iQIYI reconstructs a lost 1938 film with NadouPro
An iQIYI-XMU team rebuilt the 1938 film Visiting Shanghai after Sixty Years in two months using surviving archival images and NadouPro production tools after its prints and script had been lost.
AT A GLANCE
Key points
- An eight-person team rebuilt the lost film from archival images in two months.
- NadouPro stored faces, proportions, and costumes as persistent digital character assets.
- 3D Director Studio controlled position, composition, movement, scenes, and camera angles.
- The project was shortlisted for the 2026 Future Images AI Unit.
What is changing?
An eight-person team at the iQIYI-XMU Joint Laboratory of Film Restoration rebuilt the 1938 film Visiting Shanghai after Sixty Years in two months after its physical prints, reels, and script had been lost. The team used surviving production stills, posters, and newspaper clippings as visual references. The work was shortlisted for the 2026 Future Images AI Unit at the 39th Golden Rooster Awards.
Unlike conventional restoration, the process recreated the film instead of repairing surviving frames. NadouPro locked facial features, body proportions, and costumes into persistent character assets that subsequent shots reused. Its 3D Director Studio gave the filmmakers control over character position, composition, movement, scenes, visual style, and camera angles. iQIYI says the 1938 sequences used stable cameras and period lighting, while the 1998 scenes adopted natural light and handheld camera movement.
Explore the original sources
Source date: 6 November 2026.
Published by AI Radar: 6 Nov 2026, 14:03 (Istanbul, UTC+3). Updated: 6 Nov 2026, 15:06.
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