Yunji Media writes documentary deals with foreign, domestic studios

By Joyce Xu(Shanghai Daily)

 

 

 

Shanghai Media Group\'s Yunji Media will cooperate with overseas and domestic studios to co-produce high-quality documentary series, officials said yesterday at the ongoing 23rd Shanghai TV Festival.

 

FOX and National Geographic announced they will jointly produce the world\'s first reality documentary series about exploration of the universe with Yunji Media. 

 

The series, titled "Mars 2033," will focus on six Chinese celebrities who will receive special all-round astronaut training sessions at NASA, Morocco and the Arctic Pole to prepare for the roles.

 

Discovery Channel will also collaborate with Yunji Media on the second season of the documentary-style reality series "Absolute Wild." It is a program about outdoor adventures featuring famous British personality Bear Grylls and Chinese stars. 

 

Along with Grylls, the Chinese stars will embark on days of adventure in wild and remote areas and face unprecedented wilderness challenges. 

 

Yunji Media will also produce a series about traditional Chinese culture, called "The 24 Solar Terms," with Huafeng Meteorological Media Group. 

 

In a poetic way, the series will explore the secrets of the 24 solar terms which were created by farmers in ancient China to guide agricultural affairs and farming activities.

 

Famous composer and conductor Tan Dun, renowned choreographer and dancer Yang Liping, and contemporary artist Cai Guoqiang will share their own opinions about Chinese culture and art in a documentary series on Chinese aesthetics.

 

Yunji Media will also present real-life stories on hospice care, health and the lives of ordinary Chinese people.

 

Around 3.42 billion yuan was invested in 2016 in the production of Chinese documentaries. The total output value of the domestic documentary industry exceeded 5.2 billion yuan last year, a 10 percent increase over the previous year. 

 

The prospects for the Chinese documentary industry are expected to continue to improve in coming years.

 

Later this year a series of high-quality Chinese documentary series, including "The Tale of Chinese Medicine" and "The Legend of Fruit," will air on the country\'s major satellite TV channels and video-sharing websites such as Youku and Bilibili.

 

Youku is also a co-producer and investor in the series "The Legend of Fruit" said company official He Jibing, noting it will cater to the tastes of younger audiences. 

 

More fashionable and crossover documentaries are expected to be produced and broadcast on Internet platforms.

 

Shanghai Media Group\'s Yunji Media will cooperate with overseas and domestic studios to co-produce high-quality documentary series.