Director Mentor Class at Project Pitches Training Camp Begins: Liang Ming Shares On-Set Secrets
At the Director Mentor Class of the 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) Project Pitches Training Camp, Liang Ming, who transitioned from an actor to a director, shared his creative experiences from films such as Wisdom Tooth and Carefree Days. His highly practical class, which covered everything from script logic to performance details, on-set communication to artistic balance, sparked young filmmakers' creative passion and offered a detailed "Film Practice Guide."
Key Insights from Director Mentor Liang Ming
▍Scriptwriting: The Intricate Weaving of Dual Logic
Liang Ming, who has transitioned from acting, has unlocked several roles in the film industry. Wisdom Tooth and Carefree Days, the two films he wrote and directed, received many awards at domestic and overseas film festivals. Notably, Carefree Days won the Best Film of the Forward Future Section of the 14th BJIFF, showcasing the vibrant creative energy of young filmmakers.
In the Mentor Class, Liang Ming started his sharing by discussing scriptwriting. He emphasized that to make a script more vivid, visually compelling, and executable, it must follow universal realistic logic and objective emotional logic. The former is based on widely accepted universal values, whereas the latter expresses the creator's ideas through characters.
On-Site Sharing by Director Mentor Liang Ming
Liang Ming also emphasized the distinction between a script in the scriptwriting phase and one in the shooting phase. During the scriptwriting phase, the focus should be on capturing the story's moving moments, while the shooting script should involve concise descriptions, especially with cautious use of performance cues, to leave room for secondary creation in subsequent stages. In terms of performance presentation, Liang Ming stressed the importance of continuity, saying, "Actors should not be overly fixated on individual scenes, especially those aiming for a dramatic impact." As for the script's executability, he suggested considering budget, team capabilities, technology, and other factors.
▍ Character Building: Establishing Value and Credibility as the Foundation
"In my creation process, I always prioritize characters, making sure they are both valuable and credible," Liang Ming shared. Building a compelling character, according to him, begins with the creator recognizing the character's importance: "You and your team must believe that the character's story is worth telling." Second, the character must possess certain social attributes so that the audience can see and perceive them after filming, fostering resonance and empathy. "A character's credibility lies in their multifaceted possibilities, which also determines whether the actor can establish an effective connection with the audience."
On-Site Sharing by Director Mentor Liang Ming
During the performance stage, the director must engage in more specific and in-depth thinking, integrating the characters' performances into the overall style of the film. After transitioning from an actor to a director, Liang Ming found that his advantage is his strong connection with the audience. Because of these experiences, he communicates with actors easily. He did discover, though, that one should "be wary of one's own expertise", as overconfidence can potentially be limiting.
▍ Film Adaptation: Preserving What Moves You, Then Enhancing Appeal
The film Carefree Days is adapted from Ban Yu's book of the same name. From literature to film, Liang Ming struck a balance between "breaking away from literature" and "drawing nourishment from it". Reflecting on the creation journey of Carefree Days, he believed that the younger generation of creators can draw nourishment from literary works. However, he also admitted that adaptation is the most difficult part of the scriptwriting phase. It is necessary to retain the flavor of the original while softening elements such as psychological descriptions that are difficult to translate visually, all while infusing the adaptation with personal insights. He even admitted to having "forgotten the novel" for a while near the end of the adaptation.
On-Site Sharing by Director Mentor Liang Ming
During the scriptwriting process, Ban Yu and Liang Ming often engaged in deep discussions. Ultimately, Liang Ming rediscovered the starting point of his creation. He preserved the most sincere expressions within the core spirit of the original work and honestly showed the characters' emotions, circumstances and life status. His key takeaway was to try to preserve the parts of the work that captivate you the most, then enhance its dramatic appeal to keep the audience fully engaged - giving them no reason to reach for their phones.
▍ On-Set Practice: Fully Leveraging the Role of Connection
At the event, Liang Ming shared a lot of on-set practice experience. For example, when working with actors, the director must love every character and every actor, and it is his responsibility to foster trust and cooperation among the cast. As for controlling performance and pacing, it comes from the creator's observation and summary of life. "I hope everyone can learn about acting. Directors must truly understand performance; it strengthens their armor."
On-Site Sharing by Director Mentor Liang Ming
To improve the communication between performance movements and the camera, Liang Ming's method is simple: encourage collective discussion on set and work together to find the best solution. When it came to temporary scheduling and shot redesign, he emphasized the importance of adaptability. Unexpected weather and other situations occurred during the filming of Wisdom Tooth. However, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the entire production team, unexpected situations became serendipitous moments. "The more flexible you are, the more likely you are to capture more wonderful moments."
According to Liang Ming, the atmosphere of a crew is largely determined by the director. "You must create opportunities for everyone to share ideas and perspectives. This is especially important."
Q&A
Q1: How to pair amateur actors with professional actors?
Liang Ming: You need to master enough methods. First, ask yourself why you chose an amateur actor. Could it be that he is the character? If so, amplify that quality. The key is to leverage the amateur actor's unique traits, not force him to "act". Therefore, in such cases, adjust the professional actor's status to work with the amateur actor.
Interactive Q&A Session with Participants at the Event
Q2: As a director, how do you decide what makes for the best story-fitting performance?
Liang Ming: There's no such thing as the "best" performance - creation is endless. The question is whether there's a "better" performance. On set, the director should capture and verify if the actor's performance at that moment fits his vision. I still recommend that directors study acting to accurately capture the performances they need.
Interactive Q&A Session with Participants at the Event
Q3: How should a director communicate and collaborate with an editor, and what are the key considerations?
Liang Ming: An editor needs to remain objective and detached from the on-set creation, not obsessed with it. I completely understand this. For Wisdom Tooth, our editing director, Zhu Lin, first created an independent version herself, fearing that my on-set emotions might interfere too early. The version she cut turned out incredibly smooth, and we were thrilled - it didn't fall flat. Just do your best in creation, but don’t get lost in it.
Interactive Q&A Session with Participants at the Event
Q4: How should the director communicate with the crew?
Liang Ming: As a director, from the moment you arrive on set until the final wrap, you must learn to respect everyone. Not just the main creation team, but also every production assistant. I hope you greet them every day. Caring for the set means caring for every person present. This is crucial.
Interactive Q&A Session with Participants at the Event
Group Photo of Participants and Mentor
Upcoming sessions at the training camp will include classes by Lead Producer & Producer Mentor Ying Luojia, Production Design Mentor Tu Nan, Cinematography Mentor Cheng Ma, and Editing Mentor Zhu Lin. Please stay tuned!
