Chapter 0785: A Shift in Thinking

The filming of a TV series is actually quite a nuanced craft.

Although Zhao Fusheng spent most of his time on set as little more than a mascot, he still learned a fair amount.

For instance, on a TV drama set, lighting follows a set pattern—each scene has its correct lighting setup, so the gaffer and his assistants finish quickly. Directors and cinematographers rarely nitpick, only occasionally adjusting the light angle for an actor. Similarly, with three cameras—two close-ups for reverse shots and one wide shot—the setup is highly efficient for the long stretches of dialogue typical in TV dramas.

But in Zhao Fusheng's view, the formulaic acting style of TV dramas meant they could only rely on plot to captivate audiences. Thus, acting only needed to be clear and intuitive: a few ways to cry, a few ways to convey information, and the same for laughter—as long as it fit the character. That way, even a viewer mopping the floor while watching could quickly pick up emotional cues from these familiar performances and follow the coherent storyline.

And as a producer, one had to know exactly how much material the crew consumed each day.

Zhao Fusheng had always thought filming a TV series was similar to filming a movie—he had even been on set with Lou Ye during the shooting of Suzhou River. But now he realized that under normal circumstances, about two to three episodes could be shot per week, while for a high-quality drama, sometimes only one episode per week.

Of course, Conquer was also a quality production, but no one knew that at the time.

"So, what do you think? Isn't TV drama filming pretty boring?"

During a break on set, Gao Qun sat down beside Zhao Fusheng and said with a smile.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled. "Not bad. I just didn't expect a one-hour episode to take so long to shoot."

He meant it. Before coming here, Zhao Fusheng had never imagined that the filming process of a TV series could be so complicated.

It's like how we've all eaten delicious meals at restaurants, but few would claim they could replicate them.

Knowing is hard, doing is easy—that's perfectly normal.

"This is already pretty good," Gao Qun said with a wry smile, sighing. "We don't have any big-name actors here, and the atmosphere on set is decent. You should have seen it when I used to shoot—it was much tougher."

Perhaps because the recent filming had gone smoothly, or because Zhao Fusheng had made a good impression on him, the usually taciturn Gao Qun found himself pouring out his grievances to Zhao Fusheng.

According to him, actors typically took the largest share of the budget, so producers often negotiated to have certain actors finish their scenes first or wrap within twenty days, thereby hiring more popular stars for less money. Moreover, actors usually shot in rotation, relying on their stamina, while the crew got pitifully little rest. If actors sacrificed their break time to rush filming, the crew had to forgo rest altogether—the longest stretch he'd heard of was three days and three nights.

"So, is filming a movie harder than filming a TV series?" Zhao Fusheng thought back to an article he'd read online, which said the process of making a movie was relatively more difficult than a TV drama.

Gao Qun was taken aback by the question, then laughed and shook his head. "It depends on how you look at it. For example, in a movie, a good gaffer has higher artistic sensibilities. Even if he doesn't, the cinematographer certainly does and directs the lighting to achieve his visual vision."

"On-site lighting differs greatly from TV dramas, and it's related to camera placement. TV lighting has to accommodate three cameras, often resulting in none of them having ideal lighting."

"Movies, on the other hand, have storyboards. Single-camera shooting can sometimes be more efficient because every department focuses on one shot. When the director says 'cut,' that shot is likely to stay in the editing room. In TV dramas, at least half of the individual shots get cut."

Zhao Fusheng fell silent. He had never realized there were so many intricacies involved.

As they say, amateurs watch the spectacle, while professionals understand the craft. Even Zhao Fusheng had never considered that two things he thought were similar could have such subtle differences.

Without exaggeration, if Gao Qun hadn't brought this up on a whim today, Zhao Fusheng might never have known the distinction.

"So, are you interested in developing a career in this field?" Gao Qun smiled and extended an invitation to Zhao Fusheng.

But Zhao Fusheng just smiled and shook his head. "I'd better pass. I'm not cut out for this industry."

He meant it. From start to finish, Zhao Fusheng had never been interested in the film and television industry. He didn't look down on it, but he certainly didn't admire it either. To him, it was just a way to make money.

He wasn't an artistic middle-aged man like Jiang Wen. For Zhao Fusheng, as long as it made money, whether it was a movie or a TV series, it was all the same.

"Look at you—you're a screenwriter yourself, you can bring in investment, and you have no problem with crew. Those are great conditions." Gao Qun clearly wasn't giving up and continued to urge Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head with a smile and didn't explain further. He couldn't exactly tell Gao Qun that he looked down on the speed of money-making in the film and TV world.

Seeing that Zhao Fusheng had no interest, Gao Qun had to abandon his unrealistic idea. Just then, the assistant director came to call him for a scene, and the topic between them came to an end.

Sitting in a corner of the set, Zhao Fusheng silently watched the busy crew.

As they say, movement is life, and light and shadow are the soul. How the camera moves and how actors position themselves require repeated rehearsal and磨合. For lighting, wherever the performance area is, the lighting must be more detailed. For wide shots, tonal layers must be considered—blocking, softening, reflecting—all of which take the most time. Often, arriving on set at seven in the morning, the first shot might not be finished by ten.

But no one complained; everyone diligently did their own work.

"You really don't understand this industry."

That evening, Zhao Fusheng called Jiang Wen and shared his thoughts, only to be mercilessly mocked by Old Jiang.

"Stage plays rely on actors, and so do TV dramas. But movies don't rely entirely on actors; they're more about the director's creation. Then you'll see the director nitpicking on set, doing ten, twenty takes—it's maddening, but also admirable. At least it shows the director has authority. In many movies, the director becomes a puppet, crushed by the actors or the cinematographer, and the film ends up a mess, neither fish nor fowl," Jiang Wen said bluntly.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback. He thought of a movie called The Missing Gun. In his original memory, it was Lu Chuan's work, but its style, inside and out, was Jiang Wen's.

Rumor had it that during filming, Lu Chuan was completely sidelined by Old Jiang, so much so that he hid and cried alone.

Maybe that's what Old Jiang meant by 'neither fish nor fowl.'

"Let me tell you, acting must be based on the character, the overall style of the film, and the director's artistic vision, synthesized and embodied by the actor. Movies often have fewer lines and rely more on actions to tell the story, aiming for realism and naturalness. That's why three-camera setups aren't suitable for movies." Jiang Wen was in a good mood today, so he decided to give Zhao Fusheng a crash course in film knowledge.

"When shooting a movie, you typically film about twenty shots a day. Because audiences' lifestyles and aesthetics have accelerated the pace of movies, nine hundred shots no longer suit current viewing habits; twelve hundred to two thousand has become the norm. So trying to wrap in forty-five days inevitably increases the daily workload and affects the overall quality. Since every department is involved in artistic creation at every moment in a movie, you won't have the lead actor shooting all morning and the actress sitting opposite an empty chair reciting lines in the afternoon."

Jiang Wen concluded, "This industry is much harder than you imagine."

Zhao Fusheng rolled his eyes helplessly. He had to admit that Jiang Wen was right—he had indeed underestimated the industry before.

And with that sentiment, Conquer welcomed its wrap party.