The passionate collision of digital media art and Chinese drama

As a treasure of traditional Chinese opera culture, Han opera carries rich historical and cultural values. Under the impact of the wave of modernization, Han opera is facing the problem of inheritance. Digital media art provides an innovative solution that combines modern technology to effectively preserve and disseminate Chinese opera.

Source: Kale Pictures Photography / Jia Qiong

Cultural innovation and the progress of the times

Digital media art innovation and digital protection of Chinese opera is not only an effective means for cultural heritage to meet the needs of modern social development, but also for inheriting and innovating traditional art forms.

With the rapid progress of information technology, digital media art has adopted a variety of presentation methods such as high-definition recording, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), 3D scanning and modeling, which has brought new possibilities for the preservation, restoration and circulation of Chinese opera, a traditional dramatic art. On the one hand, these techniques can digitally record the performing arts of Chinese opera with a high degree of fidelity, including its costumes, props, stage sets and other multicultural elements, ensuring the integrity of the art form and the continuity of history. On the other hand, with the help of digital means, Chinese opera can transcend the limitations of time and space, reach global audiences, and greatly expand the influence of traditional culture. Digitalization not only provides artists and scholars with a new means of studying Chinese opera, but also brings an opportunity for the audience to interact with each other, allowing people to deepen their understanding and attention to Chinese opera and traditional culture in a wider range through participation and experience. In this process, digital media art realizes the protection and inheritance of traditional art, and opens up innovative development paths.

However, there are also certain challenges in the application of this innovation, such as how to retain the essence of the artistic tradition of Chinese opera, how to deal with the copyright issue in the digital age, and how to balance the combination of traditional and modern technology, all of which need to be deeply considered and solved in the process of promoting the digital protection of Chinese opera.

In general, the innovative application of digital media art to the digital protection of Chinese opera is not only a respect for and inheritance of traditional culture, but also an important embodiment of adapting to the development of the times and promoting cultural innovation, which will have a far-reaching impact on the future development of Chinese opera and traditional Chinese opera.

It is a breakthrough and a challenge

The use of digital technology to protect and disseminate Chinese opera has now begun to bear fruit. Many Chinese opera art resources have been digitized, including audio and video recordings, and photo archives, all of which have adapted to people's needs for Chinese opera art protection, scientific research, and education to varying degrees.

However, this process has also encountered many difficulties and challenges. First of all, Chinese opera is an intangible cultural heritage, and its charm lies in the immediacy and interactivity of live performances, which are difficult to fully capture in the process of digitization. Secondly, although digital technology is helpful for the preservation of Chinese opera, the management, update and maintenance of the whole process of digitization and subsequent content require continuous technical support and corresponding capital investment. The establishment and popularization of digital archives of Chinese opera also need to solve the problem of intellectual property protection to ensure that the interests of Chinese opera artists and related groups are not infringed. In addition, the issue of the digital divide cannot be ignored, and how to enable audiences of all ages and social classes to have equal access to and experience digital Chinese opera resources is an important consideration to achieve cultural equality. Finally, in the process of continuous iteration and updating of technology, how to continuously improve technology to fit with new digital media art forms is also one of the main tasks faced by the digital protection of Chinese opera.

Vitality to innovation

As for how to expand the innovative application of digital media art in the protection of Chinese opera, the author suggests that the following points can be focused:

The first is to use virtual reality (VR) technology to reproduce the stage and performance of Chinese opera. With the help of VR technology, the audience can immerse themselves in the three-dimensional construction of the Chinese opera stage, watch the actors perform up close, and even interact with various elements of the virtual environment. This technology can restore classic Chinese operas that have been lost or are difficult to perform, so that the long-standing art of Chinese opera can be reborn in the digital space. The application of VR technology not only enhances the audience's sense of immersion and experience, but also is a new platform for Chinese opera artists to create and perform. This gives them the opportunity to explore more creative expressions in a virtual environment, bringing new life to traditional art forms. In addition, with the help of VR technology, it will also make the teaching and popularization of Chinese opera easier and more effective, which will help the new generation of audiences to have an in-depth understanding and appreciation of this traditional art.

The second is to use augmented reality (AR) technology to enrich the audience's interactive experience. The application of augmented reality (AR) technology has opened up an innovative interactive approach for the preservation of Chinese opera. By incorporating AR technology into Chinese dramas, audiences can watch real-world Chinese drama performances and virtual information overlays through smartphones or professional AR glasses, such as the historical background of the characters and the cultural significance of the costumes. This strategy not only makes the appreciation of Chinese opera more vivid and informative, but also greatly promotes the audience's sense of participation and experience, and is strengthened through interaction. AR technology can also play a non-negligible role in the field of education, for example, using AR to explain Chinese opera knowledge during school, so that students can learn in interaction and increase learning interest and efficiency. However, there are many challenges in technology integration, content development, and user experience design that need to be addressed to ensure that the technology runs smoothly and the content is delivered accurately.

The third is to restore the classic scenes and characters of Chinese dramas through digital animation. The application of digital animation provides a vivid form of expression for the inheritance and protection of Chinese opera. Through high-quality 3D animation technology, the classic scenes and characters of Chinese dramas can be restored in digital form and displayed in front of the audience. This method can not only break the limitations of physical space and allow global audiences to enjoy the charm of Chinese opera, but also transcend the limitations of time and revitalize the long-lost and lost drama. Digital animation can also enhance the visual effects to make the story of Chinese opera more vivid and attractive, especially for young audiences, this form is more in line with their aesthetic habits and consumption patterns. While educating and popularizing Chinese opera, digital animation can also become an effective means to help the next generation of audiences understand the connotation and aesthetics of Chinese opera.

The fourth is to use 3D scanning and printing technology to preserve the costumes and props of Chinese opera. 3D scanning and printing technology brings a new solution to the protection of costumes and props in Chinese opera. Using precise 3D scanning technology, we are able to capture every tiny detail in the costumes and props of the Chinese opera, such as materials, colors, and construction, and replicate them using 3D printing methods. This can not only provide a touchable copy of the original artifact, reduce the number of times the original is used, extend the service life of the original, but also provide a replacement for the original artifact when it is damaged or lost. The printed reproductions can be used in education, exhibitions, performances and other fields, making the inheritance of Chinese opera culture more flexible and convenient. This technology can also be applied to the restoration and restoration of old costumes and props, which is of great significance to the protection and development of Chinese opera. However, high-quality scanning equipment and printing materials are still needed to achieve high-fidelity replication results, which also brings more demand for related processes and material research and development.

Embark on a new future

With the development of digital media art, its role in the protection and inheritance of Chinese opera will become more and more significant. Looking to the future, we have reason to believe that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will become more advanced, bringing a more immersive audience experience to Chinese dramas. The audience will not only be able to enjoy the traditional Chinese opera performances, but also have a deep understanding of the background of the characters' stories, the use of props and the details of costumes. This combination of interactivity and education will effectively enhance the charm of Chinese opera art. After delicate digital animation restoration, classic scenes of Chinese opera will be circulated around the world without restrictions, so that Chinese opera culture is no longer limited by geographical restrictions and can reach more audiences. The development of 3D scanning and printing technology has made the physical preservation of Chinese opera more effective and accurate, not only to restore and reproduce ancient costumes and props, but more importantly, to preserve their details to the digital world, so as to avoid possible loss and deterioration in the physical world. In the future, the protection of Chinese opera will depend more on interdisciplinary cooperation, and the efforts of cultural and artistic workers, scientific and technological research and development personnel, and educators will be required to ensure that Chinese opera as an intangible cultural heritage can be passed on on the premise of adapting to the development of the times. In addition, with the integration of artificial intelligence technology, the performing arts of Chinese opera are expected to be automatically personalized, which provides more possibilities for the interpretation of traditional arts, and also opens a new page in the integration of Chinese opera and digital media art.

(Note: The author is an associate professor at the School of Art, Design and Media, Huaxia University of Technology, Wuhan.) This article is the result of the school-level key teaching and research project of Wuhan Huaxia Institute of Technology (No. 2207) "Research on the Teaching Practice of Hubei Cultural and Creative Product Design in the Context of Rural Revitalization")

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Source: "Xiaokang", China Xiaokang Network

Author: Wu Yangting

Editor: Liu Yanhua

Review: Gong Zimo

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