Zuo Le started planning the drama "Latent" in the first half of last year. He originally planned to start filming after finishing "Charlotte", but later due to Tian Yan's pregnancy, he had to postpone it again and again.
However, Zuo Le did not do anything during this period, the crew's preliminary work has basically been completed.
Changqing Film and Television Base specially set aside two Republic of China Streets, and in accordance with Zuo Le's requirements, restored the Secrecy Bureau, Yu Zecheng's home, bookstore contact point and other scenes in the play.
Almost all the props and furnishings inside are treated according to the characteristics of the Republic of China era, making the props appear more realistic.
Nowadays, in many ancient costumes and Republic of China dramas, the quality of props and costumes is obviously not bad, but they always give people a cheap and shoddy feeling, mainly due to filters and no processing.
To put it bluntly, the crew just didn't pay attention.
Everything is brand new, it is clearly an ancient rural area, the walls are dazzlingly white, plastic and other modern products are everywhere, and some props that obviously do not fit the scene are everywhere, making it difficult for the audience to take in the scene.
Shanhe drama has done a good job in this regard. It does not strive for a perfect restoration, but at least ensures that it matches the scene in the drama so that the audience will not be disappointed while watching it.
After training in many TV dramas, I may not be able to guarantee a historical drama, but for Republic of China dramas, Shanhe has also filmed several major dramas before, so I am already familiar with it.
Zuo Le had previously visited the actual location, props, and costume warehouse and found that the preparation was better than the original version, and he was very satisfied.
In addition to various preparations for real-life scenes in the early stage, Zuo Le also completed the casting work for "Latent" during this period.
………
The drama "Latent" mainly tells the story of Yu Zecheng, the secret agent of the Guo Party's military command (Secret Bureau). Because of his lover Zuo Lan, he abandoned the dark side and joined the bright side to join our party.
Then he was ordered to lurk in the Jinmen Secrecy Bureau, experienced all kinds of swords, thrilling espionage battles, and gradually became a senior agent of our party.
Why does it sound like the introduction to a spy war web article...
However, the Internet article highlights the word "cool" and kills everyone. However, the male protagonist Yu Zecheng of "Latent" is not so comfortable. He can be said to be frightened every step of the way, dancing on the tip of a knife.
There is danger in almost every episode. Two or three episodes will be a big crisis. If you are not careful, it will be a disaster.
In the current domestic film and television market, spy dramas are not actually unpopular. The number of dramas produced every year is still considerable, but in terms of word-of-mouth quality, the quality of the dramas is somewhat mixed.
Excluding some good high-quality ones, many spy dramas have been made into love dramas of the Republic of China, or have superhero themes.
Zuo Le does not object to the inclusion of love scenes in spy dramas. Even in "Insidious", love is a major plot line, but note that the premise of this main plot is to assist the spy plot, and the two are advanced together.
And the most important thing is that the two main lines are very well integrated with each other, real and contagious. The audience not only does not feel disappointed, but is moved by this difficult underground revolutionary love.
But most spy dramas are unable to do this and cling to love scenes.
In the end, it became a love triangle between a group of handsome men and beautiful women, the jealousy of the love triangle, spy wars, etc., there is no revolution in the country, what I need is love.
When the tossing is almost done, at the end, just kill one or two of them by force, let them "sacrifice heroically", and the other characters will be sublimated.
Then there is the "super hero/superheroization" of the spy war, where the protagonists are more powerful than the other, as if they have special powers.
A small pistol is comparable to a howitzer. One person can fight two Japanese squads, kill a large number of them easily, and then retreat calmly.
For such a fierce man, instead of sending him to the frontline battlefield, he has to assassinate the enemy's high-level officials and stay in the rear to collect intelligence. I always feel that it is particularly unfair.
For such a TV series, to put it mildly, the producers confused undercover agents and 007 agents as two completely different concepts, and the creation was not fully understood.
To put it bluntly, it's like selling dog meat over sheep's heads, randomly pretending to be a spy war drama, but it's actually a bloody romance drama and a fantasy drama of the Republic of China.
What a random shot...
In comparison, spy dramas like "Insidious" are real.
For an undercover agent, force is only a small auxiliary. His mission is to obtain intelligence from the enemy without being discovered by the enemy. Mediation and wits are the norm.
As for the specific actions such as rescue, assassination, and rape, there are other people to handle it. Everything is shouldered by the protagonist, and the rest of the underground party is responsible for it.
Besides, if you make trouble everywhere, once or twice is fine, but if you do it too often, you will really think that the enemy is blind, as long as you have no alibi.
Would rather kill by mistake than let go.
This sentence is not a joke, you can't just use the protagonist's aura to block it, otherwise you will really fool the audience into thinking they are fools.
Let’s go back to the show itself. Although it is not very long, only 30 episodes, it is fast-paced and has many characters. There are more than ten important main characters.
Although these characters have different roles, each one has its own characteristics and there is no room for careless selection.
………
Let’s talk about the male protagonist Yu Zecheng first. He is undoubtedly the most important role in this drama, and he connects the entire plot of the drama.
This role is both easy and difficult to play.
Good acting means that the character's personality is very restrained. As long as you grasp the logical motivation of the character, you can bring out Deputy Webmaster Yu.
It is difficult to act because it is easy to paint skin but difficult to paint bones. Yu Zecheng has a reserved personality, which does not mean that he has no mood swings. On the contrary, because of his profession, his appearance and heart are two completely different states.
In other words, it is easy to play the "Smiling Tiger" Deputy Webmaster Yu, but to play the deep underground party in Deputy Webmaster Yu's heart, it is not so easy to grasp the character's mentality.
In addition, Yu Zecheng also has emotional scenes with three women, Zuo Lan, Cuiping, and Mu Wanqiu. Each woman also needs a different emotional state and psychology.
This role is not something that ordinary actors can take on.
In fact, Yu Zecheng was also the most difficult character to cast for Shanhe's version of "Latent", and the candidate was changed many times.
At first, the cast was initially decided to be Gu Xiaoge, but later Zuo Le felt that the male idol Gu was too handsome and dazzling, which did not fit Yu Zecheng's undercover character, so he passed.
Later, Zuo Le fell in love with Yu Entai again, but after chatting with Yu Entai, he felt that Yu Entai was too bookish. It was okay to play Yu Zecheng when he was quiet and reserved, but he could not accurately reflect Yu Zecheng's slippery and ruthless character.
The other side of spicy.
Although Yu Entai's acting skills can make up for this, Zuo Le thinks that acting alone is too superficial, and he wants to find an image that directly matches his image.
Yu Entai was included in the selection, and Zuo Le looked around among the Shanhe artists. When there was no one who met the conditions, he turned his attention to the outside world.
Zuo Le's status in the field of TV dramas cannot be established. There are a lot of people competing for his new dramas even for supporting roles, let alone the male lead.
Soon, many artists used various channels to contact Shanhe and even Zuo Le himself. Among them was an old friend of Zuo Le - Teacher Huang Sanshi.
But Zuo Le didn't like Teacher Huang because he was too fat.
It's okay to play a Fruit Party official or businessman, but the male protagonist Yu Zecheng is really far from the image Zuo Le has in mind.
Teacher Huang didn't care after being declined by Zuo Le. The relationship between the two parties was good. Zuo Le went to the capital twice before and was even invited to eat at Teacher Huang's house.
Before Liang Damin was cast in "Detective Detective Dee" last time, Zuo Le wanted to find Mr. Huang to play Di Renjie, but unfortunately Mr. Huang was not available, so he became Liang Damin.
I guess this time it was Teacher Huang who felt a little regretful after watching "Detective Di Renjie" which is so popular now.
He also didn't expect to play the male lead. If Yu Zecheng could not succeed, Teacher Huang wanted to play the role of a businessman.
It was the rich and fat sheep that Webmaster Wu was interested in. Mu Wanqiu's uncle Mu Liancheng was a cunning old fox. With the cooperation of Yu and Wu, they escaped successfully, which is more in line with Teacher Huang's character.
Teacher Huang agreed to play Mu Liancheng, and Zuo Le thought it was over. Unexpectedly, Teacher Huang approached him again a few days later, this time to recommend an actor to Zuo Le.
The terminator of the watermelon stall, the number one bull terrier in the entertainment industry - Sun Lei.
When he heard this name, Zuo Le thought that Teacher Huang was joking for him. What he wanted was the underground party, not the underworld big brother. What could he do with this "acting is to save society" master?
But when Teacher Huang sent him a photo, Zuo Le immediately understood what Teacher Huang meant.
In the photo, Sun Lei is dressed as a scholar from the Republic of China, wearing glasses, smiling softly at the corner of his mouth, and his elegant writing carries a kind of suppressed power.
"Interesting, really interesting."
Zuo Le was really moved. He felt that Sun Lei's appearance was in line with his idea of Yu Zecheng. Moreover, Sun Lei had won the Golden Phoenix Film Award once before and was nominated for the Golden Dragon Award for Best Actor. His acting skills were outstanding.
The only thing that can be worried is whether there will be a difference in age between him and the character. After all, Yu Zecheng is set to be in his early thirties in the play. But after Zuo Le saw Sun Lei's recent photos, this doubt disappeared.
Time has been kind to Sun Lei. Although it left traces on his face at the beginning, he didn't do much after that.
This person's overall appearance has not changed much from his youth to now. It is not a big problem to wear makeup and act like a young man in his early thirties.
Zuo Le found an opportunity and met with Sun Lei under the help of Teacher Huang. He had not made up his mind at the time, but he had begun to prefer him to play the role.
Then, Zuo Le went to participate in "Actors Come to PK" and surprised the company's artist Duan Long several times, and he began to think about whether to let Duan Long play Yu Zecheng.
Zuo Le specially asked Duan Long to try on the photos, put on glasses and change clothes, and he felt quite successful.
Sun Lei & Duan Long
Zuo Le struggled with these two actors for two weeks, and finally he chose Sun Lei.
The main reason is that the former has more acting experience. Although Duan Long is also very good in acting, he has never been single-handedly responsible for the role. Zuo Le compared and weighed the situation and felt that it would be safer to choose Sun Lei.
Duan Long was not given up by Zuo Le. Although he was not cast as the male lead Yu Zecheng, he won the second male lead Li Ya.
This character is outstanding. Although he is a villain in the plot, the setting is not a real "villain".
Li Ya has his own beliefs, is loyal to the Kuomintang, works hard, and can be called a public servant. From his standpoint, what Li Ya did was not wrong.
Li Ya has a high IQ, careful thinking, keen observation, and bold heart. He is Yu Zecheng's biggest opponent in the play. He almost killed Yu Zecheng many times.
But at the same time, Li Ya is arrogant and has average emotional intelligence. Coupled with the complicated situation within the Secrecy Bureau, Yu Zecheng often plots or turns the tables and kills him. He takes numerous scapegoats and is called the number one scapegoat in this drama.
Later on, after Li Ya repeatedly failed to target Yu Zecheng, he was slapped hard by Yu Zecheng. He was so dejected that he hid in the office and burst into tears. The audience felt heartbroken watching this scene.
This role is particularly suitable for Duan Long. When Zuo Le saw Duan Long in "Actors Come to PK", he wanted him to play Li Ya.
Duan Long lost in the "Battle for Yu Zecheng's Role", and it is difficult to say that there was no reason for this.
………
In addition to Yu and Li, there are three other important roles in the Secrecy Bureau, namely the old fox Wu Jingzhong, station chief Wu, Ma Kui, and Lu Qiaoshan.
Ma Kui is easy to handle, but he is a self-righteous and reckless man, so Zuo Le approached Zhang Shui (cavalry company commander Sun Desheng).
Lu Qiaoshan is relatively more complicated. He is friendly and elegant on the surface, but secretly secretive. He works hard to get to the top and likes to play intrigues behind his back.
Within Shanhe, Lin Yongjian and Fan Min were both suitable, but their schedules were too full, so Zuo Le found an actor from outside.
Wu Dakang is a pillar-level actor in the National Repertory Theater. He is a colleague of Liang Damin, but he is much more famous. He also won the Golden Phoenix Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is considered a relatively active veteran actor in the industry.
Shanhe Drama has a great brand, not to mention that "Latent" is directed by Zuo Le himself, and the salary is enough, Wu Dakang has no reason to refuse.
The only one left is Wu Jingzhong, an old fox webmaster who is well versed in the art of being a boss.
Webmaster Wu is Zuo Le's favorite character in the drama "Latent". Not only does he frequently have famous scenes, he is also the highest-ranking character in the drama.
"Insidious" is a spy drama, but it is also a bit like a workplace drama. A large part of the plot is about the personnel struggle within the Jinmen Station of the Secrecy Bureau.
In the beginning, it was Ma Kui and Lu Qiao Shan fighting. Later, Ma Kui died and Li Ya took his place, and it became Li Ya and Lu Qiao Shan fighting. When Lu Qiao Shan was taken away by Li Ya, it was Li Ya and Yu Ze again.
Chengdu.
But no matter how the fight goes, Stationmaster Wu will always sit firmly on the Diaoyutai, watch the situation quietly, and come out at the critical moment to make the final decision or balance the situation.
From the beginning to the end of "Insidious", not many of the characters have a good ending, whether they are members of the Fruit Party or our Party.
Especially in the Secret Bureau, Ma Kui, Li Ya and Lu Qiaoshan all died, including the male protagonist Yu Zecheng, who was also forced to be separated from his lover and was not allowed to be free.
Only Station Master Wu escaped unscathed, with a large sum of money in hand, and was preparing to retire comfortably.
Zuo Le wanted to play this role very much, but unfortunately he was not old enough and his acting skills were not good enough to survive, so he had to find foreign aid.
Zhang Bei, who previously collaborated with Zuo Le in "Bright Sword", played Chu Yunfei in it.
Zuo Le feels that Chu Yunfei, played by Zhang Bei, has a temperament similar to that of Webmaster Wu. He has a free and easy way of seeing things in the world, but at the same time he is scheming and has a lot of gaps in his heart.
The most important thing is that the two characters have a very tasteful way of cursing "our people", especially Webmaster Wu, who has a very poisonous mouth.
"During the Anti-Japanese War, Jinmen Station was called a fortress by Boss Dai. Now it's great. It has no secrets. It's like a bitch and can be used by anyone."
"I wanted to show my face, but ended up showing my butt."
"What the hell did the Zhongtong change its name? Oh, Party Communications Bureau."
"Take your head out of your heels and use it again."
"..."
Zuo Le thought for a moment, and among the actors he knew, only Brother Yunfei, who complained about "more than 50,000 pigs", could perform such a different kind of cold humor.
In addition to everyone in the Secrecy Bureau, there is also an intelligence dealer Xie Ruolin. This person is also a wonderful man who believes in pragmatism, that is, money.
Zuo Le gave this role to company artist Zhang Ze.
Zhang Ze is an artist who joined the company relatively early, second only to Kongwen Department and Gu Xiaoge. Shui Miaomiao and the others came earlier than Shen Teng and others.
But his career can only be said to be tepid. Although he has played many supporting roles in Shanhe dramas, his most successful role was Huang Tao in the "Serious Case Group Six" series. Other than that, he did not have any impact.
Seeing that Shen Teng, Lei Jiayin, Cen Kun and other people who joined the company after him were all popular, Zuo Le also deliberately gave him a hand and let Zhang Ze play the unique Xie Ruolin.
As for Zuo Le himself, he played the most handsome underground gangster Liao Sanmin in the original version.
The other two associates of Yu Zecheng, Shopkeeper Qiu and Shopkeeper Luo, are played by old friends Bao Dayong (Shopkeeper Sun) and Chen Weidong (Heiteng) respectively.
In addition, supporting roles such as Boss Dai, Yuan Peilin, Sheng Xiang, and Wang Zhanjin, who have less roles, are also played by Shanhe's own or close friends, and they are all Qing Yishui's acting talents.
