Part 1: A brief History of the Chinese Film Industry

1896 –a film by the Lumiere Brothers, premiered in Paris in December 1895, was shown in Shanghai

1897 – American showman James Ricalton showed several Edison films in Shanghai and other large cities in .

This new media was introduced as “Western shadow plays” to link to the long- standing Chinese tradition of shadow plays. These early films were shown as acts as part of variety shows.

1905 – Ren Jingfeng, owner of Fengtai Photography, bought film equipment from a German store in Beijing and made a first attempt at film production. The film “Dingjun Mountain” featured episodes from a popular Beijing opera play. The screening of this play was very successful and Ren was encouraged to make more films based on Beijing opera.

Subsequently, the base of Chinese film making became the port of Shanghai because of better access to foreign capital, imported materials and technical cooperation between the Chinese and foreigners.

1907 – Beijing had the first theatre devoted exclusively to showing films

1908 – Shanghai had its first film theatre

1909 – The was established as a joint venture between American businessman, Benjamin Polaski, and and Zheng Zhengqui. Zhang and Zheng are honoured as the fathers of Chinese cinema

1913 – Zhang and Zheng made the first Chinese short feature film, which was a documentary of social customs. As female performers were not allowed to share the stage with males, all the characters were played by male performers in this narrative drama.

1913 – saw the first narrative film produced in Hong Kong

WW1 cut off Shanghai’s supply of raw film from Germany, so film production stopped.

1916 – raw film came in from the USA and film production resumed

1918 – The Commercial Press formed a Motion Picture Department and made films under the 5 categories of: landscape, current events, educational,new drama and costume drama.

By 1929 there were 233 film theatres in 7 Chinese cities. Before WW1 European films, especially from French companies such as Pathe and Gaumont dominated

Post WW1 these were replaced by American films from Hollywood

1930s – was considered as the first golden period of Chinese cinema and saw the advent of the Leftist Cinematic Movement. The dispute between Nationalists and Communists was reflected in the films produced. These films had an emphasis on class struggle and external threats (notably from Japan)

1937 – After the Japanese invasion of China and occupation of Shanghai, film makers moved to Hong Kong, Chongquing and otherplaces

1941 – Princess Iron Fan was the first Chinese animated feature film to be released

The end of WW2 meant film production could be resumed in Shanghai where the first Chinese colour films were subsequently made

1949 – Communist Revolution. The government saw cinema as an important mass production art form and a tool for propaganda.

1951 – As a result of the Communist Revolution, pre 1949 Chinese films were banned as well as productions from Hollywood and Hong Kong as the Communist Party wanted to tighten control and produce their own films. Attendance at film showings increased sharply.

1967 – 1972 – During the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese film industry was severely restricted and came to a virtual standstill.

1972 – Chinese film production revived underthe strict jurisdiction of The Gang of Four.

1986 – Gang of Four were overthrown

1980s – immediately after the Cultural Revolution the film industry flourished, depicting the emotional traumas left by the revolution. These films were known as “scar dramas”. However, during this period the Chinese film industry faced hard times because of competition and concern from the authorities that popular thriller and martial arts films were socially unacceptable.

Mid – late 1980s – brought increased popularity of Chinese cinema abroad, especially among Western art house audiences. Several films won major international awards:

 Red Sorghum 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02D6sfEtckA  The Story of Qui Ju 1992 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vivaoPZhIH8  Farewell to my Concubine 1993 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHwZr6X3Og

1989 – protests in Tiananmen Square partially ended this period of Chinese film making.State censorship policies produces an edgy underground film movement, but many of the films produced were frowned upon by state authorities.

Post 1990 – Films were made outside the main Chinese film making industry and were played mainly to audiences on international film circuits. It is difficult to demarcate the boundary between Mainland Chinese and more internationally based Chinese language films which are co-produced with Chinese, Taiwanese, American and Hong Kong film companies.

2000 – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a Chinese film

And 2002 – Hero, another Chinese film, both achieved international commercial success. Following these successes Chinese language films have increased and have moved into the international domain.

Chinese cinema audiences have continued to grow and Chinese films have broken box office records (due in part to the quota system!)

Jan 2014 – 6 of top ten highest grossing films in China are domestic productions with Lost in Thailand (2012) being the highest grossing Chinese film in the domestic market, being the first to reach 1 billion yuan.

Today, owing to the influx of Hollywood films (despite the number being screened each year having been curtailed), the domestic market faces mounting challenges. Although the industry is growing, few domestic films have the box office impact of Hollywood blockbusters

Censorship of the Film Industry in China

China’s quota system restricts foreign film imports to 34 titles a year. This is since 2012. Prior to that the restriction was for just 20 titles a year. This import quota share is due to open up in 2017 – 2018, which will have an impact on Chinese film makers who will see the level of protection go down. Hollywood’s goal is not to open up the quota system, but to have no quota system operating.

Robert Cain in “How to Be Censored in China – a Brief Filmmaking Guide, describes the “lack of transparency and seeming arbitrariness of the permitting and distribution approval process”. He explains that censorship is designed toprotect the status quo of authoritarian rule in China and the government decides what is “appropriate” irrespective of viewers’ age, as there is no rating system in China. There is a censorship committee of about 30 people from a broad array of backgrounds who are appointed by The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. The aims of censorship are to promote Confucian morality, political stability and social harmony. Filmmakers submit films and after about 15 days should (but don’t always) have a response and have the opportunity to make changes to comply. However, no advice is given as to what you should do, you are just told what you can’t do. A summary of taboos:

 Sex and violence  Obscenity  Religion  Superstition  Gambling  Drinking  Drug abuse  Criminal activity

Also, any story not rooted in scientific fact eg. time travel or ghosts. Is likely to be axed. Likewise any hint of criticism of the Communist Party, its leadership or its legitimacy is prohibited.

It would seem you have to have rather a bland story line to get past censorship and it is best not to have a Chinese villain and wise to show China in a good light somewhere in your film.

Xie Fei, a professor at Beijing Film Academy and an award winning Chinese film director, says “it (censorship) has become a corrupt black spot for controlling the prosperity of the cultural and entertainment industry, killing artistic exploration and wasting administrative resources” He describes that many Western films, only let in after the quota, are subject to cuts. Instead of having no rating system, Xie would like China’s censors “to move from the current administrative review system to a rating system that allows for a self governed and self disciplined film industry bound by legal restrictions and administrative supervision.”

Can China’s Film Industry ever Rival Hollywood?

China’s film industry is the world’s third largest, both in terms of number of films produced and box office takings. However, with a few high profile exceptions, its films have not made an impact on the world stage and are struggling at home to compete with Hollywood productions.

This concerns the Chinese, as they want to export their own view of the world and are becoming more assertive in this, having seen the “soft power” prowess of American films and TV shows. China recognises that film can be a powerful tool to introduce the Chinese people and culture to the outside world. Therefore, many Chinese filmmakers are adopting a Hollywood style production in place of their traditional propaganda films and historical epics.There are a number of art house dramas and documentaries made without state backing, but these are banned in China. Despite Chinese films becoming more sophisticated, they face many challenges. There is a lack of appetite for local language films among younger audiences, they face poor marketing of their films and a shortage of bankable Chinese actors, with younger Chinese stars not travelling internationally.

Also, Chinese films are held back by censorship which rules out more modern subjects like sex or homosexuality. The Chinese film industry is not producing enough variety of films to fend off the Hollywood invasion, and added to this there is a lack of commercial directors as well as movie stars. Without China’s quota system, the industry would be taken over by Hollywood films.

A Few More Facts!

Hendian World Studios in China is the largest film studio in the world.

In 2012, China became the second largest market in the world by box office receipts.

In 2013, the gross box office in China was 21.8 billion yuan, with domestic films claiming a 59% share of this.

China is predicted to have the largest cinema market in the world by 2018 and has already become a major hub of business for Hollywood studios.

The majority of mainland production films use Mandarin, but these are dubbed in Cantonese when exported to Hong Kong.

CCTV is to set up a new film base in NE China in Shenyang, with sets for the Ming and Quing Dynasties, as well as the early 1920s and a city of the Xibe ethnic minority group. Total investment will be 3.5billion US dollars.

Chinese Film Industry – Part 2

Chinese Film Group Corporation, – ‘the cradle of the new Chinese film industry’.

After the surrender of Japan at the end of WW2, the Manchukuo Film Studio was split up and some parts were sanctioned by the Chinese Government and integrated with the Yan’an Film Studio and the Northeast Film Studio. The War of Liberation in 1949 forced the studio to move to Chanchung, where the newly combined entity was renamed the and became the first registered film ‘factory’ under the People’s Republic of China. In 1992 it was the founder and host of the annual Chanchung Film Festival.

In 1998 the Changchun Film Studio was restructured and from 2000 it became the Changchun Film Studio Group Corporation (CFSGC), considered to be one of the cornerstones of the Chinese film industry. Today it is one of the largest film production bases in China. It is a state owned enterprise employing 3000 people producing films of all kinds: feature, scientific, opera, cartoons as well as TV serials and plays in the Province of North East China. In 2003 it became a shareholder of , an importer of foreign films. This was a significant move for the CFSGC, as prior to this the state run China Film Group Corporation had the monopoly of importing foreign films.

Also in 2003 the CFSGC took a major step in undertaking the building of a theme park to combine film entertainment with film tourism. An initial investment of US$120 million saw the first phase built. Although the Changchun Film Theme Park is modelled on Hollywood’s Universal Studios, it has a distinctive Chinese character.

In 2005 the Movie World section of the park was opened to tourists on a trial basis for an entrance fee of 128 yuan (US$15) The Changchun Government now estimates that at least 1.5 million people a year will visit the centre, generating an annual income of US$27.1 million.

Changchun Film City presents film art and culture as its main theme. In the form of a theme park it sets out to describe the business of making films, presenting the glamour and drama that goes with the filmmaking business. There is a visitor centre with entertainment and dining facilities. It is an important draw for tourists to visit this area of NE China and sits alongside other tourist attractions such as: Mt. Changboushan, the Jingyuetian National Forest Lake, and the capital cities and tombs of the ancient Koguryo Kingdom.

Co-production in the film industry

The China Film Co-Producton Corporation (CFCC), whose headquarters are in Beijing, is a government agency.It is authorised by the state authorities to administer, and coordinate the Chinese-foreign film co-producton business. Founded in 1979, it has established good relations withfilmmakers from over 50 countries including USA, Britain, Russia, Australia, Japan and several European countries as well as Chinese Hong Kong and Taiwan.

What the CFCC does:  Processes applications for film co-producton  Assists with productions between Chinese domestic film studios and foreign film companies  Organises all administration and signing of agreements between cooperating parties  Recommends Chinese host studios to foreign partners  Looks at proposed projects and examines propose dscripts  Examines the finished films to check the approved scripts in place  Sorts out entry visas for foreign crews  Sorts out customs clearance for filming equipment and other materials  Hosts overseas crews for location shooting in China  Facilitates communication for foreign filmmakers and promotes co-production What is co-production? Sino-Foreign Co-production is simply a contractual agreement between a Chinese party and a foreign party to film in China. Therefore, the rules are:  All parties operate together and do not set up separate entities  All co-productions must have approval from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT – please refer to part 1 of The Chinese Film Industry) before any filming. Separate applications must be made for each film.

Why Sino-Foreign Co-production? China’s diverse landscapes provide vast choice of filming locations. Labour and materials are available at low cost for construction of filming sets, props, costumes etc. Also, China’s appetite for film entertainment has grown steadily over the past few years with huge box-office takings, so it is a financially viable prospect for co- produced films approved for domestic release. Increased international demand for Chinese content (although I have found conflicting views on this, with some sources saying the opposite!), so it makes sense to use authentic resources.

How Sino-Foreign Co-production works. A foreign filmmaker must have a Chinese partner approved by SARFT. There are 2 choices either Joint Production or Assisted Production. Joint Production is the most popular choice and means that Chinese and foreign parties invest jointly. The cast must be made up of at least one third Chinese actors. The advantage of joint productions is that they are considered as domestic films, so can be directly released in Mainland China (of course only once they have been passed by the censors in SARFT) They will then also be eligible to enter Chinese government awards for the best co-produced film prize. Assisted Production is where the foreign party provides the capital and the Chinese party provides assistance with regard to equipment, locations, labour and other facilities in return for a fee. These films are owned by the foreign party, and cannot be released in Mainland China, so have to go through the process to be imported.

Procedures for Sino-Foreign Co-production.  Sino-foreign co-producers can only start a project when it has got SARFT approval  Completed films have to undergo censorship, again by SARFT  Joint productions approved by the censors can participate in any overseas film festival or exhibition provided SARFT has been informed at least 30 days in advance

How to win over the Chinese market – Transformers 4 leads the way in Hollywood~Chinese co-production.

This Hollywood film has taken more than 1 billion yuan (US$163 million) in the Chinese box office and is poised to break the record set by Avatar. However, more importantly it marks a new level of co-operation between China and Hollywood. How did Transformers 4 do this?  It had more Chinese elements than any other Hollywood film and therefore went down very well with Chinese audiences, if not so well with international critics!  It had well-known Chinese actress Li Bingbing in a supporting role, where she was able to show off her Kung –fu skills  Scenes set in the second half of the film provided a familiar background for Chinese viewers with Birds’ Nest Stadium in Beijing and architectural landmarks in Guangzhou and Hong Kong being featured. This made the Chinese viewers feel the film was reaching out to them  Many product placements – too many, too lengthy and too obvious according to some critics.eg a Chinese brand milk was on screen for an unwarranted amount of time So Paramount set out deliberately to make a film for the Chinese and not just another blockbuster. Previously under this model of co-production films often met the minimum requirement of Chinese elements by having one or two shots of Chinese cultural scenes, whereas Transformers4 has far exceeded this by putting in shots of Chinese locations at every opportunity.

Transformers 4 marks a new era in China and Hollywood marketing cooperation, as the Hollywood Reporter states. This is significant for both Chinese and Hollywood filmmakers.

It is important for Hollywood as in the past 10 years the Chinese box office has grown extensively and China is tipped to oust the USA as the biggest filmmaker by 2018. Thus Transformers 4 is leading the way for sustainable business and continued success on the global market, where , in the future, a mere mention of China will not be enough. Filmmakers will have to win the hearts of the Chinese cinema goers.

It is equally important for China’s domestic film market as more competition from Hollywood is not a bad thing. This competition could force them to improve where they are currently lagging behind the USA, namely in storylines, special effects, technical expertise and other aspects of filmmaking. Through co-production and closer cooperation, Chinese filmmakers have the opportunity to learn new skills and technological know-how.

The source for the material on Transformers 4 is Xu Qinduo, a commentator on current affairs with China Radio.

Liz Bowskill, July 2014