Text by Annie Lu ｜Translation by Elaina Kung
儘管已締造過《海角七號》、《KANO》等多部國片的票房榮景，魏德聖導演仍想堅持初心，持續述說台灣這塊土地的故事，沒料到的是疫情竟讓預計製作的《臺灣三部曲》必須喊停，巨大的沮喪與失望吞噬了魏德聖導演的自信，內心甚至出現陰暗的念頭，然而存於心中已久的癌症病童故事喚醒了他，讓他重新思考「困境」的定義，進而決定將其拍成《BIG》這部結合真人與動畫的電影，不僅用來鼓勵自己，也希望藉此療癒那些受疾病與挫折而停滯不前的人們。
Despite having created box office hits with films like “Cape No. 7” and “KANO,” director Wei Te-sheng still wanted to stick to his original intentions and continue telling the stories of Taiwan. However, the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of his planned production of the film “Taiwan Trilogy.” Overwhelmed by immense frustration and disappointment, Wei Te-sheng’s confidence wavered, causing him to drown in dark thoughts. Yet, a story about a child with cancer, which stayed on his mind for a long time, triggered something within him, allowing him to redefine the concept of “hardship.” This led to his decision to create “BIG,” a film that combines live-action and animation. He hoped to not only encourage himself, but to also heal those who have been stagnant due to illness and setbacks.
導演魏德聖，全新作品《BIG》12月1日暖心上映。
童心協力 Children in Unity
《BIG》劇中以病房裡的七位癌症病童為主軸，同時通過疾病的不同病徵去設定七位小勇士的動畫形象，每一位都具有自己的特色，雖然他們個性都不一樣，但在病房中依然能互相包容，並都能在面對人生最大困境時，展現出連大人都懾服的韌性，當魏德聖導演被問到是如何引導這些扮演病童的兒童演員時，他提到：「我告訴他們自己做的事情跟大人是一樣的，他們就會有責任感，也就會盡全力把事情做好，同時也告訴他們拍這個電影是很偉大的事情，因為這部電影裡，你們所扮演的角色是要安慰很多大人、為他們解決問題的。」
The film “BIG” centers around seven children battling with cancer in a hospital ward. Each character possesses unique characteristics and is crafted to reflect the symptoms of their illnesses. Although the children all have different personalities, they are still accepting of one another. While fighting their challenging battles, the children display a resilience that even adults find awe-inspiring. When director Wei Te-sheng was asked about how he directed the child actors, he responded with, “I told them that they were doing the same work as the adults which gave them a sense of responsibility, resulting in them putting in their best efforts. I also let them know that they are an important part of this film as the roles they play provides comfort and solutions for many adults.”
《BIG》劇中演員郭大睿、導演魏德聖及演員鄭又菲合影。
共譜佳作 Creating a Masterpiece Together
為了使這七位小勇士的動畫形象深植人心，魏德聖導演特別邀請新海誠御用美術指導丹治匠擔任《BIG》的動畫導演合作，兩人很早之前就已認識，但合作是到《臺灣三部曲》前傳中「達娜米」的這個故事才開始，雙方透過合作的過程漸漸產生出默契與共識，魏德聖導演也非常信任他的能力，畢竟對丹治匠來說2D製作是他的專業；此外，丹治匠更為了讓《BIG》動畫製作更細膩，他也特別飛來台灣了解這些孩子的外型、個性，為的就是讓孩子們能在動畫裡面表現的更靈活。
In order to leave a deep impression of the seven young heroes in the hearts of the audience, director Wei Te-sheng invited renowned art director Shinji Hashimoto, known for his work with Makoto Shinkai, to co-direct the animation of “BIG.” Although the two had known each other for a while, their collaboration began with the prelude to the “Taiwan Trilogy” during the story of “Danami.” Through their collaboration, they slowly fostered a sense of harmony and agreement and, given his expertise in 2D animation, director Wei Te-sheng was confident in Hashimoto’s abilities. In order to make the animation production for “BIG” even more intricate, Hashimoto even went the extra mile by traveling to Taiwan in order to understand the appearances and personalities of the children.
《BIG》劇中演員郭大睿、演員鄭又菲。
再續前緣 The Rekindling of Old Connections
相較以往作品多著墨台灣的歷史，魏德聖導演希望可以通過《BIG》去展現台灣多元的人文風情，也希望觀眾可以從中找到自己，好比電影裡的家庭階層、性格相異，有的家庭可能高齡產子、事業成功或是離婚單親，但卻都要面對孩子生病的事實，魏德聖導演經由將他們結合在一個空間裡，從面對小小的衝突到最後互相度過難過、互相憐憫的方式去解決問題，就是一個大家庭融合的體現，魏德聖導演認為這是非常「台灣」的，也非常有過去《海角七號》的風味！特別的是此回《BIG》更再度讓田中千繪與范逸臣合體重續前緣，魏導對此提到：「我跟他們一直都有保持聯繫，溝通默契上也非常契合，我也一直認為如果他們在電影裡飾演真正的夫妻，一定會很有趣，剛好劇中的大杉他年紀大概十四歲左右，我想一想海角七號到現在也十四、十五年了，我就把它當作海角七號第二集來看。」
Compared to his previous works which predominantly focused on Taiwan’s history, director Wei Te-sheng hopes to deliver the diverse cultural aspects of Taiwan through “BIG.” At the same time, director Wei hopes the audience can relate and discover themselves within the film’s characters, and the varying family dynamics and personalities. Some families might have older parents, some might have successful careers, and others might be divorced, single parents; however, once their children fall ill, they all must face reality. In the film, director Wei Te-sheng brings together the different families in a shared space, where they face minor conflicts but ultimately resolves their problems by supporting each other through difficult times. Director Wei Te-sheng believes that the reflection of a united family is very “Taiwanese”, reminding him of his previous work, “Cape No. 7.” A special aspect of “BIG” is the reunion of actors Chie Tanaka and Jack Kao, allowing them to rekindle old connections. Director Wei Te-sheng mentioned, “I’ve always stayed in contact with them and we have excellent communication and chemistry. I’ve always believed that if they played a real couple in a film, it would be very interesting. Coincidentally, the character Da-shan in the film is around 14 years old, and it’s been around 14 or 15 years since the release of “Cape No. 7”, so I like to think that this film as the second episode.”
《BIG》劇中演員郭大睿、演員鄭又菲。
演員訪談 Film Interviews – Actors
對於電影製作過程中最難忘的經歷，病童演員也分別提出他們的想法，飾演源源的鄭又菲認為：「是剃髮，因為需要很大的勇氣」飾演大杉的郭大睿則是覺得：「有一場戲要吐，因為我那時候很容易就會吐，只要有一點聲音或味道就會想吐，然後我記得那場戲我看到別人演自己就快受不了，但自己要演又放不開來。 所以魏導當時就跟我說你叫放開來 想像你吞東西又沒吞下去 那場真的超困難，練習的時候我真的差點吐爆。」兩人為了出演《BIG》都非常努力地將自己融入在角色中，並認為這部戲改變自己非常多，未來也希望會繼續朝著演員這條路前進！
When asked about their most memorable experience during the film’s production, the young actors that played the role of children with illnesses shared their thoughts. Child actress Zhen Yu-fei, who played the character Yuan-yuan, said the most unforgettable experience for her was shaving her head, as it required a lot of courage. On the other hand, child actor Max Kuo, who played the character Da-shan replied, “There is a scene where I had to throw up. Usually I can throw up really easily as I am very sensitive to sound and scent. I remember having a hard time holding it in when I was watching the other actors, but when it was my turn, I had a hard time letting myself throw up in front of the camera. Director Wei then told me to let loose and to imagine myself not being able to swallow something properly. That scene was really difficult for me and I almost couldn’t control myself during practice.” Both actors put tremendous effort into playing their roles in “BIG” and said the film greatly impacted them. They look forward to continuing their journey as actors in the future!