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Reflections of China

5,153 bytes added, 19:33, 7 July 2022
/* Wonders of China */
Reflections of China is a movie located within the [[China]] pavilion, within [[Epcot]].
{{Template:Infobox Disney ride |
| image=ReflectionsChina.jpg
| type= Circle Vision 360 Film
| park= Epcot
| duration=1213:30 00 <ref name= "D23"> https://d23.com/a-to-z/reflections-of-china-film/ </ref>
| custom_label_1 = Formally Known As
| custom_value_1 = Wonders of China
|custom_label_2= FastPass Disney Genie +
|custom_value_2= No
|custom_label_3= Budget
|custom_value_3= 1,000,000 <ref name= "times"/>(Wonders of China)
}}
Reflections of China is a movie located within the [[China]] pavilion, within [[Epcot]].
==Attraction History==
In When Imagineers initially conceived the late 1970sChina pavilion, with most plans for what would eventually become Reflections of the planning China originally called for World Showcase completethe film to be shown on a standard theater screen <ref name= "Martin2"> http://www.martinsvids.net/ </ref>. Subsequently, however, Disney approached the Peopleattraction was developed into a CircleVision 360 film. In order to create the attraction, a 's Republic of 'MacGillivray Freeman Films'' crew led by director Jeff Blyth traveled to China about creating to film a travelogue video for the China pavilion style movie <ref name= "Jack"> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/walt_disney_world/theme_parks/epcot/china/ </ref>. Although interestedInitially, the Chinese government was concerned about giving Westerners permission to film interested in partnering with Disney, but was uncomfortable with Western crews filming their country. Because of this, at the outset, the government put strict restrictions of Disney's film crew, including making the Great Wall and Tibet off limits. As Disney and China continued to negotiate over filming restrictions, little progress was being made. In facta last ditch effort to attain more creative freedom, Disney showed representatives from China originally insisted the film Fantasia<ref name= "Jack"/>. This showing seemingly helped convince the Chinese government to loosen their restrictions, and Disney was given more autonomy. As part of the new agreement, when shots of China's "sensitive" areas was called for, Blyth would turn the sequence over to his Chinese counterpart<ref name= "Jack"/>. The Chinese film crew would then film the scene, before it was reviewed by the American team, who would then decided if any additional takes were needed.  After two months of scouting, the filming of Reflections of China began in the fall of 1981<ref name= "Jack"/>. As previously mentioned, the film was shot in CircleVision 360, which required crews to film on nine cameras, that all were stationed on a platform. Imagineers returned to China in the winter of Disney’s 1981 to record the seasonal changes, before concluding filming be strictly supervisedthe following spring <ref name= "Jack"/>. To narrate the film, Blyth decided to use the famous Chinese poet, Li Bai. Li Bai (who is known as Li Po in the West) <ref name= "book"> The EPCOT explorer's encyclopedia: R. Pedersen - Epcyclopedia Press - 2011 </ref> wrote over 1,000 poems during the Tang Period<ref name= "Jack"/>. According to director Jeff Blyth:[[Image:LiPo.jpg|400px|thumb| Li Bai served as Wonders of China's narrator.]]{{Quotation|I chose Li Po, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, to be our guide and they refused on-camera narrator. This might seem like the equivalent of using Shakespeare to let Imagineers take aerial shots narrate a film on present day England, but I deliberately chose a historic figure so that the words he spoke would not seem to some conservative members of Tibet or the Great Wall audience like the official party line. <ref name="casting"> Viner, Michael, and Terrie Maxine. Frankel. Tales from the Casting Couch: An Unprecedented Candid Collection of Stories, Essays, and Anecdotes by and about Legendary Hollywood Stars, Starlets, and Wanna-bes--. Beverly Hills, CA: Dove, 1995. Print. Pages 68-69 </ref>}} In the film, Li Po was played by Chinese actor Shih Kuan, whose voice was then overdubbed by Keye Luke.  The completed Wonders of China film was approximately 19 minutes long, and it featured parts of China that had never been seen by most Westerners <ref name= "Jack"/>. Disney The total cost of making the film as just over $1,000,000 <ref name= "times"> https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19820607&id=tvdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kO4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7014,2843621&hl=en </ref>. The attraction opened with the rest of [[EPCOT Center]] on October 1, 1982.  By 2002, China had become both an industrial country and a popular tourist attraction. With these changes, Wonders of China began to seem dated. Imagineers eventually decided that they needed to update the film, and on March 25, 2002 Wonders of China was uncomfortable shown for the final time <ref name= "book"/>.  Jeff Blythe returned to direct the updated film, which would combine new footage of the country shot in 2002, with this agreementscenes from the original film, and after showing scenes shot in 1981 that had never been used. Disney's film crews arrived in China in September 2002 for two months of filming<ref name="Chinanews"/>. Joined by filmmakers from the the China Research Institute of Film Science, the team set out to record new footage in seven Chinese officials cities<ref name="Chinanews"/>. Among the movie Fantasiabiggest additions to film, they were able to acquire more freedomscenes featuring Hong Kong and Macao which were not governed by China when the original Wonders of China film was made. In a similar fashion, film crews also reshot Shanghai, which had been modernized in the intervening twenty years. Other scenes, including the Great Wall, Tienanmen Square, Beijing, Harbin, and Urumqi were all updated for the 21st century <ref name= "Jack"/>.When commenting on the updated film, Blyth noted: {{Quotation| "The biggest difference is that 20 years ago we had permission to film on these locations, but people did not really understand what we were doing. We did not get as much cooperation as we are getting now"<ref name="Chinanews"/>}}
After two months of scoutingIn addition to the updated scenes, filming Reflections of China (as the film began in the fall of 1981would now be called) also received and updated score composed by Richard Bellis <ref name= "Jackbook"/>. The film was shot in Circle Vision 360, which required crews This score featured new sections added to film on nine cameras, which were stationed on a platform. Imagineers returned to China in revised version of the winter original Wonders of 1982China score. Finally, to record although the seasonal changesfilm was still narrated by Li Po, before concluding filming in a new narration was recorded for the spring<ref name= "Jack"/>film. In order to make the film more interestingattraction's new scenes, Disney decided a body double was used to use the famous Chinese poetreplace original actor Shi Kuan, Li Bai as the films narratorwho was too old to reprise his role. Li Bai (who is known as Li A new actor was brought in to overdub Po in the West) <ref name= "book"> The EPCOT explorer's encyclopedia: Rnarration throughout the entire film, as Keye Luke had passed away in 1991. Pedersen - Epcyclopedia Press - 2011 </ref> wrote over 1 In total,000 poems during the Tang Period<ref name= "Jack"/>Reflections of China is six minutes shorter than its predecessor.
The completed Wonders Reflections of China film was approximately 19 minutes longofficially opened to guests on May 23, 2003. Since this time, the attraction has not seen any major changes. At the 2017 D23 Expo however, Walt Disney Imagineering's Vice President and it featured parts of Senior Creative Executive Tom Fitzgerald announced that Disney would be creating a new Circle-Vision film for the [[China that had never been seen by most Westerners <ref name= "Jack"/>]] pavilion. The total cost of making According to Disney, the new film as just over $1,000,000 will be the first shot using a "next-generation digital camera system" <ref name= "times"> https://newsdisneyparks.googledisney.go.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19820607&id=tvdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kO4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7014,2843621&hl=en blog/2017/07/new-film-at-china-pavilion-in-epcot-will-feature-new-technology/ </ref>. The film opened with the rest of World Showcase on October 1It is unclear at this time what relation, 1982. The film remained unchanged until 2002. By 2002if any, China had become both an industrial country and a popular tourist attraction. With these changes, Wonders of China began to seem dated. Imagineers eventually decided that they needed to update the new film, and on March 25, 2002 will have to the Wonders current Reflections of China was shown for the final time <ref name= "book"/>film.
On May 23, 2003 an updated version of Wonders of China made its debut in the China pavilion <ref name= "Jack"/>. The new film, known as Reflections of China, now featured Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Macau. Other scenes, including the Great Wall, Tienanmen Square, Beijing, Harbin, and Urumqi were all updated for the 21st century <ref name= "Jack"/>. For the refurbishment, all of the narration was re-dubbed, and a new score was composed by Richard Bellis <ref name= "book"/>. Since 2003, Reflections of China has not experienced any changes.
==Film Plot <ref name= "Jack"/>==
[[Image:ReflectionsofChinafilimng.jpg|400px|thumb|The scenes in the current version filming of Wonders of China]]Reflections of China areshowcases many of China's cultural and natural landmarks. The scenes in the film depict:
* The Great Wall at Jinshanling
* Gobi Desert, Gansu Province
[[Image:WondersofChinaposter.jpg|270px|thumb|A poster for Disneyland's Wonders of China]]
* Inner Mongolia
{{#ev:youtube|ljykYbUslBU|420}}
 
==Cast and Crew==
===Wonders of China===
''' Kuan Shih'''- Li Bai (Body) <ref name="imdb"> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084915/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast </ref>
 
'''Keye Luke'''- Li Bai (Voice) <ref> Blyth, Jeff. “INTERVIEW WITH JEFF BLYTH, DIRECTOR OF REFLECTIONS OF CHINA.” Tiara Talk Show, Mar. 2014. </ref>
 
'''Jeff Blyth'''- Director/Writer <ref name= "D23"/> <ref name= "times"/>
 
'''Leon Chooluck'''- Production Manager <ref name= "times"/>
 
'''Greg MacGillivray'''- Producer <ref> https://www.ocregister.com/2017/08/29/a-former-disney-imagineers-guide-to-epcots-world-showcase/ </ref>
 
'''Peter Anderson'''- Visual Effects <ref name="imdb"/>
 
'''Woody Mu'''- Sound Recording <ref name="imdb"/>
===Reflections of China===
 
'''Jeff Blyth'''-Director <ref name= "D23"/>
 
'''Steve Spiegel''' Writer <ref name="Chinanews"> http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/43324.htm </ref>
==Fun Facts and Trivia==
===Wonders of China===* When filming the Huangshan Mountain sequence, over three dozen locals were hired to lift a 300-pound camera up 16,700 stone steps<ref name= "Jack"/>.
* In Wonders of China guests could see the Peking Opera Company perform The Monkey King Raises Havoc in Heaven <ref name= "times"/>
* To make the scene seem more natural, in Wonders of China, actors were used instead of real tourists in the Great Wall scene <ref name= "times"/>  * Wonders of China was occasionally referred to by the longer title "Wonders of China- Land of Beauty, Land of Time <ref> https://www.disneydocs.net/_files/ugd/5db718_0b875a96406e4bc4a103b184e3d1dc11.pdf </ref> 
==References==