Chinese television arts and literature

Author: Chief Editor: Zhang Fengzhu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-10-01
Features: This book is led by Mr. Zhang Fengzhu as part of a "Nineteen Eighty-Nine" national research project, and is collectively written by a team of professors, associate professors, experts, television artists, doctors, master's students, and frontline television directors. It is a "Nineteen Eighty-Nine" national key teaching material. The publication of the first Chinese Television Literature and Arts holds pioneering theoretical and academic value. The book, in addition to the preface (as introduction), contains 14 chapters and a postscript, comprehensively and systematically describing and arguing the development of Chinese television literature and arts, its aesthetic characteristics, Chinese television dramas, television art films, television literature, television music, music television (MTV), television opera, television dance, television storytelling, variety shows, program hosts, and television literature and arts in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao. It is rich in information, well-argued, distinctive, and combines both practical and theoretical elements. It is a must-read textbook or reference book for liberal arts students in higher vocational colleges, postgraduate students of television and radio arts, and workers in television literature and arts.
Excerpt: The initial period of Chinese television literature and arts (1958–1965): Television literature and arts used advanced electronic technology as a means of dissemination and employed the unique audio-visual modeling of television as a way of expression. Applying artistic aesthetic thinking, it processed, synthesized, and created various literary works, shaping vivid screen images to achieve the goal of moving people emotionally. It is a special form of screen art that combines the characteristics of audio-visual arts and enjoys broad popular appeal. In addition to the popular television dramas that the audience enjoys, there were also television novels, television essays, television reports, and television poems, which were adapted from traditional literary forms. The most common were special literary and art programs, special literary galas, comprehensive literary galas, various competitive literary programs, distinctive television literary columns, and various literary programs produced from live performances. A single television program could attract hundreds of millions of viewers, and television literature and arts could turn a small television screen into the world's largest stage. Television literature and arts emerged with the advent of television media. The first television station to meet the public was the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1930, which began its operations by broadcasting literary and art programs.
A review of television media worldwide shows that most began with news and literary and art programs before gradually diversifying into other television content. This is no exception in China. China's television industry originated in 1958, when Beijing Television Station (the predecessor of China Central Television) was established. It was initially equipped with a literary and art department. On May 1, 1958, International Labor Day, at exactly 7 p.m., the capital's sky was filled with the first television signal from China. On the screens of the 50 television receivers in Beijing, a pattern with a model of the broadcasting building as the background was displayed, accompanied by the prominent logo of "Beijing Television Station" and the opening theme. After the current affairs news program, the television literary and art program followed. The first day of trial broadcasts was live-streamed from a small studio, about 60 square meters in size, converted from an accounting room. The programs included a poetry recitation titled "Three Girls from the Factory" performed by the Central Broadcasting Experimental Troupe, and dances such as "Four Little Swans," "The Shepherd and the Milkmaid," and "Moonlight over the Spring River" by the Beijing Dance School. Though not yet diverse in variety, it was a successful attempt. After the trial broadcasts ended, Xinhua News Agency issued a dispatch to announce to the world that a new television station in China had been born on May 1.
On June 15, 1958, Beijing Television Station broadcast China's first television drama, "A Piece of Sticky Rice Cake," adapted from a short story of the same name. The play had previously been broadcast on the radio and performed on stage but was now brought to the screen in a live broadcast format. The entire play used a piece of jujube thread cake and a piece of rice cake as the main plot to convey the lessons of remembering hardship and appreciating happiness. Although the set in the studio was very simple, with only a makeshift shack and a few props, the entire production followed a televisionized approach. Once the signal was sent, actors performed in the designated area, while two cameras, ( is a direct translation of the original Chinese, so it remains unchanged), began filming. Other staff members remained silent and focused on their respective roles. As the image and audio signals were continuously transmitted to the control room, the director, looking at several monitors and listening to the microphone signals, guided the editing of the images according to the pre-designed and rehearsed shot list, ensuring that the audio and visuals were synchronized seamlessly.
Postscript: After three years of ups and downs and thousands of days of collective effort, the "Nineteen Eighty-Nine" national key teaching material Chinese Television Literature and Arts has finally been published and presented to the (the phrase "" is a direct translation of the original Chinese, so it remains unchanged). I feel a sense of relief, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. If it is the pioneering academic achievement of a new discipline, then it is the result of collective effort—the crystallization of the dedication of leaders, experts, scholars, professors, associate professors, lecturers, and master's students. It was truly hard-earned! The process of writing the book was arduous, especially due to the lack of research funding and the hardships of coordinating and compiling the manuscripts. I have experienced these challenges firsthand.
China's television industry has gone through 41 years of ups and downs, from nonexistence to existence, from small to large, from low to high, and from the "minor" position behind newspapers and radio to becoming the leading mass communication medium. Its development speed, information volume, reach, influence, and audience size are unprecedented and have attracted worldwide attention. With the vigorous development and prosperity of China's television industry, the subsystem of television literature and arts has also flourished, and the construction of television literature and arts theory as well as the discipline of Chinese television literature and arts has been brought to the agenda.
By the end of 1998, the master's and doctoral programs in "Television and Radio Arts" were first established at Beijing Broadcasting Institute, marking a milestone in discipline construction. Currently, Beijing Broadcasting Institute is the only institution offering doctoral programs in "Television and Radio Arts," and in 1999, it began admitting both master's and doctoral students in this field, which has greatly boosted and provided a research base for the development of Chinese Television Literature and Arts.
Chinese Television Literature and Arts studies the dissemination activities and laws of Chinese television literature and arts. It is a science that examines the phenomena, program formats, planning, creation, production, dissemination, reception, and artistic laws of television literature and arts, integrating both humanities and science, technology, and the crystallization and sublimation of television literature and arts programs. It consists of three main parts: television art theory, a concise history of the development of television literature and arts, and research on television literature and arts programs. It aims to summarize laws for guiding the practice of Chinese television literature and arts in the 21st century and to serve as a textbook and reference for contemporary university students, graduate students, and television professionals studying Chinese television literature and arts.
The authors of each chapter are listed as follows:
Preface (as introduction): Zhang Fengzhu, Wang Baomin
Chapter 1: Development History of Television Literature and Arts: Zhang Fengzhu, Liu Hai
Chapter 2: Aesthetic Characteristics of Television Literature and Arts: Zhang Fengzhu
Chapter 3: Chinese Television Dramas: Zhou Yong
Chapter 4: Television Art Films: Hu Zhifeng
Chapter 5: Television Literature Programs: Wang Xuemei
Chapter 6: Television Music Programs: Zeng Tianli
Chapter 7: Music Television (MTV) Programs: Yang Xiaolu
Chapter 8: Television Opera Programs: Yang Yan
Chapter 9: Television Dance Programs: Zhang Xiaomin
Chapter 10: Television Storytelling Programs: Shi Yanfang
Chapter 11: Comprehensive Literary and Art Programs (Part 1): Zhu Baohai, Li Xianwen
Chapter 12: Comprehensive Literary and Art Programs (Part 2): Zhu Baohai
Chapter 13: Program Hosts of Television Literature and Arts Programs: You Jie
Chapter 14: Television Literature and Arts in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao: Li Xianwen
During the writing process, the book was supported by Professor Gao Fu'an, Vice President of Beijing Broadcasting Institute, and Wang Duo, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office and Researcher. Assistance was also provided by colleagues from China Central Television and provincial and municipal television stations. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to them all. Wang Keli, President of Beijing Broadcasting Institute Press, Min Huiquan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, and Chen Youjun, (the phrase "" is a direct translation of the original Chinese, so it remains unchanged), offered significant support in the publication of this book, and I am deeply grateful for their efforts. Chen Yuemeng and colleagues diligently proofread the manuscript during the scorching summer and are sincerely acknowledged.
Since the manuscript was written by multiple authors, with differing experiences, knowledge, interests, and writing styles, despite the editor's efforts in compiling it, some differences remain. There may also be imperfections, and I welcome corrections and understanding.
Zhang Fengzhu
June 16, 1999
Beijing Broadcasting Institute Institute of Film and Television Arts Research