Who Is Afraid of Writing Class (a.k.a.Hello, Spring) is a live-action feature addressing a widespread social issue in China: children’s fear of writing caused by exam-centric, template-driven instruction and written by and starring veteran educator Yixiang Ma, whose writing class content reaches 3 million children on Douyin (TikTok). The film was built with children, for children. It invites families to laugh first, reflect next, and then try a different way.
The film uses participatory filmmaking and a child 's-eye aesthetic silent-comedy timing, handmade effects, and animated interludes to model student-centered teaching: observe real life, honor authentic voice, and turn “mistakes” into creative fuel. National media echoed the core idea: composition should form character and creativity, not merely test scores (Xinhua News; People’s Daily). Experts praised the film’s “cartoon aesthetic, free style, satirical education, and edutainment” approach.
Beginning in July 2025, a parent-led nationwide preview screening tour, self-organized via social media, sold out rapidly across cities, demonstrating an appetite for truly child-oriented live-action in a market without a ratings system in China.
Goals:
-Raise awareness of writing anxiety and its systemic roots; normalize creative, student‑centered pedagogy among teachers and parents;
-Measurably reduce writing phobia through “film + writing” activities;
-Scale a national conversation ahead of the Sept. 12 theatrical release, tracked by sold‑out screenings, educator participation, and sustained earned media.
Strategy
Plan
Co-create with children: Classroom workshops revealed real fears and effective strategies (e.g., counting characters to meet quotas). We wove these into set‑pieces so kids recognize themselves without stigma.
Build a child 's-eye aesthetic: Low‑tech practical gags, retro school iconography, and animation echo textbook illustrations and posters (spotlighted at the Pingyao International Film Festival). Humor makes critique safe.
Pair distribution with activation: Post‑screening “Film + Writing” pop‑ups give families a first, joyful win with writing.
Execution
Production: We borrow silent‑comedy rhythms and simple visual magic to lower cognitive load for young viewers, while embedding layers that adults read differently. Real educators and first-time child actors keep performances honest; rehearsals use games instead of line-drilling.
Community rollout: With Elephant Screening, we piloted a participatory model. Parent organizers, librarians, and teachers recruited local families. The toolkits included facilitator notes, 20-minute writing games, and QR codes to home prompts by Teacher Ma. In one week, 15 new organizers launched events across multiple cities. Small halls sold out in under 90 minutes; 200-seat county screenings filled in 1.5 days; a 300-seat Shanghai hall (capped at 200 for full capacity) stayed waitlisted until showtime (The Paper).
Social mobilization at scale: From July alone, over 200 screenings' parents self-organized via WeChat Moments (social media) and local groups; more than 100 grassroots initiators each influenced thousands of nearby families. July-Aug social reach exceeded 20 million+. Teacher Ma’s roadshows interacted in person with over 3,000 children aged 4–11; August schedules add another 200+ preview screenings, projecting over 50,000 pre-release attendees.
Public discourse: Expert roundtables in Beijing covered by Xinhua, CCTV, and Sina Finance reframed the film as policy-relevant culture, emphasizing “virtue‑forming over test prep” and validating its artistic innovation.
What’s unique
A rare children’s live‑action feature in an animation‑dominated market in China, made to delight kids first (measured in‑theater) while offering adults next-day practices.
Participatory authorship: students’ lived classroom strategies drive comedy and narrative.
Aesthetic = argument: the playful hybrid form performs pedagogy in a flexible, humane, and creative manner, rather than merely preaching it.
Challenges and solutions
Exhibition skepticism toward children’s live-action: We de-risked via community sell-outs and Teacher Ma roadshows, building proof for wider bookings.
Balancing satire with responsibility: Every critique resolves into a concrete practice (observation walks, freewriting) supported by take‑home prompts.
Working with minors: Guardian briefings, school-friendly schedules, and play-based direction promote well-being.
In China’s non-rated system, where “children’s films” often aren’t truly for children, this parent-led model has proven that child-first impact and education can scale responsibly.
Results
Reach and attendance
Official selection at Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland), UrbanWorld (NYC), Pingyao International Film Festival (China), Jordan Children Film Festival (Jordan), etc.
Won the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund )Special Award for Children's rights at Jordan Children Film Festival, Exploration Honors at Chongqing Pioneer Film Festival, A'Design Award (Italy), Muse Award, Telly Award, and many more.
Previews sold out nationwide; community organizers multiplied quickly (15 new leads in a week). July alone delivered over 100 previews; August added 100+ more, projecting 50,000+ attendees before the release. Teacher Ma engaged 3,000+ children (ages 4–11) in person. The test box office reached RMB 500,000 in 8 weeks through Elephant Screening's pre-release limited screenings (Sina Finance). Based on conversions to date, we forecast over 300,000 offline viewers after the September 12 nationwide release (Xinhua; Sina Finance).
Engagement and behavior
Q&As consistently surfaced “why writing feels scary” and “how to start differently today.” Parents reported immediate shifts (“Now I understand how my kid thinks,” The Paper) and adopted 20‑minute prompts at home. July social media impressions exceeded 20 million, driven by over 100 grassroots initiators mobilizing local families—a remarkable achievement for a public-interest children’s film.
Validation and systems influence
Xinhuaand CCTV covered the Beijing expert seminar; People’s Daily ran an op‑ed using the film to argue for authentic student expression over template writing. Senior critics praised its child‑first design and innovation. The project received support from the National Boutique Film Project and the UNICEF Special Awards for Children's Rights. with a sequel in development and an expanded “Film + Writing” toolkit for schools.
We deem it a success because it transformed a stigmatized educational problem into a joyful, solution-oriented public conversation, as evidenced by repeated sellouts, expert endorsement, national media coverage, and concrete practices that families and teachers adopted immediately.
