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 nonetheless eager additionally to share with the worldwide content material group what’s on the quick 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 by way of viewing calls for throughout a worldwide viewers more and more turning its head towards Chinese language-produced content material.
The college-age drama The Youth Recollections, the home drama Alliance, in addition to the fantasy The Final Immortal and the household drama Island had 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 Recollections and Alliance had been two of solely three productions to make it to Tencent Video’s annual “hit collection” checklist this previous 12 months, whereas The Youth Recollections scored a 7.5 score 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 international movie and TV market, actively partaking in worldwide festivals to showcase our creations to audiences worldwide,” says Yang. “Insights gained from these international platforms will form our upcoming productions, as we goal to craft narratives that resonate with common themes and spotlight the ability of girls.”
Island actually 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 collection is concentrated on three generations of girls from one household, and appears at “challenges associated to household, love and profession, resulting in development and mutual help.”
The collection was aired throughout prime time on nationwide broadcaster CCTV-1 through the bumper Spring Competition viewing interval — a primary for a Xixi Footage manufacturing.
“This timing, coupled with its spectacular viewership rankings, 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 incorporates a forged of characters that embody the evolving energy of girls in at this time’s society.”
The collection can also be centered on plotlines that drive its characters in direction of discovering options for the myriad household and social issues life throws at them.
“We imagine that whereas our tales ought to seize the intricacies of life, they need to additionally make clear hope and positivity, guaranteeing 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 girls in ways in which transcend cultural and geographical boundaries and have interaction with up to date public conversations.”
Island is among the many Xixi productions whose themes have resonated throughout international audiences, with Chinese language, English and Spanish variations obtainable by way of YouTube’s Jetsen Huashi Idol & Romance channel. That channel has additionally been internet hosting The Youth Recollections, with Chinese language, English, Spanish, Russian and Arabic variations obtainable — 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 centered Huanyu and Six Sisters.
“These productions not solely showcase Xixi Footage’ skilled manufacturing capabilities and content material expressiveness throughout various genres but in addition reveal the profound essence of Chinese language tradition and the contemporary face of up to date China’s improvement by means of compelling tales and nuanced portrayals,” says Yang. “Xixi Footage hopes that by collaborating on this occasion, it’s going to additional the worldwide unfold of Chinese language tradition, inform China’s tales effectively, and permit international audiences to know China extra comprehensively and deeply, experiencing the distinctive appeal 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 variations 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 keeping with [the White Paper], IP-adapted collection had been extraordinarily common, making up over 60 p.c of the highest 50 hottest dramas, with sources of IP changing into more and more diverse,” says Yang. “Aside from comics and severe literature, novels from burgeoning on-line communities like Zhihu and Douban have develop into new hotspots for variations.”
Many of those faucet into the storylines Xixi is eager on exploring, says Yang.
“Xixi Footage at all times 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 strategy to discover real-life challenges and options.”