|
More Hollywood Blockbusters, Bigger Box-office Proceeds Statistics show that China s total cinema box office receipts in2011 hit RMB 13.115 billion, of which 37 percent, or RMB 4.91billion, came from imported American movies. The agreementstipulates an increase in American exporters share of the takingsto 25 percent. The greater number of imported overseas films,however, will undoubtedly generate higher revenues. The agreementstates that China will increase its imports solely of 3-D and IMAXfilms. This means that domestic cinemas with the capacity to showsuch movies will be the second direct beneficiaries, after U.S.film studios, of the agreement. Wanda Cinema Line Corp, China s largest cinema operator, formed aclose strategic cooperative partnership with Canada s IMAX Corp inMarch of 2011. At that time China imported limited numbers of IMAXmovies, so rendering most of Wanda s IMAX theaters idle. Theagreement is expected to invigorate their business. There are now six cine-film IMAX theaters scattered among Beijing,Guangzhou, Dongguan, Chongqing and Taipei, and 33 digital IMAXtheaters throughout the country. Statistics show that 3,030 cinemasinstalled these specialized movie screens in 2011, bringing thetotal to 9,200. The prospect of brisk business generated by U.S.imports will undoubtedly encourage more theaters to follow suit. Chinese theaters are happy with the agreement. The expanded quotaallows for the inclusion of more literary films and independentproductions in addition to the inevitable blockbusters. Up tonow, managers of Chinese cinemas have been wary of importing filmssuch as The King s Speech and War Horse because they need theirquota for more sure-fire commercial movies like 2012 andTransformers III, film reviewer Zhou Liming said. The agreement is also fine by Chinese audiences, because they cannow enjoy more genres of imported film. But more big-budget,high-tech Hollywood imports poses great challenges to the Chinesefilm industry, and an imminent rough ride. Tough Road Ahead Rong Chao, strategic planning director of the Bona Film Group, isworried about the full implications of the agreement: Importing34 movies a year means that domestic films will have to competewith three from abroad each month. Director Feng Xiaogang takes a more optimistic view. He says on hisblog, This keen competition will stimulate the creation andproduction of better Chinese films. As the best will win through,there s nothing to worry about. Fellow director Gao Qunshu is similarly upbeat: Opening upChina s market signals the demise of shoddy domestic movies andChinese filmmakers reliance on big-name actors and black hand market manipulation. The agreement is good news for those who wantto improve the quality of Chinese cinema. Although the road aheadwill be tough to begin with, it s bound to get on the right trackin the long run. The fact is, domestic films made paltry profits in 2011. Manyearned RMB 100 million or more in box office receipts, but stillshowed a loss due to their high investments. For instance, althoughZhang Yimou s The Flowers of War grossed a gratifying RMB 580million, the figure was appreciably short of its RMB 600 millioninvestment. Opening up the Chinese market to American film studios is not theroot cause of the present crisis in China s film industry. Whiletalking about the current situation and prospects for China s filmindustry, President of the Beijing Film Academy Zhang Huijun said, The industry faces certain problems. First, we don t have enoughcinemas. Many films have not appeared on the big screen simplybecause too few movie theaters are equipped to show them.Consequently they earn no revenues. Second, existing laws areinadequate. Strict measures should be formulated to protect films intellectual property rights. Various types of insurance applicableduring the film production process should also be improved. Third,movie tickets are too expensive. Fourth, access threshold forpersonnel to enter the industry have yet to be defined. Battle for the Market Relevant national supervisory departments have focused efforts ondeveloping the industry through improving the quality of domesticfilms, enhancing international cooperation, exploring internationalmarkets and expanding the influence of Chinese films abroad. The recently published national outline on cultural reform anddevelopment for the 2011-2015 period calls for investment of socialcapital in the cultural industry and transformation of China sstate-run commercial cultural businesses into market-basedenterprises. It also specifies policy support through finance,taxation and land use. Officials of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television(SARFT) have pledged efforts over the next five years to producingfilms and TV series about modern life, revolutionary tales,children, ethnic minorities, industrial development and life inrural areas. The SARFT will earmark RMB 30 million annually tosoliciting quality screenplays from around the country. Scriptremunerations will range from RMB 1 million to 3 million. Tosharpen the competitive edge of Chinese films on the internationalmarket, the SARFT plans to select around 100 aspiring screenwritersand directors that display potential for systematic training. The film industries of other Asian countries and regions, such asSouth Korea and Taiwan, have encountered similar difficulties incompeting with Hollywood. Their movies have not only survived butalso blazed a trail in the market. A large proportion of theromantic movies that Chinese audiences so enjoy are actuallyproduced domestically. Love Is Not Blind, which in 2011 grossed RMB350 million in box-office revenues, is one example. Many industry insiders believe that the agreement will bring moreopportunities than challenges to the Chinese film industry, andthat it could trigger needed adjustments. External pressure andconsequent stimulation are expected to promote a revamping of theindustry and improve the quality of Chinese films. Domesticfilmmakers must now focus on developing a distinctive artisticstyle that singles out Chinese films and on carving out a niche forthem in the international market. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Launch X431 Scanner , ECU Chip Tuning Tool for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits BMW & Benz Diagnostic Tool.
Related Articles -
China Launch X431 Scanner, ECU Chip Tuning Tool,
|
