made into a comedy genre, which is also to cater to the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival stall.
Perhaps fans who like Zhang Yimou’s usual style will be surprised to see this work: this is very unlike Zhang Yimou. Indeed, Zhang Yimou has been seeking innovation and change over the years, and each time he makes a move, he subverts the established impression of the public.
From the early stage of adapting literary novels and making art films, to the commercial blockbusters that invested in big productions and big scenes, and now gradually abandoning the past fascination and exploration of visual wonders and forms of expression, Zhang Yimou is more focused on telling good stories at this stage. All reflect Zhang Yimou’s subtraction in form, addition in plot, and pursuit of dramatic tension in story.
The screenwriters of "Sniper" and "Manjianghong" use "returning to basics" to describe Zhang Yimou’s current directorial state, which is to return to the storytelling essence of the film. "After watching a story, you can get psychological satisfaction, just like making the audience full of food."
Zhang Yimou once talked about his creative changes in the master class of the Northern Film Festival: "Let go of the body of the artist with quotation marks, try to fly into the homes of ordinary people, to educate and entertain, to approach the audience, interact with them, let the film move and attract them as much as possible, and put the artistic ideas you want to express behind. I myself admire this kind of creative idea."
In the past, Zhang Yimou made fewer comedies, and comedy was also a favorite genre among Chinese audiences. From "Manjianhong" to "Article 20", he has made efforts in genres he is not good at. "It’s already difficult to just laugh, and it has to make people laugh and reminisce," he said. "I’m slowly learning."
Not only are creative ideas and techniques changing, but Zhang Yimou is also actively changing the track. He will start filming his first online drama "League of Legends", his first exposure to the theme of e-sports. He said he wanted to keep up with the current popularity of young people and "make a cool and handsome feeling." Earlier writer Chen Yan revealed that Zhang Yimou will adapt his novel "The Protagonist", which won the Mao Dun Literary Award. If it takes shape, it will be Zhang Yimou’s first TV series.
Zhang Yimou likes to try new shooting methods and do things that have not been done before. There must be some audiences who will question and wonder why they don’t pay attention to the best colors and forms? Why "go down to the earth" to make dramas? Why no longer shoot art films that can win awards in the past? Zhang Yimou once stated that the current self-positioning is to be a professional director, not to pretend to be a master, and to maintain a young mentality.
Zhang Yimou is increasingly becoming a creative product director serving the market. As he put it, "What’s the point of creators just expressing themselves, saying my thoughts, my art and feelings, but not attracting the audience to watch in the cinema?" Maybe he will go to shoot short dramas next, and consider what the deeper audience likes to watch.
Famous directors entering new industry fields may stir up "a river of spring water", affecting or even changing the pattern.
After the director started filming, it attracted a lot of doubts, and the three-year secret filming occasionally attracted rumors about the project’s difficult delivery. When the drama version of "Flowers" went LIVE, the audience ratings and word-of-mouth became popular all the way, becoming a New Year’s phenomenon-level explosive drama. The response along the way can be described as "questioning Wong Kar-wai, understanding Wong Kar-wai, and becoming Wong Kar-wai".
Before the broadcast, many people wondered: Can Wang Kar-wai’s usual weak narrative and strong style of filming adapt to the context of the series? Obviously, Wang Kar-wai, who was filming for the first time, made a change. "Flowers" not only continues the audio-visual aesthetic and emotional characteristics of Wang Kar-wai alone, but also has many strong conflict plots that are in line with the audience’s love to watch. This is the first time that Wang Kar-wai’s work has such a high density of plot.
So far, "Flowers" has risen to 8.6 on Douban, and some experts at the seminar commented that "Flowers", which is a fusion of Wang Jiawei and the series, is like a "bomb" that overturns the normal, mediocre and comfortable creative status quo that has been formed in the Chinese TV drama industry for many years.
Of course, the drama did not face one-sided praise, and there were also criticisms that its adaptation was divorced from the original, the restoration of the times was not true enough, the story was fragmented, and the characters’ dialogue was too noisy. Even if the praise was mixed, Wang Jiawei’s step was still bold and innovative, which was better than resting on its laurels and sticking to the old ways.
The reason why great directors were able to create screen classics and climb the peak is precisely because they knew how to keep up with the times, keep up with trends, and lead new trends.
From film crossover to web dramas, TV dramas, short dramas, etc., artistic creation does not distinguish between stages, and there should be no chain of contempt between different media. When more famous directors join a new market, it may inspire them to change their creative routines, but also change the market’s routines, and drive more outstanding talents to enter the market. Only by learning from each other and integrating can we create new artistic vitality and the driving force for the industry’s endurance.
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