The international film industry

Avatar 2: Made in China?

Apr 24th 2012, 7:29 by G.E. | BEIJING

FOURTEEN years ago James Cameron’s film “Titanic” shattered box-office records in China, as it did nearly everywhere else in the world. Its impact was especially shocking in a market that was captive to a conservative, state-dominated film industry, with no ability to produce a blockbuster of its own. Mr Cameron’s ballyhooed “Avatar” broke China’s records again in 2009 and 2010, despite more than a decade of development. Now the film bureaucrats in Beijing have a chance to accomplish something that would have been unthinkable until very recently: co-producing Mr Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels.

Mr Cameron arrived in Beijing on Saturday and will soon be attending a screening of “Titanic 3D” at the Beijing International Film Festival (the re-release opened earlier this month to staggering sales in China). But his most important business will be conducted in private meetings, including with state-owned China Film Group. Speaking in an interview on Sunday, he said a priority of this trip was to explore a co-production deal with the Chinese firm on “Avatar 2” and “Avatar 3”. Mr Cameron says he would need to be satisfied in advance that his planned films would meet the approval of censors. If that key condition can be met, he is keen on the potential payoff. “There are economic advantages,” as he puts it.

The economic advantage he has in mind would be on the tail end, when the box office takings are divvied up. Mr Cameron does not need funding assistance for his films (a common reason for other foreigners in search of Chinese partners), but he would like China to share more of its blockbuster revenues with him. When “Avatar” made $200m in Chinese ticket sales, China was returning to Hollywood only 13% to 17% of the receipts on imported films, a far lower share than the American studios receive from other foreign markets. Going forward China will share up to 25% of the takings from imports, per an agreement announced during Xi Jinping’s visit to Los Angeles in February. That remains lower than Mr Cameron might be able to negotiate in a co-production deal. Chinese producers, after all, can collect up to 45% of the box office for domestic films, the 55% remainder going to satisfy the cinemas and distributors.

Mr Cameron’s meetings this week come shortly after the news that “Iron Man 3”, starring Robert Downey junior, will be a Chinese co-production. The gravitational pull of the Chinese movie market, nonexistent less than a generation ago, is now an undeniable force, sucking in all Hollywood blockbusters (and lesser projects) that venture within its event horizon. Hollywood studios, independent producers and directors regularly cycle through Beijing in search of partnerships with Chinese production houses—often seeking money to finance their movies, as well as access to a suddenly lucrative market.

This year China will surpass Japan as the world’s second-largest movie market, after America. Chinese box-office takings totalled 13 billion yuan ($2.06 billion) in 2011, an increase of 30% from 2010, which in turn had been more than 60% higher than in 2009. The number of movie screens has doubled in five years to more than 10,000 (and is projected to reach 15,000 in speedy fashion), and the new screens are mostly digital and 3D-capable. Meanwhile America’s market is stagnating. Takings in North America (America and Canada combined) declined by 4% in 2011, to $10.2 billion. Mr Cameron suggests that by the time “Avatar 3” is released later this decade, China may well rival America as the top movie market. That may be a stretch, but then just wait till “Avatar 4”; Mr Cameron calls it a possibility. He says he has stopped producing non-Avatar films or even considering non-Avatar scripts. “I’m in the Avatar business. Period, that’s it. I’m making ‘Avatar 2’, ‘Avatar 3’, maybe ‘Avatar 4’,” he says. “I think that within the Avatar landscape, I can say everything I need to say that I think needs to be said, in terms of the state of the world and what we should be doing about it.”

What Mr Cameron had to say in “Avatar”—about environmental exploitation, about the rights of people to their land—was rather political (Mr Cameron proudly declares it “not a subtle film”). The film resonated with some viewers in China as mildly subversive, and it did not receive quite the same blessing from Beijing as did “Titanic” (Jiang Zemin, then China’s top leader, was a fan). But it did not run afoul of censors. A famous scene in “Titanic”, in which Kate Winslet’s character poses nude for a drawing, was censored for the 3D re-release in China. Mr Cameron counts that as progress; he says that “somewhat” more was censored the first time the film was released in China. He surely has the leverage, with the value of “Avatar” as a franchise, to get the script assurances he would need to make a co-production work. He also says that he will not let any political concerns about China or its human-rights record interfere with his doing business here. “I’m going to do what’s necessary to continue having this be an important market for my films,” he says. “I’m going to play by the rules that are internal to this market. Because you have to.”

Indeed, as in many other industries, China has the market leverage to get what it wants from the foreign potentates who once dominated the film business. But what would China get in exchange for giving up some of its take at the box office to Mr Cameron? For one, Han Sanping, the powerful chairman of China Film Group, would affix his name to what could be one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, “Avatar 2” (and “3”, etc). Co-producing a James Cameron film would mark quite a symbolic turnaround for China, from the days of “Titanic”. Mr Han is often referred to in film circles as the godfather of Chinese film. If Mr Han wants a producer credit, Mr Cameron may find himself not terribly inclined to refuse.

(Picture credit: Jonah M. Kessel)

Avatar 2: Made in China?

Apr 28th 2012, 05:14

I think that this communication as well as cooperation, between James Cameron and Chinese moviemakers, will excite Chinese liberization of film industry and start the new chance to satisfy audiences seeking the advanced jocund with lowering cost. Really, 3D animation and action movie are good initiation.

Since this article talked about “Avatar”, let me guess the aftermath. Yeah, “Avatar” is a masterpiece, although I can only know somewhat outline. I give its soundtrack four-star level (total is five), very good. But, there is still distance between James Hornor’s music production of movie and those which is produced by someone else such as “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Seven Years in Tibet”, “Shakespeare in Love”, “La Leggenda del Pianista Sull’oceano” and “The Phantom of the Opera”. Therefore, the series of “Avatar” can appeal to more audiences for the entertainment expansively (but not too much), especially taking the 3D strategy.

In recent decades, there are some Chinese movie reaching world-class level. And Chinese actors, actresses and directors progress and some of them win reputation in many annually big shows. The most prominent examples are China’s Chen Dau-ming, Liu Yi-fei, Li Bin-bin as well as Hong Kong's Chow Yun fat, Vivian Chow and Li Ann. However, with the expanding territory of movie, some questionable or confused people may involve in these big market cakes. Recently, sometimes there are figures who lack of knowledge or skill emerging on screen.

On Apr. 24, James Cameron met Chinese director Zhang Yi-mou, who has some expeirences in film industry when Beijing International Movie Festival processed. Zhang made several movies from 1987, accumulating some fames in China and overseas. But Zhang sometimes make wrong actors or actresses put in wrong roles. The recent product is last December’s “The Flowers of War” - 13 prostitutes from Jin-Lin (the old name of Nanjing), which arguably gets both the blame and the applaud from many fields. The major actor is Christian Bale, who began with “Empire of the Sun”. The soundtrack is produced by Chen Chi-Gang, who was responsible for the music sounds in 2008's Beijing Olympic Game. Overall, Zhang’s recent product is not bad but there are still room for competitng with others on the occasion of international surroundings.

In this festival’s cooperative forum, James Cameron showed his willingness to assist Zhang to finish the 3D work. Also, he expected the authority to make Chinese movie concerned fewer limited as well as expected that there are more keen movies produced with more humanization. He has known the law concerned of Chinese movie when making “Avatar” in inner mainland. Moreover, he talked about the latest innovation “5D” technique which means “3D adds to 2D”. He, optimistic about Chinese 3D’s future vision, signs in “Sun-tz Bin Fa (military classics)” becoming the technique supervisor and intensively cooperating with Shu Ke and Shi Nan-shen. His very big action in China reflects Chinese growing prosperity of film industry.

For several years, I enjoyed the movie from America’s Hollywood, Japan, Taiwan to India’s Bollywood. Some classics movies already penetrate my locution and affect my thoughts. I collect many soundtracks for listening and living in this surroundings in addition to Japan’s pop music. The quality of Chinese film is still far from audiences’ expectation, but there are something good among these, such as the early “Ashes of Time Redux”, “The Wedding Banquet”, to recent “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Curse of the Golden Flowers” and “Seediq Bale”. Just expect more highly-qualified sounds and vision in Chinese film industry.

    Recommended

    56

    Report

    Permalink

Avatar 2: Made in China?

Apr 26th 2012, 15:49

Well, I am a pro-China speaker. The motion is proudly beneficial to me, to you and to everyone on this website. The conception of pro-China is never seen as a biased one only if you ruin China weirdly. Of course, it’s lovely to see the opening market of Chinese film industry.

Oh! You needn't mention flame-war or pick out anything only to result in real war, especially after you fill in your nickname on this website.

    Recommended

    41

    Report

    Permalink

 （未完成）

＊附一篇也有參考的相關文章

The film industry

The monkey and the mouse

China’s film market is proving tough for foreign studios to crack

Apr 28th 2012 | SHANGHAI | from the print edition

FOR years China’s home-grown hero, Monkey King, has had to compete on screen with the growing influence of an American mouse named Mickey. As Walt Disney and other foreign studios seek to enter China’s film market, and a new Disneyland theme park rises in Shanghai, the mouse’s position might look strong. But the monkey still holds plenty of cards.

China is now the world’s second-biggest film market after America. It has a booming home-grown film industry, making historical dramas and romantic comedies, but foreign blockbusters are the big money-earners. Although most films are pirated on release and viewed online and on dodgy DVDs, the rising middle classes are increasingly willing to fork out for a night at the cinema. Last year China’s box-office take rose by more than 30%, to over $2 billion, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. The number of cinema screens in China has doubled in five years, to nearly 11,000—again, second only to America. China’s box-office revenues may overtake America’s by 2020.

Yet China will not grant Hollywood the access it desires. Until recently only 20 foreign films could be screened at Chinese cinemas each year. In February the number increased to 34—though only if the extra 14 are shown in 3D or large format.

So, to guarantee their films are released in China, American studios are trying another ploy: seeking a Chinese partner. Co-productions are not classed as imports and so bypass the 34-a-year quota. They may have better luck being distributed, too.

A number of co-productions are under way. Walt Disney recently announced its first partnership with DMG Entertainment in Beijing to produce “Iron Man 3”, starring Robert Downey junior. This week, during a visit to the Beijing International Film Festival, James Cameron, a director, said he is looking for co-production opportunities in China for sequels to his film “Avatar”. The film remains the highest-grossing of all time in China. Chinese audiences also love Mr Cameron’s “Titanic”: the newly released 3D version took $105m in its first two weeks of release, double the takings in North America over the same period. But Hollywood’s dealings with China have been marred by allegations of corruption. On April 24th Reuters reported that America’s Securities and Exchange Commission had launched an investigation into whether American studios made illegal payments to Chinese officials.

China is difficultin other ways too. From the language barrier to hiring the cast (a percentage of whom must be Chinese), studios must adapt and some try to avoid offending China, even when their films are not co-productions. The invading army in a remake of “Red Dawn”, an American film, was changed from Chinese to North Korean in post-production.

But making a film that Chinese and Western audiences both want to watch is tricky. The 2010 remake of “Karate Kid” swapped Japanese karate for kung fu, yet the film performed badly in China, where audiences did not warm to a bully-boy depiction of the Chinese. And what will the need for Chinese-government approval do to the quality of co-productions made for the American market?

Dan Mintz, head of DMG Entertainment in Beijing and co-producer of “Iron Man 3”, describes China as both Hollywood’s saviour and its worst nightmare. Co-productions will not necessarily be filmed in China. The key is that Chinese producers will provide funding. But co-produced films are scrutinised by censors at both script and post-production stages. Films must comply or risk being bounced from cinemas, which would be business suicide in a market where nine-tenths of revenue comes from box-office receipts (in America, it is closer to 30%).

Government rhetoric suggests that the fledgling domestic market needs protection from American imports, at least long enough for it to grow in strength. Shanghai Film Group’s 3D remake of “Havoc in Heaven”, starring one Monkey King, was released in January and made just $8m at the box office. DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” made more than $90m. The mouse may be commercially mighty, but the monkey has bureaucrats. And, for the time being, they are stronger.

from the print edition | China