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Digital compilation (August 2021)

Throughout the summer of 2021, Song of the Female Textile Worker underwent its most significant period of consolidation. This entailed a massive collective effort between all partners, both in the UK and China, in order to meet the anticipated performance dates at the end of September.

With this new plan of action underway, attentions turned from Shanghai back towards Rousang's "co-star", which is to take the form of the digital components designed bespoke for the performance by Nick Bax and Abby Hambleton at Human Studio, our partners in Sheffield, UK.

The meeting, held on the 3rd of August, opened on a fantastic note - congratulating Nick on his recent appointment as a research fellow at The University of York. Following this, it was on to the matter at hand. By this point, the digital materials for scene 1 had been completed, and much of the materials for scenes 2 and 3 were also coming along well. Dr Ma, in collaboration with Rousang Wang, had noted that edits needed to be made to ensure that the digital assets were in keeping with the timing of the music in scene 2.

Much of the conversation however, was to ensure that the edits were made to one particularly critical factor, namely, the accurate depiction of the butterflies. This was, of course, no easy feat. The movements of butterflies are very delicate, and this proved to be a difficult thing to design and animate. In addition to this, an extra butterfly was needed for the 'Love of the Butterflies' finale, alongside the 'Red Flower' sequence, and another sequence featuring many butterflies, and animations symbolising the Chinese opera water sleeves incorporated into the choreography. With the filmed performances planned for the end of September looming, there was scant little time to have all of these crucial elements brought together in time.