New creation direction for Shanghai-produced TV dramas
The seminar saw government officials, TV professionals and scholars exchange ideas on the development of Shanghai-produced dramas.
A seminar on the development of Shanghai-produced TV series was hosted on Friday during the ongoing 28th Shanghai TV Festival.
In the past decade, a number of high-quality local TV series have emerged and won top awards in the country, including "Medal of the Republic," "Like A Flowing River," "A Little Reunion."
Realistic urban dramas centering on varied aspects of ordinary people's lives such as career, marriage and family account for around half of the total.
Epic dramas produced in the city are also eye-catching for their novel perspectives and cinematography depicting the warmth and vicissitudes of society.
According to Fang Shizhong, director of the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism, history and reality are the main inspiration for the creation of Shanghai-produced dramas. Diverse productions characterized by warm realism have resonated with audiences.
"Many acclaimed works like 'Three-Body,' 'A Dream of Splendor' and "The Road of Life' are adapted from excellent Chinese literary works," said Fang. "We will continue to introduce funds and talent to impel and prosper the industry."
Li Jingsheng, vice president of China Federation of Radio and Television Associations, pointed out that many dramas are also adept at portraying urban women' options, confusion and growth in a big city.
"Audiences are usually enchanted and inspired by the collision between tradition and modernity in the hearts of the characters," Li said.
Li encouraged local filmmakers to tell more stories to showcase the city's distinctive charm as an international metropolis and its strength in the finance industry.
Actress Wu Yue gives a speech, sharing her thoughts on acting.
Li Jingsheng, vice president of China Federation of Radio and Television Associations, encourages directors to make more original series about Shanghai's distinctive charm.
Song Jiongming, president of the Shanghai Media Group, revealed it will strengthen cooperation with production companies and streaming platforms to produce more excellent works.
With many poplar dramas like "Nothing But Thirty" and "A Little Reunion" set to the backdrop of Shanghai, the local production company, Linmon Pictures, will continue to depict the unique city spirit of Shanghai, that is inclusiveness, openness, modesty and pursuit of excellence.
Su Xiao, chairman of Linmon Pictures, said that some of their dramas are so popular with overseas audiences that foreign remakes have also been developed in Thailand and Vietnam.
Linmon Pictures is now working on a drama centering on the city's relocation and urban renewal project of the lane-style Baoxingli neighborhood. It was built during 1916 and 1944 and is only 10 minutes' walk to the Bund.
Famous scriptwriter Wang Liping revealed that she has spent years writing a script about an ordinary girl's growth into a community policewoman.
Industry professionals attend the seminar.
As a beneficiary of the city's talent introduction program, Wang said she is grateful for the city's long-term support in her creation.
Director Fu Dongyu said that he is particularly impressed by the city's mature and complete industrial system that has successfully incubated top-notch productions and talent over the decades.
Zhao Jiaming, director of Shanghai Publicity Department, welcomed professionals from other provinces to bring their team and filming projects to the city, to showcase the brilliance of the country's traditional culture and the vitality of ordinary people's modern-day lives.
The seminar also revealed that preparation for a sequel to the sci-fi series "Three-Body" is underway.
