{"id":75211,"date":"2025-09-04T15:17:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T22:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=75211"},"modified":"2025-09-08T19:37:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T02:37:51","slug":"clean-california-soars-past-major-milestone-to-beautify-roadways-and-rejuvenate-local-public-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=75211","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive Interview with Director Tanxuan Shi: Empowering Cultural Expression with AI to Craft Heartfelt Narratives for Hotel Brands"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAPost \/ Los Angeles (September 5, 2025)<\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 Recently,\u00a0<\/span>Delta Hotels by Marriott Ontario Airport and\u00a0<\/span>Sheraton Ontario Airport Hotel\u00a0launched a new series of commercials and brand ambassador films, drawing wide attention with their fresh and distinctive visual style. Behind these campaigns is young director Tanxuan Shi<\/strong>, whose mastery of AI tools combined with solid cinematic skills has earned recognition from local brands and mainstream media alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

AI as a Tool, Not a Gimmick<\/span><\/h3>\n

In an exclusive interview with LAPost<\/em>, Shi was direct: <\/span>\u201cAI is merely a tool and a technology. The core of creation will always be human thought and expression.\u201d <\/span>He emphasized that in today\u2019s climate\u2014where AI is often overhyped on social media\u2014creators must remain calm and focused.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Delta Marriott Western-style Salmon Commercial Still<\/p><\/div>\n

In advertising, AI can indeed add polish\u2014enhancing lighting effects or fine textures. But to Shi, true quality begins with strong storytelling and high-caliber source material. \u201cThe best creations should look seamless, with no visible \u2018AI fingerprints,\u2019\u201d he explained. \u201cToo many works today fall into \u2018AI for AI\u2019s sake,\u2019 producing cookie-cutter content. I prefer to use AI as a finishing touch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, in a sashimi commercial from\u00a0<\/span>Delta Hotels by Marriott Ontario Airport, he used AI to highlight the richness of sauces\u2014essential in Western cuisine. In contrast, for a Chinese cuisine ad<\/strong>, he leveraged AI to emphasize the complex wok hei<\/em> (the \u201cbreath of the wok\u201d) as food emerged from the pan. \u201cThat subtle touch makes the work feel more authentic and alive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Capturing the Soul of Chinese Cuisine<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cAs a Chinese director, I firmly believe Chinese food is an untapped cinematic treasure,\u201d Shi said. \u201cFive thousand years of culinary culture make wok hei<\/em> not just a flavor, but a cultural spirit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Close-up of Rising Steam from Chinese Cuisine<\/p><\/div>\n

He described his vision: allowing audiences to almost \u201csmell the wok hei\u201d through the screen\u2014to sense the boiling oil, the flame, and the clash of ingredients. \u201cThis attempt fulfilled my long-held dream of using cinematic techniques to capture the essence of Chinese cuisine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cSilent Screen Theory\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n

Shi\u2019s unique methodology in brand advertising is what he calls the \u201cSilent Screen Theory.\u201d<\/strong> He observed that many hotel ads are often played muted in lobbies or restaurants. Therefore, the visuals themselves must carry the storytelling power.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ontario Sheraton Advertisement Still<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIf the picture retains its tension after you mute the soundtrack, then it\u2019s a real success,\u201d Shi said. Through lighting, design aesthetics, and AI-enhanced details, he ensures that even food close-ups and atmospheric shots convey strong messages without sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

Honest Portrayal of a Young Brand Ambassador<\/span><\/h3>\n

In the Sheraton Ontario Airport Hotel ad, the brand ambassador was a 14-year-old actor. Instead of pushing a traditional, \u201cadultified\u201d image, Shi spent time scouting locations and working closely with the teen. The final theme, \u201c<\/strong>Infinite Energy\u201d<\/strong> presented the hotel from a youthful perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wrap-up photo: Director Tanxu Shi (left), Producer Yang Yang (right), and Brand Ambassador Joy-Long (center)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m against forcing young actors to act beyond their age in ads. I want them to show their authentic selves,\u201d he said. The result was a film that not only highlighted the hotel spaces but also conveyed a natural resonance between brand and youthful vitality.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Rising Director on Solid Ground<\/span><\/h3>\n

Shi graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree from the Beijing Film Academy<\/strong> before earning his MFA in directing and screenwriting from the New York Film Academy<\/strong>. His works have won multiple awards, including recognition at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, the Guangzhou University Student Film Festival, and the Chinese American Film Festival. He was also the only Chinese recipient of the \u201cRising Star Director Award\u201d<\/strong> at the 8th Asian International Film Festival.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2022, he was named to the \u201cTop 30 Chinese Youth Elites Under 30 in the U.S.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Tanxu Shi, Director<\/p><\/div>\n

Most recently, Shi and his expert viewing group in Los Angeles played a central role in the premiere of The Nanjing Photo Studio<\/em>, overseeing planning, interviews, filming, and editing. Their high-standard documentary production and professional reviews have set new benchmarks for the promotion of Chinese films in Southern California.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to continue telling stories about Chinese cuisine and culture through film,\u201d Shi concluded. He believes AI will never replace the soul of the creator, but instead can help bring cultural details to life with greater vividness.<\/span><\/p>\n

(By Richard Ren \/ LAPost)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LAPost \/ Los Angeles (September 5,...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-ca-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75211"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75362,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75211\/revisions\/75362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/75289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}