How to "go out to sea" and "go out of the circle" for domestic film and television?
Poster of My People My Homeland, Legend of Deification and Leap
My People My Homeland, Legend of Deification, Leap and other "National Day Files" movies have been released in many theaters; The TV series Diplomatic Storm has been distributed to North America, Africa, Indonesia and other countries and regions, and will land in 26 countries … … Recently, a number of domestic film and television works have "gone to sea" one after another, which once again attracted the attention of many overseas audiences. While gaining fans and word of mouth, they reflected the rapid development of China society from many angles, displayed the excellent Chinese culture and further made the world know more about China.
Accelerating "Going to Sea" and Promoting Communication and Empathy
In recent years, the pace of domestic film and television "going out to sea" has been accelerating. In 2019, The Wandering Earth was released simultaneously in overseas markets such as North America and Australia, making it the best American film at the box office in North China in the past five years. In addition, Wolf Warriors 2, Operation Red Sea’s Detective Story of Chinatown 2, which was also released overseas, has gained a lot of praise from overseas audiences for its diverse themes and excellent production.
These excellent domestic films not only reflect the continuous improvement of China’s film industrialization level and the continuous maturity and perfection of the film industry ecology, but also deepen the communication between different cultures in a subtle way and promote the emotional resonance among the people.
Ding Yaping, director of the Institute of Film and Television Art of the Chinese Academy of Art, believes that only with a unique humanistic temperament can China’s film and television works truly gain a foothold in the international market. Overseas moviegoers are not satisfied with the simple understanding of some cultural elements in China, but are eager to further understand and explore the deep spiritual core and cultural heritage of China culture. Therefore, the successful cases of overseas communication all tell the story of China, show the unique spiritual outlook of Chinese, and highlight the heavy background of China culture among the common values of mankind.
In addition to domestic movies, domestic dramas have also shown gratifying results in "going out". According to the data, TV plays have accounted for more than 70% in the international trade of TV programs in China, far exceeding other program forms, and have been exported to more than 200 countries and regions around the world.
In Africa, TV dramas such as nirvana in fire, A Little Separation and Ode to Joy have been translated into local languages and broadcast in many countries. In Southeast Asia, The Journey to the West, a Burmese dubbing version of A Dream of Red Mansions, and Defense of Marriage have been broadcast one after another … … Whether it is a family drama reflecting the modern urban life in China or a classic work showing Chinese traditional culture, it has been welcomed locally and gained a large number of overseas "iron powder".
In addition, with the continuous development of streaming media technology and platform, overseas video websites have also purchased the copyright of China TV series, and overseas netizens have "urged online". Among them, The Longest Day In Chang’an also launched in North America in the form of "paid content", which is the first time that domestic dramas of "Going to Sea" have entered the monthly payment area of overseas platforms.
Strive to "get out of the circle" with both story and communication.
"Little Separation" The Longest Day In Chang’an "nirvana in fire" poster
With the development of globalization and closer communication between countries, it is increasingly normal for domestic excellent film and television works to "go out to sea". How to tell the story of China in international expressions? What kind of works are more likely to be "out of the circle" overseas? It has become the focus of attention in the industry.
"By analyzing films that have been successful in overseas markets, we can find some rules." At the recent 2020 "Golden Panda" International Communication Summit Forum, La Peikang, vice chairman of the China Film Association, said that it is necessary to tell a wonderful story of China that can be accepted by foreigners; Must have enough commercial elements, such as spectacular special effects technology, scene presentation, and advanced narrative and shooting techniques; In addition, there must be brand influence.
Zhang Tongdao, a professor at Beijing Normal University, believes that in order to really do a good job in international communication, it needs to be placed in the international coordinate system, so as to better cross cultural barriers and arouse empathy.
Regarding the expression of film and television, Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, said, "The so-called empathy means that when we tell it, we should make others willing to listen, so that others can have this resonance. It is necessary to use really good story details, and then use aesthetics and expression to attract and infect the audience. "
In the future, what are the innovative modes of overseas communication of domestic film and television? In Ding Yaping’s view, at present, the development of Internet technology has brought about a communication revolution. In addition to the traditional forms, China film and television works can also choose different channels to "go out to sea" and go abroad through the Internet to realize online and offline simultaneous broadcasting and screening.
Ding Yaping believes that the "internet plus" model will become a trend in the future. Under this background, China’s film and television creation should also keep pace with the times, start to study the viewing needs of overseas Internet users, and show a more stereoscopic and real image of China through various channels.