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A t the end of the year, newsrooms are generally half-empty. Many journalists happily go away on holiday, leaving news editors patrolling deserted aisles and staring at empty news lists and blank pages, wondering how to fill them. The panicked editors sometimes terrorise the few unfortunate reporters left behind, who then furiously start working the lines. It is especially at this difficult hour that people with capacious minds and precise memories come to our rescue. They have no billowing capes, no colourful spandex costumes, no shields, and no swords, but they are our saviours. In a reporter’s lexicon, they are ‘dial a quote’ sources — subject experts who can weigh in on any problem and provide context for stories. Two days ago, I went around the newsroom speaking to reporters. My colleagues said they swear by a student leader-turned-activist-turned-politician, who is now an academic, for quotes on anything from the travails of the homeless in Delhi’s bitter cold winters, to trade union protests, to trouble at universities. For the security beat reporters, former officers of the Army, Air Force, and Navy are the go-to guides. They explain the topography of a border area where a conflict has broken out or the torturous process of buying weapons than may span over decades. Their on-the-record comments add gravitas to the story. Then there are historians. Every time a road is renamed or a heritage structure comes crumbling down, they take us through the dusty bylanes of a bygone era. Without them, our stories would have no roots and simply become dull ‘he said, she said’ exchanges. While writing about rural development, I lean on activists who spend months in the field and are in touch with the workers every day. They trawl through the gigabytes of data on government websites to spot trends. Often, I feel guilty for sponging off their hard work, but we reporters draw solace from the fact that as the medium, we have successfully managed to put the message across. Political commentators are always ready to talk. Generally, the more they are sidelined within their party, the more enthusiastic they are to be quoted. ‘Dial a quote’ is not a new fad; it is as old as newsrooms. The scientist, J.B.S. Haldane, was a darling of journalists and would be ready to comment on anything under the sun, from weather to submarines. In Haldane’s biography, A Dominant Character , Samanth Subramanian quotes an apocryphal story about him. A journalist, probably on a slow news day, called Haldane to ask him what his studies about nature had taught him about the Creator. Haldane replied, “He has an inordinate fondness for beetles.” If dial-a-quoters are witty, it is an added bonus. Editors, of course, hate some of these stock names that appear often in stories. Once, a harried news editor, tired of seeing the same names crop up in copies on cost of living, gave a standing instruction: the names of the people who supply tea and snacks should never find their way to print. Also, the views of these sources can sometimes be jaded and out of date. So, we keep searching for new ‘dial a quote’ sources who offer newer and different perspectives. The most invaluable sources are those whose names never appear in print, but who provide background information; the scaffolding that supports our stories. During elections, they provide tutorials on caste equations, political rivalries, and the shifting loyalties of local leaders in various constituencies. There are also those who we may not call for months, but still go the extra mile to arrange interviews. The dial-a-quote sources may come from different fields but they have some things in common. They are passionate about their area of expertise, kind enough to pick our call at any time, and answer basic queries with patience. They are also brave enough to be quoted on record. As we take stock of the year gone by, we would like to pay our gratitude to all our ‘dial a quote’ sources — thank you. sobhanak.nair@thehindu.co.in Published - December 27, 2024 03:12 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit news media
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Professor Yang Qingqing's Monograph "Chinese Opera Costume Patterns" Published 12-10-2024 09:46 PM CET | Fashion, Lifestyle, Trends Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: LianPR Professor Yang Qingqing of Shanghai Theatre Academy's major monograph, Research on the Design of Chinese Opera Costume Pattern Element Codes, a National Publishing Fund project, has been officially published. The Shanghai Library and Donghua University Press jointly organized a new book launch and thematic seminar. Attendees included the Shanghai Publishing Association, the Shanghai Municipal Propaganda Department's Publishing Division, the Shanghai Art Research Center, the Shanghai Art Archives, Shanghai Theatre Academy, and others. Opera performers Mr. Chen Shaoyun and Ms. Li Peihong, Professor Wu Haiyan from the China Academy of Art, cultural historian Mr. Gao Chunming, opera researcher Ms. Fei Yong, Peking Opera scholar Mr. Yu Kaiyi, and many more were present. The President of the China Arts and Crafts Society's Jacquard Committee and Director of the Nanjing Yun Brocade Museum, Mr. Jian Mingwei, also sent congratulatory messages and videos. Experts from various fields offered comments on the book, unanimously recognizing its publishing value and significance. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/616aaffa757224cfecdbb5caec44f04c.jpg Research on the Design of Chinese Opera Costume Pattern Element Codes is a book that studies the historical development of Chinese opera costume patterns, explores the constituent elements of these patterns and the data elements that emerge from them, and uses computer algorithms for processing and creative transformation in modern design applications. The book, with 1.3 million words, is divided into thirteen chapters and uses text complemented by charts, diagrams, illustrations, and images. It studies everything from the "Twelve Chapters Patterns" on the ceremonial attire of imperial officials 4,000 years ago to the costumes and patterns of the four main Chinese opera roles (sheng, dan, jing, chou) and nearly 20 subcategories of roles. It also investigates the color composition of traditional Chinese colors in opera costume patterns for the first time, establishing a color palette and genealogy for Chinese traditional opera costume patterns. The book analyzes over 30 categories of opera costume patterns and presents over a hundred contemporary design examples based on traditional Chinese opera patterns. It also establishes a hierarchical model for pattern classification and creates a digital atlas of Chinese traditional opera costume patterns. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/5bcd259b432f36ba9d40c3d89c983ed8.jpg Author Yang Qingqing is dedicated to the transformation of traditional Chinese culture into contemporary art design and the integration of art and technology. She has led several national cultural and artistic planning projects as chief expert. Yang was the first to propose the concept and methodology of "transmedia" and pioneered "transmedia art design" courses for undergraduate and graduate students, becoming one of the earliest advocates and practitioners of transmedia art worldwide. She is the Director of the Chinese Cultural and Tourism Performance Creation and Education Research Center at Shanghai Theatre Academy, Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Digital Performance Integrated Innovation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Chair of the Visual Arts Committee of the Shanghai Stage Design Society. Yang Qingqing has curated and created numerous projects such as Jiangnan Kunqu Opera Conference, 100 Years of Kunqu Transmission, Through the Dream of Red Mansions, New Media Interactive Interpretation of Peking Opera Facial Makeup, Transmedia Art Exhibition - Another Mei Lanfang, Elegant Melody of the Ages - Yu Zhenfei's 120th Anniversary Exhibition, Chinese Cross-Stitch, Contemporary Transformation of Chinese Opera Patterns, Peking Opera Master Zhou Xinfang Exhibition, and Lin Chuan Si Dreams in New York. In recent years, she has led her team to win two Red Dot Awards (the highest international award), one German Design Award, one Muse Platinum Award, and one Muse Gold Award. She has been awarded an honorary artist medal by the French government and named an advanced individual in the Overseas Chinese Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/5bc08c78c6c1ffde5041aa3c14f9e026.jpg In her book, Yang Qingqing uses practical case studies of transmedia art to provide detailed analysis on how to upgrade patterns from individuality and concreteness to quantification, categorization, and logical structuring using the latest computer technologies. She has created a scientific system for digital analysis and redesign tools. The book also introduces methods for creating and innovatively displaying patterns using cutting-edge technologies such as AR, VR, XR, MR, digital generation, and artificial intelligence. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/d7f8d259317614ac5986578c3e27a838.jpg The book has been recommended by the renowned dramatist and educator Professor Ye Changhai, who praised it as "opening up a new field for research into Chinese traditional art, with both literary and academic value; it also serves as a reference for professionals due to its encyclopedic nature." Opera performer Mr. Chen Shaoyun highly praised the book, especially its research on the element codes of traditional patterns and the transformation of contemporary design, along with its use of artificial intelligence for design experimentation. He described it as "a great achievement for the present day, beneficial for the future." Li Peihong, Professor and National First-Class Actor, Dean of the School of Chinese Opera at Shanghai Theatre Academy, believes that Yang Qingqing exemplifies the integration and transformation between contemporary fashion and outstanding traditional culture. She described the book as pioneering, innovative, systematic, practical, interdisciplinary, and a valuable contribution to research in Chinese traditional arts, which will surely have a profound impact on the art field. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/238db6eab09590055c84c90bcb1d4278.jpg Experts believe that this book provides a great paradigm for young people in today's digital age by using digital methods to reinterpret traditional costume patterns, thus revitalizing and transforming traditional culture. The book has reorganized and summarized the opera costume patterns scattered in folk culture, restored them with modern scientific techniques, and expanded them further. This is both a faithful preservation of our traditional culture and a form of promotion. The book won the 2024 Shanghai Book Art Design Award - Overall Design Award. The content of this book will be exhibited in Europe and the United States, allowing the world to appreciate the beauty of China. Media Contact Company Name: Transmedia Co.Ltd Contact Person: TANG Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=professor-yang-qingqings-monograph-chinese-opera-costume-patterns-published ] State: Shanghai Country: China Website: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/629e113f00000000210211ce?xhsshare=CopyLink&appuid=5510f90a4fac633d83eccf92&apptime=1733763012&share_id=cb4c2a862406462d9cd98a18eaae14d5 This release was published on openPR.