Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Chapter 89 Interview

The next day, Zheng Hui arrived at Beijing Film Academy at around 7 a.m.

A crowd had already gathered in front of the bulletin board, craning their necks to look up.

A piece of red paper was pasted on it, and the ink from the brush writing was still very fresh.

Zheng Hui squeezed in, his eyes scanning from the bottom of the list upwards.

He scrolled to the very top and saw his own name.

First place: Zheng Hui.

He glanced at another notice next to him, which listed the interview time and classroom.

It starts at nine o'clock, and the location is Building C, which is not far away.

Zheng Hui strolled over there. Next to the interview room was a large lecture hall that had been temporarily used as a waiting room.

When Zheng Hui went in, there were already twenty or thirty people sitting inside.

He wrote his name on the sign-in sheet at the door and then found a seat at the back.

The room was quiet, and most people were looking down at the documents they had brought.

After a while, several people who looked like teachers walked past the window and entered the interview room next door.

Zheng Hui didn't recognize any of them. Two candidates in front of him were speaking in hushed tones.

"Why are all the directing professors here today?" a male student asked.

"Which one is from the directing department?" someone next to me asked.

"The one who was walking at the very front just now, that's Xie Xiaojing, the head of the directing department."

"Why is he here for our literature department interview?"

"Who knows? I guess it's because of his relationship with Director Qian."

When Zheng Hui heard the name Xie Xiaojing, his heart skipped a beat; he was somewhat surprised.

Xie Xiaojing hasn't appeared in the media much lately, nor has she published any books with photos. He didn't recognize her, so he didn't recognize her earlier.

If it were Xie Fei, he would definitely recognize him at a glance; he had read the book "The Collected Works of Xie Fei," which contained many photos of Xie Fei.

Time passed second by second.

One after another, candidates were called in and then quickly came out, each with a different expression on their face.

Around 10 o'clock, the student in charge of calling out numbers at the door called out, "Next, Zheng Hui."

Zheng Hui stood up, straightened his clothes, and pushed open the door to walk into the classroom next door.

Five or six teachers were sitting behind a long table in the classroom.

Right in the middle is Director Qian of the Literature Department.

To Director Qian's left sat a middle-aged man with a serious expression.

As soon as Zheng Hui entered, the man's gaze fell on him, scrutinizing him.

Zheng Hui guessed that this must be Xie Xiaojing.

Unbeknownst to him, Xie Xiaojing had specifically reviewed his exam papers this morning.

He also saw the draft paper with the two story ideas written on it.

He felt that this young man named Zheng Hui had potential, but whether that potential was for screenwriting or for becoming a good director, he wanted to see for himself.

So he greeted Director Qian and they came to the interview together.

"Hello, teachers." Zheng Hui stopped and bowed.

"Please sit down," Director Qian said, gesturing to the chairs opposite them.

After Zheng Hui sat down, Director Qian spoke first. He had a smile on his face, but his question was very direct: "You are already very successful in the music industry. Why do you want to take the entrance exam for our film major at this time? I want to hear about genuine creative impulses, not just empty words."

Zheng Hui organized his thoughts before speaking, "Director Qian, fellow teachers, in my view, singing and making movies are both about telling stories."

"When I write songs, I condense a story into a few hundred words of lyrics. Listeners can imagine the scene of that story in their minds through the melody and words."

"In this process, the initiative lies with the audience."

"But when I was shooting the music video, I discovered that I could actively create that scene."

"Through the camera, through lighting and shadow, and through the actors' performances, I want to present the story I want to tell more directly and completely."

"I found that the process was more interesting than simply writing lyrics. So I wanted to systematically learn how to tell a good story through the lens."

Director Qian nodded. This answer was appropriate and showed great sincerity.

A female teacher next to him then asked a question.

"What's the novel you've read recently? If you were to adapt it into a movie, what would you keep and what would you discard?"

This question tests one's literary knowledge and basic adaptation skills.

Zheng Hui replied, "I've recently been reading Yu Hua's 'Chronicle of a Blood Merchant'."

"If I were to adapt it, I would retain the core of the novel, which is about ordinary people using the simplest survival philosophy to resolve tragedy in the face of suffering."

Xu Sanguan faced constant hardship throughout his life, but each time he survived by selling his own blood, demonstrating the most touching resilience of life.

"As for the parts to be discarded, I will merge and purify the repeated blood-selling processes in the novel."

The length and pacing of a film differ from those of a novel. If a narrative is told at an overly uniform pace, the dramatic tension will be diluted, and the audience's emotions can easily become fatigued due to repetition.

"I will magnify the absurd and heartbreaking dark humor details in it."

For example, the scene where Xu Sanguan cooks for his three sons with his mouth while in bed during the worst of the famine.

I will make it a pivotal scene with a strong sense of contrast—using exquisite audiovisual language to show their ravenous hunger, yet their utter satisfaction in the aroma of stir-fried pork liver. This poignant romance will directly confront the cruelty of fate.

Zheng Hui recently read this novel because it reminded him of his past life before his rebirth. In that neighboring country, people at the bottom of society really relied on selling their blood to survive, and those who sold a lot of blood in a short period of time even received rewards. This gave him a different feeling when he reread the novel.

His answer drew glances from several literature professors, their eyes filled with approval.

This adaptation idea is very mature and insightful.

Another male teacher asked, "Of all the songs you've sung, which protagonist would you most like to explore in depth? If you were to film him with a movie lens, what would be the first scene?"

Zheng Hui thought for a moment and said, "The song 'Next Year Today' from the album 'Floating Life'."

"That song tells the story of a man who, after breaking up, still can't let go of the past."

"If I were to film him, the first shot I would take would be a picture of a hand."

"A man's hand is clumsily sewing a button onto a shirt. The button is a different color from the shirt itself, which looks out of place."

"The camera slowly pulls back, and we see the man sitting in a very small studio apartment. The room is messy, but the shirt he is wearing is very clean, although the cuffs are worn out."

"This scene, without a single line of dialogue, tells the audience that he is a lonely, nostalgic man whose life is not going well."

This question tests the ability to construct a complete character from fragmented information.

Zheng Hui's answer was incredibly vivid.

Director Qian's smile deepened as he looked at Xie Xiaojing beside him, his eyes filled with smugness.

It was as if it was saying, "Old Xie, such an outstanding student! Hey! From our literature department."

Xie Xiaojing remained expressionless, ignoring Director Qian's gaze.

He simply watched Zheng Hui quietly, waiting for something.

At this point, another teacher asked a question that incorporated Zheng Hui's identity.

"Macau is about to return to China. As a singer from Macau, what do you think is the most worthwhile aspect of this city to be documented in film?"

After a moment of silence, Zheng Hui said, "I think what's most worth recording isn't the Ruins of St. Paul's or the casinos, but the complex feelings of ordinary people living in Macau on the eve of the handover."

"I know an aunt who has run a small restaurant at the pier for decades. She has never left Macau in her life and speaks Cantonese with a Fujian accent."

Before the handover, her happiest moments each day were watching the news reports about which road leading to the mainland had been repaired, or which border crossing's opening hours had been extended.

"She told me that she didn't care about anything important; she just hoped that after the return, her son, who was working in Zhuhai, could come home for dinner every day."

"I think this most basic expectation is the most touching aspect of this era and this city. I will point my camera at them and record the joys and sorrows and expectations of these ordinary people."

This answer moved many of the teachers present.

They never expected that a popular singer could have such a perspective, focusing on the lives of ordinary people at the bottom of society.

A brief silence fell over the classroom.

Director Qian cleared his throat, preparing to say something.

Xie Xiaojing, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly spoke.

"Zheng Hui, we've all heard your songs; they're very popular among young people."

If you were asked to make a music video for the song "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart," but had very limited resources—only one camera, one afternoon, and three filming locations—how would you do it?

This question tests a director's ability to conceive ideas under limited conditions.

Zheng Hui pondered for a moment. Instead of answering directly, he asked, "Teacher, could I use a story I wrote in yesterday's written test as an example?"

Xie Xiaojing raised an eyebrow: "Okay."

"Yesterday I wrote a story about a drummer called 'Whiplash.' I think there's a part in it that would be perfect for filming in this style."

"I would choose three locations: a street, the backstage of a concert hall, and a stage."

"I would allocate an afternoon like this. First, on the street, I would film the scene of the main character getting into a car to attend an important performance. The music would come in at this time, which would be the prelude to 'Chasing Dreams'."

"Before the chorus starts, at the moment when he is most looking forward to it and closest to his dream, he gets hit by a car. This is the first dramatic conflict."

As the first line of the chorus begins, "Run forward, facing cold stares and ridicule," the scene shows the protagonist getting up from the ground, ignoring his injuries, limping and stumbling towards the concert hall. The camera follows behind him, handheld, creating a sense of turbulence and urgency.

"When the second chorus repeats, the scene can switch to his performance on stage. He is injured, his expression is painful but his eyes are firm, and he is frantically pounding the drums. These two scenes can be cross-cut to create a sense of emotional progression and climax."

Finally, the song ended, he finished the last drumbeat, and collapsed on the stage.

One afternoon, one machine, three locations—I feel I can tell this story in one go.

Several literature professors listened intently.

They seemed to see the boy, covered in wounds, yet still unwilling to give up.

The concept of this music video and the song itself, with its passionate and inspiring message, form a perfect intertextuality.

It doesn't directly interpret dreams, but rather makes the word "dream" more profound and powerful by depicting the pain and struggle in the process of pursuing dreams.

A glint of light flashed in Xie Xiaojing's eyes.

Instead of commenting on Zheng Hui's answer, he immediately posed the next question: "Suppose you were to film a fan meeting scene, and the main character is very famous, just like yourself."

But the theme you want to express is "the loneliness behind the revelry." How would you arrange the shots?

Without hesitation, Zheng Hui replied, "I would use comparison."

"First, I'll use a wide-angle lens to shoot from above the stage. The shot will show a sea of ​​people, waving glow sticks, and the main character on stage under the spotlight. The sound system will be filled with deafening cheers."

"Then, I'll cut to a subjective shot of the protagonist. What he sees is countless blurry, frenzied faces, and what he hears is a jumble of screams. This feeling of audiovisual information overload creates a sense of oppression for the audience."

"Next, I will use a telephoto lens to shoot the main character from the back of the crowd, through the gaps between people."

He becomes very small in the frame, constantly obscured by the throng of heads in the foreground, appearing and disappearing intermittently. This shot creates a sense of distance and alienation.

"Finally, when the meet-and-greet ends and the crowd disperses, I will give the main character a close-up."

He sat on the edge of the empty stage, holding a half-empty bottle of water. In the background, staff were dismantling equipment, creating a cacophony of noise.

But he seemed not to hear anything, simply staring silently at the mess on the floor below. I will use a cool color palette for the entire scene.

"Through the combination of these shots, the contrast between revelry and loneliness becomes apparent."

Zheng Hui's answer was logically clear and his steps were well-defined, like an experienced director explaining his shooting plan.

Xie Xiaojing nodded, satisfied with the answer.

He then asked a third question.

"If the protagonist in your play is a singer whose personality is completely opposite to yours, what do you think is the most difficult thing to capture?"

How would you work with him?

"What's hardest to grasp is the motivation behind his behavior that I don't understand."

Zheng Hui frankly said, "If I can't understand why he thinks and does things the way he does, I can't judge whether his performance is real or fake."

"When working with him, I don't force him to act according to my ideas. I spend a lot of time talking to him, not about the script, but about his life, his past, what he likes and dislikes."

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"I will try to enter his world and understand his logic."

I might even let him act out that scene in his own way. Perhaps what he gives me will be better than what I wrote in the script.

"The relationship between director and actor is not that of superior and subordinate, but that of comrades-in-arms. Our goal is to create a realistic and believable character."

Xie Xiaojing's lips curled up in a smile.

This answer touches on the core of a director's work: how to inspire actors.

He didn't pause and continued to press for answers.

"Which director do you like? If you were to choose one of his films and remove all the sounds, including the music, sound effects, and dialogue, which scene do you think would lose the most impact? Why?"

This question is both an advantage and a trap for a candidate who is a singer.

Because it tests one's sensitivity to film sound design.

Zheng Hui's answer surprised everyone.

"I like director Xie Jin."

Upon hearing this name, all the teachers present were stunned for a moment.

They had assumed that a young man from Macau would utter names like Quentin Tarantino or Wong Kar-wai.

"The movie I chose is 'Hibiscus Town'."

Zheng Hui continued, "If you remove the sound, I think the scene that loses the most impact is the last one. The crazed Wang Qiushe, while banging on a broken gong, shouts in the street: 'The movement has begun! The movement has begun!'"

"If there is no sound, all we will see is a madman making ridiculous gestures."

We couldn't feel that absurdity, that desolation, that sense of dread that came with the end of an era, yet whose shadow still lingered like a ghost over the town.

The scream of "It's moving!" and the jarring sound of the broken gong are the exclamation marks of the entire movie.

It condensed all the emotions built up over the previous two hours into this one sound symbol. Without this sound, the soul of the scene would be gone, and the film's critical power would be greatly diminished.

For the first time, a clear smile appeared on Xie Xiaojing's face.

He asked one last question.

"What do you think is the most important lesson you need to learn to transition from a singer to a director?"

Zheng Hui was silent for a moment, then he looked up and answered very seriously, "I think it's a compromise."

"Singing is often a solitary activity. A singer might record a hundred takes in the recording studio, working on a single note, until they are satisfied with the result."

"But filmmaking is an industry, a collective creation. It involves budgets, release schedules, and the collaborative work of hundreds of people."

"As a director, I need to accurately convey the images in my mind to the cinematographer, the art director, and the actors. In this process, there will inevitably be deviations and compromises due to various real-world reasons."

"I can't expect everything to go exactly as I want. What I need to learn is how to find a balance between sticking to the core message and respecting the team's creative process."

How to make the best choice under limited conditions. This compromise is not giving up, but a higher level of wisdom.

"I think this is a subject that can only be learned gradually on a real film set."

When Zheng Hui finished speaking the last word, the entire classroom fell silent.

Director Qian and several literature department teachers were completely speechless.

They looked at Zheng Hui as if he were a monster.

These questions, especially the ones Xie Xiaojing raised later, were far beyond the capabilities of a candidate.

Let alone the test takers, even the graduate students in the department might not be able to answer this well, with such organization and depth.

Zheng Hui answered fluently.

Each of his answers was not merely answering a question, but rather demonstrating his comprehensive understanding of the medium of film.

From screenwriting to directing to acting and audiovisual language.

He constructed a complete knowledge system.

Director Qian felt a mix of emotions.

He was both pleased that his department had recruited such a genius, and also somewhat worried.

This Zheng Hui, this little pond of the Literature Department, I'm afraid they won't be able to keep him.

His goal, from the very beginning, was the stars and the sea.

Xie Xiaojing looked at Zheng Hui, her eyes no longer scrutinizing, but filled with undisguised admiration.

Talented, ambitious, creative, and with a clear understanding of himself.

He turned to Director Qian and said, "Old Qian, our directing department wants this guy."

Director Qian's face hardened, and he retorted without hesitation: "You wish! He applied to our Literature Department, and he got the highest score in the entire college in the written exam. You saw the level of his interview with your own eyes."

He's from our literature department. You think you can just rob me on my turf? No way!

Xie Xiaojing wasn't annoyed. Instead, she smiled, waved her hand, and took a step back: "Old Qian, don't glare at me like that."

I didn't suggest he transfer to another department. A good script is the foundation of filmmaking; he can study in your literature department first and solidify his literary foundation.

Director Qian snorted coldly and scanned Zheng Hui with his eyes.

He knew perfectly well that the kid's words and camera work just now were practically radiating ambition.

This doesn't seem like someone who just wants to write screenplays quietly; it's obvious they're aiming for the director's chair. The small pond of the literature department won't be able to contain this true dragon sooner or later.

"His legs are his own body."

Director Qian's tone remained firm, but it was clear that he had given the go: "If he feels that the courses in our literature department are not enough for him and insists on auditing classes in your directing department, I don't have the time to keep an eye on him every day!"

But you, Lao Xie, remember this: this kid's academic record must be locked in a cabinet in our literature department!

Xie Xiaojing's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she immediately turned to look at Zheng Hui: "Did you hear that? Your Director Qian is protective of his own, but he won't stand in your way. From today onwards, you can attend all the professional courses in our directing department."

"You're qualified to attend our department's internal film screenings and private meetings with top directors."

"I don't care which department you're registered in; to me, you're a member of our directing department."

After he finished speaking, he stood up, strode over to Zheng Hui, and solemnly extended his hand: "I look forward to the day you come to the Film Academy in the second half of the year."

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