China‘s Xixi Footage has arrived on the 61st MIPTV buoyed by a slate of current successes which have helped the Shanghai-based manufacturing home have fun its fourth anniversary, however the firm is however eager additionally to share with the worldwide content material neighborhood what’s on the rapid horizon.
Over the previous 12 months, Xixi’s improvement has been pushed alongside by 4 vital productions that founder and CEO Yang Xiaopei says replicate an elevated variety not solely “in home” however when it comes to viewing calls for throughout a world viewers more and more turning its head towards Chinese language-produced content material.
The college-age drama The Youth Reminiscences, the home drama Alliance, in addition to the fantasy The Final Immortal and the household drama Island have been all capable of finding spectacular viewers attain throughout the state broadcaster CCTV, in addition to on the streaming platform Tencent Video and the VOD service Mango TV.
The Youth Reminiscences and Alliance have been two of solely three productions to make it to Tencent Video’s annual “hit sequence” listing this previous 12 months, whereas The Youth Reminiscences scored a 7.5 ranking on the influential Douban social media platform and Islands rated 7.3.
“Within the coming 12 months, Xixi Footage will keenly observe the evolving developments within the world movie and TV market, actively partaking in worldwide festivals to showcase our creations to audiences worldwide,” says Yang. “Insights gained from these world platforms will form our upcoming productions, as we purpose to craft narratives that resonate with common themes and spotlight the facility of ladies.”
Island definitely aimed to just do that, tapping into the Chinese language content material market’s shift in direction of increasing away from extra conventional genres like historic and fantasy epics. The sequence is concentrated on three generations of ladies from one household, and appears at “challenges associated to household, love and profession, resulting in development and mutual assist.”
The sequence was aired throughout prime time on nationwide broadcaster CCTV-1 in the course of the bumper Spring Pageant viewing interval — a primary for a Xixi Footage manufacturing.
“This timing, coupled with its spectacular viewership scores, underscores its significance,” says Yang, referring to an elevated curiosity in female-centric plot-lines and productions in China.
“Xixi Footage constantly focuses on creating content material that’s each present and deeply relatable, crafting narratives that genuinely contact and heat the hearts of our viewers,” she provides. “Islands contains a forged of characters that embody the evolving energy of ladies in as we speak’s society.”
The sequence can be targeted on plotlines that drive its characters in direction of discovering options for the myriad household and social issues life throws at them.
“We consider that whereas our tales ought to seize the intricacies of life, they need to additionally make clear hope and positivity, making certain a heat and uplifting narrative thread all through,” says Yang. “Islands represents Xixi Footage’ latest enterprise into innovatively narrating Chinese language tales, showcasing the experiences of ladies in ways in which transcend cultural and geographical boundaries and interact with up to date public conversations.”
Island is among the many Xixi productions whose themes have resonated throughout world audiences, with Chinese language, English and Spanish variations out there through YouTube’s Jetsen Huashi Idol & Romance channel. That channel has additionally been internet hosting The Youth Reminiscences, with Chinese language, English, Spanish, Russian and Arabic variations out there — and viewers numbers topping six million.
Xixi has introduced 5 of its most up-to-date productions to Cannes, with three costume dramas (Si Jin, Bai Yi Gong Qing, and Hu Shanwei) joined by the extra up to date targeted Huanyu and Six Sisters.
“These productions not solely showcase Xixi Footage’ skilled manufacturing capabilities and content material expressiveness throughout numerous genres but additionally show the profound essence of Chinese language tradition and the recent face of latest China’s improvement via compelling tales and nuanced portrayals,” says Yang. “Xixi Footage hopes that by taking part on this occasion, it can additional the worldwide unfold of Chinese language tradition, inform China’s tales properly, and permit world audiences to grasp China extra comprehensively and deeply, experiencing the distinctive allure of Chinese language movie and TV tradition.”
Yang and her staff are additionally eager to elucidate to worldwide companions the corporate’s current shifts in content material technique whereas in Cannes.
“Xixi Footage’ content material technique has undergone a complete improve, now encompassing two primary areas: the ‘I and X domains,” explains Yang. “The ‘I area’ signifies areas of our profound dedication and prowess, together with costume dramas, narratives wealthy in female views, and reflections of the zeitgeist. The ‘X area’ is all about pushing boundaries and venturing into new territories with youth-centric narratives, mysteries and detective tales, and thrilling diversifications from the worlds of gaming and comics.”
In that regard, Yang continues to trace viewers developments, each domestically and globally, together with a devoted staff she says ensures that Xixi content material “stays related and resonates with our viewers.”
Whereas this analysis concentrates on the likes of the Chinese language social media giants Douban and Weibo, Yang additionally factors to the developments revealed by the 2023 Tencent Leisure White Paper.
“In response to [the White Paper], IP-adapted sequence have been extraordinarily well-liked, making up over 60 % of the highest 50 hottest dramas, with sources of IP changing into more and more diversified,” says Yang. “Aside from comics and critical literature, novels from burgeoning on-line communities like Zhihu and Douban have develop into new hotspots for diversifications.”
Many of those faucet into the storylines Xixi is eager on exploring, says Yang.
“Xixi Footage all the time focuses on the destinies of small characters below grand historic themes, exploring the huge worlds these seemingly insignificant figures reside in,” Yang explains. “These on a regular basis figures are the truest reflections of ourselves, and we attempt to painting their tales with a mix of realism and artistry. Our purpose is to maneuver past the clichés of conventional storytelling, adopting a simple but nuanced method to discover real-life challenges and options.”