Exclusive | Interview with Zheng Bohan, screenwriter of "Half a Sky": I had this line in mind from the day I wrote the ending.
Source: National News Network
Reporter: Wen Xiaoqing
The TV series "Tianban" burst onto the scene, rewriting a legend with the long-dormant spy drama genre: it topped the ratings on its premiere and continued to surpass itself every day thereafter; it received a high score of 8.8 on Green Words, which rose to 8.9 after the finale aired, and is on track to break 9; from grandparents and uncles to young students, everyone knows "Tianban"; popular memes such as "Captain Li Yiming of China" and "Lu Huaizhang, the God of Wealth, Li Yiming, the God of Wealth" have become viral across the internet. Yesterday, the finale's ratings soared to 8.13%, making it the highest-rated show in nearly a decade.
Spy dramas have long been popular, with works like "Wind Shadow" and "The Lonely Willow" being widely acclaimed classics. How did "Half a Sky" manage to carve out a new path and claim the crown of a new era in this field teeming with masterpieces? National Network News reporter conducted an exclusive interview with screenwriter Zheng Bohan to explore the dramatic journey of this masterpiece's creation.
Reporter (hereinafter referred to as "R"): Mr. Zheng's previous representative works were mainly period dramas such as historical dramas and palace dramas. Why did you suddenly think of switching to writing spy drama scripts?
Zheng Bohan (hereinafter referred to as "Zheng"): Due to some well-known conflicts, I've grown somewhat weary of historical dramas. This genre is too easy to make famous, and too easy to fabricate stories, so it's difficult for me to have complete control. Furthermore, Ruguan TV had been wanting to make a TV series about the hero of Ruguan, the prototype of Li Yiming, and invited me several times with a very sincere attitude. I was deeply moved and finally accepted the commission. Fortunately, it lived up to expectations and I completed the task satisfactorily.
Interviewer: Was there any pressure when creating this subject matter for the first time?
Zheng: Of course, and it was a lot of pressure. First, it's common knowledge that characters with real-life counterparts are difficult to write. Second, after so long, it's inevitable that I'd become a bit rusty working with director Xu Hanwen. Finally, Ruguan TV is very wealthy, and they gave me this much budget (holds up two fingers). No matter what kind of drama it is, a budget of this amount is enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat.
Interviewer: No wonder the sets in the drama are so beautiful and elegant! The actors' costumes are also very exquisite.
Zheng: Of course. Remember Li Yiming's closet full of ugly clothes in the show? Although they weren't good-looking, every single piece was meticulously designed, and the materials were of high quality. The most expensive piece cost over ten thousand yuan. Li Yiming had no fewer than twenty different looks made, and Ye Chu had to get up at four o'clock every day to work on his styling.
Note: Li Ruhui and Di Ting's costumes are also very beautiful!
Zheng: Really? Haha.
Interviewer: How was it working with director Xu Hanwen again after five years?
Zheng: Let's not ask that question. Director Xu is resting in bed right now, and I'm afraid it might upset him.
Interviewer: How was the collaboration with the actors?
Zheng: It was quite enjoyable. Especially Ye Chu, her Ruguan dialect was more authentic than I expected. There were a lot of local Ruguan actors and staff in the crew, and after spending several months with Ye Chu, not a single person realized she wasn't a local! I even recorded a video of her talking to a local in Ruguan dialect, which could fool a lot of people.
Interviewer: Ye Chu isn't actually from Ruguan?
Zheng: Of course not. Her Mandarin is also very standard. It's easy to learn standard Mandarin, but difficult to learn a dialect. To achieve this level of fluency, I don't know how much effort it must have taken. Moreover, she insists on using her own voice, and thanks to that, the local Ruguan actors don't feel out of place in the performance.
Note: Ye Chu's dialect definitely added a lot to the plot.
Zheng: Of course, it's not just about the dialect. Ye Chu's acting was also satisfactory. Director Xu and I often praised her behind her back. But as the lead actress, it's what she should do. In addition, Xue Haodong's portrayal of Director Lu was also very successful. What surprised me was the actor playing Di Ting, who is also a local of Ruguan. Initially, I wasn't very keen on casting him because he looked too young.
Interviewer: How are you all getting along with the crew?
Zheng: It was fairly pleasant.
Interviewer: How did Ruguan TV persuade Mr. Shishan to take on the role?
Zheng: Persuade? As far as I know, Shi Shan volunteered to act in this drama; there was no need to persuade him. In fact, none of the actors in our drama needed to be "persuaded."
Interviewer: Ye Chu had never starred in a TV series before. Why would such a large-scale production cast Ye Chu, who is not a local of Ruguan, as the female lead?
Zheng: I think Ye Chu's performance in the drama has already given everyone the answer to this question.
Interviewer: Was the immense popularity of "Half a Day" to your surprise?
Zheng: I had a premonition, but the result was still a pleasant surprise. A celebration banquet is already being planned. In addition, *Muse* magazine has invited the entire cast and crew to do a photoshoot. Everyone can look forward to it.
Q: Some people say that the name "Tianban" comes from the story of "winning half a move against Heaven". Is this true?
Zheng: Absolutely not. The origin of "Halfway to the Sky" comes from a poem by a great man I deeply respect. "The smoke and dust roll in from halfway to the sky," originally meant a large enemy force attacking with overwhelming force, raising clouds of dust. —Isn't that terrifying? But the poem also has a follow-up line, "Awaken millions of workers and peasants, unite as one, and red flags flutter beneath Mount Buzhou." Millions of workers and peasants rose up to resist the enemy, working together to utterly defeat them. How heroic! How spirited!
Li Yiming went undercover alone, outnumbered and facing an extremely vicious enemy. But she and her comrades, with absolute courage and optimistic confidence, achieved victory after victory. This is very fitting for this poem.
I certainly admire the spirit of "winning by half a move against fate," but the individualistic heroism it portrays is too overt and doesn't fit the overall tone of the drama. I still prefer victories achieved through the collective struggle of millions.
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