For the older generation, the name August First Film Studio (AFFS) brings up memories of classic Chinese war films in the 1960s, like Tunnel Warfare and The Warfare of Landmine.

Building a reputation for its military-themed productions, AFFS has thus far produced 2,600 works including feature films, television dramas, documentaries, and educational videos for military use.

For modern youth with little interest in military movies, the celebration of AFFS's 60th anniversary seems irrelevant.
But not many people know that AFFS contributed to the success of several recent popular television series like Soldiers Sortie (2006), Happiness as Flowers (2005) and last year's blockbuster The Flowers of War, the latter directed by Zhang Yimou.

In the past two decades, the studio went through a wave of changes and commercialization, participating in various film and TV projects.

With actor and comedian Huang Hong stepping in as the new director of AFFS, the celebration of the studio's anniversary on August 1 examined the past and future. 

Pioneering leader

Founded in 1952 in Beijing, the studio first started by producing educational films and documentaries for military use.

"Initially, Tunnel Warfare (1965) and The Warfare of Landmine (1962) were both produced for educating soldiers but inadvertently became popular in the mainstream," said Su Yong, director of AFFS's history museum.

The two films are set during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45). The innovative storyline and entertaining dialogue ensured decades of popularity.

"Tunnel Warfare attracted about 280 million audiences cumulatively. That's a record-breaking number," said Su.

Since its first feature film, Break the Darkness before Dawn was produced in 1955, AFFS became the leader of the Chinese film industry, introducing numerous war movies to the market.

Such films include Evening Bell (1988), which won the Silver Bear Special Jury Prize at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival in 1989.

Entering the 1970s, AFFS began dubbing foreign movies. From Patton to Forrest Gump, U-571 and Pearl Harbor, AFFS dubbed more than 100 foreign films in the 20th century.

Su said that some studios only invite one or two dubbers to dub films, resulting in similar styles. But AFFS provides diversity and different styles.   

"We also film commercials and music videos, which few people know about," said Su.

Celebration of past

On August 1, AFFS held a press conference at its refurbished history museum to celebrate the studio's anniversary and the reopening of the museum.

The museum exhibits pictures of AFFS's productions, film documents from the 1950s, old projectors, national and international awards, old film reels and props. It is not only a record of AFFS's past 60 years but a reflection of the changes and development China's film industry has undergone in the last half century.

The museum will soon be open to visitors in the future, said Su.

For the anniversary, a book containing more than 200 articles written by film critics, directors, actors and many other industry experts was published in July. In the book, many old performing artists recalled their roles in films produced by AFFS.

Siqin Gaowa, 63, an actress famous for her role in Woman Sesame Oil Maker (1992) and The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (2006), wrote that the AFFS resembled a big family.

Young actors like Wang Baoqiang, who played the leading role in Soldiers Sortie, also expressed their appreciation to the film studio and crew from AFFS.

Liang Shuibao, the managing editor of the book, told Global Times that they spent four months collecting all the articles. Though the celebration ceremony only lasted a few hours, the book would act like a permanent record, he said.  

Transition into present

Su admitted that with its focus on military and war theme productions, AFFS lost its dominant position in the film industry in the 21st century. The modern generation living in a peaceful era has different tastes.

Realizing this problem, AFFS conducted market research, shifting the focus to match the needs of the market.

Co-productions with other film companies became an important part of the studio. Soldiers Sortie and Happiness as Flowers are successful examples.

AFFS crew also provides specialized services such as special effects and artistic design. The pyrotechnician Yin Xingyun and his team from AFFS cooperated with British experts to produce explosive effects for The Flowers of War. 

Huang Hong, the new director of AFFS since May, told Beijing Evening News that he is facing great pressure in the position, as the Chinese film industry is experiencing the effects of industrialization, globalization, and a transition into a digital era.

Whether to adapt, lead or follow, the company's positioning needs to be made by him and the studio. AFFS must prepare for the new while preserving the old. 

Su said AFFS will create a digital database to include historical materials, such as copies of handwritten scripts and videos.

"We have digitalized some of the old films, and we also want to make high-definition versions. The replacement of film reels with digital versions is a transition for AFFS," said Su.