A Research Of Shanghai Documentaries(1980-2017)

The development of Shanghai documentaries is inseparable from Shanghai films and televisions,especially the profound historical foundation and cultural traditions of Shanghai films.Shanghai films,which dare to outperform others,strive to make innovations and convey a strong ethnic and national consciousness,have influenced the development of Shanghai films and televisions and Shanghai documentaries in the new era.In terms of ideology,technology and personnel training,early documentary creation and scientific documentary in Shanghai have a more direct impact on the development and progression of Shanghai documentaries.In 1980,Shanghai TV set up a documentary group,thereby forming regular forces for television documentaries evolved from film documentaries and providing personnel,fund and institutional guarantee for Shanghai documentary creation in the new era.This paper briefly reviews historical and cultural impacts of Shanghai films and televisions,and studies creation and dissemination of Shanghai documentaries between 1980 and 2017.In addition,it analyzes creation practices,creative concept changes,representative works and dissemination effects of the representatives in different historical stages and preliminarily summarizes development courses,evolution paths and cultural impacts of Shanghai documentaries during this period.Ever since the reform and opening-up in China,creative and innovative Shanghai documentary producers have inherited the spirit of livelihood films,namely,Shanghai films with neorealist characteristics in the 1930s and 1940s.They tend to focus on the life of common people and reflect the society with stories of grassroots and common people.In 1986,Shanghai International TV Festival of Friendship Cities was held.By virtue of"bringing in" and "going out" strategies,Shanghai documentary producers not only enlarged international influence of Shanghai documentaries,but also learnt advanced concepts of documentaries in countries like Japan and the United States,eventually making concepts and techniques of"direct cinema" and "cinema verite" major creative concepts and techniques of Shanghai documentaries at that time.As a result,they began to consciously shape images of common people to replace workers,peasants and soldiers,capture influential social moments in the new era and use long lenses to represent reforms and impacts of documentary creation.In that case,characteristics of Shanghai documentaries in the new era were formed and great social influence was achieved.In addition,the first television documentary program Documentary Editorial Office emerged as the times required.In a sense,the documentary program marked the beginning of Contemporary Documentary Movement in China and played an important role in developing documentaries in the new era.Documentary Editorial Office not only explored survival ways of documentary programs,guided Shanghai documentaries and influenced television documentary programs across the country,but also proposed scenario simulation theoretically and practically to solve overuse or improper use of creative techniques like authentic representation and scene representation.In addition,the creation,production and dissemination of Documentary Talkshow offered commercial exploration into the re-transmission and relearning of excellent documentaries and pioneered documentary series,thereby having positive historical impacts.With the deepening of market-oriented reforms,Documentary Editorial Office has experienced ups and downs,which is attributed to the changes in Shanghai documentaries and the times.In 2002,Shanghai documentaries made an important step:creating the first documentary channel in China,namely,Shanghai documentary channel.This channel not only extended domestic and international influence of documentaries,but also actively explored innovative development and dissemination of Shanghai documentaries and achieved considerable progress.For example,Master(a program created in the context of commercialization)upheld the idea of humanism,carried forward the spirits of humanism and had a direct and profound impact on audiences,especially teenagers.History explored vivid stories behind history and increased impacts of series documentaries by virtue of suspense,simulation and animation.While adapting to the changes of the consumerism era,Shanghai documentary channel have actively reformed the creation,production and broadcasting modes of documentaries.In 2014,Shanghai documentary channel was broadcasted via satellite to meet the needs of international,networking and all-media development and promote the development of Shanghai documentaries.Shanghai documentary producers have achieved certain results in objectively and authentically exploring the life of common people in recent years.Based on the success of the Story in ER,they combined objective documentary with subjective production and launched a medical documentary series named the Human World,greatly boosting the development confidence and influence of Shanghai documentaries.Meanwhile,Shanghai documentary producers actively explored Across the United States-a program that integrated internalization,advertisement,aesthetics and documentary into one.They strengthened international cooperation and brand marketing,filmed Maritime Silk Route based on Belt&Road,disseminated documentaries in a unique way and achieved positive impacts.To objectively and comprehensively research the development of Shanghai documentaries in the new era,the author interviewed 10 celebrities involved in the development of Shanghai documentaries,conducted pre-test and post-test surveys of Master and collected television schedules of Documentary Editorial Office and winners of the Magnolia Award.In addition,related textual materials were listed as appendices,integral parts and valuable references of the paper.