The State Council of China issued successively in 2010 a series of guidelines for film and cultural industries, giving strong support for the development of China’s film industry at the macro policy level. At the end of the same year, it also made a clear announcement that the cultural industry be developed as a pillar industry for the national economy. The politically favorable environment has made it possible for China’s film industry to develop rapidly.
Looking back at 2013, China’s film industry advanced exponentially, with box office gross exceeding RMB20 billion, starting a golden period of development. While this new phase witnessed a continued rising in the number of moviegoers with film screens approaching 20,000, statistics indicate a declining occupancy rate that told a real story of operations of the movie theaters.
Meanwhile, film technology renovations and rapid growth of its viewer‐base have been accompanied by significant changes in the constitution of moviegoers, their viewing preferences and ways to access information in comparison with previous years. On the other hand, a series of challenges the industry faces have surfaced: i.e. how to enhance the business of cinemas in the rapidly growing market; how to improve competitiveness of domestic films and how to understand accurately the tastes of audiences. To help industry players including investors get a comprehensive understanding about the status and features of China’s film industry, EntGroup presents China Film Industry Report 2013‐2014 based on interviews, in‐depth research and analysis. This is the 6th such annual report by EntGroup since 2009.
Analysis of China’s movie market by genre
The year 2013 saw action, romance, science fiction and comedy movies as the four highest‐grossing genres. The chart illustrates differentiated contributions to box office revenues from domestic films and foreign films bygenres, while romance and comedy movies had the biggest share for domestic films. Action and sci‐fi movies dominated foreign films, with action movies capturing 44 per cent.
Analysis of Box Office and Releases in Mainland China by Genres and Percentage
Market shares of China’s film production entities in 2013
With 35 releases generating a gross of RMB2.678 billion, China Film Group Corporation held a dominating box office position in 2013, unshakable in a short term. Of the films co‐produced, there were 7 each with a box office gross over RMB100 million. With 8 mid to low budget releases such as So Young and The Chef, The Actor,The Scoundrel, Enlight Pictures performed well, realizing a box office gross of RMB1.795 billion. Huayi Brothers, however, was not as lucky as it used to be. Its controversial Personal Tailor fell short of the expected gross of RMB1 billion, compounded by another two failed movies of Mr. Go and Saving General Yang. Village Roadshow and ChinaVision, by contrast, progressed noticeably. Their co‐produced blockbuster Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, grossing RMB1.246 billion, made both a TOP 10 producer.
In general, compared with the 2012’s, TOP 10 producers for 2013 reshuffled, with a significant redistribution of market share among private entities. It suggests to a certain extent an immature and unstable development of China’s film production industry.
Market Shares of the TOP 10 Producers in 2013
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About EntGroup
EntGroup Consulting is the leading research and consulting company focusing on China’s entertainment industry. A member of ComInsight Information Alliance Group, EntGroup focuses on providing data and information, conducting market research, industry research, consulting, and organizing media conferences. We serve a wide range of clients in areas of film, TV, new media, entertainment marketing and animation.
EntGroup also operates an online portal for the entertainment industry— http://english.entgroup.cn
About EBOT
EBOT EntGroup Box Office Tracker is a database focusing on the entertainment industry. Created and managed by China's leading entertainment industry research institute, EntGroup, it provides statistics and analysis on film and TV industries, as well as insight on market trends and consumer behaviors. It is an essential tool for entertainment investors, financiers, film production companies, distributors and advertisers. EBOT integrates Box Office data and analysis, moviegoer surveys, advertising insight, buzz tracking and industry research reports.
For more information, please visit: http://english.entgroup.com.cn/enbase.html or contact
Leon (President) Tel: 86-10-85899985-813 E-mail: leon@entgroup.cn;
Amy (Vice President) Tel: 86-10-85899985-847 E-mail: amy@entgroup.cn
Nancy Wu (Director of North America) Tel: 1(323)-723-2650, E-mail: nancy@entgroup.cn.
