1990My Entertainment System

Chapter 187 of Water Margin is good because~
In late April, Xia Tian had to put down the second half of "In the Name of the People" that he was writing, and took Yong Ge and three bodyguards by plane to Wuxi, Jiangsu Province!
There's a Water Margin City over there, which CCTV built specifically for filming "Water Margin"!

The Three Kingdoms City was built here before, for filming "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Now, a film and television base for Water Margin has also been located here.

The reason I came here in the summer was, of course, because of the novel *Water Margin*.

In fact, CCTV had been planning to film "Water Margin" since 1994.

However, as the last of the Four Great Classical Novels to be adapted for the screen, the station faced enormous pressure.

Before this, all three masterpieces had been subjected to a mix of praise and criticism.

Journey to the West is controversial due to its short length; Romance of the Three Kingdoms frequently changes characters, affecting the audience's viewing experience; and Dream of the Red Chamber has been questioned by some scholars...

But no matter what, if all four classic novels aren't filmed, then the job isn't done!
We definitely have to film it!

Moreover, the station's leaders had high hopes for "Water Margin" and wanted to redeem themselves from past humiliations.

They first selected Zhang Shaolin as the general director. He was one of the group directors for "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and had extensive experience in filming large-scale scenes.

Moreover, he's a lucky charm; almost every one of his works has won a major award, and the station hopes to share in his good fortune.

See, they're the most superstitious!
However, director Zhang Shaolin was not satisfied with this decision because, according to the academic circles at the time, "adapting a classic is like digging up someone's ancestral grave"—this saying was so apt. He felt that if "Water Margin" was made into a film, it would definitely be criticized and questioned.

It's a thankless task!

But if your leader assigns you a task, you must tackle it even if there are difficulties, or fabricate difficulties if there aren't!

Maybe he wanted to film it too. What do difficulties matter? This kind of opportunity is so rare!

As for the initial "dissatisfaction," well, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

The leaders certainly understand this. The power struggle between superiors and subordinates has always been like this.

However, this job is indeed not easy.

Just like with Dream of the Red Chamber, the first difficulty was the script!
There are three popular versions of "Water Margin": 70 chapters, 100 chapters, and 120 chapters. The biggest difference is whether or not the story involves "recruiting the emperor to serve the emperor."

The scriptwriting team argued endlessly about this, and even the art consultant and storyteller, Mr. Tian Lianyuan, suggested filming 70 episodes.

Because it only tells the story of brotherhood and the gathering of heroes at Liangshan, and the ending is a happy one, no one will criticize it.

At that time, Director Zhang had already found Xia Tian—it was when Xia Tian was selling the TV series "Three Kingdoms" to Xiao Rizi and the island.

Those people at the station have witnessed Xia Tian's bargaining skills firsthand!
Originally priced at $10,000 per episode, he slashed it to $20,000 per episode, with no room for negotiation, and it could only be aired once!
They bleed their lives dry, yet they still loudly thank Xia Sang~
Those directors and managers at the station saw it all clearly back then!

So when Director Zhang received the assignment for "Water Margin", he found Xia Tian and insisted that he play a role!
Director Zhang declared: "Xia Tian, ​​for Director Wang's (Wang Fulin's) sake, and for the sake of our shared experience working together on the Three Kingdoms drama set, you have to act!"

"Just tell me, who do you want to play! As long as you don't play the 'Tiger Queen' Gu Dasao, you can pick any other role you like!"

Judging from what he said, if Xia Tian were to play Li Shishi, he would even be willing to let Xia Tian cross-dress for an audition.
Xia Tian understood: they're after my ability to sell films! But do these people even watch Water Margin in their daily lives? They haven't experienced any peasant uprisings, have they? Could they even understand it?
However, I'm only missing one of the Four Great Classical Novels; I definitely need to complete the achievement!
So he took a role that was "a bit challenging," but the screen time was not very long, yet it was very memorable.

However, he also shared his understanding of the script.

"Director Zhang, we've been colleagues for a long time. Let me get straight to the point and share my thoughts on the script..."

Xia Tian is, after all, a well-known writer in China. Whenever there's a major conference, he's always given a seat in the front row.
His words carry considerable weight.

He didn't say much, only one sentence: "The good thing about 'Water Margin' is its acceptance of amnesty!"

As the saying goes, a loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer, and Director Zhang simply nodded, naturally understanding what Xia Tian meant.

The essence of "Water Margin" lies in the tragic consequences of officials forcing the people to rebel and the pursuit of capitulation, as well as the realistic depiction of the lower and middle classes.

Of course, the concise writing style, the magical descriptive language, and the ingenious overall interwoven structure of the novel go without saying, as those are irrelevant to the TV series...

Later, Director Zhang chose the "Recruitment" version!

To ensure the quality of the script, the two screenwriters were "confined" in Qinhuangdao for several months until all the revisions were approved before they were released.

It seems that the practice of locking authors in a "black room" (a form of online censorship) has always existed.

However, Xia Tian's visit to Wuxi Water Margin City this time wasn't for acting. His role isn't in it yet.

I'm here to participate in the launch ceremony.

"Hey, Mr. Yuan, it's been a long time!" Xia Tian greeted Yuan Heping.

Actually, he was the one who introduced himself.

Although director Zhang and assistant director Zhang Jizhong, after careful consideration, decided to invite Yuen Woo-ping to be the martial arts choreographer for Water Margin, it wasn't as simple as just asking him to come!
At that time, Yuan Heping was in Hangzhou filming the newly started series "Tai Chi Master".

Zhang Dahuzi had just undergone surgery after a car accident and went to the film set twice to find Yuan Heping, using crutches.

As a result, we didn't even get to meet in person the first time!
The second time, he tried to be clever and said he knew Xia Tian, ​​and then they met.

But Yuan Heping rejected him outright, saying he had never done action choreography for a TV series.

Zhang Dahuzi was so angry his beard was about to explode—"What the hell are you filming right now?! Answer me! Lookmyyeye~"

But if they refuse to listen and lie through their teeth, there's nothing you can do.

Finally, he inquired about whose film crew it was.

Upon inquiring, they discovered it belonged to Tianxia Entertainment. "Tianxia Entertainment? That name sounds familiar!"

After pondering for a while, Zhang Dahuzi slapped his forehead, "Isn't this the film and television company from last summer? The first privately owned film and television company in China!"

However, since its establishment, it has been inactive and almost forgotten about it!
We still need to find Xia Tian!

So, Xia Tian persuaded Yuan Heping to become the action director.

"Mr. Yuan, what do you think of the Hong Kong market? What do you think of the mainland market? What do you think of CCTV's strength?"

"These are, after all, the Four Great Classical Novels; this is a rare opportunity!"

Then Yuan Heping realized that pragmatism is the mark of a wise man!
Next year I'll be 97, surely no one's that oblivious?
"Jin Sheng!" Xia Tian saw his old friend from afar and shouted loudly, his voice resounding far and wide!

A large group of people immediately looked over and saw Xia Tian waving in their direction, so they all came over to greet him.

Leading the way was a big guy, Zang Jinsheng—his old classmate from Yandian University in the summer.

After I first heard about "Water Margin" in the summer, I told him about it.

Having previously played the role of a ruthless bandit, his acting skills and charisma have been recognized; the only problem is his insufficient weight.

He has now successfully gained weight—from just over 170 pounds to 260 pounds in 3 months.

Zang Jinsheng walked over with a big smile and chatted with Xia Tian.

Summer couldn't help but laugh when she saw his shiny shaved head.

However, after looking at his complexion, I said to him, "This weight gain is too fast. Remember to go to the hospital for a check-up after filming. It might be affecting your endocrine system..."

As they were talking, Zhang the Bearded Man, leaning on his cane, hurried over.

The double crutches danced with afterimages, just like the notorious Duan Yanqing, one of the Four Evils!

Many actors couldn't help but think to themselves: Even a limp can't stop you from being so attentive!

Back when Big Beard was on the set of the Three Kingdoms drama, he wanted to get to know Xia Tian, ​​and Xia Tian was willing to lend a hand.

After all, the bearded man is capable; as for his character, that's none of my business.

When it comes to relationship issues, I don't have the confidence to talk about others' feelings.

Zhang Dahuzi introduced the crew members and actors to Xia Tian.

From Wu Dalang to Wu Song, from Song Jiang to Lin Chong...

There were also a few actresses in the crew—to be honest, "Water Margin" is indeed a male-dominated drama, with only a handful of female characters, you could count them on two hands!

The production team put a lot of thought into casting, which fully demonstrates his attention to detail.

For example, in order to realistically portray the subtlety of Lin Chong's inner thoughts and his scholarly side, a refined and cultured person was ultimately chosen to play the role.

— Zhou Yemang, the actor who plays Lin Chong, is a dramatic actor, and his portrayal of the leopard-headed, ring-eyed young Zhang Fei in the novel is quite different.

But the final scene at the snow-covered mountain temple and the burning of the hay storage yard instantly etched the image of Lin Chong into the audience's minds. It's hard to change that now.

The character of Lin Chong also offers a glimpse into Shi Nai'an's creative thinking.

The underlying tone of Water Margin is very gloomy.

Anything you cherish or value can become a tool for others to control, manipulate, coerce, and extort you.

To protect it, you compromise, yield, and submit... until what you cherish is utterly destroyed by those wicked people.

You eventually have no choice but to fight evil with evil, become an evil person, and integrate into this cannibalistic world.

Whatever that thing may be—family, status, money, friends, position, martial arts skills, fame…

……

Oh, and in the summer I also met the actress I acted opposite, Wang Siyi.

In order to find the perfect "Pan Jinlian", many popular actresses auditioned, including Sun Yue, Wang Ji, and Lin Fangbing.

The original actress was Xia Tian's old classmate, Lin Fangbing. The contract was even prepared, but she withdrew from the role due to an unexpected pregnancy.

The production team looked for many more actors, but still couldn't find a suitable one.

Wang Siyi is a 24-year-old model on the island. She has delicate features and a cool temperament. Most importantly, she has a height advantage, which contrasts sharply with Wu Dalang's height and appearance.

However, Wang Siyi was not very willing at first because she had no acting experience and was worried that she would not be able to perform the role.

Then Zhang the Bearded Man came up with a way to persuade him: "Let me tell you this, but don't tell anyone else. Ximen Qing was the first to make the decision, and he made it for summer!"

Zhang Dahuzi paid close attention to Xia Tian. Others might not know, but he did. Xia Tian was extremely prestigious on the island!
During their honeymoon period, his visit to the island caused a sensation!
Many films, TV dramas, and novels from the mainland are able to reach the other side because of the summer season acting as a lubricant.

Sure enough, Zhang the Bearded Man was right!

Upon hearing that Ximen Qing was from the summer, Wang Siyi immediately agreed!

(End of this chapter)