Abstinence Pei, don't be too sweet when chasing your wife

Chapter 557 The Birth of Documentaries

The next day, Xiao Fangfei and Kong Haoyu immediately organized the filming materials from Qinglongpo—three large hard drives filled with moments of the kiln fire dancing, details of craftsman Chen adjusting the glaze, the daily routine of the villagers guarding the kiln, and the cheers and emotions when the new porcelain came out of the kiln.

Looking at these clips filled with the fresh scent of pine resin, Xiao Fangfei was filled with emotion, but she was also keenly aware that editing documentaries was not their specialty: "The footage we shoot is very precious, but to make it into a film that can move people's hearts, we still need a professional team. Cinematic language, narrative rhythm, sound effects, etc., all require professional skills. If we force it, we will only waste good footage."

Kong Haoyu agreed wholeheartedly and immediately contacted the well-known "Light and Shadow Documentary" studio in the industry.

After reviewing the initial footage, the other party immediately decided to take on the project: "The story of Qingning Kiln's heritage is incredibly powerful. The kiln fire, craftsmanship, and human connection are the most precious core elements of a documentary. We will assemble a dedicated team to move into Qinglongpo as soon as possible to reshoot details and ensure the best possible result."

The next day, the documentary team arrived in Qinglongpo as scheduled.

Director Zhou Ming, along with a team of five including a cameraman, editor, and writer, headed straight to the kiln site as soon as they put down their luggage.

"We want to get a feel for the atmosphere here first, and shoot some empty shots of the kiln site and the daily lives of the villagers to make the film more lifelike." Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan were already prepared, and led the team to visit the Song Dynasty kiln walls, the Song Dynasty well, and the old tools treasured by craftsman Chen.

“These are all historical witnesses to Qingning Kiln. Director Zhou, please take a look and see which shots we can use.”

Zhou Ming squatted in front of the Song Dynasty kiln wall, shining a flashlight on the old glaze marks on the wall, and exclaimed repeatedly: "These marks are too precious. We must take close-up photos to directly show the historical significance of the kiln site."

Xiao Fangfei and Kong Haoyu cooperated throughout the process but did not interfere with the professional work.

Xiao Fangfei, with her familiarity with Qinglongpo, served as the team's guide.

"The kiln roof is foggy in the early morning, which makes for a particularly artistic photo; the lanterns guarding the kiln are lit in the evening, and the warm yellow light reflects the kiln fire, which is especially heartwarming."

She also shared the details she observed.

“When Master Chen mixes the glaze, he stirs it clockwise three hundred times until he sweats on his forehead. This action must be filmed in close-up, as it is a rule passed down from the older generation. When Aunt Zhang bakes sesame cakes, she makes three cuts on the cakes, saying that it allows good fortune to ‘penetrate’ in. These folk customs and small details make the film more down-to-earth.”

Kong Haoyu leveraged his resources to help the team coordinate equipment and venues.

“I contacted the nearby power supply station to ensure a stable power supply during filming and avoid power outages during nighttime reshoots; the empty room next to the kiln shed has been cleaned up and laid with moisture-proof mats, which you can use to store equipment and discuss scripts; I also transferred two off-road vehicles from the city to make it easier for you to go to Eagle Beak Cliff to film the soil extraction scenes, as the road there is difficult to travel and off-road vehicles are more reliable.”

He also specially transported professional lighting equipment from the city.

"Qinglongpo is dark at night, and these devices can ensure the clarity of night scene shooting without disturbing the tranquil atmosphere of the kiln guard."

The professional team was very efficient, completing the reshoots in just three days.

They followed craftsman Chen to the sunny slope to select pine branches and photographed the morning dew on the pine needles; they followed the villagers to dry pine needle ash and recorded the dappled sunlight on the ash piles; they also photographed Aunt Zhang teaching Ling Jiu'er to weave bamboo curtains and the village chief classifying pine branches.

Zhou Ming discussed the preliminary edited sample footage with everyone.

"The main theme of the film is 'The kiln fire never dies, the craftsmanship continues forever,' and it is divided into three parts: 'Finding the kiln,' 'Guarding the kiln,' and 'Passing on the kiln.' It not only showcases the porcelain-making skills but also records the warmth between people."

On the screen, craftsman Chen holds his grandfather's rough porcelain bowl and recounts a segment about the inheritance, accompanied by soft bamboo flute background music, which is particularly touching; the scene of villagers taking turns adding pine branches and eating sesame cakes together, without much narration, is full of human warmth.

Craftsman Chen looked at the sample, his eyes slightly red.

"The filming is so good, it's like bringing the days of Qinglongpo to the screen. It's like seeing my grandfather guarding the kiln again."

The village chief smiled and said, "Director Zhou, could you please keep a few more of the blessings we said when we added pine branches? The phrase 'May the porcelain not crack, may the art be passed down' is a saying passed down from our elders, and we want more people to hear it."

Zhou Ming took notes of everyone's suggestions: "Don't worry, we will adjust the film based on everyone's feedback to make it both professional and heartwarming, so as not to let down these precious stories."

Meanwhile, the experiential activities in Qinglongpo have gotten on track.

Ling Jiu'er became a temporary tour guide, leading tourists to visit the kiln site and introducing pottery shards every day.

"Look at this piece of porcelain from the Song Dynasty. The wave pattern on it is clockwise, which means that the craftsmen at that time used the same kneading technique as Master Chen today. This is what inheritance means!"

She also compiled the porcelain-making knowledge taught by craftsman Chen into a rhyme and taught it to tourists: "Choose eagle beak clay, knead the clay for three hundred steps, adjust the glaze to be as thick as rice soup, and burn the fire with sun-facing wood."

Aunt Zhang's small tea stall has also become lively. Every day before dawn, she gets up to bake sesame cakes and cook corn porridge, and she also adjusts the dishes according to the tastes of tourists.

“My friends from the city don’t like pickled vegetables that are too salty, so I made sweet jam, which goes perfectly with sesame cakes.”

When tourists want to learn how to make sesame cakes, she teaches them step by step.

"Use warm water to knead the dough, let it rest for half an hour, and keep the heat low when baking, otherwise the outside will burn before the inside is cooked. Just like Master Chen firing porcelain, you can't rush it."

Craftsman Chen was busy teaching tourists how to knead clay and carve patterns.

He specially prepared polymer clay suitable for beginners and patiently provided guidance.

"When kneading the clay, you should knead it in one direction to remove the air bubbles, otherwise it will crack when fired; when carving patterns, you should be light and not too forceful, otherwise it will damage the integrity of the clay body." When a child couldn't carve pine needles well, he would hold the child's hand and teach him stroke by stroke: "Look, pine needles should be of different lengths to look natural, just like pine trees on the mountain."

Xiao Fangfei would accompany tourists on a motorcycle ride around Qinglongpo, pointing to the kiln sites in the distance.

"Look, that's Qingning Kiln. The celadon it produces is as beautiful as the sky after the rain."

Kong Haoyu helped the village chief connect with orders: "Some tourists want to customize celadon with engraved characters. I have contacted a cultural and creative company to help design the font, ensuring that it is both beautiful and does not damage the glaze."

One evening, Xiao Fangfei and Kong Haoyu sat by the kiln, watching a professional team film the night view of the kiln guards.

"I never expected that a documentary could be this good without us having to do anything ourselves,"

Xiao Fangfei said with a smile, "Professionals should do professional things. We just need to do what we can do and accurately convey the story and details of Qinglongpo to them, and that will be enough."

Kong Haoyu held her hand, feeling the warmth between his fingertips: "Yes, you are good at sharing the story of Qinglongpo, I am good at connecting resources, Fanxing and Jiu'er are good at archaeology, President Pei is in charge of funding, and Master Chen is good at craftsmanship. Only when everyone gives full play to their strengths can Qingning Kiln be known to more people."

On the day the professional team left Qinglongpo, they left the final sample video for everyone.

At the end of the film, in the sunset over Qinglongpo, the kiln fire is still flickering. Craftsman Chen and tourists knead the clay together, Aunt Zhang hands out sesame cakes, Ling Jiu'er explains the pottery shards, Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan organize the data, and Xiao Fangfei and Kong Haoyu stand side by side watching the kiln fire. Everyone's face is full of smiles.

As background music gradually rises, the subtitles slowly appear: "The kiln fire never dies, the craftsmanship continues; the hearts of people are warm, the inheritance never ends."

Everyone was deeply moved as they watched the sample video.

The village chief said excitedly, "This film is so well made! When tourists come in the future, we'll show them the film first, and then take them to experience it. It will definitely make more people fall in love with Qingning Kiln!"

Craftsman Chen nodded: "Thank you, Director Zhou's team, for showcasing the craftsmanship and stories of Qinglongpo so well."

Xiao Fangfei looked at Kong Haoyu, feeling completely at ease.

She knew that the warmth of Qinglongpo would be shared with more people through the creation of this documentary.