"Relax. Two steps forward. Hang on. Perfect!" Cameraman Xiao Wang, a student at a university in Shijiazhuang, the capital of north China's Hebei Province, who is also directing, is busy shooting and issuing instructions to his amateur cast.

While there are no major film studios involved nor the possibility of a success at the box-office, Xiao Wang considers the DV drama an important life accomplishment.

"Given that I will graduate soon, I want to shoot a mini-drama to record the memories of our life on campus here," he said.

As Chinese people's living standards continue to improve, many families can now afford a digital video camera. College students,despite their relative frugal lifestyles, are very curious about new high technologies and tend to try out new gadgets to spice up their lives.

The first DV mini-drama was made in the Beijing-based Qinghua University. A faithful account of conversations between students of two dormitories and a wonderful portrayal of the life of college students, the movie gained instant popularity once uploaded onto the Internet.

Following that, another drama entitled "My Golden Days" by students attending Xi'an Jiaotong University was also uploaded on the Internet, sparking a tide of DV drama shooting.

Huang Qiang, a student with Shandong University in Jinan who iscurrently shooting a DV drama, said digital videos allow for free artistic creativity.

"It's a very special experience to write your own script and choose your own cast. It's very personal!", he said. Enditem

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2003)