Su Dike (L) and Wang Lucheng direct the lens toward an approaching thunderstorm. [Photo provided to China Daily]

By faithfully restoring color saturation and authenticity — from serene skies to menacing storm clouds and sudden lightning — the Dolby experience makes viewers feel as though they are chasing the storm alongside the filmmakers.

Zhou recalls that he has known Su since 2021, when Dolby collaborated with Bilibili on an online project that guided at least 300 video-making enthusiasts in using advanced innovations to enhance their films' visual and audio impact. Su was one of the first to experiment with it.

Impressed by Su's youth, Zhou was even more astonished after watching a trailer for Soul of the Storm shortly after Su — then studying for his second year in his university's photography department — sent it to him.

"I took out my smartphone, put on my earphones, and was truly awestruck. Seeing those massive clouds roll toward you, with the storm swirling around you, I thought to myself, if I were 10, maybe 20 or 30 years younger, I would join them," says Zhou.

Interestingly, Su's first storm-chasing adventure included his father who drove the car as a reward for Su's college admission.