![]() ![]() “When we talk about ‘produced by’ or ‘producer,’ it has a different cultural meaning in China. ![]() “In China, the most important credits are given to the big bosses of the financiers,” she explains. On top of that, there still is piracy of DVDs as well as online piracy in China-how are you going to protect yourself in that regard?”Īn adds that, when structuring deals, Chinese companies handle film credits differently than U.S. You still have to be very careful about definitions of rights. “There are differences in languages, in terms of the legal meanings and definitions that would be included. Then, you have to be careful to make sure that the Chinese translation is accurately reflecting the negotiated points,” says Pfeiffer. “You might have an English translation (of the contract) and negotiate off of that. Whether it’s the wording of a contract, or whose name gets included in the film credits, it’s important to remain conscientious about the cultural differences in language. “It’s important to consider the strategic objectives of that company and their motivations, in order to ensure that you have a good long-term relationship with them,” he advises. “A large percentage of exposure to film promotion is achieved through the online platforms.”įor international companies looking to do business with Chinese film companies, Pfeiffer suggests that they look at the overarching picture of what the Chinese companies are looking to gain, rather than just that individual deal. “For film marketing in the U.S., there’s still a heavy reliance on television ads, billboards, newspapers ads and other traditional media,” explains Pfeiffer. That’s another difference in China versus the United States. For instance, Pfeiffer says that a film studio could bring in a cinema exhibition chain to increase the film distribution, or an online video platform to do digital marketing and promotion. “People are less focused on getting the letter of the contract correct, as much as they are trying to find the right strategic justification for a certain business opportunity,” he shares.Ĭhinese companies will often bring in other partners outside of the entertainment industry to invest in the movie. “When they feel like they’ve set up a stronger relationship, one that can handle this kind of unpleasant atmosphere brought by disagreement, then they can bring it up.” What Chinese film companies look forĪfter the initial niceties, deals move very quickly in China, according to William Pfeiffer, executive chairman and cofounder of Globalgate Entertainment. “They just tend to make it friendly at the very beginning,” she notes. However, An warns people to not assume that, just because the Chinese companies don’t immediately bring up disagreements in the initial meetings, doesn’t mean everything is golden. “In the U.S., everything fundamental will be discussed beforehand, or at least in the first few rounds of the negotiation,” she says. First things first-develop a relationshipĪnyone who has ever done business in China will tell you that it’s important to develop a friendly relationship, or guanxi, with Chinese businesspeople-and it’s no less different in the entertainment industry.īo An, a development executive at China Lion Entertainment, likens Chinese practices to those of old Hollywood, when people made deals with those they considered friends. What is it like to actually work and make films in China’s entertainment industry? Pozil and other Hollywood veterans share their experiences and things to keep in mind when doing business in the Middle Kingdom. ![]() “But it’s also easier to lose that money.”Īs large as it is, China can be a tough beast to understand. “It’s easier to raise money in China, and probably easier to make a movie,” says Bennett Pozil, executive vice president and head of corporate banking at East West Bank, who has helped facilitate some of Hollywood and China’s biggest co-production deals. Just look at this year’s “Transformers: The Last Knight”: it made $123 million in its opening weekend in China, whereas it opened with just over $69 million in North America.Ĭhina is an entertainment powerhouse-and rightfully so-but with that power comes certain challenges. These days, a film can be a total flop in Hollywood but still become a financial success, largely thanks to the power of the Chinese market. in the number of cinema screens, and its box office revenue has grown 144 percent since 2012, compared to 6 percent in North America. At the end of 2016, China surpassed the U.S. It’s been said that China is remaking the global film industry, and that’s not an exaggeration. ![]() Cultural insights into China’s film industry from those working on the front lines. ![]()
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