Youku announces new productions, experts talk creativity

Youku announces new productions,  experts talk creativity

□By Joyce Xu(Shanghai Daily)
Online video streaming website Youku released its new productions yesterday at the ongoing 23rd Shanghai TV Festival. Professionals and experts also gathered to discuss the production of pan-culture online content and cross-border cooperation.
Eight homegrown series of varied genres will debut on Youku during the summer vacation.

"The Advisors Alliance," an epic drama starring Wu Xiubo and Liu Tao, follows the legendary life and career of Sima Yi, a general and politician of the state of Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. The intellectual helps Wei defend itself from Zhuge Liang\'s Northern expeditions.

Both "Princess Agents" and "Lost Love In Times" are based on hit online romance novels. They boast spectacular scenes and exquisite traditional costumes.

Another production is the highly anticipated youth drama starring Zhou Dongyu and Zhang Yishan. Adapted from Feng Tang\'s popular novel "Beijing, Beijing," the series is a sentimental story about young love and brotherhood among a group of people living in Beijing.

Mega-productions of online series are also expected to be released in theaters in the future, officials said.

Also yesterday, industry insiders exchanged views on the production of online content and cross-border cooperation at a seminar titled "Pan-Culture Innovation Seminar."

"The Great Shokunin" is the most watched documentary series on Youku, with over 150 million click-through rates. The popular series studies the craftsmen of China\'s time-honored intangible cultural heritage.

Producers said that to satisfy the tastes of a huge number of Netizens in China, as "The Great Shokunin" does, online content needs bursts of new creative perspectives and cinematography.

Youku official Wang Ping said online programs about culture, finance, education, documentary subjects and technology are becoming more popular among young Netizens in China\'s big cities. Youku is considering producing more fashionable and original cultural shows and developing an industry chain.

"Many of the shows have nurtured a loyal fan base," Wang said. "Such pan-culture programs boast the flexible forms and styles of the likes of reality shows, talk shows, documentaries and variety."