The Dance of the Storm, a 43-episode online modern espionage series, stars Hong Kong actor William Chan and Uygur actress Gulnezer Bextiyar. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The crab was eaten and The Dance of the Storm was produced. The relevance of that remark will be explained shortly but suffice to say for most showbiz industry insiders, 2016 was a watershed, as the number of online series produced surged 196 percent year-on-year.
"At that time, the market was brimming with creative ideas, and many production companies were testing the water of new genres," recalls Gao Feng, a veteran producer with Ciwen Media known for costume hits such as Journey to the West and Princess Agents.
This is where the crustacean comes in. Recalling that he wanted to be "the first person to eat a crab", a Chinese idiom describing individuals bravely trying fresh, yet risky, things, Gao and his longtime scriptwriting partner An Zhiyong had their opportunity that year.
Ciwen Media purchased the copyright to remake the popular South Korean espionage drama, Iris, with a plan to adapt the story to one about a Chinese spy who saves the world. The result? The Dance of the Storm.
(PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Teaming Hong Kong actor William Chan with Uygur actress Gulnezer Bextiyar, as well as casting award-winning veterans Simon Yam and Jiang Wenli, the 43-episode online series was released on the streaming platforms iQiyi, Tencent Video and Youku on April 25.
The plot centers around a fictional Chinese-led international security organization, which is headquartered in a typical Southeast Asian-style city.
Chan stars as a former agent and an orphan whose parents－both renowned scientists－were killed in an accident during an overseas trip when he was just 12.
Growing up to become the organization's top spy, he soon discovers that his own past may hold the key to completing his mission, despite being overcome by remorse over the death of his mentor.
"Data from the streaming sites shows that around 57 percent of the drama's audience are men, which is very interesting and inspirational to us," says Gao.
(PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
"For a long time, domestic audiences have been captivated with Hollywood espionage blockbusters, and the adventures of Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt," he adds. "So for most Chinese entertainment industry workers, it has always been our dream to create a Chinese superspy to appeal to a domestic audience."
In 2016, China recorded an impressive annual output of 334 TV dramas, with a cumulative 140,000 minutes of content. But most of the espionage-themed tales were set in the years before the founding of the People's Republic of China and depicted underground agents of the Communist Party of China.
"Few are set in the modern era," recalls scriptwriter An. "This creates a challenging situation for us as we have no similar productions to learn from."
He recalls that he worked on the script for more than a year between 2016 and early 2017, injecting the plot with traditional Chinese values about brotherhood, parenting and romance. This approach has given the hero a distinctive, swashbuckling flair.
(PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Most of the action sequences were shot on a soundstage in Yizhuang, Beijing. The outdoor scenes were filmed in Busan and Seoul in South Korea, and some areas in Malaysia, as well as Tianjin in China. Around 50 international actors from multiple countries, including Sweden and Russia, were cast to play the security organization's staff and the show's villains, some of whom could speak Chinese fluently.
"China's fast development in the film and television industry makes it more convenient for production companies to cast foreigners," Gao explains. "Interestingly, most of the foreign actors recommended by our casting team are students who are studying at Chinese colleges.
"But for us, The Dance of the Storm is more like an experimental work. After reviewing the market feedback, we believe we still have a long way to go in exploring how to be successful in the modern espionage genre," he concludes.
