Bright Shadow Films » Hengdian Documentary

What is a Sino-foreign co-production?

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:46:15 +0000

Nature.

A Sino-foreign co-production, simply put, is a contractual arrangement between a foreign party and a Chinese party to conduct filming in China. There may be multiple parties on each side, provided that the Chinese party/parties must be production entity/entities accredited by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) (for details, see “Structuring a Sino-foreign co-production”). For purposes of Sino-foreign co-production, investors or producers from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administration Regions and the territory of Taiwan are considered as overseas parties.

Relationship of the parties.

The parties to a Sino-foreign co-production organize and conduct affairs of the co-production, including division of rights and obligations, in accordance with the co-production agreement entered into between them. The parties do not set up a separate entity for purposes of the co-production.

Approval.

All Sino-foreign co-productions must obtain the approval granted by the SARFT before any filming activity commences, and when the film is completed (that is, the censorship approval). Every co-production project can only be directed at producing and shooting one film, and a separate application is required for each project. The approvals are granted on a case-by-case basis depending on the relevant authority’s review of, among other things, the screenplay and the completed film. The regulatory regime captures all film genres and all formats in which filming will be conducted.

Governing authority.

The governing authority for Sino-foreign co-production is the SARFT, in particular, the Film Bureau of the SARFT. Nevertheless, the SARFT has appointed China Film Co-production Corporation (CFCC) as its sole agent to assist in managing and coordinating the applications, conducting preliminary review of the screenplay and completed film, and other logistical matters relating to Sino-foreign co-productions.

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The Insider’s Guide to Shooting in China

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:04:00 +0000

This article is originally from here

Photographers are heading to China in droves right now, whether for the coming Olympics in Beijing (August 8-24), to cover the aftermath of the tragic May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province — or just to shoot stock: China’s ferocious growth and rapidly changing economy have made it a perennially hot news property.

“It’s an unusual time of openness in China, which is traditionally a xenophobic country, thanks to the Olympics and the earthquake, ” says Jeff Greenwald, executive director of Ethical Traveler , a project of the Earth Island Institute. “That openness is a two-way street. People traveling to China, particularly Americans, can try to counteract some of the negative images that China has of us from its media.”

But this is a very politically sensitive country. Attempting to shoot certain subjects—anything to do with say, Tibet, religion, state executions, and disease—can get you in trouble with the authorities. Along with Greenwald, PDNOnline talked to ten photographers who have shot in mainland China to get their tips for those new to the country. Several living in or frequently working in China spoke on the condition of anonymity. Those who spoke to us on the record are:

Monte Isom, a commercial photographer who specializes in portraits of athletes
Catherine Karnow, photographer behind National Geographic Traveler: Beijing
Wayne Liu, a Taiwan-born fine-arts shooter
Mads Nissen, a freelance photojournalist based in Shanghai
Sara Remington, a food and travel photographer
James Whitlow Delano, a Tokyo-based photographer with Redux Pictures and author of Empire: Impressions from China

BEFORE YOU GO

Vaccines: Many photographers recommended getting the Hepatitis B vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control has a Web site for China with a full health briefing.

Visas: Note that your passport has to be valid for at least six more months. The visa situation has changed several times in the past few months. Check the Chinese Embassy’s Web site for the most up-to-date requirements.

Everyone had an opinion on getting a tourist or business visa versus an official journalist visa:

“We went in on a tourist visa to shoot a wedding and pick up stock. The photographer I went with and I had four camera bodies and 10 lenses. But she and I purposefully made ourselves look younger and separated ourselves.”—Remington

“When I was freelancing, I was on a business visa because I wanted to stay completely off the radar. Now, I am staff and on a J-1 (resident journalist) visa, as it is required by my company. There are benefits to being unregistered and registered. Unregistered allows more freedom to move and work on sensitive stories, but you run the risk of being deported, arrested, or having your contacts get arrested. Being registered allows you to do official events and work openly, but it is restricted. Registered journalists are not allowed to visit Tibet unless invited, and the invitation is difficult to obtain.”—Photojournalist based in China

“It depends on how much you have to lose. If you were going to come and shoot a big production with a lot of lights and models, you kind of need to get a proper visa. The police can close your operation down in a second.”—Beijing-based documentary photographer

“The business visa situation was changing constantly this year. Even my local Chinese producer couldn’t get it all put together. We needed a letter of invitation from the company hiring me, proof the airfare was confirmed and booked, hotel confirmed and booked, two passport photos, a letter from me to my assistants saying I was hiring them and they needed a visa, and an official invitation from the correct department. And that’s for one month. For a multiple-entry visa you need to prove why you need to come in and out.”–Isom

SHOOTING

Street/stock photography:

“The first thing to remember about China is that it’s not just one ethnic group. You can’t make assumptions about how people will feel about having their photo taken, or the courtesies involved. People in Beijing on the street might be OK with you shooting without asking, but Muslim Chinese people in the southern regions might react every differently.”— Greenwald

“As a woman, you just look a lot less threatening. Sometimes I wear little open-toed sandal with a pedicure. I wanted to shoot this massive demolition scene from above. There was a hotel nearby overlooking it, but there is no way in China you can just go up to the manager and explain you’re shooting for a National Geographic guidebook and get permission. I pretended I was checking in, looked at several rooms, and then I ended up sneaking in through the kitchen and shooting from the fire escape. I stuck my camera in my nice big Coach purse.”—Karnow

Photojournalism and sensitive topics

“Sometimes the political situation is dominant (anti-NATO riots 1999, the annual party congress), and sometimes it fades. But during the Olympics you can be sure it will be forefront. It’s not like there are cops everywhere telling you not to shoot, but subjects might get touchy about mildest things during times of political stress. Be subtle and act innocent. —Documentary photographer

“There is a saying in China that it is easier to ask forgiveness than for permission (read: access). Act first, and chances are if you are mild mannered, good natured, and wear a smile, even authorities will forgive a photograph of a bridge, soldier, or some other moderately sensitive subject in this often loosely controlled one-party state.”—Whitlow Delano

Commercial photography

“Chinese clients typically do not pay the agency and have them pay you. If they did, it would cost them about 12-15 percent more because of invoice taxes etc. So the client pays you directly—except the client does not want to pay anyone outside of China because that incurs a 15 percent tax; there is a loophole in Hong Kong. So the best way to go about doing a job there is to find a local production, hire them to produce your job, and then they pay you. They will charge a premium, but it makes the Chinese company more willing to hire you. Also, negotiating with Chinese clients is much different than in the United States. They want a deal. Doesn’t matter where the starting price was, they want it to be lower. “—Isom

LOGISTICS

“Skype is great for calling back home. With an unlocked cell phone, you can get a local SIM card, put $50 on it, and SMS back and forth to your local clients and back to the States. People in China text a lot and won’t like paying international fees to text you while you’re just across the city.”—Isom

“For those of us who are accustomed to uploading and downloading via FTP, you will realize as soon as you get to China that FTP speeds are nowhere near where it once was.”—from Nissen’s handy posting on
Lightstalkers.org for using the Internet in China

“It’s easy to find cheap hostels; I used Lonely Planet. Don’t pay until you see the rooms. They might be sketchy, dirty, rat infested. I felt safe leaving my film and extra camera equipment in the hostels I stayed in.”—Liu

“The bathroom situation is interesting for women. Pack your own toilet paper —and hand sanitizer is good, too.”—Remington

FOOD

“I basically eat what the locals eat. But if I’m doing a pollution story on, for example, in a ‘cancer-village,’ I’ll bring my own food or eat instant noodles, though it can be pretty boring for a whole week. “—Nissen

“I always have antibiotics on hand because my experiences is that one gets sick at 2 a.m. not 2 p.m.”—Delano

“The person I was traveling with was allergic to gluten, which was impossible to explain to people. So if you have food sensitivities, bring plenty of protein bars, almonds, etc.”—Remington

PEOPLE

“If you don’t speak Chinese, find a hip and friendly bilingual local assistant. It’s pretty easy to chat young people up, but older folks feel more comfortable with a local person talking to them. Avoid the scams where English-speaking ‘art students’ try to show you ‘their works’ that you buy because they are so friendly, or take you to a tea shop where each cup is practically $50.”—Documentary photographer

“A good guide, a good ‘fixer,’ is absolutely critical. Smart, tireless, their English has to be good but not necessarily great. When I am shooting portraits, for me to be able to coax the expressions and gestures out of people, I need almost simultaneous translation.”—Karnow

ETHICS

“Be aware that your actions when uncovering sensitive issues may bring heavy consequences upon people who can not leave the country. Do not post names, photograph faces of people who are quoted commenting on sensitive topics that are contrary to government policy. The story is not worth ruining a good person’s life. Period.”—Delano

“If I were covering a sensitive story I would hire a translator who is not a Chinese national—who has a foreign passport, but who speaks Chinese fluently. I would try not to use a minority, like a Tibetan, to work on these issues. Because they’re already in a politically sensitive situation. As the photographer I do what I can do to protect the people I work with and who I photograph, but in the end it’s a really messed-up situation.”—Beijing-based documentary photographer

Freelance writer Bonnie Azab Powell lives in Oakland with her husband, portrait photographer Bart Nagel . She would like to go to China someday — but maybe after the Olympics.

http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003815876

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Suggestions for Fresh Film Directors

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:25:23 +0000

This Post Originally from here.

Yu Nan, one of the jury members for the Asian New Talent Award during the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival, had an exclusive interview with correspondent from Daily News yesterday. As a jury member, Yu Nan expressed her excitement to see so many spirited works, and she hoped these fresh film directors could stick to their own style, not to be distracted by material gain. Besides work, for the first time, Yu Nan replied to questions related to love in her real life and confessed that she was hoping for true love.

Yu Nan has already had some experience of being a jury member on International Film Festival overseas ahead of the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival, but she told the reporter that this time she felt very familiar and a sense of achievement. “I feel honored, because to be a jury member means that people already recognized my acting; and I feel very familiar, because I can speak native language to communicate with people and meet so many old friends. The get-togethers are most exciting.”
As for the evaluating criteria to this Asian New Talent Award, Yu Nan laughed and continued, “Each jury member has his own taste, but we will get together and discuss over it. The exchanges of ideas are valuable.” Yu Nan indicated that she had viewed four pieces of works so far to compete for the award, among them two were very impressive. However, being a jury member, she declined to reveal those names. She went on to comment, “I am so glad to see vitality and creativity all over these works, and each piece of work has its own style. I hope these fresh film directors could stick to their own style and not to be lead by material gain, including the awards. I firmly believe these film directors are the promising ones on international film festivals in the future.” As for the debate on “art or business” by Wang Xiaoshuai and Lu Chuan during the forum the day before, Yu Nan smiled and said, “maybe different directors have different perspectives towards films. But from my point of view, whether it’s business film or art film, the key lies in its good quality.”

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China Daily: Get a Peek at ‘The World’s Largest Studio’

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:23:45 +0000

If you guessed California or Florida or Canada or Romania, you’d be off by a few thousand miles. The World’s Largest Studio is a new documentary that promises to provide a picturesque view of Hengdian World Studios, located a few hours’ drive south from Shanghai in the eastern part of China. Producer Charlie Moretti t old Shanghai Daily that the film “looks at the lives of the businessmen who started the studios with just 2,000 yuan (US$261), the gardeners who tend the grounds, the actors and actresses and everyone else in between.”

Construction on the gigantic studios, which now cover more than 800 acres, commenced in 1996 when director Xie Jin wanted to recreate 1850s Canton for his film The Opium War. Businessman Xu Wenrong got the job done in just three months and the filmmaker was so impressed he recommended the location to Chen Kaige for his next project, The Emperor and the Assassin. That film required a huge new palace set, and Xu was happy to oblige. “We used up more dynamite than this county had used in its whole history,” he later told People’s Daily Online. A few years after that, Ang Lee filmed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at the studios and Zhang Yimou shot Hero. It’s notable that both Chen (The Promise) and Zhang (Curse of the Golden Flower) returned to work at Hengdian with their bigger-budgeted pictures.

The World’s Largest Studio screened for the first time in Shanghai this week. According to Moretti, a 27-year-old Frenchman who co-directed with Matthew Clarke, “people should soon be able to watch the documentary on international channels. We are also exploring the possibility of making an extended DVD.” A handsome-looking teaser, jammed with clips from films shot at the studio, is available on the production company’s web site.

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