Xie Peng: Honestly, I never thought it’d win so many awards. Maybe I had hoped for just one. It’s been quite a journey, and I’m truly grateful for the recognition from One Screen.

How does this win inspire you?

Zita: When I received the winning notification during the Chinese Spring Festival holiday, I immediately shared the news with my family. Despite their unfamiliarity with the industry, they were impressed and happy to hear about winning Best of Show. Being back in my hometown, reminiscent of the remote village in our film, the story’s journey from such a secluded corner of China to a global stage filled me with both emotion and strength.

Xie Peng: Working with a great team is essential for great work, from clients to the creative team to everyone involved in production.

For me, this is tremendous encouragement. It instills confidence in my ability to continue filming and in the belief that Chinese filmmakers with the spirit of originality can continue to excel.

What do you believe is the most essential reason for the success of this short film?

Zita: Looking back, it’s hard to find a formula for success. Our job is to serve mass communication, but predicting the audience’s reaction is tough. What matters most is inspiring ourselves. When the project’s value moves us, it spreads within the team, driving us to give our best. As creators, we’re the first to set the story in motion. When it resonates with us, it plants a “seed” that grows into creative work brimming with vitality, with each team member adding their own magic along the way.

“What matters most is inspiring ourselves. When the project’s value moves us, it spreads within the team, driving us to give our best.”

Xie Peng: Good screenplay, insistence on originality, and meticulous attention to every detail, no matter how small– though I always feel it’s not good enough, mostly due to my own reasons.

From the brief to the story’s inception and final work, what key insights during this process shaped the creative concept?

Zita: Understanding the digital rural teaching support service was crucial for us to find the story’s focus early on. “Rural Teaching Support” is a well-known form of charity education, filled with heartwarming stories that bring educational significance to children in remote areas. Yet, the pain point lies in unsustainable relationships, especially for children left-behind. Teachers always have to say “goodbye” to the children after a short time. This is a pain point for both teachers and students, not only educationally but also emotionally.

During interviews with participants of the Tencent SSV project, we were introduced to many digital teaching support course contents, all of which were excellent. However, what particularly touched me was not related to the courses. It was when a teacher was about to leave school, and a child handed her two green plums and asked if she could stay for two more days. The child wanted to take her fruit picking. Learning she was leaving, he asked, “Will you come back?” This touching farewell highlighted rural children’s loneliness and attachment towards supportive teachers.

Farewells always leave people saddened, and rural children (most of whom are left-behind), often endure more farewells. Tencent SSV aims to make supportive education sustainable, changing the narrative and emphasizing enduring relationships. This real change becomes the story’s pivotal moment, shaping its narrative.

Xie Peng, as the director, how did you manage the artistic expression amidst discussions among industry insiders online?

Xie Peng: From the start, I had specific images in mind. To bring them to life, I carefully picked cinematographers and art directors. These roles are crucial for filming. Choosing between two talented cinematographers was tough, but I focused on their enthusiasm and understanding of the script.

I’m glad I chose Meng Chen as the cinematographer. We clicked well, and his aesthetic insights were invaluable. For art direction, I went with Xing Jun, who has years of experience and understands fast-paced shoots. This highlights our budget constraints, needing experienced professionals to maintain the film’s aesthetic despite tight schedules.

Due to the COVID-19 impact, the early stages of filming were challenging, with scouting trips often disrupted by quarantines. However, the eventual choice of filming location was serendipitous, encompassing all the necessary scenes thanks to the exceptional work of the creative and screenwriting teams who skillfully integrated real-life experiences into the screenplay.

“The eventual choice of filming location was serendipitous, encompassing all the necessary scenes thanks to the exceptional work of the creative and screenwriting teams who skillfully integrated real-life experiences into the screenplay.”

In the early stages, I established certain tones of lighting and coloring, but during filming, there was more adaptation, aiming for a specific atmosphere.

This film also won the Screenplay Craft Award. What is the difference between screenwriting and copywriting?

Akae: It’s interesting that they’re all copywriting jobs. However, copy should serve the story, not show off literary skills.

I’m naturally drawn to vivid imagery and powerful dialogue, yet today’s videos often lack these elements. I often caution my team against using lengthy copy as voiceovers throughout, as it tends to become formulaic unless specified by the client.

Typically, the role of copywriters is prominent. Of course, you must write exceptionally well, even if it’s in manifesto style or in iconic ads like Nike, the copy conveys a singular viewpoint, while the artistry of screenplay writing goes even further. Its brilliance isn’t evident in surface-level copy but in the storytelling, plot development, character depth, sharp dialogue, and most importantly, the play’s “central theme.”

Screenwriters wield the editing knife of the original work, deciding what the audience sees and when. They manipulate viewers’ emotions, from dopamine-induced laughter to tear-jerking moments. How you immerse the audience in your story, second after second, episode after episode, is entirely different from reading copy for advertisements.

And it won the Casting Award too. What led you to choose a local boy who was playing soccer with his friends as the lead role schoolboy “Ah Niu?”

Xie Peng: I’ve had similar experiences before. I remember I needed a young fencer when I was shooting an ad in Taiwan. One day, passing by a university, I spotted a group practicing fencing. One of them caught my eye instantly, so I replaced the original actor.

Another time, while watching local schoolboys play soccer, I thought of capturing their lifestyle. Coincidentally, they played near the shooting location. After joining them for a match, one boy stood out - innocent, shy, yet determined. It is difficult to act this out, so I knew he was perfect.

Despite the hurdle of persuading the boy and his family, I was grateful for their consent. “Ah Niu” was heaven-sent, and I appreciate the client and creative team for supporting my vision.

Many viewers have highly praised the performance of this little boy, especially applauding the close-ups of his facial expressions throughout the film. How did you communicate and guide him to achieve the desired performance?

Xie Peng: When actors feel their roles so they can perform well in front of the camera is when we say, “he’s got it.”

There are many ways to achieve this, including communication with the director, self-adjustment, coordination with the environment and time, and more. Directors need to quickly identify and provide timely feedback so that everyone can collaborate with the actors.

When selecting actors, I pay attention to their temperament, behavior, and speech to see if they match the character. If their experiences are similar to the background of the character in the script, I guide them to draw feelings from their own experiences.

What were the biggest roadblocks and challenges encountered during the filming process?

Xie Peng: The biggest challenge was the pandemic. Before filming started, many people were quarantined, causing panic. By the third day of filming, many had been infected. The producer and cinematographer fell ill, making completion difficult. I was lucky, as I only fell ill with COVID-19 after filming was over.

Another challenge was interference from villagers. Despite paying the local government and villagers, unrelated individuals caused trouble, which was quite annoying. However, many of the crew fondly remember the shoot. Facing difficulties brought us together, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie!

How did you ensure clarity of the story while retaining cultural elements for an international audience?

Akae: Lack of experience doesn’t mean you don’t understand that world. Let’s assume for a moment that if this story were set in a mountain village in Iran or in a secluded town in Europe, I believe most people would still grasp it, right?

Cultural differences can sometimes be an advantage in certain competitions. Inclusion is already a universal value. You don’t need to worry about foreigners not understanding you. Of course, translation is important, especially in conveying the nuanced meanings of certain crucial plot points, so it needs to be very precise.

If judges say, “I don’t get it,” what they really mean is, “This work sucks.” A great film, regardless of the language it uses, will be understood by the audience. We all enjoy watching foreign films when they’re dubbed in Chinese, right? Good stories can travel across the globe.

“A great film, regardless of the language it uses, will be understood by the audience.”

As the first Chinese team to win One Screen Best of Show, what suggestions do you have for Chinese entrants competing in international awards?

Akae: Your first momentous award in your creative career is crucial– it sets the benchmark for excellence. This is also a measure in evaluating a creative director’s potential.

The entry fees for advertising awards are not low, so once you’re spending your own money, it’s not just a matter of trying it out. For the other winning piece, “The Third Year,” I only entered it in the Cinematography category, and I’m delighted it won. Aligning with judges’ perspectives is gratifying.

Winning awards isn’t purely luck, but it certainly plays a part. I remind myself to keep creating good work consistently, and luck will surely come knocking at your door.

Are there any exciting projects brewing for this year?

Akae: In 2024, my goals are to deepen and optimize our existing client relationships and business to the best of our abilities. I’ve always been a bit old-fashioned. As a child, a lyric from “Something Good” in “The Sound of Music” resonated with me, “Nothing came from nothing, so somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” With each quality work, I aim to accumulate more positive karma, hoping for the arrival of even greater luck, Amitabha!

Xie Peng: I will shoot my short film project “Lost Without Return” and continue revising my feature-length screenplay “Unadaptable.”

One thing I’m particularly eager to discuss is the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. Put simply, the past method of following trends, copying, and imitating in filmmaking for short-term gains was uninteresting and unsustainable.

Now, AI will have a significant impact on our industry. I hope this impact will be positive, leading to the execution of more original and innovative ideas combined with artificial intelligence.

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