New Series Spotlights Behind-the-Scenes Heroes of Chinese Film

“Tales of Chinese Filmmakers” brings camera operators, sound designers, voice actors, and other unsung film crew members to center stage.

A promotional poster for the documentary series “Tales of Chinese Filmmakers.” From Douban

When the lights go up at the end of a movie, few in the audience follow the credits after the list of actors streams by. But a new Chinese documentary series is hoping to bring recognition and appreciation to the film crew members operating behind the scenes for the silver screen.

The five-episode documentary series “Tales of Chinese Filmmakers” features seven film personnel in five fields: cinematography, sound design, visual effects, arts design, and dubbing. Since premiering Feb. 28 on over a dozen television and streaming platforms, the series has scored 8.1 out of 10 on review site Douban, with its finale airing last Friday.

The series’ central figures are cinematographer Cao Yu, sound engineer Zhao Nan, production designer Ye Jintian, voice actor Zhang Jie, and visual effects artists Wei Ming, Ding Yanlai, and Zhou Yifu. Together, they share their experiences working on different projects, including the 2019 sci-fi blockbuster “The Wandering Earth,” Zhang Yimou’s 2018 period war drama “Shadow,” and Ang Lee’s 2000 Oscar-winning masterpiece “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

 

In revisiting productions from the past, the series focuses on the painstaking work that happened behind the scenes. Continue to read the full article here.

 

– This article originally appeared on Sixth Tone.