Flying colors

In the documentary, the production team particularly pays attention to capture close-up shots of the acquisition and application of colors in traditional crafts such as porcelain-making, liuli (colored glaze) and the production of pine-soot ink sticks.

Sometimes they apply microphotography, a technique frequently used in their previous culinary documentary series, and incorporate cartoons to provide background knowledge of the colors.

Guo explains that while filming food requires capturing the most eye-catching moments of the dish, the challenge of presenting traditional colors lies in placing them in environments that highlight their subtle interactions with light and background.

He adds that with years of experience, the team has accumulated a wealth of tools and techniques to tackle this challenge efficiently.

According to Qu, the documentary has been launched on WeTV, the overseas version of Tencent Video, with English subtitles, and they're seeking distribution in Southeast Asia.

A further two seasons of China in Hues are scheduled, which will be focusing more on storytelling relevant to modern life, she adds.