Excellent film and television works can cross different cultures and languages, enter the hearts of audiences in various countries, and help them understand and fall in love with China. Since April, the domestic hit drama "The Beginning" has been launched on Netflix, an overseas streaming media provider, and has been released to South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia and other countries one after another, and has been well received. With the continuous increase in the number and variety of Chinese original dramas going overseas, domestic dramas going overseas has become an important cultural phenomenon.
The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Chinese TV Dramas" proposes that "the pace of 'going out' of TV dramas is accelerating, and international exchanges and cooperation are moving towards a higher level... The international communication and influence of Chinese TV dramas have increased significantly." In this context How to continue and expand the good momentum of domestic dramas going overseas, constantly looking for more authentic and more artistic expressions in follow-up works, and developing domestic dramas going overseas with multiple contents are issues that film and television practitioners should devote themselves to thinking about, and also the future Striving Direction.
Diversification of overseas communication
We have observed that the spread of domestic dramas in the international market is diversifying. The era of using costume dramas as a breakthrough for domestic dramas to spread to the outside world has passed, and costume dramas still have a broad overseas market, but overseas audiences have gotten rid of the initial stage of viewing them as "cultural spectacles", and have entered into emotional resonance with the characters in the dramas. A stage where there is more demand for consuming premium content.
"Langya Bang" is a work that shows "Chinese style" in both aesthetic presentation and spiritual temperament, and embodies oriental beauty, which is reflected in all aspects of cultural symbol application, visual presentation and plot design. The play shows the oriental culture's value concept of beauty in the long-term relationship. In 2019, the Spanish dubbed version of "Long Ya Bang" was broadcast in Latin America, marking the further expansion of the influence of Chinese costume dramas. Various types of works such as "Shan Hai Qing" broadcast in 2021 and "The Beginning" broadcast in 2022 have also achieved good results in external communication.
When we focus on the works themselves that have gained good reputation overseas in recent years, such as "Shan Hai Qing" and "The Beginning", we analyze why "Shan Hai Qing", the main theme of poverty alleviation dramas, can resonate widely among audiences in different countries. The novelty of the story setting is close to international popular film and television dramas, and the Chinese imprint it retains can also be readily accepted by overseas audiences, which is the value of our thinking, summarizing and sharing the experience of external dissemination of these works.
Find the "greatest common divisor" of the audience's interest
In the planning stage of a work, the main creative team should think about the keynote expression and spiritual core contained in it, not only integrating the creator's experience, but also the audience's perspective. Paying attention to the audience's perspective means finding the "greatest common divisor" of audience interests with different growth backgrounds and life experiences. Film and television works are art for the public, not the personal property of the creator. This creative methodology provides a natural foundation and advantage for breaking cultural barriers in the process of external communication.
"Shan Hai Qing" starts from the growth and experience of the individual, shows the development of the "Minning Model", and is close to the creative needs of "civilian perspective, national narrative, and international expression". We firmly grasp the ideological connotation and spiritual core of "showing the people's creation process for a better life in Xihaigu area, and inspiring the audience's yearning and pursuit for a better life in different time and space". This is the common pursuit of people in different regions and at different stages of development, a universal demand driven by human nature, and a common "main theme" for all mankind. In "Shan Hai Qing", there are many different characters, whether they are grass-roots cadres, scientific and technological workers or hard-working villagers, they all have simple and real characters, which makes this work have breadth, depth and warmth. Audiences in other cultural environments are prone to intimacy and thus form a good dialogue relationship.
The land and people are the source of our creation, and the aesthetic qualities of "Shan Hai Qing" are simple and authentic. It has distinct regional attributes. In the initial stage of the plot, the lens shows a magnificent and rough natural landscape; with the development of regional economy, it gradually develops into the beauty of harmonious coexistence and orderly development between man and nature. When the world enters the stage of rapid development of industrial civilization and modern technology, beautiful nature and harmonious ecology have become the nostalgia shared by mankind. We integrate global issues such as "ecological protection and economic development", "development and root-seeking" into the plot, and hope that more foreign audiences can think about this work and find their spiritual home.
The online drama "The Beginning" was launched in China at the beginning of this year. Before going overseas, it has already gained a high popularity among foreign audiences. It can be said that the external dissemination of "Beginning" is an interactive process in which the overseas influence of the work itself promotes overseas distribution. This is due to the increase in the overall influence of Chinese pop culture overseas, and it also reminds creators to pursue the pursuit of turning a drama into a cultural phenomenon.
"The Beginning" takes "time loop", "explosion escape" and "suspense solving" as the main settings, and it has achieved the connection with international popular film and television themes in the plot structure. In a seemingly surreal story, "The Beginning" takes a different approach. Instead of choosing the "superhero"-style protagonist of similar Western works, it tells a moving story that can be seen in the real context: two ordinary "little people" with their bare hands To prevent a long-planned crime, the first reaction of the protagonists when they are in danger is to seek help from the police. While the police and the people are working together, the passengers have acted bravely and successfully prevented the crime. The play shows the heroic emotions of ordinary people arising from unity and expresses the values of collectivism, all of which bear a deep Chinese imprint. Whether it is a protagonist with superpowers or an ordinary person with beautiful qualities, they all have the shadow of the characters portrayed in the film and television works of various countries, so they can overcome language and cultural barriers and touch the hearts of overseas audiences. This recognition comes from the persuasive power of the plot itself, and more from the common emotions and values of human beings.
Seize the new opportunity of "going out"
Looking to the future, the prospect of domestic dramas going overseas is promising; going back to the present, we still need to realize that dramas that can "break the circle" and "go overseas" must be excellent works. The techniques, post-production and other aspects are deeply cultivated and meticulous, and work hard. For example, compared with other film and television works that have gained a certain international influence recently, "The Beginning" still has room for improvement in the production level.
The core plot of "The Beginning" takes place in the small and single space of the bus. How to present high-quality visual effects is a big challenge. We have designed many solutions in this regard, one of which is to choose to build an LED screen scene to restore the scene outside the window during driving. The crew built a total of 2,560 screens in the studio, covering an area of 640 square meters, and filmed the material in Xiamen, the location of the scene, which took nearly two months. Although it is difficult for the audience to tell that the scenery outside the window comes from the LED screen when watching the finished film, in fact, we are still lacking in technical issues such as imaging accuracy and the impact of screen flicker on shooting. This urges us to continue to improve our production capabilities and introduce and master more advanced shooting techniques.
Behind the upsurge of domestic dramas going overseas is the growing attraction of Chinese stories and Chinese culture to overseas markets. To speed up the "going out", the content of domestic dramas should be more diverse, presenting a real, three-dimensional and comprehensive China from more dimensions. We have shot many works of realism. In my opinion, "realism" is not only the choice of subject matter, but also a creative attitude, an overall cognition and aesthetic expression of society, life and people. While these plays provide viewing value, they silently show the vigorous development of contemporary Chinese society, as well as the spirit of the times for goodness and beauty, reform and innovation.
At present, domestic dramas going overseas are still in the stage of market cultivation. While the themes and genres of overseas dramas are gradually diversifying, they also need to produce high-quality explosive works that can attract global attention. The audience also needs to be from overseas Chinese groups to various countries. Audience expansion. All these put forward higher requirements for the creation of film and television content, and also urge us to think more. For example, audiences in different cultural circles have different preferences for film and television products, requiring creators to further subdivide the content of film and television works; in addition to the existing sea routes, we also need to open up new routes; what experiences can we draw from the process of external communication , Feedback creation... These are questions that film and television practitioners should actively think about. In the future, we will inject awareness of external communication into all stages of production and contribute to the overseas development of domestic dramas.
(The author is a Chinese producer who produced dramas such as "Langya Bang", "Dajiang Dahe", "Shan Hai Qing", etc.)
The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Chinese TV Dramas" proposes that "the pace of 'going out' of TV dramas is accelerating, and international exchanges and cooperation are moving towards a higher level... The international communication and influence of Chinese TV dramas have increased significantly." In this context How to continue and expand the good momentum of domestic dramas going overseas, constantly looking for more authentic and more artistic expressions in follow-up works, and developing domestic dramas going overseas with multiple contents are issues that film and television practitioners should devote themselves to thinking about, and also the future Striving Direction.
Diversification of overseas communication
We have observed that the spread of domestic dramas in the international market is diversifying. The era of using costume dramas as a breakthrough for domestic dramas to spread to the outside world has passed, and costume dramas still have a broad overseas market, but overseas audiences have gotten rid of the initial stage of viewing them as "cultural spectacles", and have entered into emotional resonance with the characters in the dramas. A stage where there is more demand for consuming premium content.
"Langya Bang" is a work that shows "Chinese style" in both aesthetic presentation and spiritual temperament, and embodies oriental beauty, which is reflected in all aspects of cultural symbol application, visual presentation and plot design. The play shows the oriental culture's value concept of beauty in the long-term relationship. In 2019, the Spanish dubbed version of "Long Ya Bang" was broadcast in Latin America, marking the further expansion of the influence of Chinese costume dramas. Various types of works such as "Shan Hai Qing" broadcast in 2021 and "The Beginning" broadcast in 2022 have also achieved good results in external communication.
When we focus on the works themselves that have gained good reputation overseas in recent years, such as "Shan Hai Qing" and "The Beginning", we analyze why "Shan Hai Qing", the main theme of poverty alleviation dramas, can resonate widely among audiences in different countries. The novelty of the story setting is close to international popular film and television dramas, and the Chinese imprint it retains can also be readily accepted by overseas audiences, which is the value of our thinking, summarizing and sharing the experience of external dissemination of these works.
Find the "greatest common divisor" of the audience's interest
In the planning stage of a work, the main creative team should think about the keynote expression and spiritual core contained in it, not only integrating the creator's experience, but also the audience's perspective. Paying attention to the audience's perspective means finding the "greatest common divisor" of audience interests with different growth backgrounds and life experiences. Film and television works are art for the public, not the personal property of the creator. This creative methodology provides a natural foundation and advantage for breaking cultural barriers in the process of external communication.
"Shan Hai Qing" starts from the growth and experience of the individual, shows the development of the "Minning Model", and is close to the creative needs of "civilian perspective, national narrative, and international expression". We firmly grasp the ideological connotation and spiritual core of "showing the people's creation process for a better life in Xihaigu area, and inspiring the audience's yearning and pursuit for a better life in different time and space". This is the common pursuit of people in different regions and at different stages of development, a universal demand driven by human nature, and a common "main theme" for all mankind. In "Shan Hai Qing", there are many different characters, whether they are grass-roots cadres, scientific and technological workers or hard-working villagers, they all have simple and real characters, which makes this work have breadth, depth and warmth. Audiences in other cultural environments are prone to intimacy and thus form a good dialogue relationship.
The land and people are the source of our creation, and the aesthetic qualities of "Shan Hai Qing" are simple and authentic. It has distinct regional attributes. In the initial stage of the plot, the lens shows a magnificent and rough natural landscape; with the development of regional economy, it gradually develops into the beauty of harmonious coexistence and orderly development between man and nature. When the world enters the stage of rapid development of industrial civilization and modern technology, beautiful nature and harmonious ecology have become the nostalgia shared by mankind. We integrate global issues such as "ecological protection and economic development", "development and root-seeking" into the plot, and hope that more foreign audiences can think about this work and find their spiritual home.
The online drama "The Beginning" was launched in China at the beginning of this year. Before going overseas, it has already gained a high popularity among foreign audiences. It can be said that the external dissemination of "Beginning" is an interactive process in which the overseas influence of the work itself promotes overseas distribution. This is due to the increase in the overall influence of Chinese pop culture overseas, and it also reminds creators to pursue the pursuit of turning a drama into a cultural phenomenon.
"The Beginning" takes "time loop", "explosion escape" and "suspense solving" as the main settings, and it has achieved the connection with international popular film and television themes in the plot structure. In a seemingly surreal story, "The Beginning" takes a different approach. Instead of choosing the "superhero"-style protagonist of similar Western works, it tells a moving story that can be seen in the real context: two ordinary "little people" with their bare hands To prevent a long-planned crime, the first reaction of the protagonists when they are in danger is to seek help from the police. While the police and the people are working together, the passengers have acted bravely and successfully prevented the crime. The play shows the heroic emotions of ordinary people arising from unity and expresses the values of collectivism, all of which bear a deep Chinese imprint. Whether it is a protagonist with superpowers or an ordinary person with beautiful qualities, they all have the shadow of the characters portrayed in the film and television works of various countries, so they can overcome language and cultural barriers and touch the hearts of overseas audiences. This recognition comes from the persuasive power of the plot itself, and more from the common emotions and values of human beings.
Seize the new opportunity of "going out"
Looking to the future, the prospect of domestic dramas going overseas is promising; going back to the present, we still need to realize that dramas that can "break the circle" and "go overseas" must be excellent works. The techniques, post-production and other aspects are deeply cultivated and meticulous, and work hard. For example, compared with other film and television works that have gained a certain international influence recently, "The Beginning" still has room for improvement in the production level.
The core plot of "The Beginning" takes place in the small and single space of the bus. How to present high-quality visual effects is a big challenge. We have designed many solutions in this regard, one of which is to choose to build an LED screen scene to restore the scene outside the window during driving. The crew built a total of 2,560 screens in the studio, covering an area of 640 square meters, and filmed the material in Xiamen, the location of the scene, which took nearly two months. Although it is difficult for the audience to tell that the scenery outside the window comes from the LED screen when watching the finished film, in fact, we are still lacking in technical issues such as imaging accuracy and the impact of screen flicker on shooting. This urges us to continue to improve our production capabilities and introduce and master more advanced shooting techniques.
Behind the upsurge of domestic dramas going overseas is the growing attraction of Chinese stories and Chinese culture to overseas markets. To speed up the "going out", the content of domestic dramas should be more diverse, presenting a real, three-dimensional and comprehensive China from more dimensions. We have shot many works of realism. In my opinion, "realism" is not only the choice of subject matter, but also a creative attitude, an overall cognition and aesthetic expression of society, life and people. While these plays provide viewing value, they silently show the vigorous development of contemporary Chinese society, as well as the spirit of the times for goodness and beauty, reform and innovation.
At present, domestic dramas going overseas are still in the stage of market cultivation. While the themes and genres of overseas dramas are gradually diversifying, they also need to produce high-quality explosive works that can attract global attention. The audience also needs to be from overseas Chinese groups to various countries. Audience expansion. All these put forward higher requirements for the creation of film and television content, and also urge us to think more. For example, audiences in different cultural circles have different preferences for film and television products, requiring creators to further subdivide the content of film and television works; in addition to the existing sea routes, we also need to open up new routes; what experiences can we draw from the process of external communication , Feedback creation... These are questions that film and television practitioners should actively think about. In the future, we will inject awareness of external communication into all stages of production and contribute to the overseas development of domestic dramas.
(The author is a Chinese producer who produced dramas such as "Langya Bang", "Dajiang Dahe", "Shan Hai Qing", etc.)
Comments