My blog

Label... Category... Standard Entry Video Information Press Release Event News

• HK student contest addresses micro-film trend

  Sunday, Apr 29, 2012 12:46PM / Standard Entry

  By Richard Trombly
  “Wei films” or micro films are all the rage in China these days. In the rest of the world , short film contests are common and we might not see anything new in this trend. But in China, the film and media industry has been tightly controlled by the government STATE ADMINISTRATION OF RADIO, FILM AND TELEVISION (SARFT) since a feature film requires big investments even with so-called low budget films.

  But video-recorded HD short films can operate on a different budget scale with people often donating much of the time, effort, equipment, locations, props and acting talents– often even donating money as can be seen by the sites like http://www.indiegogo.com/ based in USA or the Chinese demo hour.

  These websites allow for widely distributed publicity and fund-raising opportunities that allow “micro” film makers to gain community support rather than rely on investors and government or institutional grants alone says DEMOHOUR CEO and founder He Feng.

  “And crowd funding allows projects to get visibility,” said He. “Projects not only get the funds they need to be made, they get exposure to audiences they otherwise might never have found.”

  This micro-film trend has allowed there to be a flowering of new creativity and expression through film on the part of film students, professional film makers and amateurs within China.

  Richard Trombly is a film director and founder of www.obscure-productions.com he is corwdfunding his own micro-film. learn more at www.indiegogo.com/analysis.

  HK e-Film contest call for entires
  http://www.efilm.hk/en/Default.aspx
  Event schedule:
  Call for entries: Feb 1st, 2012 – Jul 1st, 2012

  First round: Jul 10th, 2012 – Aug 10th, 2012

  Final round: Aug 11th, 2012 – Sep 11th, 2012

  Announcement of awards: Sep 20th, 2012

  Eligibility:
  1. Students enrolled in any colleges or graduate schools around the world, no restriction on their fields of study;
  2. Must be completed after Feb 1st, 2011;
  3. Length of film: less than 30 minutes;
  4. Language of films: no restriction on the dialogues, however either Chinese or English subtitles should be provided;
  5. Film genres: no restriction

  How to participate:
  Individual participants: please send your work and documents to the address of the Festival Committee
  Address: FlatC,7F, Anho House, No.26 Nullah Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Attn: Ms Zheng Post code:999077
  Please include the following in your mail:
  1. A hard copy of your film (DVD or video-tapes)
  2. A signed application form Download Word Download Pdf
  3. A Data CD-ROM (includes：the electronic version of the filled application form; a poster in high-pixel at least 200dpi JPG format; 3 stills from the film; Biography of main crew)

  About Copyrights and Other Terms & Conditions:
  1.Participants are required to own the full copyright of their entries, including copyright licenses of the music scrīpt in the films and the implanted cuts from other films. The contestants are responsible for all the legal disputes caused by copyright issues. We reserve the rights to disqualify any participants and withdraw the prizes.
  2.Once the entries are received, the Film Festival deem it an consent from the contestants to release relevant information such as the introduction, stills, photos of the creators of the film through television, Internet, mobile phone and other media.
  3.Once the film enters the second round, the contestants are deemed to have authorized the Film Festival to broadcast the complete film through television, Internet, mobile phone and other media for non-profit purposes. The period of authorization is deemed to be one year acquiescently.
  4.The Festival Committee is not responsible for any payment caused by mailing or insuring the films and documents, cost of loss or damage during post, or any other cost of loss or damage caused by irresistible factors. We will not return the documents, application forms, or hardcopies received. Please keep a copy of your works in advance.
  5.The contestants who send their entries are deemed to agree to the provisions of this prospectus. Entries once received are not allowed to be withdrawn for any reason without permission.

  
  

  Share

  1 comment–  Add a comment

• China’s video rivals to start joint buying

  Friday, Apr 27, 2012 11:43AM / Standard Entry

  China’s video rivals to start joint buying

  By Patrick Frater

  originally published in Film Business Asia Thu, 26 April 2012

  Ancillary News
  Three of China’s online video rivals are to form an alliance that is intended to cut the costs of acquiring content for their platforms.

  According to an email from the three companies, Tencent Holdings Ltd 騰訊控股有限公司, Sohu.com Inc 搜狐公司 and Baidu Inc 百度’s iQiyi.com will collaborate in Video Content Co-operation, a vehicle for acquisitions of film and TV content. They say that this will help restore “rational pricing”. The three will also co-operate in terms of back catalogue and other operations.

  Their move represents further consolidation of the fast-changing business sector and follows last month’s proposed corporate merger of China’s two largest online video enterprises Youku and Tudou.

  “Sohu, Tencent and Baidu are all iconic Internet giants in China. We will integrate our capabilities in online video portals, search engines and social networks to better service online video consumers,” said DENG Ye 鄧曄, CEO of Sohu Video and VP of Sohu.com.

  According to data from Enfodesk, Youku Inc 優酷 accounts for 22% of online market share, ahead of Tudou Inc 土豆網 with 14%. Third placed Sohu has 13%, while Tencent, which only launched its video services in April last year trails a long way behind.

  Content acquisition and bandwidth represent the largest costs for the online video firms. According to some sources the video players will now pay $160,000 per episode for popular TV shows, while Bona Film Group Ltd 博納影業集團有限公司 last year revealed that it had earned RMB8 million ($1.25 million) from online rights sales of hit Overheard 2 竊聽風雲２.

  The industry is considered to have huge potential with vast numbers of people using online to watch film and TV shows. But with revenue models unstable and costs climbing it has been hard for any company to consistently make profits.

  The number of Chinese Internet users who watch videos online had reached 325 million by Dec 31, according to China Internet Network Information Centre.

  
  

  Share

  Add a comment

• James Cameron is king of Beijing

  Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 4:39AM / Standard Entry

  by Richard Trombly
  23 April 2012, Beijing — In the shadow of the Beijing Olympics near the famed Bird’s Nest is the Beijing National Convention Center where the 2nd annual Beijing International Film Festival is taking place.

  The BJIFF “red carpet” opening ceremony kicked off with the expected pomp and circumstance reminiscent of the Olympics that happened here – including a song by Chinese singer Liu Huan, who sung “You and Me” – The 2008 Olympics theme song. As the event was starting, Beijing tourism videos were played to get everyone in the proper mood for appreciation of the agenda of the BJIFF.

  Though James Cameron was not first to speak, his comments were in line with the agenda of the evening. He first spoke about the rapid growth of cinemas in China where multiple cinema screens are added every day in brand new cinemaplexes China.

  “The Chinese have spoken,” said Cameron.” and what they have said is that they want to watch movies where they are meant to be seen – on the big screen.”

  He pointed out his own success with the Titanic 3D re-release where the film earned more in China than in the rest of the world combined. Cameron concluded that this economic success made the Chinese film industry a force to be reckoned with within the international movie market.

  

  Beijing International Film Festival opening ceremony

  The event kicked off with some Beijing Olympic-style pageantry with dancers behind a screen enacting various movie-inspired themes with visual effects projected on a screen in front of them including a “Matrix”-style segment. This was followed by greater pageantry with the vast auditorium’s 3 stages filled with Beijing opera-styled dance number with more than 100 performers.

  Then the important film festival guests were greeted – for the Beijing International Film Festival, that was neither the esteemed native film makers nor honored foreign guests – but the honored members of the CPC leadership, standing party members and other government dignitaries. After this rousing set of introductions made clear Beijing’s commitment to film making, the hosts welcomed Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong to the stage where he spoke about the strength of Beijing and its power as the film making center of China.

  Guo was followed by an honored member of the censorship body SARFT (State Agency of Radio,Film and Television) whose mission is to keep media safe for citizens to consume in China. His agenda was to address the growth of the industry in monetary terms and addressing international co-productions as an investment win-win situation.

  All in all, this event made a strong statement about Beijing’s commitment to the film industry and the quality standard of modern Chinese cinema.

  
  

  Share

  Add a comment

• Monday, Apr 23, 2012 2:56AM / Standard Entry

  22 April 2012 – I had the honor of attending the private film industry party on the eve of the Beijing International Film Festival hosted by director Rob Minkoff (Lion King, Stuart Little and Forbidden Kingdom) Minkoff is in Beijing to promote his new upcoming film “Chinese Mission.” I first met Minkoff when I interviewed him for The Hollywood Reporter magazine in 2008 at Hengdian Movie World along with Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Liu Yifei. The Party was attened by nearly 200 media and film industry professionals.

  
  

  Share

  1 comment–  Add a comment

• In Shanghai, Cinemashup cranks up the volume

  Saturday, Apr 21, 2012 11:32AM / Standard Entry

  Cinemash up #11 is going to be our loudest yet!
  Please join Wednesday April 25th at Dada Bar, 115 Xingfu Lu, Shanghai, 9pm-11pm, for an incredible night of weird and wonderful film from around the world,

  Cinemash up is a monthly experimental film night, programs are curated by Tina Sprinkles and Laura Ingalls,
  We also have a special focus on local content and welcome all film submissions,
  This month is extra special as we have guest appearance and films by Leslie Thornton, world renowned experimental film maker, here, in Shanghai for her solo show “Radical Symmetry” at Elisabeth de Brabant art center.

  In addition special guest curator, Thomas Zummer, artist and leading professor in the arts and philosophy, will be joining us to create our most incredible program yet. It is a incredible honor to have Leslie and Tom,world famous artists and academics in attendance and as programmers.

  

  Don’t miss this opportunity to experience some of the most fantastic and rarest films you will ever see. Program to be released closer to the date- Please join us on this very special Cinemash Up night.

  Doors open at 8.30, Program starts at 9pm- 11pm
  Dada Bar 115 Xingfu Lu, near Fahuazhan Lu, Shanghai, China

  Please come along and bring all your friends
  Hope to See you there!
  Tina Sprinkles

  
  

  Share

  Add a comment

117

1/24

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

>

>|