By leveraging the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City, Shanghai is forging a full-chain AI film ecosystem that covers computing power, data, models, and application scenarios, thus driving the integrated development of "film plus technology."
At a workshop during this year's Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), staff showed how a green screen and virtual studio can create a video of someone flying on a sword in only 10 minutes, a process that once took hours or even days.
"Our new AI workflow can bypass the tedious process of creating 3D assets. We only need a simple white model to position the actor within the scene. Then, AI takes care of everything, including integration of lights and shadows, computer-generated visual effects, and traditional manual production, dramatically improving efficiency," said Wang Yi, marketing director of a Shanghai-based virtual production technology company.
Technological innovation, continuous upgrades, and the pursuit of quality have become industry standards for filmmakers and television producers.
"What we're working on now is using a full AI workflow to adapt a classic black-and-white movie into a short drama series of 60 episodes, each about two to three minutes long. With the rapid improvement of large language model capabilities, on the production side, we can complete a short drama project of over 100 minutes in just about two months," said Yu Xin, a person in charge of a company based at the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City AI Creation Ecosystem Center.
Located in Songjiang District, the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City houses over 8,000 film and TV enterprises, forming a full-chain AI ecosystem that covers computing power, data, models, and application scenarios.
"The AI Creation Ecosystem Center has attracted more than 50 companies over the past year and secured over 50 million yuan in commercial commissions. Moving forward, we will provide support not only in terms of computing power and funding but also through talent-related policies," said Zhao Huiying, director of the Songjiang District Culture and Tourism Bureau.
Shanghai drives 'film plus technology' with AI ecosystem
Top political advisor Wang Huning has called for high-quality construction of the demonstration zone for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait and urged greater progress in advancing such integration during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks on Saturday in Xiamen, a city in east China's Fujian Province, at a meeting on advancing the demonstration zone's development.
He said the 15th Five-Year Plan period will bring broad opportunities and prospects for deepening cross-Strait integrated development and for promoting the development of the demonstration zone.
Wang called for supporting Fujian in exploring new mechanisms, pathways and models for cross-Strait integrated development, and for promoting higher-quality, deeper and broader integration in cross-Strait integrated development.
He stressed the need to implement the requirements of the 15th Five-Year Plan in developing the demonstration zone and to ensure high-quality development throughout the process.
Focusing on key tasks in building the demonstration zone, efforts should be made to boost policy and institutional innovation, and to let the zone take the lead in piloting new measures and generating replicable experience, Wang said.
He also called for improving policies and measures to facilitate cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, enhancing the business environment, strengthening industrial cooperation, and expanding the benefits and sense of gain for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-funded enterprises.
Wang urged closer people-to-people and cultural exchanges across the Strait, saying that more efforts should be made to strengthen Taiwan compatriots' sense of identification with the Chinese nation, Chinese culture and the motherland.
He also called for expanding channels for Taiwan youth to pursue development on the mainland.
On Sunday morning, Wang also conducted an inspection tour in Xiamen, reviewing work on cross-Strait integrated development, as well as the provision of more convenient and intelligent services for Taiwan compatriots, and efforts to promote exchanges and cooperation among young people from both sides of the Strait.
Top political advisor urges solid progress in cross-Strait integrated development
Top political advisor urges solid progress in cross-Strait integrated development
