A pair of spy couples living on the mainland from abroad suffered a midlife crisis and lived a trivial life. There is a female team leader of the National Security Bureau leading a close investigation in front of her, and there is a cruel online push behind her. Struggling in the cracks, what should they do? From heaven to earth to chicken feathers, the "atypical" spy war drama "Opponent" featuring two anti-routine spies unexpectedly became popular in 2022, and the heated discussion continued, and the spontaneous publicity of netizens also became a grand occasion.
Facing the double harvest of popularity and word of mouth, producer Zhang Haidong admits that popularity can’t be met, and the only thing he can do is to strive for good quality in the professional field. From conception and creation to shooting and online, The Opponent, which took three years to polish, confirmed Zhang Haidong’s idea as a content creator and producer. Good works are not mass-produced. She enjoys the whole production process, and has accumulated more insights on preparation, production and publicity in her years of work as a producer. In addition, more is still the original heart has not changed. The ups and downs in the industry go round and round, and Zhang Haidong always believes in making products with sincerity and heart, and puts limited energy on every project that can be selected to witness their birth.
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ICONSPRO: You have actually participated in the production of spy war works before. What do you think is particularly attractive about Opponent?
Zhang Haidong:The theme of modern spy war is relatively rare in the market. Everyone has watched more time dramas, and they are already familiar with some of the usual scenes and deductive methods of time dramas, and they don’t have much expectation. Because this play is a modern spy war, the background of the story is put into the present, and I think it is a very strong attraction for the audience.
ICONSPRO: The audience has some interesting comments on Opponents, such as "The Poor Smith". Have you ever paid attention to them?
Zhang Haidong:We have a group in which all the actors and actresses are creative, and everyone will post some comments from some netizens on the Internet and update them every day. I think people say it is a poor version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which is also quite vivid.
ICONSPRO: In the work "Opponent", the characters are very well shaped, and the characters are multi-faceted. Which characters are you particularly fond of or impressed by in this play?
Zhang Haidong:From the creative point of view, I like every character very much, and every character is very lifelike, not the kind of facebook and flat figure, but very three-dimensional. Moreover, the screenwriter also devoted himself to his enthusiasm, and he wrote very full, whether it was the leading role, supporting role or marginal character, so it was equally important. However, if we are most impressed, of course, Li Tang and Ding Meixi are quite different from the spies we have shaped in the past. Those (spies) that I saw in literary and artistic works before, who are in heaven and earth, can do anything in suits and beautiful dresses. Do people think that the imaginary spy should not be like 007? How can we be so poor and forced by life, so trivial, everyone will have such a big contrast, in fact, this is exactly what kind of breakthrough point we said when we were doing this play as the main creator, and what innovations we made on the theme is precisely a reflection of our original intention.
ICONSPRO: The powerful cast of "Opponent" is a highlight of this work. What are the considerations in the choice of actors? In particular, the young actors of several protagonists and the newcomers of the National Security Bureau did not cater too much to the current market to choose actors with high popularity and popularity. How is this considered?
Zhang Haidong:First of all, I think the image temperament of the actor should be highly consistent with the revealed characteristics of this role. Why is it that all the audience will say it’s true and have a sense of substitution this time? It seems that everything that happened is true, and the enthusiasm for pursuing the drama is so high because they have seen it. I think the authenticity of the actors is very critical, and it will not let the audience drift out, and it will not make the audience think that you are fake, acting or making up. I think the actor is a very important part in shaping the role, so its accuracy and the fit between the actor and the role are very important. (ICONSPRO: After reading the script, the starring teachers expressed their willingness to attend? ) Yes, I’m very excited to read all the scripts, and it’s imperative to say that I won’t consider other plays for the time being, so I must go to the "Opponent" play, which is absolutely true.
ICONSPRO: Are the young actors chosen according to them after they are created by the master?
Zhang Haidong:After we decided to play the leading role at that time, we must look for actors who are similar to them in appearance. Again, we must be true. From the current screen performance, we will feel that they are not only similar in shape, but also similar in spirit, that is, they are highly consistent and very predestined.
ICONSPRO: As a modern spy war drama, it is necessary to have a certain understanding of the daily work and life of spies and national security personnel. What preparations did the team make in this regard?
Zhang Haidong:Our screenwriter, Mr. Wang Xiaoqiang, consulted a lot of information in this field at the early stage of his creation. Moreover, we also have experts from the national security department to give us some further guidance, so many viewers, especially some in the industry, will think it is very real.
ICONSPRO: How long did it take "Opponent" from script creation to final shooting? Compared with ancient costumes, sweet pets and other themes, spy war works are not the hot type in the market. Why do you insist on doing works with this theme?
Zhang Haidong:First of all, I don’t resist any theme. It’s not that I can only shoot spy wars. I’ve been trying to pursue such a project with the best of both word-of-mouth and market popularity. It just so happens that I think it is this type of project from the beginning of Mask to the present Opponent. It doesn’t mean I did it on purpose. Spy warfare is because it has strong drama elements, it is a strong plot, and then there is suspense and a particularly strong life-and-death contest, which are very important reasons to attract the audience.
ICONSPRO: What is the biggest difficulty in the whole process of creation and shooting? The plot of "Opponent" is developing at a fast pace, and spy war dramas often need active thinking and understanding skills. Are you worried that the audience will be more difficult and difficult to understand?
Zhang Haidong:I think this phenomenon will definitely exist, and we can only try our best to express it in the most important way. I think Mr. Xiao Qiang is very capable in constructing stories, and he combines strong plots with strong emotions without showing any traces, so everyone doesn’t feel far-fetched The play serves the emotion, which in turn promotes the plot of the play. He has done very well in this respect. In fact, if you construct the whole structure of the story very well in the early stage of creation, and then have the appropriate actors to perform it, it will definitely be a favorite work, and the audience will look at the story first, right? We didn’t say that we should focus on the extreme pursuit of the plot of the spy war drama, because in that case, I think it may divert the audience. The most important thing is to try to lay out some plots that the audience can understand, including its internal reasoning logic, and try to be acceptable to the audience. There is another one. Why do you think the emotional part of this play is very eye-catching? This is a narrative rhythm. In the end, the incident will bring out the relationship between people, and the feelings generated by the incident will be laid out. We have also done very well this time. Therefore, it is very good to grasp this rhythm one by one. And from the feedback now, some viewers will say that he will be a little dizzy in the first few episodes, and there will be more roles, and then he will sort out all aspects of character relations. But slowly, after about three or four episodes, I will go in, and I will not be particularly constrained by the plot. On the contrary, I will pay more attention to the relationship between the characters behind me.What caused all their recent situations and experiences actually happened to be our original intention and our intention to do this play. If everyone pays special attention to the bridge above the plot, maybe I think we will express something, and its degree will be weakened.
ICONSPRO: In fact, we didn’t make much changes in this script in the later period, basically maintaining the original script written by the original little gun teacher?
Zhang Haidong:Because Mr. Xiao Qiang is a very mature screenwriter, he wrote every work himself. He is very strict with himself, and the script has not passed his own level, and he generally won’t take it out easily. Our main creations, including actors, are very recognized after reading the script. Moreover, especially in the spy war drama, its buttons are tightly connected, and it is necessary to be very cautious in unbuttoning, so it is easy not to move its structure and move its bridge. Everyone has reached such a consensus. So we basically didn’t move his script during the creation period, which is based on a common recognition.
ICONSPRO: How long does it take from the beginning of the creation of the small gun teacher to the completion of the final shooting?
Zhang Haidong:There are three years from conception to creation to our real shooting, and then to editing and synthesizing and meeting the audience.
ICONSPRO: With the current trend of younger users, is there any special consideration and design in the expression of younger opponents?
Zhang Haidong:There is a very clear line, that is, the emotional line of Guoan soldiers, which is a very obvious one. Their age groups are all in their twenties. There are also Ding Meixi and Li Tang. Their daughter Li Xiaoman is seventeen or eighteen. She happens to be ignorant in adolescence, and she also represents a very large group. Duan Yingjiu’s son, such a group of seventeen or eighteen, is just about to enter the society. There are also a group of people like Zhu Hui, Huang Hai and Ding Xiaohe, who have entered the society and have made some choices between work and emotion. The puzzles in work and life and how to solve these puzzles are all in this film.
ICONSPRO: Compared with previous spy war dramas, Opponent has some innovations in the background of the times, the setting of characters, the cut-in perspective, etc. In your opinion, what are the new development directions of spy war themes in the future?
Zhang Haidong: Personally, I think that is to say, there are undoubtedly two aspects. One is the laying out of the plot. If it is a spy war now, it is not like a time drama, because it has the looseness of time scope, so you still have some room for imagination and play in the plot design. In modern drama, you just have to fit in, be very real and realistic. Blindly pursuing the strangeness of the plot is prone to flaws, so I think the setting of the plot should not be divorced from people, and simply describe the event, which will be thinner and shallower. Then there is the relationship between the characters and the feelings of the characters behind the incident, which really need to be described by pen and ink. They are organically combined and cannot be separated from each other, just like one or two skins, and the audience will not be moved.
ICONSPRO: Why did the title of the play change from the original Lover to Opponent? Is there any other interpretation of the title of the play besides the "opponent" between the national security personnel and the spies?
Zhang Haidong:As creators, our thoughts or our ideas have grown and changed. From the creative point of view, we may focus on how strange the relationship between characters is. In the process of creation, experts give us some guidance, and we will find that this angle and conception will be narrow, so we should enlarge it, because when you hear the name "Love", it will definitely be closely related to love. Moreover, if you simply describe the love of this spy couple, your original intention and conception will be lower. "Opponent" divides the enemy and me, even a camp, into different people at once, right? The degree of their persistence in faith is laid out in all aspects. So I think the title of "Opponent" is still relatively accurate, and it is the opposition in all aspects. And when they face emotions, whether they let go or fight for it, it is a feeling of game in it. For example, Duan Yingjiu actually loves her husband deeply, but she is in the big love area, and she gives up small love. "Opponent" can be interpreted as a neutral word, in fact, it is your choice, whether you choose side A or side B, it can also be extended to be like this. For a spy war drama, you must have a title that is relatively intuitive and clear.
ICONSPRO: There has always been a problem of uneven reputation and ratings of film and television works in the industry. In fact, the popularity of Opponent, which has a high reputation, was not particularly high at the beginning of its broadcast. What do you think of this phenomenon? What do you think is the reason?
Zhang Haidong:The only thing we can do is to do a good job in the quality of this play in our professional field. I think this is something we can do. I think the heat is hard to meet. From the perspective of the industry, I think word of mouth is more significant and very important for us. The general environment is getting better and better now. Everyone’s recognition and pursuit of good content is the pursuit of this enthusiasm, and the awareness is also increasing. In fact, it is a very good direction. From my play "Opponent", it is true that the publicity has not reached the kind of popularity that everyone expected. Of course, there are many objective reasons for it, but as long as everyone watches this film, they say it is very good-looking. This good-looking is not only the story design, but also the actor’s performance and the picture presentation. This is a particularly gratifying thing. All the hard work and payment have been highly recognized and agreed by everyone, and I think it is a positive feedback.
ICONSPRO: After participating in many spy war dramas, have you summarized the rules of content production of this theme work?
Zhang Haidong:Don’t blindly pursue its novelty in the plot of spy war drama, because you are bound by all aspects, your wisdom, your professional knowledge and your ability to set and release buttons may not be perfect in the plot. And once the audience is caught in the situation of tracking the plot, they will repeatedly pick your flaws very severely and meticulously in the plot. I think it is easier for make a fool of oneself. It’s not that we have to speculate or anything, because no one can say that I can be perfect in all aspects of the plot, so I think we must rub the feelings of the characters in. Because what the audience sees is actually an emotion and a state, you see that he is attracted by strong plots. In fact, he is also tracking particularly intense emotions. At this time, after adding emotions, you will give him a pause and a relaxation, which can meet the viewer’s aesthetic needs at a higher level. So I think we should make more efforts in this respect, from the perspective of the combination of events and emotions, rather than blindly pursuing strong plots.
ICONSPRO: Will some friends have some feedback on your play?
Zhang Haidong:I saw a WeChat just now. Look at my friend. He said that you made an atypical spy war drama with fireworks. It was great. What is uncovered is the entanglement, dreams and helplessness of adults, and the works with human flavor have temperature. A WeChat like this, I receive a lot every day, and I feel particularly beautiful.
ICONSPRO: You have been studying dance at first, then why did you choose to enter the film and television industry? What is the turning point?
Zhang Haidong:I think it may be that life has reached a certain stage and there may be another pursuit. I think I’m lucky. After nearly six years of training in a dance, I have a deep understanding of beauty. It is a very opportune opportunity to come into contact with film and television dramas, and there is an internal connection between them. For example, they are all based on literature, and they are expressed in different forms in the depiction of characters. These things are common, but there are some differences in the forms of expression, but it is precisely a space for me to continue to study, explore and improve myself, so I will try to turn to film and television production.
ICONSPRO: From joining Hairun in 2002, to becoming a independent filmmakers in 2005, to signing Huayi to set up his own studio in 2010, and to set up Haidong Tomorrow Film and Television in 2016, what are your different feelings at these important time points in your life?
Zhang Haidong:At first, I did some plays by myself, but at that time I was still in a state of learning. I felt that I must use some more powerful forces to make myself grow faster. Later, I went to Hairun. At that time, Hairun was among the private film and television companies in our country. It was really a mobile phone, and the quality of its products was excellent. After working as an executive producer and producer for about five plays, I began to feel uneasy again at that time, just to see if I could apply what I had learned. So in 2005, I made the first drama of my company, which was a theme with a strong plot and a strong story. That play is my real release from production, and the whole chain has gone through itself from beginning to end, which is not a small promotion, but also a turn. In 10 years, I entered Huayi, set up my own studio, and then worked in Huayi for another 5 years. In 16 years, the contract expired, because I made several plays and all the transcripts were good. I took such a report card and continued to run my own company. At this time, I came into contact with the Internet. At that time, the Internet was just a stage of rapid development.
ICONSPRO: What are the differences and changes in your mentality at these important time nodes in your life and in your way of thinking about content production?
Zhang Haidong:I think that I am more and more determined, that is, I must be down-to-earth. There is really no speculation in this industry. Never think that a producer is a very glamorous identity. I am here to pursue this identity. In fact, it is a double-edged sword, because identity gives you the right to speak, but if your cognition and your industry experience do not reach a certain level, the greater your right to speak, the greater the risk may be. All aspects have been trained to a very objective and professional angle, so that you can say that the crew can carry out your will, or that you can work hard and move forward in the right direction, so that you can get the final result you particularly want. Otherwise, it is basically consumption. Don’t play the producer, you took a team to move forward. This project was born of you, and its life and death are really under your control. You should be responsible for the overall project and all the creative staff and actors. It is not carrying out your personal will, but amplifying a very objective thing. So I think my feeling is actually that I should be more confident and more confident in my heart, and these things are not blind, but more objective.
ICONSPRO: This is not the first time that "Opponent" has cooperated with the screenwriter and director. Is it possible to have a more tacit understanding in shooting?
Zhang Haidong:I think it is very important for a creative act to get to know each other. Because trust is based on understanding, film and television works are a working mode in which everyone works together. If there is no minimum trust, many creative inspirations or ideas will be consumed more or less, because people’s emotions are something you can’t avoid, and art has no criterion. In the process of communication, it is very consuming. We know each other very well, so everyone will think that we have different views on this matter because of our understanding of the matter. I think everyone’s communication takes place outside the play, in the early stage, and it’s okay to spend a lot of time. It’s okay to unify and express opinions with each other, but when we really enter the creative stage and the shooting stage, we must put all our energy on the drama expression.
ICONSPRO: Haidong Tomorrow Film and Television has basically maintained the production frequency of one work a year after its establishment. Was this planned from the beginning?
Zhang Haidong:Our company’s philosophy is to emphasize quality over quantity, and there is no special external pressure, pushing myself to say how many plays I will shoot every year. A good film and television work is not mass-produced, but it needs to be meticulously crafted in every detail, which itself consumes time. Personally, I enjoy the whole production process. I like to see my favorite works come out from scratch step by step. I didn’t say that my company must have a relatively large layout. I must open several projects a year. In the current market environment, I don’t think anyone will say that I can succeed in opening three projects a year. It is better to put my limited energy into every project that I like and can be selected by our company, and do it carefully.
ICONSPRO: Is the company basically responsible for one project now, or are many projects in parallel?
Zhang Haidong:At present, the focus is on grasping a project and making this project to the extreme. I think this direction should not change much. In 13 years and 14 years, when capital poured into our film and television circle, I didn’t even say that I would recruit more producers and open more plays to do my work, so as to meet the demands of the capital market. Now, it is even more impossible for me to do this because it is meaningless.
ICONSPRO: What standards does the company have in the selection of film and television works? What is the most important thing?
Zhang Haidong:There is no special setting. I think the only criterion is to make quality products and choose them objectively. I think these things are really hard to meet. If I meet a very good IP, I say I don’t do it, I only do the original, and there is no such choice. It is impossible to say that there are good original works in my hands. I must look for IP. I don’t think there is a necessary connection between the two. As long as it is a good script, it is not limited to the subject matter and its source. That is, how many good IP are there, and will you get the good IP? When it reaches you, it is still the original thing, but are there any other elements attached to it, which will interfere with your creation, and the investment may be large. How much money will you put on the original work itself to present it? Therefore, specific issues are treated in a specific way. The underlying logic means how much energy and thought you spend to present it. If you present it with your heart, it is impossible to say that the original IP foundation is very good, and it is ruined for you. There must be objective reasons for reducing its original heat or quality. We must respect objective laws in this line of work, not too many human factors.
ICONSPRO: So far, what is your most impressive or favorite work?
Zhang Haidong:At present, I think it must be "Opponent". I have been immersed in the creation of "Opponent" for more than a year. A masterpiece is not easy to be copied, and it is unlikely to be copied, because it has gathered too many excellent resources and very rare creative factors.
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