A low-budget but creative hit

Actress Zhang Tian'ai from Go Princess Go, she acts as Zhang Pengpeng in the drama. [Photo/Xinhua]

Unlike other domestic TV shows that have high budgets for every episode, Go Princess Go is a very low-budget show.

Some netizens have found that costumes look like they were made from curtain fabric and there is a noticeable lack of patterns, and the accessories look like they were bought from street vendors. Some netizens even joked that all of the dreamlike scenes with wind and fog seem to be made from a blower!

There are no background actors. In scenes where there should be crowds of people, such as an ancient football match or a grand meeting, only several figures are ever seen in the background. Even the emperor, father-in-law to the princess, never makes an appearance and is only talked about by other characters.

Director Lv Haojiji explained. "This is my first Internet show; I want to do something different, but special. As for the clothes, I refer to some designs of European fashion brands in season 2014-2015 instead of using the traditional and cliché costumes. Maybe it is a bit difficult to accept this kind of new fashion style," Lv said.

"Because of the lack of money, the whole cast and crew are mostly made of amateurs. But we did our best. In most cases, we needed to hold multiple jobs simultaneously. All the shoes of the leading actors and actresses were bought by me on Taobao, the Chinese giant online retailer. It took me several months to finish" Lv said

The popularity of Go Princess Go tells us that a lack of budget doesn't have to hurt ratings. Audiences don't really care where a show bought its costumes or how much money it spent. All they care about is whether a show can continue to amuse, shock and impress them. Innovation, boldness and sincerity are more important than extravagant budgets.