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The Making of The Wandering Earth

A Film Production Handbook

Guo Qi translator Regina Kanyu Wang editor Jiaren Wang editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:16th Mar '22

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

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The Making of The Wandering Earth cover

This handbook takes us through the making of The Wandering Earth, one of the highest-grossing non-English films of all time. It is a rare, in-depth, behind-the-scenes study of the making of a masterpiece, taking the reader through the entire production process of a landmark Chinese science fiction film.

The book brings to life how The Wandering Earth was created, from words to images, by a young and innovative professional team assembled by director Frant Gwo. It discusses specialized details of the filmmaking process and the collaborative work of the crew and the cast involved to present an intuitive feeling of the film’s production.

A step-by-step guide on the making of a radical large-scale film, this handbook critically examines its various stages such as

  • its development and production stages – the planning, preparing, recruiting, setting up departments and processes; writing the screenplay; creating a visual style and the production design; and the principal photography;
  • its challenging post-production stages – the editing, visual effects production, color mixing; dubbing, sound editing; publicity, etc.

Further, the chapters in volume also explore how Chinese science fiction films disrupt the Western narrative context and provide the larger discourse on Chinese science fiction.

Richly illustrated with exclusive first-hand visuals from the making of the film, this handbook, part of the Studies in Global Genre Fiction series, will be an essential read for professionals, scholars, researchers, and students of film and media production, film studies, popular culture, cultural studies, Chinese studies, world literature, and science fiction. It will also be of interest to the general reader interested in filmmaking.

"Rivaling the best of international productions – both technically and artistically, The Wandering Earth is a film of incredible accomplishment. Having experienced first-hand the brilliance and determination of the film makers in charge of this unprecedented film making endeavour, I feel incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed their vision and talent. A hugely positive landmark in Chinese film making and one that the people of China should be rightfully proud. The book does a great job in documenting the production process of the film."

Richard Taylor

Design and Effects Supervisor/ CEO

Weta Workshop

"The Making of The Wandering Earth: A Film Production Handbook is about far more than just one great novel or one exciting film. It shines light on upon one of the greatest and most promising trends in the history of all human mythic systems -- the rise of Chinese cinematic science fiction."

David Brin, author of EARTH, Kiln People and Existence.


"Rivaling the best of international productions – both technically and artistically, The Wandering Earth is a film of incredible accomplishment. Having experienced first-hand the brilliance and determination of the film makers in charge of this unprecedented film making endeavour, I feel incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed their vision and talent. A hugely positive landmark in Chinese film making and one that the people of China should be rightfully proud. The book does a great job in documenting the production process of the film."

Richard Taylor

Design and Effects Supervisor/ CEO

Weta Workshop

"The Making of The Wandering Earth: A Film Production Handbook is about far more than just one great novel or one exciting film. It shines light on upon one of the greatest and most promising trends in the history of all human mythic systems -- the rise of Chinese cinematic science fiction."

David Brin, author of EARTH, Kiln People and Existence.

ISBN: 9781032036519

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 700g

258 pages