MICRO movies are a new medium of expression for Chinese young people. They're perfect for "fast-food" consumption on computers and mobile devices, they're topical, and advertisers love them. Zhao Ying, Yang Chunxue and You Xiao report.
Tang Jie tossed and turned in bed, racking his brains to think about a storyline for a "micro movie" his team was about to shoot. The script, dialogues and scenes are always midnight topics of Tang and his roommates.
The 22-year-old student of Chongqing Technology and Business University has finished five micro films or wei dianying along with nine schoolmates over the past two years, simply relying on a digital camera and a voice recorder.
Among them, the 10-minute "Born in the 1990s," which highlights stories of love, friendship and career frustration that young people are likely to face upon graduation, has received thousands of views after it went online in April.
"We are not sophisticated and the movie is imperfect," says Tang, the director. "We hope to show that we are the generation that shares social responsibilities."
"Micro movies exhibit the power and creativity of grassroots filmmakers. Everyone has the say in the sector," says Joanne Cheng, a Chinese-American director and professor.
"The era when the filmmaking was monopolized by a small group of people is over," says Chen Shan, a professor with Beijing Film Academy. Technological evolution and elimination of the film producing threshold allows the public to speak out more freely and they are no longer the passive receivers, he emphasizes.
Tang's team spent less than a month producing a micro movie, including script writing, shooting and post-producing.
"We enjoy the process despite setbacks. It is great that our efforts are noticed by viewers," says Tang.
The Internet films, shot within a short period of time and lasting no longer than 30 minutes, are made on a small budget. They are distributed to video-sharing websites and spread among users of smart phones and tablet computers, which can generate real-time feedback online.
Micro film evolved from home-made humor shorts on video-sharing websites like Youku. It caught the public attention with the release of "Old Boys," among others, in early 2010.
The genre has gained ground over the past two years since it works well with new-media platforms and smart devices. The films are also easily shared across social networks and booming microblogs, which are considered the symbol of a prosperous "micro era" in China.
New medium Statistics from China Internet Network Information Center showed that the number of Internet users hit 550 million nationwide as of September, meaning about 41.1 percent of the population access the Internet. In addition, 363 million people view films online and nearly 50 million Chinese watch videos via cell phones. About 280 million Chinese have microblog accounts.
Industry estimates have put the number of micro films produced in China last year at more than 2,000, compared with around 500 mainstream movies.
"The new medium satisfies modern people's habit of instant reading and fills their fragmented time," says Zhao Yurun, chief executive officer of Shine Show Interactive Media Co Ltd.
People can easily download or stream micro movies over the Internet. Micro films are more compelling on small screens than traditional movies when people are on the move, he notes.
Micro film producers involve people with no film or storytelling experience at all, and young or unknown professionals who are funded by brand advertisers, according to Zhao. The advertisers are becoming the mainstream members.
Compared with traditional films that rely heavily on box office, micro movies are broadcast online, free to watch. Brand advertisers are the sole source of investment at the moment, since it's impossible for individuals to keep investing in filmmaking from their own pocket. Micro movies establish a platform for people to realize their movie dreams. They also give businesses a new channel to advertise their products.
Rather than simply throwing out logos and slogans, many video clips have a nice story line, elegant audio-visual language and skillful presentation of the brand concept, says Zheng Xiaojun, a teaching assistant with the College of Journalism and Communication at Ji'nan University in Guangzhou, capital city of southern China's Guangdong Province.
They provide artistic entertainment while building up the product and image of the business in a subtle way that isn't annoying, says Zheng.
In addition, the low cost and wide distribution appeal to advertisers. A music-themed micro movie made by Shine Show received 200,000 yuan (US$31,696) from a brand client. It has been viewed by more than 50 million times online. To reach the same size audience in TV programs and cinema could cost 10 million yuan, Zhao says.
What bothers film insiders most is large amount of low-quality micro movies - some poorly made, some with unhealthy content, others with excessive advertisements.
In July the State Administration of Radio Film and Television has tightened scrutiny over the content of micro movies and called on Internet video service providers to screen unhealthy issues.
In addition to the content concerns, moviemakers are trying hard to keep maintain artistry and good film values, while weaving ads into their work. Many employ solid filmmaking techniques.
Zhao says his company tries to balance artistic pursuits and commercial benefits.
Films can be made about anything. Popular topics include family ties, abandoned pets, crackdowns on drug trafficking, smoking control, and helping children with disabilities.
"Micro films should have solid and thought-provoking plots. They share responsibility for transmitting positive information about social values," says Wang Qian, chairwoman of Beijing Herun Detang Media and Advertising Co Ltd.
Filmmakers should know about people's concerns and work out films to reflect common aspirations. This could be the key for gaining popularity, she stressed.
Zhao noted that copyright trading may become another source of funding in the future, saying it is expected to relieve directors from commercial restrictions, stimulate creative ideas and promote productions with artistic tastes.
Micro movies are combining traditional filmmaking techniques with modern cultural trends to cater to public values evolution, becoming a new medium in China's century-old film industry, says Chen.
They add another dimension to the industry that last year saw box office receipts total more than US$2 billion for the first time, making it the world's second largest behind North America.
"Chinese films always follow social and economic developments within and outside the country," says Zhou Xing, professor with the School of Art and Communication under Beijing Normal University.
Early Chinese films were profit-driven products with the techniques and artistic skills lagging behind the rest of the world. The intrusion of Japan and the invention of sound motion pictures in the 1930s advanced the all-round growth of the film industry.
However, many films had been made to serve the need of politics after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. After the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), unfettered Chinese filmmakers began to learn the advanced experiences from around the world and managed to find a Chinese way to make films with socialist characteristics.
Chinese films began to demonstrate diversified ideas and styles in the late 20th century, says Zhou.
In the 21st century, the industry has witnessed substantial transformation from a monopolized business to a sector that pays attention to public opinions and market response.
In 2003, China abolished the rules that only 16 designated organizations could produce films. Commercial films began to enter the world market .
How to perfectly interweave national ideology with artistic criteria and public acceptance has been a serious concern of filmmakers and theoretical researchers, says Ding Yaping, director with the Institute of Film and Teleplay of Chinese Academy of Arts.
"A good movie should address social problems and expose intense contradictions," says Tang.
"People chose different film genres in various eras, but life is always the source for ideas," says Ding.
Filmmakers should avoid preaching in a mechanical way, eliminate empty and boring expressions, and try to discover respectable deeds in ordinary life, he advises.