Sound: The Ambient Medium to Reconstruct the Bond with Life
— A Discussion Starting from Black Noise, White Noise, and the Spectral
JIANG Yuhui
(School of Politics and International Relations, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241)
Abstract: The emerging sound studies in China shows vibrant potential. Drawing from Black Noise, White Noise, and the Spectral and past research experience, the author reviews, reflects on, and looks ahead at sound studies from three perspectives: experience, art, and philosophy. From the perspective of experience, sound is closely tied to human existence, touching on both subjectivity and cosmology, which span the micro and macro dimensions. From the perspective of art, sound is not only a significant thread in the development of contemporary art but also directly connected to more practical and urgent issues such as media and technology. Furthermore, from the perspective of philosophy, sound serves as a crucial catalyst for the shifts and transformations in contemporary philosophy and acts as a metaphor for our existence, guiding us to delve into cutting-edge topics such as biopolitics, psychopolitics, and algorithmic culture. Sound is the bond that connects everything and a pressing issue that directly confronts the fragile existence of humanity.
Keywords: sound studies; sound art; ambient medium; subjectivity; metaphor; algorithmic culture
Interpretation of the Voice in Modern Chinese Drama
— From the Speech of Life to the Ritual of Accusation
HU Zhiyi
(College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310030)
Abstract: In visual-centric studies, sound is merely a supplementary element. Chinese drama, from its inception, has always been accompanied by sound. Sound encompasses not only human voices (mainly referring to the actors’ voices), music, and other sounds in stage art, but also carries metaphorical meanings, representing social and cultural voices. From \"the speech of life\" to the male-female co-performance, from Sound of the Ancient Pond to Thunderstorm, from the cannon fire to the ritual of accusation in The Lugou Bridge, the pioneers of Chinese drama have explored sound in various ways. These explorations range from the characteristics of sound in drama, such as male-female co-performance and the naming of plays, to the cultural study of sound, such as its symbolism and rituals, all of which have had a profound and lasting impact on later dramas.
Keywords: modern Chinese drama; sound; the speech of life; the ritual of accusation
Individual, National, and Cross-Cultural Memory Sharing: The Multiple Narratives of Musical Memory
ZHANG Yanli
(Institute of Musical Art, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Shanghai 200031)
Abstract: Music is often seen as a trigger for individual memory. However, within the framework of social and cultural memory theory, music not only carries personal memories but also encompasses collective, ethnic, and urban memories, serving multiple functions such as narration, storage, and healing. Both Halbwachs’ collective memory and Jan Assmann’s cultural memory assert that memory is not just individual but a result of social and cultural co-construction. Collective memory cannot be fully explained through an individual psychological lens alone; individual memories and thoughts must be understood within the context of collective memory and societal frameworks. By asking questions like \"Why doesn’t certain music resonate with you?\", \"Where is your homeland?\", and \"What is it that you can’t forget, but don’t want to remember?\", we can uncover a symphony of individual memory, national memory, and cross-cultural memory sharing, leading to a deeper understanding of the multiple narratives of musical memory and its significance.
Keywords: musical memory; individual memory; cultural memory; cross-cultural memory sharing; fluid memory
The Oscillation, Bonding, and Micro-Politics of Female Rock: The Spiritual Experience in Girl Band Anime
LI Yaxin, JIANG Yuhui
(Department of Arts Management, China Conservatory of Music, Beijing 100101; School of Politics and International Relations, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241)
Abstract: Girl band anime, such as K-ON! and Bocchi the Rock!, has not only become an anime trend but also provides a reflection on female rock music. Since the 1990s, female rock has manifested three main features: oscillation, bonding, and micro-politics, not only distinguish it from the male-dominated rock paradigm but also open up a new sound and vocal expression. The analysis of three girl band anime reveals the positive and negative forms of this expression. The negative experience, in particular, resonates with philosophical concepts such as Levinas’ proximity, Cixous’ abyss of death, and Jung’s shadow, offering profound reflections on \"female rock as romanticism\".
Keywords: female rock; girl band anime; oscillation; bonding; maternal body; proximity; shadow
The Politics, Aesthetics, and Space-time of Sound: The Development of Chinese Dialect Cinema and Its Emotional Mechanism
HU Yiming, YAO Quan
(Hujiang College, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093; School of Foreign Studies, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092)
Abstract: The development of Chinese sound film over the past century has, in many ways, been a history of dialect cinema’s practices and controversies. Under different historical conditions, it has seen various trends in sound identity, sound atmosphere, and sound emotion. Early Chinese dialect films focused primarily on sound politics, marked by the struggle between \"film market/language market: common language/dialect\". Later, from the films with grand themes to the new era of dialect cinema, exemplified by The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), the emphasis shifted to the aesthetic of atmosphere, showcasing conceptual changes like \"decorative/contextual: power/style\". Today, dialect film and television, as seen in Blossoms Shanghai (2023), emerge with sound emotion—an aesthetic of affect encompassing the \"past/future: time/space\". It transcends the traditional visual model by positioning sound as the core narrative element—“the body of time”—and explores the opposition and intertextuality of film time and viewing time, generating an emotional experience of \"inner time\" between past, present, and future.
Keywords: dialect film; sound politics; sound atmosphere; sound emotional; film time; viewing time; inner time
Speech Identity and Speech Order: ElevenLabs, Its Reconstruction of the Digital Soundscape, and Its Risks
HAN Xiaoye
(Film-Television and Communication College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234)
Abstract: AI is reshaping how humans perceive and understand the world. Following the visual revolution led by Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, ElevenLabs represents the rise of audio-generative AI. Known for its highly realistic, emotionally expressive, and customizable synthetic speech, ElevenLabs has created an unprecedented soundscape. However, it also has led to the misuse of synthetic speech, deconstructing speech identity, and causing the collapse and reconstruction of the traditional speech order. This shift introduces risks including the instability of speech identity, challenges in identity recognition, speech identity theft and a crisis of social trust, digital speech discipline and ideological manipulation, as well as fake speech and social conflict.
Keywords: ElevenLabs; speech identity; speech order; digital humans; human-machine symbiosis; technology for good
Authenticity: The Performative Labor of Digital Refugees in Short Videos
LIU Jinbo
(School of Journalism and Communication, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072)
Abstract: Short videos, with their simplicity, intuitiveness, and immediacy, have attracted a large audience. As an emerging medium, they hold significant research and practical value. By examining the performative labor involved in the short videos of digital refugees on Xiaohongshu, this study attempts to explore short videos as a novel, creative, and vivid artistic expression, approached from a literary theory perspective. Understanding the logic and mechanisms behind the everyday expressions of digital refugees in short videos offers both practical and enlightening value. The study finds that, as a form of life performance, the performative labor of digital refugees in short videos exhibits certain commonalities in authenticity in terms of themes, content, and discourse, particularly in the authenticity of themes, content, expression, and revenue. As an artistic form, short videos also possess a subtle beauty with simplicity, sincerity, and a return to genuine artistic integrity. The Internet, as a channel of human connection and interaction, is an unstoppable historical trend. The performative labor of digital refugees marks an awakening after breaking through the information cocoon, relying on and contributing to the global perspective of new technological media, fostering a humanistic spirit and warmth of humanity in a shared concern and empathy.
Keywords: digital refugees; performative labor; short video; sincerity in art
“TikTok Refugees”: Dynamic Reconstruction of Platform Migration and Cultural Transmission
CHEN Jiefeng, DING Xinyi
(School of Journalism and Communication, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000; School of Journalism Communication, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000)
Abstract: The essence of platform migration lies in breaking through and reorganizing the boundaries of node clusters. Based on network node cluster theory, a correlation study on the dynamics between the platform migration triggered by the TikTok ban and cultural dissemination mechanisms reveals that TikTok users, as node clusters with strong cultural identities, influence key nodes (KOLs) and connecting edges (crossplatform content migration) through their migration behaviors. This process crosses digital borders and forges heterogeneous cultural links within new platform node clusters, such as REDnote (Xiaohongshu). In this context, cultural similarity acts as a gravitational force, while users’ shared understanding of lifestyle and universal values forms the foundation for platform migration. A comparison between \"Twitter refugees\" and \"TikTok refugees\" highlights the multifaceted impact of platform migration on the global social media landscape, cultural transmission pathways, and digital governance. Platform migration is not merely a users’choice but a concentrated manifestation of the power struggle between platforms and users, offering a new analytical approach to understanding the topology of cultural dissemination in the digital era.
Keywords: TikTok refugee; platform migration; node cluster; platform power; digital divide; information cocoon
The Origin of Six-Foot Lane and Its Adaptation into Chinese Opera
ZHU Hengfu
(College of Arts, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234)
Abstract: The story of Six-Foot Lane has been passed down since the Five Dynasties due to its embodiment of the traditional Chinese virtue of modesty. Over the past decade, Huangmei Opera has produced five stage plays and one film based on this story, generating positive social impact. While the playwrights have creatively interpreted the land dispute, the dramatis personae, and the process of the conflict, most adaptations, except for Six-Foot Lane: Tolerance, have shown certain shortcomings. The existing Chinese opera adaptations of Six-Foot Lane offer the following insights: adapting traditional cultural material must incorporate modernity; the characters and the plot must berealistic; and the style of the opera should embrace comedic elements. The handling of traditional cultural material must be creative and innovative.
Keywords: the story of Six-Foot Lane; the dissemination of history; Chinese opera adaptation; modernity; gains and losses
Chinese Film Theory Research in the 21st Century (Roundtable Discussion)
CHEN Xihe, ZHOU Anhua, QU Chunjing, WANG Haizhou, FAN Zhizhong, LI Li, CHEN Xuguang
Host’s Words/Abstract: Since the turn of the century, the study and critique of film theory have expanded rapidly, bringing new and unprecedented challenges. On November 15, 2024, the 73rd session of the Critic’s Weekend Salon(Zhechuan Forum), titled Chinese Film Theory Research in the 21st Century, was held at Communication College of Zhejiang.
Chen Xihe’s \"The ‘Thing-in-Itself’ of Chinese Film Theory\" sparks a cross-temporal/spatial dialogue, reexamining the longstanding debate of \"film as literature\" in today’s context. Zhou Anhua’s \"The Subjectivity Shift and Spatial Reformation in Contemporary Film Theory\" explores the evolving role of film theory, reflecting on its mission through both historical context and shifts in subjectivity. Qu Chunjing’s \"Ethical Narratives in the 21st Century Chinese Film Theory\" emphasizes the academic responsibility of film ethics research and the central role of narrative ethics in film studies. Wang Haizhou’s \"Cultivating Cultural Tradition and Building an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Cinema in the New Era\" reaffirms his years of dedication to the development of a Chinese film school and the innovation of cultural traditions. Fan Zhizhong’s \"Meta-Criticism of Chinese Film Theory\" introduces the concept of meta-criticism, or the criticism of criticism, outlining its significance, necessity, and feasibility in shaping Chinese film theory. Li Li’s \"The Problem Domain and Methodology of the 21st Century Chinese Film Theory\" details the foundations, challenges, and objectives of his research, while candidly revealing his mindset, initial intentions, and ambitions as a young scholar. Chen Xuguang’s \"Four Reflections on Chinese Film Theory in the 21st Century\" offers a broad overview of theoretical criticism in the 21st Century, exploring key texts, legacies, and perspectives, while outlining new tasks and goals for the future.
Keywords: the 21st century; Chinese film theory; evolution; Critic’s Weekend
The Timeless Appeal of Chinese Narratives in Cinema:
Insights from the 2025 Spring Festival Movie Season and Ne Zha 2
BAO Yuanfu
(School of Media, Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang 550025)
Abstract: The 2025 Spring Festival movie season only had six movies, yet they’re diverse in genre, theme, style, and plot. There were live actions and animations, covering Chinese-style animation, mythological epic, military action, comedy sci-fi, martial arts adventure, and thrillers. The re-classicization of traditional culture and the resurgence of popular IPs in the new media landscape became the selling points in the Spring Festival film market. Ne Zha 2 emerged as the winner, repeatedly breaking records in Chinese film history, becoming a \"superphenomenon\" of the Spring Festival season. The 2025 Spring Festival movie market demonstrates that telling\"Chinese stories\" with Chinese aesthetic discourse and creating emotionally resonant Chinese narratives through the communication of the traditional and the modern, East and West, as well as technology and art, remains the key principle for Chinese filmmakers when pursuing aesthetic innovation.
Keywords: Chinese narrative; Spring Festival films; empathy; Chinese aesthetics; re-classicization; Ne Zha 2