Aspects of Chinese DV
The development of any art category can be seen as a new creative paradigm that rationally subverts the old model, and the creation of DV documentary programs does not exception. In the thirty years since reform and opening up, the development rate of China's television field has been calculated as doubling. This is reflected in the huge investment in funds, the in-depth exploration of the television market, the continuous updating of technology, and the continuous breakthroughs in concepts. However, due to the profound influence of missionary feature films and "documentaryism" on this generation of TV people from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, documentary art has always been faster in terms of concepts and innovative consciousness than technology and other factors. It’s a hard walk. The 120 DV award-winning programs in the 2008 China International Documentary Film Selection became a grand review of the country's outstanding documentaries in 2007-2008, during which countless new works worthy of reflection and reference emerged. After facing difficulties caused by columnarization and marketization in the late 1990s, Chinese documentary programs have finally taken gratifying steps in recent years on the basis of independent spirit and originality.
First of all, in terms of overall performance, the cultural vision of DV creators continues to expand, which makes the selection of DV documentary themes continue to show a diversified development trend. In addition to popular themes about people's livelihood, there were many programs in 2008 about natural disasters, social crimes, endangered animals, humanistic care and love and family ties, life and death, morality and ethics, reason and emotion. There are even photos of cultural relics and archaeological discoveries. The wide selection of themes has brought DV creation into a new field, such as the humanistic documentary "Retirement Home" by Beijing independent producer Huo Fenglan, the travel documentary "Moon Mother" by Guangxi Party Member Audio-visual Center, and the animal documentary by Hangzhou independent producer Zhu Chenzhou The short film "Love Story" and the creative work "Search" by Communication University of China, etc., all have the feeling of being a blockbuster.
Secondly, different types of DV documentary works incorporate different creative methods. In 2007, among the 500 documentary DV works we received, pure documentary accounted for almost 95%. In 2008, we received more than 650 documentary works, of which pure documentary accounted for 85%. Some other DV The works all use a variety of creative methods such as reenactment, reproduction, animation, sketching, and sand painting to a greater or lesser extent. "My Gymnastics Dream" by the School of Television and Journalism of Communication University of China, "Getting Closer" by Shandong Liu Heyan, "Five Sports" by the Film and Television Department of the Central Academy of Drama, "Prison Break" by the China Academy of Art, University of Science and Technology of China "Summer" and so on. Although some of the programs here are still immature in the use of various creative methods, especially the difficulty in grasping the appropriateness of reenactment, we have finally stepped out of the "single documentary" frame in DV creation and ushered in a new era of multiple documentaries. .
Once again, DV creation began to pay attention to financial investment. Many individuals and universities have invested considerable money in the creation of DV documentaries. I remember that in 2007, the author was very pessimistic when he learned about the funding investment for DV creation. Mr. Gong, who has been engaged in DV creation for a long time in Jiangxi Province, invests 330 yuan for each 10-minute documentary. In 2008, he invested an average of 600 yuan. Students at media universities spend an average of 650 yuan (including equipment and time) for each assignment they complete. In 2008, media universities invested an average of 850 yuan (including equipment and time). Nanguang College of Communication University of China invested more than 4,000 thousand yuan in filming the documentary "Green Peony". In order to create his own DV studio, Mr. Liu Keming, an independent producer, not only added a more advanced DV camera, but also upgraded his entire "standard definition non-linear" to Apple's "high definition non-linear". This alone is enough. More than 15,000 yuan was spent.
The diversified development of DV has added color to our documentary creation field, especially its personalized creative style, which has accelerated the emergence of diversified documentary works in the DV era. Now, concepts and perspectives such as value-added, originality, anti-tradition, and anti-centeredness have penetrated into many aspects of DV creation. A creative era in which “anything goes” in terms of means and technology is right in front of us!
"Expression" and documentary
The demonstration of originality and subjectivity has become the most anticipated concept of DV documentary creation in 2008. "The best documentary artist should be himself", which refers to the relationship between "expression" and "reproduction" of art, and "realism" and "freehand brushwork". At the 2008 International Documentary Film Selection, what caught the attention of the judges was the appearance of a number of "extremely expressive" DV documentaries: "Searching for Marx" by the School of Television and Journalism of Communication University of China, "Qingming" by the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University "Wei" by the Film Studio, "Q Cat Diary" by the School of Film and Television Art and Technology of Shanghai University, "Campus Four" by the School of Journalism and Communication of Anhui University, and "Change" produced by high school students, etc. Although this batch of works is a bit immature, the author's strong "expressive" techniques cannot but be said to have ushered in a new "expressive" development period in China's DV creation.
We all know that China's documentary programs have come from the missionary era of "focusing on words and music as a background". After we entered the "documentary era", the main creative techniques became It became "long lens, follow-up shot, simultaneous sound" and so on.
Even in the 21st century, most Chinese documentaries are still under the banner of "documentaryism" and are advancing in the field of documentary creation in an "original record" style. However, the DV creation in 2008 gave us another subversive understanding of "documentaryism" and "original recording": whether "expression" can achieve "reproduction", that is, whether it can achieve "documentary or original recording" record"?
In fact, the art of documentary requires the author's personalized creation and "individual" in-depth thinking, and it also needs to express personal subjective intentions. Mr. Jean Michel, secretary-general of the French FIPA Film Festival, once said that "documentary is a way of thinking." It seems that only works that embody the author's thinking are likely to arouse readers' enthusiasm. In 2008, we saw more avant-garde DV people gradually breaking through the naturalistic cycle of "pure documentary" and boldly expressing their emotions and unique perspectives in documentaries. The author believes that "documentaries are the most subjective and objective records" and "are the author's insights into the lives of the subjects". So when we find that more and more "subjective expression" works are entering the field of documentary every year, we don't need to panic, because this is an improvement in "documentary art".
Documentary is an aesthetic style and an aesthetic attitude. The sense of reality and authenticity that are inseparable from documentary have naturally become one of the important aesthetic standards. Rudolf Arnheim, a former professor of art psychology at Harvard University, studied movies from the perspective of psychology and published the book "Film as Art". He said: "The more complete the tools of direct experience we have, the more complete we are. The easier it is to fall into a dangerous illusion, which means that seeing is equal to knowing and understanding.” This sentence means to remind us that if we only stay at the level of the authenticity of phenomena, we will lose the sense of aesthetics. The richer connotation and meaning it brings requires understanding from the perspective of essential truth and aesthetic truth.
In real life, the "objective" standard is "the benevolent see the benevolent, the wise see the wisdom." Everyone has their own unique opinions on the same subject due to multiple reasons such as social experience, regional culture, education level, gender preferences, etc. Different concepts are formed in the minds of different directors. After selection, cutting and processing, what is finally presented to the audience is a real work that embodies the "multiple assumptions" of the author's subjective consciousness. Therefore, for the authenticity characteristics of documentary art, we need to recognize and grasp it in the dynamics of history and practice, and in different dimensions such as "multiple assumptions" and acceptance of aesthetics. Therefore, when in 2008, we suddenly discovered that a large number of DV-type works that "expressed" subjectivity appeared, we would not be "surprised."
The authenticity of documentary art also depends on the progress and development of science and technology. Professor Gao Xin of Communication University of China said: "Documentary, as an aesthetic style, is not an end in itself. The purpose is either to achieve objective reality, or to give people a sense of reality and authenticity." It can be seen that authenticity and realism here have the same meaning. So how does this authenticity or sense of authenticity come about? Professor Zhu Yujun hit the nail on the head: "In the past and now, people's understanding of authenticity and aesthetic requirements cannot be surpassed by the technical means at that time. In the 1960s, when I still used a 16mm camera to shoot films, there was no synchronization sound. With the music, no one raised the question of unreality, because at that time we did not have the technical equipment to use simultaneous sound and long lenses. The way we shot it was in line with the aesthetic requirements of the time, but if we still shoot it like this now, people cannot accept it... ” So as technology evolves, authenticity takes on a different meaning. Today, when an ordinary computer can edit DV documentaries with both sound and pictures, we should not limit DV creation to the "documentary" frame in any case, and give them some space to allow these "expressive" works Add a touch of green to the documentary garden!
"High quality" and "coolness"
DV documentaries are one of the main contents of documentary art creation, so who are the DVs shot for? I don’t know how many DV enthusiasts or so-called industry insiders can give a reasonable answer to this question.
Among the thousands of DV documentaries in 2008, I found two completely different types of programs. One category is programs like "The Legend of God Eaters", "I'm Crazy about Music", "Non-Mainstream", "Rat in the Room", "2008, Chic Graduation", etc.; the other category is "Keep Us" Roots", "Flag Class", "I am environmentally friendly, I am happy", "My Long March", "The Military Song is Loud" and so on. We have already discovered their differences in terms of titles. The former is obviously non-utilitarian, and the author does not necessarily have much "sense of responsibility" to shoot. The latter is different, and clearly has the flavor of "ideological positioning" and "theme first". In the selection of these two types of programs, it is very obvious that the "non-utilitarian" DV films have won high awards, while the latter category has "poor results." This situation was also evident in the DV competition awards in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, we were particularly optimistic about the two DV short films "Military Song Loud" and "Flag Class". From the topic selection to the quality of the shots and the smoothness of the editing, it can be said that they have reached a professional level. However, they failed to do so during the award evaluation. It is "high quality", but cannot end up "with few people". When we played it to the audience, it was still "high-pitched".
After careful analysis, programs such as "Flag Class", "I'm Environmentally Friendly, I'm Happy", "My Long March", "Military Song Loud" are better than "God" in terms of shooting quality, editing techniques and dubbing. "Eater", "I'm Crazy About Music", "Non-Mainstream", etc. So why are they inferior to those documentaries that seem to have no theme, are shot randomly, and are messily edited in terms of awards and audience response? The reason may be discussed from the "folk" and "personalized" aspects of DV creation.
DV creation is originally the "folk image" of the public. It incorporates many "casual" creative concepts, creative techniques and ideas. It is not about serious faces, cheerful conversations and untainted worldly affairs. The look in his eyes? DV creation cannot be a completely elite culture? So when a DV enthusiast picks up a DV, what to shoot and what not to shoot depends entirely on his personal creative concept. Photographers who want to "tell you something" or "propaganda some ideas" will definitely follow their "ideological line" and shoot "utilitarian" programs. And some other DV people will shoot another type of "civilian perspective" documentary.
The reason we analyze DV creation in this way is not to reject mainstream creation, but to comprehensively demonstrate the overall creation of DV based on the personalized characteristics of DV creation. We all know that DV, like all media, should have a sense of historical responsibility and should not be kitsch. However, since DV creation is based on ordinary people and is "folk", we will not require ordinary people to shoot "mainstream" DV works. The audience of DV, including the judges from 2005 to 2008, are mostly "civilian" people.
Although DV is also using a documentary aesthetic style to become a witness to the real and original people and events in history, this is not inconsistent with gaining recognition from a relatively broad general audience. After all, as a A communication behavior that wins more audiences means better communication effects. The "high quality" of individual DVs cannot but be said to be an important reason for the final "coolness". However, if we change a concept and create, we may be able to transform the "high-quality" program into a "harmony-high" one.
"TV" or "movies"
In 2008, as if someone issued a call, a large number of "movie documentaries" (different formulations) suddenly appeared in DV documentary programs. It must be accurate, it is called this for the time being). These works mainly appear among "professional" people who shoot DV. For example, "Membrane", "Dream" and "Small Shop" from the Film Academy, "Kiss" and "Loss" from the Central Academy of Drama, "Just Once", "Zero Escape" and "Up and Down" from Communication University of China etc. These works are often short films, which are both documentaries and "little movies". If measured by documentary standards, these programs are "too heavy on performance and directing." If viewed from a film perspective, these works are "too documentary," and "the actors, shooting lighting, etc. are too unprofessional." Therefore, these DV short films cannot be broadcast on TV stations. Their mission is to broadcast them to a small range of people or send them to foreign countries for awards.
In fact, this situation has appeared since 2003, but it has developed faster and faster in the past two or three years. The author once shot one such "movie documentary" every year for five years from 2004 to 2008. For example, "Hanging Coffin", "Rape Blossoms", "String" and so on. One of the benefits of shooting these "movie documentaries" is that they can accurately express the author's intentions and produce a higher award-winning rate. So what is the difference between the DV "movie documentaries" that have been produced in large numbers in the new century and the documentaries we see every day?
The so-called "movie documentary" means that the author first writes a script based on an event or story in reality, and then follows this script to shoot a documentary like a movie. There are several differences between it and documentary documentaries:
1. Documentaries write commentary during documentary shooting, while "movie documentaries" write story scripts before shooting;
2 , Documentary respects the "original" record, and "movie documentary" uses performances to achieve the author's intention;
3. Documentary is about finding stories during shooting, and "movie documentary" is about writing stories based on reality before shooting. .
4. Documentaries must not use actors. "Film documentaries" will use actors to "re-enact" based on reality.
5. Documentaries mostly use live sound, and "movie documentaries" sometimes even use foley to complete the sound effects.
6. Documentaries pay attention to narration, and "movie documentaries" pay attention to "climax, suspense, plot, and conflict."
What we need to emphasize here is that this kind of "film documentary" is not something that everyone who has engaged in documentary creation can complete. It requires the author to have strong story-writing skills, a creative background in feature films, and a greater understanding of composition, color, lighting, foley, etc. This kind of "movie documentary" abandons the shortcomings of documentary documentaries such as slow pace, no suspense, many interviews, and straightforward narratives, without deviating from the "truth in reality." Therefore, among the programs sent abroad for awards, "movie documentaries" are very popular under the same conditions. The emergence of this DV program format provides a new optional method for today's documentary creation.
The so-called "movie documentaries" often have two labels: First, they contain more non-documentary scenes, including scenes shot with re-enactment techniques and scenes processed with special effects. When expressing the past time and space, we no longer simply use character narratives and historical picture materials, but use true reproduction techniques to capture reenacted scenes to form different segments in the documentary; in the past, we used characters to speak and pictures to show The content is externalized into TV pictures with specific images for expression. Of course, the premise should be to make the audience clearly know through the previous text description or the use of some special effects in the picture that this paragraph is truly reproduced. The existence of this image leads to the second label: a relatively large amount of commentary. Compared with documentary pictures, this type of picture does not have an objective narrative, or its objective narrative is not easily recognized, because the picture itself appears in a virtual identity. Even if it restores 100% of history, it is impossible. Seen as fact, it is only a part of the visual elements, so a lot of commentary needs to be laid out on the screen, and this part can be accepted. These two "labels" form a whole. To use an inaccurate analogy, it is like the director expresses the imagination that an ordinary audience may have when hearing the commentary in a concrete and concrete way. The reason why the above two factors are called "labels" is because before the work is completed, it is difficult to define whether they are advantages or disadvantages. They are at a critical point. If they are handled properly, they will be a highlight, and if they are not handled properly, they will become an influence. The whole film is a failure.
In the era of diversity and integration, we shoot documentaries in the same way as feature films, and shoot feature films in the same way as documentaries. There is no question of whether it is good or bad, whether it is possible or not. As long as it looks good, as long as it can please the public, you can try any creative means and methods. Moreover, DV is also a type of "personalized" creation. Its advancement in creative methods will definitely bring a touch of freshness to our documentary home. green!
Integrating into international trends
The DV creative group in 2008 also has a more prominent feature: going international. Among the 30 DV documentaries that won gold awards in 2008, 9 have been sent abroad through various channels to participate in the awards. Among the 50 DV documentaries that won silver awards, 12 have participated in various international film and television festivals. What needs special mention is that among the programs that won the Top Ten Documentary Gold Award and the Top Ten Environmental Documentary Gold Award in 2008, 7 were shot on DV, and many of them were private independent DV enthusiasts. They have become the real main force in international media.
DV’s integration into the international creative trend is first of all influenced by the creative trend of postmodernism. A large number of DV documentarians abandoned the "documentary, documentary, documentary" creative method in their creations, and began to be more unconventional and anti-traditional: we saw the intervention of animation in "My College Dream" ; We have seen the display of sketches in "Upstairs Downstairs"; we have seen reenactments in "Luo Zhen" and "Membrane"; we have seen dances that have nothing to do with the program in "One Year"; We even saw a high-profile "director" in "The Man Eater"... It is worth mentioning that many of the DV works we saw in 2005 and 2006 were only at the stage of experimenting and exploring the above-mentioned diverse creative techniques. By 2007 and 2008, the use of various methods in documentaries had become a common creation method. This diversified trend in DV creation caters to the international post-modernist creative concept. In 2008, more than 20 (only statistics from the China Broadcasting Association) DV short films were selected for exhibition in various film and television festivals around the world.
DV’s integration into the international creative trend comes from the increased use of “international languages”. Among the programs that won the first prize in 2008, the three works most appreciated by Chinese and foreign experts and international film festival directors were "Home for the Aged", "Oyanasi" and "Love". A common sign of these three DV works is "no or very little commentary", basically "pictures plus subtitles". For example, "The Oyanasi" filmed by Guangdong Taishan TV Station has almost no subtitles. However, the "storytelling of picture language" enables Chinese and foreign audiences to understand "Chinese stories".
Chinese documentaries have come from the "missionary era", so most Chinese audiences have developed the habit of "listening to stories" with "pictures and explanations". But documentaries that go international must solve the problem of being "understandable" by foreigners. Therefore, many DV enthusiasts began to try the creative method of "using pictures to edit stories". After several years of hard work, we increasingly saw this kind of creation using international languages ??(pictures) in DV programs in 2008. DV documentary. It can be said that the extensive use of "international language (pictures)" in DV documentary programs will allow more of our country's documentaries to enter the international community. This is also an important way for Chinese culture to go global.
Another characteristic of DV's integration into the international creative trend is that many DV enthusiasts have learned to "structure stories with suspense." Why TV dramas are better than documentaries is because TV dramas can "artificially structure stories with suspense." Documentaries cannot do this because they must respect "objective reality" and create on the basis of truth. However, the TV series’ method of “structuring stories with suspense” can still be used for reference.
In DV works in 2008, more and more DV people have learned to use "suspense". For example, in the award-winning DV documentary "Retirement Home", the author has repeatedly used images to show how two elderly people who have never met each other take care of each other in life and comfort each other psychologically... When all the viewers thought that as long as the old couple got married, they would be a happy couple, the story took a big turn: the old couple began to accuse each other of being "small-minded" and "not caring enough about themselves" and so on. When the audience thought that the elderly couple would not become "a family", they both agreed to get married with the help of the director of the nursing home... However, they did not get married during more than 3 years in the nursing home until this DV documentary At the end, I don't know how far their emotions have developed. At the end of the program, the author once asked more than 30 viewers who were concerned about the living conditions of the elderly. Some people wanted the elderly couple to get married, while others did not want the elderly couple to get married. The affectionate love between an old couple has touched the hearts of many people.
"Suspense" was originally a term used by the film master Hitchcock, and later evolved into a term used by screenwriters to structure TV dramas or radio stories. The so-called "suspense" is like traditional Chinese storytelling, which always leaves behind baggage in order to attract the audience. Nowadays, many DV people are using and borrowing this creative technique from movies and TV series (feature films) when shooting documentaries, and many of their works have achieved amazing results. It can be said that when the majority of DV enthusiasts will use "suspense" to structure stories, the level of story telling through Chinese civilian images will definitely be greatly improved, the ability of Chinese documentaries to integrate with international documentaries will definitely be stronger, and documentaries that will enter the world will definitely More.