Many people who chased after the "My Type I Show" at that time were almost middle-aged according to the United Nations, and Wang Xiaokun, who debuted as a champion at the time, although he had been an artist for nearly 11 years, he was born in 1988 and was only 29 years old this year.
In the past 11 years, Wang Xiaokun has still made music and released albums, but it is not limited to this - he has published a novel, participated in three photography exhibitions, founded trend brands, and also guest starred in movies and web dramas. Until this year, Wang Xiaokun has a new identity - film director. On April 1, 2017, April Fool's Day, his directorial debut "There is no end" will officially land in theaters.
In the April Qingming period of this year, "There is no end" is the only comedy movie, telling the story of the courier Lao Fan, played by Fan Wei, who was trapped on his birthday on April 1, and the time cycle continued to repeat, in the process he encountered a series of strange events, but also gained a lot of stories that had been ignored in the past.
At first glance, the time loop setting in the movie is not new, the old ones are "Groundhog Day", and in recent years, there have also been "Edge of Tomorrow" and "Source Code". But under this fantasy setting, "There is no end" actually wants to tell the story of a small person, which is also mentioned by the director: "Although the audience may not be able to see it, do you think this is not "Groundhog Day"? In fact, no, the core is still "Unsung Hero", a movie about father-son affection and mid-life crisis. ”
Nowadays, there are many cross-border directors, and in the new movies released almost every month, there will be more or less one or two cross-border directors. But no matter how cross-border, whether it can be successful or not, in the end, we still have to speak with the work. In the interview, Wang Xiaokun also showed the bluntness of young people: "Oh, another one, another cross-border, it's really boring." In fact, cross-border this thing is not new, I understand a lot of the audience's ideas, I must have felt that this play is not very strong, in fact, we are very hard not playing tickets. ”
As a young artist and a non-director class, not everyone can get such an opportunity, and perhaps it is precisely because of this that Wang Xiaokun sees his strengths and weaknesses very clearly. Whether it is an interview or a press conference, he has repeatedly mentioned his connections in the circle to add a lot of points to himself, like several important supporting roles in the play, Xue Zhiqian, Lin Xinxin, Kong Lianshun and other people are almost all friendly actors.
However, with these alone, it is impossible to invite Fan Wei, although in the preparation and shooting of "There is no end", Fan Wei was not yet the Golden Horse Film Emperor, but his requirements for the script have always been extremely strict - although the original idea of this film was very attractive to him, the first version of the script did not let him decide to participate, Wang Xiaokun spent three days and three nights to change a version of the script, and finally impressed Fan Wei to play this role. Understanding that the opportunity is not easy to come by, Wang Xiaokun also hopes to be able to seize this opportunity well, as he himself said: "I am in awe of the art of film." I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to make a second one, so I did my best to do it. This attitude of reverence for movies is precisely the most scarce at the moment.
Interface Entertainment Dialogue Wang Xiaokun:
Interface Entertainment: From the previous singer to the actor, now as a director, talk about this transformation process, why did you choose to be a film director?
Wang Xiaokun: It's all a coincidence, I rarely plan my own work or anything, that is, when things come, I will go down. Being an actor is the same, being an actor is actually music to have the opportunity to be an actor, because the first play (Lu Gengzhi) directed, engaged in music he is, Mizuki Nianhua. The second play, "You at the Same Table", is a musician from Gao Xiaosong, so I can participate in this. Then after being an actor, I didn't think I had a chance to be a director, but suddenly one day a producer asked me, are you interested in being a film director?
Interface Entertainment: How come someone suddenly comes to you as a director?
Wang Xiaokun: I said it was very strange, and someone asked me to be a director, and then I understood that what he probably valued was that I knew a lot of people and could save a lot of money. And I know that I am more stubborn, that is, I may be stubborn in doing art, so I love to do everything myself, and the producer can save a lot of effort, anyway, "it's okay, the director will get it done", so I came to be the director. But at that time, I didn't think much about it, because in fact, I have been an artist for many years, and I am not popular, so I know that it is difficult to seize an opportunity, because it is really rare to make a theatrical movie as soon as I come up. So, of course, what I was given was a comedy I shot, a thriller I also shot, I shoot everything, I took the opportunity first, and then through my own ideas and efforts to do the modification.
Interface Entertainment: In the end, it is actually the Ferris wheel that they do, and Duyang as the producer. She is actually a person who has always supported young directors, what influence has she had on you in this pre-preparation shooting, including the current publicity process?
Wang Xiaokun: Because many colleagues of the Ferris wheel, these are old friends, because they were there when "You at the Same Table". They told me that they had never seen Mama Du, they hadn't seen Mama Du fight like this for many years, and without Mama Du, there would be no film presented to everyone by us. At one point we wanted to postpone it, that is, to change the file.
Interface Entertainment: Is it because the schedule competition is too fierce?
Wang Xiaokun: Yes, because the competition in this schedule is very fierce, I don't know why, there are chasing soldiers before and then blocking, there are Hollywood blockbusters before and after, and there are several very good domestic movies in the middle. It is true that every film will encounter some problems of its own, encounter some difficulties, the process of shooting, the process of publicity will encounter problems, and we are no exception. In particular, the competition in this slot is fierce. But Mama Du has always given me confidence, and we will not change. Because we aimed at the movie, when shooting, it was aimed at April 1, 2017, including its holiday mechanism, just in case it arrived on April 2nd, April 1st Saturday but actually did not take a holiday, this is our early time has been groped, including which day to collect the prize, the first few issues, we are all right. It is also an honor in itself that the first director's work can compete with so many excellent films. You see, if the box office is average, then we still have a reason to say, oh yes, the film is not bad, because the competition is too fierce.
Interface Entertainment: In fact, she values your own talent, so she will fight so hard to help you do this movie well?
Wang Xiaokun: I still value myself, because in fact, there are many cross-borders, but I know that many viewers will feel that cross-border is a matter. It's just boring, oops, another crossover, it's really boring. In fact, cross-border this thing is not new, I understand a lot of the audience's ideas, I must have felt that this play is not strong at first. But Mama Du, including Fan Wei, why can they trust me and help me with this? In fact, it is because we can see our efforts, we are not playing with tickets. I'm proud to say that if there's a problem with the film, I can take it upon myself, because basically all the decisions are made by myself, except for the soundtrack that didn't let me do it, which I was surprised.
Before I was particularly unreliable, I was a particularly lazy, casual so a commodity, hanging Er Lang Dang, anyway, you can earn it, there are not many, we don't want to go red to do it, that is, I have always been such a mentality.
Interface Entertainment: Although this play is said to have been accidentally encountered, you must still feel that you need to make some preparations?
Wang Xiaokun: Yes, read a book. Including preparation, reading books is on the one hand, and then found that you have to pull the film, that is, crazy to see movies similar to this theme, such as "Groundhog", "Edge of Tomorrow", watch half a day, "Groundhog" I read the most times, because when it comes to this time cycle, "Groundhog" is a never-to-be-avoided one, it is a benchmark, it is not so perfect. But maybe these costs of it, accounting, and this character setting is relatively close to us, pulling this is the most pulled, but then pulled many times, there is also an impact. Because this film in the 80s is still slow in pace and particularly stuffy, it directly leads to our film also has a bit of a problem.
Pull another film more, that is, "The Unsung Hero", starring Dustin Hodman and Andigasia. Very few people have seen that film, and that film is still quite unpopular. But when I was in junior high school, I had a date to watch the best film, and I was shocked at the time, that is, I always wanted to make a movie, that is, like him. Even a lot of the bridges and plots of our movie are also paying tribute to that movie. Although the audience may not be able to see it, think this is not "Groundhog"? In fact, no, the core is still "Unsung Hero", a movie about father-son affection and mid-life crisis.
Interface Entertainment: So why is there such a shift when it comes to making the first movie?
Wang Xiaokun: I think it really is, when I first started shooting, because I had a very good mentality, I knew that there would be a lot of people who wanted to see our jokes, and I would definitely make a big bad movie. I know people think that. So the first time I became a director, at least we insisted on one thing, that is, we were in awe of the art of film. Once watched George Lucas say a sentence, the dream began with the script, and finally the movie. This is a particularly sacred thing. As a director, the two words of director are too big, I feel that I can have this opportunity to do it, I will take it as the last time, I don't know if I have a chance to make a second part, so this one tried my best, gave everything to complete this thing. Maybe Mama Du values this.
Interface Entertainment: Mentioning that it began with the script, in fact, this script was not fan Wei at the beginning, and then he accepted it after you revised it?
Wang Xiaokun: Yes, at the beginning, Teacher Fei took this play, I think there are two reasons. At the beginning, what he valued was that this was a one-man show, and everyone could not believe that I crossed the border, but how could we impress Teacher Fei? Everyone must believe in the evaluation of the film emperor, Teacher Fei has acted in a lot of film and television drama works, and then the TV series often plays the male one. But there are very few movies, even if the male one is played, there are even fewer commercial films, "Aromatic Journey" is also a literary and artistic film, which should be Zhang Jingchu's one-man show. So Fan Wei initially looked at this, had the opportunity to show personally, released all his years of accumulation, and had a carrier that could show his ability. Another one, he thought it was very good when he first read the outline of this story, he thought that the character biography or something, the character history is particularly good.
Interface Entertainment: You wrote it before?
Wang Xiaokun: I didn't write it at the beginning. He felt that the outline of this story was not bad at first glance, and it had to be done. But after completing the situation in the script, he found that it was not OK. The degree of completion is high, but it is boring. Because the screenwriter at the beginning was a Virgo girl who studied law, she has been talking about right and wrong, clear right and clear wrong, in fact, it is okay, but it will sacrifice a lot, and give the audience some imagination space less. So Teacher Fei later felt that the script had always been problematic, and he also made changes, how he was not satisfied. Because Teacher Fei was very demanding of the script, later I said that line, I came, I personally went to the battle, did not sleep for three days and three nights, and rewrote a version.
Teacher Fei later looked at it and was satisfied. Of course, some lines, especially Teacher Fei's own lines, are all to give him some guiding opinions, Teacher Fei himself added some of his own ideas, and the scene also made fine-tuning. This time, one is to work hard, the most important thing is to find actors are particularly good, each actor is particularly dedicated, there is nothing I want to rest, to the point ah artists want to rest, never happened to such a situation.
Interface Entertainment: Why would you want to repeat such a setting using a time loop?
Wang Xiaokun: It's not what I thought, at the beginning I took the script to show me this, at the beginning it was pure plagiarism, the first book, it was to change a scene for another person, exactly the same, I said this is not OK. Has been making changes, why the human settings have also been modified, at the beginning of the human settings is about 30 years old, that is pure urban romance comedy, many such movies, such as finding a young little fresh meat a burden, looking for a few old drama bones to push, hold up. But I don't think so, that's why I keep making a lot of changes.
I feel that the one-day cycle is just a vehicle, just a method of storytelling. But the way of telling stories we are still borrowing, paying tribute to the movie "Unsung Heroes", hoping to tell a mid-life crisis theme, father and son affection, middle-aged people encounter midlife crisis, but still grow up on their own, I hope that everyone will not be indifferent, not to be good and small, in fact, the core is to talk about this matter. But comparing it to "Groundhog", there is no problem. But I don't understand that even if you make a literary film, even if you pay tribute, if you shoot a commercial film, even if you plagiarize, I have always wondered about this matter.
Interface Entertainment: Maybe because you are a fan of the film, you actually still have your own ideas?
Wang Xiaokun: At the beginning, I wanted to change a lot, even thought about a single scene, on this road to fight the leper, I see how to beat this, do a very extreme thing, but many screenwriters talk to me about this, I think there is one thing that really makes me very useful, especially the first play, the first time to be a director, try not to make mistakes is very good. They all want to innovate, but no matter how innovative you are, in fact, Hollywood has done it. So the first play can be completed well, and it is good to tell the story clearly. Later, I thought it was also true, and this exhortation was very pertinent and very useful.
Interface Entertainment: Was It from the beginning that Fan Wei was determined to play the leading role of such a commercial movie?
Wang Xiaokun: Because the first one, I am a fan of his film, "Aromatic Journey" I have watched many times, this person can play a vegetative person can perform emotions, in my heart he has not been a comedian, he is a performance artist. As the first play, I chose the theme of midlife crisis, and I first thought of Fan Wei, so I changed it to midlife crisis. The first play makes fewer mistakes, but try to use this kind of person as much as possible if there is a person who can bear this play with excellent acting skills, and the one-man show can pick up such a big beam. Because the first play, with small fresh meat can be, although the influence is large, but it may not be so.
Interface Entertainment: Although you choose a more mature actor like Teacher Fan Wei and Jia Jingwen, but several other actors, what is the main basis for your choice of them?
Wang Xiaokun: Because they are red. In fact, what we thought at the beginning was that we would come in reverse, a bunch of small fresh meat holding an old drama bone, we thought that others are not a bunch of old drama bones holding a small fresh meat, we do it in reverse, for example, propaganda is also a careful thought. Because it is true, at the beginning, when Teacher Fan Wei performed our play, he did not take the film emperor, but it was also very expensive. We can find small fresh meat, and then the advantage of small fresh meat is that the influence is big, Weibo publicity hot search can be on, Teacher Fei is indeed worse in this regard.
Interface Entertainment: Maybe you can't get to what you want to express?
Wang Xiaokun: It may be close to a bad film, which is to step into the abyss of bad film. So I still don't want to do this, even if I sacrifice some of the advantages of publicity, I must choose an actor who can pick up and can bear, especially the acting skills are excellent, he can give this play extra points, so Fan Wei is the first and only choice, without him coming, we will not shoot.
Interface Entertainment: So how do you think of the other actors, how are they doing? Including after the final film, did their performance meet your expectations?
Wang Xiaokun: Let's talk about Sister Jia Jingwen first, because Sister Jingwen is also a divorced teacher in the play, she has come out relatively little in the past two years, and may also encounter some emotional changes, in precipitation, these years in precipitation, you can see that it is especially like a divorced woman, she goes to find love or how, you can see that the precipitation, the choice is right, especially good. Then the small fresh meat will not be mentioned, this can not be mentioned.
The others were all friends, Xue Zhiqian, Lin Xinxin, Song Yang, all good friends, and I knew what they looked like in private. So it is still in the spirit of making fewer mistakes, not letting them create another role, just play themselves. The acting skills are exaggerated, there is indeed the element of the variety show in it, you can see it, it is indeed a bit jumpy, but red, friends can't do it, we are still a commercial movie.
Interface Entertainment: Although the movie is a comedy, you also said that it is packaged in a comedy shell, but you still want to explore something more in-depth?
Wang Xiaokun: We wanted to join some discussions, but we didn't want to go to the serious place. Because we don't want to say anything about high-level indoctrination, teaching you and educating people, this is not our responsibility, I am not an opinion leader, we just hope to be faint, everyone has gained a lot of laughter through this movie, and then think about it a little, and occasionally a little dignity is enough. It's that we want to pay tribute to every extraordinary life, we just don't want everyone to discuss. However, because I am in awe of the film industry, when I became a director for the first time, I always thought that tragedy is the foundation of comedy, so this is one of the original intentions of us to make this film.
I know that everyone wants to watch a pure comedy, and I have done it very deliberately, and I want to try to make this thing as good as possible so that everyone can't think that this is something made by a crossover singer. Cross-border, often we directly to make music movies, which is not more effortless. No, try to remove all my labels, let everyone be unexpected, at least let everyone see that we are really telling another story, not a boring singer crossover director.
Interface Entertainment: So as a director, can you talk about a market expectation for this movie?
Wang Xiaokun: Every time I have a meeting, I say that everyone estimates the box office, and every time it is the lowest I estimate. It doesn't matter, I think that April 1st in previous years was a very deserted schedule, and this year there are also many excellent domestic movies, and then there are many excellent Hollywood movies that are crowded in this slot, which is very good. To borrow a phrase from the Macau gambling king: I am not afraid that you will win money, I am afraid that you will not come. I'm not afraid that you won't want to see our movies, that you won't come to the cinema. Last year's film market was not so good, why? Because there are a lot of bad movies.
So this year, I hope that through our own efforts, I hope that everyone will walk into the cinema and regain confidence in domestic movies. When domestic movies are good, we are all good.