Special feature of 1905 film network The Spring Festival movies are gaining momentum!As of press time, the total box office of four films in the Spring Festival in 2024 exceeded 10 billion. The box office performance of the director’s works has increased.
Earlier, the topic that the top six films at the box office of film history all came from cross-border directors boarded the hot search in Weibo. The educational background of, Jia Ling,,, Zhang Yimou is listed in detail by netizens. Jason Wu graduated from Beijing Sport University, jiaozi graduated from West China College of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, and Frant Gwo studied law as an undergraduate. Although Zhang Yimou, Chen Sicheng and Jia Ling graduated from film and television colleges, they did not come from directing majors, so strictly speaking, they were not trained.
Many viewers have been surprised that half of China’s films have already been supported by cross-border directors.
Why are there so many cross-border directors?
In addition to Jason Wu, Jia Ling, jiaozi, Frant Gwo, Zhang Yimou and Chen Sicheng, the top six directors at the box office of film history, Han Han, who are also active in the front line of China films, are not from the director department. In recent years, actors such as, have also tried to pick up the guide tube, and there are not a few cross-border directors in the film and television circle. No matter from the number of groups or the performance of works, they are a force that cannot be ignored in China’s films.
From the educational point of view, Chinese Opera, Nortel, Shanghai Opera and other institutions all have director departments. Every year, a large number of graduates of director departments who have undergone systematic study enter the society and engage in films, TV dramas, documentaries, advertising directors, planning, directing, editing and producing in radio, film and television systems or other departments, and their employment is quite extensive. ,,, and young directors have all received professional director education. However, it is worth noting that not all trained students have the opportunity to become film directors, thus actively or passively flowing into other fields, so that the number of trained directors has decreased to some extent.
Why do cross-border directors cross the border?
It has to be mentioned that students with the dream of directing may always miss the director department and can only pick up the guide tube through "cross-border".
In 1999, Frant Gwo and Ning Hao, who came from Shandong and Shanxi respectively, chose the director department as their first choice for the college entrance examination. The two men came to Beijing to take the exam together. Unexpectedly, Nortel did not recruit students for the two provinces. Frant Gwo finally followed his parents’ expectations and applied for the law department of Hainan University, while Ning Hao switched to the art department of Beijing Normal University. In the postgraduate stage, although both of them entered the door of Nortel, Frant Gwo studied management and Ning Hao studied photography. When they go around, they can only "save the country by curve" and realize what they want through "cross-border".
In addition, Jia Zhangke also experienced two defeats before he was admitted to the Department of Nortel Literature. In order to direct his dream, he organized the "Young Film Experimental Group" to practice during his school days, and finally embarked on the journey of directing with short stories.
From the creative point of view, there are also many people who have embarked on the road of transformation because of interest edification and environmental rendering.
Zhang Yimou was admitted to the Photography Department of Beijing Film Academy at the age of 28, and all the classmates were younger than him. "I think that after I came out, I was old all the way from the third assistant, the second assistant and the big assistant, and I couldn’t fight the teenager at all." Zhang Yimou said frankly that the age requirement of directors is not so strict compared with photography. The reason why they crossed the border is because they are influenced by age and feel that they are not suitable for cultivating photography step by step. So since their sophomore year, they have quietly read books related to directors and explored the methodology of directors’ creation.
In addition to showing extraordinary photographic talent, Zhang Yimou had won the Golden Rooster Award for Chinese film and three Best Actor Awards at Hundred Flowers Award and Tokyo International Film Festival for his leading role in Old Well before directing his first film.
Nowadays, Jia Ling, Chen Sicheng, Jason Wu and others are also excellent performers. Hello, Li Huanying, series, Wolf Warriors series and other wonderful works have created highlights for China films again and again.
With the venture capital, green onion plan and bad monkey plan of major film festivals providing rich creative opportunities for young directors, the transformation of cross-border directors has also ushered in more stages and channels.
"After 00" actors and LAI KUAN LIN unlocked their directorships with short films and Fighting in Winter and Spring respectively, and cross-border directors showed a trend of younger.
How do cross-border directors become the mainstay?
"My shortcoming is that I have not systematically studied the director, and my advantage is that I have not systematically studied the director."
After filming with YOLO, Jia Ling summed up his cross-border mental journey. She admitted that her past performance experience was very helpful in picking up the guide tube, "let me know how to ask other actors to perform."
From the sketch stage to the movie screen, from the actor to the director, Jia Ling changed the track, but never left the comedy. Both Hi, Mom, who shows the deep affection between mother and daughter, and YOLO, who encourages the audience to break the shackles of life, are wrapped in a warm core under the cloak of comedy.
Although there is still room for improvement in the two works, the victory lies in that the audience is attracted by the comedy atmosphere again and again and moved by the emotion of the film, which finally helps the new director to create a box office miracle.
Different from the professional directors, they may pay more attention to professional presentation, and cross-border directors often turn their own experiences into creative highlights.
Han Han, who loves racing, is inseparable from the elements of driving in his series. Jason Wu, a martial arts actor, has not only incorporated a lot of action designs into the Wolf Warriors series, but also the series of "swords, spears, swords and sticks grow in the south", which he is planning to shoot, is an action martial arts movie from boxing to meat.
Zhang Yimou has never had a director’s class, but he skillfully displays the photographer’s aesthetic advantages to the fullest, which makes countless audiences shocked by the aesthetic expression of Red Sorghum and other works.
Cross-border directors can make up for the lack of director education with their own experience advantages and rich creative experience.
With the director’s first blockbuster, jiaozi, from script to production, from art design to special effects, including the dubbing of the role of Mixed Pearl in the film, is all hands-on. From a medical student to a new director, jiaozi is especially grateful for his experience in studying medicine. "The logic that is emphasized when writing a script, and the loneliness that needs to be endured when doing animation behind closed doors, are all given by his college days."
Jiaozi, who loved painting since childhood, is now focusing on the creation of animated films. At the same time, Frant Gwo has always loved science fiction themes, and Ning Hao is keen to explore absurd comedies. Many cross-border directors are committed to deepening their own familiar or good genres.
Zhang Yimou and Jia Zhangke set an example in the past, Jason Wu, Frant Gwo, Ning Hao, Chen Sicheng and Jia Lingyong took the lead in Mesozoic, and there will be new forces such as Vicky Chen and LAI KUAN LIN in the future. There are many cross-border directors in China films, and the future development will continue to rely on the energy of cross-border directors.
In the final analysis, "cross-border" is a special way for directors to pursue their dreams.
Perhaps "cross-border directors" will lack the professionalism under systematic education, but one excellent film after another has fully proved that cross-border directors can make wonderful movies as long as they keep exploring and innovating.
