Internet art is creative, and culture is laying the groundwork
"New cultural creation" has become a hot word in online art.
At the end of 2020, Tencent and China Reading Group launched the "Cultural Heritage New Cultural and Creative Plan" to launch the first web-based short drama "Zuo Zhizhi", which is the practice of this cultural production method with IP as the core.
It is a short story created by the online literary writer "The Squid Who Loves Diving" with the world cultural heritage Emei Mountain as the background. It takes the Emei Mountain special product "Bull Horn Jujube" as the story line, and invites the actor Qin Hao as the narrator to create a stop-motion animation short of the same name. drama.
It is a form worth trying to develop elements with cultural heritage in online literature, combine them with other popular methods of online communication, and quickly promote them to the public.
This short IP model for short content, from online literature to adaptation of short dramas, animations and games, is having an impact on the production form of online literature and art.
The major online literature platforms have seized this trend and used short video channels to play their own online short plays.
Compared with the cost, risk, creative cycle, and complexity of IP video production, the low-cost, short-period, and high-reaching characteristics of the linkage between web-based IP and short video are in line with the public's cognitive law.
New means of communication make the presentation of culture richer
Internet literature and art continue to merge and cross-border, and begin to explore more grounded and more popular ways to promote it. Traditional culture seems to be a magic weapon for "breaking the circle".
The "new cultural and creative" model realizes the four-dimensional linkage of online literature, film and television, animation, and games. It also needs to draw inspiration from traditional culture, such as Chinese characters, poetry, calligraphy, folk music, intangible cultural heritage, festivals, regions, folk customs and other cultural elements , Have been loaded by the "new cultural and creative" in an appropriate form, becoming the "national trend" in the youth network communication, realizing "breaking the circle" between tradition and reality.
The good ideas of online literature and art are all underpinned by culture.
More and more digital platforms are beginning to focus on how to integrate and co-exist with Chinese traditional culture through the integration of media network forms, and use digitalization to promote the "breakthrough" of traditional culture and help the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture.
From the "Digital Forbidden City" and "Ancient Paintings Singing" created by the Internet platform and the Forbidden City, to the "Traveling in Dunhuang" and "Dunhuang Poetry Scarf" jointly created by the Dunhuang Academy, these high-quality digital content focuses on the spread of the Internet and helps traditional culture. Go deep into the youth circle of the "net generation".
It is the new means of dissemination that allows more ways of presenting culture, and also gives traditional classics long-lasting vitality.
The return of traditional culture, whether it is calligraphy, calligraphy, opera, or poetry, has become a trend, and the public's strong interest in traditional culture has also promoted the rise of the "national tide".
In particular, more and more post-90s and post-95s have begun to pay attention to the Chinese elements of cultural and creative industries. "National Tide" has become a fashion in the eyes of young people, and has increasingly become a favorite of online cultural creativity.
The game industry, which has always been the most sensitive to big data and consumer trends, has captured the strong adhesion of traditional culture to the communication of youth online communities. A series of game products have begun to add cultural elements: the mobile game "QQ Dance" cooperates with dance artist Yang Liping, Introduced the traditional Yunnan folk dance "Peacock Dance" into the game, launched the "Pupillary Season" series, the virtual idol "Xingtong" turned into a new heir to the peacock dance, and had a "breaking dimension" dialogue with Yang Liping; the 3D version of the martial arts game "Tianya Mingyuedao" The physical exteriors of the three game costumes in "OL" are all hand-made by non-genetic inheritors of Su embroidery, filigree inlaid, and brocade, which showcase the beauty of the national style; the mobile game "Elegant Painting·Wonderful Brush Thousands of Mountains" also uses "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains". For inspiration, restore the artistic conception and technique of traditional Chinese painting.
The latest online micro variety show "Dunhuang Tibetan Paintings", which also focuses on cultural heritage, is a cross-border work jointly created by government agencies, Dunhuang Museum and Internet data platforms. It presents a different visual form from the past and uses "ancient style". A full-fledged young singer-songwriter as a narrator, using the method of record, leads the audience to visit Dunhuang immersively, from the caves of the early digging to the caves of the Tang Dynasty, from the decline of the Yuan Dynasty to the precarious wind and rain of late Qing, Visual narration connects the "story" of Dunhuang itself, and the theme of "restoration" allows the audience to understand Dunhuang murals, music and dance and other knowledge and concepts, and experience the original intention of protecting traditional culture.
This new form of integration not only conforms to the general trend of "national tide revival", but also attracts young people to participate in the digital protection of cultural relics. It truly embodies the original intention of the program to achieve cultural inheritance with "fine short videos + the beauty of national style". Ingenuity.
As an adaptation form of online literature, the three latest short films "Wild Friends", "Gifts" and "Nian Beast" of the "World Heritage New Cultural and Creative Project" are based on the Spring Festival New Year customs, presenting Chinese nostalgia and family affection. .
At the same time, the three "cultural" short films incorporate non-heritage features such as "Shennongjia Savage Legend", Huizhou wood carving, Chinese paper-cutting, etc., showing the customs of pasting Spring Festival couplets, beating New Year beasts, and keeping the New Year fire, and realizing traditional culture with emotion as a link The new style of expression gives traditional cultural symbols new appeal.
Through the cooperation of cultural and cultural institutions, digital platforms and integrated media platforms, the innovative model of connecting online and offline, connecting large screens and small screens, integration of traditional media and new media, interaction of large screen narration and small screens, and integration of cultural resources and cultural creativity is positive. It has become a new highlight of online literature and art, and more and more high-quality cultural IPs have also begun to look for the dissemination carriers of micro-dramas, micro-animations, and micro-documentaries to ride the wind and waves in the blue ocean of short IPs.
Don't use "culture" as a gimmick, let the commercial purpose overwhelm the cultural claim
The combination of cultural elements and game development, digital technology and classic inheritance caters to the trend of "national tide" to a certain extent, making traditional culture more vivid.
Whether it is the old IP of the Forbidden City or young fashionistas, why are cultural and creative IP products so popular?
There is always a reason behind the phenomenon.
Because this coincides with consumers' emphasis on spiritual, cultural and emotional consumption.
Consumption upgrades make people no longer only pay for the practical functions of the material itself, but also begin to pay attention to the cultural and emotional attributes of cultural and creative products.
In addition, it satisfies the discerning psychology of young people from mass convergence to niche self.
The post-90s and post-95s young groups have increasingly become the new main force of consumption, and among the young consumer groups, there are a large number of pan-two-dimensional users. The sense of belonging and substitution brought by the role image of cultural and creative IP has also become The label of "net generation" expressing personality and self has become an important factor influencing the purchase of IP products by the pan-two-dimensional group.
However, major platforms get together and use "culture" to make a fuss, and various cross-border products frequently use "culture" and "tradition" as gimmicks, and it is inevitable that they will be suspected of "crushing culture" and "coupling culture".
For example, some brands have begun to take the marketing route of selling feelings, using a wave of "memory killing" and "nostalgic style" to attract consumer groups. Among them, the most hotly discussed is the cooperation with the classic IP of Guoman, like the black cat police chief. The images of Guoman, Calabash Baby, and Tianshu Qitan are all hotspots for brand cooperation.
Most of these so-called new ideas are based on commercial and practical functions, leveraging the psychological appeal of nostalgia, and using Guoman to achieve their own brand blessing. In fact, there is not too much ingenuity in the innovation of cultural image.
The swarm of development and consumption of classic IP has not only brought about the excessive commercialization of cultural and creative activities, but also the practice of fishing for traditional cultural resources.
Variety shows, cartoons, and short videos like archeology and culture are all competing to "grab" some high-quality cultural resources in an attempt to "snap light".
Although the idea of breaking circles has also permeated Internet thinking, the effect of cultural dissemination is not satisfactory.
Whether or not the traditional culture can be carried forward through the new generation of network interaction is aside for the time being, the commercial purpose of the promotion strategy of "culture must be said to be true" has overshadowed cultural claims.
Too much emphasis on commercial value and simply relying on fan effects is not necessarily a good thing for the in-depth development of IP.
Especially in modern society, consumption has changed from an economic concept to a cultural concept.
With the continuous development of IP in recent years and the increasing maturity of the cultural industry, cultural value has become an industry trend and policy guide.
Having both cultural value and commercial value is an important factor for IP to "survive, live well, and live long".
And the integration of tradition and modernity is not only the trend of the trend, but also the vitality of the classic culture to continue to innovate. The classic IPs of traditional Chinese culture such as "Journey to the West", "Three Kingdoms" and "Fengshen Bang" are all in the profound culture. On the basis of value, an intangible psychological memory and emotional consensus can be formed, and only then can we develop fans for the development of derivatives of online literature and art, and further promote the upgrade and transformation of high-quality IP.
The most important channel for the new generation of digital youth to understand traditional culture is the Internet. At the same time, they have a more open attitude towards the outside world, and they prefer traditional culture and fashion elements to go out of the circle.
In the face of young people who are accustomed to digital survival today, from the online world to real-life experiences, from film and television games to animation and variety shows, whether cross-industry joint names or the main fan effect, the cultural and creative platform most needs to grasp, it should rely on multiple media and marketing. Channels realize the promotion of traditional culture, and guide the "net generation" to better understand the essence of traditional cultural heritage through the integration of content and form, and deeply understand the heritage and connotation of culture, instead of using culture as a "gimmick", just The freshness that flows from the "cloud" travel culture, and the quickness to reach the culture.
Only in this way can young people of the "Internet generation" embrace tradition in their digital life and enhance their cultural confidence in Chinese elements in their interests.
Even in the era when IP is popular, the creation and inheritance of online literature and art is always culture.
Culture, like "the moonlight in front of the bed", always contains a common emotional cognition and has a common value identity.
The excellent traditional culture represented by intangible cultural heritage is also using the form of "new cultural creation" to establish connections with contemporary people, arousing the love of the "net generation" young people for China's excellent traditional culture.
Culture does not blindly cater, but guides its vision and pattern; the function of culture is not to "pull a tiger's skin and be a big banner", not simply to attract attention, but to pay respect.
No matter how diverse the forms are, the essence of "new cultural creation" is to help cultural inheritance and cultural innovation.
The surface of "out of the circle" is that cultural and creative workers are constantly expanding new forms, but behind it is that young people looking for culture are infinitely close to tradition.
Leading the trend with traditional culture and colliding with the hearts of contemporary people is the key to revitalizing cultural symbols.
And high-quality network content based on culture will eventually find the emotional code and expression path belonging to Chinese culture.
(Author: Liu Ting, associate professor of the Department of Theater Film Communication University of China)