Chapter 350 of the main text has three questions

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Almost all the eyes of everyone present were focused on Tong Gang, who was the deputy director of the General Administration, and he had the most say on this issue.

Tong Gang doesn't know how many times he has faced this question, and he answered it easily: "There have been many extreme events triggered by Hollywood movies in the last century, and in 81, John Hinckley shot US President Ronald Reagan because of his obsession with the actress Jodie Foster in the film "Taxi Driver". The 94-year-old film "Natural Born Murderer" directed several fatal homicides. These tragedies may not necessarily be related to the content of the film, but the bloody, violent and other scenes do have a certain degree of social incitement, and it is necessary to strictly censor the content. ”

Speaking of this, Tong Gang glanced at Zhang Ran: "Of course, in the past two years, the state has gradually liberalized censorship, and the approval process for scripts has been relaxed. ”

Zhang Ran did not dwell on this issue, and there is no solution to this question at present: "Now I want to ask the second question, we have been talking about going out. So where are we going? East Asia, the United States, Europe? We can't take all the places at once, we have to have a key direction, right?"

In order to express their own existence, the experts and scholars present expressed their opinions: "American films are the most powerful in the world, and if they can enter the American market, then our Chinese films will rise!"

"If we can't break into the U.S. market, then our going out strategy can't be considered a success. ”

"I hope that Chinese films can go out, let Americans buy tickets to watch our movies, and spread our culture!"

Zhang Ran looked at the impassioned experts and scholars present and thought to himself, do they really not understand the American market, or are they pretending to be confused? He sighed slightly and said, "You may not know much about the American film market, but in fact, the United States is the most difficult market to enter. It's not that there are policy restrictions that don't allow you to enter, as long as you can find a distributor in the United States, any movie can be distributed. What really restricts us from entering is the American audience, the cultural barriers. How can you say that? American audiences treat foreign movies a bit like the Qing Dynasty people treat foreign cultures, but they don't look down on them. The decades of Hollywood cinema have made American audiences form the habit of watching only local movies. In the eyes of Americans, foreign language films are niche literary films and alternative films, and most audiences will instinctively reject foreign language films when they hear them.

Last year, North America received $9.49 billion in votes, of which only 290 million, or 3 percent, were foreign films. Of this 3%, British and Australian films account for three-quarters, because they themselves also speak English and have no cultural barriers. As a result, there is even less room for foreign language films, less than 100 million. If our films want to enter the United States, we will have to compete with France, Germany, Spain and all other film powers for that pitiful share. What are our strengths?"

As soon as these words were finished, some experts and scholars retorted: "Then we don't want to go out according to your wishes? Chinese films must go out, this is not a question of whether you want to or not, this is a national strategy!"

"If it's difficult, won't you leave? Is it difficult to have a 25,000-mile long march?"

"Zhang Ran, don't be too pessimistic, isn't "Time and Space Warrior" a success, which shows that it is feasible to cooperate with Hollywood and borrow a boat to go to sea. Besides, isn't the Chinese film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" also successful!"

Zhang Ran smiled and said, "Of course we have to go out, and we have to cooperate with Hollywood, and the movie has to be sold to the United States." But the focus of our going out cannot be fixed on the United States. We should learn from the Xiangjiang films in the 80s, and the Xiangjiang films were sold to the United States very little, but it was the Hollywood of the East, and what did it rely on? It was the entire East Asian market. The whole of East Asia belongs to the Chinese cultural circle, which is culturally homologous to us, and can appreciate the same stories. For example, if we make a Three Kingdoms movie "Red Cliff", are Americans interested? Can they understand it? Not interested, and it is difficult to understand. They can't even figure out the names of the characters of the Three Kingdoms, so how can they understand the story? And in East Asia, which country doesn't know the Three Kingdoms? Japan has more Three Kingdoms games than all of us!"

Hearing this, Han Sanping's eyes lit up, this is a good idea, the theme of the Three Kingdoms is well known in Asia, and the TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" sold very well. If you make a movie about the Battle of Red Cliffs, it will definitely be a fire in the whole of East Asia. This project is very interesting!

What's more, "Red Cliff" is derived from the most classic traditional culture in China, and filming it is a promotion of Chinese culture, which is how Chinese culture has gone global!

Zhang Ran didn't notice Han Sanping's abnormality, and continued: "I think it is the right way to base ourselves on the local area and take the entire Chinese cultural circle as an extension of us! In addition, there are more than 50 million overseas Chinese in the world, and they have feelings for the local culture, if we can cultivate their habit of watching Chinese movies, and then radiate the mainstream market of the West through them, so that Chinese films can really go global!"

Everyone present was stunned, even Luo Shugang was stunned. In the past two years, the country has been talking about Chinese films going out, but there is no particularly specific content, I didn't expect Zhang Ran, a young man, to think so deeply, and the advice he proposed sounds really constructive!

In silence, Luo Shugang cleared his throat: "Zhang Ran, I really benefited a lot from what you said, we should really think about this problem." Do you have any other thoughts?

Zhang Ran was not polite, and continued: "I have a third question, since we talk about going out, how we go out is a very important issue. ”

Tong Gang has a lot to say about this: "Chinese films going out mainly rely on participating in various international film festivals and distributing them through overseas agencies. Because there is no relatively fixed and authoritative distribution unit, the overseas marketing of Chinese films is costly and difficult, which greatly reduces the number and progress of film output. Therefore, we set up a sea push company this year, and took the initiative to promote it at a major film festival and strive to establish our sales system. In addition, China Film and Hengdian are ready to form a company with Warner Bros. in the United States to produce and distribute co-production films, with the help of Hollywood's distribution and marketing channels for global distribution, Chinese films do not have their own channel network, so they can only borrow boats to go to sea, which is also the inspiration that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" gives us!"

Zhang Ran felt that Tong Gang saw the Hollywood giants too simply: "Borrowing a boat to go to sea can only be a stopgap measure, and they will definitely release movies co-produced with Warner, but they will not help us release other films, we still have to establish our own overseas marketing platform." Take North America as an example, there are more than 3 million Chinese in the United States and more than 1 million in Canada, adding up to 5 million. So we can only do it ourselves, slowly find out what movies different types of Chinese gathering areas like, and then put them on accurately, so that we can slowly build up this market!"

Indian films originally had no market in North America, but after several years of training, before Zhang Ran's rebirth, Indian films were the best-selling in North America except for British films, with more than a dozen films grossing more than one million a year. Indian cinema has captured Indians in North America and cultivated their habit of watching Indian films.

Chinese filmmakers are making efforts in this regard, and when Huashi Company first made Chinese-language films in North America, the box office was only a few thousand or tens of thousands of dollars, which can only be described as bleak. However, before Zhang Ran's rebirth, the situation had begun to improve, and many movies could reach hundreds of thousands. I believe that as long as you keep doing it, you will definitely be able to make more than a dozen movies a year like Indian films, which are quite million.

Zhang Ran proposed this proposal in the hope that the government would do it. Cultivating the market requires a process, and it may be a loss of money for the first five years, but it can be guaranteed for the next five years, and it will be profitable after ten years. This process is too long, and the income is limited, domestic companies like Huayi and Bona want to make quick money, and they will not do this kind of project, so they can only rely on the government to push it.

However, Tong Gang's words were disappointed: "Your idea is very good, but there is no possibility of realizing it now." Haitui Company only has 3 million yuan of funds every year, and it is overstretched to hold film festivals, and it is impossible for companies to distribute films in the United States. ”

Zhang Ran laughed helplessly, and wanted the horses to run, and didn't give the horses grass, how could it be so easy!

At 11 o'clock, the seminar ended, and everyone walked out of the conference room in twos and threes.

As soon as Zhang Ran got up to leave, he was stopped by Han Sanping: "Zhang Ran, come and sit in my office, I have something to talk to you about." ”

Zhang Ran nodded with a smile and said, "Mr. Han's tea is good, I'm going to be full again." ”

China Film is separated from the Film Archive by a wall, and Zhang Ran entered Han Sanping's office within a few minutes. Han Sanping's assistant poured tea for the two of them, and the good Ming Qian Longjing drank a mouthful.

Zhang Ran didn't beat around the bush, and asked directly: "Mr. Han, I don't know what's going on?"

"You're really anxious. Han Sanping laughed, put down the teacup in his hand, and said slowly, "Just now you said that Chinese films going out should be based on the local radiation of East Asia, and when it comes to the Three Kingdoms Chibi, I think this is a very good idea! The story of the Three Kingdoms is so familiar to East Asian audiences, especially those in China, Japan and South Korea, that they can almost casually name every important person and every important battle." If we make it, it will definitely be a big hit at the box office!"

Zhang Ran didn't know how the project "Red Cliff" came about in the previous life, but he didn't expect that this time it was he who gave Han Sanping inspiration. Although "Red Cliff" in my memory is a bunch of rags, it is indeed profitable and a big hit in East Asia. He laughed: "The theme of the Three Kingdoms is familiar in East Asia, and as long as the shooting is not too bad, the box office will definitely be a big hit." Mr. Han's idea is really calculating!"

Han Sanping laughed: "How about it, are you interested? If we join forces to do this project, we will definitely be able to make a masterpiece." This is a good project, since it can make money, it is also in line with the national strategy!"

Zhang Ran shook his head with a smile: "I'm not particularly interested in the theme of ancient costumes, there are many directors in China who can shoot this kind of theme, Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige can do it, so I won't participate." I'm a sci-fi fan, and I still want to make sci-fi movies!"

When Han Sanping heard Zhang Ran say this, he was not reluctant. Indeed, as Zhang Ran said, there are many directors who can make films on the theme of the Three Kingdoms in China, but I am afraid that only Zhang Ran can make science fiction blockbusters. Now that "Time and Space Warrior" is a big hit, China Film can earn tens of millions, and he is very interested in Zhang Ran's next project: "Then what are you going to shoot next?"

Zhang Ran did not hide it: "I plan to make a story about the university, which is a feature film, and I am writing a script recently." This movie is for our students, and it's their graduation work!"

Han Sanping was not too interested in hearing the college story, this kind of movie would not have much effect at the box office, and it would not have any big effect when it went abroad. However, he still said to Zhang Ran: "The distribution of the movie will be handed over to us China Film!"

Zhang Ran smiled and nodded: "Of course, I can't find a better collaborator in China than China Film!" (To be continued.) )