The modern spy drama "Top Secret Contest", directed by Liu Jiang and starring Zhang Luyi and Gao Yuanyuan, was broadcast on CCTV-1 and iQiyi. It not only set the highest ratings record for national security-themed dramas in the past three years, but also triggered widespread discussion and in-depth thinking on the topic of national security across the entire network.
The drama adopts a high-intensity typified narrative, with multiple spy plots such as poisoning, jumping off a building, and falling off a cliff thrown in at the beginning. On average, one spy conspiracy is cracked in each episode, presenting various infiltration and sabotage methods of espionage activities such as assassination, coercion and inducement, with a sharp and rapid pace.
Stills from "Top Secret Contest"
The drama's director Liu Jiang shared his thoughts on the creation of contemporary spy war dramas at a seminar held in Beijing recently.
Liu Jiang believes that modern spy wars are free of gunpowder, but they test the creators' realistic insight more. Any distortion of details will instantly make the audience lose interest in the play. "To this end, we used many real spy cases disclosed in China in recent years and the personal experiences and historical materials of many national security police officers on the covert front as materials. In terms of technical means, the crew, under the guidance of the national security department, restored the nuclear power plant security inspection process and technical means of stealing secrets. High-tech spy means such as remote copying, surveillance and eavesdropping in the play are all artistically processed based on real cases, which not only reflects the technological upgrade of modern intelligence warfare, but also conveys the warning significance of 'national security is no small matter'."
The process of filming this drama was full of challenges, as we had to respect the particularity of the covert front and meet the needs of dramatic tension. "The real-life shooting of key scenes in the drama, as well as the presentation of difficult action scenes such as wing suit flying and underwater diving, all benefited from the support of many parties. Although the amount of stunts is more than twice that of ordinary dramas, we always insist that all designs are rooted in real logic."
Gao Yuanyuan's stills
Regarding the character creation of contemporary spy war dramas, Liu Jiang said that in addition to completing the functionality required for the strong plot of the characters, it is also necessary to make the characters more three-dimensional and full. "We designed two or even three layers of identity for each main character, such as Yang Guang played by Zhang Luyi and Zhao Yazhu played by Gao Yuanyuan. The surface occupation, hidden identity and ultimate truth are layered, and the onion-peeling-like identity of the characters makes the plot suspenseful. This requires the actors to accurately grasp the subtle differences of each layer of identity."
Director Liu Jiang
The director of photography of the drama, Liu Changjun, said that although the drama is a spy drama with a strong plot, it is different from the foreign "superman agent" routine and focuses on the characteristics of ordinary people with flesh and blood. In terms of shooting techniques, a lot of handheld shooting is used to create a sense of instability, and the tension of the game is strengthened through quick push shots and oppressive composition. The cold tone permeates the crisis atmosphere, thereby attracting the audience's emotions.
In the actor sharing session, Cheng Taishen, who plays James, said that when he received the script, he was first moved and shocked by the unknown heroes on the hidden front, and walked into the story with awe. He collected a large number of spy cases in advance, understood the special social identity of the character, and found the character's roots, so that the character could be better landed. Zhong Wenguan, who plays Xie Xiaoman, said that the character she played was very realistic, kind but lacking social experience. She hopes to alert the audience through the role that national security is not only the responsibility of national security police, but also requires every ordinary person to be vigilant.
James played by Cheng Taishen