Special Issue on Military Strengthening Culture | Let the Light of Thought Illuminate the Journey of Military Strengthening — Creative Insights from the Ideological Interpretation Convergent Media Series "Achieving Victory" (制胜)

Let the Light of Thought Illuminate the Journey of Military Strengthening — Creative Insights from the Ideological Interpretation Convergent Media Series "Achieving Victory" (制胜)

■ Liu Xiaowei

Poster for the ideological interpretation convergent media series "Achieving Victory" (制胜). Provided by the author.

Recently, the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), in conjunction with the Cyberspace Administration of China and China Media Group, released the six-episode ideological interpretation convergent media series "Achieving Victory" (制胜). Since its broadcast on CCTV's General Channel beginning July 30, the series has rapidly generated enthusiastic responses across all sectors of society and has also attracted attention from international opinion. Audiences have widely praised the series, saying it is both a vivid elucidation of Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military and a vibrant presentation of the achievements of military strengthening and revitalization in the new era, while also conveying to the world the resolve and capability of the Chinese military to defend sovereignty and safeguard peace.

At present, the academic community has yet to arrive at a unified definition of "ideological interpretation convergent media series" (思想解读类融媒体片). Drawing on my practical experience and reflection from participating in the creation of "Chasing the Dream" (逐梦), "Forged in Fire" (淬火), "Storming the Fortress" (攻坚), and "Achieving Victory" (制胜) in recent years, I would define it as follows: an ideological interpretation convergent media series is a new type of audiovisual work that emerged against the backdrop of the all-media era. It integrates multiple media forms and technological means, with the systematic elucidation and dissemination of the Party's innovative theories as its central purpose, "thought + art + technology" integrated communication as its creative philosophy, and "story-based narrative" (故事化叙事) and "theory visualization" (理论可视化) as its primary methods. By transforming abstract theory into concrete, perceptible audiovisual content, it continuously enhances the appeal and receptivity of ideological communication.

"Achieving Victory" (制胜) has achieved new breakthroughs in precisely these areas. It is no longer content with telling audiences "what the thought on strengthening the military is," but instead allows audiences to genuinely feel "why the thought on strengthening the military is truth" and "how it has profoundly influenced and transformed this military."

I.

The greatest challenge in ideological interpretation film and television works is none other than handling the relationship between "going deep" (深入) and "coming out clearly" (浅出). Too deep, and the work becomes inaccessible to the masses, with limited communicative effect; too shallow, and it lapses into didacticism, losing the weight of thought. "Achieving Victory" (制胜) consists of six episodes: "Where the Battle Flag Points" (战旗所向), "The 'Land' Force Sheds Its Feathers" (换羽之"陆"), "Advancing into the Deep Blue" (挺进深蓝), "Tempering the Sword in Air and Space" (空天砺剑), "The East Wind Surges Mightily" (东风浩荡), and "Joint Operations, Joint Victory" (联战联胜). The series focuses on the theme of "being capable of fighting and winning battles" (能打仗、打胜仗), closely following the fervent practice of officers and soldiers across the entire military as they concentrate on preparing for war under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military. It progressively reflects the new spirit and new conduct of officers and soldiers in achieving victory and striving to strengthen the military.

"Achieving Victory" (制胜) approaches ideological interpretation by expressing thought through stories and conveying stories through characters. The series does not deliberately embellish achievements or one-sidedly showcase equipment; instead, through actual combat exercise and training scenarios, the logic of system-of-systems operations (体系作战), and the personal growth experiences of officers and soldiers, it deeply interprets the fundamental reasons for "achieving victory" (制胜): first, victory of thought (思想之胜) — important statements such as "a strong nation must have a strong military, and only with a strong military can the nation be secure" and "only by being capable of war can war be stopped" are vividly presented through one story after another. Second, victory of spirit (精神之胜) — the inheritance of the red gene (红色基因), the founding mission and original aspiration, and the blood-and-iron commitment of revolutionary servicemen and women in the new era have forged the soul of victory. Third, victory of the system (体系之胜) — joint operations have truly realized the transformation of scattered fingers into a clenched fist, achieving victory through jointness. At the same time, the series' artistic expression consistently serves the communication of values; amid stunning audiovisual experiences and nuanced story narration, it imperceptibly conveys the thought on strengthening the military and consolidates national confidence, achieving a high degree of unity among ideological content, artistic quality, and educational value, and demonstrating the responsibility and commitment of mainstream convergent media film and television works.

II.

In terms of narrative approach, "Achieving Victory" (制胜) has also undertaken some bold innovations, constructing a narrative system that progressively advances through imagery narrative (意象叙事), scene narrative (场景叙事), and character narrative (人物叙事), combining aesthetic appeal with depth. For example, it achieves a poetic expression of service-branch narrative. The series uses four great natural images — "spring thunder, ocean waves, swift wind, and fireworks" — to precisely correspond to the actual combat exercise and training scenarios of the four major services — the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force — merging imagery of military training with the magnificent artistic conception of the natural world, endowing military-themed film and television works with the poetic aesthetic beauty of narrative and the artistic conception of Eastern aesthetics, making the narrative more vivid and tangible.

The series draws on and employs literary narrative techniques. For example, in showcasing the Navy officers' and soldiers' capability to win battles, the series does so by telling a story of "finding life in a desperate situation" (绝境逢生). While carrying out a long-range mission, a submarine encountered a sudden and life-threatening "depth drop" (掉深) emergency even as enemy anti-submarine forces continued to patrol. The crew had to simultaneously cope with the crisis of potentially being crushed by water pressure at any moment while maintaining silent concealment. In the end, within a mere ten-plus seconds, five precise commands were issued, successfully resolving the emergency, and the mission to conduct reconnaissance and simulated strike against an enemy formation was accomplished in full. The Rocket Force's victory story focuses on a realistic combat exercise. After the Blue Force conducted a precise strike, all the operators of one Red Force launch vehicle were adjudicated as "killed in action," leaving only Commander Xue Wei and one security operator. Under these extreme circumstances, Xue Wei sat down at the control console alone and single-handedly completed the entire launch sequence, successfully launching the missile into the air. The excavation of details about typical characters in these typical scenarios gives the work greater narrative appeal and emotional tension.

The series also explores and constructs a hierarchically progressive narrative logic of "individual soldier — service branch — system" (单兵—军种—体系). The six episodes of the full series adopt a "general — specific — general" (总—分—总) narrative structure, building layer upon layer and elevating step by step: from frontline officers' and soldiers' extreme combat training and breakthroughs in adversarial exercises, to the display of each service branch's specialized operational capabilities, and finally arriving at the all-around leap of the joint operations system (联合作战体系), completing the logical construction from "victory through individual equipment and individual valor" to "victory through system integration and full-domain systemic operations" (体系融合制胜、系统全域制胜). The series adheres to the principle of documentary narrative, does not shy away from shortcomings, does not conceal difficulties, and does not avoid speaking of failure, authentically presenting the breakthroughs and growth of officers and soldiers in complex battlefield environments, giving the story of military strengthening a more genuine texture.

III.

Each era has its own literature and art; each era has its own aesthetics. "Achieving Victory" (制胜) strives to create a military aesthetics belonging to the new era, with authenticity as its most important artistic foundation. The series upholds the creative principle of "documentary as the foundation, real locations as the priority" (纪实为本、实景为要): all combat scenarios, exercise and training footage, and equipment operation shots are filmed on location with frontline units, without the use of any virtual cinematic special effects. From live-fire launches of long-range rocket artillery to electromagnetic catapult launches on the Fujian, from carrier-based aircraft takeoffs and landings to the handling of sudden air-sea situations, all footage originates from real exercises, training, and mission scenarios. This creative approach of "zero special effects, all real footage" (零特效、全实拍) conveys the confidence and self-assurance of a major-power military through an authentic cinematic language. Compared with artistic processing, the documentary aesthetics of "Achieving Victory" (制胜) carry greater impact. Every thundering cannon, every high-speed assault, every Red-versus-Blue confrontation allows audiences to directly touch the authentic state of combat training and war preparation, achieving the aesthetic effect of "authenticity is shock, simplicity is grandeur" (真实即震撼、质朴即磅礴).

In audiovisual expression, the series constructs an immersive audiovisual experience, creating an aesthetic effect that fuses the grand with the minute. In camera work, the series achieves a perfect combination of sweeping panoramic shots and nuanced close-ups. Aerial long takes present the battlefield landscape and magnificent momentum of the Gobi Desert, the deep sea, and the vast sky; tracking shots follow officers and soldiers through exercises and equipment operations, recreating the tense atmosphere of realistic training; close-up shots focus on the eyes of officers and soldiers and the details of their operations, capturing the martial spirit (血性) and steadfast commitment of servicemen and women, grounding the grand theme of military strengthening in vivid imagery.

In terms of pacing, the series is measured in its tension and release, interweaving fast and slow. High-intensity live-fire confrontations and rapid-cut joint operations sequences highlight the fast tempo of modern warfare; slow-motion and lyrical segments of officers and soldiers reviewing and reflecting, conducting daily war preparations, and persevering in harsh environments ease the narrative pace, organically fusing the hard iron-and-blood with soft warmth.

The series also strives for precision and depth in distilling "soldiers' words in soldiers' language" (兵言兵语). When speaking of the inheritance of the victory-winning gene (胜战基因), 98-year-old Korean War veteran Wei Diren, seated in a wheelchair, cried out to the officers and soldiers of the "Dadu River Company" (大渡河连): "Charge forward, charge forward toward that bright red flag of your company, and strive for even greater glory." A single utterance surpasses a thousand words. In addition, golden phrases in the series such as "with the courage that once crossed the river, march forth to today's crossing of the sea" (以当年渡河之勇，赴今朝跨海之征) achieve a high degree of unity among image, sound, and emotion.

IV.

As a "convergent media series" (融媒体片), "Achieving Victory" (制胜) bears the distinct characteristics of cross-screen convergent media dissemination, providing the industry with a replicable model in terms of communication. It breaks through the single dissemination format of traditional television documentaries, achieving multiple innovations in creation, dissemination, and interaction.

In terms of dissemination platforms, it achieves two-way linkage between large screens and small screens. The film is broadcast during prime time on CCTV's General Channel, ensuring the authority of its dissemination; it is also adapted to the dissemination characteristics of short-video platforms and new-media clients, with "highlight segments" (高光片段) extracted and edited into lightweight content for easy viewing by mobile users, achieving full-channel, full-coverage dissemination and breaking down barriers between audience segments (圈层壁垒).

In terms of dissemination register, it achieves a youthful transformation of mainstream narrative. The series abandons a didactic register, tells stories through authentic footage and conveys thought through realistic combat scenarios, and uses authentic, direct forms of expression that young people enjoy, bringing mainstream values into youth communities and achieving efficient dissemination and deep immersion of the Party's innovative theories.

In summary, "Achieving Victory" (制胜) forges its soul through ideological value, breaks new ground through narrative innovation, sets a new standard through documentary aesthetics, and expands its boundaries through convergent media form. It is a documentary masterwork showcasing the great journey of military strengthening and revitalization of the People's Army in the new era, as well as a fine convergent media artistic work that integrates Eastern aesthetics, modern register, and mainstream values. It provides reference value for military-themed works and mainstream convergent media content creation in the new era.

Reflecting on the creative practice of "Achieving Victory" (制胜), I feel deeply that it has answered an important proposition for the creation of ideological interpretation convergent media series in the new era: how can the Party's innovative theories reach people's hearts in a lively and vivid artistic manner? Its answer is — stand on the high ground of thought to study and reflect, immerse oneself in the fervent practice of officers and soldiers, and make every screen a window for telling the story of military strengthening. Literary and artistic works often mark the spiritual height of an era. I look forward to seeing more outstanding works, illuminated by the light of thought, use the camera to write the epic of military strengthening that belongs to this great era.

Page header design: Xu Shuo

Selected Synchronized Dialogue from the Ideological Interpretation Convergent Media Series "Achieving Victory" (制胜)

The warplanes that participated in the founding ceremony of the nation went to the Korean War battlefield alongside our predecessors just one year later. Today, we fly more advanced fighter jets in a glorious review. Will we be able, tomorrow, to step forward like our predecessors and achieve victory on the battlefield?

— Episode 1: "Where the Battle Flag Points" (战旗所向)

Some ask: where exactly does the new-type Army's newness lie? Its newness lies in our ability to reach any place where we are needed. The ground, the sky, the ocean — the boundaries of the battlefield are the boundaries of the Army.

— Episode 2: "The 'Land' Force Sheds Its Feathers" (换羽之"陆")

Only by being able to hold the line can we win battles; only by winning battles can we repel the enemy in distant seas. Those who face the sea flourish; those who turn their backs to the sea decline. Those who cannot control the sea will inevitably be controlled by the sea. Chairman Xi has urged us to accelerate the formation of real combat capability in new equipment and new forces. Over these years, we have not stopped for a single moment. From Tsinghua University to the military, from coastal waters to the deep blue, over 21 years I have served on 7 warships of 5 types. I understand that venturing into distant seas is not merely romance and dreams, but rather dozens of combat stations and hundreds of officers and soldiers — silent wakes in the dark of night breaking through the "impossible," using wisdom-based victory (智胜) to underpin achieved victory (制胜), and using the backbone of commitment to hold up the shield of distant-sea defense.

— Episode 3: "Advancing into the Deep Blue" (挺进深蓝)

Accelerating the building of a powerful People's Air Force that is integrated across air and space and capable of both offense and defense is the strategic objective for which every one of us Air Force officers and soldiers strives. On the plateau, in the Gobi, over distant seas, we soar and achieve victory under the same sky, building an impregnable Great Wall of Blue Sky (蓝天长城).

— Episode 4: "Tempering the Sword in Air and Space" (空天砺剑)

Is it lonely, guarding a mountain valley? If you have ever touched a missile with your own hands and felt the weight of that responsibility, you would not think so. Every missile that passes through our hands is like our own child. We tend to it carefully, keeping it in good health, and then send it off to carry out the mission that belongs to it. The farther it flies, the more precisely it strikes, the more meaningful our concealment becomes. This is not loneliness — it is glory.

— Episode 5: "The East Wind Surges Mightily" (东风浩荡)

During a shooting exercise, I suddenly had an inspiration. Every combat unit in joint operations is like a different type of gun. The reason a sharpshooter can hit the target with every gun is that he is thoroughly familiar with every type of firearm. We must become joint sharpshooters (联合的神枪手), materializing and integrating the experience and achievements of each service branch and arm into a single system.

— Episode 6: "Joint Operations, Joint Victory" (联战联胜)

(Compiled by Chen Dongfang)