China Media Monitor Headlines Archives

 

During the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday of 2014, several mainland film market and Chinese-language movie records have been broken. 

 

On January 31 (Day 1), Chinese box office grossed RMB253 million (US$41.66 million), beating the single-day record of RMB205 million (US$33.7 million) set last year on Valentine’s Day.

 

On February 1, the market continued this strong performance, taking RMB208 million (US$ 34.2 million); on February 2, box office reached more than RMB20 million (US$3.3 million), the first time China has broken RMB20 million (US$3.3 million) for three consecutive days.

 

Box-office sales over the whole seven-day Lunar New Year holiday reached RMB1.4 billion (US$23 million), up 86% compared to the same period last year. This pushed January numbers to nearly RMB1.9 billion (US$ 0.31 billion). 

 

Over the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday, films screened 843,000 times, up 66% over 2013, and attracted nearly 39 million movie goers, an increase of 98% compared to the same period last year.

 

In terms of individual performance, this year there were six releases on the first day. They are The Monkey King (Da Nao Tian Gong), Ace In The Hole (Qian Ren Gong Lv), The Man from Macau (Ao Men Feng Yun), Where are we going? Dad (Ba Ba Qu Naer?) etc. 

 

The stellar box office performance was driven by just two titles, The Monkey King and Where Are We Going, Dad? These two films grossed respectively RMB612 million (US$101.04 million) and RMB468 million (US$77.27 million), a total of RMB1.08 billion (US$ 17 million) or 77% share of total box-office. 

 

The Monkey King took RMB125 million (US$20.5 million) on its debut day, the highest-grossing opening for a Chinese-language movie and also become the first film to take RMB300 million (US$49 million) in the mainland in three days. 

 

Meanwhile, reality TV adaptation Where Are We Going, Dad? broke the record for a 2D domestic film with RMB90 million (US$14 million) box office sales on Day 1.

 

 

According to press reports, China’s annual import quota for revenue share films is set to rise to 44 titles from next month, an increase of 10 films. The final decision is said to be set for announcement during the National Congress Meeting in March.

 

In February 2012, China and the US (which supplies nearly all such films) reached consensus on a MOU under which China would increase imports of US titles and films playing in IMAX and 3D theaters. The share of box office receipts paid to the foreign party also rose to 25%, up from 13%.

 

The agreement aroused controversy inside the country and 2012 was the first time for 12 years in which box office for domestic films was less than imported films.

 

In 2013, a number of successful low budget productions from new Chinese directors raised audience appetites with domestic films accounting for 58.65%, a new record in recent years. 

 

Should the number of imported films rise again, it will hardly mark the opening of the China film market, but it will add to the numbers of domestic films that never see the the light of the screen (see CMM passim).

 

 

The Chinese version of Korean format Where Are We Going, Dad?, launched by Hunan Satellite TV, has become the most successful franchise to date with a full industry chain covering TV, film and mobile games. 

 

The first season of Dad? was broadcast from October 11 to December 27 in 2013, topping China audience ratings during the same time slot. 

 

Naming rights to the show’s first season TV broadcast was sold to a medicine company for RMB28 million (US$4.62 million). For the second season, the same rights went to dairy company Yili for RMB311 million (US$51.25 million). In addition, new media broadcast rights were sold to iQiyi for RMB200 million (US$33.02 million) bundled with other variety shows. Hunan TV retains rights for OTT distribution. 

 

Following promotion of the second season, the film and the mobile game have become hits. The mobile game based on the Dad? show was downloaded more than 10 million times on launch, ranking No.1 on various websites that provide app downloads.

 

Now the film of the same name, released on January 31, has taken RMB500 million (US$82.55 million) at the box office in just eight days, creating a new record for a 2D Chinese film. By 

February 9, the film had made RMB570 million (US$94.12 million), despite complaints about low production quality. 

 

Not all TV formats can survive the move to film and another hot reality talent show adaptation, I Want You, has left producers with serious losses.

 

Adapted from talent show The Voice of China (Zhong Guo Hao Sheng Yin), the second highest rated TV show in 2013, I Want You is jointly produced by Paul Edward, Zhejiang Satellite TV and Enlight Media. 

 

With investment of RMB30 million (US$4.95 million), the film has taken just RMB3 million (US$0.5 million) since December 27. It took over 20 days to shoot I Want You and two months from shoot to screen. The production companies once predicted the film would take RMB1 billion (US0.17 billion) at the box office. 

 

Meanwhile, EE Media, Blue Fame and Enlight Media are said to have spent just five days shooting Dad? and one month to take it to screen. 

 

According to critics, the biggest difference between the two films is content. Dad? features the same story as the TV show, while I Want You features a new story about music dreamers from the TV show. They say the most attractive part of The Voice of China is the singing performance and communication between singers and tutors, both lacking in the film. In contrast, Dad? still has star daddies and kids completing various tasks. 

 

 

Chinese domestic animation film Boonie Bears: To the Rescue (Xiong Chu Mo Zhi Duo Bao Xiong Bing) surpassed RMB200 million (US$33.02 million) at the box office on January 28, a new record for domestic animation films.

In September 2013, ten radio and television corporations signed with CORSHIP to promote “Feikan Set-up Box” to expand into the field of network video by upgrading traditional one-way DVB set-top boxes into DVB+OTT (Over The Top). After upgrade, users will receive programs not only from radio and TV operators, but also from Internet services. 

 

Recently, SumaVision announced it was setting up an OTT TV operations platform, and establishing strategic cooperative partnership with Youku Tudou to operate OTT business, value-added services and etc.

 

Over 2013, the penetration of smart TVs has already reached over 50% and OTT boxes are the most popular topic in the TV area. Overseas companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple and domestic players including Huawei, LeTV and Xiaomi are all promoting their own box products. 

 

The battle of TV robs has also launched. In July 2013, Google issued Chromecast. In August, PPTV launched the entitled PPLink TV rob, September, Baidu TV rob is launched.

 

Moves by radio and TV enterprises to launch network TV and cooperate and compete with big Internet corporations shows that the promotion of network integration is driving the business orientation of domestic telecommunications, TV and Internet players.