The Nine Shanghai’s Jody Xiong directs Alibaba Cloud short film for 19th Hangzhou Asian Games
From September 23 to October 8, 2023, the 19th Asian Games will be hosted in Hangzhou, China. Alibaba Cloud, as a official prestige partner of HangZhou Asian Games, wanted to create a promotional video to welcome the opening of the Asian Games.
Alibaba Cloud invited Jody Xiong, the visual effect director of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, to direct the film. Xiong is the founder of The Nine Shanghai and has been named as one of the most awarded Chinese creative leaders in the 2023 Campaign Brief Asia Creative Rankings.
Inspired by the “Cloud”, Xiong’s team got the idea “Above the Cloud, All Heroes Gather”.
During the filmmaking process, Xiong’s team collaborated closely with Alibaba Cloud Design Center and harnessed AI model Tongyi Wanxiang to adopt a “purely three-dimensional” approach. This approach lent itself to the creation of an ink-style production with oriental grace named “Paper full of clouds”.
The film interconnected iconic landmarks from various Asian countries with Hangzhou’s architectural treasures through a clever fusion of sports and symbolism. For instance, the Seoul Tower in South Korea merged with the Hangzhou International Conference Center, the King Power Mahanakhon in Thailand intertwined with the Zhejiang Global Center, the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia harmonized with the Hangzhou Arch, the Taj Mahal in India danced alongside Gongchen Bridge, Kiyomizu Temple in Japan blended with the serene Hu Xin Pavilion, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia with the ethereal Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.
These landmarks, representing nations large and small in Asia, metamorphosed into stages for athletic competitions on the Cloud, thereby conjuring a series of sporting spectacles. “On the Cloud, Heroes Unite” symbolized the Asian Games’ spirit of uniting the diverse cultures of Asia through the medium of sports. As Pierre de Coubertin, the visionary founder of the modern Olympic Games, once aptly stated, “The Olympics is more than just a competition; it is a profound cultural exchange and integration that emanates from the heart.”
The film’s release on the official channels of the 19th Asian Games ignited fervor and anticipation among the public, not only for the upcoming sporting event but also for the sense of pride it instilled in Alibaba Cloud.
Xiong, reflecting on his second engagement with a major international sports event (the first being his role as the visual effects director for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics) said: “Hosting the Asian Games is a source of pride for Hangzhou and a testament to China’s strengths. We hope to let everyone experience a Hangzhou full of cultural confidence and an Smart Asian Games with distinctive Hangzhou characteristics,” he said.
Credits
Director: Jody Xiong
Creative Company:The Nine Shanghai
Executive Producer: Zhang Shuai, Ma Yanzhao
CGI Company: Pafassion Lab, Senvision lab
Creative Director: Jody Xiong, Charley Xia
Art Director: Jody Xiong
Designer:Jody Xiong, Charley Xia, Jimmy Mao
Copywriter: Candy Chen
Producer: Kiki Wang
Editor: Liu Yang
Music Mix: Leapsnake X Take One
TC: Zhang Yingjie
