Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed visits Shanghai Film Studios and Park

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, visited on Saturday morning the Shanghai Film Studios and Park, which spans an area of 800,000 square metres, located in Chedun Town in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed viewed a visual presentation outlining the specifications of the Shanghai studios, which include four professional studios ranging in size from 800 to 3,000 square metres.

The complex features a large warehouse for costumes, support equipment, and classic cars, in addition to a fully integrated suite of production services.

The studios provide filming locations and technical support for a wide range of visual productions, including films, television series, advertisements, photography, music videos, and various programmes, making them a comprehensive production hub and one of the most important bases for film and television production in China.

The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council reviewed works produced using artificial intelligence technologies without the need for traditional filming, including the precision of character features and highly realistic visual effects.

He also learned about the development of three-dimensional characters and their use in producing fully integrated cinematic works that enable strong visual content to be delivered at lower production cost and in less time.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed also toured sound recording rooms and image quality control, editing and montage facilities equipped with the latest technologies.

He listened to an explanation on the evolution of film production processes and the equipment used since the beginnings of the industry in the 19th century through to modern digital technologies.

The Deputy Ruler of Sharjah then visited the sound effects hall and watched a presentation on key audio techniques used in cinematic works and their impact on enhancing realism, such as the sounds of rain, fire, children, volcanoes, and other effects that form an essential element in building a cinematic scene.

He was also briefed on the uses of green chroma technology, which is used to isolate filmed elements against a uniform green background so they can later be removed in post-production and replaced with virtual backgrounds with high professionalism, especially in scenes involving visual effects or changing environments.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed also learned about underwater filming techniques and high-speed, high-precision camera movement systems used to capture complex scenes professionally.

He then moved to Shanghai Film Park, which includes diverse and fully equipped filming locations featuring large buildings, European-style palaces, a church, and “Shanxi Road,” a commercial street from the Republican era that presents precise details such as shop signs, street layouts, and business activities, reflecting the cultural memory and daily urban life of that historical period.

He also visited the “Babeling Well Road” filming site, a multi-purpose street that can be adapted to suit various scenario requirements such as cafés, banks, restaurants, and diverse urban settings.

It embodies the concept of “one site, multiple uses,” a practical approach adopted by film crews to reduce production costs and enhance creative flexibility.

The Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council viewed the “Zhejiang Road Bridge” site, rebuilt based on historic bridge designs to recreate the relationship between modern urban transport and river spaces, as well as “Vintage Shanghai Street,” which reflects scenes of daily life in the modern city and provides a realistic filming environment that accurately simulates urban living details.

He also toured the classic car exhibition, one of the park’s key resources, which includes a large collection of original and used historic vehicles. These vehicles are used in film and television productions and represent a tangible documentation of the history of industry and transport, in addition to supporting artistic projects of a historical nature.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed reviewed the main events and services offered by the park to film production companies and visitors, reinforcing its status as an integrated destination combining artistic production and cultural tourism.

WAM