Today's Chinese Film Environment and

MarketCOM329 Contemporary Film

Bing Liang

1949-1976 Red Years

-In the early 1950s, Chinese filmmakers have the educational mission of the revolutionary people. Most of the films have praised the Socialist New China.

1949-1976 Red Years-During “Cultural Revolution”, the special period, cinema culture is severe strike. Film theme is highly limited. Only 8 propaganda films survived. A clip of <Red Detachment of Women>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QgGjDhg1cY

Some films are also displayed in different forms, in Peking Opera, Ballet, etc.

1980-1995 Recovery-Beginning in the mid-late 1980s, the rise of the so-called Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers brought increased popularity of Chinese cinema abroad. Most of the filmmakers who constitute the Fifth Generation had graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1982 and included Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Chen Kaige, Zhang Junzhao and others.

1980-1995 RecoveryExtremely diverse in style and subject, the Fifth Generation directors' films ranged from black comedy (Huang Jianxin's The Black Cannon Incident, 1985) to the esoteric (Chen Kaige's Life on a String, 1991), but they share a common rejection of the socialist-realist tradition worked by earlier Chinese filmmakers in the Communist era.

1996-2000 Chinese Specials

China’s Film industry completely transferred from Propaganda unit to a form of Media. More commercial films are shot by the sixth generation filmmakers. Hong Kong films began to be available in China Mainland. The market of China Film is officially open. Watch trailer of “ Devils on the Door Step” : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KA_AoIO-bc

2000-2006 Expensive Films

By the China’s rapid economic development, the cultural market was unprecedented prosperity. The total box office income doubled year by year. Cinema Theaters established in every cities, towns, even small countries. Filmmakers are keen to make expensive films of large budget and shining movie stars.

2007-2011 The Third film market.

-Chinese film box office in 2011 is 20 billion dollars, surpassing the United Kingdom and India, became the world's third largest film market after the U.S. and Japan.

A article about U.S film Box office in China. (Thanks, Professor Neuendorf) -http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/business/media/hollywoods-box-office-heroes-proving-mortal-in-china.html?emc=eta1&_r=0