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TV seeks way forward as landscape changes
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THE production and consumption of television shows mirrors the speed of the Chinese economy.
China is the world’s No. 1 producer of TV shows, making about 15,000 episodes last year. The rapid production of shows has led to fears over quality, especially in the Internet era when younger viewers are increasingly attracted to foreign shows like “Breaking Bad,” “House of Cards” and “Game of Thrones.”
“China is a country that consumes lots of stories, so it needs to create lots of stories for the public,” said screenwriter Song Fangjin, who attended the Chinese Film and TV Industry Creation Summit held in Hangzhou earlier this week.
Song relates a story about his uncle, who is a village head.
His uncle told him that farmers often gather at night after finishing a hard day of work. They gamble, which sometimes leads to fights and thefts. His uncle has concluded it’s because there’s nothing good to watch on TV.
“As a screenwriter, I feel my burden is much greater now after hearing this,” Song said, drawing laughter from summit participants.
On the same day the summit started, construction began on the China (Hangzhou) Film and TV Industry International Cooperation Zone.
One of the key threads at the summit, themed “People, Time and Fusion,” has been about the quality of shows and concern writers are sinking to the lowest common denominator, according to Wang Danyan, deputy director of the Press and Publicity Department of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
“Viewers will quickly lose interest in TV shows that are crass and vulgar,” Wang said.
Last month President Xi Jinping spoke to artists and writers, stressing the importance that “culture and art should serve the people.” He urged the country’s artists to learn from the people and base their creations around real lives.
Li Jingsheng, director of the administration’s TV Series Department, said problems such as plagiarism and producing shows like they are “fast food” harm the market.
Directors, screenwriters, producers and executives from video-sharing websites said they discussed issues about “how to take media responsibility” and “how to create the art of film and TV in the multimedia age.”
Four years ago Chinese people spent an average of 23 minutes every day surfing the Internet on their smartphones, now they spend an average of 2.5 hours per day. The majority of TV viewers are above 35 years old, while the majority of those on the Internet are aged 20 to 29.
Hu Zhifeng, professor of Communication University of China, said one advantage of having more ways to watch shows is that it reduces the threshold for people to enter the industry. He said anyone so inclined can make a micro movie and easily upload it on the Internet, which may lead to new talent being discovered.
Another advantage is that big data from Internet firms can help producers “locate” viewers.
Hou Tao, vice president of Ent Consultation Company, which provides data analysis of the entertainment business, said: “Before there were only sampling surveys which were not always accurate. But now we have big data, which allows TV companies to produce works that better meet market demand.”
Nanpai Sanshu, a famous screenwriter, said overseas networks excel at taking a successful TV series and creating a variety of spin-off merchandise but that local firms have missed out on such opportunities.
He also said intellectual property rights are integral to the industry to ensure the creators of shows are
paid fairly for their work.
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