Send us a text Key opinion leaders, or KOLs, have a strong connection to Chinese internet users and are now highly sought after to sell products to huge audiences on ecommerce websites and streaming platforms. We dive into the reasons why this growing industry works so well in China and how, eventually, live streamers may end up consuming the same brands that hired them in the first place. Featuring Elijah Whaley : Chief Marketing Officer at PARKLU Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommendation - Lǐ Jiāqí 李佳琦, also known as Austin Li, a famous livestreamer - Melilim Fu, a beauty and makeup influencer. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text China’s culture and entertainment industry is bracing for serious challenges amid the COVID-19 epidemic. This particularly applies to the film and tourism sectors, which are facing significant headwinds. Yet while people remain quarantined at home, short-video apps and the gaming sector are seeing massive traffic spikes. Featuring Terry Mieremet : Entrepreneur in the Tourism Industry Cecily Huang : Producer at Australian Broadcasting Corporation Sebastian Francois : Gaming Industry Consultan Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Quiz's answers - The Spanish flu was the deadliest flu epidemic ever recorded. - The most viewed films in China right now are Contagion and The Flu. - Battle of Pathogens is the game co-launched by the publicity department of Haidian District Committee and People's Daily and developed by Bytedance-owned Ohayoo. - There have been 20,000 concerts canceled in China and Hong Kong since the outbreak of the coronavirus. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text Dalian Wanda Group, led by billionaire Wáng Jiànlín 王建林, invested heavily in China's movie industry over the past decade. In 2014, at the cost of $8 billion, Wanda Studios Qingdao was founded. This move was aimed at establishing a dynamic supply chain that would be able to facilitate the creation of entire films, from production to distribution. After debt issues forced Wanda to sell its majority stake in the venture to Sunac, another Chinese property developer, the studios were rebranded as Oriental Movie Metropolis. Gary Kho, the former chief technical officer and chief marketing officer of Wanda Studios Qingdao, worked for the studios throughout their construction. In this interview, he describes how the facilities were built, identifies some of the challenges that the film industry faces domestically, and expounds on his work in bridging divides between China’s film and TV industry and those abroad. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommended watching - Wandering Earth (流浪地球 2019), shot at Wanda Studios. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text How do the Chinese government and companies engage with the public in Africa? Nillah Nyakoa (journalist at China Radio International), Eric Olander (managing editor of The China Africa Project), and Maria Repnikova (assistant professor of global communications) join host Aladin Farré to explore the different ways China sells, and fails to sell, its story to an entire continent. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Like the podcast? Take a few minutes to fill out this survey. Recommendations: - The TV series Mao Doudou and Her Sweet Days (媳妇的美好时代 2009), which was dubbed in Swahili. - Two Chinese vloggers, Zhao Huiling and Fyjo Molly, who travel throughout Africa. - The short-video app Vskit, which is made by the Shenzhen-based mobile phone manufacturer Transsion. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text ProfessorFederico Castigliano is the author of Flâneur: The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris, which was published in English and Chinese by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2018. he talks about the process of writing and publishing a book in China and how it compares with the process in Europe and the U.S. Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Like the podcast? Take a few minutes to fill out this survey. Recommended reading - Brothers (兄弟 2005) by Yú Huá (余华). With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text This week on Middle Earth, Aladin and his guests take a look at the film production industry in Europe. Li Boyan and William Wang, both industry professionals working and living in France, help provide some insight. They reflect on what they’ve experienced over their years shooting and producing film projects and advertisements, describe what it’s like working as middlemen for Chinese clients who come to France (a majority of which they are able to procure through WeChat), and share their thoughts on collaborating across cultures in Europe as young professionals from China. Featuring William Wang : Producer & Fixer Li Boyan: Photographer Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommendations - The Map and the Territory, a book by French author Michel Houellebecq. -Delicatessen (1991) and The City of Lost Children (1995), films by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text Song Wen, founder of the FIRST International Film Festival, discusses the history of one of China’s most promising festivals for the visual arts. Once in danger of being shut down by the authorities in Beijing, the festival has found a new home in China’s west — the provincial capital of Qinghai Province, Xining. This year, hundreds of films were screened to more than 30,000 audience members, and 19 budding directors emerged from a highly selective process to pitch their films to China’s film industry elites. In this episode, Song Wen explains how the festival has evolved from a minor student event to one of the most important cultural events in China’s still-maturing film industry. Featuring Song Wen | 宋文 : FIRST International Film Festival Founder Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommendations - Old Beast 老兽 (2017) - The Looming Storm 暴雪将至 (2017) - An Elephant Sitting Still 大象席地而坐 (2018) - Dying to Survive 我不是药神 (2018) - Mosaic Portrait 马赛克少女 (2019) With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text What is it like to work as a storyteller in the Chinese film and TV industry? What is the relationship between producers and scriptwriters? How can one write a story that will resonate with Chinese audiences, and what is the market looking for? This podcast, recorded live at the The SLab in Beijing, explores these questions and the trials and tribulations of writing for the big screen. Featuring: Cai Jinru | 薄荷菜 : Screenwriter Jordan DeFazio : Screenwriter & Lecturer at the Beijing Film Academy Joey Wang : Screenwriter Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommended watching: - Jordan’s Music Video - I Love My Family 我爱我家 (1994) - Nothing in the Mirror 空镜子 (2002) - My Own Swordsman 武林外传 (2006) - Dwelling Narrowness 蜗居 (2009) - Nirvana in Fire 琅琊榜 (2015) -Burning Ice 无证之罪 (2017) Answers to the episode quiz:- - Yanxi Palace( 延禧攻略) is the TV show that has been the most Googled in 2018. - There has been 29 cinematographic adaptations of Journey to the West over 9 decades. - Looper (2012) was the first film to make additional scenes for the Chinese audience. It was followed in 2013 by “Iron Man” and “21 and Over”. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text Ruby Chen, one of the founding members of the Hong Kong–based China Next (CNEX), tells the story of their nonprofit, which is aimed at promoting and producing Chinese documentaries. She describes her work in identifying and cultivating promising Chinese documentary filmmakers, the challenges and advantages these filmmakers are faced with, and how younger artists are taking novel approaches to creating and sharing their films with the help of new technology and ideas in the 21st century. Featuring: Ruby Chen : Co-Founder & CEO of CNEX Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Podcast's chapters 4:48: The history of CNEX 16:12: Creativity is changing in China 19:45: Perceptions of Chinese filmmakers 28:46: Is filmmaking in China getting harder? Recommended watching: - Umbrella… 伞... (2007) -1428 (2009) -KJ: Music and Life 音乐人生 (2009) - Mothers 妈妈的村庄 (2013) - A Young Patriot 少年小赵 (2015) - Look Love 对看 (2015) -Plastic China 塑料王国 (2016) With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text The pace of urbanization in contemporary China is nothing short of dizzying. Seventy years ago, at the time of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, 80% of the population were farmers based in rural areas. Now, over 60% of all Chinese citizens live in cities of various sizes, and it is projected that by 2030, the number of urban dwellers will exceed 1 billion. As one would expect, the challenges that these dynamics pose to Chinese architects and urban planners are staggering. So how do these beleaguered builders design a modern city in China from scratch in the face of so many changing variables? How do they create cities that strike a balance between modern and traditional aesthetics? And what kinds of obstacles can they expect to face throughout this process? Featuring: Andrea Krupski von Mansberg : Architect & urban designer Li Shuwen | 李书雯 : Architect & urban planner Lars Ulrik Thom : Founder of Beijing Postcards Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommended watching: - Imperial City Wall Relics Park, located on the east side of the Forbidden City in Beijing. - Xiangshan Central Campus of the China Academy of Art, located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Answers to the episode quiz: - The CCTV headquarters in Beijing is the most expensive building in China, with an estimated cost of $800 million (approximately 5.7 billion yuan). - Tiananmen Square has the same area as Vatican City, 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi). - Ordos (鄂尔多斯) may be the most famous Chinese “ghost town.” Located in Inner Mongolia, Ordos was supposed to house almost a million people working in the natural resources industry. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text Children’s entertainment is a growing industry in China, with many opportunities for flexible and innovative creators to produce marketable content. Prospects are particularly bright for those working at the intersection of children’s entertainment and education, which has long been an important source of revenue in a country where 93 percent of families pay out-of-pocket for tuition and related fees, according to a 2017 HSBC study. On this episode we discuss the economics of children’s entertainment in China, and how creators can engage in this corner of the market. Featuring: Kevin Geiger: Partner, Magic Dumpling Entertainment Natasha Shetye: Studio Manager, Thinkwell Group April Wang: Manager at Beijing Playhouse Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommended watching and listening: -White Snake 白蛇: 缘起 (2019), a Chinese animated film. - Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf 喜羊羊与灰太狼, a popular Chinese animated TV series launched in 2005. Answers to the episode quiz: - Kung Fu Panda is the hit American animated film that, given the content, made many Chinese netizens openly question why China had not produced anything similar. - Honor of Kings (王者荣耀) is the video game that now features a time limit for children and teenagers playing it. -Wáng Fúmǎn (王福满), the real name of the schoolboy who braved an ice storm to walk to school and whose photo, complete with icicles in his hair, went viral on the Chinese internet — earning him the nickname “Ice Boy.” - Only 30 percent of proceeds at the Chinese box office went to animated films produced in China between 2011 and 2017. With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.

Send us a text This week on the Middle Earth Podcast, Aladin sits down over a pint with Sun Yao (孙遥), the proprietor of his favorite local cultural venue-cum-cafe, to talk about the business end of the cultural industry in China. Like the owners of many niche bars and cafes across China, Sun seeks to turn a profit at his hutong establishment, Camera Stylo, by screening films, hosting live events, and otherwise trying to make art pay. A film buff and dedicated entrepreneur, Sun shares his four years of experience running a small business in the hutongs of Beijing trying to bring films and cultural conversations to his diverse clientele. In spite of a rough early start — some of which he spent sleeping in the cafe itself — Sun has managed to ensure Camera Stylo has been able to survive and thrive in a challenging environment. Featuring: Sun Yao | 孙遥 : Proprietor of Camera Stylo Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch! Recommended watching and listening: - Aotu Space 凹凸空间 (WeChat Account: aotuspace_bj) - China Film Archive 中国电影资料馆 | Website With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.