2024-01-23 07:19:00
On the evening of January 23, the TV series “If Running Is My Life” directed by Shen Yan and Li Jiangming and starring Zhong Chuxi, Yang Chaoyue, Xu Di and Chen Xiaoyi will come to an end. Shen Yan, the show’s chief director, has directed excellent works such as “Chinese Divorce” and “My First Half of Life” that focus on various changes and relationships in real life. A few days ago, Shen Yan accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from the Beijing News and talked about the original intention of writing “If Running Is My Life”. Shen Yan said that when he read the original novel, he was moved by the relationship between the two pairs of mother and daughter created by the author. .
“If Running Is My Life”, like Shen Yan’s previous realistic-themed works, contains discussions on many “controversial” characters and topics. In this regard, Shen Yan said that he is committed to making truly realistic works, which not only show the best side, but also show the truest side of society. “We do not avoid things that make people tremble in our film and television works. I think this is not a bad thing. We cannot make a work avoid all contradictions. Then the work itself will lose its power and there will be no room for discussion. “
Daughter Cheng Anxin (played by Zhong Chuxi) and mother Zhao Xiufang (played by Xu Di).
“If Running Was My Life” tells the story of how two ordinary families face life bravely again after encountering unexpected disasters. A car accident brings a devastating blow to the families of sisters Zhao Xiufang (played by Xu Di) and Zhao Xiuli (played by Chen Xiaoyi) – sister Xiufang’s only daughter Cheng Anxin (played by Zhong Chuxi) is a young dance teacher. He lost his legs, and his sister Xiuli’s youngest son also died due to this. In order to encourage her frustrated daughter Cheng Anxin, Xiufang, who has been obese most of her life, is determined to inspire her daughter’s confidence in starting over by completing the weight loss she has never insisted on; and the beautiful daughter Chen Ruohua (played by Yang Chaoyue) in order to help her mother get over the pain He took her to the university dormitory because of the pain, but Xiuli, who was still heartbroken, could not restrain her desire for control. In the end, An Xin bravely walked out of the marriage with Xiu Fang’s company, and stood up after all the difficulties to return to the stage; Ruohua once became paranoid during the confrontation with Xiu Li, but in the end the mother and daughter finally untied their knots and faced each other again. Life.
Original intention: I saw a particularly typical relationship between two pairs of mothers and daughters.
Beijing News: What attracts you to the story “If Running Is My Life”?
Shen Yan:When I read this novel, I saw a particularly typical relationship between two pairs of mothers and daughters, namely Xiufang and Xiuli and their daughters Anxin and Ruohua. Judging from my own life experience, these two pairs of mothers and daughters have covered 70 to 80% of the situation of mothers and daughters in real life. I think it is a particularly typical topic worthy of discussion and presentation, so I will To make this play, we spent nearly two years developing the script.
Beijing News: In the play, two families face the need to re-address their family relationships after a car accident. It is quite heavy and has a sense of tragedy. Some netizens said that the opening plot is “relatively depressing” and they hope to use a kind of expression in this play. What style of narrative is used?
Shen Yan:The audience should have understood by now that the show is actually not depressing at all. The first two episodes just set up a relatively large assumption. If we discuss some of the prerequisites for the beginning of the story in a more extreme way, I think it will make it easier for us to find some clear points that we want to discuss and what can be done. Something to dig deep into. The original work and screenwriter provided us with a good innate foundation. First, an accident was given, and then it caused a major blow to two families. Then the natural direction of the story will become, how can an inspirational mother make herself The daughter stood up; the other was a daughter who had not received maternal love since she was a child. How could she live with her mother? Our overall style is still lively and real, and the direction of the theme is beautiful and upward.
Daughter Chen Ruohua (played by Yang Chaoyue) and mother Zhao Xiuli (played by Chen Xiaoyi).
Beijing News: Your previous works, “Chinese-Style Divorce” and “My First Half of Life”, etc., all focused on various relationships and changes in family life. In your opinion, as time goes by, are there any “marks of the times” in the aesthetics of today’s families or audiences compared to five or ten years ago?
Shen Yan:I feel that times are progressing and social topics are constantly changing and progressing. Discussions about women, topics and themes about women are also evolving. As of today’s show, there are already some discussions on “Does Ruohua have the right to choose her own relationship?” and even “women’s autonomy over their own bodies.” I have also seen some discussions about this play by audiences and netizens, which shows that everyone is treating our play with an open attitude, which is definitely helpful for literary and artistic creation.
Plot: It should show the most real side of this society at the same time
Beijing News: In the play, the plot of Xiu Fang motivating her daughter to lose weight actually has some comedic effects when viewed alone. What kind of considerations went into the narrative of this clue?
Shen Yan:The mother-daughter line between Xiufang and Anxin is presented in the original story. It is how an inspirational fat mother can make her daughter who has lost her legs stand up again after facing the blow of life. The original author and screenwriter teacher, It provides a very good innate foundation for this story. Coupled with Teacher Xu Di’s delicate interpretation, we have also seen many viewers express their love for this line. It can bring everyone some laughter and curses after dinner. As creators, we are also very happy.
Xiufang (played by Xu Di) is an inspirational fat mother.
Beijing News: In the play, the narrative line of An Xin’s husband Qin Feng cheating on his “older boss” is quite dramatic, or a bit “gory”. This is also the point where this play is currently more controversial. At the beginning of creation, did you have any concerns about the setting of this plot?
Shen Yan:The novel itself has such a basis. It is actually written like this in the original novel. The person Qin Feng cheated on was his boss. Although it is very unethical, I think it is actually quite realistic. Everyone has also seen the audience’s criticism of Qin Feng, but there is also something particularly embarrassing. Because we have also discussed that Qin Feng’s cheating is also related to the so-called most unbearable side of human nature, similar to the logic of “no dutiful son before a long illness”. He tried very hard to make himself a good person and a good husband. , but his physical resistance may be natural and he doesn’t know how to face it. I feel that both the original author and the screenwriting teacher have created a very real character that can arouse widespread discussion. I don’t think he is a labeled bad scumbag.
Beijing News: Especially since the cheating partner has no advantages in all aspects from the outside, many viewers cannot understand the relationship between the two?
Shen Yan:I also read a lot of comments from netizens, saying that in fact, many things in life are like this. The so-called mistress is not as good as the original wife. There may be many reasons for the cheating behavior of these male characters, and there are even some unexpected reasons. I think this is a reality. The phenomenon. In fact, we have been committed to making truly realistic works, which not only show the most beautiful side. Of course, the direction of our theme is the most beautiful, so we should also show the most authentic side of this society. The real side is reflected in the play, and some real characters may appear. These characters are not perfect, but they are clearly visible and logical in our lives. We do not avoid things that make people tremble in our film and television works. I think this is not a bad thing. It is impossible for a work to avoid all contradictions. Then the work itself loses its power and there is no room for discussion.
Characters: The trajectories of these two pairs of mother and daughter are exactly opposite.
Beijing News: The two pairs of mother and daughter in the play, Xiufang and Anxin, Xiuli and Ruohua, have very interesting stories. As a director, how do you view the mother-daughter relationship between them?
Shen Yan:When I was reading the novel, I was moved by the relationship between the two pairs of mother and daughter created by the author. When it came to the hands of screenwriter Wu Nan, she gave me a very good idea, that is, the relationship between the two pairs of mother and daughter is reversed. Xiufang and Anxin had a particularly disharmonious mother-daughter relationship. The daughter and her mother initially gave the impression that they were incompatible, but after the accident, the two began to get closer and closer. The scene where the mother was asked to lose weight and make a bet was also the climax of the quarrel between the two people. Although Xiuli and Ruohua had many conflicts and depressing moments at the beginning, they seemed to be a loving mother and a filial son, and their daughter would take her mother to school. The two still had a strong relationship. But unexpectedly, the two of them quarreled more and more fiercely and pushed each other further and further away. The trajectories of these two pairs of mother and daughter were exactly opposite.
Xiuli and Ruohua seemed to be loving mothers and filial piety, but later they pushed each other away more and more.
Beijing News: The whole story can also be seen as a car accident rewriting the fate of four women. In addition to these four characters, what kind of growth lines do other characters have?
Shen Yan:In fact, in addition to the mother-daughter relationship, we also involve some other social topics in this story, which are related to some male characters. For example, Qin Feng cheated on his female boss, and then there are male characters such as Zhou Kaize in college. They brought some topics related to these female characters, which were also very interesting. In Qin Feng, we see the most testing side of human nature. For example, when he is in his work unit, he needs to be praised by society. This is a moral aspect. Is he performing his so-called “moral personality”? These are very interesting topics. These are actually extensions of the mother-daughter relationship, which can make the presentation of the mother-daughter relationship appear particularly real.
Actor: I saw Yang Chaoyue’s hard work in this drama with my own eyes
Beijing News: Xu Di and Chen Xiaoyi, who play the two mothers in the play, are very impressive. Can you comment from a director’s perspective, what qualities do Xu Di and Chen Xiaoyi have that are consistent with the characters in the play?
Shen Yan:I remember that after I finished reading this novel and before I started adapting the script, I was the first to call Mr. Xu Di. I said that I saw a novel that I liked very much, and I thought that character was you, and then I Expressed a novel to her. Teacher Xu Di was very excited after watching it. She said she had to wait and said, Director Shen, I will wait for your play. Whenever you develop it and turn it into a script, you must come to me. In the end, it will be achieved. realize everyone’s mutual wishes.
Teacher Chen Xiaoyi is a very good actor in my heart, a master actor in Renyi. In fact, she has always been a kind mother image in my mind, but I think she can use her wisdom to create a A suffocating mother figure. After some hesitation, she was still very interested in taking on the challenge. Xiuli is very different from her character, but she did it very well. I think this is the vitality I see from an excellent actor. Many netizens reported to me that they feel suffocated whenever they see her come out, and that is right.
Two sisters, Xiufang (played by Xu Di) and Xiuli (played by Chen Xiaoyi).
Beijing News: Zhong Chuxi and Yang Chaoyue, the two “daughters” actors, what kind of characteristics do they each bring to their characters?
Shen Yan:When choosing two actors from the younger generation, the most important thing is to fit the characters. First of all, Zhong Chuxi is very good at dancing, which is very consistent with the character setting of An Xin. Then Zhong Chuxi’s beauty is also very consistent with An Xin in this drama, because she was the only one who was so beautiful before the car accident. After the car accident, That’s why there were so many collapses. Regardless of her beauty as a dancer or the beauty of her own image, they are 100% consistent with the character of An Xin. Yang Chaoyue also fits the role very well. She is young, smart and has a promising future. In the eyes of most viewers, she is beautiful. However, in our plot, her mother Xiuli has a derogatory attitude towards her daughter. It is obvious that this child is In the eyes of the public and other people, she is someone else’s child. She is good-looking, beautiful, and smart, but she is useless in her mother’s mouth. This contrast is what we want to achieve.
Beijing News: Many netizens feel that Yang Chaoyue’s acting skills are still relatively stiff. What do you think of her performance in the play?
Shen Yan:Chaoyue has expressed that she hopes to improve her overall performance in this drama. Beyond the effort put into this play, I saw it with my own eyes. I have also seen the final result. Most people are positive about her and think her performance is a step better than before. I think this is enough.
Sisters An Xin (played by Zhong Chuxi) and Ruohua (played by Yang Chaoyue) heal each other.
Details: Xu Di’s fat makeup takes three hours
Beijing News: In this drama, Zhong Chuxi’s “broken leg makeup” and Xu Di’s “fat makeup” are both very realistic and have been heatedly discussed by netizens. Are there any difficulties or challenges during the specific production and filming?
Shen Yan:I worked closely with two teams throughout the film, one was the special effects team and the other was the dance team. We put in a lot of effort into the fat makeup, broken leg makeup, prosthetic makeup, the entire special effects makeup and the presentation of the final special effects.
Teacher Xu Di’s makeup took three hours, and her makeup removal took another two hours. She was sweating profusely every time when the makeup was removed and the shoot was done for the day. Her fat makeup and special effects makeup can only be done in autumn and winter or autumn, winter and spring due to the limits of the human body. If it gets hotter, it won’t work, and it can’t be done at all. Before the filming, Teacher Xu Di also discussed with me whether it was possible to really gain weight. We would film the thin part first. After 10 months or a year, we would film again when she really gained 200 pounds. She was very willing to do this for other scenes, but after consulting the doctor, the doctor felt that doing so would pose a danger to Teacher Xu’s health at this stage, so we gave up.
It takes three hours for Xu Di to put on the fat makeup in the play and two hours to remove it.
Zhong Chuxi basically shoots during the day and goes to dance practice at night when work is over. Because we have four dance performances, she is a professional dancer and cannot tolerate any flaws in her dance on the screen or in front of the camera. As long as she is on stage, she must be a professional dancer. So I basically filmed during the day and practiced dancing at night until the filming was completed. The sacrifice was unimaginable. In addition, the dance team led by teacher Rao Guojing also gave us great support. The four dances in the middle helped us achieve perfection under very efficient circumstances. I feel that the entire drama is the collaborative effort of multiple professionals, coupled with the great efforts of the actors, to achieve this point. Zhong Chuxi’s special effects makeup required her to sit up on her knees and hide her calves behind her back. Every time she took one shot, her feet would become numb, and she would have to move before starting the second shot.
In order to play the role of a professional dancer well, Zhong Chuxi filmed during the day and practiced dancing at night.
Beijing News: In order to make the “makeup” look more real, is there any extra “assistance” done for Xu Di and Zhong Chuxi?
Shen Yan:Teacher Xu Di has two stand-ins for her fat makeup. We have a 200-pound stand-in and a 160-pound stand-in. These two stand-ins have been following us from beginning to end. There is also An Xin, a stand-in who is amputated below the knee. My disabled sister, the three of them were in the group the whole time. Most of the scenes are completed by the actors themselves. There are really some things that the actors cannot complete. They complete them as stand-ins. They also provide the actors with a very good psychological foundation and very good professional guidance. I am very grateful for their efforts. .
Beijing News reporter Liu Wei
Editor Xu Meilin
Proofreading King’s Heart
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