"Take Dad to Study Abroad" is a hit, is filming overseas still "popular"?

"Take Dad to Study Abroad" is undoubtedly the most popular TV series at the moment.

Whether it is the lineup of director Yao Xiaofeng, Sun Honglei, Xin Zhilei, Liu Mintao and other powerful actors, or the simulcast lineup of the five major platforms of Dragon TV, Zhejiang Satellite TV, Tencent Video, iQiyi, and Youku, it shows that the producers and platforms Fang is optimistic about this drama.

At the same time, the topics it focuses on for young people studying abroad and the practical problems faced by families accompanying them are very representative. The most important thing is that as a blockbuster drama with almost all scenes shot overseas, the "temporary withdrawal" due to "force majeure" before its release has attracted the attention of the majority of film and television practitioners, trying to find the direction of overseas filming. Variety.

Overseas filming is an undertaking with both risks and rewards. On the one hand, the "gold-plating" of many drama series overseas has brought various high-end styles and profits. On the other hand, there are also all kinds of jokes and gossip due to the lack of understanding of overseas filming.

Although various policy assistance for overseas shooting and abundant funds in the market have promoted a series of overseas shooting plans, there are still various potential "force majeure" risks in overseas shooting.

However, under such circumstances, why do so many people still arrange overseas shooting plans? How to choose a shooting location if you want to shoot overseas? What should you pay attention to when shooting overseas? Today we will talk to you again about "overseas shooting".

In this year’s TV drama broadcast plan, there are many overseas-filmed dramas that have been similarly affected as "Study Abroad with Dad". Such as the TV series "I'm Waiting for You in Beijing" (originally known as "In New York") starring Li Yifeng and Jiang Shuying, as well as the TV series "Beijing Meets Seattle", and "Seven Days" starring Li Chen, Wang Qianyuan and Yang Caiyu wait. At the same time, such a large number of overseas filming also shows us that overseas filming is "hot". Why do so many dramas choose to shoot overseas?

It is said that the 2013 film "Beijing Meets Seattle" originally had many preliminary names, but it turns out that it is excellent to directly put the names of the two major cities. It not only pays tribute to the classic romance film "Sleepless in Seattle", but also directly addresses the film's target audience: viewers living in first-tier domestic cities like Beijing.

A survey in February 2014 showed that a large number of similar film projects were approved that year, including titles such as "Marriage in Canada" and "Love in Spain", which shows that in the matter of making movies , the Chinese people’s shrewdness and following the trend always bring surprises to people.

In recent years, domestic urban films have become more sophisticated. In 2011, "Close Enemies" moved the business war to the financial center of London, and in "Love to the End" Li Yapeng rode a motorcycle in the countryside of Bordeaux. Traveling in Switzerland, Tony Leung Ka Fai and Carina Lau came to Switzerland for a date in "Beijing Love Story", and they all happened to have the same date in dramas such as "Flowers Along the Way", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Mr. Love", "The Negotiator", and "Oldboy". The appearance of foreign scenes attracted the attention of the audience... It seems that the unique charm of foreign cities is more suitable for the occurrence of romantic love.

As we all know, whether it is urban dramas or fairy tale dramas, the essential core requirement of domestic dramas is love. For the film and the audience, love that happens abroad has its own romantic filter. The natural cultural advantages of foreign cities have led domestic film producers to turn their attention to them.

Classic love films such as "Sleepless in Seattle", "Beautiful Legend of Sicily", "Roman Holiday" and "Midnight in Barcelona" are exuded by the city's unique cultural background and cultural landscape. The urban atmosphere is perfectly integrated with the protagonist's love, so that love stories representing the city are born, and such stories make the city more charming.

When talking about urban love that occurs in modern cities, it is natural to talk about the urban temperament represented by the urban landscape. At present, in the construction of domestic cities, first-tier cities imitate international metropolises, and second- and third-tier cities imitate first-tier cities. This results in the sameness in the urban landscape of domestic cities, making it difficult to create cities with unique qualities.

When foreign directors come to Beijing to shoot, they like to shoot landscapes such as hutongs and courtyards that are unique urban cultural symbols. And when this landscape with traditional cultural symbols is gradually declining, the big pants and skyscrapers in the camera cannot make the city unique in its cultural charm.

Therefore, when talking about romantic urban love films, this film type relies on urban style and cultural atmosphere. The first thing that audiences think of is classic European and American films, followed by Japanese and Korean films, and thirdly Hong Kong and Taiwan love.

The lack of local love and the yearning for Western love have given rise to the demand for overseas shooting. Coupled with policy assistance and sufficient funds to meet this demand, it is natural for overseas shooting to become a trend. However, even if you want to shoot overseas, where to shoot is still a problem.

According to statistics from the Beijing News in 2018, in the overseas filming situation of the TV series market in the past five years, 4 films were shot in Canada, 10 in the United States, 2 in Africa, and 2 in Europe. There are 25 films, 13 filmed in Asia and 2 filmed in Australia.

It can be seen that in terms of domestic producers’ viewing preferences, European, American and Asian countries are still the first choice for many dramas.

So how do they make their choices when it comes to choosing overseas filming locations?

Generally speaking, the first consideration is distance. Asian countries have an advantage. Direct flights only take four or five hours, so there is plenty of time for shooting. In addition, Asian countries are also preferred travel destinations for Chinese audiences, with a higher level of cultural acceptance.

The second is to consider the cost. Other countries in Asia can enjoy many conveniences while pursuing exotic scenery. At the same time, because most Asian countries are developing countries, the requirements for photography thresholds are generally low, and manpower and material resources are relatively cheap. Therefore, this greatly provides This provides a broad creative environment for the filming team.

Unlike Asia, which has long been favored by film crews, the reasons why European and American countries have become popular regions for overseas filming are complicated. On the one hand, when the characters in the play were "gilded", most of them studied abroad in European and American countries. On the other hand, there was a tilt in policy, with European and American countries being more powerful.

However, some people in the industry said that the reason for going to Europe and the United States is that "on the one hand, Chinese tourists currently travel more to Europe. Secondly, social stability and security are relatively higher. Thirdly, , the landforms and cultures of European countries are quite different even within one country; in addition, transportation between European countries is relatively convenient.”

Shooting abroad is a surprise. Incidents are the biggest headache for all film crews. For example, when the crew of "Born in 7 Days" was finishing filming in Saipan, they happened to encounter the most ferocious typhoon at the time, and most of the staff except the actors were stranded on the island. Li Chen, the male lead, once said in an interview, "The crew had no choice but to hide in the bathroom because the windows, doors, and glass in the bedroom were all blown to pieces."

In order to help the crew, the actors and creators who returned to China took active actions and contacted the embassy and other relevant agencies for rescue.

In addition to filming difficulties caused by weather changes, flight cancellations and traffic delays caused by weather are also encountered every time. Therefore, before choosing a location for shooting, it is necessary to conduct preliminary work on the local weather survey. It would be better if you can find a senior guide who has shot there before.

Speaking of the impact of extreme weather on shooting, we have to consider the problems that equipment may encounter during shooting. Although the equipment of rental companies around the world is relatively similar, there are still many equipment accessories that are different. For example, on the east and west coasts of the United States, the lens mounts of different equipment companies have different standards, and they need to be prepared in advance while using them together.

For example, the film crew of the American movie "HER" was not aware of the standard voltage situation when filming in China, and relied entirely on the local co-production team in my country to prepare a 110V to 220V inverter for them. device. Therefore, given that different countries have different voltage requirements, it is crucial to prepare a large number of conversion bays for various types of chargers.

At the same time, when shooting overseas, you need to know the specific equipment list of the photographer for overseas shooting, and need to organize it systematically to plan which equipment should be brought from China and which equipment should be used from overseas rental companies.

Due to restrictions on batteries during aviation flights, lead-acid batteries are prohibited items. Lithium batteries are only allowed to be carried in limited quantities, and it is impossible to carry batteries for cameras. Batteries including the recording set also need to be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is generally done partly domestically and partly by foreign leasing companies.

In fact, after careful consideration, I realized that there are really many things that need to be prepared if you want to film overseas. For example:

What issues need to be paid attention to when protecting equipment under extreme weather?

When shooting abroad, what equipment and personnel should you pay special attention to?

What should the crew and equipment pay attention to when going through customs?

How detailed should ATA’s equipment list and equipment prices be?

How to apply for a filming license and how to choose insurance?

What are the rules for using locations for overseas filming?

What are the selection criteria for local actors?

……

Teacher Yang Kang, who is engaged in overseas production, discovered that many domestic film crews are facing this situation, so he prepared the course "Interpreting Overseas Production in 15 Lessons" , to help you sort out the process specifications of overseas filming, precautions that need to be avoided, and how to deal with emergencies, etc., so that Chinese film and television drama workers can comprehensively and systematically understand overseas production, and maximize low-cost and efficient production. Completed overseas filming.

PS: This article was first published on the subscription account New Studio Academy (ID: xpcedu), an emotive film and television education account. Welcome to the official account to find school girls to play with!