Bright Shadow Films

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.

• Production Equipment Rental List
• The People of Republic Desire Update-20090925
• People’s Republic of Desire
• In need of cash, Hollywood looks to India, China
• The Insider’s Guide to Shooting in China
• Application materials for a Sino-foreign co-production
• Hong Kong Filmart launches documentary market
• Are you ready for 34th HK Film Festival
• Confucius (Kong ze)
• Showreel

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.

• Production Equipment Rental List
• The People of Republic Desire Update-20090925
• People’s Republic of Desire
• In need of cash, Hollywood looks to India, China
• What is a Sino-foreign co-production?
• Application materials for a Sino-foreign co-production
• Hong Kong Filmart launches documentary market
• Are you ready for 34th HK Film Festival
• Confucius (Kong ze)
• Showreel

If you are in China and you are planning on watch Transformers II in the cinema, you will see how popular this film it is in China, I just found this article in Variety.com and it seems this movie’s box office has gone huge all over the world.

Here is the article from Variety(By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK)

Aside from its whopping five-day domestic tally — the second highest of all time — Paramount’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” broke records in several countries overseas, leading to a massive $387.3 million worldwide through Sunday, one of the best global launches ever.

The five-day opening gross of $201.2 million from 4,234 theaters domestically easily eclipsed the $152.4 million earned by “Spider-Man 2,” which previously held the five-day record for a Wednesday launch. And “Transformers 2″ nearly matched the best five-day gross of all time: $203.8 million for WB’s “The Dark Knight.”

Overseas, the action tentpole opened to an estimated $162 million, the fourth best international opening of all time, after “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” ($216.3 million), “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” ($193 million) and “Spider-Man 3″ ($164.9 million). The sequel’s foreign cume was $186.1 million when factoring in the $24.1 million earned the previous weekend in the U.K. and Japan.

Although the Michael Bay-helmed pic sucked up most of the oxygen at the box office, other pics scored notable numbers. Disney-Pixar’s “Up” surpassed Par’s “Star Trek” to become the year’s highest-grossing title at the domestic B.O. (The film’s cume through Sunday was an estimated $250.2 million, boosted by the added charge for 3-D tickets.)

Warner Bros.’ “The Hangover” passed $200 million at the worldwide B.O. Domestically, it saw $17.2 million from 3,525 for a cume of $183.2 million. Abroad, film earned $10.1 million from 1,250 runs in 29 markets for a cume of $46.2 million and worldwide tally of $229.2 million.

Several specialty titles popped, including Summit Entertainment’s “The Hurt Locker.” Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film posted a per-screen average of $36,000 as it opened in four theaters in L.A. and New York, grossing an estimated $144,000.

The weekend’s only wide release besides “Revenge of the Fallen” was Cameron Diaz-Abigail Breslin drama “My Sister’s Keeper.” The film saw modest biz in grossing $12 million from 2,606 runs to come in No. 5 for the weekend.

In other holdover action, Fox’s “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” crossed the $200 million mark internationally as it grossed $5.2 million from 4,000 runs in 62 territories for a foreign cume of $202.3 million and worldwide tally of $365.5 million.

Sony continued to see strong international results for “Terminator Salvation,” which grossed $10.1 million for the sesh from 7,470 theaters in 70 markets for a foreign cume of $193.7 million. Accounting for territories where Sony isn’t distributing, pic’s total foreign gross is $219.5 million.

The romantic comedy “The Proposal,” from the Mouse House, continued to click. The Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds starrer dipped 45% to an estimated $18.5 million from 3,058 runs; cume is $69 million. The pic grossed another $7.2 million overseas for the weekend, putting the worldwide cume at $91.7 million in its first 10 days.

On the domestic front, Focus Features’ dramedy “Away We Go” landed in the No. 10 spot in its fourth week, grossing $1.7 million as it expanded into 495 locations for a per-screen average of $3,390 and cume of $3.4 million.

And Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works,” from Sony Pictures Classics, grossed $386,286 in its second frame for a per-screen average of $11,036 and cume of $765,433.

Miramax’s Michelle Pfeiffer period piece “Cheri” grossed $408,000 as it opened on 76 screens for a per-location average of $5,368.

Not having such a good weekend domestically was Sony’s Jack Black-Michael Cera laffer “Year One,” which tumbled 70% in its second frame to $5.8 million for a domestic cume of $32.3 million.

But the big news, of course, is the “Transformers” sequel, the first tentpole since “Dark Knight” to truly rocket into the B.O. stratosphere.

Paramount co-chair Rob Moore said the pic played to a much broader audience than its predecessor, noting that the first time around, males made up 60% of the audience. This time, that number dropped to 54%.

More important to Moore: Despite negative reviews, more than 90% of those polled as they left theaters said the sequel was as good as, or better than, the first.

“To us, that’s the most compelling data point,” Moore said. “The thing that works so much about this franchise is the level of optimism and fun that’s inherent in it. It transports you to a world that stretches reality but is a ton of fun.”

Par execs were particularly pleased, since the studio pegs the pic’s production and worldwide marketing at $350 million — which the film already surpassed in five days.

In terms of just the three-day weekend, “Transformers 2″ grossed $112 million domestically. That, plus the $163 million international opening, makes for a worldwide weekend bow of $274 million, the third best after “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World End” ($356.1 million) and “Spider-Man 3″ ($315.9 million).

The international haul was led by China at $21.9 million — the biggest opening of all time for an English-language movie. While it played strongest in Asia, “Revenge of the Fallen” performed ahead of the first film in almost every market, proving that the franchise has taken hold, Paramount prexy of international distribution Andrew Cripps said.

“Transformers,” which Par and DreamWorks debuted over the Fourth of July holiday in 2007, opened to $70.5 million domestically on its way to cuming $319.2 million in North America and $700 million worldwide.

Imax also participated in the “Transformers 2″ bounty. The pic played on 169 Imax screens domestically. Five-day opening gross at Imax sites was a record $14.4 million.

The “Transformers” franchise was among the projects that reverted to Paramount after its split with DreamWorks, although Steven Spielberg remained an exec producer on the sequel and DreamWorks’ logo appears at the opening of the pic and in ads.

Adam Goodman, who arrived at Par six months ago from DreamWorks, helped guide both “Transformer” pics. Just days before the “Transformers” sequel opened, Paramount chair-CEO Brad Grey announced that Goodman was being upped to Paramount Film Group prexy as production toppers John Lesher and Brad Weston were exiting the studio.

Grey also lauded Bay’s ability to connect with audiences. He said the entire Par family is “proud to be behind him, and we look forward to our collaboration with him in the future.”

“Transformers 3″ is tentatively slotted to open July 1, 2011.

In the meantime, “Revenge of the Fallen” is expected to remain a sizable B.O. force in the coming days, looming over such new fare as 20th Century Fox’s 3-D toon “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” which opens Wednesday.

Also opening Wednesday is Universal’s Johnny Depp gangster pic “Public Enemies.”

• The Insider’s Guide to Shooting in China
• Production Equipment Rental List
• The People of Republic Desire Update-20090925
• People’s Republic of Desire
• What is a Sino-foreign co-production?
• Application materials for a Sino-foreign co-production
• Hong Kong Filmart launches documentary market
• Are you ready for 34th HK Film Festival
• Confucius (Kong ze)
• Showreel

Ever Since Bright Shadow Films Set the distribution department, we have been very busy with some distribution work in China, we bring the western movies into Chinese Cinema.

In April 2009, Our first project ” Female Agent (Les femmes de l’ombre) ” went great in China, we brought the famous French actress Sophie Marceau into Beijing and Shanghai for the film premiere, the whole project went very smooth, if you search it in Chinese, you can find a lot of report about it.

Recently our distribution manager Gregory is in Cannes Film Festival, hopefully in this year you can see more work from Bright Shadow Films, same time if you have any thoughts regarding our project, feel free to contact us: info@brightshadowfilms.com

Here is a few random pictures from that night’s Shanghai premiere:

• The Insider’s Guide to Shooting in China
• Production Equipment Rental List
• The People of Republic Desire Update-20090925
• People’s Republic of Desire
• What is a Sino-foreign co-production?
• Application materials for a Sino-foreign co-production
• Hong Kong Filmart launches documentary market
• Are you ready for 34th HK Film Festival
• Confucius (Kong ze)
• Showreel