103 episodes
Middle Earth - China’s cultural industry podcast The World of Chinese
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- TV & Film
Your source of insight into China's culture industry: Hear from people creating and producing content in the world's second biggest cultural market. Hosted by Aladin Farré, and presented by The World of Chinese magazine.
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#98 How has China's pro-wrestling scene changed (with Following the yuan)
Before Covid, WWE and UFC were key to push the envelope of MMA in China, now, independent promotion companies like Middle Kingdom Wrestling are left to pick up the momentum.
Featuring
- Adrian Gomez: Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Founder
To go further
- Middle Earth episode #65 China’s winter sports market : How to get 300 million snow enthusiasts?
- Middle Earth episode #51 Pop Mart : How to Make an Addictive Toy (featuring Yang Yaling)
With thanks to Yang Yaling of Following the yuan for co-producing the episode and Middle Kingdom Wrestling for poster’s picture.
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project, like shooting your next documentary, or are looking for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影 -
#97 China’s (high-end) fashion industry
With a forecast revenue of 370 billion USD in 2024 market size, roughly three times the size of the US market and Europe, China's apparel market is home to up and coming fashion brands as well as big brands buying up international competitors. What can insiders share from that industry?
Featuring
- Li Boyan: Fashion Photographer
- Lucrezia Seu: Plush Consulting - Founder
- CK Zhang : 张本赛含之 SAIANZI - Founder
To go further
- Middle Earth episode #93 Invisible Summit: One Blind Person’s Journey to 8,848 Meters
- Middle Earth episode #24 Dealing with the diaspora: Catering to Chinese clients abroad
- Talking Shop, article by Emily Conrad for The World of Chinese Magazine
- Turning the Tide, article by He Yingzi
- Vintage Values, article by Hatty Liu
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next film or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影
With thanks to Ren Jiayin for production assistant, Sean Calvo for music support and Lucrezia Seu for poster picture. -
#96 How Chinese micro-series are trying to reach international audiences
Potentially succeeding where Quibi failed, several Chinese apps (DramaBox, Reelshort) alongside others (Pocket FM, Good Novel) are pushing for 1-minute episodes of micro-series. Often depicted as being of trashy quality, they do seem to attract some eyeballs. Yet, what are the creative conditions to produce such Fifty Shades-esque stories, and is the market where we think it is?
Featuring
- Jack Li: Scriptwriter
- Anaïs Clément : Actress and Theatre Maker
- Yang Tingting: TWOC - Journalist
To go further
- Middle Earth episode #59 China micro-series’s boom
- Middle Earth episode #08 How to Make a Movie in 14 Days
- High Stakes in Short Takes: China’s Booming Micro-Drama Business, article by Yang Tingting
- the international micro-series "The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband"
- the chinese micro-series 《我在八零年代当后妈》
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next film or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影
With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support.
The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. -
#95 Chinese Web Novels: The Hidden Golden Goose? (Publishing industry - part 2)
Started as a grassroots movement in the early Chinese internet, web novels slowly became a powerhouse of China’s cultural industry by producing powerful IPs. How did this industry came to be?
Featuring
- Tage : Author
- Wei Xiaoma : IP Licensing Manager
- Yang Zeyi : Technology Reporter
To go further
- Middle Earth episode #92 How writers, bookstore owners, and printers survive in China’s publishing industry
- Middle Earth episode #69 The Seducing Power of IPs
- Middle Earth episode #90 Women in China’s Cultural Industries
- Middle Earth episode #79 Exploring Wuxia (think "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon")
- Bitter No More: How Young Chinese Became Obsessed With TCM, article by Shao Yefan
- China is reinventing the way the world reads, article by Yang Zeyi
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next film or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影
With thanks to Ren Jiayin for production assistant, Li Muyuan for voice over and Sean Calvo for music support.
The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. -
#94 Traditional Chinese Medicine – The Needling Truth
With a 800 billion yuan market size and 1/5 of the doctor’s workforce, TCM is a force to be reckoned with in China. How did the field keeps reinventing itself and why does Chinese youth gets more attracted by it?
Featuring
- Martin Eriksson : TCM doctor
- ShaoYefan (邵叶凡) : TWOC - freelancer
- Wu Yanmin : Ori-Bio - Co-founder
To go further
- Middle Earth episode #82 Understanding China’s national park & scenic areas
- Bitter No More: How Young Chinese Became Obsessed With TCM, article by Shao Yefan
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next film or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影
With thanks to Ren Jiayin for production assistant, Wu Daozhi for fact-checking, Kian2018 for picture illustration and Sean Calvo for music support.
The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. -
#93 Invisible Summit: One Blind Person's Journey to 8,848 Meters
New documentary Invisible Summit 《看不见的顶峰》tells the epic story of how Zhang Hong became the first blind Asian person to climb the world’s tallest mountain. On this podcast, director Fan Lixin (LAST TRAIN HOME) discusses how he filmed Zhang’s extraordinary journey and what he learned during the making of the movie.
Featuring
- Fan Lixin (范立欣): Documentary Director
- Liu Yuan (刘元): Producer
To go further
- Middle Earth episode #78 Revving Up China’s New Biker Culture
- Middle Earth episode #72 Film Distribution: How to Succeed at China’s Box Office
How to support the film?
- Tell your friends living in China to buy a ticket for the week-end of the 27th of October
- Find the film on 猫眼 app and click on 想看
- And if you know an international TV commissioner that could be interested by the film, let's be in touch ;)
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next film or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影
With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support.
The World of Chinese MagazineA magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.