Pay attention to "China fever" and build a "film and television bridge" —— China theme forum entered the annual meeting of American entertainment industry
More than 100 executives of American entertainment industry and members of China film and television culture import and export enterprise cooperative group gathered in Los Angeles, USA on September 25th, local time, and held the first DEG theme forum on China-US film and television cooperation, to jointly analyze the new opportunities for the development of the film and television industries of the two countries and explore new modes of cooperation between China and the United States.
Chri McGurk (middle), Chairman and CEO of American Match Point Digital Group, talks with Bill Mechanic (right), a famous Hollywood filmmaker and founder of Pandemonium Films. (Source: Charlie Chang for DEG)
China and the United States join hands to build a "bridge of film and television"
The theme forum of Sino-US film and television cooperation is the main activity of the 2018 annual meeting of the American Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), which was initiated and led by the American Cinedigm Corp, a member of the board of directors of DEG. It aims to pay attention to China’s increasingly prominent role in the global entertainment market and explore new ways to promote Sino-US film and television cooperation. This is the top enterprise consortium in the entertainment industry in the United States, and it is the first time to hold a special forum around the development of China’s film and television industry and Sino-US film and television cooperation.
The forum has been widely concerned by the American entertainment industry, and more than 100 senior executives from the top enterprises in the American entertainment industry attended the conference. As Amy Jo Smith, CEO and President of DEG, said, China’s influence on the global entertainment industry is increasing day by day, and it has become the central topic of Hollywood finance, production, distribution and marketing, and also the focus of attention of DEG member enterprises. DEG board members include Twentieth Century Fox, American Match Point Digital Group, Comcast Cable TV, Dolby Laboratories, HBO, Intel, LG Electronics, Lionsgate Entertainment, Microsoft, Paramount Pictures, Philips, Samsung Electronics, Sony Electronics, Sony Music, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures Group and Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Invited guests for the China theme forum included Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Match Point Digital Group, and Bill Sondheim, President of the United States; Bill Mechanic, a famous Hollywood filmmaker and founder of Pandemonium Films; and Doris Pfardrescher, CEO and President of Well Go North America Film Distribution Company. The two dialogue sessions in the forum were hosted by Stewart Till, President of Till Entertainment, and Bennet Pozil, Executive Vice President of east west bank.
With the support of the International Cooperation Department of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television of China, the China Film and Television Culture Import and Export Enterprise Cooperative Group sent a delegation to the United States to attend the conference. The members of China delegation include: Sun Lin, deputy general manager of China International Television Corporation and China Radio, Film and Television Program Trading Center; Miao Meng, vice president of TV drama division of Beijing Perfect Film and Television Media Co., Ltd.; overseas business department, director of Shandong Film and Television Production Co., Ltd. and Zhang Cuiping, general manager of Shandong Film and Television Media International Co., Ltd.; Sheng Liangliang, director of Tencent’s video membership strategy center; and Li Kaichen, director and manager of Tencent’s video strategy department and overseas business department.
Bill Sondheim, President of the American Match Point Digital Group, delivered a keynote speech at the forum. He pointed out that there is great potential for the exchange of high-quality film and television content between Chinese and American industries. On the basis of mutual respect for their respective national customs and norms, the two sides can understand and appreciate their different cultures and lifestyles more deeply, build wider trust and cooperate more closely.
American Match Point Digital Group is the largest independent film and television content publisher in North America. Its distribution channels include major traditional media and new media platforms, and it directly cooperates with more than 60,000 physical retailers and digital media, covering 93% of connected equipment users in North America. After the capital injection of Besson Capital and the strategic joining of Xinghong Film, the American Match Point Digital Group has developed into a truly independent film and television production and distribution company between China and the United States.
In his speech, Bill Sondheim introduced the unique new enterprise structure of Match Point Digital Group in American entertainment industry and its favorable conditions in Sino-US film and television cooperation — — As a NASDAQ listed company, Match Point Digital Group has a dominant position in the US capital market. As an American enterprise controlled by China Capital Investment Company, Match Point Digital Group has a dominant position in China’s content and market. The strategic development focus of Match Point Digital Group has shifted to China’s film and television content, and began to implement the project plan of China’s content entering the United States. Bill Sondheim said that the goal of Match Point Digital Group is very clear, and it is committed to building a "film and television bridge" between the United States and China, promoting the exchange of high-quality film and television content, and promoting the cooperation between the two countries in the entertainment field to be broader and deeper.
Members of the China delegation shared their experiences and views on foreign film and television cooperation at the forum. Miao Meng, vice president of TV drama division of Beijing Perfect Film and Television Media Co., Ltd., pointed out that overseas markets are very important to China film and television enterprises, and China has a desire to cooperate with its American counterparts in technology and filming. However, from the perspective of market recovery of the project, the US market is only an added value, and the domestic market demand in China is still the main parameter of the producer. However, the win-win situation of domestic and foreign markets in the next few years is worth looking forward to, and some China film and television producers have begun to try to jointly develop new projects with overseas production companies.
Li Kaichen, director of Tencent’s video strategy department and overseas business department, expressed optimism about the prospects of film and television exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States. He said that as the China market grows larger and more concerned by other parts of the world, the cooperation between China’s film and television industry and its American counterparts will be broader and deeper. Many TV dramas in China have been sold overseas in many regions, including the United States, especially in cooperation with mainstream new media platforms in the United States. In the future, China film and television enterprises need to shoulder their responsibilities, take a long-term view and actively promote film and television exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States.
Zhang Cuiping, director of overseas business department of Shandong Film and Television Production Co., Ltd. and general manager of Shandong Film and Television Media International Co., Ltd., believes that the cultural media industry in China has shifted from supply-side and quantity-driven expansion to a new growth era relying on content and quality. In today’s diverse channels and technologies, content is king is still the cornerstone of excellent film and television companies in both the United States and China, but the challenge is how to meet the needs of cross-language and cultural audiences. Real content creators should create high-profile film and television works with different themes with a global vision and an attitude of enhancing understanding and trust, so as to achieve commercial success and mutual benefit.
China Film and Television Culture Import & Export Enterprise Cooperative was initiated by China International Television Corporation, which is committed to establishing strategic cooperative relations with relevant institutions at home and abroad, forming a linkage mechanism of "going out and bringing in", strengthening cooperation in overseas projects, and enhancing the voice and influence of China film and television institutions on the international stage. At present, 58 China film and television organizations that have made achievements in the import and export field and have a long-term layout have become members of the collaboration.
Miao Meng (right), vice president of TV drama division of Beijing Perfect Film and Television Media Co., Ltd., and Li Kaichen (middle), director and manager of Tencent’s video strategy department and overseas business department, attended the forum dialogue. (Source: DEG)
China film and television channel "Bambu" was launched in the Spring Festival.
The China Theme Forum also invited two senior Hollywood executives to have a special dialogue. One of them is Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Match Point Digital Group, USA. He has 30 years of Hollywood executive qualifications. He used to be President of Disney Pictures, President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Pictures, and Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of MGM Group. The other is Bill Mechanic, one of the most influential filmmakers in Hollywood. He is known as the most successful CEO in the history of Fox Film Company. He used to be the chairman of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the main competition unit of the Berlin International Film Festival and the chairman of the jury of the "debut unit" of the Venice International Film Festival. During the dialogue, two famous filmmakers in the American entertainment industry were optimistic about the prospect of film and television cooperation between China and the United States, and actively participated in promoting the exchange of film and television content between the two countries.
Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Match Point Digital Group of the United States, took the opportunity of this forum to officially announce that Match Point Digital Group will officially launch the US OTT channel "Bambu" in North China on the occasion of the traditional American New Year next year. As soon as the news came out, it was widely concerned by people in the entertainment industry in China and the United States.
It is reported that Match Point Digital Group has been carefully preparing for the content and technology of this channel since this year. The name of the channel attaches importance to the meaning of "tenacity, strength and flexibility" contained in the word Bamboo, and the spelling is slightly deformed into "Bambu", which is more youthful and energetic. The channel will focus on young viewers in the United States, and the target audience is American youth aged 18-40. China TV programs broadcast on the channel are all equipped with English subtitles or English dubbing. Match Point Digital Group hopes to present wonderful programs that can represent China culture not only for Chinese in the United States, but also for the English-speaking American audience.
At present, Match Point Digital Group of the United States is negotiating or has completed cooperation plans with China International Television Corporation, Shanghai Oriental Media Group (SMG), Wuzhou Communication Center, iQiyi, Youku Film, etc., and actively reserves high-quality and diverse China films, TV dramas and documentary programs for Bambu channel. Moreover, Bambu channel will obtain a wide range of nationwide distribution platforms through various channels established by Match Point Digital Group over the years, including: APPle System App and Apple TV, Android phone and Android TV, Roku, Amazon’s Amazon Fire and Google Chrome. Bambu channel will also cooperate extensively with broadband providers such as Comcast, Sling TV and Dish Networks, as well as OTT channels such as Amazon Prime and YouTubeTV.
Chris McGurk said that Match Point Digital Group has started to build overseas distribution channels for China’s film and television content, including Bambu channel, so as to create a practical "going out" strategy and implementation platform for China’s film and television content, and become a trusted and important partner for China’s film and television content overseas distribution.
China delegation visited Fox Company, and Mike Dunn, President of Fox Strategy and Marketing, personally introduced and exchanged ideas. (Source: DEG)
The theme forum on Sino-US film and television cooperation held in Los Angeles this autumn and September has become a high-end platform for Chinese and American film and television enterprises to seek opportunities and cooperate hand in hand, and an important opportunity for China film and television content to enhance its popularity and expand its influence in the US market. People from all walks of life in the entertainment industry in China and the United States expressed their belief that the China Theme Forum will further promote the closer and more solid cooperation between the entertainment industries in China and the United States, and they are willing to actively contribute to the development of film and television cooperation between China and the United States.