Director’s Insight | 导演见解
Exclusive interview with Canadian Director Ian Robertson on his latest shoot in China for NBA.
加拿大导演Ian Robertson探秘NBA中国粉丝互动活动拍摄故事.
Director | 导演: Ian Robertson
For only his second time shooting in China, film director Ian Robertson is incredibly at ease. In between shooting and editing we met at a French bakery tucked down a winding lane, lined with Shanghai’s iconic London plane trees. Shooting in China is not for the faint of heart but Robertson makes it sound like one big adventure and is able to shrug off cultural frustrations with a soft chuckle.
第二次来中国拍摄，电影导演Ian Robertson就已经觉得很安心自在了。在拍摄和剪辑的间隙，我们在上海一条长满英国梧桐的蜿蜒的小路上的一家法式面包房见到了他。在中国拍摄可不那么容易，Robertson把它当做一次大冒险，对于文化差异，他确一笑置之。
His first job in China was a series of comical spots for Audi. It was on a freshly laid, yet to be used highway just outside the city. The production company was local and the shoot was long. Emotions ran high as the scheduled eight days of shooting came to a close. Now two years later shooting in China again, Robertson is impressed from his experience with how much the organization and quality of the shoots has improved. “To see [China’s advertising industry] change so quickly is really encouraging”.
此前第一次来中国拍摄，是一支幽默的奥迪广告。当时拍摄的路刚刚铺好，还没有行车，位于市郊，制作公司规模不大，拍摄时间蛮长，八天拍摄要收工时，大家情绪都很高涨。时隔两年，他再次来到中国，Robertson看到，如今这家制作公司已经颇具规模。拍摄质量也有了进步，这给他留下了深刻印象。“（中国广告行业的）迅速变化很鼓舞人心”。
Robertson’s specialty is storytelling so in a way it’s perfect timing for him to dip back into the Chinese market as storytelling methods are finally picking up in China. This time around the client was NBA China paired with a well-established Chinese production company MiC. The TVC is for a web browser to increase fan engagement. The Chinese already adore the NBA as the numbers show – China is the second largest market for the NBA – so the TVC was about creating ways to get already passionate Chinese fans more involved.
Robertson的专长是用镜头讲故事，现在再次回到中国时机恰到好处，中国市场终于开始注重讲故事了。这一次的客户是NBA中国，携手中国知名制作公司MiC，共同打造广告。专门为网络浏览器所打造，目的是为了增加粉丝的参与度。数据显示，中国人很钟情NBA – 中国是NBA第二大市场，所以这次的广告是为了让原有的中国粉丝加大参与度。
NBA Fan Club TVC | NBA 球迷圈 TVC
Pre-production planning efficiency was certainly increased this time around as communication with the client and creative team was led by the NBA Executive Creative Director who is a native English speaker. Communication, however, is not only about the verbal elements, something Robertson has picked up on and mastered over his years shooting in places around the world where English is not everyone’s first language.
前期制作规划效率提高了，跟客户还有创意团队的沟通都是NBA执行创意总监牵头，由于母语都是英语，沟通起来方便多了。但是沟通不仅仅指的就话语交流，多年以来，在世界各奔波，有的地方英语并不是所有人的母语，让Robertson深深领会这一点。
Animation used in NBA TVC | NBA TVC 的动画部分
And Robertson is no rookie to directing. While sipping a frothy latte out of a small glass cup, he tells me he has shot in over 14 countries. In his early twenties he moved to Milan as a freelance fashion photographer. Less intrigued by the indulgent and sometimes gaudy runway photoshoots, he soon landed a job with MTV as they were establishing themselves in Italy. He was responsible for rolling out smaller social media style campaigns, which is where he first dipped his feet into directing. After eight years in Italy, Robertson moved back to Toronto, Canada with his wife where they are raising three boys.
此外，Robertson导演也不是新手。他一边喝着拿铁，一边说道，自己已经在超过14个国家拍摄过片子。20岁出头时，他搬到了米兰，成为了一名自由时尚摄影师。但他并不热衷于奢华艳丽的时尚照片，很快便开始跟一家刚刚在意大利开展业务的MTV展开了合作。他负责制作短小的社交媒体类型的宣传活动，这也是他第一次对导演工作小试牛刀。在意大利工作了八年之后，他搬回加拿大对伦多，跟妻子和三个儿子在那里定居。
“Being a director is a lot about being able to read the room” Robertson tells me. Particularly in China, Robertson has observed the sensitivity to hierarchy. “Everyone has a certain place and order so I have to be careful who I talk to about getting things done” he explains. This, however, is hardly viewed as a frustration to Robertson but rather as something simply to adapt to and figure out how best to get the job done despite cultural differences.
Robertson说，“导演就要眼观六路耳听八方”。尤其在中国，他注意到明显的层级制度。“每个人都有自己的地位和命令，所以我必须得谨慎，知道跟谁在沟通”，他解释道。但是，这一点并不会让他感到很崩溃，相反，对于这种文化差异，自己只需要去适应即可。
In many ways China’s advertising market is still evolving and it is hard to pin any label or accurate description to the scene. Robertson was impressed with the level of craftsmanship and skill level of the crew. The TVC required a couple shots in an official NBA store so the team was brought to a real NBA store in one of Shanghai’s busy shopping malls. After it become clear that shooting in the real store would not yield the results Robertson was looking for, the production team immediately offered to replicate an NBA store in studio to get the desired lighting and effects needed. This sort of flexibility and willingness to try new methods makes China an exciting place to shoot, Roberson expressed repeatedly.
从很多角度来看，中国的广告市场仍有待发展。很难去给它贴上一个标签，也很难准确去描述。Robertson看到中国的精湛制作水准，看到团队的高质量，也给他留下了很深的印象。此次电视广告需要在NBA官方商店取景，于是团队来到了繁忙的上海购物中心实地取景。但是，Robertson看到实体店无法达到他想要的效果，于是制作团队很快就提出，可以在工作室内搭建NBA实体店场景，以达到所需要的灯光效果。他反复说道，正是这样的懂得变通，心甘情愿，让他很愿意来中国拍摄。
Building a mock NBA store on set | 实景搭建
His biggest complaint about shooting in China is about finding the appropriate talent. Whereas if he were shooting in the US, production might send him 80 to 100 options in the first round, here he was much less involved and had a lot less options before the final casting decisions were made.
但是在中国拍摄最令他头疼的还是如何找到最适合的演员。在美国拍摄，制作团队会在第一轮就给他80-100个演员供他甄选，但是在中国选角这一方面，他却参与很少，选择也很少。
“I’m a storyteller” Robertson reminds me. So to tell a good story he needs good actors to convey the necessary human emotions. It’s self evident then why casting a model to play the part of an everyday fan is less than ideal. While Chinese advertising is notorious for whitewashed ads with gorgeous models using the particular product for sale, from the scripts Robertson has seen recently, this trend is fading fast. As the brand narratives begin to favor storytelling, “the casting will naturally evolve to meet the demands of the scripts” Robertson believes.
“我是要讲故事的”，Robertson说道。要想讲出好故事，必须得有好演员才能传达出人的情绪。找一个模特来扮演日常粉丝，看起来就不是那么回事。但是中国广告一般都是要选用漂亮模特，才能达到增加产品销量的目的，这一点是人尽皆知的，但是从近期的剧本来看，这样的趋势已经渐渐消退。品牌形象越来越钟情于讲故事，“选角也越来越注重满足剧本的需求”，Robertson如是说。
Lee Cheng Producer from MiC Productions
While certainly exhilarating to work in a growing market like China it is not without its handful of struggles. Robertson is able to brush them off with a sort of calm cultural acuity. Perhaps its because Robertson is a kind-hearted Canadian or has an extra bone of empathy that allows him to work so fluidly in different markets.
虽然他很钟情不断发展壮大的中国市场，但是这中间也不乏一些纠结之处。对此，他也能够意识到这中间的文化敏感性，对此淡然处之。或许这是因为他本身就是一个善良的加拿大人，愿意替他人着想，所以在不同的国家都能够灵活变通。
As our time winds to an end Robertson jokes to me he might like to try his hand at shooting in India. This is not because India is a good or known stable market but more so he could take on a new challenge. China, on the other, might be the world’s best market at the moment. For storytellers in particular it is an exciting time to be in China’s advertising world. “I think it’s only going to get better and better,” he tells me optimistically, “and that’s exciting, it’s fresh”.
采访接近尾声，Robertson开玩笑说，或许他还想去印度拍摄体验体验。当然并不是因为印度市场多么知名或者稳定，而是因为他想接受新的挑战。相比之下，中国可能是目前世界上最好的市场了。尤其是对于那些擅长讲故事的人，中国广告市场现在正处在激动人心的时刻。“我觉得它只会越来越好，” Robertson乐观地说道，“激动人心，焕然一新”。
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Credits 制片团队 Client 客户： NBA Agency 广告公司 : AKQA SHANGHAI Executive Creative Director 执行创意总监 : Eric Cruz Account service 客户服务 : Shirley Ling / Joyce Wang Agency Producer 广告公司制片 : Ivy Low Production 制片公司 : MiC (Made In China Films ) Director 导演 : Ian Robertson Producer 制片人 : Lee Cheng / Lanny Dong Dop 摄影师 : Leandro Vieira Ferrao Art Director 文艺指导 : Amily Wang Editor 编辑 : Yan Jing Grading 调色 : Don Chuan ( MBS) Post 后期制片公司 : CO2 Music, Sound Design & Mixing 音乐制作 : The Recroom ( Malaysia）
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