[I Have a Question] – Wu Wenhui

CGGE: Today we are going to interview Mr. Wu Wenhui, who knows about Da Ke. Mr. Wu, you have more than ten years of experience in the animation industry. From production to management, to the analysis of the scripts you are currently working on, you have a lot of fans. Can you briefly introduce your own experience?

A: Dear friends, good! I am Wu Wenhui, who entered the animation in 2001. Before 2001, I probably didn’t know about animation. Now I don’t think I have any memories about animation. The first time I watched the animation, “Where is the sea”, or the 16mm film version, the film is almost extinct now. TV animation has not been seen, on the one hand because the family does not have this condition; on the other hand, the entertainment in the mountains is almost zero, there is no TV in one village, let alone watching TV. Walking into this line may be similar to many people. In 1997, the computer became popular and began to contact the software related to the image. From PS to 3DS, from 3D MAX to MAYA, I learned some fur and made a paragraph. Architectural renderings of time. Decided to study in depth because I saw the plot of the robot in Terminator. In 2001, I participated in the animation training of the second phase of Global Digital, and I began to really understand animation from that time. In 2002, he joined GDC. After a year of training as a lecturer, he joined the production department. From the beginning of production, he later worked on process quality management, production management, project manager, creative planning, and scriptwriting.

CGGE: As a senior animation production and management staff, why did you transition to scriptwriting and script analysis? Because production and management are more about technology, and scriptwriting is text work, sometimes even very boring, and the results are not immediate. Can you share with you the reasons for the transformation?

A: I have similar experiences with many of my peers. Most people who entered the business around 2000 may have learned about 3D animation from technology. When I participated in the production of “Magbis Ring”, the previous work was basically completed. I didn’t know anything about the story, visual design, and I was familiar with the production line. At that time, because the entire domestic movie market was very The downturn, accurately said that even the real film is difficult to survive, the animation is really much higher, the investment is tens of millions, in the face of the film market at that time, the animation film has no possibility of making money. The company has also transformed into an outsourcing service. This is 7 or 8 years, and we know very well that there is a market opportunity. I have had some understanding of drama, art and mirrors from the outsourcing of many previous projects, so several years of outsourcing work have some understanding of creative development. Around 2010, I began to think about my personal career. Outsourcing can’t always be done, and although the production accounts for most of the time and money of the project, the real decision on the success or failure of the project is in the two big blocks of story and vision. ). Therefore, starting to do some work related to creative planning, it is indeed from the beginning, a large number of books and films on drama.

The reason why I stayed around the world, because everyone wants to do something about themselves, it is better to have a chance to make a movie. However, not many companies dare to invest in movies directly. Therefore, the road ahead is not to give up. Waiting for the opportunity, the 2012 “Submarine Total Mobilization 2” was released, and unexpectedly harvested 16 million box office, which gave the company confidence and decided to develop an animated film based on the “submarine” IP. The schedule is scheduled for 2013. one. The decision of this project can be said to have affected and changed many people in the company. That is to say, from 2012, I started to make original movies. All the books I have read before have become a very valuable knowledge reserve. Since then, I have had a very clear purpose in analyzing movies and dramas.

I think the interesting thing about the movie industry is that no project (the model is reproducible) is not reproducible, so as soon as a project is over, the new project will start from scratch, whether you are making a declaration or not. In the case of creation, or production, in addition to the basic model is similar, most of the variables will be greater. This is not an industry that can have a magic weapon to win. Therefore, never do things with experience, the market changes too fast, and there are countless links between the pipeline, resources, and platform to the audience, that is, there are quantitative and variable. The composition of the bet is very large, so we often make jokes, just want to play, it is better to go to Macau to know the result one night, then use so much heart.

If a product is used to define a movie, the final result is determined at the beginning of the definition of the product. From the market point of view, we can see many similar products. Whenever we analyze the success or failure, we are all heads, but we have problems with ourselves. Time is the confidence of the transition to consolidate what you think is the right understanding.

Product attributes are multifaceted and there are many factors that determine the success or failure of a product. There are many brands, reputations and quality products in the market. Why do you succeed? In the Chinese animation film market, we can’t rely on the production company label to endorse, nor can we rely on stars (dubbing, music, investment, production) to come to the platform (real filming is necessary), at least the audience is not buying this account at present. But in the capital market, the opposite is true. Capital is not about how big the company is, but about profitability and business models. This is one of the problems that many production companies find it difficult to finance. So, to make a product, the more you know the core audience, the more chance you have to succeed; the more you get worse, the better your chances of success. Making a movie is like making a product.

It’s said that there’s nothing to do with the screenwriter. If you don’t have a relationship, you will definitely go to the ditch. Therefore, maintaining a comprehensive understanding can make your mind clearer. This is one; the second is when you are boring. Find yourself other points of interest and excitement.

My career goal is not to be a professional screenwriter, but a producer.

CGGE: Domestic cartoons, the story has always been criticized. When most animated films are lost at the box office, the final reason will be attributed to the script. For this question, what do you think from the perspective of scriptwriting and script analysis? Is there any antidote to this rickety? What is antidote?

A: This question is too difficult to answer. It is like football. The audience watching on the court is generally much more powerful than the players on the court because they can be irresponsible. It is difficult for others to find the real cause of a project’s success or failure. It is only a representation, not the essence of the process. Therefore, all comments and analysis are based on their own cognition, if not Absolute expert, how can you tell the reason? How many people participate in an animated film, each of them has an impact on the process, so the success or failure of this project is not just a screenwriter, a director, etc. Everyone has areas, themes, types and skills that are good at and not good at it. A team has to maximize the best side of each person, and there is no short board in every link, so this project is no problem. ? In theory, but how is it possible to do this? At this time, we need an effective system to support, the producer system is one of them. The producer I said is not the kind of producer who has paid money or is a producer. The company’s management is not qualified. The person who has done the production is not called the producer. Like our professional managers, he is very professional in the field of film, has a high sensitivity to the market, is also very familiar with the industry resources, and can’t be sloppy about the content. It is really not easy to do this. On the one hand, it is professionalism and experience; on the other hand, it requires some intuition and talent. At present, most of us do not have a comprehensive understanding of the market environment, economic environment, investment environment, marketing, business development and trends. Usually, we absorb some pieces of fragment information. A little better can reorganize these pieces of information. Just as your own experience, these are the most fundamental problems before the script.

Going back to the play itself, I believe that many of my peers have their own opinions. Each company/team has formed its own creative model, drama model and story model. These models depend on who is partnering with you. Substitution means risk. I often chat with my friends. Huaqiang’s creative team is a relatively mature team of domestic animations. Not only can a relatively good story be completed in a given time, but also obvious progress can be seen. To be honest, this is a very remarkable thing. Because many of our teams simply did not have to figure out the model and then scatter.

I don’t think I can give you any antidote, but I can give you some advice. From creation, we must respect the most basic creative process (world view, biography, outline/syllabus, literary story, play structure, script, etc.). The creative team must have a common cognitive and communication context, and at the very least have the same understanding of a certain creative model. Why Hollywood commercials have to emphasize the “three curtains”, that is because the structure of the play is a verified and successful structure of the play, only works in the same context system. Of course, this is a bit simpler, because the script is just one of the core parts of a movie. There is still a long way to go from text to visualization. There is a gap between what you think in your mind and what you see in the picture. How to This gap is minimized, which is the creator’s most basic homework.

CGGE: The success of “Mulan” and “Kung Fu Panda” makes us think that foreign companies know more about how to turn Chinese stories into a universally accepted topic. They used Chinese content to earn money from Chinese audiences and world audiences. At present, many domestic animation companies are considering creating overseas editors in the script stage, and expect to achieve or close to the achievements of movies such as Kung Fu Panda. What kind of attitude do you personally take in this way? Do you think that the addition of such overseas scriptwriters will change the current status of Chinese animated films?

A: I don’t deny that overseas scriptwriters will change the script, but it certainly cannot change the status quo of Chinese animated films. It is up to us to change. This is a piece of advice. Don’t think that overseas scriptwriters or even teams joining your project will be able to sit back and relax. There are too many unsuccessful cases, so I won’t give examples. As long as we recognize one thing, it is systemic combat in this field, and it is not difficult to understand this, instead of killing the dead team and the special team. When you ask an overseas screenwriter, how do other people cooperate? The director does not change the script? The producer is completely accepted? Even if these are all OK, can the audience accept?

In essence, “Mulan” and “Kung Fu Panda” are not Chinese movies, but only Hollywood movies with Chinese prototypes/elements. It is like “COCO” is not a Mexican movie. From the story, it is a Hollywood movie, just looking for a Chinese story. Prototypes and elements that make Chinese audiences familiar and easier to understand and receive. In this way, it is easier to understand that business needs are greater than story needs, so the decision makers who decide to shoot such a movie first consider the issue from a business perspective, not the story itself. The story is used to package these elements that can make money, and the rest is professional. It is understandable that you need his skills, not the soul, to write overseas. They know how to pack, how to tell the story well. But don’t know or don’t fully know what the Chinese audience needs right now? What is the current mood in China? What are the audiences watching after 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, 00 in China? What is the consumption habit? So, we need to spend more time to understand what our users want to think about?

CGGE: What kind of literacy do you need as a screenwriter? I know that the scriptwriters of many companies are not professional. What do you think about this? Are you optimistic about the current domestic cartoon screenwriter market? How to make more excellent scriptwriters realize their potential and gain a place in the market?

A: What kind of literacy does the scriptwriter need? This is a topic that is often asked, and there is no standard answer. Personally think that in the current industry environment: to be able to understand the words, to obtain valuable information. What I mean is that no matter which stage of the creation is active and passive, I will hear the opinions of the people around me. As the writer, I also want to hear various opinions. It is impossible to absorb the whole thing, and it is impossible to listen at all. Therefore, it is necessary to identify valuable information.

Be sure to save yourself and achieve others. In the creation of the screenwriter, there may be opinions from the director, producer, and even the investor on the script. Especially in the environment we are in, how to make the most basic structure of the script, the core of the story, and the spiritual temperament of the characters are not affected. Is the basic work that the writer should do well?) The writer must adhere to some principles and the bottom line to preserve the quality of the script, and in the process, let others give you an inappropriate conclusion, saying that the writer is too stubborn, and that the opinions of others cannot be heard, in order not to cause such a Consequences, you must have considerable emotional intelligence to deal with, sometimes you can selectively absorb, respond to the specifics, and to some extent, the people who have made comments. Put the galloping grassland and collect it in the circle.

Perseverance is a kind of talent. Persistence is a prerequisite for doing everything. Writing as a scriptwriter is always a basic exercise. Uninterrupted writing is necessary, and it is day after day, year after year, can insist on writing, training good habits and Interest, and adherence to the original complement each other, another point to read classic works and write film reviews, all help to have a correct thinking and direction in writing.

Literature is very important. The script is theoretically a manual and a manual. But he came from the story. The writer himself should tell the story. The story should first be a mature literary work, not a synopsis of thousands of words. Since it is a literary work, it must have its own standards and requirements. Return to the creation of novels, prose, and poetry, and write it well, starting with basic elements, types, themes, backgrounds (worldviews), plots, characters, The rhythm, structure, writing, language, modification, methods, logic, etc. begin. There is a complete story, and the foundation is also very good, let’s talk about scriptwriting.

The script is very important. The arbitrariness of the script will bring endless troubles to other collaborators. Always remember that the script is the closest text from the text to the screen. The director works through the script or works with the screenwriter to present the things expressed in the script. Come out, this is a process of translation. The participants also have visual design, mirror design and photography to work together. After becoming the picture, there is only one kind of picture for the text, and finally the audience sees this picture. Therefore, there will be many kinds of understanding in the process of translation, and the scriptwriter should be as accurate as possible. The format is also the same, there is a standard model, which not only fully reflects the professionalism of the screenwriter, but also more conducive to the production management, saving the project time (time = money).

creativity. Borrowing the book “Self-cultivation” is a four-stage process: the first is “attracting inspiration”; the second is “enhancing inspiration”; the third is “playing inspiration”; the fourth is “assessing stage” “.

Do a reliable project. To know that every movie is from birth to release, it is impossible to go to the day of the release of any problem in the middle. If you have written a lot of scripts, no one has ever been released, almost when you don’t exist. This is a terrible thing for a professional writer. If you can do the first six points, you will follow this process. Many people contact, identify the people who cooperate, identify the feasibility of the project, and identify the fate of the project will be more certain. Sometimes there is a phenomenon that people are not as good as days, but not every project. Therefore, a reliable project is usually followed by a reliable person. The film and television company that produces works all the year round is relatively complete. There is a whole set of evaluation mechanism. Therefore, it is good to have such a big tree, but not every scriptwriter has such resources. Even I have encountered writing. The script does not know how to sell the scriptwriter. This is the interest. There is no resource in the industry. This kind of can only be lucky. There is an old saying that “the wine is not afraid of the alley”, then you have to let your wine float. Out of the alley. Sometimes you also need a professional agent.

After the fame, start from scratch. After all, it’s a minority. The closer you are to the pyramid, the more lonely you are. The more people who are looking for you at that time, the more people who are looking for you, the cooperation, the lectures, the talks, the people you want to get out of. Come to the door. Don’t make an appointment, say bad things in your back; about, you may not be able to use 48 hours a day. Therefore, we must be soberly aware that only by insisting on new works is the king, and each new project is also starting from scratch.

The latter questions are really not good to answer, saying that there is a threshold in this industry, and there are indeed, whether it is the study of literature and history, or the writing of film and television literature, any professional at least for four years! Plus 3-5 years of independent creation. There is no threshold, and it really is not, because many people who have not received professional training and practical projects are doing directors and screenwriters, like I have never studied professional courses and received professional training. Therefore, the knowledge reserve is the ruler on the threshold. If you are not a professional, you have to work harder to learn relevant knowledge. Practice is a matter of professionalism. No matter how much knowledge reserves you have to eat, you may become a professional screenwriter. In the future, the film and television industry will become more and more mature. The company will play less and less dramas. Most of them are project cooperation. At this time, the part that the company needs to bear becomes the individual to grow. To tell the truth, the requirements will be higher. A mature writer can guarantee the effectiveness of the work. What a good creator needs is an opportunity. You must let more people know about your work. Therefore, self-marketing is indispensable. Now we have many means and channels to achieve self-marketing, knowing, WeChat public number. Platforms, film festivals, competitions, etc. As long as you are diligent and good at telling your own story, I believe there will be a pair of eye-catching eyes on you. Remind to protect your copyright (recording and copyright registration).

Interview source: Sophia