Chinese blockbusters need original aesthetics, and special effects talents are being poached by game companies

Recently, the New Wave Forum invited directors Lu Yang, Guo Fan, and Wuershan, as well as Xu Jian, special effects director of MORE VFX, a top domestic special effects company, to discuss topics such as the difficulty level of film special effects production, the aesthetic system of fantasy blockbusters, the gap between Chinese and Hollywood blockbusters, the necessity of establishing industrial standards, and the cultivation of domestic special effects talents, and looked forward to the future of Chinese blockbusters.

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They believe that Chinese blockbusters must have original aesthetics, but the development of the domestic visual effects industry is currently facing major problems, such as the weak industrial foundation of domestic film creation. There is a serious loss of domestic visual effects talent, who are poached by game companies with high salaries . According to reports, the game industry is poaching people with 1-2 times the monthly salary, busy creating another 3A or "Genshin Impact"-like game, and is making every effort to poach people.

When it comes to "blockbuster", many viewers will naturally think of Hollywood, while the history of Chinese fantasy blockbusters and visual effects blockbusters is still very short. At the forum, the three directors all emphasized the importance of "original aesthetics". Director Guo Fan gave an example, saying that if Chinese people were to act in Marvel, or Westerners were to act in Journey to the West, it would definitely look very inconsistent. It takes time to resolve the sense of incongruity and form a sense of identity.

Director Lu Yang also said, "When making visual effects movies, many viewers will immediately think of Hollywood movies. First of all, we don't want to imitate in terms of aesthetics and demand. We want to tell Chinese stories and create content that Hollywood cannot do. We can't compare with them in areas where Hollywood is very strong. Hollywood also makes oriental themes, but what we see is just the surface. It has oriental elements and appearance, but it is very superficial. It cannot be oriental in its bones."

To make a visual blockbuster that conforms to Chinese aesthetics and promotes Chinese culture does not mean to strictly follow historical records, but to find a connection point with the present era. For example, the art setting of "Assassination of Novelist" refers to the Northern Wei Dynasty, but it is not enough, and some elements of the Tang Dynasty, Han Dynasty and even Southeast Asia are selected, but the overall feeling is Chinese.

There are also a large number of digital characters such as gods, monsters, and mounts in Wuershan's "Fengshen Trilogy", especially Lei Zhenzi, who will be the most difficult character in Chinese films in terms of visual effects. The early concept design of these characters must be completed by Chinese artists. "Only Chinese people know what it looks like. The best American concept designers cannot imagine it because the culture is different from ours. I think future Chinese fantasy films will involve these two levels. The first is to meet our emotional needs and aesthetic judgments, and at the same time, they must be technologically advanced. Both levels need to be solved. China's original aesthetics must be completed by Chinese artists, and we should also be open to artists from all over the world to provide us with technical support."

However, the industrial foundation of domestic film creation is weak . Director Guo Fan reflected on the shortcomings of "The Wandering Earth" in terms of industrialization: "Looking back now, it is still in the workshop state." Xu Jian supplemented Guo Fan's point of view, saying that the problem of insufficient domestic industrial development is not only in the film industry. "Because China has not gone through a long period of industrial revolution, the West has slowly accumulated industrial standards and processes over hundreds of years, while we have rapidly iterated from an agricultural-dominated period to a modern society. All walks of life do not attach so much importance to the standardization of industrial standards. It takes investment to make standards, and the purpose of investment is to make future work more efficient. However, if there is not such a large demand, it will only be done once and not next time, then this investment is unnecessary. Therefore, only when there is a greater demand can there be so-called industrialization improvement."

Regarding the problems currently facing the domestic film special effects industry, Lu Yang and Xu Jian expressed regret that domestic film special effects talents are being lost rapidly, special effects companies are basically not making any money, and it is difficult for them to survive.

Xu Jian, special effects director of MORE VFX, said that special effects require high-quality talents with both technical and artistic qualities, but the admission scores for related majors in many art schools in China are very low, and many students graduate and work after simply learning the software, and the quality of industry personnel is uneven. An even more frustrating reality is that the needs of film and television special effects companies highly overlap with those of game special effects departments, and a large number of talents have been poached by game companies with high salaries, "basically to the point where there is no one available."

Lu Yang said: "I was discussing the issue of talent loss with a friend who works in the gaming industry. He said that the business model of the film industry is problematic. I said that if there is little money, does that mean the business model is problematic? Should the industry not develop? It's not calculated that way. Each industry has its own value. The value of the film industry is very unique. In addition to the industry itself, it has also driven a lot of GDP and created spiritual value. People cannot live on material things alone."

Wuershan also called for "I hope that quality fantasy films can be successful, and only when they make money can the money be settled to the visual effects companies, so that every visual effects talent can get a sense of honor and income that matches their talent, so that they can stay in this industry stably and develop further."