Hengdian hands over the studio to tourists: How a short drama experience line can catch new customers from film, television, culture and tourism

Hengdian Film and Television City launched a short drama shooting experience project during the summer. Visitors choose a story, put on costumes, complete the performance on a live set, and then get a finished film of their own.The lighting, photography, actors and scenes that once only served the crew have now been reorganized into a shooting schedule for ordinary people, and the way to play in the film and television city has also added a sense of participation.

The appeal of this type of experience is intuitive.Most people's understanding of filming comes from the finished films and behind-the-scenes footage on the screen. Not many people actually stand in front of the camera.The skits are short and the relationships between the characters are clear, so visitors don’t have to spend a long time getting into the situation.One line, one move, and one shot are enough for people to leave a story-filled travel memory in the ancient streets or palace settings.

The project breaks down the filming process to make it more suitable for public participation.After selecting the script, the staff will complete the styling, storytelling, scheduling and shooting. The on-site actors will be responsible for the scenes, and the scattered shots will be cut into short skits later.For tourists, the process is like role-playing; for those familiar with the studio, the work content is still inseparable from rhythm, positioning and camera connection, but the service targets are replaced by ordinary people experiencing performance for the first time.

Hengdian has long-term accumulation of scenic spots, service road resources and filming personnel. These conditions, which originally revolved around film and television production, are naturally suitable for extending to cultural tourism services.Tourists film a scene in scenes such as Along the River During the Qingming Festival and the Palaces and Gardens of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The scenic spot is no longer just a filming location, but also the scene where the story takes place.Movies, TV series and short plays once left imagination in these spaces, but now visitors can enter their imaginations to complete their own scenes.

The short drama shooting experience also brings about a number of more segmented job requirements.The director needs to replace professional language with easy-to-understand prompts, photography and lighting must adapt to high-frequency rapid shooting, and on-site actors must help the opponent get into the state within a limited time.Every link must take into account the final film effect and the rhythm of the game. This kind of service tests the most basic collaborative skills in film and television production.

From traditional group tours to immersive interactions, cultural tourism consumption increasingly values personal content that can be taken away.A short play of about ninety seconds is not only a record of a tour, but also easy to share and review.Hengdian has turned a small process of the film and television industry into a purchasable and participatory experience, opening up a new scenario for the daily operations of the studio.How the types of scripts, makeup choices and shooting quality continue to be enriched in the future will determine how far this experience line can go.