Introduction
In 2021, China's TV drama creation theme is distinct, positive energy is abundant, the main theme is high, and the genre theme is diversified and developed. The whole industry cohesively created colorful creations around the theme of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the party, and the artistic reproduction and expression of the glorious course of the party's unity and leadership of the Chinese people's unremitting struggle was reproduced and expressed. The vitality of industry innovation and creation has been enhanced, and multi-theme and multi-genre continuous exploration have been continuously explored to meet the new needs and expectations of the people. The creative practice and successful experience characterized by cutting the pulse of the times, responding to social concerns, and realizing the empathy and resonance of the audience have pointed out the development path for the creation and production of tv dramas in the new era.
First, the red revolution historical drama shines on the screen
2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the beginning of the country's 14th Five-Year Plan and the second centenary goal. The State Administration of Radio and Television organized the "Ideal Illuminates China" theme work creation exhibition and broadcast activities, and a number of high-quality, strong lineups, and excellent reputation of the theme creation of high-quality dramas were broadcast, occupying the center of the screen steadily. Among them, the historical drama of the Red Revolution bore the brunt of it and achieved fruitful results. Dramas such as "Crossing the Yalu River", "The Age of Awakening", "Ideal Shines on China", "The Great Wave Of Sands", "Hit the Water in the Middle Stream", "Glory and Dreams", "Hundred Steels into Steel", "Armageddon" and other dramas have been broadcast one after another, and have won the recognition and praise of the audience group, including young audiences.
Blockbuster dramas lead the theme of thinking deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Dramas such as "The Age of Awakening", "Glory and Dreams", "The Great Waves and Sands", and "Crossing the Yalu River" have far-reaching ideas and unique materials, and the expression of rejuvenation is closer to the aesthetics of contemporary young people, winning the enthusiasm and follow-up of audiences of different ages.
The phenomenon-level TV series "The Age of Awakening" uses the artistic techniques of era expression and empathy narrative to achieve a new breakthrough in the creation of the historical theme of the Red Revolution, and set a new benchmark for the creation and dissemination of similar themes. The play abandons the conventional creative ideas, and in the organic restoration of historical scenes, events and characters, it shows the situations and choices of Chinese in the era of change, and the plump texture and details show the beauty of the flow of ideas, so that young audiences can have a sense of faith and mission in the process of watching the play. "Glory and Dreams" shows the magnificent historical picture of the decades from the founding of the Party to the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and the innovative performance of the play in creative character, narrative aesthetics, audiovisual language and emotional depiction brings the audience a warm heart and enlightening experience. "The Great Waves and Sands" adopts the perspective of young people, allowing contemporary young Chen Qihang to tell the story of party history, and from time to time to share the inspiration derived from major events in party history. In this way, the narrative mode of "double time and space" is constructed, which helps the audience to understand the history of the party more deeply and complete the intergenerational transmission of red genes.
The innovative use of unit drama forms has become more and more extensive. With the increased competition in the content of historical dramas of the Red Revolution, some dramas draw on the successful experience of unit dramas such as the reality drama "Together", and boldly explore the structure, narrative mode, and creative characteristics of the play, and promote the innovation of narrative concepts and aesthetic paradigms. New forms and new styles inject fresh vitality into the creation, making the audience refreshed. The character series "Ideal Illuminates China" collects 40 groups of character stories from the four periods of "revolutionary period, construction period, reform period and rejuvenation period", and gathers heroic model group portraits for character shaping in a small volume of 30 minutes per episode and a unified and regular format, reliving the cpc's century-old struggle. "Hundred Refining into Steel", which uses music group songs to connect the narrative section, uses comprehensive artistic elements to strengthen the lyricism and imagination of TV drama works, shows major events and characters from the Great Revolution to the new era, and inherits the spiritual genealogy of the CPC for a hundred years.
Second, major reality dramas have emerged one after another
2021 is the starting year for consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation and achieving effective connection with rural revitalization. Continuing the popularity of the poverty alleviation drama in the previous year, the continuous popularity and enthusiastic response of "Mountains and Seas" have become a hot phenomenon at the beginning of 2021. Throughout the year, major realistic dramas such as "Dajiang Dahe 2", "Meritorious Service", and "Frontline of Ebola Disease" grasp the pulse of the times, undertake historical missions, achieve the integration of authenticity and the times, break the age circle of the audience, and achieve a "double harvest" of word-of-mouth ratings.
"Mountains and Seas" takes the change of the heart path of the migrants in Hangzhuang as the incision, truly reproduces the poverty alleviation story in the Xihaigu area of Ningxia, the drama has both the thickness of realism and the temperature of the character's heart, with the roughness of reality and the delicacy of feelings to impress hundreds of millions of viewers, many young audiences are attracted by the broad spirit and deep attachment of native China, and take the initiative to become the "spiritual villagers" of Minning Town.
Based on the life stories of the first batch of "Order of the Republic" winners, "Meritorious Service" tells the little-known and arduous process behind the eight meritorious figures in the form of a unit drama, connecting the colorful chapters of their lives with the fate of the Republic. The drama breaks through the past heroic model drama model mode, digs deep into the connotation of the era of characters and stories, focuses on portraying the highlight moments when the meritorious characters achieve achievements, and at the same time is loyal to the emotions of the heroes born as human beings, showing the family life and emotional stories that also have the power to reach the hearts of the people. "Ebola Frontline" is of great significance in the exploration of the subject matter, opening up a new perspective for the audience. The drama focuses on china's medical team to support the medical cause of Kabaria in Africa sixty years ago, and creates a vivid and powerful heroic group portrait, reflecting the enduring spirit of Friendship and Cooperation between China and Africa and the idea of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Third, the people's life drama takes root in the people
The civilian narrative that tells the daily life of ordinary people is the traditional feature of China's TV dramas, and its unique plot content and aesthetic style are deeply loved by the people and attract audiences with a wider age range.
In 2021, the people's life dramas such as "Mother Is Waiting for You", "Xiao Shede", "Life Home", "Dear Parents", "Children of the Qiao Family", "Journey without Confusion", "Dear Children", "Xiao Min Family" and so on, vividly and vividly show the lights of the Chinese people at different times and different classes, the short human feelings of parents and the taste of the world, reflecting the focus of the times and social issues from the side.
These people's life dramas pay more attention to the vertical subdivision of content, and dig deep into the connotation of social reality and the spirit of the times. As a series of works on the theme of family education, "Little Shede" inherits the content and style of "Little Parting" and "Little Joy", deeply cultivates topics such as basic education and parent-child relationship, and presents the family life of the "little ascension" stage in a panoramic manner. Due to the hot spots of the times and the social pain points, the number of Weibo topics read and discussed during the broadcast of the drama was very enthusiastic. "Children of the Qiao Family" takes the Chinese-style multi-child family life as the perspective, combines the growth line of the personal fate of the five brothers and sisters with the development line of the trend of the times, does not avoid the contradictions of reality and the difficulties of life, and triggers the emotional resonance of the audience with the fireworks of ordinary family life. "Xiao Min Jia" and "Journey of No Confusion" focus on the family stories and emotional lives of middle-aged people, with vivid and full characters with different personalities and deconstructing and reshaping family relations, reflecting the transformation of family concepts and the historical process of social development in the current society, and transmitting warm and positive energy.
Fourth, the innovation and breakthrough of political and legal dramas
For a long time, political and legal dramas have focused on the depth of truth and human nature depicted by reality, and the impact of realism is strong and deeply loved by the people. The scope of political and legal dramas is wide, which is a rich mine for the creation of TV dramas, in addition to the criminal investigation dramas with high recognition of the industry and ordinary audiences, it also includes more subdivided content types involving inspection, supervision, and enforcement. In 2021, the themes of dramas such as "Storm Eye", "Inspection Team", "Sweeping Storm", "Breakout", and "Opponent" that show the national security, supreme people's procuratorate, public security and other fronts closely follow the trend of the times, reflect the concerns of the people, and cut from the perspectives of governing the country according to law, eliminating criminal syndicates and eliminating evil, anti-corruption and promoting clean government, etc., and the breakthrough innovation and diversified development of the theme types bring freshness to the audience.
As a contemporary counter-espionage drama with national security themes, "Eye of the Storm" shows the process of national security fighters detecting the smuggling of rare national resources and the theft of important technologies, truly reflects the arduousness and complexity of anti-espionage work in the new era, shapes the image of the unsung hero of national security silently dedicated by the contemporary young generation, arouses the audience's attention and understanding of national security, especially young people, and receives praise for novel themes, real plots and youthful expressions. With the special struggle against the backdrop of the special struggle against organized crime and evil forces, the "Circuit Procuratorial Group" focuses on criminal enforcement procuratorate, especially itinerant procuratorial work, vividly shaping the portrait of the political and legal cadres and police in the new era, demonstrating the firm determination of the political and legal contingent to dare to turn the blade inward and self-revolution, and artistically presenting the judicial progress and rule of law forces in the process of comprehensively ruling the country according to law. "Sweeping The Storm against Organized Crime" is based on the real case materials screened by the Central Political and Legal Commission and the National Anti-Organized Crime Office, which truly and vividly reflects the thrilling and thrilling struggle against organized crime and evil forces. Through a compact plot, vivid characters and precise details, the play has achieved multi-dimensional breakthroughs in terms of plot content and style performance.
V. Creative characteristics: Cohesion to build the peak of TV drama art in the new era
The first is to take root in the people, get close to life, and encourage creative personnel to go deep into life. In 2021, a number of major theme TV dramas have accumulated, and dramas such as "Mountains and Seas", "The Age of Awakening", "Meritorious Service", and "Ideal Shine on China" have become blockbusters, triggering strong repercussions from society and audiences. The ideological content and spirit of the times contained in these major themes and key works are all adhering to the people-centered creative orientation. Realistic dramas such as "Dajiang Dahe 2", "I am very good in other places", "Ideal City" and so on are rooted in the people, closely following reality, pursuing real and simple, warm and fresh content and texture, and also winning the people's sincere response. On the one hand, it is the creative team that swoops down, takes root in the people, and goes deep into life, and the prominent representative is "Mountains and Seas", and the significance of the creators' life lies in restoring the texture of the work, integrating the environment, plot and characters. On the other hand, it is to highlight the profound feelings of the people with exquisite artistic techniques, actively respond to the demands and expectations of the people, and strengthen people's vision and confidence in a better life.
The second is to focus on important time nodes and record the new era of Acura. Tv dramas are a literary and artistic style loved by Chinese audiences, and also an important carrier to respond to the concerns of the times and show the development achievements and great practices of the new era. In 2021, a number of high-quality masterpieces focusing on major themes such as celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively connecting with rural revitalization, and focusing on major national strategies have emerged. Dramas such as "The Age of Awakening", "Glory and Dreams", and "Ideals Illuminate China" clearly inherit the core themes of the study of the history of the Communist Party of China in 2021, and are called "high-quality textbooks for the study of party history" by the mainstream media, and have achieved positive and powerful results. A number of rural revitalization theme dramas such as "Mountains and Seas", "Warm Taste", and "So Many Delicate Rivers and Mountains" show the new propositions of rural theme TV series creation in the new era. 2022 will usher in the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Beijing to hold the Winter Olympics and other important time nodes, the party's 20th National Congress theme, the Winter Olympic theme and the "our new era" theme TV series will be used as the focus and focus of the theme TV series creation in the coming year, will surely usher in a new creative peak.
Third, the organization of major theme works and the promotion mechanism of the whole process are effective. It can be seen that in the 2021 TV series masterpieces, dramas such as "Mountains and Seas", "Meritorious Achievements", "Ideals Shine in China", "Glory and Dreams", "Ebola Frontline" and other dramas are all produced by the State Administration of Radio and Television, organized and created, and the high-quality resources of the industry are aggregated, so that the outstanding creative talents and production teams who are optimistic about the industry and the market can be put into creation, and the original ability and innovation level of the works will reach a new level.
2021 is worth remembering and constantly revisiting for the creation of domestic TV series. Major theme dramas bloom brilliantly, realist dramas bravely climb the peak, the theme types expand to deepen, and artistic techniques are innovated and integrated, guiding the aesthetic upgrading of TV drama audiences. At the same time, we should also see the problems and deficiencies, such as how to avoid collisions in the same theme content, and achieve ingenuity and ingenuity in artistic creation; how urban dramas overcome plot suspension and become more grounded, how family dramas jump out of "one's own sorrows and joys, cups of water storms" to open up narrative vision and patterns; and how genre dramas break through genre fatigue and re-inject innovation and vitality. In addition, domestic dramas should also use their brains to strengthen international dissemination, tell Chinese stories with affection and strength, and show the world a credible, cute and respectable image of China. Under these observations and reflections, the industry and practitioners are required to always maintain the original intention and ingenuity of content creation.
General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the opening ceremony of the Eleventh National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Tenth National Congress of the China Writers Association is a programmatic document of our party on promoting the prosperity and development of literature and art under the new situation. The vast number of literary and art workers said that they must live up to the times and the people, and make unremitting efforts to create a literary and artistic peak in the new era. In the face of the goal of building a cultural power by 2035 and welcoming the victory of the 20th National Congress of the Party, the TV drama industry will re-accumulate its strength on the coordinates of the times, explore new development directions, and promote industrial upgrading. In 2022, many high-quality TV dramas with strong creative teams are ready to go, and we look forward to the continuous emergence of more thoughtful, artistically exquisite and well-made new era masterpieces on the screen!
Author Affilications:Development Research Center of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television
Source: National Radio and Television Think Tank