A four-minute animated video titled “The New ‘A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains’” has garnered over 200 million views on The People’s Daily’s social media platforms since its release. Produced by Unbounded Productions, a creative company based in Xi’an, China, the project utilized Blackmagic Design's Fusion Studio for visual effects and motion graphics.
Video Goes Viral
The video, which highlights China’s economic growth and technological advancements while incorporating modern elements into an ancient Chinese painting style, was posted on October 15, 2022. Within an hour of its release, it attracted over 100,000 views and quickly became a trending topic on popular Chinese video apps including TikTok, Kuishou, and Bilibili.
Technical Challenges
The technical director of Unbounded Productions, Li Jilong, noted the challenge of merging modern elements with traditional aesthetics. “We had to carefully balance incorporating contemporary scenes and people into the original painting’s landscape,” he explained. The team preserved the structural composition of rivers and mountains while integrating 3D models for a modern twist.
Fusion Studio played a crucial role in this process, allowing the production team to seamlessly integrate 2D and 3D elements. Its built-in fog effects added depth to the visual narrative, enhancing the Chinese landscape style.
Collaboration with DaVinci Resolve
Beyond Fusion Studio, Unbounded Productions also employed DaVinci Resolve for color correction. The software helped enhance the modern rendition of the ancient painting, evoking a sense of pride and cultural confidence among viewers. “Every frame could be used as a beautiful landscape wallpaper,” commented one viewer.
Unbounded Productions’ Ongoing Projects
Zhang Yongqiang, the director of the video and founder of Unbounded Productions, highlighted Fusion Studio’s reliability in completing critical projects. The company has utilized the software for various exhibitions, cultural events, and tourism projects such as a four-screen sand table projection show at Tang Paradise, a 5A tourist attraction in China.
Zhang praised Fusion Studio's user-friendly interface and node-based design, which simplifies tasks like sequence replacement and effect management. “As the exhibition, culture, and tourism industries continue to grow in China, more artists will adopt Fusion,” he concluded.