As the Digital Video fad sweeps China, the in-phrase on the Internet, in fashion magazines, on campus, and amongst the young generation is "did you DV today?" The word DV has transcended its original meaning to become a kind of lifestyle.

When Starbucks and Italo Calvino first entered China, they were regarded as ultimate status symbol, until they became ubiquitous. This is the case with DV: as countless youngsters talk about and make DVs, it becomes a widely known phenomenon.

Some people wrongly equate DV with movies. In both film and DV shooting, an optical lens catches moving pictures, and light is turned into images. But as DV and film carriers are different, so are their results. The craze has inspired many young people to make their own DVs with easy-to-use and relatively cheap video recording equipment. To encourage the trend, TV stations have held professional and amateur competitions.

DV in China has undergone remarkable development, and is more popular here than in any other country. For Chinese youth, the convenience and affordability of the equipment give full rein to creativity. DV has been responsible for many highly acclaimed films, mainly documentaries about everyday life. DV "Unknown Pleasures," directed by China's Jia Zhangke was included in the 55th Cannes Film Festival.

Short but Illustrious Past

DV was invented in Japan in 1996, and was initially used by amateurs. Technical innovation and development of computer support helped it gain popularity among DV makers and professional media. The medium was fully embraced by Dogme 95, a visionary group of four Danish film directors Soeren Kragh-Jacobsen, Kristian Levrin, Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier. Trier's Dancer in the Dark is perhaps the most famous DV yet made. Shot in 2000 and starring Icelandic singer Bjork and revered French actor Catherine Denueve, the film tells us a simple story with twist on an old form: a poor immigrant working to provide for her child. At the 53rd Cannes Film Festival, it won the Palm D'Or for best movie, instantly igniting a global DV movement.

Crossing into China

DV's development in China can be divided into three stages. From 1996-2000, DV came to China, boosting the development of Chinese individual filmmaking. Early works were mainly documentaries --Yang Tianyi's Old Men, Wu Wenguang's Jiang Hu, Ju Anqi's There's a Strong Wind in Beijing and Zhu Chuanming's Beijing Cotton Fluffing Artisan.

The second stage, from 2001-2002, brought the participation of major media; DV started to get a lot of attention, and a competitive system was established. As the number of works increased the quality decreased. In May 2001, Art World magazine opened DV Image Workstation, a column introducing DV works and rudimentary DV knowledge. Its first host was Wu Wenguang, a DV maker and pioneer of the Chinese DV documentary. As its main readers are white-collar workers and city-dwelling intellectuals, DV was first an elitist mode of expression.

In 2001, Phoenix Satellite Television staged a university competition, Chinese Youth Video Exhibition: DV New Age, soliciting DV works from campuses. Students were provided with equipment and funding and encouraged to make DV movies. The selected works were shown on television starting in January of 2002, drawing much interest.

As the program's ratings increased daily, DV gained more popularity among Chinese intellectuals and youngsters and became the focus of various flat media, TV stations and Internet. People predicted the "DV period," and movie lovers established organizations such as Beijing Youth Film Practice Community, established in Beijing in April of 2000, Shanghai 101 Movie Studio and Nanjing Back Window Art Film Learning Society. They introduced artistic films, produced and disseminated DV, organized activities and wrote articles to publicize the movement.

DV's third phase in China took place from late 2002 and is ongoing. The DV fad has cooled down and DV makers, organizers, and critics have been self-scrutinizing. People are losing interest in DV, saying films lack individuality or are exaggerated. Major media calls DV makers to focus more on video language learning and grasp of basic technical skills. Although DV has lost some of its luster, experts predict that after the cycle of self-examination, a return to basics and newly forged exploration, the medium will rejuvenate.

Chinese DV Dream Night, co-produced by Xiao Jiaqi and his Beijing Film Academy classmates, won the digital award at the 2nd Samsung Digitalman Competition. Having had four years of professional training at Beijing Film Academy, Xiao feels DV cannot compare with professional equipment in terms of image quality, but convenience and flexibility are incomparably superior. The new invention gives full rein to creativity.

Li Xiao studies at Southwest Agricultural University, not a film academy, but he and some friends jointly shot the DV Hybrid Rice. Li says that as DV takes less time and investment, and is convenient to operate, it narrows the gap between professionals and amateurs. DV provides a platform for college students to exchange ideas.

(China Today February 28, 2004)