Inheriting Tradition With New Technology

The art of shadow play is an ancient and traditional folk art,which is an ingenious combination of folk arts and crafts as well as traditional Chinese opera.Shadow play uses silhouette figures made of skin which are controlled by shadow play artists and are held between a source of light or natural light and a translucent screen.Accompanied with music and conversations,shadow play is a unique art form of storytelling.Shadow play listed as the first batch of Chinese intangible cultural heritage,it is a unique cultural treasure in China with a very long history and a rich cultural tradition.Characterized by its diverse genres of opera and singing styles,varied melodies and rhythms as well as delicate carving art,it has a significant value and position in folk custom,art as well as ancient folk art,and is a comprehensive form of art combined with music,art and stage effect.However,current heritage of the art of shadow play is relatively difficult.After the reform and opening-up,material needs have led people' s aesthetic standards with the development of technology,the change of lifestyles and the emergence of varied art forms.People would rather seek for quick information than waiting on their stools for the performance of shadow play artists in front of the screen.The shadow play suffered from new technology is also facing difficulties with shadow productions and the loss of shadow play artists with no one to succeed.Innovation and creation are essential in this era.If there are no active exploration of the modern application or new heritage of the existing form of shadow play,it is possible that the art of shadow play would gradually disappear in the future.The attempt to combine the heritage of shadow play with modern techniques such as digital animation and virtual interaction to explore their artistic similarities,as well as the investigation of language in shadow play styles presented by rich expression techniques in visual design or costume design can be practical modern applications of the art of shadow play.