Notes on Zhang Yimou's homework

Zhang Yimou's homework, Zhang Yimou's illustration and Fang Xi's writing. Peking University Publishing House 20 12 1 month, 8 10000 words.

This book originated from the photos taken by Zhang Yimou when he was sorting things out decades ago, and the idea of saving these photos. Some of these photos are his photography practice when he was a worker in the sock weaving workshop of No.8 Guomian Factory in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, and some are his homework when he was in the photography department of Beijing Film Academy.

This book records the story of Zhang Yimou who started as a textile worker and taught himself photography, and later became a film director, including directing the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

The book is divided into 22 sections, of which section 1- 10 is interspersed with a large number of photos, and each photo is accompanied by a brief introduction, including the photo name, shooting time, shooting location, relevant background and technical information.

The title of the book is Homework, which is Fang Xi's suggestion, and Zhang Yimou agrees with it very much. He said: "Everyone has a homework when he is alive." In this way, "homework" has two meanings: one is the original meaning, and those photos in the book are the exercises and homework of that year. The second is metaphorical meaning. Zhang Yimou is trying to do her life lessons.

Feeling 1: Use yourself as a tool.

Tools, you will be useful to others. People are useful, some things will not find you, and you will have a gap in survival.

First, make yourself a tool quickly. Judging from the background of Zhang Yimou's growth, this is the survival instinct under difficult circumstances. Zhang Yimou consciously instrumentalized himself, starting with copying posters for others. That's when he began to practice calligraphy.

Zhang Yimou said, "Tool is not a bad word, and usefulness is also the value of our generation. I'm afraid I have this suspicion today. "

In the era of self-awakening, people will be accused of using people as tools. Because we begin to believe that people's free will and independent personality are the source of dignity, the word "tool" insults creativity as a person.

As organization managers, we should resolutely resist using others. But when we do things, we will also find that "instrumentalization" is not a derogatory term, just like Zhang Yimou said "useful to others". It is precisely because we deeply understand the needs of the environment, organizations and others again and again and creatively meet these needs that we can acquire the knowledge and ability of external forces to break through the cocoon again and again and show our self-worth with its help.

Feeling 2: die with yourself.

From loving photography to going to college, Zhang Yimou is full of stupid kung fu. Copy books, practice by books, and record cards. Every seemingly unwise effort, he can become a habit.

For example, Xue Zijiang, a senior photographer, said in the book "Landscape Photography Composition" that "the 120 negative should be used to the maximum extent". Zhang Yimou walked for a day with a camera, according to the imperial edict, and his mind was constantly contemplating how to make full use of the negative film without relying on the second editing after shooting. Years of accurate composition training constitute a muscle memory that can be evoked at any time. After becoming a director, Zhang Yimou can tell the photographer by drilling a hole in the shooting scene, which direction to shake, just a little, and a little more is not right.

For example, after Zhang Yimou entered the Film Academy, he used his card to watch movies and memorized them while watching. Light, color, composition, you think it is easy to remember, write dozens of cards for a movie, go back and organize them into notes, and look through them often. This is how hundreds of movies I watched in four years were recorded.

And his own death are vividly reflected in the preparations for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games. "In addition to the experience of shooting blockbusters and the technical ability exercised by the on-site scheduling of large-scale performances, it is his perseverance and willpower tempered by various face-to-face and all kinds of desperate efforts that enabled him to take over the opening ceremony." During the preparatory period, his ideas emerged one after another. Many things were refreshing and the applause never stopped, but he was overthrown by himself, and then he squeezed the last bit of imagination.

Feeling 3: Do your homework in life.

Zhang Yimou gives the impression that he is brilliant. But in an interview with Xu Zhiyuan, he said, "I'm not a talented director, I'm a hard-working director. ...... Many of my abilities are inspired, verified and exercised the day after tomorrow. "I must stick to what I promise."

Zhang Yimou believes that for young directors, the first appearance is earned by themselves, and the second time is when others give you a chance. Catch this time, catch it next time, and work three times in a row. You are allowed to make mistakes in the middle, and people will still recognize you if you turn it over.

He also cited his own examples, Red Sorghum, Chrysanthemum Bean, Red Lantern Hanging High, Autumn Chrysanthemum and Living Story, five works in a row, which won all the awards in the three major film festivals. "With these foundations, a tree will grow up, and then the cultural people behind me will scold me for taking garbage and keep criticizing it, but after criticizing it for so many years, this tree is still a tree."

Even with such confidence, as the general director of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games, Zhang Yimou is still under great psychological pressure. "Thankfully, the mentality has been with me for a long time, and it was a false alarm. I really didn't feel like a Buddhist, as if it was really something. None of them. I just think, Amitabha, I didn't screw up. "

Zhang Yimou's self-esteem is quite high. In the words of classmate Chen Kaige, as long as Zhang Yimou says "OK" and "OK", it is the highest evaluation.

To this day, Zhang Yimou is still working hard, seeking a breakthrough, doing a good job and handing in an assignment that makes him feel ok. This is what makes people admire him.