China’s movie market has maintained an astonishing annual growth of more than 30 percent in the past few years. The total revenue in the first three quarters of this year has almost equalled the entire amount of 2012. But despite such staggering growth, there are still many problems to be solved.
China’s movie market continues its upward trend. Total box office revenue in the first three quarters of this year has reached over 1.64 billion yuan, with 27 domestic films surpassing the hundred million mark. That’s a significant increase from last year. Moreover, an average of 7 to 8 new cinema screens have appeared every day in China this year.
And rising out of the bombardment of blockbusters from home and abroad, low budget films have continued to make a strong impression. Among them, "Finding Mr Right" mixes the issue of immigration with romance. Another film, called "So Young", takes on nostalgia and youth, while "American Dreams in China" tells the story of young people starting their own businesses. Such contemporary themes have helped these films succeed with Chinese cinema goers, most of whom are between 20 to 35 years old.
What’s more, Chinese Director Feng Xiaogang has become the first Chinese person to leave his mark on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. And his latest disaster film "Back to 1942" has had some impact in the American market.
Chinese film: high in quantity, low in quality
However, behind all the applause, there is another story. In 2012, two films were produced in China every day. But only half of them made it into cinemas, and relatively few managed to make a profit. The problem? Lack of innovation.
Director Jin Yimeng’s chick flick "Sophie’s Revenge" did well at the box office last year. But when she returned with yet another romantic comedy called "One Night Surprise", she found that the market was already jammed with similar films.
"I feel that China’s movie market is in a state of disorder. Cinema goers may be interested in a certain type of film this year, but if similar films keep coming, they will lose interest, and of course they won’t pay to see them," Jin said.
Well-worn themes also include youth nostalgia and adventure genres. Following the success of "Lost in Thailand", which broke the box office record on the Chinese mainland in early 2012, production company Enlight Media has seen similar stories falling on their desks like snowflakes.
"We’ve been receiving so many adventure comedies since the success of ’Lost in Thailand’. But most of them are poor quality. If these projects manage to get approval for shooting, it will be disastrous for distribution, because the quality of the films can not be changed by publicity," Li Haipeng, Publicity Director of Enlight Media, said.
But the explosive movie market has blinded many film companies. And desire to make a quick buck with popular genres has stimulated speculation.
"Film companies should find the highlights of their productions and screen them at different times. Jamming up the golden season won’t help box office performance. What’s more, developing a unique style and story is far better than following popular trends," Gao Jun, film critic, said.
Meanwhile, among the 700 movies made every year in China, art house films are struggling to survive. Without favorable policies or financial support, they continue to remain vulnerable as they compete with commercial blockbusters.