Chapter 6 Good teacher and helpful friend Zhao Zhongxiang

The first time I met Mr. Zhao Zhongxiang was when I was selected for Zhengda Variety Show.Knowing that I will be working in the same office as this famous announcer and host, the sense of mystery and novelty is no less than that of being on camera for the first time.Zhao Zhongxiang’s off-screen clothes are very ordinary: a pair of cloth trousers, a half-new T-shirt—a few years later, he still often wears that T-shirt, causing his colleagues to laugh at him kindly: “Old Zhao, save me Money for your son to marry a wife?" He smiled naively: "You young people, dress up more." Because of his generosity and kindness, the younger generation called him "Uncle Zhao".

Of course I really wanted to make a good impression on this senior, but I didn't want to take the liberty of talking too much and make people feel disgusted, so I stood up and greeted him respectfully.Lao Zhao was also very polite: "Are you the new host?" "Yes. Teacher Zhao, please give me some advice." At his desk, he began to organize the letters that had piled up in a pile. The first contact with Mr. Zhao was so simple, it can be said that it was completely polite.I believe I didn't leave any impression on him: there are too many girls who come and go in and out of the TV station every day.Besides, my mouth is not sweet.

A few days later, when I was about to leave work, I saw that Mr. Zhao didn't seem to have any important things to do, so I mustered up the courage to ask him for my opinion on hosting.Seeing my sincerity, Mr. Zhao said bluntly: "Chinese people, first of all, we must be polite, a country of etiquette for thousands of years. You are a young girl, how can you call the older guests directly on the show? What about my first name?” Actually, I had my own difficulties: at that time, the producer clearly told me not to use titles like “Mr” and “Miss”.When meeting old seniors such as Chen Qiang and Tian Hua, call them "comrade", it seems a bit too serious and not suitable for the atmosphere of variety shows; "Mr" and "Ms" are not allowed; call them "teacher", I am not Those who study acting, where does the teacher-student relationship come from?You can't call him "Uncle" or "Auntie".In desperation, I had no choice but to call him by his first name, and I was also very awkward.But I didn't expect that Mr. Zhao was not polite at all this time, and pointed this out in front of his colleagues in the office.My face turned red, and I explained the reason in a very low voice.Unexpectedly, Teacher Zhao was not sympathetic at all: "If you are told not to call you, stop calling? It is your own image that is damaged.

There are many things, the insider can forgive you, but the audience won't, the show is the final standard, you can't tell the audience: how hard my work is, how difficult it is. The saying 'no credit, no hard work' doesn't work in television. " "Zhengda Variety Show" is often recorded intensively, usually more than a dozen episodes a week, up to 24 episodes in eight days.That means a shortfall will stay on TV for months.Let’s take the title issue as an example. Although Mr. Zhao pointed out this point in the third week after the show started, in the next ten weeks, the audience still saw that I was no big or small on TV. .Watching "Zhengda Variety Show" every week has become a kind of burden for me. I really want to turn into an ostrich and bury my head in the sand.This kind of video recording method is indeed very unfavorable for a novice like me. It is difficult to find problems in time and correct them in time.But on the other hand, it also exercised me.The more those shortcomings are repeated, the more profound the lessons are for me.Waiting for the next recording, I will really try my best, and I can't wait to be reborn.

Such high-intensity concentrated video recording, in the last few days, became a fatigue battle.In particular, the host has to start putting on makeup at eight o'clock every morning, discuss the next day's manuscript at night, stand under strong light for five or six hours a day, maintain an excited state, and be ready to perform on the spot at any time, physically and mentally. The burden is heavy.Sometimes I can't think of any good ideas, and there always seems to be a voice saying: "Forget it, this episode will be okay." But the colleagues in the crew are not reconciled to this, and I am not reconciled to this, because "There is no credit but hard work." "The saying does not exist in the dictionary of television.Our momentary sloppiness, to the audience, is the disappointment of hundreds of millions of people.

Having said that, although I thank Teacher Zhao for his criticism from the bottom of my heart, I am also a little discouraged: Now, this Teacher Zhao must have a bad impression of me.When I saw him later, I was a little scared. In August 1990, the fifth month after "Zhengda Variety Show" was broadcast, I was officially assigned to work in the International Department of CCTV after graduating from university.I applied to be a choreographer and not a full-time announcer.And the first series I co-produced was "Our Asia".This is a 15-minute short documentary film produced in conjunction with the Asian Games at that time. One episode is broadcast after "News Network" every day, and the content is to introduce the general situation of an Asian country.The editors in the group trusted me and let me try to write the first episode of "Asia Overview".I took the style of lyrical prose and borrowed the mood of the opening chapters of Dante's Divine Comedy.I remember that the first sentence I wrote was: "In the vast universe, the sun rises in the east." At that time, it was Mr. Zhao who was in charge of dubbing this series.After he read this manuscript, he came over to me happily and said, "Is this your manuscript? It's well written, and it can be taught by children. Good! Good!" Afterwards, he said to me that the host's Language skills are very important, and the foundation of language skills lies in writing.Many hosts asked him how to establish a TV image, etc., all of which were sacrificing the basics and seeking the last.A master who can't speak a neat sentence once he leaves other people's manuscripts has no future in dealing with others.

"You are a dry host material." Teacher Zhao said something lightly. In August 1991, in the face of the unsuccessful trial period of the first two classes of hosts in the first three months, the International Department decided to invite Mr. Zhao to be the host of "Zhengda Variety Show" with me.After hesitating, Old Zhao finally agreed.Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.And I will have such an "uncle" as a backer, and I feel a lot more at ease.More than a year of hosting experience has made me grow somewhat, and the audience also has a positive attitude towards me. According to the evaluation of people in the TV circle, I have already established my foothold.But how to develop it further, I have no idea. "It must be right to learn from Teacher Zhao." I thought so, so I worked extra hard at work.

Regarding hosting, I have always held the attitude of a student: I look up information in everything, and strive to be comprehensive and accurate. The Beijing Library is a place I often go to on weekends.When I got there, I found that the current popular information introduced overseas in China is often limited to boring figures and historical facts such as population, geography, history, and religion.Fortunately, my English background came in handy. I have read almost all the English reference books in the library on travel around the world, and I often consult different encyclopedias.The audience reported that I have a wide range of knowledge. Of course, there is a foundation laid in school, and the collection of materials before each recording has helped a lot, but this hard work also has a negative effect: I always want to use the information I found They are all used in the program, the so-called "precious broom", so that the concatenated words are made to look like an archive.Teacher Zhao believes that dropping book bags like this will make the show lack of vitality. He strongly advocates talking more about personal experiences and more real feelings.

For example, when recording "Zhengda Variety Show" in Henan, he talked a lot about his relationship with Henan - it turned out that this was the place where he went to the cadre school to train.He was a pig farmer in the company back then.Speaking of raising pigs, he relished saying: "At that time, pigs were one of the main assets of the company, so entrusting this job to me was the trust of the leader!" Lao Zhao spoke with great enthusiasm, and the audience I was fascinated by it. This kind of hosting is like chatting with friends. It is really a kind of enjoyment.I am convinced: information not only refers to hard numbers, but also includes the exchange of emotions.The amount of information carried by emotions is more direct and more touching.I, a young man who always wants to raise everything to a rational level, learned the charm of returning to basics in the cooperation with Mr. Zhao.Today, my experience is shallow and I can't do this step, but at least I understand that this is a kind of goal and level.

In the communication with Mr. Zhao, I learned more about his personal experience. During the "Cultural Revolution", he was once a target of censorship, was terminated from his broadcasting work, could not reunite with his wife, and tended a dozen pigs alone in almost isolation.Apart from raising good pigs, is there any other better mental solution?At night, looking at the star-studded sky, how does he, who claims to be "not a pillar, but also an extraordinary wood", imagine his future, or dare to imagine?Today, more than twenty years later, he has become a recognized authority, respected and trusted by audiences across the country.But he is not the director of CCTV as people say, not even the group leader.At times, he seems just an ordinary middle-aged man: meticulous in his work and cautious in his life.That is the survival philosophy of a generation, and it is closely related to the various movements they experienced when they were young, especially the extraordinarily complicated ups and downs of the propaganda organs.I began to understand this teacher Zhao: What's the point of sending these straightforward exclamations?Let's talk more about the brighter side of life and continue with the story of raising pigs - those pigs are so big!

Self-deprecation is a humorous way that Lao Zhao and I especially like.Once, the chess champion Xie Jun came to be a guest. When I introduced her, I joked, "Xie Jun is so smart, probably because his head is so big and the capacity is big." When I turned around and saw Mr. Zhao, I found that his head was not Small.Old Zhao chuckled and said, "The head is big, but the quality of the things inside is different." Mr. Zhao is kind and generous, sometimes I, a junior, make fun of him, but he doesn't mind.Once I went to Inner Mongolia to shoot an exterior scene. There was a scene where he and I were riding a horse. He secretly put his horse's rein into my hand and said, "Yang Lan, hold on tighter. I'm too heavy, and this horse is already a little unhappy. , in case it suddenly spread its legs and started to run while walking, wouldn’t my old bones be broken?” At this time, the cameraman had already pointed the lens at us, and Mr. Zhao seemed to be okay, with an expression Looking at the blue sky and grassland calmly, pointing fingers, seems to be very leisurely.I almost laughed out loud.So, when recording in the studio, I deliberately made a joke and asked him to talk about the feeling of riding a horse to the audience.Teacher Zhao was also sincere and said honestly: "I saw such a beautiful scenery at the time, and I remembered Ma Yutao's song 'Horse, go slowly, go slowly'. I was afraid of falling, so I kept begging that Horse: "Ma'er, you have to walk more slowly, walk more slowly." Weight loss is a fashionable topic, and we often bring it up when we host "Zhengda Variety Show".At this time, Mr. Zhao, who is slightly fat, always has a few words of self-criticism, saying that he doesn't exercise often, and he can't stand the temptation of delicious food.Once, he told the audience a story about a person who finally made up his mind to lose weight and asked a doctor for advice.The doctor said: "It's easy to handle, just eat two slices of bread a day." After a few days, the man went to the doctor again and asked, "Do you eat the two slices of bread before or after meals?" Huh?" After hearing this story, the audience and I bent over laughing on the spot, even the cameramen couldn't close their mouths.I turned around to look at Mr. Zhao, he was tense, with a sincere and bewildered expression on his face, as if he had entered the role.I couldn't help admiring this partner even more, and immediately suggested that he could switch to cross talk in the future.However, his stern antics misled some viewers.Soon, Mr. Zhao received a letter from the audience, who asked him solemnly: "Your story is not finished yet. Should those two slices of bread be eaten before or after meals?"——We couldn't laugh or cry , I wonder if this man really has no sense of humor, or is he using this letter to make the whole story more humorous? When Mr. Zhao talks about eating, he always enjoys talking about it, but besides self-deprecating, he has other meanings.He tried the old Beijing snacks like a few treasures, hoping that people who pay attention to "food culture" should not only pay attention to the introduction of various "foreign food", but also pay attention to inheriting and carrying forward the traditional food of the nation, and promote it. In short, carry forward the culture of the Chinese nation.I remember that the 199th issue of "Zhengda Variety Show" started with Mr. Zhao playing diabolo.This wooden gadget was one of his favorite games in his boyhood.Back then, throwing long lines and shaking diabolos was a must-do ritual for him and his friends every spring.Such an old-fashioned toy is no longer available in the current market. For the video recording, Mr. Zhao insisted on finding a diabolo.He said: "It's not that I'm nostalgic, but I want to explain: some folk stuff should be preserved. Children today have all kinds of expensive toys, but the joy of childhood cannot be bought with money.I would rather children go outside in spring, shake diabolos, fly kites, and get closer to nature, instead of hiding in the room and playing video games. In the end, the producer borrowed a diabolo from an acrobatic troupe, and it had a big crack, so everyone had to "wrap" it up with scotch tape, and repeatedly asked Mr. Zhao: "Don't shake it!" Do it too hard, or it will fall apart. Teacher Zhao shook his head regretfully, and said to me: "In a few years, I'm afraid even the acrobatic troupe won't have such a thing." " Teacher Zhao often said to me: "If a Chinese host does not love and understand the culture of his own country, it is very sad." I admire Mr. Zhao's ancient prose skills very much.Tang Poetry, Song Ci, and even some passages in "Shuowen Jiezi", he can be trusted and used appropriately, and some ideas in Chinese cultural traditions are also deeply rooted in his life.He once copied to me a couplet in Baoguang Temple: "Outsiders have no fixed laws, and then they know that they are not legal; the world's affairs are still unfinished, so why not let them go." It is his code of conduct. You must know that in the host industry, there are many open and secret fights for the limelight, or for trivial matters such as rankings.Experienced hosts can tell which position on the stage has good lighting, which camera position is right, and which microphone reverberation is good, but some people only use their little brains on these things.Teacher Zhao never cares about it, and he never forgets to support us juniors and drive the team spirit of mutual cooperation.For example, when hosting some large-scale events, some hosts have loud voices, but I have not received vocal training. If I blindly "shout" with others, my voice will be unpleasant, and my voice will become hoarse after a while.At times like this, Mr. Zhao always asks the other hosts to lower the "tune" a little while correcting my pronunciation, and also asks the sound engineer to coordinate the personal volume and audio. During the two and a half years of co-hosting "Zhengda Variety Show" with Mr. Zhao, I learned a lot from this "uncle".I understand that in order to establish the image of a host, appearance and temperament are important, knowledge reserves and mental agility are key, but the most important thing is inner cultivation and sound personality. Mr. Jiang Zilong wrote a short article, saying that the combination of Zhao Zhongxiang and me opened up the "old and young partners" model.It is said that such a combination is both solemn and harmonious, and complements each other, ensuring the maximum audience.I think he has a good point.But there is one point that he didn't mention, that is, why two people with very different experiences and images can quickly reach a tacit understanding and harmony? Speaking of it, it is not mysterious.I personally think that the reason is that Mr. Zhao and I have many similarities in life and dealing with the world.For example, we all believe that life should be positive and serious, and truth, goodness and beauty exist in everyone's heart after all. Although there are many dark sides in society, this should not be a reason for us to doubt everything and be negative and decadent; Hard work is the shortcut to success, opportunism may be able to exchange for a moment of glory, but it cannot stand the test of time after all.Mr. Zhao likes to read martial arts novels, which made me a fan of Jin Yong.The solid, stable, well-accumulated "Shaolin and Wudang" style of decent kung fu often makes us yearn for it, and the evil magic of sprinkling poison and using hidden weapons will make us frown.Perhaps, this kind of love and dislike is exactly the attitude we hold when we pursue the style of hosting? On stage and off stage, I call Zhao Zhongxiang "Teacher Zhao", which is a very natural address.Although the title of "teacher" is so common nowadays that it has almost become a common respect for elders on TV, but in a strict sense, Mr. Zhao is indeed my teacher, which is unquestionable; no, it should be more accurate to say that he is a good teacher and helpful friend. What is Mr. Zhao doing now?Was he invited to plan a new program, or did he steal a moment of leisure to lay out paper and splash ink at home, and draw his best little donkey?