Qingdao creates Asia's version of Hollywood

The film and television industry has become a new economic driver for the Qingdao West Coast New Area, as the area turns into a hot spot for film and television production and investment, according to local officials.

"Lingshan Bay Screen Culture Industrial District has great momentum, fostering the development of the new area's film and television industry," said Guo Miao, a manager of West Coast Development Group, which is in charge of the development of the Lingshan Bay district.

The industrial district is committed to forging a high-end film and television industry system that covers filming locations, film production and movie-themed tourism, Guo added.

The district has invested more than 60 billion yuan ($9.3 billion) on infrastructure construction in the past four years, and that investment has more than paid off; the district has been home to a batch of quality projects that have a total investment value of 200 billion yuan.

Among the projects introduced is the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis, which has a much larger scale than similar projects worldwide, according to Guo.

With a total investment value of 50 billion yuan, the movie metropolis covers 376 hectares and has an overall floor space of 5.4 million square meters.

The goal of the movie metropolis is to offer a complete film production industrial chain, including location shooting and related services, film and television production, film exhibition and film-themed tourism.

The film industrial park of the movie metropolis, covering 166 hectares, consists of the film production area and location area.

The film production area is equipped with a settings workshop, post-production center, research and development center and services center, thus offering high-quality, one-stop production services. It is scheduled to establish 52 high-tech photo studios, 30 of which were already completed in the first phrase.

The location area, covering 60 hectares, offers several shooting locations with diverse styles, including a background that resembles Europe and another that looks like old Shanghai, thereby meeting the shooting requirements of different types of films and television programs.

For the first phrase of this project, Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis has established one of the world's largest studios, covering 10,000 square meters and including the most advanced underwater studio worldwide, and one of the largest outdoor pools in Asia.

The film industrial park of Qingdao Movie Metropolis is the first and only film and television production facility in China that complies with international standards, according to Guo.

Relying on the advanced shooting facilities and services, more than 30 films and TV series have already been shot here, including Pacific Rim 2, Great Wall, Crazy Alien and Our Little Secret.

The Qingdao West Coast New Area offers the film and television industry several advantages－a scenic natural environment, plentiful talent reserves and a strong industrial base.

The new area has a 282-kilometer coastline and a unique city landscape with blue seas and clear skies, providing a sort of natural studio for domestic and international film crews.

As for the supply of industry talent, an array of professional art institutions have settled in the new area.

Currently, Qingdao West Coast New Area has more than 3,000 cultural and creative companies, the operating revenue of which exceeds 100 billion yuan, accounting for 40 percent of the total revenue of Qingdao's cultural and creative industry, according to the local government.

The Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis in the new area will have a complete film production industrial chain. CHINA DAILY