Second Year of University 2022.9 -- 2023.7
The Attraction of Hollywood’s Violent Aesthetics in The Dove Soaked in Blood
“We have a common phenomenon by nature, that is, things that are hurtful, terrifying, or even horrifying have an irresistible attraction to us; we both repel and are attracted by scenes of suffering and horror.” – Schiller, On the Art of Sorrow
“Violence” refers to the act of harming and violating others’ bodies (and in some cases, also involving the spirit) in a violent way against others’ will. Scarlet and darkness are the most intuitive feelings that violence brings to us. However, when we detach ourselves from moral emotions, everything has a side of formal beauty, and thus violent aesthetics came into being. Where lies the beauty of violent aesthetics in Hollywood movies? What does its frequent use in Hollywood blockbusters mean for creators and audiences, and what does it mean for the era?
The birth of violent aesthetics can be traced back to the 1960s. At that time, there was a theoretical trend of anti-tradition, anti-rationality, and anti-modernism in the West, and postmodern cultural thoughts emerged as the times required, competing with modernism. “Independent filmmakers” who advocated postmodernism adhered to the principle of restoring the original appearance of society and tried to draw a clear line from traditional Hollywood. From the initial Bonnie and Clyde to The Wild Bunch, from A Clockwork Orange to Taxi Driver, and then to the anti-traditional black violent aesthetics of Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher. Film creators weaken violence through stylized and formalized means of expression, turn violence into entertainment and drama, and spend a lot of effort on the psychology of criminals and the logic of crimes to weaken or eliminate the audience’s thoughts of questioning the legitimacy and rationality of violence.
Behind the wave of new Hollywood film creation is the rise of a new generation of young audiences with consumption power. Film creators want to attract radical young people through an “anti-culture” lifestyle, and film associations want to save the deteriorating situation of the shrinking film market year by year through scenes with more physical and psychological shock. Bonnie and Clyde, which emerged in 1967, used a bloody slow-motion montage technique at the end of the two protagonists’ lives, showing the gangsters’ traits of being “both spasmodic and balletic” when experiencing the pain of death. This film, with an investment of only $3 million, earned a return of up to $24 million. Nowadays, globalized Hollywood uses violent aesthetics to attract attention more and more. In different types of movies such as doomsday-themed, war-themed, spy-themed, racing-themed, and superhero-themed films, Hollywood, with its grand scenes and large-scale productions, combines smooth fight scenes, machine gun shootings, vehicle collisions, high-rise building explosions, and raging fires in the city with the top beauties in Hollywood. The gentlemanly elegance of the “suit thugs” and the assassinations of female agents in noble evening gowns hidden in the dark of the stage have won the love of the audience. Through the excellent production of films, Hollywood vividly displays violent aesthetics. No one can remain unmoved and not be shocked to tears by the gunfights in the church, the doves soaked in blood, and the just heroes who eliminate the darkness and finally return home stepping on the ruins of the city at sunrise. The powerful visual impact brought by violent aesthetics makes Hollywood movies worth the ticket price, whether it is high or low.
Of course, as violent aesthetics has developed to the present, it is no longer violence for the sake of violence. Under the commercial production of Hollywood, it has still found its own artistic value. There are two audio-visual rhetorical paths of violent aesthetics: one is more poetic; the other is more brutal.
Poetic violent aesthetics mostly refers to the shooting and editing techniques that can make violence look elegant and charming while directly showing violence. Most Hollywood works from the 1960s to the 1970s had such a style. Its representative figures and works include Bonnie and Clyde directed by Arthur Penn; The Wild Bunch by Sam Peckinpah; and the crime genre films Mean Streets and Taxi Driver directed by Martin Scorsese. The violent scenes are treated with slow-motion shots, in which the dynamic process of life passing away and death approaching is slowly and carefully presented. Considering the background of the drastic changes in the United States at that time, the whole society had become numb to violence under the influence of TV programs about the Vietnam War. Film creators wanted to strengthen the fear and pain brought by violence to achieve the purpose of warning and admonishing – “To deny violence, one must understand what it is.”
The violent aesthetics of the brutal path is more bloody and desperate. In the early 1990s, the violent aesthetics of Hollywood movies entered a transitional period. Its representative figures and works include Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill created by Quentin Tarantino; Se7en, Fight Club directed by David Fincher; and Natural Born Killers and Fight Club by Oliver Stone. The violent aesthetics films under the brutal path have truly entered a state of complete “anti-rationalization” and “immorality”. The non-linear narrative structure, novel camera language, scene scheduling, color selection, and soundtrack dialogue of violent aesthetics films have broken the framework of Hollywood commercial films, making violent aesthetics films both commercial and artistic.
The commerciality of Hollywood’s violent aesthetics films is reflected in the compact rhythm, imaginative, and grand fight scenes and gunfights, as well as in the shot display of the beautiful evening gowns of female agents during their actions and their good figures during the fights. However, violent aesthetics films are still among the few Hollywood films that truly reflect human nature and society. They show the contradiction between tyranny and rationality in human nature under the visual feast. While people feel that violence is beautiful, enjoyable, and full of vitality, it also triggers people to think deeply.
The sorrow brought by the doves soaked in blood and the absurdity in violent aesthetics wake us up. Are those hidden sharp weapons, guns, and cannons in reality in our hands?
Analysis of the Audio-visual Language in Inception
After the release of Inception in 2010, it won the 2011 Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. In addition to the novelty of the story itself, under the direction of Christopher Nolan and with the simple-style soundtrack composed by the master of film music, Hans Zimmer, it brought the audience an ultimate audio-visual feast. The gripping music, the compact montage techniques, and the bold use of camera shots perfectly presented the transformation of time and space in the four layers of dreams, as well as the distinct boundary between dreams and reality. The following part of this article will analyze the audio-visual language of Inception from three aspects: sound, montage, and camera movement, to explore how a film can clearly tell a complex time-space background through its audio-visual language.
I. Sound
(1) Music – Taking the song Non, je ne regretted rien as the core element of the film
All the music in this film was composed and designed by Hans Zimmer, which effectively created the atmosphere for the film, conveying to the audience the illusory and empty feeling of dreams within dreams, as well as the sense of the long passage of time and space. At the same time, the tempo of the music drives the rhythm of the film. In the compact plot of this film, the music leads the audience’s emotions to follow the protagonist deeper and deeper into the dreams layer by layer.
The song Non, je ne regretted rien appears multiple times as a source of sound in the film. At the beginning of the film, when Cobb and Arthur are carrying out their first mission, and the teammate in reality is transmitting the time signal to the dream architect in the first layer of the dream, this song is used for the first time. It becomes an important signal for the dream architect to return from a deeper layer of the dream to the upper layer of the dream or to reality. When carrying out the mission of implanting an idea later, the dream architects use the feeling of weightlessness to return to reality layer by layer within a limited time, and this song is still used as the signal. Every time this song appears in the film, it indicates that the time and space will change, and it is a prompt for dream traversal.
Non, je ne regretted rien was recorded by the French singer Édith Piaf (1915—1963) in 1960 and is one of the representative works of this legendary singer in her later years. The general meaning of the lyrics that appear in the film clips is: “No! Nothing at all. No! I have no regrets. The good, I accepted it all. The bad, it’s the same, I didn’t care. No! Nothing at all. No! I have no regrets. I paid the price, it’s all gone, it’s all forgotten, I don’t care about the past. I burned all the memories of the past. My sorrows, my joys, I don’t need them anymore. Sweep away those loves, and the lingering echoes of those trembles. Erase them forever, I want to start from scratch.” The meaning conveyed in the lyrics, which is to draw a clear line from the past and start anew, hints at the fate of the male protagonist Cobb in this film. Cobb conducted an experiment of implanting an idea on his wife, which led to his wife’s inability to distinguish between reality and dreams and indirectly caused her death. He had been wandering in a foreign country for two years and couldn’t return home to be with his children. Through this mission, he finally let go of his obsession and guilt towards his wife and, with the help of his boss Saito, finally returned home, bidding farewell to the past and obtaining a new life.
In addition to the source music, some materials of the non-source music also evolved from this song. The prelude of the song is a rhythmic pattern with triplet characteristics played by the brass instruments, which is a homophonic repetition. This rhythmic pattern continues until the start of the singing part and becomes the accompaniment of the whole song. One of the basic materials, the rhythmic motif, is developed based on this element, that is, obtained by expanding and reversing the rhythmic pattern of the accompaniment.
At the climax of the film, when the four layers of dreams fall and wake up simultaneously, the same background music runs through the four different spaces. The montage breaks down the whole into parts at this moment, and the four spaces are organically combined together because of the music. This penetrating power that runs through time and space is extremely shocking.
(2) Sound effects
In order to distinguish different dream time-spaces and show the characters’ inner worlds more delicately, the sound effects in Inception have been meticulously processed.
In the four layers of dreams, the sense of distance that the characters’ voices bring to the audience is different. In the first layer of the dream, there are scenes of a car chase and a gunfight in the pouring rain. The characters are in a relatively open garage, and the voices of the people seem very far away from us. When the audience hears it, they feel as if they are also standing in the garage. In the second layer of the dream, there is a psychological battle among agents in a hotel. As the overall scene gets closer, the dialogue voices of the characters are also closer to the audience’s ears, and the echo effect weakens. In the third layer of the dream, which is set in a snowy mountain, although the scene of the snowy mountain is grand and open, when the dream architects first enter the dream, the first words spoken by Cobb to Ariadne have an even weaker echo effect. The audience can feel that the actor’s voice is more real and closer to them. When it comes to the fourth layer, the Limbo, the dialogue between the actors is mostly in a soft voice at a close distance, as if it is right next to the audience’s ears, really entering the depths of the audience’s consciousness. The change of the voice as the dream deepens allows us to follow the plot of the film and go deeper layer by layer.
There are two scenes in the film that show the city to the audience. One is when Cobb first takes Ariadne into the dream and they sit on the street corner and talk, and the other is when Cobb finds the dream architect Eames and they sit in a tavern and talk. The sound effects processing of these two scenes is completely different. In Cobb’s dream, although he and Ariadne are sitting on a bustling street corner and talking, we can only hear their dialogue voices, and there are no environmental sound effects around at all. However, when Cobb asks Eames to join them and they sit in the tavern and talk, and when they run on the street to get rid of the pursuers, the sound designer added the noisy environmental sounds in a comprehensive and detailed way. Through these sound effects processing techniques, the audience can clearly distinguish between dreams and reality.
II. Montage Techniques
(1) Narrative Montage
In Inception, the dreams progress layer by layer, and the time and space are all interrelated. The dream architects will complete their tasks simultaneously in different layers of dreams. Therefore, a large number of cross-cutting montage techniques are used in the film to show the scenes in different dreams at the same time.
In Cobb and Arthur’s first mission, when Arthur, as the dream architect, is killed in the second layer of the dream and the dream starts to collapse, then to waking up Cobb who is in the second layer of the dream, and then to playing music on the train in reality for the dream architect in the first layer of the dream, cross-cutting montage techniques are used. After Arthur is killed in the second layer of the dream, the camera cuts to Arthur opening his eyes in the first layer of the dream, and then cuts to the scene of the second layer of the dream starting to collapse, proving that the dream starts to collapse after the dream architect leaves the dream. When waking up Cobb, the dream architect in the first layer slaps Cobb’s face, and the camera cuts to Cobb being inexplicably knocked flying in the second layer of the dream; when Cobb falls into the water in the first layer of the dream, it cuts to the scene of water flooding into the second layer of the dream. These montage techniques well demonstrate the causal relationship between the environment and the characters in different dream spaces, as well as the different activities of the characters in different time and space.
When carrying out the mission in the four layers of dreams, an even more massive set of cross-cutting montage techniques is used. Any change that occurs in a higher layer of the dream will be interspersed with the drastic changes that occur in the environment of the next layer of the dream space. It clearly explains the time difference between different dream time-spaces and the causal relationship between the dreams. In the end, the characters in different dreams fall together and wake up one after another and gather together, and everyone returns to reality safely.
For example, in the classic hotel fight scene with rolling. In the first layer of the dream, the pharmacist drives the car down the slope. A slow-motion shot is used to show Arthur, the dream architect in the second layer of the dream, tumbling in the first layer of the dream, and then the camera moves to the second layer of the dream where the entire hotel corridor is tumbling. While the fight scene in the hotel corridor is tumbling, we know that the car in the first layer of the dream is still rolling. After several cross-cutting edits, the interweaving of different slow-motion shots and fight scenes at normal speed allows the audience to clearly see the time difference between the dreams. In just a few seconds when the car is rolling in the first layer of the dream, a fierce fight that lasts several times longer occurs in the second layer of the dream. When the dream architects finally use gravity to return to reality, the same technique is used. The scenes of the three layers of dreams are edited together. Slow-motion shots are used for the shallow layer of the dream, and then connected to the intense scenes at normal speed in the deep layer of the dream. Finally, the same people in different dream layers open their eyes and return to the first layer of the dream.
(2) Expressive Montage
① Lyric Montage
When Cobb and his partners enter the second layer of Fischer’s dream together, since they enter the second layer of the dream while being chased in a car, in order to avoid the attack, Yusuf drives the car very unsteadily, which will have an impact on the third layer of the dream. The director uses multiple groups of shots to show the state of the second layer of the dream. For example, the shaking of the elevator when Saito and Eames are in the elevator, and the trembling of the water glass in Fischer’s hand. These shots are all consistent with the car speeding and avoiding the attack in the rain. This is the lyric montage. While ensuring the narrative coherence, in the montage of the shots, the event is decomposed into a series of close-ups and extreme close-ups, showing the impact of the first layer of the dream on the second layer of the dream from different angles.
② Psychological Montage
When Cobb returns to the hotel after the first mission, his eldest daughter and youngest son call him. When his daughter and son are talking, the screen shows the shots of the children playing by the seaside. When his daughter asks about their mother, the screen shows the close-up of Cobb’s wife’s face. These shots are all Cobb’s memories, and the psychological montage is used to show his inner world and his longing for his children and wife.
III. Camera Movement
Many tracking shots are used in the film to immerse the audience in the scene and the dream, creating a tense atmosphere. For example, when Ariadne enters the dream building created by Cobb’s memories. Cobb discovers that Ariadne is walking towards the elevator; when they come to Cobb’s home in the dream and walk through the corridor; Ariadne rushes towards the elevator, wanting to explore the deepest secrets in Cobb’s heart; and Arthur’s actions in the rotating corridor. The shaky tracking shots make the picture very unstable, bringing the audience into a state of tension and anxiety. At the end, the slow tracking shot of Fischer walking into his father’s ward in the third layer of the dream makes the audience hold their breath, waiting for the climax of the dream drama constructed for Fischer by the dream architects.
At the same time, most of the panning shots are used in the film, which makes the composition of the picture change rapidly, especially in the dreams, making the overall visual effect of the film unstable and creating a sense of tension and urgency. For example, when carrying out the mission in the four layers of dreams, in the fourth layer of the dream, they ski to avoid the attack of the pursuers; in Cobb’s dream memory building, when Cobb discovers that Ariadne walks into the elevator, the camera quickly pans horizontally between the two of them; in the dream memory building, when his wife Mal gets up and walks towards Ariadne, the small-scale horizontal pan locks on the character’s actions, increasing the sense of oppression, and so on.
Analysis of the Construction of New Fitness and Leisure Platforms in China: A Case Study of Keep
I. Overall Development Status of New Fitness and Leisure Platforms in China
1. Development Status — Overview of the Development of the Online Fitness Industry
According to relevant data, the fitness industry in China recovered in 2021, with the number of fitness members nationwide reaching 75.13 million, and national fitness has become a trend. Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, offline fitness has been impacted, while the number of users in the online fitness industry has surged and maintained a steady growth. In the first half of 2022, it captured more users, and the time users spent on related platforms and apps increased by 50%.
The fitness industry relies on technologies such as 5G networks and new media to expand its publicity, carry out fitness activities combining online and offline modes, and form a closed loop for its product operation. After the fierce competition from 2014 to 2019, under the pandemic, Internet intelligent fitness began to establish chain brands, and the competition has become milder, with industry leaders emerging.
2. Development Environment of the Online Fitness Industry
Through the analysis of the development environment of China’s online fitness industry using the “PEST” method, it can be seen that with the development of the times, especially after the pandemic, China’s online fitness industry is developing rapidly under favorable conditions. In terms of the political environment (P), the state has continuously introduced policies related to the fitness industry to support national fitness. In terms of the economic environment (E), China’s economic level has developed steadily, and the disposable income of the people has increased, with the pursuit of a high-quality lifestyle. At the same time, China has hosted many world sports events, promoting the development of the sports industry. In terms of the social environment (S), as of 2021, the overweight, obesity, and obesity rate among Chinese residents aged 18 and above reached 50.7%. The “rise of health awareness” and “anxiety about body shape and appearance” have prompted more people to start fitness. The COVID-19 pandemic has also made the whole nation realize the importance of health. On the other hand, China’s Internet penetration rate reached 73.0% in 2021, and the number of mobile Internet users was 1.029 billion, which provides a huge market foundation for the online fitness industry. In terms of the technological environment (T), Internet technologies such as blockchain, big data, and cloud computing in China have been continuously maturing, providing a solid foundation for the development of the online fitness industry.
3. Classification
According to the data, the new platforms that ranked among the top in terms of user activity on sports and fitness platforms in the first half of 2022 can be divided into three categories. First, video platforms, such as Migu Sports, Tencent Sports, PP Sports, and other platforms that have purchased the broadcasting rights of sports events. Migu Video has launched the “All Sports” model, creating a diversified sports ecosystem and serving users of all ages throughout the year, which not only meets users’ needs for watching competitions but also fully satisfies their needs for national fitness. Second, sports and health platforms, such as apps like Keep, Xiaomi Sports, Tangdou, and Codoon. These platforms are also the choices of the vast majority of people when they work out at home. Third, information platforms, such as comprehensive sports information websites like Hupu and Dongqiudi.
Considering that the operation purposes of video and information new platforms are not to attract users to use the platforms for online fitness, this article mainly focuses on sports and health new platforms, taking Keep as an example, to analyze the operation of new online fitness platforms.
1. Development Status — Overview of the Development of the Online Fitness Industry
According to relevant data, the fitness industry in China recovered in 2021, with the number of fitness members nationwide reaching 75.13 million, and national fitness has become a trend. Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, offline fitness has been impacted, while the number of users in the online fitness industry has surged and maintained a steady growth. In the first half of 2022, it captured more users, and the time users spent on related platforms and apps increased by 50%.
The fitness industry relies on technologies such as 5G networks and new media to expand its publicity, carry out fitness activities combining online and offline modes, and form a closed loop for its product operation. After the fierce competition from 2014 to 2019, under the pandemic, Internet intelligent fitness began to establish chain brands, and the competition has become milder, with industry leaders emerging.
2. Development Environment of the Online Fitness Industry
Through the analysis of the development environment of China’s online fitness industry using the “PEST” method, it can be seen that with the development of the times, especially after the pandemic, China’s online fitness industry is developing rapidly under favorable conditions. In terms of the political environment (P), the state has continuously introduced policies related to the fitness industry to support national fitness. In terms of the economic environment (E), China’s economic level has developed steadily, and the disposable income of the people has increased, with the pursuit of a high-quality lifestyle. At the same time, China has hosted many world sports events, promoting the development of the sports industry. In terms of the social environment (S), as of 2021, the overweight, obesity, and obesity rate among Chinese residents aged 18 and above reached 50.7%. The “rise of health awareness” and “anxiety about body shape and appearance” have prompted more people to start fitness. The COVID-19 pandemic has also made the whole nation realize the importance of health. On the other hand, China’s Internet penetration rate reached 73.0% in 2021, and the number of mobile Internet users was 1.029 billion, which provides a huge market foundation for the online fitness industry. In terms of the technological environment (T), Internet technologies such as blockchain, big data, and cloud computing in China have been continuously maturing, providing a solid foundation for the development of the online fitness industry.
3. Classification
According to the data, the new platforms that ranked among the top in terms of user activity on sports and fitness platforms in the first half of 2022 can be divided into three categories. First, video platforms, such as Migu Sports, Tencent Sports, PP Sports, and other platforms that have purchased the broadcasting rights of sports events. Migu Video has launched the “All Sports” model, creating a diversified sports ecosystem and serving users of all ages throughout the year, which not only meets users’ needs for watching competitions but also fully satisfies their needs for national fitness. Second, sports and health platforms, such as apps like Keep, Xiaomi Sports, Tangdou, and Codoon. These platforms are also the choices of the vast majority of people when they work out at home. Third, information platforms, such as comprehensive sports information websites like Hupu and Dongqiudi.
Considering that the operation purposes of video and information new platforms are not to attract users to use the platforms for online fitness, this article mainly focuses on sports and health new platforms, taking Keep as an example, to analyze the operation of new online fitness platforms.
II. Service Provision of New Fitness and Leisure Platforms
The software design of Keep is the core of Keep’s business, and all the service content it provides can be found in the software. It is a user-centered sports and fitness service system that comprehensively covers “eating, wearing, using, and exercising”. Keep has been built into a leading one-stop sports and health service app in China. It has established an online course system with exercise courses as the core, centered on users, focusing on user cultivation, creating a professional sports community atmosphere, outputting high-quality PGC (Professional Generated Content) and UGC (User Generated Content), inviting fitness KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to settle in, creating fitness topics for people, launching its own brand products, offline intelligent gyms called Keepland, and offline experience stores called Keepstore.
(1) Online Fitness
1. Membership System + Paid Course System
The homepage of Keep will recommend intelligent courses for corresponding long-term training according to users’ previous exercise data to increase user retention and activity. Below the homepage of Keep, some KOL fitness teaching videos, official live courses of Keep, and live training courses are recommended. These courses are also the core content of Keep’s online training.
2. Establishing a Fitness Social Circle
The community of Keep is mainly divided into: Follow, Featured, and Circles. “Follow” includes the KOL users or other fitness experts that users themselves follow. “Featured” means that Keep has established an audit team to screen the fitness, diet, and other information sent by users every day, and selects and recommends the best-quality content according to certain standards. “Circles” are groups with specific themes, and users can join the corresponding groups according to their own preferences and the content they like.
As a sports and fitness app with strong social functions, Keep’s community members, while satisfying practical and social needs, the interaction among members has become another important function. Based on this interaction, a new fitness social mode has gradually taken shape. Through the interaction in the sports and fitness online community, on the one hand, community members have formed a stronger fitness enthusiasm compared with traditional fitness methods, which helps to achieve the desired fitness effect; on the other hand, the way of fitness communication has also been broadened, promoting the popularization and development of the national fitness cause.
3. Recording Oneself
There are two sections in Keep that record users’ exercise information. The detailed recording makes Keep more like our “sports brain”, helping us record and plan everything, making users develop a strong sense of dependence on it.
(2) Consumer Goods
Keep’s smart hardware products include treadmills, spinning bikes, fitness bracelets, etc. Similar to the Apple ecosystem, its smart hardware products can exchange data with the KEEP app, assisting users in training more efficiently. Coupled with other supporting sports products, including yoga mats, dumbbells, sports clothing, etc., it can enhance users’ sports experience throughout the whole process. This not only helps people deepen their brand recognition of Keep but also contributes to the formation of its own complete ecosystem.
(4) User Portrait
The users of Keep are mainly divided into 在校学生 (students at school), young office workers, and the elderly. The main usage scenarios are school dormitories, outdoors, offices, and homes. Users are mainly concentrated in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, new first-tier cities, and second and third-tier cities. Some users have a relatively high stickiness to Keep as they like sports and fitness. For students and office workers, due to work and study, there may be a risk of interruption.
The software design of Keep is the core of Keep’s business, and all the service content it provides can be found in the software. It is a user-centered sports and fitness service system that comprehensively covers “eating, wearing, using, and exercising”. Keep has been built into a leading one-stop sports and health service app in China. It has established an online course system with exercise courses as the core, centered on users, focusing on user cultivation, creating a professional sports community atmosphere, outputting high-quality PGC (Professional Generated Content) and UGC (User Generated Content), inviting fitness KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to settle in, creating fitness topics for people, launching its own brand products, offline intelligent gyms called Keepland, and offline experience stores called Keepstore.
(1) Online Fitness
1. Membership System + Paid Course System
The homepage of Keep will recommend intelligent courses for corresponding long-term training according to users’ previous exercise data to increase user retention and activity. Below the homepage of Keep, some KOL fitness teaching videos, official live courses of Keep, and live training courses are recommended. These courses are also the core content of Keep’s online training.
2. Establishing a Fitness Social Circle
The community of Keep is mainly divided into: Follow, Featured, and Circles. “Follow” includes the KOL users or other fitness experts that users themselves follow. “Featured” means that Keep has established an audit team to screen the fitness, diet, and other information sent by users every day, and selects and recommends the best-quality content according to certain standards. “Circles” are groups with specific themes, and users can join the corresponding groups according to their own preferences and the content they like.
As a sports and fitness app with strong social functions, Keep’s community members, while satisfying practical and social needs, the interaction among members has become another important function. Based on this interaction, a new fitness social mode has gradually taken shape. Through the interaction in the sports and fitness online community, on the one hand, community members have formed a stronger fitness enthusiasm compared with traditional fitness methods, which helps to achieve the desired fitness effect; on the other hand, the way of fitness communication has also been broadened, promoting the popularization and development of the national fitness cause.
3. Recording Oneself
There are two sections in Keep that record users’ exercise information. The detailed recording makes Keep more like our “sports brain”, helping us record and plan everything, making users develop a strong sense of dependence on it.
(2) Consumer Goods
Keep’s smart hardware products include treadmills, spinning bikes, fitness bracelets, etc. Similar to the Apple ecosystem, its smart hardware products can exchange data with the KEEP app, assisting users in training more efficiently. Coupled with other supporting sports products, including yoga mats, dumbbells, sports clothing, etc., it can enhance users’ sports experience throughout the whole process. This not only helps people deepen their brand recognition of Keep but also contributes to the formation of its own complete ecosystem.
(4) User Portrait
The users of Keep are mainly divided into 在校学生 (students at school), young office workers, and the elderly. The main usage scenarios are school dormitories, outdoors, offices, and homes. Users are mainly concentrated in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, new first-tier cities, and second and third-tier cities. Some users have a relatively high stickiness to Keep as they like sports and fitness. For students and office workers, due to work and study, there may be a risk of interruption.
III. Problems and Challenges of New Fitness and Leisure Platforms
Although Keep has made a series of innovations in content services, it still cannot solve the problem of the increasing loss of users. As an Internet + fitness network platform, users are the foundation for its operation. In February 2022, Keep issued its prospectus for the first time. With nearly 40 million monthly active users, it has become the largest online fitness platform in China and even globally, but it has suffered billions of yuan in losses in three years. Specifically, in terms of data performance, although the revenue is good, the marketing expenses have also increased significantly. The prospectus shows that Keep’s revenues in 2019, 2020, and the first nine months of 2021 were 663 million yuan, 1.107 billion yuan, and 1.159 billion yuan respectively, and the total marketing expense ratios in 2019-2020 and the first three quarters of 2021 were 100.6%, 57%, and 112.8% respectively. In the first nine months of 2021, corresponding to the revenue of 1.159 billion yuan, the marketing expenses were nearly 800 million yuan. A real fitness enthusiast who is dedicated to weightlifting doesn’t need the reminder of an app to check in and will exercise spontaneously. A novice who is not serious about fitness may not open and use the fitness software frequently even if they have it.
At the same time, Keep’s prospectus links its various businesses into a closed loop. As Liu Dong said, it is a consumption chain of “eating, wearing, using, and exercising”. This logic seems very self-consistent, but the trap is that every link in this closed loop is full of competitors. Whether it is food, clothing, equipment, or fitness spaces, there are many established brands. It remains to be seen whether Keep can gain a share of the market.
Although Keep has made a series of innovations in content services, it still cannot solve the problem of the increasing loss of users. As an Internet + fitness network platform, users are the foundation for its operation. In February 2022, Keep issued its prospectus for the first time. With nearly 40 million monthly active users, it has become the largest online fitness platform in China and even globally, but it has suffered billions of yuan in losses in three years. Specifically, in terms of data performance, although the revenue is good, the marketing expenses have also increased significantly. The prospectus shows that Keep’s revenues in 2019, 2020, and the first nine months of 2021 were 663 million yuan, 1.107 billion yuan, and 1.159 billion yuan respectively, and the total marketing expense ratios in 2019-2020 and the first three quarters of 2021 were 100.6%, 57%, and 112.8% respectively. In the first nine months of 2021, corresponding to the revenue of 1.159 billion yuan, the marketing expenses were nearly 800 million yuan. A real fitness enthusiast who is dedicated to weightlifting doesn’t need the reminder of an app to check in and will exercise spontaneously. A novice who is not serious about fitness may not open and use the fitness software frequently even if they have it.
At the same time, Keep’s prospectus links its various businesses into a closed loop. As Liu Dong said, it is a consumption chain of “eating, wearing, using, and exercising”. This logic seems very self-consistent, but the trap is that every link in this closed loop is full of competitors. Whether it is food, clothing, equipment, or fitness spaces, there are many established brands. It remains to be seen whether Keep can gain a share of the market.
Analysis of the Advantages Brought by the Sports Industry from the Perspective of China’s Fitness and Leisure Industry
Abstract: As the core layer of the sports industry, the fitness and leisure industry is the main way for the vast majority of people, that is, non-professional athletes, to engage in physical activities and maintain physical health. Compared with the sports competition industry, the fitness and leisure industry has a wider market scope, a large consumer base, and the overall development of the industry is more stable and has greater potential. Therefore, this article will summarize the development status of China’s fitness and leisure industry in recent years. From the perspective of the fitness and leisure industry, it will explore how the sports industry operates for non-professional athletes, so as to analyze the social benefits, economic benefits, and existing problems brought by China’s sports industry to the whole nation.
Keywords: Fitness and leisure industry; Sports industry
I. Overview of the Fitness and Leisure Industry
1. The Meaning of the Fitness and Leisure Industry
The fitness and leisure industry refers to a series of economic activities that use sports as the carrier, participation and experience as the main forms, and the promotion of physical and mental health as the purpose, and provide the public with related products and services. It covers business forms such as fitness services, facility construction, and sports equipment manufacturing.
As an emerging industry, the fitness and leisure industry is an important part of China’s sports industry. It has been developing in China for more than 30 years. From its initial small scale and being ignored to the current core sports industry, its development speed has been quite rapid. Especially in the past decade, the sports fitness and leisure market has become the main body of China’s sports market, and it is in a stage of free competition and self-development.
1. The Meaning of the Fitness and Leisure Industry
The fitness and leisure industry refers to a series of economic activities that use sports as the carrier, participation and experience as the main forms, and the promotion of physical and mental health as the purpose, and provide the public with related products and services. It covers business forms such as fitness services, facility construction, and sports equipment manufacturing.
As an emerging industry, the fitness and leisure industry is an important part of China’s sports industry. It has been developing in China for more than 30 years. From its initial small scale and being ignored to the current core sports industry, its development speed has been quite rapid. Especially in the past decade, the sports fitness and leisure market has become the main body of China’s sports market, and it is in a stage of free competition and self-development.
2. Characteristics of the Fitness and Leisure Industry
Taking the Realization of Consumers’ Physical Health as the Fundamental Purpose
Fitness exercises cover a wide range of items. Unlike professional sports training that tempers people’s bones and muscles and breaks the body’s limits, fitness is a way for people to improve their physical fitness and obtain a better living condition through reasonable aerobic exercises. No matter what kind of fitness exercise it is, it ultimately helps people achieve a balanced and healthy physical state. The addition of the characteristics of the leisure industry makes the fitness activity bring people spiritual enjoyment. Various fitness methods can release people’s stressful, nervous and anxious emotions, and make people more confident when they see their good body shapes. People can achieve double satisfaction in both body and spirit through the experience of various services in the fitness and leisure industry.
Its Vigorous Development Requires Social Progress
The fitness and leisure industry is an industry that will develop only when people’s material life is satisfied to a certain extent. On the one hand, it requires a rich social material foundation. In addition to ensuring the most basic survival needs, people’s income should have extra funds that can be invested in the construction of a higher-quality life. On the other hand, it requires that the general public in society have enough free and leisure time. Reducing people’s work pressure without reducing their income and the transformation of people’s ideas are all conducive to slowing down the pace of life, so that people have more leisure time.
Strong Industrial Integration
The fitness and leisure industry is an industrial model derived from various social industries and services. Its fundamental operation requires the support of industries such as sports health-related research, manufacturing, and construction. At the same time, for better development, it also cooperates to the greatest extent with industries such as tourism, leisure services, finance, and catering. In the current Internet era, the fitness and leisure industry is even more inseparable from the Internet technology industry and the media communication industry. This characteristic is conducive to the formation of an industrial chain with the fitness and leisure industry as the core.
Containing a Strong Social Attribute
The fitness and leisure industry is fundamentally based on the fitness industry. After years of development, the fitness activity has long become a social interaction method, and the term “fitness social interaction” is not unfamiliar. Taking sports and fitness apps as an example, the setting of the “community” section allows a large number of fitness enthusiasts to express their opinions. Through the shared focus of attention and emotions, community members trigger collective excitement, and ultimately form emotional energy, group unity, group symbols, and recognized behavior norms. Based on this, a new round of interaction rituals are carried out, as well as the interaction ritual chain of the unique and multi-functional sports and fitness app online community [1].
Uniqueness and Popularity
When people engage in fitness and leisure sports, they rarely follow the rules of general sports strictly. Instead, they are more likely to carry out this sports activity according to their own wishes, which is more characteristic of the athletes themselves. Each different sport will have new attractions after being “adapted” by different people. More diverse and popular sports and methods emerge in an endless stream. New methods will appear every once in a while and be imitated and innovated by more people through offline media dissemination.
Taking the Realization of Consumers’ Physical Health as the Fundamental Purpose
Fitness exercises cover a wide range of items. Unlike professional sports training that tempers people’s bones and muscles and breaks the body’s limits, fitness is a way for people to improve their physical fitness and obtain a better living condition through reasonable aerobic exercises. No matter what kind of fitness exercise it is, it ultimately helps people achieve a balanced and healthy physical state. The addition of the characteristics of the leisure industry makes the fitness activity bring people spiritual enjoyment. Various fitness methods can release people’s stressful, nervous and anxious emotions, and make people more confident when they see their good body shapes. People can achieve double satisfaction in both body and spirit through the experience of various services in the fitness and leisure industry.
Its Vigorous Development Requires Social Progress
The fitness and leisure industry is an industry that will develop only when people’s material life is satisfied to a certain extent. On the one hand, it requires a rich social material foundation. In addition to ensuring the most basic survival needs, people’s income should have extra funds that can be invested in the construction of a higher-quality life. On the other hand, it requires that the general public in society have enough free and leisure time. Reducing people’s work pressure without reducing their income and the transformation of people’s ideas are all conducive to slowing down the pace of life, so that people have more leisure time.
Strong Industrial Integration
The fitness and leisure industry is an industrial model derived from various social industries and services. Its fundamental operation requires the support of industries such as sports health-related research, manufacturing, and construction. At the same time, for better development, it also cooperates to the greatest extent with industries such as tourism, leisure services, finance, and catering. In the current Internet era, the fitness and leisure industry is even more inseparable from the Internet technology industry and the media communication industry. This characteristic is conducive to the formation of an industrial chain with the fitness and leisure industry as the core.
Containing a Strong Social Attribute
The fitness and leisure industry is fundamentally based on the fitness industry. After years of development, the fitness activity has long become a social interaction method, and the term “fitness social interaction” is not unfamiliar. Taking sports and fitness apps as an example, the setting of the “community” section allows a large number of fitness enthusiasts to express their opinions. Through the shared focus of attention and emotions, community members trigger collective excitement, and ultimately form emotional energy, group unity, group symbols, and recognized behavior norms. Based on this, a new round of interaction rituals are carried out, as well as the interaction ritual chain of the unique and multi-functional sports and fitness app online community [1].
Uniqueness and Popularity
When people engage in fitness and leisure sports, they rarely follow the rules of general sports strictly. Instead, they are more likely to carry out this sports activity according to their own wishes, which is more characteristic of the athletes themselves. Each different sport will have new attractions after being “adapted” by different people. More diverse and popular sports and methods emerge in an endless stream. New methods will appear every once in a while and be imitated and innovated by more people through offline media dissemination.
II. Social Benefits Brought by the Sports Industry
1. Healthier National Fitness
The most fundamental characteristic of the fitness and leisure industry is conducive to promoting the physical health of all people in China. The more mature the fitness and leisure industry is, the more comfortable and convenient the ways for people to obtain health will be. Under the national fitness strategy, the fitness and leisure industry has ushered in a favorable development opportunity and environment. The overall service mechanisms of privately operated gyms or clubs have become more perfect, the construction of public fitness equipment managed by the government has become more common, and the number of sports venues has increased, all of which provide people with better fitness and leisure spaces. For the sports industry itself, the provision and improvement of fitness and leisure industry services are the most direct and core content to drive the improvement of the national physical quality. Therefore, as the core of the sports industry, the fitness and leisure industry’s most fundamental characteristic is also an important attribute of the sports industry. Through the improvement of the sports industry, more people can enjoy health.
1. Healthier National Fitness
The most fundamental characteristic of the fitness and leisure industry is conducive to promoting the physical health of all people in China. The more mature the fitness and leisure industry is, the more comfortable and convenient the ways for people to obtain health will be. Under the national fitness strategy, the fitness and leisure industry has ushered in a favorable development opportunity and environment. The overall service mechanisms of privately operated gyms or clubs have become more perfect, the construction of public fitness equipment managed by the government has become more common, and the number of sports venues has increased, all of which provide people with better fitness and leisure spaces. For the sports industry itself, the provision and improvement of fitness and leisure industry services are the most direct and core content to drive the improvement of the national physical quality. Therefore, as the core of the sports industry, the fitness and leisure industry’s most fundamental characteristic is also an important attribute of the sports industry. Through the improvement of the sports industry, more people can enjoy health.
2. Contributing to the Building of a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects
It has been a year since China built a moderately prosperous society in all respects. During the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the fitness and leisure industry has also made its contribution. The fitness and leisure industry not only focuses on people’s fitness effects but also pays more attention to people’s spiritual enjoyment. Building a moderately prosperous society in all respects is not just the single development of the economy but also the progress of people’s spiritual culture. The concept of “leisure” spreads the idea that people should do a series of things to relax and be happy after work and pay attention to their comprehensive self-development. Therefore, the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects has given up the insistence on the concept of “economy first” and pays more attention to the coordinated development of the economy and culture and all-round development. The rapid development of the sports industry represented by the fitness and leisure industry is a contribution to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and also a powerful proof of its successful achievement.
Now that we have entered the process of achieving a new centenary goal, we need to further promote the all-round development of society. The sports industry does not only contain the single concept of “leisure”. Fundamentally, it also contains the sports spirit. People can more “immersively” feel the power brought by sports through physical exercise and watching competition performances, which is also the driving force that the sports industry can bring to society.
III. Economic Construction Brought by the Sports Industry
1. Consumption Level
The fitness and leisure industry integrates multiple services, attracting more consumers to spend. Especially in the first-tier cities of China, people are more able to enjoy the life enjoyment brought by fitness and leisure sports. Different service contents are designed according to consumers with different incomes to provide consumers with their desired fitness and leisure services and products to the greatest extent. In this way, people can fall in love with and enjoy fitness and leisure sports, expand the consumer group, and promote the demand for fitness and leisure products and services. The fitness and leisure industry meets people’s diversified sports consumption needs and effectively promotes the upgrading of consumption demand.
2. Development of the Digital Economy
The fitness and leisure industry and the digital economy can be integrated and permeated with each other. New business forms of fitness and leisure can be developed through methods such as developing fitness apps, fitness live broadcasts, and online sales of fitness and leisure products. The development of fitness apps has brought a broader market and consumer group for fitness and leisure. Each major app has its own characteristics. Taking Keep as an example, it has built a business model integrating “eating, wearing, using, and exercising” relying on the Internet. At the same time, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed the trend of online fitness across the whole network. Overall, the popularity of online fitness live broadcast platforms can effectively meet the needs of the public’s consumption structure upgrade [2]. The fitness and leisure industry is just one of the industries in the sports industry that combines with the digital economy. Industries such as the sports competition performance industry, sports goods manufacturing industry, sports venue service industry, and sports education and training industry are all integrated with the digital economy in different forms, promoting the development of China’s digital economy.
3. Expanding Economic Exchanges and Cooperation within and outside the Region
The fitness and leisure industry is a global industry, and people in various countries have a huge demand for it. Sports are a bridge for cooperation and communication within and between regions. The development of the leisure sports industry can not only attract foreign skills, equipment, human resources, management experience, and capital but also, through the promotion of news media specializing in reporting sports events, enable some products with low influence but high quality to enter domestic and foreign markets. Through the carrier of sports, economic and trade cooperation can be vigorously developed to improve the sustainable development of China’s economy [3]. For the sports industry itself, it is a global industry. It is a common and effective method to conduct great-power diplomacy, as well as trade and cultural exchanges through sports.
4. Promoting the Modernization of the Economy
The fitness and leisure industry covers a wide range of modern economic industries. As the starting point of a large industrial chain, the leisure sports industry can drive the development of industries such as textiles, machinery, construction, electronics, and food. The fitness and leisure industry is a labor-intensive industry. Especially the leisure sports goods manufacturing industry accounts for a large proportion of labor, which can increase employment. It is not difficult to see from the fitness and leisure industry that the sports industry has the characteristic of connecting multiple industries, and through this characteristic, it can promote the sustainable development of China’s economy.
IV. Conclusion
As the core industry of the sports industry, the fitness and leisure industry is the most intuitive manifestation of the advantages of the sports industry. Through the analysis of the development of the fitness and leisure industry, it can be seen that the overall future development prospect of China’s sports industry is broad. The development of the sports industry brings impetus to China’s economy and happiness to the Chinese people. China should continue to expand the scale of the sports industry and improve the operation mechanism of the sports industry through various reforms, so that it can better serve the high-quality development of China’s economy.
As the core industry of the sports industry, the fitness and leisure industry is the most intuitive manifestation of the advantages of the sports industry. Through the analysis of the development of the fitness and leisure industry, it can be seen that the overall future development prospect of China’s sports industry is broad. The development of the sports industry brings impetus to China’s economy and happiness to the Chinese people. China should continue to expand the scale of the sports industry and improve the operation mechanism of the sports industry through various reforms, so that it can better serve the high-quality development of China’s economy.
References:
[1] Fitness, Social Interaction, Emotion: The Interaction Ritual Chain of the Online Community of Sports and Fitness Apps [J]. Wang Xiaochen, Fu Xiaojiao. Journal of Shenyang Sport University. 2021, 41(03)
[2] The Motivation, Mechanism and Model of the Integration of China’s Digital Economy and the Sports Industry [J]. Ren Bo, Huang Haiyan. Journal of Sports Science. 2020, 34(05)
[3] On the Important Role of the Leisure Sports Industry in the Sustainable Development of China’s Economy [J]. Li Yingda. China Management Informationization. 2021, 24(19)
[1] Fitness, Social Interaction, Emotion: The Interaction Ritual Chain of the Online Community of Sports and Fitness Apps [J]. Wang Xiaochen, Fu Xiaojiao. Journal of Shenyang Sport University. 2021, 41(03)
[2] The Motivation, Mechanism and Model of the Integration of China’s Digital Economy and the Sports Industry [J]. Ren Bo, Huang Haiyan. Journal of Sports Science. 2020, 34(05)
[3] On the Important Role of the Leisure Sports Industry in the Sustainable Development of China’s Economy [J]. Li Yingda. China Management Informationization. 2021, 24(19)
Promoting Chinese Traditional Culture through New Media Platforms: A Case Study of Short Videos
Abstract: Short videos are one of the main ways of online audio-visual communication on new media platforms. As a new form of media in the Internet era, short videos, with their characteristics of being short and quick (counted in seconds) and highly social, meet the general needs of Chinese netizens. Entering the new era, the online audio-visual industry has actively integrated into and served the overall situation of the country. From the research and development of technical platforms to the creation and review of video content, it is committed to telling Chinese stories well to the world and establishing the cultural confidence of the Chinese nation. The content produced by the short video industry has taken on new forms, and a large number of bloggers who vigorously promote China’s excellent traditional culture in their videos have emerged. This article selects three bloggers, Li Ziqi, Zhu Tiexiong, and Peng Peng (Pengpengpeng), as successful cases for analysis to explore how new media platforms promote Chinese traditional culture in the form of short videos.
Keywords: Short videos; New media platforms; Chinese traditional culture
I. Advantages of Promoting Traditional Culture through Short Videos
Firstly, the short duration of short videos enables the audience to understand a profound and time-honored culture in a very short time. Most of the initially popular short videos were within 30 seconds, and some were as short as about 10 seconds, which meets people’s demand for entertainment videos in a fast-paced life. Since people can watch the entire short video, its promotion scope is definitely wider than that of a documentary that lasts for several hours. As the short video industry has developed, there is a trend towards medium and long lengths, which is more conducive to in-depth exploration of the video content. Attracted by short videos, when the audience watches medium and long cultural videos, they will be more expectant and interested.
Secondly, due to the relatively short duration of short videos, their overall audio-visual effects are designed to be more eye-catching, and the video content is more explosive. In the past, the promotion of traditional culture through traditional media had mediocre effects. On the one hand, most of the audience had little knowledge of traditional culture and it was difficult for them to feel its charm from static photos and texts. On the other hand, most videos about traditional culture were long and very documentary-style, making it difficult to arouse the viewing interest of most people. However, short videos are different. They rely on the development of network technology and bring people a brand-new audio-visual experience. Their creative content also has a certain “grassroots” nature. It can be understood that short videos break cultural barriers through low-context rendering [1]. The essence of traditional culture is no longer mysterious and untouchable.
Finally, promoting Chinese culture through short videos is conducive to making the essence of excellent culture deeply rooted in people’s hearts. From the perspective of short videos, short videos have now become an indispensable part of most people’s entertainment lives, and swiping short videos has become a part of people’s living habits. In 2021, the user scale of online short videos reached as high as 888 million, making it the most active business in the online audio-visual industry [2]. Therefore, with a wide audience for short videos, the number of people exposed to traditional culture has increased, and its connotative charm will be seen by more people. From the perspective of Chinese traditional culture itself, it has already been subtly integrated into the blood of every Chinese person. Through the audio-visual language of short videos, it is visualized, allowing us to have a more intuitive understanding of our culture and thus establish cultural confidence.
Firstly, the short duration of short videos enables the audience to understand a profound and time-honored culture in a very short time. Most of the initially popular short videos were within 30 seconds, and some were as short as about 10 seconds, which meets people’s demand for entertainment videos in a fast-paced life. Since people can watch the entire short video, its promotion scope is definitely wider than that of a documentary that lasts for several hours. As the short video industry has developed, there is a trend towards medium and long lengths, which is more conducive to in-depth exploration of the video content. Attracted by short videos, when the audience watches medium and long cultural videos, they will be more expectant and interested.
Secondly, due to the relatively short duration of short videos, their overall audio-visual effects are designed to be more eye-catching, and the video content is more explosive. In the past, the promotion of traditional culture through traditional media had mediocre effects. On the one hand, most of the audience had little knowledge of traditional culture and it was difficult for them to feel its charm from static photos and texts. On the other hand, most videos about traditional culture were long and very documentary-style, making it difficult to arouse the viewing interest of most people. However, short videos are different. They rely on the development of network technology and bring people a brand-new audio-visual experience. Their creative content also has a certain “grassroots” nature. It can be understood that short videos break cultural barriers through low-context rendering [1]. The essence of traditional culture is no longer mysterious and untouchable.
Finally, promoting Chinese culture through short videos is conducive to making the essence of excellent culture deeply rooted in people’s hearts. From the perspective of short videos, short videos have now become an indispensable part of most people’s entertainment lives, and swiping short videos has become a part of people’s living habits. In 2021, the user scale of online short videos reached as high as 888 million, making it the most active business in the online audio-visual industry [2]. Therefore, with a wide audience for short videos, the number of people exposed to traditional culture has increased, and its connotative charm will be seen by more people. From the perspective of Chinese traditional culture itself, it has already been subtly integrated into the blood of every Chinese person. Through the audio-visual language of short videos, it is visualized, allowing us to have a more intuitive understanding of our culture and thus establish cultural confidence.
II. Case Analysis of Individual Bloggers
1. The Beautiful Farming Civilization – Li Ziqi
(1) Analysis of Online Audio-Visual Language
“The Li family has a daughter, known as Ziqi.” These simple eight words are a common way for people in ancient times to introduce their names, and these eight words were also Li Ziqi’s initial label on the Internet, depicting an ancient-style rural girl living a reclusive life.
The original rural life is not as beautiful as shown in Li Ziqi’s videos. However, Li Ziqi’s video shooting team uses various audio-visual languages to make the life shown in each of her videos look tranquil, approachable, and leisurely. This has also formed her unique audio-visual language characteristics of short videos, that is, the video style.
All of Li Ziqi’s short videos are in landscape format. The video content includes food making, handicraft making, and traditional festival customs, which is more similar to the display style of a documentary. The shots include both grand long shots showing green mountains, bamboo forests, and starry skies, as well as close-ups of various farming tools, and medium and close shots of Li Ziqi during the food-making process. The empty shots in the short videos all showcase the peaceful environment in the mountains and the main raw materials of the items and foods being made in the video. Fixed shots are mostly used, and the editing rhythm is slow. The slow-paced video in a short time creates a visual atmosphere of a leisurely rural life, deeply attracting the yearning of busy “office workers” every day. The production environment, production materials, production process, and the producer cooperate with each other and complement each other under the camera language. The sound production of Li Ziqi’s videos is also a major factor contributing to the beauty of her videos. The quiet light music and the occasional barking of dogs and chirping of birds completely replace the noise of rural life, and the enhanced sound of food production in the later stage makes people drool over the deliciousness of the final food.
The above is Li Ziqi’s unique audio-visual language style of short videos, which allows us to slow down and calm down in our fast-paced lives and enjoy the quiet and beautiful parts of rural life virtually.
1. The Beautiful Farming Civilization – Li Ziqi
(1) Analysis of Online Audio-Visual Language
“The Li family has a daughter, known as Ziqi.” These simple eight words are a common way for people in ancient times to introduce their names, and these eight words were also Li Ziqi’s initial label on the Internet, depicting an ancient-style rural girl living a reclusive life.
The original rural life is not as beautiful as shown in Li Ziqi’s videos. However, Li Ziqi’s video shooting team uses various audio-visual languages to make the life shown in each of her videos look tranquil, approachable, and leisurely. This has also formed her unique audio-visual language characteristics of short videos, that is, the video style.
All of Li Ziqi’s short videos are in landscape format. The video content includes food making, handicraft making, and traditional festival customs, which is more similar to the display style of a documentary. The shots include both grand long shots showing green mountains, bamboo forests, and starry skies, as well as close-ups of various farming tools, and medium and close shots of Li Ziqi during the food-making process. The empty shots in the short videos all showcase the peaceful environment in the mountains and the main raw materials of the items and foods being made in the video. Fixed shots are mostly used, and the editing rhythm is slow. The slow-paced video in a short time creates a visual atmosphere of a leisurely rural life, deeply attracting the yearning of busy “office workers” every day. The production environment, production materials, production process, and the producer cooperate with each other and complement each other under the camera language. The sound production of Li Ziqi’s videos is also a major factor contributing to the beauty of her videos. The quiet light music and the occasional barking of dogs and chirping of birds completely replace the noise of rural life, and the enhanced sound of food production in the later stage makes people drool over the deliciousness of the final food.
The above is Li Ziqi’s unique audio-visual language style of short videos, which allows us to slow down and calm down in our fast-paced lives and enjoy the quiet and beautiful parts of rural life virtually.
(2)The Life Attitude in Farming Civilization
Until Li Ziqi stopped updating, her various Douyin accounts had already updated 9 series of short videos, including “Tour of the Peach Forest”, “Spring Festival Goods”, “Drinking Party Along a Curving Stream”, and “Inheritance of Eastern Intangible Cultural Heritage”. The video content itself includes many visualized elements of Chinese traditional culture, such as movable type printing, Shu brocade, and indigo dyeing. These intangible cultural heritages are presented in her videos in a form closest to the original production state, and through the video sound, the wisdom and art of the ancient Chinese people are more vividly and specifically displayed.
Li Ziqi’s short videos demonstrate the manifestation of Chinese traditional cultural concepts in life. The content of her videos well shows the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, which is a kind of rural life culture. Rural life has its own set of rhythms, utensils, and wisdom, such as farming, breeding, picking, harvesting, peeling, washing, drying, and grinding. In the videos, through the beautification of audio-visual language, these series of actions are stripped of their original rusticity and noise, allowing the audience’s attention to be more directly focused on the environment of close interaction between humans and nature. Short videos like Li Ziqi’s do not contain words for popular science and introduction of the culture itself in the videos. Instead, through the daily life in the videos, people are subtly made to feel the wisdom and harmony of traditional Chinese farming civilization. In general, culture is the processing of nature by humans. This definition of culture criticizes the definition that only equates culture with “historical relics”, “classical documents”, or “customs”, providing a theoretical basis for a comprehensive understanding of the connotation of culture [3].
2. The Special Effects Master – Zhu Tiexiong
(1)Analysis of Online Audio-Visual Language
“The hero dream of a Chinese magical boy, the passion and romance of national style transformation” is the theme of Zhu Tiexiong’s account videos – special effects and national style. The most distinctive feature of the online audio-visual language of his videos is his transformation special effects. Different from the “cheap” special effects that often appear in other online short videos, the special effects in Zhu Tiexiong’s videos are realistic and smooth. And because of the portrait format composition, the characters occupy most of the screen, and each special effects transformation can bring a visual impact.
(1)Analysis of Online Audio-Visual Language
“The hero dream of a Chinese magical boy, the passion and romance of national style transformation” is the theme of Zhu Tiexiong’s account videos – special effects and national style. The most distinctive feature of the online audio-visual language of his videos is his transformation special effects. Different from the “cheap” special effects that often appear in other online short videos, the special effects in Zhu Tiexiong’s videos are realistic and smooth. And because of the portrait format composition, the characters occupy most of the screen, and each special effects transformation can bring a visual impact.
(2)Making the Opera Come True
The biggest element in Zhu Tiexiong’s videos is China’s opera culture. The plot design is touching and passionate. He writes scripts based on some current social hot topics and adds the images of Chinese historical figures or mythical figures in operas. The content of Chinese traditional culture shown in Zhu Tiexiong’s videos is not profound, and the way of presentation is not as implicit and metaphorical as China’s traditional culture usually is. Instead, it shows the visual aesthetic charm of traditional culture in the most direct and eye-catching way. In the short stories he writes, people can find resonance with their own lives. The appearance of the transformed characters at the end of each video also represents the most desired ideal ending in our hearts, as if the plot of the opera has come true, and there will be kind and upright people like those in the opera around us. This shortens the distance between us and traditional operas and helps us find resonance with historical or mythical figures.
3. Guzheng, Hanfu, and the Streets of France – Peng Peng (Pengpengpeng)
(1)Analysis of Online Audio-Visual Language
The audio-visual language design of Peng Peng (later referred to as Peng Peng by her fans) is relatively simple. Most of the camera perspectives are from the perspective of a passerby, showing the most authentic state of the street performance in France. However, for the video effect, the on-site sound was not used, and instead, a pure enjoyment version of the playing audio was added in the later stage.
(1)Analysis of Online Audio-Visual Language
The audio-visual language design of Peng Peng (later referred to as Peng Peng by her fans) is relatively simple. Most of the camera perspectives are from the perspective of a passerby, showing the most authentic state of the street performance in France. However, for the video effect, the on-site sound was not used, and instead, a pure enjoyment version of the playing audio was added in the later stage.
(2)Chinese Culture on the Streets of France
As an international student, Peng Peng uses her expertise and hobbies to export excellent Chinese culture to foreign countries. The guzheng is a traditional Chinese musical instrument. The sound of the guzheng can be melodious and gentle or forceful and rhythmic, with a high degree of ornamental value. The combination of ancient musical instruments and modern pop songs has added more attraction and hot topics to her videos. The brand-new and highly restored arrangement makes her performances very popular.
For Peng Peng, music is just a carrier for her to promote Chinese culture. Every time she performs on the street, with a guzheng and wearing Hanfu, she seems like a person from ancient times who has traveled to the streets of France. After the performance, she seems to return to history. For an international student, performing on the street in a foreign country while wearing distinctive clothes requires confidence in her major and cultural confidence and love for her own country. Peng Peng uses the characteristics of short videos, such as borderless dissemination and wide coverage, to help promote the Chinese culture she loves further. When Chinese traditional culture goes global, short videos provide us with a larger platform and help us find the content of Chinese traditional culture that is popular among foreign people.
III. Conclusion
Through the summary of the three bloggers, the integration of short videos and Chinese traditional culture has injected new vitality into both. Traditional culture brings connotations, hot topics, and new meanings to the development of short video content; short videos bring new presentation forms and new communication methods to traditional culture, making traditional culture visible and audible.
Although the promotion of traditional culture through short videos does not pursue comprehensiveness and profoundness. The duration of the video is an absolute limitation. From the case analysis of the three bloggers, it can be seen that the video content should find a small entry point and start from the life scene. Each video contains only a simple feature of traditional culture. The style of each video should be kept consistent as much as possible. Through a series of short videos, the core of a traditional culture can be gradually introduced comprehensively and clearly.
Through short videos, we should not only promote Chinese traditional culture more comprehensively to the Chinese people but also, with the help of short videos, show the charm of Chinese culture to the world and demonstrate the cultural confidence of the Chinese people.
Through the summary of the three bloggers, the integration of short videos and Chinese traditional culture has injected new vitality into both. Traditional culture brings connotations, hot topics, and new meanings to the development of short video content; short videos bring new presentation forms and new communication methods to traditional culture, making traditional culture visible and audible.
Although the promotion of traditional culture through short videos does not pursue comprehensiveness and profoundness. The duration of the video is an absolute limitation. From the case analysis of the three bloggers, it can be seen that the video content should find a small entry point and start from the life scene. Each video contains only a simple feature of traditional culture. The style of each video should be kept consistent as much as possible. Through a series of short videos, the core of a traditional culture can be gradually introduced comprehensively and clearly.
Through short videos, we should not only promote Chinese traditional culture more comprehensively to the Chinese people but also, with the help of short videos, show the charm of Chinese culture to the world and demonstrate the cultural confidence of the Chinese people.
References:
[1] Analysis of the Short Video Communication Strategy for Telling Chinese Stories Well in the New Era: A Case Study of Li Ziqi’s Short Videos [J]. Li Xinye, Yang Wenhui. Cultural Industry. 2022, (35)
[2] Report on the Development of New Media in China 2022 [M]. Social Sciences Academic Press, Hu Zhengrong, Huang Chuxin. 2022
[3] The Innovation of Video Discourse in the Dissemination of Chinese Culture through Short Videos: Starting from the Discussion of the “Li Ziqi Phenomenon” [J]. Du Zhihong. Research on Central Plains Culture. 2020, 8(03)
[1] Analysis of the Short Video Communication Strategy for Telling Chinese Stories Well in the New Era: A Case Study of Li Ziqi’s Short Videos [J]. Li Xinye, Yang Wenhui. Cultural Industry. 2022, (35)
[2] Report on the Development of New Media in China 2022 [M]. Social Sciences Academic Press, Hu Zhengrong, Huang Chuxin. 2022
[3] The Innovation of Video Discourse in the Dissemination of Chinese Culture through Short Videos: Starting from the Discussion of the “Li Ziqi Phenomenon” [J]. Du Zhihong. Research on Central Plains Culture. 2020, 8(03)
Here’s a link to the video. In this video, we introduce a sculpture called The Discus Thrower. At the beginning of the video, we learned about the popularity of this work among young people through interviews on campus. Through MG animation, this paper introduces the historical background, characteristics and significance of this work in art history. Finally, we filmed the students of the school track and field team training, full of passion and tension.
Rendering the Screen with Music: A Summary and Appreciation of Film and Television Music
Abstract: With the development of film and television works, every element in them plays an indispensable and important role. From the perspective of communication, the transition of film and television sound from silent to sound makes the film more disseminating, and the addition of music has contributed significantly. In recent years, movie soundtracks have gradually attracted the attention of the public. Many films have become popular because of the complementarity between the pictures and the music. Many people even watch an entire TV drama because of a single song. Therefore, this article first summarizes the characteristics and functions of film and television music from a macro perspective, and then analyzes specific films and specific music from a micro perspective.
Keywords: Film and television music; Movie soundtrack; Chinese film and television music works
I. Summary of Film and Television Music
When music collides with different pictures, a miraculous chemical reaction occurs, and this is where the charm of film and television music lies. From silent to sound, a film and television work may become widely spread and deeply remembered by people because of its music.
Movies are the forerunners of film and television works and a unique existence among them. They bring people a magnificent audio-visual feast within just a few hours. A good musical work is like a beam of light, illuminating the rich colors on the canvas of the movie one by one. Although the birth of TV dramas is later than that of movies, they have been widely loved by audiences in recent years. Their large time span requires a soulful piece of music as a thread to connect them. The production scale and quality of the musical works of many TV dramas are no less than those of movies.
When music collides with different pictures, a miraculous chemical reaction occurs, and this is where the charm of film and television music lies. From silent to sound, a film and television work may become widely spread and deeply remembered by people because of its music.
Movies are the forerunners of film and television works and a unique existence among them. They bring people a magnificent audio-visual feast within just a few hours. A good musical work is like a beam of light, illuminating the rich colors on the canvas of the movie one by one. Although the birth of TV dramas is later than that of movies, they have been widely loved by audiences in recent years. Their large time span requires a soulful piece of music as a thread to connect them. The production scale and quality of the musical works of many TV dramas are no less than those of movies.
II. Characteristics of Film and Television Music
1. Popularity
Music itself is artistic. Especially in the early days when classical music was the mainstream, its rigorous and standardized musical form structure and long performance time deterred the general public. However, movies, as the earliest film and television works, were not even considered pure art works by some people at the beginning and even now. The large number and complex nature of its audience make movie production more inclined to be popular and accessible. It can be said that movies are an art for the public. Music is an art with a longer history of development than movies. But when it is used as an extended creation of film and television works, what changes will occur in its characteristics? The popularity of film and television music can be best seen from commercial blockbusters and contemporary TV dramas. For example, the ending song See You Again of the movie Furious 7 was originally used to commemorate the lead actor Paul. Once released, it touched countless people and almost became a holy song for mourning deceased relatives and friends. The song is a combination of rap and pop music. Its simple melody, arrangement, and heart-touching lyrics have deeply resonated with everyone. This song has also transcended the plot of the movie and become a popular music piece. Another example is the form of film and television music that combines rap and pop singing, which has been used many times in Korean TV dramas. As one of the most successful film and television works that have entered the Chinese market in recent years, the original soundtracks (OSTs) of Korean dramas have also become popular many times. These songs have maximally triggered the common emotions of the public.
2. Inclusiveness
The greatest characteristic of film and television music, on the premise of its popularity, is the inevitability of the inclusiveness of its music content and style. Since music is written for the public, it naturally needs to include various music genres and styles, allowing people with different preferences to enter the story of the film through the music they are familiar with and like while watching. Moreover, due to the richness and diversity of film and television stories, using only one music genre cannot accurately convey their emotions. Nowadays, film and television music can be said to include various music forms and styles such as classical music, jazz, rock, electronic, pop, rap, and opera. It is like a large melting pot that absorbs a wide range of elements. As long as it is a music form loved by the public, it can be refined and processed here and reshaped with a unique narrative framework [1].
3. Pictorialness
The greatest characteristic that distinguishes film and television music from music itself is the integration of the audio-visual experience it brings us. Film and television music is embedded music, especially the 插曲 (interludes) and background music in films. The music is closely linked to the camera shots. For example, in Inception, whenever we hear Time by Hans Zimmer, can we recall the suffocation when each layer of the dream is stacked, or the feeling of mental weightlessness when the dream collapses? This soundtrack vividly interprets the progressive process. The whole piece has only one melody that repeats, but each repetition brings a different feeling.
4. Decorativeness
The narrative and plot are the main elements in a movie, and film and television music always serves the storyline and camera narrative of the movie itself. Different from stage plays, operas, and ballets, although these dramas are the predecessors of film and television works, they do not tell the story mainly through songs. Instead, they use music and singing to convey the plot. In movies, the narrative is mainly through the camera shots, and the film and television music is broken down and reconstructed, serving as a decoration to make the pictures, plots, and characters more complete. Of course, there are some film and television works whose segments seem to be shot for a certain song. For example, Quentin’s movies with violent aesthetics, In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai, and Burial of Flowers, a ci-poem sung by Daiyu in A Dream of Red Mansions.
1. Popularity
Music itself is artistic. Especially in the early days when classical music was the mainstream, its rigorous and standardized musical form structure and long performance time deterred the general public. However, movies, as the earliest film and television works, were not even considered pure art works by some people at the beginning and even now. The large number and complex nature of its audience make movie production more inclined to be popular and accessible. It can be said that movies are an art for the public. Music is an art with a longer history of development than movies. But when it is used as an extended creation of film and television works, what changes will occur in its characteristics? The popularity of film and television music can be best seen from commercial blockbusters and contemporary TV dramas. For example, the ending song See You Again of the movie Furious 7 was originally used to commemorate the lead actor Paul. Once released, it touched countless people and almost became a holy song for mourning deceased relatives and friends. The song is a combination of rap and pop music. Its simple melody, arrangement, and heart-touching lyrics have deeply resonated with everyone. This song has also transcended the plot of the movie and become a popular music piece. Another example is the form of film and television music that combines rap and pop singing, which has been used many times in Korean TV dramas. As one of the most successful film and television works that have entered the Chinese market in recent years, the original soundtracks (OSTs) of Korean dramas have also become popular many times. These songs have maximally triggered the common emotions of the public.
2. Inclusiveness
The greatest characteristic of film and television music, on the premise of its popularity, is the inevitability of the inclusiveness of its music content and style. Since music is written for the public, it naturally needs to include various music genres and styles, allowing people with different preferences to enter the story of the film through the music they are familiar with and like while watching. Moreover, due to the richness and diversity of film and television stories, using only one music genre cannot accurately convey their emotions. Nowadays, film and television music can be said to include various music forms and styles such as classical music, jazz, rock, electronic, pop, rap, and opera. It is like a large melting pot that absorbs a wide range of elements. As long as it is a music form loved by the public, it can be refined and processed here and reshaped with a unique narrative framework [1].
3. Pictorialness
The greatest characteristic that distinguishes film and television music from music itself is the integration of the audio-visual experience it brings us. Film and television music is embedded music, especially the 插曲 (interludes) and background music in films. The music is closely linked to the camera shots. For example, in Inception, whenever we hear Time by Hans Zimmer, can we recall the suffocation when each layer of the dream is stacked, or the feeling of mental weightlessness when the dream collapses? This soundtrack vividly interprets the progressive process. The whole piece has only one melody that repeats, but each repetition brings a different feeling.
4. Decorativeness
The narrative and plot are the main elements in a movie, and film and television music always serves the storyline and camera narrative of the movie itself. Different from stage plays, operas, and ballets, although these dramas are the predecessors of film and television works, they do not tell the story mainly through songs. Instead, they use music and singing to convey the plot. In movies, the narrative is mainly through the camera shots, and the film and television music is broken down and reconstructed, serving as a decoration to make the pictures, plots, and characters more complete. Of course, there are some film and television works whose segments seem to be shot for a certain song. For example, Quentin’s movies with violent aesthetics, In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai, and Burial of Flowers, a ci-poem sung by Daiyu in A Dream of Red Mansions.
III. Functions of Film and Television Music
1. Setting off the Scene and Atmosphere
Different scenes require different music to set off and render. For example, the special tones of instruments such as the flute and violin, which are relatively gorgeous and beautiful, are used to represent some fairyland-like scenes and peaceful and beautiful situations; the characteristics of instruments such as the erhu, dongxiao (Chinese vertical bamboo flute), bawu (a free reed wind instrument), bass, and trombone are used to render terrifying, tense, sad, and desolate emotions; the strong rhythm of percussion instruments is most suitable for expressing intense situations such as wars, chases, and frolics [2]. For example, in the classic Chinese animated film Havoc in Heaven, Mr. Wu Yingju repeatedly used the fragments of Chinese operas such as Peking Opera and Cantonese Opera, especially the drum rhythms of the martial artists’ fights in Peking Opera during the fighting scenes.
2. Shaping and Portraying the Character Image
The tension of the character’s personality is one of the highlights of film and television works, and the creation of a full-fledged character image is a criterion for judging the success of a film. Many film and television works will create corresponding character songs for individual characters. This kind of creation is mostly used in Japanese anime series. In recent years, with the rise of Chinese domestic animation, some popular songs with ancient Chinese charm have also emerged. Moonlight composed and sung by Hu Yibin fully conveys the heroic and tender feelings of the characters in The Legend of Qin.
3. Promoting the Plot and Narrative
The plot is the core of film and television works, and all elements in the film should serve this purpose. Especially in movies, music can be used to combine many scattered shots into a whole. Through music editing, fragments with a large time span can be integrated together. Many beautiful pieces of music in movies appear during scene transitions, which has the effect of simplifying the narration. For example, the growth process of the little Simba in the animated film The Lion King is naturally completed with a comical piece of music. Simba, Pumbaa, and Timon walk on the wooden bridge in front of the waterfall. In this relaxed music, Simba grows happily and leisurely into a strong lion, and the music simplifies the passage of time.
4. Establishing the Overall Style of the Film
Music is the best means to convey and clarify emotions. Many movies choose to use music at the beginning, and the opening style of the movie will set the tone for the whole movie. For example, the opening song Another Day of Sun of the movie La La Land shows the cheerful characteristics of this comedy musical.
5. Cultural Dissemination
Film and television works themselves, as carriers of regional culture, have the function of cultural dissemination. The elements that make up film and television music, such as the playing instruments, musical melodies, and the languages of the lyrics, etc., all have obvious differences. In today’s era of cultural exchange and integration, film and television music mostly selects representative instruments of their own nation or country, and cooperates with popular international arrangement styles. This not only makes the domestic audience like it but also enables foreign audiences in different cultural contexts to accept it well.
6. Extending the Memory of the Film
It is impossible for us to watch film and television works completely and at any time due to their large time span. Our continuation of the audio-visual memory of the film mostly comes from a certain camera shot or a certain piece of music. A popular theme song can make people remember an animated film. “When a specific film sound is combined with the film picture, an immediate and necessary close connection will be established in our perception. The sound gives the corresponding picture a realistic meaning, which conforms to the audience’s direct or memory experience, thus making this scene real and believable.” [3]
1. Setting off the Scene and Atmosphere
Different scenes require different music to set off and render. For example, the special tones of instruments such as the flute and violin, which are relatively gorgeous and beautiful, are used to represent some fairyland-like scenes and peaceful and beautiful situations; the characteristics of instruments such as the erhu, dongxiao (Chinese vertical bamboo flute), bawu (a free reed wind instrument), bass, and trombone are used to render terrifying, tense, sad, and desolate emotions; the strong rhythm of percussion instruments is most suitable for expressing intense situations such as wars, chases, and frolics [2]. For example, in the classic Chinese animated film Havoc in Heaven, Mr. Wu Yingju repeatedly used the fragments of Chinese operas such as Peking Opera and Cantonese Opera, especially the drum rhythms of the martial artists’ fights in Peking Opera during the fighting scenes.
2. Shaping and Portraying the Character Image
The tension of the character’s personality is one of the highlights of film and television works, and the creation of a full-fledged character image is a criterion for judging the success of a film. Many film and television works will create corresponding character songs for individual characters. This kind of creation is mostly used in Japanese anime series. In recent years, with the rise of Chinese domestic animation, some popular songs with ancient Chinese charm have also emerged. Moonlight composed and sung by Hu Yibin fully conveys the heroic and tender feelings of the characters in The Legend of Qin.
3. Promoting the Plot and Narrative
The plot is the core of film and television works, and all elements in the film should serve this purpose. Especially in movies, music can be used to combine many scattered shots into a whole. Through music editing, fragments with a large time span can be integrated together. Many beautiful pieces of music in movies appear during scene transitions, which has the effect of simplifying the narration. For example, the growth process of the little Simba in the animated film The Lion King is naturally completed with a comical piece of music. Simba, Pumbaa, and Timon walk on the wooden bridge in front of the waterfall. In this relaxed music, Simba grows happily and leisurely into a strong lion, and the music simplifies the passage of time.
4. Establishing the Overall Style of the Film
Music is the best means to convey and clarify emotions. Many movies choose to use music at the beginning, and the opening style of the movie will set the tone for the whole movie. For example, the opening song Another Day of Sun of the movie La La Land shows the cheerful characteristics of this comedy musical.
5. Cultural Dissemination
Film and television works themselves, as carriers of regional culture, have the function of cultural dissemination. The elements that make up film and television music, such as the playing instruments, musical melodies, and the languages of the lyrics, etc., all have obvious differences. In today’s era of cultural exchange and integration, film and television music mostly selects representative instruments of their own nation or country, and cooperates with popular international arrangement styles. This not only makes the domestic audience like it but also enables foreign audiences in different cultural contexts to accept it well.
6. Extending the Memory of the Film
It is impossible for us to watch film and television works completely and at any time due to their large time span. Our continuation of the audio-visual memory of the film mostly comes from a certain camera shot or a certain piece of music. A popular theme song can make people remember an animated film. “When a specific film sound is combined with the film picture, an immediate and necessary close connection will be established in our perception. The sound gives the corresponding picture a realistic meaning, which conforms to the audience’s direct or memory experience, thus making this scene real and believable.” [3]
IV. The Design of Chinese Animated Film Music: Taking Chinese Domestic Animated Films after 2015 as an Example
The case analysis part will analyze the specific presentation of music in the film by analyzing the music of Chinese domestic animated films. At the same time, it will analyze the manifestation of Chinese aesthetics in the film and its music.
The music of Chinese domestic animated films has gone through a difficult and tortuous development process, from the completely nationalized “Chinese School” animated films at the beginning, to the abandonment of national elements during the commercial transformation, and then to the perfect combination of national and international popular music at present.
1. Theme Songs
** Nezha **
Nezha is the theme song of the extremely popular Chinese domestic animated film Ne Zha, released in 2019. It was written, composed, and sung by GAI and Dayangyang, and arranged by Shi Yuhan and Su Lizhe.
This film boldly chose a niche hip-hop rap song as the theme song. However, it is very suitable when combined with the plot of the film and the character image of Nezha. This film itself uses the traditional Chinese mythological story to convey a modern spiritual temperament of “not accepting fate and not giving in”. The modern rap style with a bit of ruffianism is also in line with Nezha’s free and comical image. The lyrics “The path of fate is winding, with a sincere heart facing the sky, being able to traverse the sky and the earth, understanding all aspects of the world, stepping on the stars and the moon, not afraid of all enemies, I am here” sing out Nezha’s fearless, unrestrained, and tenacious spirit when fighting against fate.
** Big Fish **
Big Fish is a song with lyrics written by Yin Yue, composed by Qian Lei, and sung by Zhou Shen. It was released as an impression song of the animated film Big Fish & Begonia on May 20, 2016. In September 2016, the song won the Top Ten Golden Songs Award of the Asian New Songs Chart Annual Ceremony. Although this song is an impression song of the film, its dissemination effect has completely exceeded that of the original theme song of the film, and it is no less than the theme songs specially created for other films. At the end of the song, Zhou Shen’s melodious chanting always makes me recall the vastness of the huge Kun flying into the sky and the fiery red maple leaves.
2. Interludes
** Brave Heart **
Brave Heart is a song created and sung by Wang Feng, included in the album Brave Heart released on June 1, 2007. On March 29, 2008, Wang Feng won the Best Lyricist Award at the 15th Oriental Billboard Awards for this song.
When Monkey King: Hero Is Back reaches the middle of the story, when a monkey and a pig escort two children back to Chang’an City, Brave Heart sung by Wang Feng becomes the interlude song at this time. The highly modern music and the singer’s music style make the audience, who are used to the film’s overall background music based on traditional Chinese music, feel a sense of disconnection. However, the story of Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a collision between tradition and modernity. The freedom of rock and the content of the lyrics: “I am not a stone, nor a tear. I am just a little bird, searching for the direction of home” not only correspond to the identity of the Monkey King as a stone monkey born from heaven and earth but also express that the Monkey King at this time is just a down-and-out hero who has been imprisoned and always yearns for true freedom in his heart. The Monkey King in the film keeps “running” with Jiang Liu’er, and finally, his magic power returns, and he becomes the great hero who can travel between heaven and earth in the audience’s memory and the traditional stories.
Jia Yinan’s guitar plays an important role in the whole song. The quality of the tone combines American rock and British rock. The bass by Yazi, the funky drum, and Wang Feng’s voice bring a musical impact to the listeners, making them surprised and amazed. The song is full of positive energy.
Although the selection of this interlude is a form of “copying”, just like the film itself, it is a brand-new attempt for Chinese domestic animation. The rock style indeed allows us to see the freedom and bravery of the protagonist group in this section. In the powerful singing, their relationship also becomes deeper.
3. Background Music
The background music is the main part of a complete movie soundtrack album. The theme songs, ending songs, and interludes with lyrics sometimes have more influence than the camera language. However, the pure instrumental background music completely serves the picture, and the frequency of its appearance in the whole movie is also the highest. The use of the blues harmonica in the background music of New Gods: Yang Jian is a highlight of the film’s soundtrack. Yang Jian is set as a handsome young man proficient in music in the Investiture of the Gods. The randomness of the blues harmonica scale and the slightly sad and helpless tone in its timbre endow Yang Jian with a handsome personality and soul under the exquisite 3D modeling. The D-tone blues harmonica, playing in the second position in A minor, is very suitable for the beginning of the film, depicting the desolation after the great war when the world has returned to peace, but many gods have fallen.
The case analysis part will analyze the specific presentation of music in the film by analyzing the music of Chinese domestic animated films. At the same time, it will analyze the manifestation of Chinese aesthetics in the film and its music.
The music of Chinese domestic animated films has gone through a difficult and tortuous development process, from the completely nationalized “Chinese School” animated films at the beginning, to the abandonment of national elements during the commercial transformation, and then to the perfect combination of national and international popular music at present.
1. Theme Songs
** Nezha **
Nezha is the theme song of the extremely popular Chinese domestic animated film Ne Zha, released in 2019. It was written, composed, and sung by GAI and Dayangyang, and arranged by Shi Yuhan and Su Lizhe.
This film boldly chose a niche hip-hop rap song as the theme song. However, it is very suitable when combined with the plot of the film and the character image of Nezha. This film itself uses the traditional Chinese mythological story to convey a modern spiritual temperament of “not accepting fate and not giving in”. The modern rap style with a bit of ruffianism is also in line with Nezha’s free and comical image. The lyrics “The path of fate is winding, with a sincere heart facing the sky, being able to traverse the sky and the earth, understanding all aspects of the world, stepping on the stars and the moon, not afraid of all enemies, I am here” sing out Nezha’s fearless, unrestrained, and tenacious spirit when fighting against fate.
** Big Fish **
Big Fish is a song with lyrics written by Yin Yue, composed by Qian Lei, and sung by Zhou Shen. It was released as an impression song of the animated film Big Fish & Begonia on May 20, 2016. In September 2016, the song won the Top Ten Golden Songs Award of the Asian New Songs Chart Annual Ceremony. Although this song is an impression song of the film, its dissemination effect has completely exceeded that of the original theme song of the film, and it is no less than the theme songs specially created for other films. At the end of the song, Zhou Shen’s melodious chanting always makes me recall the vastness of the huge Kun flying into the sky and the fiery red maple leaves.
2. Interludes
** Brave Heart **
Brave Heart is a song created and sung by Wang Feng, included in the album Brave Heart released on June 1, 2007. On March 29, 2008, Wang Feng won the Best Lyricist Award at the 15th Oriental Billboard Awards for this song.
When Monkey King: Hero Is Back reaches the middle of the story, when a monkey and a pig escort two children back to Chang’an City, Brave Heart sung by Wang Feng becomes the interlude song at this time. The highly modern music and the singer’s music style make the audience, who are used to the film’s overall background music based on traditional Chinese music, feel a sense of disconnection. However, the story of Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a collision between tradition and modernity. The freedom of rock and the content of the lyrics: “I am not a stone, nor a tear. I am just a little bird, searching for the direction of home” not only correspond to the identity of the Monkey King as a stone monkey born from heaven and earth but also express that the Monkey King at this time is just a down-and-out hero who has been imprisoned and always yearns for true freedom in his heart. The Monkey King in the film keeps “running” with Jiang Liu’er, and finally, his magic power returns, and he becomes the great hero who can travel between heaven and earth in the audience’s memory and the traditional stories.
Jia Yinan’s guitar plays an important role in the whole song. The quality of the tone combines American rock and British rock. The bass by Yazi, the funky drum, and Wang Feng’s voice bring a musical impact to the listeners, making them surprised and amazed. The song is full of positive energy.
Although the selection of this interlude is a form of “copying”, just like the film itself, it is a brand-new attempt for Chinese domestic animation. The rock style indeed allows us to see the freedom and bravery of the protagonist group in this section. In the powerful singing, their relationship also becomes deeper.
3. Background Music
The background music is the main part of a complete movie soundtrack album. The theme songs, ending songs, and interludes with lyrics sometimes have more influence than the camera language. However, the pure instrumental background music completely serves the picture, and the frequency of its appearance in the whole movie is also the highest. The use of the blues harmonica in the background music of New Gods: Yang Jian is a highlight of the film’s soundtrack. Yang Jian is set as a handsome young man proficient in music in the Investiture of the Gods. The randomness of the blues harmonica scale and the slightly sad and helpless tone in its timbre endow Yang Jian with a handsome personality and soul under the exquisite 3D modeling. The D-tone blues harmonica, playing in the second position in A minor, is very suitable for the beginning of the film, depicting the desolation after the great war when the world has returned to peace, but many gods have fallen.
V. Conclusion
Film and television music is an essential part of a movie and a soulful manifestation of the whole movie. In recent years, Chinese film and television works have gradually shone brightly on the international stage, which is inseparable from our production of every part. It is hoped that Chinese domestic original film and television music and film and television works can maintain their own national characteristics and be loved by more people!
Film and television music is an essential part of a movie and a soulful manifestation of the whole movie. In recent years, Chinese film and television works have gradually shone brightly on the international stage, which is inseparable from our production of every part. It is hoped that Chinese domestic original film and television music and film and television works can maintain their own national characteristics and be loved by more people!
References:
[1] After the Movie Ends, the Music Remains, Wang Shiyuan
[2] The Characteristics of Contemporary Chinese Animated Film Music, Dong Fang, Contemporary Cinema. 2013(11)
[3] Touch of Evil: A Paradigm of a Sound Text, Jiang Xingyao [J]. Movie Literature, 2019(2)
[1] After the Movie Ends, the Music Remains, Wang Shiyuan
[2] The Characteristics of Contemporary Chinese Animated Film Music, Dong Fang, Contemporary Cinema. 2013(11)
[3] Touch of Evil: A Paradigm of a Sound Text, Jiang Xingyao [J]. Movie Literature, 2019(2)
An Analysis of the Role and Influence of Sports Presentation in Sports Events: Taking the 31st FISU World University Summer Games as an Example
Abstract: This article takes the 31st FISU World University Summer Games as an example to deeply explore the role and influence of sports presentation in sports events. As an important part of large international sports events, sports presentation has multiple significances, such as promoting the development of sports culture, exploring organizational capabilities and innovation levels, providing references, shaping the city’s image, and promoting tourism. Through the research and analysis of the sports presentation part of the Chengdu Universiade, this study reveals the influence and importance of sports presentation on sports events. At the same time, using the 31st FISU World University Summer Games as a research case, this article explores the development trends of large international sports events in recent years, such as ultra-high-definition TV broadcasting and online live streaming, social media and digital interaction, sustainable development, sports technology innovation, diversification, and inclusiveness.
Keywords: Sports Presentation; Chengdu Universiade; Role and Influence of Sports Presentation
I. Research Background
1. Development of Large International Sports Events in Recent Years
In recent years, with the further development and construction of network information technology and the transformation of people’s life concepts, the public has paid increasing attention to large sports events. In this all-media era, technologies such as ultra-high definition, multi-angle cameras, and virtual reality have been widely applied, enabling audiences to better enjoy the visual experience of the events. The rise of social media has provided a new way of communication and interaction for large international sports events. Audiences can share their viewing experiences in real time through social media, participate in discussions, and interact with athletes and event organizers.
From the concepts conveyed by the sports presentation of the Beijing Winter Olympics, it can be observed and summarized that sustainable development has become an important area of concern for large international sports events. Organizers pay more and more attention to reducing the impact on the environment and adopt sustainable planning and operation measures, such as using renewable energy, reducing waste, and cutting carbon emissions.
The development of sports technology has brought new innovations to large international sports events. For example, the application of athlete data analysis, drone and sensor technology, real-time data statistics, and augmented reality has improved athletic performance, training, and the audience experience.
From the perspective of cross-cultural communication, large international sports events pay more and more attention to diversification and inclusiveness. Organizers encourage the participation of female and disabled athletes and are committed to creating an inclusive event environment to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and respected.
In the post-pandemic era, the global economy has entered a downturn. The economic influence and tourism promotion effect of large international sports events on the host regions have become increasingly important. By attracting tourists, increasing hotel occupancy rates, and promoting local business development, sports events have become an important means to promote urban development and international image promotion.
These development trends reflect the continuous progress and innovation of large international sports events in terms of technology, sustainable development, sports technology, inclusiveness, and economic influence. These changes are of great significance for enhancing the audience experience, promoting sports development, and facilitating global sports exchanges.
2. The Successful Holding of the Chengdu Universiade and the Upcoming Opening of the Hangzhou Asian Games
As the first large international sports event held in China after the pandemic, the Chengdu Universiade reflects that sports serve as an important platform for peaceful and equal exchanges among countries in the world today. The competition attracted high-level college athletes from around the globe, demonstrating excellent athletic performance. Each participating event was exciting and intense, allowing the audience to enjoy high-level sports performances. At the same time, it provided a communication platform for college athletes, promoting international cultural exchanges and friendly visits. The event attracted a large number of audiences and media attention, enhancing the local international popularity and reputation. The event also brought considerable economic benefits to the local area and promoted the development of related industries.
The upcoming opening of the Hangzhou Asian Games can draw lessons and inspiration from the sports presentation of the Chengdu Universiade. Therefore, through the analysis and research of the Chengdu Universiade, this article aims to provide useful suggestions for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
II. Research Status
Through Internet searches and precise searches on CNKI, there are a total of 116 papers related to sports presentation, among which 60 papers focus on the analysis of sports presentation and take large-scale events as examples for analysis. By sorting out the literature in the past five years, it can be known that current sports research mainly focuses on two aspects. On the one hand, it mainly concentrates on the specific design and strategy summary of visual elements, auditory elements, interactive performance links, non-linear editing links, and emergency situations in the competition venue. On the other hand, from the perspective of cultural communication, it analyzes the cultural exchanges brought about by sports presentation.
III. Research Significance
Taking the 31st FISU World University Summer Games as an example, studying the role and influence of sports presentation in sports events will help provide practical reference cases for the smooth holding of the Hangzhou Asian Games; conducting cross-cultural communication research, hoping to further promote cultural exchanges between China and the world through the Chengdu Universiade; and making progress in the research of social value dissemination and theoretical expansion.
IV. Related Theories and Research Perspectives
1. Related Theories
(1)Brand Theory
Brand theory emphasizes the establishment of brand identity related to sports projects, organizations, or activities by shaping unique brand images and values. In presentation design, brand theory can be applied to determine iconic visual elements, music selection, etc., to enhance the brand image and identity related to sports projects.
(2)Perception and Cognition Theory
These theories study how people perceive and understand information. In sports presentation design, perception and cognition theory can be used to determine how to present information, including aspects such as color, shape, and image, so that the audience can better understand and accept the content of the presentation.
(3)Emotional Transmission Theory
Emotional transmission theory studies how to convey emotions to others through expressions, language, and actions. In sports presentation design, emotional transmission theory can be used as a reference to determine how to stimulate the audience’s emotional resonance and participation through forms of expression such as music, lighting, and dance.
(4)Theatricality Theory
Theatricality theory emphasizes the creation of a unique experience for the audience through elements such as stage design, scenery, and sound effects. In sports presentation design, theatricality theory can be applied to create dramatic performance effects and improve the audience’s participation and enjoyment.
(5)Visual Communication Theory
Visual communication theory involves how to use visual elements such as color, graphics, and spatial layout to convey information and emotions. In sports presentation design, visual communication theory can be applied to determine the selection and arrangement of design elements to achieve the purpose of visual impact and expression.
2. Research Perspectives
(1)Marketing and Promotion
Sports presentation plays a role in promoting and publicizing sports events. From a marketing perspective, it is possible to study how sports presentation shapes and conveys the image of the event, brand value, and the personal image of participants, thereby promoting the attention and participation of the audience. This perspective can explore the influence of sports presentation in enhancing event popularity, attracting audiences, and obtaining sponsor support.
(2)Emotion and Resonance
Sports presentation helps create emotional resonance and a sense of participation in sports events. Research can explore from the perspective of emotional communication how sports presentation stimulates the audience’s emotional experience through music, dance, lighting, and visual effects, enhances the sense of identity and emotional connection with the event, and thus deepens participation and support for the event.
(3)Cultural Heritage and Expression
Sports presentation also plays a role in cultural heritage and expression in sports events. It is possible to explore how sports presentation reflects and conveys the cultural characteristics and national spirit of the region and the country, as well as how to display and inherit the history and traditions carried by sports events through performance elements and art forms.
(4)Social Influence and Community Identity
The influence of sports presentation on society and the community is also an important research perspective. It is possible to analyze how sports presentation promotes social unity and a sense of identity, as well as how to shape community identity and drive social change. Research can also explore the role of sports presentation in promoting social inclusion, gender equality, and cross-cultural communication.
(5)Transmission of Sports Spirit and Values
Sports presentation helps transmit the sports spirit and values in sports events. Research can explore how sports presentation conveys the fighting spirit, teamwork, fair competition, and other sports values of participants through performances and visual elements, and thus influences the attitudes and behaviors of the audience.
V. Research Case Analysis
1. Opening Ceremony
(1)Fireworks Display
The fireworks display contracted by Jiangxi Lidu Fireworks for the Chengdu Universiade was magnificent, exquisitely designed, and rich in color, bringing a visual shock and enjoyment to the audience. The sound of the fireworks bursting and the intertwined effect of light and shadow also added an exciting atmosphere. The shapes, colors, and arrangement combinations of the fireworks all showed unique artistic expressions. The creative fireworks design created a unique visual effect, allowing the audience to enjoy unforgettable moments. The fireworks display of the Chengdu Universiade left a beautiful and spectacular impression, demonstrating innovation and creativity, and highlighting the local culture and urban image. At the same time, the fireworks used were safe and environmentally friendly, and clean energy fireworks were used to minimize environmental pollution.
(2)Lighting of the Main Torch
The entire torch-lighting process was very smooth. The fireworks matched the background music, and the emotions gradually stacked up until the main torch was lit, and the atmosphere of the whole venue remained high. The initially manually lit circle in the venue was the symbol of China’s cultural heritage – the Golden Sunbird foil. The fireworks rose into the sky and spread throughout the stadium. The intertwined sparks reminded people of the Shu brocade. The last torchbearer was an astronaut from Sichuan, symbolizing the fire we brought back. The bursting little flames seemed to come from the young and energetic college students from all over the world. The whole design was full of upward vitality and progressed layer by layer.
(3)On-site Personnel Performances
The on-site performers are an important part of the sports presentation. Whether they are program performers or mascot performers on site, they have all gone through strict design arrangements and multiple rehearsals to present smooth and wonderful performances. The interaction between these performers, the on-site audience, and the athletes in the venue is also an important factor in maintaining the lively atmosphere on site. At the same time, the costumes worn by the on-site performers, which are also Shu embroidery and brocade, are an output and dissemination of the local culture.
(4)Lighting Projection
In recent years, with the continuous integration of sound, light, electricity, and other elements into the competition process, sports presentation has become a link connecting the participation and viewing of competitions in the competition venue. Under the catalytic effect of sports presentation, the on-site audience is more enthusiastic, and the participating athletes are more excited. The two promote each other, making the competition more exciting. [1]
In the opening ceremony, the lighting projection created a good stage effect and visual impact. The “Golden Sunbird” ornament projected by the golden light is a symbol of the local culture. The colorful Shu brocade road projected by the light represents the splendid road of the nation and the ideal path. Sports presentation usually needs to be carried out on the stage, and the lighting design can create different scene effects for the stage. By using different lighting colors and effects, a dramatic and visually impactful stage effect can be created to enhance the audience’s viewing experience. The creativity and skills of lighting design can make sports presentation present diverse visual effects and enrich the audience’s sensory experience.
2. Music Playing
Compared with other general and somewhat standardized auditory elements in sports presentation, such as prompt announcements or video background sounds, music, as the “language without borders,” has become an important carrier for cultural dissemination that showcases the characteristics of the Olympics, thanks to its diverse, rich, and personalized features. [2]
The song Chengdu was played during the warm-up session of the opening ceremony, directly triggering a chorus of the on-site audience. The lyrics depict the love and nostalgia for the city of Chengdu. The lyrics incorporate reflections and expressions of youth, memories, friendship, and hometown, which are sincere and touching. It shows people’s deep affection for their hometown and nostalgia for the good times, and at the same time, it also reflects the praise for the unique culture and lifestyle of Chengdu. The melody is simple but infectious, melodious and moving, containing a feeling of warmth and comfort. The song is mainly accompanied by a guitar, with soft string music and rhythm, giving people a natural and smooth aesthetic feeling. Many people have found their hometown complex and resonance through this song, so it is considered a true representation of the feelings of the people of Chengdu towards their hometown. Starting from the on-site audience singing Chengdu together during the warm-up performance before the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade, the background music selected during the Universiade, whether it is used to liven up the atmosphere of the venue during the warm-up or to serve competitive sports and reflect diverse cultures, has well played its own role.
The song Chengdu was played during the warm-up session of the opening ceremony, directly triggering a chorus of the on-site audience. The lyrics depict the love and nostalgia for the city of Chengdu. The lyrics incorporate reflections and expressions of youth, memories, friendship, and hometown, which are sincere and touching. It shows people’s deep affection for their hometown and nostalgia for the good times, and at the same time, it also reflects the praise for the unique culture and lifestyle of Chengdu. The melody is simple but infectious, melodious and moving, containing a feeling of warmth and comfort. The song is mainly accompanied by a guitar, with soft string music and rhythm, giving people a natural and smooth aesthetic feeling. Many people have found their hometown complex and resonance through this song, so it is considered a true representation of the feelings of the people of Chengdu towards their hometown. Starting from the on-site audience singing Chengdu together during the warm-up performance before the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade, the background music selected during the Universiade, whether it is used to liven up the atmosphere of the venue during the warm-up or to serve competitive sports and reflect diverse cultures, has well played its own role.
At the award ceremony after the Chinese women’s volleyball team won the championship, the song Good Days added a bit more of our unique national festive color to the exciting award moment. The lyrics of Good Days convey the love for life and the yearning for a better future. The lyrics of this song express a positive attitude in a simple and straightforward way, inspiring people to remain optimistic and persistent in the face of difficulties. The song combines elements of pop music and folk music, and shows a friendly and warm atmosphere with a simple but infectious arrangement style. Song Zuying interpreted Good Days with her warm and pleasant voice, presenting the optimism and hope in the lyrics incisively and vividly, making people feel inspired.
When the Chinese team defeated the Chinese Taipei team in the men’s table tennis team final, the song We Are Family was played. It is a Chinese song with high popularity and publicity. The song expresses the values of family, friendship, and unity. By playing this song, it emphasizes our expectation for national unity, harmony, and solidarity, regarding athletes and supporters as a big family and jointly pursuing victory in the competition. At the same time, this light and cheerful song enhances the pleasant and warm atmosphere of the venue where the result is determined.
When the Chinese Taipei team unfortunately made mistakes in the rhythmic gymnastics event with three generations and two balls, the song Rice Field by Jay Chou played at the broadcast desk was warm and healing. With the cheering of “Come on” from the whole audience, the atmosphere on site was full of friendly encouragement for the athletes.
The background music selected for the award ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade was Change Myself by Wang Leehom. This song full of youthful hope must have filled the athletes standing on the podium with confidence and pride when they heard the lyrics “I can change the world, change myself.”
At the Universiade, when Chinese traditional music met See You Again, it staged a collision between tradition and modernity and a perfect cooperation between traditional music, pop music, and rap. It is music that brings everyone in the world closer.
At the women’s gymnastics competition site, a violin version of Rose Boy resounded throughout the venue. The melody of this song is smooth and has a brisk feeling. The arrangement uses a variety of elements, such as pop, electronic, and rock, making the whole song full of a modern and energetic atmosphere. The lyrics describe a young person’s journey of finding himself. The lyrics tell of the need to face difficulties positively, bravely pursue dreams, and not be afraid of failure. This song encourages young people to maintain confidence and courage and follow their inner adventures and passions.
3. Closing Ceremony
(1)Creativity and Performance
The creativity and performance of the closing ceremony are important criteria for evaluating a closing ceremony. The closing ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade was presented with a variety of art forms and performance elements, including music, dance, singing, and light shows. According to the director’s interview, the open-air venue is more like a music festival. It is hoped that at the end of the competition, everyone can release all their emotions in such a free space. The closing ceremony strives to bring shock and beauty to the audience visually and also fully demonstrates the cultural charm and artistic heritage of the city of Chengdu.
(2)Spiritual Connotation
The closing ceremony usually expresses certain spiritual connotations or values through its theme. The closing ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade may take the spirit of the Universiade, such as unity, friendship, and struggle, as the core, and convey these values through performances and visual presentations. The Chengdu Universiade chose to integrate many opera elements into the program performances and incorporate the three major ball games into the music, showing the world youth, vitality, and innovation. On the main screen of the closing ceremony, the vlogs of athletes from various countries appeared. The video wall composed of athletes represents that everyone will leave their figures and memories in this competition and in Chengdu. Finally, the giant panda “Rongbao” waved goodbye with tears in its eyes, further deepening the cultural symbol of this city. The expression of this spiritual connotation helps to stimulate the emotional resonance of the audience and leave a deep impression on them.
(3)Organization and Process
The organization and process of the closing ceremony should be rigorous and smooth. The Chengdu Universiade is a large-scale event, requiring the connection and coordination of all links. When evaluating the closing ceremony, aspects such as the entry and exit of all actors, the smoothness of scene transitions, and the reasonable use of lighting and sound effects should be considered. At the same time, the Chengdu Universiade allows the participating athletes to enter the venue and interact together, which requires more rigorous arrangements for the audience routes and activity venues. A well-organized and smoothly-processed closing ceremony can enhance the audience’s viewing experience.
From the overall effect, the closing ceremony should leave an unforgettable experience for the audience and draw a perfect conclusion to the Universiade. If the overall effect can arouse the strong emotional resonance of the audience and leave beautiful memories, it can be considered a success.
VI. Conclusion
Sports presentation plays an important role in sports events and can have various influences.
1. Improving the visual effect and Entertainment of the Competition
Sports presentation can provide entertainment and visual effect, attracting a large number of audiences to participate in and watch sports events. For on-site audiences, a good venue atmosphere enables the audience to obtain fun and entertainment by watching the competition. Through various hints and guidance in the on-site environment, the audience can understand and participate in familiar or unfamiliar competitions. In addition, the audience can also be inspired and motivated by watching the wonderful performances of excellent athletes, prompting them to participate in sports activities more actively.
2. Promoting the Development of the Sports Industry
Sports display is of great significance to promote the development of sports industry. As an important part of the sports industry, sports events drive the sales of sports products and services by attracting large audiences and investments. The sports display acts as the first responsibility of on-site publicity. When the brand appears naturally in the audience’s field of vision through on-site design, not only its popularity will be greatly improved, such as proper design, its product image is also benign establishment and communication. This not only promotes the prosperity of the sports market, but also creates employment opportunities for all links in the sports industry chain.
3. The embodiment of national soft power
Sports display helps to shape the image and identity of a country or region. In the design of sports display, the spirit of the event will be integrated with the spirit of national culture, through the re-creation of audio-visual art, the national culture will be symbolized, and its cultural concept will be spread to the world. The proper use of sports display elements can indirectly show the cultural heritage of a country. On the one hand, enhance the national cultural cohesion; On the other hand, symbolic culture has more communication power and influence. Through the inclusive and communication platform of sports events, it can show the charm of national culture to the world, let the world have a more positive and profound understanding of national culture, and reduce the contradictions caused by cultural differences in future international friendly exchanges.
4. Promote urban economic development
Sports display can promote the development of the industry surrounding sports events. Today’s sports display is no longer limited to the stadium, the style of the entire city will change according to the ideal conveyed by the sports display. With the holding of sports events, related catering, tourism, entertainment and other industries will also develop and expand, through the combination with the competition to increase the consumption point of products. This has further boosted the growth of related industries and promoted the development of the local economy and the increase of employment opportunities.
To sum up, sports display determines the communication power and influence of sports events. It enhances the artistic and aesthetic value of the competition, turns the competition field into a stage, and the athletes are both competitors and performers. Through a good competition atmosphere, it stimulates higher enthusiasm for the competition and creates higher results, so that the audience around the world can enjoy and feel the beauty of sports!
References:
[1] Li Jianyu. Chen Chao. The Design and application of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Sports Display Video System. Modern Television Technology. 2023(04)
[2] He Mengfan. Research on the auditory content of Sports Display from the Perspective of Cultural Communication — Taking the sports display of the Shougang Ski Big Jump Event of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as an example. Modern Audio-visual. 2022(09)
An Analysis of the Role and Influence of Sports Presentation in Sports Events from the Perspective of Cross-Cultural Communication
Abstract: In recent years, sports events have gradually become a more popular form of cultural communication, with their communicative power and influence bringing numerous significant benefits in economic, political, and cultural aspects, both online and offline. This article discusses how the design elements of opening and closing ceremonies in major sports events utilize specific sports presentation methods to exert their cultural communication influence from a cross-cultural perspective.
Keywords: Cross-cultural communication; Sports presentation; Role and influence of sports presentation
1. Research Background
1.1 The Cultural Communication Power of Sports Events
As a global cultural phenomenon, sports events bring numerous benefits to cultural communication through promoting cultural exchange and understanding, national identity, value dissemination, international cooperation, and tourism/urban development. Through sports events, teams and audiences from different countries and regions gather in shared sports settings. Face-to-face interactions convey language, expressions, and gestures, fostering sincerity and reducing prejudice, thereby promoting cultural diversity and respect.
Sports events also play a vital role in shaping national and regional identity. For example, fans and participants express pride and identity through supporting their national teams, strengthening social cohesion. Sports events serve as platforms for spreading cultural values: the Olympics emphasize fairness, respect, and friendship; the FIFA World Cup promotes teamwork and camaraderie. Host countries also convey cultural concepts through sports presentation.
Internationally, sports events create competitive and cooperative environments, facilitating cultural and economic exchanges. Organizations like the IOC and FIFA promote global cooperation through events. Additionally, hosting major sports events boosts tourism and urban development by driving hospitality, transportation, and cultural experiences, as seen in the upcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.
1.2 Diplomacy in the Context of Cultural Differences
With globalization and increased cross-cultural exchanges, the role of sports presentation in sports events has gained attention. Analyzing sports presentation from a cross-cultural perspective explores its results，social impact, and cultural exchange mechanisms. This research helps understand how sports transcend linguistic, cultural, and geographical barriers to become universally shared cultural symbols.
China’s hosting of major international events like the Beijing Olympics, Winter Olympics, and upcoming Asian Games provides opportunities to study cultural communication strategies. These events attract global audiences, offering insights into how sports promote international cooperation and mutual understanding.
2. Research Objectives and Significance
2.1 Research Objectives
This study aims to analyze the role and influence of sports presentation in sports events from a cross-cultural perspective, exploring:
- Cultural Differences and Cross-Boundary Communication: How sports presentation bridges cultural divides and fosters dialogue.
- Social and Cultural Impact: The effects of sports presentation on social cohesion, interaction, and cultural change.
- Theoretical Framework: Develop a theoretical basis for analyzing sports presentation in major events like the Olympics and Asian Games, addressing gaps in existing research.
2.2 Research Significance
This research contributes to:
- Theoretical Development: Advancing cross-cultural communication theories through sports-related case studies.
- Practical Applications: Providing insights for event organizers, media, and global businesses.
- Cultural Reflection: Reflecting on China’s cultural output strategies and enhancing cultural soft power through sports.
3. Research Status
3.1 Current Studies on Sports from a Cross-Cultural Perspective
Existing research focuses on traditional Chinese sports’ cultural promotion, with limited studies analyzing sports presentation design. CNKI searches yield 213 articles on sports and cross-cultural communication, narrowing to 43 when specifying “cross-cultural perspective.” These studies lack longitudinal or comparative analyses of sports presentation’s role in cross-cultural communication.
3.2 Studies on Sports Presentation
3.2.1 Definitions of Sports Presentation
- IOC Technical Manual: Sports presentation combines announcers, music, visuals, and performances to create a stage-like atmosphere.
- Zhao & Li (2007): A 综合体 of cultural performances, emotions, and venue elements.
- Zhou (2008): Uses audio/visual technology and live performances to showcase competition rules and host culture.
3.2.2 Roles and Influences of Sports Presentation
Previous studies emphasize sports presentation’s role in cultural dissemination but lack systematic analysis of cross-cultural effects.
3.3 Cross-Cultural Studies on Sports Presentation
Five relevant studies highlight:
- NBA vs. CBA comparisons (Liu, 2019).
- Youth Games’ regional cultural integration (Wang, 2021).
- London Olympics’ national image building (Huang, 2020).
- Guangzhou Asian Games’岭南文化展示 (Liu, 2018).
- Beijing Olympics’ cultural exchange (Li, 2017).
4. Relevant Theories
- Cross-Cultural Communication Theory: Focuses on intercultural information flow, identity, and conflict.
- Cultural Semiotics: Analyzes how events simplify cities into cultural symbols.
- Social Identity Theory: Explores group identification through sports participation.
5. Case Studies
5.1 Research Methodology
5.1.1 Research Subjects
Opening and closing ceremonies of major sports events, selected for their cultural significance and innovative presentation elements.
5.1.2 Research Methods
- Literature Review: Analyze academic articles, reports, and media content.
- Cross-Cultural Comparison: Contrast sports presentation in Olympics, World Cups, etc.
- Media Analysis: Evaluate media coverage and social media engagement.
- Field Observation: Draw from personal experiences attending/participating in events.
5.2 Key Definitions
- Cross-Cultural Communication: The 流动，sharing, and interaction of cultural information across borders.
- Sports Presentation: A 综合运用 audio/visual elements, performances, and technology to showcase sports and host culture.
5.3 Case Analyses
5.3.1 Opening Ceremonies
Beijing Winter Olympics (2022)
- “Chinese Red” Symbolism: Red lighting and Ode to the Motherland music symbolized national unity.
- 24 Solar Terms Countdown: Merged traditional Chinese wisdom with modern technology, creating global 共鸣.
FIFA World Cup Themes
- Cultural Fusion: Songs like Waka Waka (2010) and Tukoh Taka (2022) blended local rhythms with global pop, fostering cultural exchange.
5.3.2 Closing Ceremonies
Chengdu Universiade (2023)
- Panda “Rongbao” Farewell: Emotional imagery reinforced Chengdu’s cultural identity and environmental advocacy.
PyeongChang Winter Olympics (2018)
- EXO Performance: K-pop’s global appeal expanded cultural influence, though critiques noted missed opportunities for event-specific creativity.
6. Conclusion
6.1 Symbolization of National Culture
Sports events effectively symbolize national culture through iconic elements like the 24 Solar Terms and pandas, enhancing global recognition.
6.2 Global Cultural Resonance
Sports presentations create inclusive environments where diverse audiences engage with unfamiliar cultures, fostering empathy and cooperation.
Final Note: Sports events serve as bridges for cross-cultural dialogue, promoting mutual understanding and reducing barriers. By strategically leveraging sports presentation, nations can enhance their cultural soft power while respecting global diversity.
References
[1] Xu, W. (2008). Development of Sports Presentation Systems from the Beijing Olympics. Smart Building & City Information.
[2] Zhao, S., & Li, Z. (2007). Olympic Sports Presentation and Strategies for Beijing Olympics. Journal of Beijing Sport University.
[3] Zhou, M. (2008). Theoretical and Practical Research on Olympic Sports Presentation. Master’s thesis, Beijing Sport University.
[4] Wang, X. (2021). Cross-Cultural Communication in the 2nd National Youth Games. Shanxi University.
[5] Huang, M. (2020). Theoretical and Practical Research on Olympic Sports Presentation. Beijing Sport University.
[6] Liu, Y. (2018). Guangzhou Asian Games Sports Presentation. Wuhan Sports University.
[7] Li, Z. (2017). Beijing Olympics Sports Presentation. Yangzhou University.
[8] Yang, Z. (2009). Theoretical Logic of Sports Communication in Cross-Cultural Contexts. Journalism & Communication.
[1] Xu, W. (2008). Development of Sports Presentation Systems from the Beijing Olympics. Smart Building & City Information.
[2] Zhao, S., & Li, Z. (2007). Olympic Sports Presentation and Strategies for Beijing Olympics. Journal of Beijing Sport University.
[3] Zhou, M. (2008). Theoretical and Practical Research on Olympic Sports Presentation. Master’s thesis, Beijing Sport University.
[4] Wang, X. (2021). Cross-Cultural Communication in the 2nd National Youth Games. Shanxi University.
[5] Huang, M. (2020). Theoretical and Practical Research on Olympic Sports Presentation. Beijing Sport University.
[6] Liu, Y. (2018). Guangzhou Asian Games Sports Presentation. Wuhan Sports University.
[7] Li, Z. (2017). Beijing Olympics Sports Presentation. Yangzhou University.
[8] Yang, Z. (2009). Theoretical Logic of Sports Communication in Cross-Cultural Contexts. Journalism & Communication.
