Bring Him Back
Directed by Deng Huizhi, Zhang Yuan
Filming Location: Jiangmen, Guangdong
Director's Notes:
When we were in school, our teachers always emphasized the importance of keeping films simple. This advice had a big impact on our creative approach, inspiring us to strive for a charming and easygoing story. However, in reality, the process of making a film is anything but simple – it's fraught with challenges right from the early stages of pre-production.
Both of us are from Shenzhen, but we chose a city that we were both relatively unfamiliar with – Jiangmen – as the location for shooting "Bring Him Back".
We completed three scouting missions, similar to unraveling the riddles of the Sphinx. The first mission took us four full days of driving around Jiangmen and Taishan from dawn to dusk. The second one involved a thorough on-foot exploration, during which we eliminated locations that didn't meet our photography and lighting requirements. On our third trip, we stumbled upon a stunning century-old overseas Chinese residence in Jiangmen, which became our primary shooting location. This unexpected discovery was the most exciting pre-production surprise for us. The whole process mirrors the three stages of personal growth as we joyfully approached the true essence of our script. While wandering the unfamiliar streets of Jiangmen, we were moved by the vibrant stained-glass windows adorning overseas Chinese architecture, the grandparents singing karaoke under bridges, and children frolicking in the overseas Chinese village. Countless such moments fueled our creative desire even more.
We enjoy watching Japanese films, particularly those that depict characters as pure and innocent. To capture the youthful themes, we drew inspiration from Japanese romantic comedies and adjusted the actors to adopt a slightly exaggerated and clumsier performance style. This approach adds tension and comedic effect to the film. One way we achieved this was by continuously removing the actors' concerns and burdens and focusing their energy on simple actions and movements. Whether it was executing a stylish flying kick or instinctively shouting with vigor, we aimed to capture those moments.
As we prepared for the film "Bring Him Back," we found ourselves in a positive state of mind and gained a new understanding of the concept of "simplicity". While making a movie is not a simple task, the final product can truly embody simplicity. This simplicity comes from the universal emotions portrayed in the script and, more importantly, from the purity and sincerity of the creators. We are fortunate that the creators of "Bring Him Back" possess this genuine purity.
《马仔梦露》Bring Him Back
邓惠芝、张元导演作品
【拍摄地】广东江门
【导演手记】
在学校的时候,老师经常会说“电影应该是很简单的”,这很大程度上影响了我们的创作观念,并激发了我们试图去讲述一个可爱、轻松的故事。但事实上,从前期筹备开始,创作一部电影的过程就充满了复杂性。
我们都是深圳人,却把《马仔梦露》的拍摄地选择在了一个我们都比较陌生的城市——江门。
我们进行了三期的勘景。跟斯芬克斯的谜语似的。第一回,用四个轮子,开着车在江门市区和台山市兜了四天风,从早到晚;第二回,用两条腿走,在几个景里来回走来走去勘景,淘汰掉不能实现摄影和灯光方案的地方;第三回,我们得到了江门最“local”的打开方式,找到了一处有百年历史的漂亮侨居作为拍摄主场景,这也成了开机前最大的惊喜。这个过程就像人的三个成长阶段,我们惊喜地向心中剧本的本貌逐步靠近。在陌生的江门街头晃悠的无数个瞬间里,我们被侨乡建筑斑斓的彩窗、桥下唱K的爷爷奶奶、在侨村里奔跑的孩子等场景触动,创作的欲望也变得更加热烈。
我们平时看日本电影比较多,很喜欢其中一些被塑造得很单纯的角色。为了极致表现青春主题,我们参照日本轻喜剧将演员调整为一种较夸张而略带笨拙的表演状态,这也带给影片相当饱满的张力和喜剧效果。而实现的途径之一,便是给演员的表演不断“做减法”,尽量去掉他们的顾虑和包袱,把思维和心力集中在简单的事物和动作上,完成一次帅气的飞踢,或者什么都不想,凭本能喊出气势来。
在筹备的过程中,我们渐入佳境,也对“简单”有了新的理解。拍电影的过程简单不了,但电影本身可以真正做到“简单”。这份“简单”来源于剧本情感的普适,更来源于创作者们的纯粹与真诚。幸运的是,这份纯粹《马仔梦露》的创作者们都拥有。