"Work with the best people? No! Go and work with the best people!"
——James Shams
This article has a total of 4166 words and a reading time of 13 minutes.
Perhaps for many Chinese audiences, James Shams (James Shams) does not have the name 李安. , But it was this humorous and knowledgeable American producer who made a big splash for foreign language films to enter the American market.
For Americans today, foreign language films have become a part of the American film market. Back in the millennium 20 years ago, the American market knew nothing about Chinese films. When Li Ang came to the American market with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000), it also made Americans realize that there are interesting and classic movies outside the United States. James Shams is one of the producers and screenwriters of this film.
Ang Lee's film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" American version poster
The relationship between James Shams and Ang Lee can be traced back to earlier, James Sha Together with Ted Hope, the co-chairman of Amazon Pictures, he served as the producer of Ang Lee’s first feature film "推手" (1991). James Shams even participated as a screenwriter of "Pushing Hand". Now Good Machine is also a famous Foucs Features. Although James has left the focus, he is still active in the film industry as a producer, screenwriter, and a professor at Columbia University.
James Shams and the good machine team member
James is in New York, which has a 12-hour time difference with China, and participated in Shanghai through a remote connection. The Golden Jue Film Forum of the International Film Festival presented a wonderful master class for Chinese filmmakers. He used his own personal experience to respond to the various problems that many young filmmakers are facing, and at the same time tells about what he thinks is the relationship between the director and the producer, and the different modes of international cooperation. For young filmmakers, it can be said to have benefited a lot.
James Shams posted his connected device on social media
What is a production People
"A very simple but extremely complex problem"
At the beginning of the master class, the host asked a question that many people are very concerned about: What is a producer?
In our perception, the producer is often a member of the core of film production. His core is not to visualize the script, or to elicit the best performances of the actors, or to put all the fragmentary pictures into a complete and moving story. The core of a film production is how to gather these people in one place, so that they can always work in an efficient and creative state. But undoubtedly, the requirements for a producer are extremely high. In the master class, James answered this question from two perspectives.
He said: "The producer actually knows nothing about many professional aspects of film production. What a producer needsWhat I know is that there are people who know more about filmmaking professions than they do, and bring these people to the film scene and let them make films. "But from another point of view, "producers should have insights and understanding of many things, such as how to obtain investment, such as how to understand the director's ideas, to realize the visual images they imagined. . ”
James Shams work photo
In James’ words, what a really good producer has to grasp is precisely a degree "The problem. A real producer is often "big wise and foolish." Of course, a producer with many experiences can never be ignorant of professional knowledge. But more often, just like James himself Said, he firmly believes that producers often need to "step back" and leave space to those responsible for creativity.
James Shams and Shanghai International Film Festival Master Class audience live connection
What should the producer do?
"Say'no'"
"No Simply say'no'”
What should a producer do during the preparatory and shooting stages of a film production?
Although this question has not been resolved The master class mentioned, but in James’ hour-long exchange and sharing, we seem to be able to see an outline. When talking about the relationship between the producer and the director, James used a simple metaphor To describe the work content of a producer in preparation and on-site—“The producer is like the person who sets the table”, “A producer needs to include the director and his colleagues within the budget Everything we want is ready on site. "Of course, I don’t know if it’s "fortunate" or "unfortunate", the budget is never enough. No matter what kind of crew it is, it seems that it will always face the same problem. At this time, the producer needs to come forward. Say the word "no." But a producer can’t simply say “no”—— “As a producer, you can’t always tell the director that you can’t do or what you can’t do, but you have to Give the director some other options,...you must learn to be creative and give the director some choices. A producer who often says no to the director will soon become tired and unable to do it. He can’t make sustainable creative discussions with the director. interactive. ”
James Shams at the Berlin Film Festival
For a long time, many people would think that production is not a creative job, but more like a job. Transactional work types are only responsible for implementing what the creative function staff want. But how many people know that when the producer says the word "no", he/she is followed Need to propose a solution: from a budget point of view, he/she needs to propose a "cheaper" solution. In the final analysis, this is still a test of a producer’s accumulation of professional knowledge. The most important thing for the accumulation of filming experience is the ability to "communicate with one person or a group of people".
arrived at the shooting scene, when the control of the scene was given to the first director (First AD, domestic There is also the title of executive director), can the producer really sit back and relax?
is not like this, on the contrary, there are many things the producer has to do, such as reconfirming the scene later, yes The emergency handling of emergencies is also constantly testing the vision and flexibility of a producer. James said when comparing the work of the screenwriter and the producer in the master class, “I am working as a producer. At that time, your job is to be a firefighter; and the screenwriter is more often thinking, until someone threatens to sue you, because you have not yet delivered what you promised. ”
致青年电影人
"Look around, not upward"
When asked how young filmmakers who have just walked out of school should actually step into this "circle", or say When a young director should successfully shoot his first work, James gave this advice: “Look around, not up.”
In his opinion, a What a young filmmaker who wants to truly step into the film industry does not need instant fame and attention, but a like-minded person who can accompany forever. He encourages young creators to never try to guess "what the audience wants", but to follow themselves, but at the same time, keep communicating with young people around him who are also seeking opportunities, both to express themselves If you want to express, you must also understand what others want to express.
is also true for young filmmakers. At the beginning, the most important thing may not be the eagerness to prove "one's abilities" to the predecessors in the industry, but rather to explore and find young creators who are at the same stage as you but have independent views on things. .
James Shams poses with Ben Gibson (first from left), former director of the London Film Academy, at the Berlinale Talents lecture at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlinale Talents at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival in a lecture on "The States of Mistakes" (about the things that make mistakes), James made An hour-long "anti-chicken soup" speech. In his speech, James turned some of the "golden sentences" he took for granted as "really great suggestions, but at the same time extremely bad suggestions."
was talking to the host Ben Gibson (Ben Gibson). In the conversation with Gibson, he invited Ben Gibson to give a suggestion that made him feel that he had benefited a lot. Ben talked about a suggestion he got from a famous BBC producer: "Find those who have achieved professional results and let them work with them." James said that this is indeed a good suggestion. But for filmmakers just starting out, this is another very bad suggestion. In his opinion, young filmmakers should not simply pursue those successful people who have made achievements, but should look at people at the same stage as themselves. Although they are not as professional as those who have made achievements, some of them have creative sparks, have the ability to support each other and co-lead, and their perspective on the world will enrich their worldview. Such talents Can grow and progress with you. In this lecture, James aims to allow everyone to look at things and speeches more dialectically, or in more perspectives. He said-
"Work with the best people?
No! Go and work with the best people!"
(Only work with the best people?
No! Only work with the poeple who are going to be the best!)
James Shams in Berlinale Talents lecture site
Talking about technology
“The pursuit of Return to Childhood is pure and stunning”
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in theIn the teacher's class, the host also mentioned Director Ang Lee and asked James' views on Ang Lee's continuous pursuit of technological innovation in recent years. He said that he understands Li Ang’s pursuit very well. He said: "Director Li Ang is already a very accomplished director, but he is still pursuing and hopes that his next movie will continue to bring to the audience. The first time we watched a movie, we still hope that we can return to that childhood innocent surprise when we see the next movie. Director Ang Lee uses technology to explore these freshness and can give more The audience’s effort to bring a sense of amazement is ahead of everyone else.”
James Shams at the BAFTA lecture site
For James For Ang Lee, it seemed that they would never forget the moment when they were shocked by the big screen. In a conversation with BAFTA, James once talked about how he forged an indissoluble bond with the movie. He said that when he was very young, there were only black and white TV sets. At that time, the film had adopted the so-called "Technicolor" technology (that is, a special prism was used in the filming process to make the red, green and blue colors of the film). These channels are respectively mapped on three films, and in the later stage, the true colors are restored through a series of techniques such as inversion). Therefore, the movies presented on the big screen and the pictures produced on the TV are completely different and full of gorgeous colors. This was a great shock to the young James. He still can't forget the impact. For our group of post-90s, this impact is like James Cameron's "Avatar" (Avatar, 2009)-making the audience suddenly realize that a movie can be so three-dimensional, as if it were A three-dimensional world within reach.
James Shams and Ang Lee took a photo
Now, when Director Ang Lee uses "Billy Lynn's Midfield War" (Billy Lynn&39;s Long Halftime Walk, 2016) and "Gemini Man" (Gemini Man, 2019) show the new technology of high brightness, high frame rate and high dynamic range, you can vaguely feel that a new industry standard is taking shape. Perhaps, Director Ang Lee is not just to establish the next generation of "new industry standards", he is more about exploring a new medium. Perhaps in the future, movies may really break through the borders of the big screen and truly build a world for us in a black box, and even an interactive world. Until then, movies will still be movies, but they will surpass movies.
Postscript
"Be the best audience"
At the end of the master class, the host talked with James The legendary film "Fengshen" (2020) is currently being produced. In this series of films, James is the script consultant. Although James once said that he himself dislikes writing very much, he himself prefers the moment after writing. But for an international production, his addition brought a more unique perspective to "Feng Shen". Mentioned this, James’ experience is: "Be the best audience", there must be a state of "active ignorance". Although it sounds absurd, for many people who have experience in international film production, this term may just describe a state of international cooperation. The word can be divided into two perspectives: Ignorance means that when he first took on the project, as a filmmaker from a different cultural background, he knew nothing about the story of "Feng Shen" constructed in an oriental context, so he He needs to ask questions and understand some cultures that are completely different from his own cultural background; and at the same time, "movie as a world language", even if there are many things to know, he can still enjoy the process of filmmaking and creation. During this period, you can't be bound by your own "ignorance", and you can't play your value and role to provide the help the creator needs.
James Shams at the filming scene
Perhaps, for young filmmakers with experience studying abroad, this feeling is deeper. When I arrived at an overseas college, I was unfamiliar with everything. Different cultures and social methods naturally gave birth to different stories and narrative methods. Through continuous communication with people of different cultural backgrounds, a movie was produced in this way. One of the most interesting is that even if it is a different story that takes place in a different cultural context, a really good movie/short film/documentary can often get the emotional resonance and echo of everyone. This is exactly what the movie is once again. As a language, its distinctiveness: it has no fixed grammar and pronunciation, but when a creative team effectively uses the language, everyone Are linked together.
James Shams
In this special situation now, the border line seems clearer than before, but it is very vague. Although people cannot communicate face-to-face, we can still see and communicate with each other through the Internet and new technical means. Under such circumstances, the value of the film is particularly important. James said, “Film has a power to unite people and unite the country.” Even now, entering the cinema to watch movies has become the last choice for people’s pastime, but James still believes, “People’s deepest desire Just being with other people". And when this desire is strong enough, the glory of the movie will inevitably flash.
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