The Blog
Lion Television’s China: Treasure of the Jade Empire was broadcast last month on Channel Four. I was tasked with creating a look and palette of graphics for the documentary and it turned out to be one of hardest but most rewarding television jobs I’ve been given – deciphering the scant information available on the tombs and plotting vast swathes of the chinese landscape, making maps and 3D structures showing routes and tombs as well as a jade mummy were required – all in all a great documentary to be part of.
Marina Vaizey from The Arts Desk said:
“The last time we saw the Xi’an tombs on television was in Andrew Graham-Dixon’s acclaimed Art of China, when he came within touching-distance of them. Richard Max’s film, though less immediate, was narrated by Paul McGann with subtle drama. Contributions by Chinese and Western archaeologists were interwoven with visual explorations of various sites and brief pantomime re-enactments of Emperors and courtiers in full costume, seasoned by the occasional glimpses into picturesque armies engaged in inevitable warfare. However, the subtitle of the programme, “Secret History”, proved all too apt as so much still remains both mysterious and inexplicable. A few captions to help the viewer visualise the names of emperors and cities, more maps and an occasional time-line would have been very helpful. At times this viewer was baffled as much as enlightened.”
Tweets:
“Fascinating” – Richard V B
“I’m literally hooked to this documentary wow” – lekurious
“@Channel4 wow – amazing- a mini terracotta army. Beats TheXFactor hands down. Change Channels NOW! #treasures#china” – Suzanne
