Actor Li Chen and actress Ma Su. (Photo: chinadaily.com.cn)
by Xu Fan
BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhuanet) -- In an age dominated by the Internet, even the traditional TV series industry seeks to cater to the rising trend.
Producers of an upcoming TV series, Xiucai Encounters Soldier, recently announced that it will be premiered on Aug 5 by Beijing Satellite TV and Youku Tudou, one of China's biggest video streaming platforms. The release is regarded as an effort to reach a broader audience, especially viewers in their 20s and 30s, who are more accustomed to watch programs online.
Some footage featuring a number of scenarios with "exaggerated performance" will be uploaded to Youku Tudou, and Web users can practice dubbing with a special software.
Viewers are invited to voice-over any of the lead roles in the series, and the best amateur performer will be awarded an invitation to participate as an "Eastern Egg" involved with the last episode to be screened, according to the Beijing Satellite TV.
Set during World War II, the series chronicles the transformation of four ordinary people — a scholar, a soldier, a Peking Opera performer and a gangster — who struggle to be war heroes after witnessing the atrocities committed by Japanese invaders.
"The roles are small potatoes at the very beginning. When the peace and tranquility of their daily lives are broken by blood and death, they find they have to do something for their motherland and themselves," says director Xu Jizhou. The 40-year-old has won a slew of best-director awards in the nation’s TV program contests.
With a high-profile cast, the series stars veteran actor Li Chen, who shot to fame in the 1997 hit serial No Cry at Seventeen, and Sha Yi, known for the comedy series My Own Swordsman.
(Source: China Daily)
