China-Spring Festival Gala/Final Rehearsal

Shotlist

Beijing, China – Feb 7-8, 2024 (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Spring Festival Gala final rehearsal in progress, audience members
2. Various of screens showing performance at four sub-venues
3. Various of Spring Festival Gala final rehearsal in progress, audience members
4. Screen reading “China Media Group Spring Festival Gala 2024”
5. Audience members
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wang Minghui, freelance musician (ending with shot 7):
“I have been taking my mum to travel around China over more than one year. I never thought we could be invited to the Spring Festival Gala. I think it gives us great pleasure and an unforgettable memory.”
7. Wang, his mother watching performance
8. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Yu Jingjing, security guard (partially overlaid with shots 9-11/ending with shot 12):
“I met many children who were waiting to give the performance just now, and I sent some of my toys to them, who are really lovely. I work at a women’s and children’s hospital. And this toy was given to me by CMG as a souvenir for attending the Spring Festival Gala. I will attach it to my uniform when I return to work. I will tell kids the story about it, and encourage them to be courageous and brave to face difficulties.”
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
9. Toys attached to Yu’s uniform
10. Child performers
11. Toy given to Yu by CMG
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
12. Child performers waving hands
13. Various of Spring Festival Gala final rehearsal in progress
14. Various of festival decorations

Shanghai, China – Recent (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
15. Various of ultra-high-definition large public screen

Lusaka, Zambia – Recent (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
16. Various of locals watching Spring Festival Gala promotional video on public screen

Argentina – Recent (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
17. Locals watching Spring Festival Gala promotional video on public screen

Beijing, China – Feb 7-8, 2024 (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
18. Photos of Spring Festival Gala final rehearsal at main venue, four sub-venues

Storyline

China Media Group (CMG) completed the fifth and final rehearsal for the 2024 Spring Festival Gala early on Thursday morning as it gears up for the live broadcast on Chinese New Year’s Eve on Friday to present an exquisite cultural feast to people around the globe.

The Spring Festival Gala, also known as “Chunwan”, is a variety show combining acrobatics, comedies, crosstalk, martial arts, singing, dancing and other traditional cultural performances such as Beijing Opera.

This year’s gala has drawn inspiration from traditional Chinese cultural elements, highlighting people’s confidence and pursuit of a happy life, and sending warm New Year wishes to Chinese people around the world.

The gala consists of a main venue in Beijing and four sub-venues in Shenyang, Xi’an, Kashgar, and Changsha to present the colorful Chinese culture and highlight auspicious, festive atmosphere of the new year.

Many ordinary people-turned online celebrities who work hard as they strive for a prosperous life have been invited to watch rehearsal performances by the Spring Festival Gala production team and crew.

Among them was Wang Minghui, a freelance musician who has been taking his cancer-stricken mother to travel around China over the past year.

“I have been taking my mum to travel around China over more than one year. I never thought we could be invited to the Spring Festival Gala. I think it gives us great pleasure and an unforgettable memory,” Wang said.

Yu Jingjing, a security guard at a women’s and children’s hospital in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, who carries toys attached to his uniform to comfort young patients has been dubbed “Toy Hero” by Chinese netizens after going viral on social media. He was also invited to the gala’s final rehearsal.

“I met many children who were waiting to give the performance just now, and I sent some of my toys to them, who are really lovely. I work at a women’s and children’s hospital. And this toy was given to me by CMG as a souvenir for attending the Spring Festival Gala. I will attach it to my uniform when I return to work. I will tell kids the story about it, and encourage them to be courageous and brave to face difficulties,” Yu said.

The audience will enjoy the immersive audiovisual pleasure on nearly 1,000 outdoors ultra-high-definition large public screens in more than 100 cities across China and about 3,000 public screens in 70 cities of 34 countries around the world.

Held annually on Chinese New Year’s Eve since 1983, the show is the most-watched annual television broadcast in the world.