Few years ago, while a CS undergrad, I created a WeChat mini-prog to optimize and streamline the hiring and management of foreign actors and background actors(movie biz) in Beijing and surrounding areas.
Back then, I had a gig as a 'foreign talent' recruiter for a contractor of a mega chinese movie studio, Hollywood-big studios-size. I proved my worth by using my entire network of foreign students, public/night time events group chats... In fact, I was a part-time agent for like 2 years and that mini-program was my edge on the market.
I figured out that I needed a consistent database that's easily managable from a smartphone and a real-time payment system(Wechat Pay) right after movie scene shoots. Scaled real fast and provided extra income to my friends who also enjoyed the fame aspect of the gigs even though it's very time consuming(~8hr/day).
As I'm from a war-torn african country, I was at ease on movie sets(action, guns and destruction) and didn't mind moving around a lot. I would do translation if needed and give some occasional inputs on cultural references given that few chinese guys in the industry had ever stepped foot on Africa's soil or interacted directly with more than a dozen black 'background actors' at one time for weeks(cant tell who's who face:).
Wechat was the hub for all my work-study-social life in China. We had near a 800 ppl in the portfolio when I left in '16(for unrelated personal political reasons) and dropped out.
Later, I heard that the promising projects became great box office successes on the local chinese market and still are.
My regret is that I kind of oiled up the machine by implementing a quick techie idea. Social impact might be that it pumps up the chinese world conqueror ego spirit and shrinks the imagery of africans/blacks in the eye of millions of chinese. Plus, they are expanding distribution to african markets a.k.a broadcast directly to national tv channels.
The rapid growth after the 1st record breaker in '17 is continously huge in terms of audience and investments.
I cringe when I explain this stuff to my european friends who are always mindful about international geopolitics and to other black 'woke' westerners. Now, I live&work in Benelux where they are mostly clueless about China movies or WeChat, so my mind is quieter but regrets won't wash away.
Back then, I had a gig as a 'foreign talent' recruiter for a contractor of a mega chinese movie studio, Hollywood-big studios-size. I proved my worth by using my entire network of foreign students, public/night time events group chats... In fact, I was a part-time agent for like 2 years and that mini-program was my edge on the market. I figured out that I needed a consistent database that's easily managable from a smartphone and a real-time payment system(Wechat Pay) right after movie scene shoots. Scaled real fast and provided extra income to my friends who also enjoyed the fame aspect of the gigs even though it's very time consuming(~8hr/day).
As I'm from a war-torn african country, I was at ease on movie sets(action, guns and destruction) and didn't mind moving around a lot. I would do translation if needed and give some occasional inputs on cultural references given that few chinese guys in the industry had ever stepped foot on Africa's soil or interacted directly with more than a dozen black 'background actors' at one time for weeks(cant tell who's who face:).
Wechat was the hub for all my work-study-social life in China. We had near a 800 ppl in the portfolio when I left in '16(for unrelated personal political reasons) and dropped out.
Later, I heard that the promising projects became great box office successes on the local chinese market and still are. My regret is that I kind of oiled up the machine by implementing a quick techie idea. Social impact might be that it pumps up the chinese world conqueror ego spirit and shrinks the imagery of africans/blacks in the eye of millions of chinese. Plus, they are expanding distribution to african markets a.k.a broadcast directly to national tv channels. The rapid growth after the 1st record breaker in '17 is continously huge in terms of audience and investments.
I cringe when I explain this stuff to my european friends who are always mindful about international geopolitics and to other black 'woke' westerners. Now, I live&work in Benelux where they are mostly clueless about China movies or WeChat, so my mind is quieter but regrets won't wash away.