On September 24, the Hainan Workshop of the Young Coconut Project at the 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) was launched. Over the following two days, the participants gathered creative inspiration by visiting locations such as the Lingshui Haifeng International Film and Television Base, Wanning Riyue Bay, Baoting Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone, and the Sanya Ends of the Earth Scenic Area, preparing for the final review roadshow on September 28.
On September 24, 2024, the launch ceremony for the research trip of the Hainan Workshop of the Young Coconut Project Venture Training Camp at the 6th HIIFF was held at the Lingshui Haifeng Town Conference Center. Leaders and guests present at the event included Zhou Xiaoqing, Vice County Magistrate of Lingshui Li Autonomous County; Zhang Lu, Deputy Director of the Science, Technology, and Industry Information Bureau of Lingshui Li Autonomous County; Xu Wenjun, General Manager of Sanya Jin椰海影 Co., Ltd.; Xing Tianyu, Chief Operations Coordinator of HIIFF; and Li Qiongxue, General Manager of Lingshui Yingli Wanxiang Digital Media Industry Co., Ltd. Songtaijia, Mentor of the Young Coconut Project Venture Training Camp, and the creators of the Top 15 shortlisted projects also attended the event.
From left to right: Li Qiongxue, General Manager of Lingshui Yingli Wanxiang Digital Media Industry Co., Ltd.; Songtaijia, Mentor of the Young Coconut Project Venture Training Camp; Zhou Xiaoqing, Vice County Magistrate of Lingshui Li Autonomous County; Xu Wenjun, General Manager of Sanya Jin椰海影 Co., Ltd.; and Zhang Lu, Deputy Director of the Science, Technology, and Industry Information Bureau of Lingshui Li Autonomous County.
At the ceremony, Zhou Xiaoqing, Vice County Magistrate of Lingshui Li Autonomous County, congratulated the launch of the event on behalf of the Lingshui county government. She noted that HIIFF is dedicated to promoting film and television cultural exchange and innovation, and that the Young Coconut Project, as an important component, provides opportunities and platforms for film and television professionals. With its beautiful natural scenery, rich cultural heritage, open attitude, and innovative spirit, Lingshui welcomes friends from all over the world. As a supporter of the event, the Haifeng International Film and Television Base is highly compatible with Lingshui's resource endowment, cultural heritage, and development positioning, and will become an important engine driving the development of the cultural industry in Lingshui and even Hainan Province. Finally, Zhou Xiaoqing wished the event a complete success and the young creators outstanding achievements.
After the launch ceremony, Liu Chenguang, Deputy General Manager of Lingshui Yingli Wanxiang Digital Media Industry Co., Ltd., led the participants to visit various real-scene shooting locations in different styles within the Haifeng International Film and Television Base, such as an airport, hotel, shopping mall, hospital, police station, and bar. These sets are equipped with complete props and facilities to meet the various shooting needs of production crews. In addition, the Haifeng International Film and Television Base has promised to provide the Top 8 projects emerging from the Young Coconut Project Venture Training Camp with up to two months of free use of shooting locations and accommodation arrangements for the crew, offering strong support for the development of outstanding projects.
On the afternoon of the 24th, the mentors and participants of the Young Coconut Project arrived at Wanning Riyue Bay. With its fine white sand and crystal-clear water, and waves that are sometimes gentle and sometimes wild, the bay provides a perfect natural backdrop for seaside scenes in films. The surfing culture of Riyue Bay offers even richer material for film creation, allowing the participants to observe the interaction between surfers and the waves, and learn how to translate this dynamic sport into visual effects in film.
During the sharing session at the Riyue Bay Surfing Base, Director Songtaijia, even as an observer, mentioned that one can draw inspiration from life experiences. Using his trip to LishuiFeng as an example, he/it shared the story of a friend who lived on a mountain for 30 years, whose children were scattered across the country, which triggered his deep reflections on the intertwining of family and personal destiny.
He encouraged the participants to seek boundless imagination amidst changing environments. Through observation and research trips, unfamiliar things in daily life can become a source of creativity. He suggested cultivating8 the habit of recording and screening ideas, filtering out excellent concepts from wild thoughts, and expanding these ideas into short films, thereby honing and developing creative skills. Director Songtaijia firmly believes that this habit gradually becomes part of one's profession, helping to give birth to more outstanding works during the creative process.
Cui Yaoyuan, Literary Planner at Director Li Xiaofeng's Studio, shared his experience with research trips, emphasizing that a research trip is a crucial process for creators after the initial script draft is completed and before shooting begins, helping to open up the mind and inspire new ideas. He pointed out that research trips can help creators break away from the limitations of working behind closed doors, discovering different creative choices and methods through on-site experience and observation. Furthermore, a research trip is an effective way to strengthen interpersonal relationships and communication between the director and the core creative team, helping to improve work efficiency and ensure the smooth progress of the project's pre-production phase. Through research trips, the team can better understand each other's working styles, laying a solid foundation for future collaboration.
Ms. Zhan Jialing, assistant to Mentor Nai An, shared her experience transitioning from the directing department to the production department. She views the production department as the service department of the crew, solving problems for all departments. During research trips, she observes and understands the director's aesthetic and scene requirements, notes the director's views on each potential shooting location, and prepares contingency plans for possible emergencies. When plans need adjustment, she promptly proposes solutions and alternative location suggestions to the director. Meanwhile, the production team also evaluates the actual situation of each location, including whether the surrounding environment is suitable for the crew to work in, to ensure smooth shooting.
After the sharing sessions, the participants embarked on a journey of free location scouting. They strolled along the beach at Riyue Bay, getting up close to the waves and sand. Through their on-site investigation at Riyue Bay, the participants gained a lot, not only broadening their horizons but also bringing valuable creative material to their projects.
On September 25, the mentors and trainees continued their journey to the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone in Baoting to explore tropical rainforest scenes. As an outstanding representative of China's tropical rainforests, Yanoda is renowned far and wide for its rich biodiversity and unique natural landscapes. They took a cable car deep into the heart of the rainforest, fully experiencing its mystery and charm. The trainees were deeply captivated by the dense vegetation, peculiar plants, and diverse wildlife in the rainforest, which provided rich visual and emotional materials for their filmmaking.
At Yanoda, the trainees carefully observed the changes in light and shadow within the rainforest, learning how to capture the moments when natural light weaves through the dense leaves, and how to use these light and shadow effects to enhance the layering and depth of their cinematic visuals. They also explored how to utilize the natural sounds of the rainforest, such as birdsong, insect chirps, and the flow of water, to enrich the sound design of their films.
On the afternoon of the 25th, the team arrived at the Sanya Ends of the Earth Scenic Area, a place full of romance and historical legends. Ends of the Earth attracts countless tourists with its magnificent seascape, peculiar rocks, and profound cultural heritage. Here, the trainees had the opportunity to closely observe the surging waves, feel the sea breeze, and experience the tranquility and beauty of the seaside sunset.
At Ends of the Earth, the trainees not only felt the beauty of nature, but this ancient land also endowed them with new perspectives and inspiration for their filmmaking. The giant boulders of "Tianya" and "Haijiao", as well as the symbolically meaningful "Nantian Yizhu" and "Riyue Shi" within the scenic area, all became triggers for their creative thinking. The interweaving of natural and cultural elements inspired new reflections among the trainees on cinematic narrative, character construction, and emotional expression.
During these two days of on-site investigation and fieldwork, the trainees not only accumulated rich scene materials but also gained a more profound understanding of Hainan's natural beauty and deep cultural traditions. Hainan's unique geographical landscapes and sensory experiences of sound and light will surely bring new creativity and momentum to their film investment projects. With the final review roadshow on September 28 drawing near, the trainees will combine the theoretical knowledge acquired at the Beijing workshop with the fieldwork experience from the Hainan workshop, going all out to present a spectacular showcase.
Special thanks to the Lingshui Haifeng International Film and Television Base, Wanning Riyue Bay, Sanya Ends of the Earth Tourism Development Co., Ltd., and Baoting Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone for their cultural and tourism support.
The Haifeng International Film and Television Base was established through a strategic partnership among Lingshui Li Autonomous County Development Holding Group Co., Ltd., Guangxi Niou Investment Partnership, and Haining Qiyi Film and Television Media Co., Ltd. The base aims to advance the "Three Cores, Two Axes, One Belt" spatial layout under the strategic core of "One Zone, Dual Ports" in Lingshui Li Autonomous County, and is exclusively operated by Lingshui Yingli Wanxiang Digital Media Industry Co., Ltd. Adopting the "Fund + Base + Operation" incubation model, it creates a film and television industry ecosystem in Lingshui Autonomous County within the Hainan Free Trade Port. Selecting the Lingshui Li'an Haifeng Town area, it encompasses 177 independent villas and builds a shooting base (14,000 square meters with a total of 90 scenes of different styles covering short drama needs) and a film and television industry chain base. It provides full-link one-stop solutions including content, shooting, operation, post-production, and distribution, creating a functional industry cluster rooted in Lingshui for short drama-related services. Meanwhile, a special fund for short drama overseas distribution has been established here, using funds to build tracks, bases to incubate enterprises, and tracks to tap into the market.
Riyue Bay, located in Wanning City, Hainan Province, is a world-renowned surfing destination and the national southern training base for surfing. It is one of the ocean areas in the world that features high-quality point breaks and beach breaks. Surfing is a way of life at Riyue Bay. Here, surfing elements can be seen everywhere—graffiti walls, surfboards. Coming here naturally immerses people into this vibrant atmosphere, dancing side by side with the ocean. As more and more young people gather here, a unique, youthful, and diverse culture has gradually formed at Riyue Bay. Centered around the theme of surfing, each shop highlights different characteristic elements such as sports, art, music, and food. The convergence of young people has shaped Riyue Bay's unique diverse culture encompassing sports, art, music, and cuisine. Stepping into the Riyue Bay neighborhood in Wanning, one is infected by the strong artistic atmosphere and popularity: the boundless ocean, the soothing swaying coconut groves, the ubiquitous street surfing culture graffiti, and the cafes, casual restaurants, and surf hostels facing the sea.
The Ends of the Earth Scenic Area, located southwest of downtown Sanya, is renowned at home and abroad for its beautiful and enchanting tropical coastal scenery, its long and unique historical culture, and its rich and colorful ethnic customs. The term "Ends of the Earth" was originally used to express a sense of nostalgia for a distant land; through thousands of years of accumulation, it has承载了丰富深刻的文化内涵. During the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, Cheng Zhe, the magistrate of Yazhou, inscribed the word "Tianya" on the coastal reef in the scenic area. During the Republic of China era, General Wang Yi, an anti-Japanese general, inscribed the word "Haijiao" on the adjacent giant boulder. In 1961, Guo Moruo inscribed "Ends of the Earth Scenic Area", making this place a true "Ends of the Earth" and providing a physical载体 for people's "Ends of the Earth complex". Today's Ends of the Earth is a seamless integration of blue sea, green mountains, white sand, giant boulders, and reefs, like a colorful painted screen; coconut groves, waves, fishing sails, seagulls and swallows, and rosy clouds complement each other, forming the unique coconut breeze and ocean charm of the southern region. In addition, the aesthetic and romantic wedding photography base, the dynamic and cheerful marine tourism projects, and the wonderful Li and Miao folk art performances add even more brilliance to Ends of the Earth. Please come to Ends of the Earth, where spring is ever-present all year round.
The Hainan Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone is located at the Sandao Farm, Sandao Town, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, Hainan Province. Covering a total area of 45 square kilometers and initially established in 2008, it is a large-scale sightseeing, leisure, and vacation tourism zone that integrates rainforest sightseeing, cultural charm, leisure experiences, and health and wellness. Based on natural landscapes, it blends cultures such as rainforest culture, Li cave culture, Southern medicine culture, and Chinese zodiac culture. The Hainan Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone brings together diverse tourism resources, including tropical rainforests, canyon wonders, flowing springs and cascading waterfalls, Li cave customs, tropical fruits, Southern medicine, and hot springs. It mainly features multiple scenic areas such as the Zodiac Square, Rainforest Valley, Dream Valley, Sandao Valley, and Wetlands, along with projects like the Yanoda Rainforest, Pharmacist Canyon, Zodiac Square, Paludi Outdoor Training Camp, Yayaya Tropical Fruit Village, Dadase Li and Miao Expo, as well as hotels and resorts. It is a concentration of the five major tropical rainforests of Hainan Island and serves as an exhibition hall of tropical rainforest resources of great ornamental value.
