ARTS / FILM
Render farm behind the scenes of Indian epic 'Baahubali 2' shows how innovation drives transformation and development in Xinjiang
Published: Oct 22, 2021 02:18 AM
Photo: Screenshot of trailer of <em>Baahubali 2: The Conclusion</em>

Photo: Screenshot of trailer of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion


The special effects on the film Baahubali 2: The Conclusion stunned many moviegoers who probably never imagined that the beautiful scenes in the Indian epic were actually made in a cloud computing industrial park in Karamay, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which has been providing rendering services to filmmakers around the world, especially in Asia. 

Home to many computing and information companies, the Karamay Cloud Computing Industrial Park is an example of how innovation is driving the transformation and development of regional industry. 

It takes about 10 minutes to drive southwest from the Karamay city center to the Cloud Computing Industrial Park, which is the first cloud computing industrial park in Xinjiang.

"At present, more than 130 enterprises and projects have joined the park, including Huawei, the Data Center of the China National Petroleum Corporation and the China Mobile Data Center," An Bo, Deputy Director of the management committee of the park, told the Global Times.

Several network technology companies which mainly handle post-production for film and TV works, number among these enterprises.

Wu Shikai, Manager of City of Sky, one of the network technology companies at the park, said that they were attracted by the business environment and supporting facilities and decided to move the agency from Shanghai to Karamay.

Currently, the company uses computers rented from China Mobile to render computer-generated imagery on special effects for film and TV series but in the future, the company plans to establish its own render farm in the park, which can further decrease costs, Wu told the Global Times.

Besides the Indian film, thousands of movies and TV dramas, such as the 2017 Chinese fantasy movies, Once Upon a Time and Legend of the Naga Pearls, also used computer-generated imagery rendered in the park.

An said that rendering companies in the park serve countries throughout Southeast Asia.

Young locals have shown interest in working at technology companies like Wu's, which has employed two young Uygurs in their 20's working for them as interns and will be hired as regular staff soon.

"Both of them are proactive and work industriously," Wu added.