China's first 4D science film debuts in Shanghai

China's first 4D science film debuts in Shanghai

Shanghai's Science and Technology Museum and Media Group have jointly launched 'Golden Monkey', it's what they call China's first home-made documentary-style 4D science film. They say it's a prelude to competing with western film companies that provide almost all of the IMAX and other special-effects science movies.

This movie about endangered wild monkeys in rural Hubei province only lasts 15 minutes, but it took a 16-member production team a month to shoot and cost 2 million yuan. A 4D movie goes beyond 3D to use a theater equipped with movable seats, artificial wind and other interactive devices. Some of today's audience members said they were impressed.

"This movie is pretty well made. I have learned quite a lot about wildlife from it," said audience Wang Yu.

"Compared with a normal animal documentary, this new movie looks more real and vivid," said audience Ren Yizhou.

The producer says the purpose of making a Chinese science film is not just to meet the demands of Chinese viewers.

"I used to be quite obsessed with documentaries on the Discovery Channel and other foreign documentaries. Now we have our own movie about our own endangered animals. Several foreign countries have expressed interest in our film and footage. I know one Australian company is planning to import the movie," producer of "Golden Monkey" Xu Wei said.

The Science Museum has the city's biggest special movie theater. Since 2001, it has shown some 20 IMAX and 4D science movies, but almost all were imported. And while such films do well at the box office, museum officials want to reduce the cost.

"If we import a foreign-made IMAX science film, we have to pay an annual rental of more than 100,000 US dollars. You see given a budget that is the combined rental for two such movies, we can simply make a 4D movie of our own and show it at various theaters. That way, we will greatly reduce our cost," said Li Wei, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum.

But Li says making an IMAX movie will cost the museum a lot more than the 4D monkey film.

Producers say it will cost nearly 10 million US dollars to make a science movie to be shown here on Shanghai's biggest IMAX screen. So Shanghai Science and Technology Museum officials say they will conduct careful market research before starting production -- especially on choosing an interesting subject for the 40-minute film.