In the film and television industry, screenwriters are like magicians behind the scenes, using words to build wonderful story worlds. They are the beginning of all film and television dramas and the first link in the film and television drama industry process. But do they have enough say? Are you really being respected enough? Or, in an industrial process that is complex and difficult to clarify responsibilities and responsibilities, in the eyes of ordinary people who do not understand the industry's creation and production processes, screenwriters have become "unnamed in the credit book, and the first to take the blame"?
Wang Xiaoqiang is a screenwriter who has attracted much attention in recent years. His works cover a variety of themes and show his rich creative talents. He has high-quality dramas such as " mask ", " rival ", " County Party Committee compound " All come from his hand. Through years of practice and accumulation, he also has a unique understanding of the profession of screenwriting.
In 2013, screenwriter Wang Xiaoqiang won the annual contribution script award for the TV series "County Party Committee Courtyard" at the third iQiyi Golden Haobi Screenwriter Night.
For example, when it comes to a drama that has a bad reputation, the screenwriter often takes the blame. Wang Xiaoqiang expressed his understanding. He believes that the production of TV series involves many links, from screenwriter creation to director secondary creation, performance, editing, review, distribution, etc. The final broadcast work may be different from the original script, and these changes are not completely controllable by the screenwriter.
He said frankly that the cooperation between various departments in the creation and production of film and television dramas is often like an "arranged marriage", with the screenwriter not having much choice. Therefore, it is crucial to find partners who share the same views, aesthetics and mutual respect.
In addition, we also discussed the issue of the screenwriter’s voice and status. Wang Xiaoqiang pointed out that although the industry's emphasis on screenwriters has increased, and although most practitioners are aware of the importance of screenwriters and scripts, in practice, respect for screenwriters still remains at the "awareness" level.
Wang Xiaoqiang’s views may show us a little bit about the complexity and importance of screenwriting work, and may also allow audiences outside the industry to view the world of screenwriting in a more rational manner and pay attention to their efforts and efforts.
On June 26, 2024, at the 29th Shanghai TV Festival, Wang Xiaoqiang attended the Magnolia Award judges meeting.
[Dialogue]
The Paper News : Is there a trend of group dramas in global film and television dramas? What do you think?
Wang Xiaoqiang: According to my own observation, group drama is a creative trend now both at home and abroad. Regardless of the density of plots or the complexity of character relationships, from all aspects, I think group dramas are a trend. Nowadays, the audience or the market is no longer satisfied with the single-line narrative and simple character relationships of the past. For screenwriters, group scenes are indeed more difficult. People are multi-faceted and rich. From this aspect, if the screenwriter can solve this problem from the perspective of drama, it can provide better soil for the actors' performances and the director's secondary creation. If the nutrients are richer, the fruits may be more colorful and the flowers may be more gorgeous. If the soil in front is very thin, nothing will grow.
The Paper News : How to write the main theme successfully?
Wang Xiaoqiang : We often talk about the word main melody. In fact, I think there is no difference between main melody and non-main melody. For a while, people used the word "main melody" in a negative light, mainly because main melody works often have the problem of stereotypes.
When I wrote "County Party Committee Courtyard", I actually wrote it as an industry drama or a professional drama. I think these people in the county party committee compound are just like other professions. They have a job. They go to work every day and have their own joys and sorrows. I think we still need to understand this group in essence and understand as much as possible their relationship with their profession, such as whether they love this job, whether they are passive or active, whether this job brings them honor or humiliation, etc. The more thorough you understand these things, the more helpful it will be in shaping the story and character creation.
If the time is too short, the interview will be of little significance to the screenwriter. It is better to follow the prototype character for three days and observe every day.For example, if you interview a deputy county magistrate and say that you are a screenwriter, and you want to interview him, you may write the questions into a TV series in the future, and he may "translate" his answers because he doesn't know what you will write about him. Sample. Under such circumstances, it is difficult for you to gain his trust quickly, so it is better to observe from the sidelines. Observe his different characteristics when facing different people, such as superiors, subordinates, family members, parents, children, and lovers. Generally speaking, the more thorough and detailed you understand the interviewee, the easier it will be to write.
Stills of "County Party Committee Courtyard"
The Paper News : I would like to hear you give a specific example of how you observed an object at close range, including the people or everything around him.
Wang Xiaoqiang: The simplest example is that I went to the emergency department of Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing to experience life, because I had previously written a work on medical themes. I was on duty with a night shift doctor, and Peking University Third Hospital had many patients every day, so if I kept asking questions nearby, he would not have time to answer, and he might "translate" his words. Objective conditions do not allow me to keep asking him, and he may not have so much time to explain, so I think in this case, it is better to quietly observe, such as observing his relationship with patients and his relationships with different patients. , communication with family members, and communication with family members of different personalities.
When I was working night shift with a doctor at Peking University Third Hospital, I saw a patient who was about 70 years old. He was in great pain and had a headache. He kept banging his head against the wall. His daughter was very anxious at the time and kept urging the doctor, saying that her father was already like this, so why didn’t the doctor come and take care of it? The doctor said: There is a female patient over there who is completely unconscious after taking cephalosporin and drinking alcohol. She is in danger of life.
This scene left a deep impression on me. If I didn't experience life and just dreamed about it at home, I would definitely feel that the doctor would be very anxious after the old man came. But when you see those scenes, you will understand that being a When a doctor faces five patients who all need to be rescued at the same time, he must keep his mind calm and cannot be anxious. At the same time, he must make a choice and rescue the life-threatening ones first. Even though one person may be in particular pain, we can only make him wait a little longer. Situations like this may also break many people's imagination of emergency doctors.
Book cover of the novel "Crazy Hospital"
The Paper News : Many platforms now put forward higher requirements for typed works while reducing costs and increasing efficiency. It is difficult for them to feel novel and excited about a type of subject matter, and they usually ask screenwriters to explain What is the "breaking point" behind the type of story? It depends on whether the theme or slogan can make the audience feel novel. Faced with such requirements, as a mature screenwriter, how do you find the breakthrough point when creating a story?
Wang Xiaoqiang : For me, when encountering this kind of problem, the slogan and theme may not be very important. What is important is how to find a narrative angle and character relationship that are different from similar works on the market.
For example, when writing about a contemporary National Security Bureau, you must find different narrative angles; when writing about a spy war of the era, the track is very crowded, including dramas involving crime, etc. There are many genre films. How to introduce new ones, such as medical themes, there are so many I have filmed medical dramas before, so it may take me a long time to find a different angle. After finding this, the energy and time spent later may be relatively more effective.
Stills of "The Rival"
If you go the other way and force yourself to write a story or a script without thinking about it well, you may have to rack your brains and find a slogan without a new narrative angle or new character relationship. , the theme comes out, and then artificially tells the platform, this is also different, but in fact, I think we still need to find a new set of character relationships. Because for a while, when people talked about writing period spy stories, they seemed to be fake couples, but "Insidious" has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. It would be difficult to write a fake couple again, and it might take a lot of energy and effort.Therefore, I think that in stories with different themes, the most strenuous thing for screenwriters is to compete with other creators of the same type. How can they outrun them faster, gracefully, and in a shorter time? Each screenwriter may Everyone has their own set of methods.
"Mask" poster
The Paper News : There has been a lot of discussion about the use of AI technology in the film and television industry this year. AI technology has already had a great impact on the middle and back-end of the industry. It has not yet affected screenwriters, but have you tried using it? AI writing? And what do you think of its development prospects and its impact on screenwriters?
Wang Xiaoqiang: The impact of AI on screenwriters, I myself have experienced several different stages of psychological changes. At the beginning, I was similar to the public, because self-media often sells anxiety, saying that everyone will lose their jobs, and screenwriters are the first wave. Logically speaking, it seems that it can replace screenwriters, or it can replace part or even a large part of screenwriters.
And from my own experience, I originally studied medicine, and my major was called medical imaging. After graduation, many boys went to CT, MRI, radiology departments, etc. I had a senior sister who had already changed careers at that time, but when I communicated with them, I learned that Beijing would transfer some imaging experts from various hospitals every year, mainly the directors of the B-ultrasound department, and computers - or AI. Contest.
I learned that AI is very powerful. For example, 20 experienced doctors would spend 4 hours each looking at 100 images and then making a report to make a diagnosis, while AI only takes 10 minutes; the human error rate is about 30%, the error rate of AI may be only 10% or 15%. Moreover, AI does not require rest, does not require salary, and will not complain to the leader. So I was very affected at first and felt that AI was really powerful.
But according to my later understanding, including communication with colleagues around me, as well as communication with some friends who are engaged in the Internet and AI industry, I gradually discovered that AI may have a significant impact on the art industry in the future, at least at the current stage or for a long time. It's a great tool for a while. I think that in the future, screenwriters who are proficient in using AI will have an assistant who understands them very well. Will AI have its own consciousness in the future? But if that day comes, it won’t just be a problem that screenwriters have to face.
"Harbin 1944" poster
The Paper News : When a drama comes out with a bad reputation, people often think that the screenwriter has the biggest problem, and the screenwriter will become the biggest scapegoat.
Wang Xiaoqiang: Hearing this question, I couldn't help but sit up straighter. In fact, when I was young, such as 10 years ago, I would often get angry because of pessimism, lose control because of anger, and post on WeChat Moments because I lost control, but now I have become more mature.
I think that when a project reaches the end, it will go through many stages, starting from the screenwriter writing the first word, until the film is finally re-created by the director, to acting, editing, review, distribution, etc., and finally when it is broadcast , it is really not easy to control how consistent it can be with the original script, and there may be many changes in it. My own experience is that I now prefer to work with directors who I have worked with and know well, so as to avoid some running-in. Of course, running-in is sometimes good and sometimes bad.
Let’s talk about the relationship between the screenwriter and the director. It’s like falling in love. Our industry has a characteristic. The screenwriter and director are particularly like the arranged marriages of the past. I decided to be the screenwriter, and then a director came along. After that, in fact, we were mutually exclusive. I don’t understand. You have to get married first and then fall in love. During the process, you may find that you may have different views, but there is nothing you can do. You may have to grit your teeth until the end, and there are not many chances of divorce. So if we can find a partner who has the same three views, at least the same aesthetic, and everyone respects each other, I think we will be very lucky, and the final result will be good. If it is the other way around, it may turn into a disaster.
The Paper : As a screenwriter, how can you avoid taking the blame at the source?
Wang Xiaoqiang : In fact, he is still very passive.I have talked with some screenwriters about why they particularly want to become directors or producers. For example, Mr. Liu Heping, whom we were familiar with before, was very determined to become a producer; Zhang Ting, who I know, was determined to become a director. One of the very important reasons is: If I write and direct it myself, I can at least control the thing from deforming; if it does deform and the thing is not done well, I deserve to be scolded. But if a work is not deformed due to its own reasons, it may indeed be a bit helpless.
The Paper : The screenwriter’s right to speak has been discussed and controversial. Do you think its status in the process is gradually improving, or has it now received enough respect?
Wang Xiaoqiang: Screenwriters do have right to speak, as you said. What impressed me deeply is that there are several people who have influenced the writing industry at different stages.
The first person was Wang Shuo. Before him, all writers did not receive royalties. For example, if I write a book, if it were before, I would give it to the publishing house. If the publishing house sells 100 million copies, it will still sell 10 copies. , all my income is based on buyout. Wang Shuo's negotiations with the publishing house changed the entire industry. All writers are still enjoying this dividend to this day, that is, the more they sell, the more royalties they will receive, and the less they sell, the less their income will be.
and Shi Kang, the one who wrote "Struggle" and "Big Shot". About ten years ago, he often came out to accept various interviews, which caused a lot of controversy. His point of view is: Compared with foreign counterparts in the industry, the income of our screenwriters is too low, so low that they are completely disrespected. He also put forward a series of suggestions, believing that screenwriters should increase their income so that China's film and television industry will receive positive stimulation. At that time, he was criticized by everyone. He felt that a screenwriter should concentrate on writing at home and should not go out and talk for money. But after more than ten years, we have indeed seen that the industry attaches great importance to the screenwriter job, and the living environment of screenwriters has greatly improved. However, in fact, if we look closely, screenwriters are still a group that will be ignored.
Sometimes at some activities, such as the Screenwriters Committee of the China Television Association or the activities of the Beijing Television Association, many screenwriters get together and discuss the issue of screenwriters’ importance and their right to speak. For example, many film and television drama posters will not have the signature of the screenwriter. If the screenwriter can be signed, it will often be signed after the director, but in fact, copyright law stipulates that the screenwriter's signature should come first, and the screenwriter is the first step in the entire industrial process. But in the industry, TV drama companies can make every poster, no matter who is more famous or less famous, always put the original work credit first and the screenwriter credit second. If there is no original work, the screenwriter credit credit is first, followed by the director and actors. Yes, there are only three well-known companies that I have seen and experienced in the entire industry that I can think of: Noon Sunshine, Xinli Media and Ningmeng Pictures. Most of the others will ignore this issue. I don’t think it’s most producers, directors or platforms who maliciously deprive screenwriters of their poster signatures. I think it’s because they ignore screenwriters.
In the TV drama industry, the script written by the screenwriter is a solid foundation. Without this, nothing will happen. Now, most practitioners in our industry have realized the importance of screenwriters. Now if I talk to any platform, production company or director, from my own experience, I can really feel that everyone attaches great importance to screenwriters in recent years. , including many well-known directors saying "there are too few good scripts" at different events, all proving that everyone attaches great importance to screenwriters and scripts. But when everyone talks about how to respect the screenwriter and how to respect the script, it seems that everyone is still stuck on "consciousness".
I think respecting screenwriters is very simple, just start with the signature of a poster. Although this topic is a cliché, I feel that if this is not implemented well, there will be no other things to talk about.
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