Exploring new possibilities, not blindly copying dance dramas, dance drama documentary film "Eternal Radio Waves" started filming on July 1st in Shanghai | Documentary | Movie

On the morning of July 1st, the rehearsal hall of Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe was transformed into a movie set. The camera, lighting, track, and rocker arm are in place, and through director Zheng Dasheng's monitor, the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe actors can be seen in high-definition shots, with their bodies dancing and the camera moving in perfect coordination. Zheng Dasheng was wearing a hoodie with four words printed on his back: "Be brave.". Making a popular dance drama into a movie does require courage. During the filming process, it was even more important to be bold and meticulous. A dance scene between "Li Xia" and "Little Tailor" was repeatedly filmed.

Director Zheng Dasheng keeps a close eye on the monitor

This is the first day of filming for the dance drama documentary film "Eternal Waves", and the set is busy and orderly. This film was directed by the Propaganda Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and co produced by SMG's Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe and Shangshi Film Industry. Zheng Dasheng, who previously directed the film "1921", served as the chief director, with Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe dancers such as Zhu Jiejing and Wang Jiajun leading the cast. Zhu Jiejing, Deputy Head of Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe and Chief Actor of Rongdian, said, "Dance is a regrettable art, and this time, we can finally preserve the 'best once' through film. But this is not a copy and reproduction of dance dramas, but a new creation using the language of movies, an exploration into unknown fields."

Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe Rehearsal Hall Transforms into a Film Studio

The documentary film of the dance drama is based on the original dance drama "Eternal Waves" by the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe. Since its premiere in April 2019, the original dance drama has been performing and touring for over four years, and its popularity has never diminished. It has won the "Five One Project" award and the Wenhua Award, becoming a cultural calling card of Shanghai. The dance drama documentary film "Eternal Waves" will be completed this year and is scheduled to be released next year to meet the audience.

Expanding the IP influence of "radio waves" from dance dramas to movies

On the evening of July 1st, the original dance drama "Eternal Waves" by Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe welcomed 500 commemorative performances at the Shanghai Meiqi Grand Theater. In the past 1654 days, "The Eternal Radio" has traveled through 42 cities and 61 theaters, welcoming 610000 viewers. Wang Yan, the head of the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe, hopes that more "radio wave fans" and viewers who have not yet watched dance dramas can learn about Shanghai's red culture through movies, so as to return to the theater and experience the charm of live performance, and explore a new model of "mutual feeding" between the theater and the cinema.

"Having performed and toured over 500 times, the dance drama" The Eternal Radio Wave "has become a representative" phenomenal "work produced by Shanghai, which is the result of the hard work of all" radio wave people ". Dance drama films are an attempt to innovate and break through the new era of dance literature and art, combining dance art with the charm of film shots, adhering to tradition and innovation, actively expanding the possibility of rich IP for" radio wave "dance dramas, spreading Shanghai's red culture, and composing a magnificent chapter of the times." Wang Yan said.

In order to better present the ideological core and emotional spirit of the original dance drama on the movie screen, Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe and Shangshi Film Industry have conducted extensive preliminary discussions and preparations. Former chief choreographers Han Zhen and Zhou Liya provided valuable suggestions for film production, and the film creators also visited the scene multiple times to observe dance performances and had in-depth exchanges with the cast members.

On the set, the wall of the rehearsal hall of the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe reads "Time only remembers high-quality works", and the director and actors communicate the shooting details

The dance drama documentary film "Eternal Waves" will be filmed using MOCO robots and telescopic cannons for 360 degree motion control, achieving a super time and space motion performance shooting, presenting the moving charm of dance and the thrilling plot.

Turn yourself into a blank sheet of paper and start anew

From stage performance to film production, it is a brand new cross-border challenge for the dancers of Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe. The filming of dance dramas and movies requires actors not only to excel in completing technical movements, but also to combine "stage skills" with "film and television shots", conveying emotions through more delicate facial expressions and body language interweaving, and presenting them to the audience in front of the screen.

Before the official launch, the main actors had already undergone professional training in the performance workshop. On the first day of official filming, the actors arrived at the scene early, practiced diligently in advance, and repeatedly communicated the details of the performance with the director in front of the monitor. Zhu Jiejing said, "It excites us to keep a good stage work in the form of a movie. When we actors are really old and can't move, we can still see ourselves young in front of the screen."

For Zhu Jiejing, the three-week professional performance training is like a recharge. Starting from micro expressions, she learned how to display character emotions in front of the camera. "The director hopes that we can forget the usual traces in dance dramas, turn ourselves back into a blank sheet of paper, and start dating characters from scratch. I feed back what I learned in performance classes to dance dramas, and I have a more subtle capture and deeper understanding of the character 'Lanfen'. Dance dramas and movies complement each other."

During the interval waiting for filming, the actors were resting

"After hundreds of stage performances, I feel like I'm not just playing a role, but each performance is a spiritual baptism and a process of discovering myself. The filming of the movie inspires me to further explore and create characters in a different way, better presenting the heroic image of Li Bai, a revolutionary hero," said Wang Jiajun, the lead actor of a dance drama movie and the chief actor of the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe Rongdian