沈愛群
“亞旗導(dǎo)演的動畫片《舒克貝塔》獲得成功,我很意外?!编崪Y潔快人快語,“導(dǎo)演方面的能力與經(jīng)驗(yàn)?我肯定沒有。”
“擔(dān)任《舒克貝塔》第一季的導(dǎo)演,我也是趕鴨子上架——頭一回!”鄭亞旗很直爽。
2020年8月,由鄭亞旗導(dǎo)演的動畫片《舒克貝塔》第二季開播。去年9月,同樣由其導(dǎo)演的《舒克貝塔》第一季在騰訊視頻播出,豆瓣評分拿到8.7的高分,兩個月后其播放量破億。
鄭亞旗是“童話大王”鄭淵潔之子?!妒婵素愃v險記》是鄭淵潔創(chuàng)作的著名童話小說。
小鄭的勇氣
2018年4月第14屆中國國際動漫節(jié)期間,北京皮皮魯總動員文化科技有限公司CEO鄭亞旗在杭州宣布《舒克貝塔》動畫項目正式啟動。2019年9月27日,動畫片《舒克貝塔》在騰訊視頻獨(dú)播。
一年半的時間里,拍一部26集的片子,鄭亞旗遇到的困難真不是一般的多。
“時間上真的很趕?!编崄喥煺f,“一開始,我真的壓力挺大的。選團(tuán)隊,找導(dǎo)演,找編劇,定形象,做分鏡……千頭萬緒!而且,起先我也沒想過要當(dāng)導(dǎo)演。”
沒有合適的導(dǎo)演,是擺在他面前的第一道難題。
《舒克貝塔》第一季,講述了不想當(dāng)小偷的小老鼠舒克和被花貓咪麗欺負(fù)的小老鼠貝塔“自我成長”的故事。這對最佳拍檔開著飛機(jī)駕著坦克,一起冒險一起成長;他們抓壞人、開航空公司、上太空、到全宇宙冒險,用行動一步步實(shí)現(xiàn)自己的價值。
“這是一個連續(xù)劇式的故事,步步相連,環(huán)環(huán)緊扣。但是我發(fā)現(xiàn),最近20多年來國內(nèi)外的動畫片基本上是由一個個單環(huán)故事串起來的。能勝任連續(xù)劇動畫片的導(dǎo)演非常難找?!币欢?,為了找到合適的導(dǎo)演,皮皮魯總動員公司甚至把目光投向歐美,未果。
在此過程中,有編劇還給他出主意:把舒克改成女性,貝塔還是男性,這樣的片子才能保證收視率;或者是,像暢銷劇那樣,一個男主配女一、女二。
“我說不行,這不是‘毀童年嗎?我從小看動畫片長大,清楚孩子們的想法?!编崄喥煺f,“既然這樣那樣的事情都得我來敲定,制作團(tuán)隊也是我們自己的,壓力都在我一個人身上,那就由我來當(dāng)‘背鍋俠吧?!?/p>
就這樣,鄭亞旗成了導(dǎo)演。
老鄭的放手
1989年,上海美術(shù)電影制片廠曾經(jīng)制作過動畫片《舒克和貝塔》,同樣改編自鄭淵潔的童話小說,共13集,每集10分鐘。
但去年鄭亞旗的《舒克貝塔》播出后,評論一致認(rèn)為其有“鄭氏特色”。
“一部作品的人物形象和故事,難免受到導(dǎo)演的審美情趣的影響?!编崄喥煺f,“我的審美觀,跟老鄭從小對我的教育有很大關(guān)系?!?/p>
他口中的“老鄭”,就是“童話大王”鄭淵潔。
鄭亞旗出生于1983年。他一向這樣描述自己的求學(xué)經(jīng)歷:正統(tǒng)小學(xué)畢業(yè),“自家私塾”中學(xué)畢業(yè)。
至今,鄭亞旗說要在兩個方面感謝老鄭:一是老鄭支持并培養(yǎng)了他在影視方面的興趣愛好;二是小學(xué)畢業(yè)后在家學(xué)習(xí)的經(jīng)歷,使得他的自學(xué)能力超強(qiáng)。
從4歲多開始,鄭亞旗就喜歡上了看電影、看動畫片。對此,老鄭的態(tài)度是:隨便看!
為了支持兒子的愛好,老鄭后來還買了一臺錄像機(jī)。就像大多數(shù)父親一樣,老鄭自己看過后覺得好看的,就錄下來,推薦給兒子看。
“在老鄭對影視作品的把關(guān)下,我看著各種各樣的片子茁壯成長了?!编崄喥煺f,“這么多年,我唯一沒變的愛好就是看劇,動畫片、英劇、美劇、紀(jì)錄片,啥都看。后來工作漸漸忙起來了,但再忙,每天吃飯時只要能看個20分鐘就覺得很高興、很滿足!”
鄭亞旗第一次知道“導(dǎo)演是干什么”的,也是老鄭的功勞。他記得很清楚,20世紀(jì)90年代流行LD盤(鐳射影碟),那時一張正版LD盤片要人民幣700多元,老鄭也舍得買來給他看。通過LD盤里美國導(dǎo)演盧卡斯《星球大戰(zhàn)》的幕后花絮,少年鄭亞旗懂得了,“導(dǎo)演原來是這么工作的”。此后他看片子的時候總會情不自禁地思考:接下來的情節(jié),導(dǎo)演會怎么想?“也許,那時候就為我最終成為導(dǎo)演埋下了伏筆吧”。
鄭亞旗小學(xué)畢業(yè)后,老鄭編撰了10部有趣的教材,決定自己在家教育他。每天下午,父子倆上3節(jié)課;傍晚,一起到河邊去散步,和他討論電視上或書里各種不同的話題。就這樣,3年后,鄭亞旗學(xué)完了中學(xué)6年的課程,從特殊的“自家私塾”畢業(yè)了。
“在老鄭的指導(dǎo)下,我的自學(xué)能力超強(qiáng)。至今除了駕照和潛水需要考證外,別的所有技能我都是自學(xué)的?!编崄喥煺f,“這種能力,直接影響到后來我開公司、當(dāng)導(dǎo)演。凡是新技能,學(xué)習(xí)就是了。”
鄭淵潔說:“兒子的經(jīng)歷告訴我,如果孩子喜歡什么,父母應(yīng)該盡可能支持,因?yàn)榕d趣能讓孩子做事事半功倍。對于孩子的興趣,父母如果做不到支持,也別反對?!?/p>
Like Father, Like Son
By Shen Aiqun
In early August, Zheng Yaqi will release the second season of , an animation series based on stories penned by his father Zheng Yuanjie, the bestselling author of stories for children in China. Last September, the junior launched the first season of his fathers masterpiece for children. It was a huge success. At Douban, an authoritative rating website in China, the first season received a rating of 8.7 points. Within two months the first season was viewed 100 million times. It has been screened on various media including CCTV, Chinas largest television network, and received more than 800 million hits online.
Zheng Yaqi, CEO of Pipilu Company which owns all the copyrights of his fathers works for children, announced in April 2018 in Hangzhou that the first season of? was to be screened in September 2019. The announcement was ambitious. Eighteen months and 26 episodes posed a big challenge to the junior. He was all in one: producer and director. The 26 episodes are one story, unlike many other animation series that are composed of episodes which tell separate stories, making the production more difficult. Pipilu Company tried in vain to find a director in Europe and America to direct this would-be blockbuster series. Zheng also declined to have the story rewritten or have the characters modified, as suggested by some screenwriters. He wanted to retain the story as much as originally created by his father.
Since he was the decision maker of the production and he said no to many suggestions and advices, he found he had to do all the main jobs. So he organized a team and launched the production with him as the director. It was his first time to direct a production for an animation series.
Zheng Yaqi owes his success to his father Zheng Yuanjie. The original series created by his father is a masterpiece. And he himself is his fathers masterpiece.
Born in 1983, the junior heard stories by his father when he was just a toddler. At about 3 or 4, he began to watch animated films and feature films. His father never hesitated to find feature films and animation films for his son and buy his son a computer when a computer was still a luxury that cost a big fortune.
After the junior finished primary school education, he didnt go to a junior high school. He stayed at home studying under his fathers guidance. The senior created ten textbooks for the son to master for his secondary education. The ten textbooks were interesting enough: one book had 419 stories which responded to the 419 crimes as listed in the criminal law back then, another textbook was a sex education book explaining sex and how babies came about, and yet another textbook was a series of stories about a wolf that looked bad but was actually a kind-hearted good creature. All the examinations took the form of test papers prepared by the son. The son passed an examination if the father failed to give correct answers to the questions the son put on the test papers. It took the son three years to complete his studies of the ten textbooks.
When Zheng Yaqi turned 18, his father gave him a car as a gift and sent him on his way to the outside world. Though his primary school diploma was a huge problem on the job market, Zheng Yaqi proved to employers what he really could do and he became a super achiever. A few years later, he became his fathers business partner and began to publish his fathers stories for children and turn these copyrights into other cultural products. Under his fathers tutelage, he is great at learning and mastering know-how fast. His drivers license and scuba diving license were acquired through learning from coaches, but he mastered all other skills and techniques on his own.
From what the son has achieved, the fathers education has turned out to be excellent. In 2019, the business of publishing and selling his fathers books alone amounted to 100 million yuan.
His father is gratified with his education project for his son and proud of the junior. At first his father didnt know his son was directing the series. One month before the releasing of the series, the father heard about it from the son and became worried and highly curious. After viewing some episodes in postproduction, the father was more than happy about what he saw. He knows his son understands him and his stories best. After all, his son grew up reading all the story books he wrote and developed. He lets his son run the business. He appears at the companys office only when he goes there to sign an authorization document. His son advises him to keep fit and healthy so that he can sign more such authorization papers in the future.