New Age Artists

Chapter 675 Don’t Laugh at Them
Three Links Building.

Top floor.

Dong Qing checked the radio equipment on his body, and repeatedly read the interview outline with densely written notes on his hand, thinking about the various emergencies he might face.

The director consoled her: "Don't be nervous, we are not broadcasting live."

Dong Qing took a few deep breaths and didn't pay attention to what his colleagues were saying.

The influence of "The Return of the Great Sage" is too astonishing.

Shen Santong had not originally planned to accept an interview. Ever since the turmoil last year, Shen Santong felt as if he had stepped out of the three realms and was no longer bound by the five elements.

Later, after coordination among all parties, this exclusive interview was made possible.

CCTV is not a very important link here.

"Director Shen is here." The production director reminded.

Dong Qing saw a tall young man striding towards him.

Shen Santong shook hands with Dong Qing and said, "Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."

Dong Qing found Shen Santong to be quite polite: "Director Shen, this is our interview outline, would you like to take a look at it?"

Shen Santong said: "I saw it on the plane before coming here, let's start directly."

Dong Qing calmed down after hearing the prompt in the headset and said, "Congratulations! The Monkey King: Hero is Back has brought Chinese films and animated films to a new level."

Shen Santong said: "Thank you for the support of the audience. We know that there are still many things that have not been handled well."

Not modesty.

This version of "The Return of the Great Sage" still has many problems, whether it is the animation technology or the plot, it cannot be said to be perfect.

Storytelling requires talent.

A short film of "Jiang Ziya" made of dumplings is better than the feature film.

There are some hints of the golden cudgel in "Nezha 2", which can arouse great expectations.

It takes strong capabilities to modernize and reinterpret a classic IP.

The only film in later generations that handled the mythological story well was Nezha, especially Nezha 2, which reinterpreted the original version by removing the meat and bones, and completely reconstructed the rift in the traditional story.

In "The Monkey King: Hero is Back", Shen Santong used clumsy kung fu.

The first is to highlight the Great Sage. The Great Sage can become a mortal, but he must be burning.

Another point is to focus the narrative perspective on Jiang Liuer as much as possible.

Through the growth of a child, the audience can feel more involved.

To put it bluntly, Shen Santong simply served the Monkey King IP as authentically as possible.

If you want to talk about how well we have done, we only know our own business and there are many problems.

"You are so modest." Dong Qing said, "It is already very shocking to the audience."

Shen Santong said: "That's because we moviegoers are tolerant."

Dong Qing said: "From the audience's perspective, 'The Monkey King: Hero is Back' has created a new narrative that is quite different from other films of the same period."

The movie released at the same time was "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons".

Many people at CCTV thought that "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" was good, except that Zhou Xingchi met Shen Santong.

Zhou Xingchi turned the golden cudgel into a tool of destruction, Huang Bo's Monkey King looked like a mad beast, the pig demon was emotionally wounded, and the monsters suddenly had their own difficulties.

The embarrassing thing is that one of the main plots of "The Monkey King: Hero is Back" is that Jiang Liuer goes from worshipping the conspirator Monkey King to witnessing the hero's nirvana. The darkness is not the end, but the starting point for the hero's rekindling.

Humanistic narrative cannot be used as an excuse, as the audience understands that so-called human nature is nothing more than dissolving the boundaries between good and evil.

Among all the Hong Kong directors, Stephen Chow is closer to this side. CCTV hopes that Shen Santong can make a simple response to maintain the unity and avoid such a fierce clash like "Red Cliff".

This topic had been discussed in advance, and Shen Santong's team thought CCTV was too nosy and wanted to remove it.

The reputation of "Exorcist" is the audience's evaluation, what does it have to do with CCTV? Besides, the two films are still competing, it's just that "Exorcist" can't beat "The Return of the Great Sage".

If they can win, will Hua Yi and Zhou Xingchi show mercy? Even if they do, will the Hong Kong media and other forces do the same?

And even though the gap is huge, there are wars of words between fans of Shen Santong and fans of Zhou Xingchi. Why does CCTV have the right to care so much?
A bit too self-conscious.

In the end, it was Shen Santong who brought up this topic.

Shen Santong said: "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is quite good, we should not laugh at it."

Dong Qing's eyes widened slightly and he said, "Indeed, they are the pride of domestic films."

Shen Santong said sincerely, "Many times it's the difference in cultural core. When I was making historical blockbusters before, some of my remarks were too extreme. Now I think it was because I was young and frivolous back then."

Dong Qing continued: "Growth requires a process."

Shen Santong said: "Yes, but some things are not growth, many things are innate, brought from the womb."

"What is the core of our mythology? I think there are several points: the social ideal of the world for all and universal peace, the idea of ​​governing with virtue, the tradition of great unity with nine provinces connected and diverse, the family and country sentiment of self-cultivation, peace and prosperity, and responsibility for the rise and fall of the country, the spiritual pursuit of virtue, the economic ethics of enriching the people and promoting life, balancing righteousness and interests, the ecological concept of harmony between man and nature and nurturing all things, the philosophical thought of seeking truth from facts and unity of knowledge and action, the thinking method of adhering to the middle way and keeping the middle way, and the way of communication of trust, friendship, and good neighbors."

Dong Qing was surprised, and he wasn't pretending: "You have a very high level of thinking."

Shen Santong shook his head and said, "Can I achieve these heights? You think too highly of me. Similarly, can a director learn these concepts? I think that's difficult."

Dong Qing was a little confused: "That's true."

Shen Santong: "Rather than saying it's me, it's more like the cultural genes running in our bones."

"The reason why "The Return of the Great Sage" was successful is because we have it in history, so the mythological story can be successful!"

"Behind Dayu's flood control was a great leap forward and transformation in China's organizational capabilities. Kuaiji Mountain was the earliest site for project settlement, auditing and anti-corruption work in China."

"What are behind the Weaver Girl, Nuwa and Chang'e? What are the twenty-eight constellations? It's weaving!"

"It was because of our early productivity, the high level of textile, smelting and dyeing, that we had all these myths and stories."

"Behind the myths and legends of the Weaver Girl and the Stars is the Chinese people's longing to mend the world and unite all things."

"The legend of Nuwa mending the sky is a technical pursuit of the Chinese people to revise the calendar and guide farming."

"The underlying theme of the myth is the real development of productivity."

“Mythology is literary history, history is realistic myth, and science fiction is history about the future.”

"From this point of view, directors from Hong Kong and Taiwan have missed an important lesson. Whether it is "The Return of the Great Sage" or historical blockbusters, the key to their success is the cultural environment and the environment in which they grew up."

Dong Qing was deeply shocked.

It's not that she agrees with Shen Santong's statement, but she has read Shen Santong's exclusive interview with the Flower Society.

Shen Santong’s philosophy has not changed.

I'm not kidding, I want to build my own movie world step by step.

The historical blockbuster model has matured, and the first myth was also a success.

Shen Santong wants to use a line to connect the past, present and future. Judging from Shen Santong's summary of the cultural core, this line should have a clear path to implementation.

Attempts have already begun. The final magic bullet scene in "1937" is an attempt.

The coins symbolize the past history. In the face of the huge threat of national extinction, the past is burning to support the Chinese people at the moment when the Chinese nation is trying to save itself.

And with the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it also contributed to the historical heritage of China.

If Shen Santong could do it, it would be equivalent to compressing three dimensions into two dimensions.

The Chinese people, who share the same language and ethnicity, have a certain high-dimensional ability, and through film works, they can overlook their past, present and future.

It can be said to be a wild idea, but Shen Santong is doing it and realizing it step by step.

Dong Qing felt his scalp tingling when he thought about it.

The look he gave Shen Santong was filled with a hint of shock, unspeakable fear, and a hint of admiration.

(End of this chapter)