After several years in the doldrums, movie production is again looking up, and one of the brightest spots is China. Recently the Beijing International Film Festival was held in conjunction with a number of events to assist global producers, and Pamela Wilson Endrina was there to report back to Australian producers who enrol in Victoria University’s forthcoming Professional Course in Executive Screen Production.
“I go to these events to network and identify opportunities for our students.” The Beijing scene was flash with cash – there were quite a few companies interested in partnering with emerging producers with innovative projects.”
“This year there was a significant buzz around international co-production,” added Wilson Endrina. “Both Chinese officials and producers provided important information on what is currently happening in China.”
One of the events organised with the Beijing International Film Festival was the Australia-China Film Industry Forum, which began on 23 April and went until the 25th. The Forum built on the success of the first Forum held in December 2010, and was an invitation-only event that provided opportunities for networking. This event was arranged by the Australian Embassy in Beijing and Screen Australia, and those in attendance included producer Emile Sherman of The King’s Speech. Others in attendance were Mario Andreacchio, producer of Dragon Pearl, Pauline Chan, Rosemary Blight and Doug Mitchell, one of the producers of Happy Feet.
“These events brought together the key players from China, Australia and the US,” said Pamela. She added that in 2012 there were noticeably more producers arriving from Los Angeles to participate in the Beijing Film Festival, including several major players from heavyweight studios such as Village Roadshow and Universal. “Quite a few of the major US studios attended this year, as they now recognise that China is the most profitable territory for film outside the US,” said Pamela.
There were a number of half-day sessions during the Australia-China Industry Forum where networking between producers could take place with a view to forming co-production partnerships. Those present discovered that Chinese producers are looking for partners to help them launch international productions, and gain access to distribution and/or tax credits. The workshops provided advice on understanding the requirements of setting up co-productions with China, including financial strategies, how to get money out of China, and what to look for in a potential co-production partner, from both the Australian and Chinese perspectives.
“Those who enrol in the Professional Course in Executive Screen Production can gain access to the wealth of information we picked up from attending these sessions in China,” Pamela said. She also does this for other markets such as the US and Europe. However, in view of the increasing importance of China in the film production space, Victoria University is targeting it as a priority path to co-production.
It seems that everyone is trying to get into China at the moment. The second year of the Beijing International Film Festival saw it gain status as an international event, and offered new directions on the way forward in working with and within China, as well as finding partners to share the financial burden of establishing yourself in China. Legendary filmmaker James Cameron attended (Titanic, Avatar) as well as such industry heavyweights as Fox chief Jim Gianopulos.
The Festival was another opportunity for Australians to meet with people in the Asia Pacific region.
“The topic of getting money out of China remains a curly one”, Wilson Endrina advised. The conventional wisdom in the West is that it is best to set up a business model that is not dependant on getting funds from China. Instead, the most effective method seems to be to set up the deal so that the Chinese revenues remain with the Chinese co-production partner, and the international revenues flow to the other partner outside China. “So you cover the Western side and your Chinese partner covers the Chinese side,” she said.
There is more limited opportunity to do that in television, as most broadcasters are still operating on the old state ownership model. But for films there is an abundance of opportunity. “There is money around, and Chinese partners can put in equity equal to that of a Western partner,” she said. “All you have to do then is sort out the rights.”
Some problems with working in China include the fact that the storytelling sometimes has to be different. For example, they don’t do science fiction as a genre, their comedy is more slapstick than Western tastes, and they have some quite unique genres of story that we don’t at all.
But the possibilities are tantalising.
In 2012 the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre is offering the following courses:
Master Classes
Melbourne
Understanding International Co-productions – Finance and Legals (2 days)
June 16-17, 2012
Financing Your Screen Project – Sources and Strategies(2 days)
October 6-7, 2012
Sydney
Financing Your Screen Project – Sources and Strategies (2 days)
September 8- 9, 2012
Professional Course in Executive Screen Production
Melbourne
July 7-8, 21-22, and 28-29, 2012 (6 days)
Sydney
November 9-11 and 23-25, 2012 (6 days)
For more information, or to register for courses, phone 03 9919 1843 or email website.
