Billed as the world’s first 3D wuxia drama, Detectives and Doctors <陸小鳳與花滿樓>, an upcoming television series starring TVB actor Raymond Lam (林峰), recently unveiled its first trailer. The trailer showcases the drama’s stunning special effects, courtesy of the production team that worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon <臥虎藏龍>. Detectives and Doctors is based on The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng <陸小鳳傳奇>, the first installment in wuxia novelist Gu Long’s (古龍) series about Lu Xiaofeng. The eponymous hero (Raymond Lam) is asked to investigate a peculiar sickness that has struck the emperor. During his journey, he meets renowned doctor Hua Manlou (Zhang Xiaolong 張曉龍), who becomes a close friend, and Princess Shangguan Danfeng (Lan Xi 斓曦), with whom he becomes romantically involved. With him on his travels is Ah Xin (Zhang Meng 張檬), a character newly created by the drama’s screenwriter in order to flesh out the romantic storyline. Filming wrapped up in mid-June, but Detectives and Doctors has only just approached the end of its post-production stage. With 48 episodes and more than 350 minutes of screen time requiring special effects, it is no wonder that the drama has dallied so long in giving viewers a glimpse of the promised visual feast. Despite the wait, the trailer shows promise, with believable and appropriate CG effects, including an eerily realistic pet serpent. Even viewers who do not have access to a 3D television should find the special effects quite extraordinary. Since CGI is often one of the most highly criticized areas when it comes to mainland Chinese wuxia dramas, production company West Coast Media went all-out when it came to the special effects for Detectives and Doctors. By inviting the production team that worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, West Coast Media immediately raised the bar for future wuxia dramas and ensured that viewers, who have become increasingly picky about plotlines, aesthetics, and production standards, are satisfied. Detectives and Doctors is expected to air next year during the Chinese New Year season. In the meantime, West Coast Media is preparing to begin filming two more Gu Long drama adaptations, Young Chu Liuxiang <少年楚留香> and Happy Heroes <新歡樂英雄>. [video=youtube;3fN8-ewV2WQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fN8-ewV2WQ[/video] Creds: QQ
