Experts, innovative technology take center stage at Qingdao film expo

Talks at three-day event focus on further development of city's industry

Officials, experts and entrepreneurs from across the country gathered in Qingdao, Shandong province, from Saturday to Monday to learn about the progress in China's film and television industry and offer their views on how to further develop it.

The 2020 Qingdao Film and Television Expo aimed to provide a platform to pool industry resources and encourage insiders to exchange ideas, according to its organizers.

Organizers said they hoped that the event could revitalize the sector, which was hit by the COVID-19 epidemic.

The event featured 15 activities including an opening ceremony, forums, film promotions, training and exhibitions.

Saturday evening's opening ceremony began with an actor performing different movie scenes on stage, creating a stereoscopic view for spectators thanks to glasses-free 3D technology.

Cutting-edge technologies applied to the film and television industry, including 5G, were one of main focuses during the three-day event.

A series of white papers about "high-and new-tech video" were released by the National Radio and Television Administration on Sunday.

According to the white papers, "high-and new-tech video" could bring higher-level formats, brand-new scenarios and a better audiovisual experience.

A themed activity about China's animation industry was held on Saturday, in which leading insiders shared their views on international competition, industrialization, intellectual property operation and how to cater to the needs of the latest generation of audiences.

As part of the expo, the fourth Internet Film Festival was held on Sunday evening. The festival awarded both individuals and companies involved in internet films, aiming to give impetus to the healthy development of the field and encourage more quality productions.

During the event, participants not only learned advanced information and knowledge about the film and television industry, but also were provided with real experience in applied state-of-the-art technologies.

For example, visitors could watch six classic virtual reality films in a 360-degree view. They trained themselves to use the technology by following professional boxers' movements or by walking after climbers to reach the top of Qomolangma, known in the West as Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.

One exhibitor presented a scented movie so audiences could experience different aromas as the movie progressed, offering a brand-new experience beyond traditional audiovisual means.

Han Feng, general manager of China Television Industrial Group, said insiders could learn a lot of practical experience about industrial trends during the Qingdao event.

"The applications of 5G technology displayed are various and have their own characteristics. All of them can lead the development of the industry," Han said.

Film has played an indispensable part in Qingdao's development over the past 100 years. The city saw its first cinemas in the early 1900s, when film and filmmaking were in their fledgling years.

The city joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Film in 2017.

Blessed with an eye-catching coastal landscape, European-style architecture and well-preserved heritage, the city has been hailed as a natural studio and favored by many filmmakers and directors.

The city's West Coast New Area, where the film expo was held, was the ninth state-level new district to be approved by the State Council in 2014.

The area is home to the Oriental Movie Metropolis, the largest film-studio complex in the world. Some of the blockbusters shot there include The Wandering Earth and Pacific Rim: Uprising.

The city government has designated the film and television industry as one of the engines to promote economic growth and has aimed to turn the city into one of the largest and busiest film production hubs in China.

Zhu Peiji, vice-mayor of Qingdao, said the city is building a demonstration base for China's film and television industrialization and an innovation center for "high-and new-tech video" powered by 5G technology.

"Currently, more than 400 film and television enterprises have been registered in the area, and nearly 100 films are shot here every year," Zhu added.

At the closing ceremony of the event on Monday, 19 new film and television projects were signed. The city government also offered more than 10 million yuan ($1.46 million) in subsidies to encourage producers and enterprises to create more quality films and television programs.