With the theme of "Integrated Development of the World Film Industry", the Global Film Producers Summit Forum invites Chinese and foreign film producers to gather together to discuss film production.
Representatives of world-renowned directors, screenwriters, top film and television production companies, producers, film academies, film and television associations, etc. will speak freely, summarize the past, discuss the current situation and looking forward to the future, thus promote the development of the international film industry.
1) The development trend of world film after the epidemic.
2) Film dissemination in the digital age.
3) Producers' requirements for film creation in the context of cultural integration.
The Global Film Producers Summit Forum was held in Los Angeles and looking forward to the prospect of co-production by China and U.S
On December 12, the first World Film Industry Conference was organized the Global Film Producers Summit Forum at LOEWS Hotel in Los Angeles.Many filmmakers who were active for a long-time in China and U.S, have talked about their opinions of China- U.S relationship, the epidemic situation and the influence by the development of streaming media in future film industry.
Chinese director Sherwood Hu was taking the conduct of the forum. Other participants included Bill Mechanical, who is the producer of the Oscar shortlisted film "Hacksaw Ridge"; Omar Kaczmarczyk, who is a Producer and produced more than 200 films; A veteran Hollywood Co-Producer, Fredric Golchan; and Musician Gordon Williams, a Grammy Award winner.
As for the future prospect of the co-production of China and U.S, the filmmakers also think that there's having a great obstacle, but they are still looking for the opportunities.Fredric Golchan considers that's really difficult to find a theme that can satisfy the demand of U.S. and China's markets.Recently, he was preparing a film that's about Anna May Wong, who is the first Chinese-American Hollywood actress. The films will telling how this Chinese American actress broke all kinds of limitations and prejudices, and finally won a place in Hollywood.He believes that this story will be liked by Chinese and American audiences and expected to start shooting in the United States soon. Of course, he will consider the demands of the Chinese market and strive for its release in China.
Also, the American producer Bill Mechanical has shared his recent experience of co-production.He was planning to produce a film, which is about the 1960s Chinese immigrants were then building railways in California, and the story will mainly around the racial conflict and class conflict in those days.In the beginning, they were ready to be shooting in Australia and China but have been shelved due to the epidemic. Later, because of the rigid relationship between China and U.S., the investor was not optimistic that the film can release in China and the reaction in American market, so the shooting was suspended.Bill said sarcastically, "The original name of this film was 'Separation', which is refers to the separation and estrangement between the culture and race. Now, it's really can't be shot because of this."
However, he hasn't completely abandoned the Chinese market. He said: "The past experience in Hollywood has told me that being a producer is not that easy, many films have to be brewing for ten years or more. In some periods of time, the topics that are not interesting or considered impossible maybe would suddenly become popular.For example, most people were not interested in making comic books to adapt films in few decades ago. But now, the comic adaption are the most popular films."So, he thought that the waiting is worth as long as there is enthusiasm, also this is the most challenge need to be overcome by the producers.
When it comes to the development of streaming media, there are different views among the participants. In the discussion, we can see the two mainly views of Hollywood at present.The producer Omar Kaczmarczyk believes that the gradual declination of cinematic films is inevitable.If the co-productions couldn't find an investment and studios, they should be flexible and seek for other distribution channels such as streaming media, instead of relying on the traditional distribution form.He believes that the streaming media has changed people's viewing habits. As a filmmaker, how to make his works can see by more audience is the first consideration, and the huge number of the Netflix subscribers is enough to prove that streaming media can reach more audiences.
On the other hand, Bill Mechanical is still confident to the traditional release form in cinemas.In his opinion, although the streaming media platform is rich in media contents, but the qualities is intermingled; moreover, because the contents is too informative, the works from many unknown directors or actors were likely to be buried in it, missing the chances to show to the audience.It's act like you putting your book in a big library, when your book mix into others, you are not necessarily finding it.
Xue-Hua Hu also believes that's still having a big difference between watching films in cinemas and watching them at home. Even though streaming media has indeed brought the changes in watching experience, he still hopes that cinemas can continue to exist and provide variety of choices to the audiences.He said, compared with the box office in Chinese films before the epidemic, the box office of this year had shrunk by nearly half, and also caused many cinemas were closed.Perhaps the "Avatar 2", which was released on December 16, could give the film market a huge shot in the arm and save some big cinema practitioners.Omar also said that in the cold winter of the film market, the spirit and theme to be conveyed by the work is particularly important. As long as the audience can feel the sincere in the production and content, it will not be submerged and eliminated.
When they were answering the question raised by the audience about how to balance the commerciality and artistry of the films, these veteran filmmakers sincerely said that, in fact, the art and commerce cannot be separated.A Good artwork must be profitable and costly. Bill Mechanical said, the cost of "Titanic" was extremely highest in concurrent films, and no one understood how such a film could earn money, but now it seems that everything is worth it."Titanic" and "Avatar" are the both typical examples of the win-win situation in business and art, and they are the most time-consuming and expensive in production.
In addition, they proposed that the producer should be consider the films could or couldn't be accept by the market in the early stage of film producing, and how to take care the marketing and publishing to reach more audience.In the film's production and promotion processes, they can in co-ordination, giving help and inspire to each other, rather than processing in separate.
In this week, the first World Film Industry Conference was held in Santa Monica, which is located in Los Angeles, attracted many filmmakers from around the world to participate. It has become a new opportunity for dialogue between Asia and the world's entertainment industry in the post epidemic era, so as to revitalize the global cultural industry that has been hit hard by the epidemic.
The whole event is for two-days, and the contents included the opening and closing ceremonies, the Global Film Academy Deans Forum, the Global Film Producers Summit Forum, the Sixth Sino-US Cultural Industry Summit, the first Aollywood Five Continents Film Festival - "Gloden Jasmine Award" Releasing Conference, the Establishment Ceremony of the World Film Industry Association, etc.
The World Film Industry Conference was co-organized by the Aollywood Film Workers Association and Lansion Media USA, assisted by the American Chinese Friendship Association, and strategically supported by the Aollywood First Product.The theme of this year's conference is "Dialogue across the Pacific from Hollywood to Aollywood", which aims to find a way to revive the global film industry in the post epidemic era, also promote the exchanges and cooperation in the world film industry.The conference was found assemble almost 300 elites and experts in worldwide film industry, and more than 200 guests have been invited. All of them are insisting the spirit of film makers and committing to improving the world situation.Additionally, it is reported that the 18 Leaders Summit, as well as the World Film Festival Chairman Forum and the Global City Mayors Forum which were supposed to held simultaneously in Macao, would be postponed to March 30-31 next year owing to the epidemic.
