我以为只有我，一直很纠结地认为中国人的表白直至现在还基本停留在平铺直说，陈述明白，无论文学小说，新闻媒体，还是电影，电视，网上等等，隐晦，意识流，寓言，推理, humour 嘲弄讽刺。。。。。这些就是有人尝试创作也不能有很多读者，可能是文化传统，素质的关系。这次读了儿子和他的team发表在欧洲杂志上的interview对话，一下子让他用Western-style softer sell，和Chinese-style hard sell 表达了出来，虽然他说的是电影，电视，广告方面，让我欣慰他在中国没有白呆，中国人的理解能力，表达能力还需要很长时间，可能是一代人，他回到美国后，开始努力地在尝试能起到一个桥梁的作用。
"Perhaps predictably, the hard sell
is still “far more effective in China,” notes Shao. “If you’re creative, the
soft sell is always more interesting and creatively stimulating, but it’s just
not as effective with the general population.” But the times they are
a’changing. "
Directors Profile: J+J; From East To West
Published on 4th August 2014
Directors Jing Shao and Jess Zou
talk honesty, mutual inspiration and Chinese advertising. Taken from shots 151.
As directors
Jing Shao and Jess Zou, aka J+J, find the honesty, mutual inspiration and
constant debate between them aids their work. Their stylish ads for Intel,
Levi’s and others have got them signed to Untitled in LA and, as they tell Iain Blair, they’re on a shared mission to bring
more truth and a Western-style softer sell to China’s advertising
The flow of art and commerce from
one part of the world to another has never been a one-way street, so during an
era when the West has been eagerly exploring and tapping the vast potential of
the Chinese marketplace, the Chinese have also been busy expanding into the
lucrative American and European markets. And it’s no longer just about cheap
electronics, furniture and clothing. The latest Chinese cultural fashions and
advertising trends are also driving the engines of international commerce, as
evidenced by the growing US profile of directing duo Jess Zou and Jing Shao –
together known as J+J.
Based in Shanghai, J+J are well
known in their native China and throughout Asia where their stylish work is
admired for its contemporary look and bold use of colour and music. They have
already directed an impressive, original long-form commercial for Intel and the
short film Le Carrousel for Trendiano, a high-fashion Chinese brand, as
well as eye-catching campaigns for Hilton, adidas, and Baileys. Most recently
the duo completed a Levi’s campaign, starring the Chinese editor of Marie
Claire, Frankie Han, which is currently running throughout Southeast and East
Asia. And while the pair may still be relatively undiscovered in the West, all
that’s about to change. J+J recently signed with Jim and Kristin Evan’s
commercial production company Untitled the LA-based entity that represents an elite roster of directors working in
commercials, film, TV and web content. And they plan to set up a Los Angeles
base later this summer.
Expecting the unexpected
“Signing with Untitled is very exciting for
us, and we really feel a sense of teamwork and family with them already,”
reports Shao. “Having a rep and a production company work with you is rather
rare in China for commercial directors. When Jess and I began, we worked
freelance, and we still work freelance there, so this is all new to us. We’ve talked
to other international directors, but we don’t know yet quite what to expect.
We do know it gives us a sense of security, and a great opportunity to build on
a relationship that is creative, collaborative and that’ll help us grow as
directors.”
They go on to stress that
collaboration is a key factor in all their productions. “We use a lot of the
same team for many of our commercials in China,” adds Zou, “and this was a good
fit for us.” Shao notes that J+J first came to Untitled’s attention through a former
university classmate of his who had worked with Jim Evans on several
productions in LA. “When Jim was helping an agency look for young directors in
China for a high-profile commercial to be shot there, [my ex-classmate]
suggested us,” he recalls. Even though J+J didn’t land the job, they made the
short list – and a big impression. “Jim really liked our reel, and he
approached us right away about representing us – which was kind of a shock,” he
says. “That was just at the end of last year, so it’s moved very quickly.”
Chinese buy into the hard sell
Looking at the commercial industry
in general, Shao says that he’s “really glad” he’s spent so much time working
in China. “It’s allowed me to see and appreciate the differences between China
and America,” he explains. “There are so many opportunities in China, and our
careers have taken off so fast. At the same time, there are some big challenges
that I feel would turn off a lot of filmmakers.” These include “the sort of
immature boards we get most of the time from the agencies there,” adds Zou.
“But then you have more freedom to change those boards, and we’re always very
honest with them about what we feel will work. We always push to make them
better.”
Perhaps predictably, the hard sell
is still “far more effective in China,” notes Shao. “If you’re creative, the
soft sell is always more interesting and creatively stimulating, but it’s just
not as effective with the general population.” But the times they are
a’changing. “Chinese agencies are realising that the hard sell isn’t always the
best way,” says Zou. “But it still varies so much from client to client and
agency to agency,” Shao adds. “Everyone has a totally different idea of what’s
good, what works, so it’s pretty crazy.”
By comparison, they point out,
American ads tend to rely on humour “or a joke with a single punch-line,” Shao
notes. “You don’t see much of that in China, where commercials use a lot of
beautiful aesthetics, whereas US ads are often very simple and down-to-earth on
purpose.”
China’s truth/image tension
With their “commitment to
authenticity” and documentary style, J+J are well aware of the central role
‘truth in advertising’ plays in their work, especially in the Chinese market.
“The whole concept of ‘saving face’ is so ingrained and important in our
culture,” notes Zou. “So even if you have no money, you will organise the most
expensive meal you can in order to impress your guest. And that philosophy
carries over – not only into how the clients want to present themselves – but
into what people want to see,” Shao explains. As an example, he cites their
home base of Shanghai and the stark contrasts between the glittering new city
and the back alleys of the old town. “We love the street culture and old
buildings, but not only is that something our clients never want to see – it’s
also something that the local consumers never want to see either,” he says.
Shao asserts that that tension –
between portraying ‘the truth’ and ‘the image’ – is definitely a big element in
Chinese advertising. “Commercials are all about presenting an ideal – of a
brand or a lifestyle – but at the same time you want to be honest. And I think
for a lot of Chinese, who are all striving to reach their potential in a
developing country, they also want to see this ideal image. They don’t want to
see the harsh reality of the truth.”
But as with the hard sell, attitudes
about how truthful advertising can, and should be are gradually changing,
“especially among the younger generation in more creative fields,” Zou says.
She notes that modern urban Chinese now “live in a world of advertising.” Adds
Shao, “So when you’re bombarded with these idealised ‘untruthful’ images all
the time, you seek something more authentic after a while – something that
connects on a more personal level. And I think China’s now moving into that
era. And like everything in China today, it’s happening really fast. It took a
few decades for US advertising to move from the sanitized images of the 50s and
60s to the grittier reality you get today. In China, it’ll probably take just a
few years.”
