RTR3RLE2.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
Traditional Chinese costume dramas may be well-accepted and loved, but the difficulties into making them is one of the main hindrances.
Making a traditional Chinese costume drama can take a lot of time and money, as well as work and energy for everyone involved.
Even though traditional Chinese dramas can be quite popular within China and even abroad, the efforts and time behind making one can be a challenge. The props and costumes needed for one surpass those needed in ordinary dramas. Sometimes, more truckloads of these materials and props are required. These props and costumes also cost a lot of money.
One of the popular Chinese traditional dramas today, "The Empress of China," has more than 260 sets of clothing, one of which could cost as high as 500,000 yuan ($80,000).
Aside from props and costumes, the makeup needed for Chinese costume dramas are more expensive as well. Putting them on the actresses or actors require hours of preparation.
The actresses and actors also have to spend a lot of their time outside of acting or before shooting the drama in training sessions to get the etiquette of historical Chinese people right. People in ancient China do not act or behave similarly as modern Chinese people.
The same goes with the lines and vocabulary used in these dramas. Ancient and modern Chinese people do not speak in similar manner; their words, grammar, and the meaning of their words can be different. Actors and actresses have to learn these diligently before shooting the drama. They have to train and practice.
Overall, making Chinese traditional dramas would incur more costs than making modern ones.
