Hollywood Producers Look to Chinese Culture
An increasing number of Hollywood producers have in recent years released film posters for Chinese audiences, showing their attention to the country's film market. The film posters are typically drawn in a traditional Chinese style, including Chinese cultural features and emphasizing Chinese landscape paintings, historic landmarks and so on.
China's movie box office revenue increased by nine percent in 2018, according to the State Film Administration. Foreign films account for almost half of all movies in the Chinese market, but their earning power is not as strong as it once was.
"The Chinese film industry has gained momentum(动力)in recent years, and its box office performance is quite impressive. More and more foreign filmmakers have paid attention to the domestic market, and the combination of Chinese and Western elements in film publicity is a clever idea to attract viewers, " said Zhang Chengguang, an Anhui Normal University professor.
Chinese paper-cutting, orjianzhi, is a kind of folk art that uses scissors or knives to cut paper for decorations and other folk activities. Paper-cutting artwork is always made with red paper, as red is associated with festivities and happiness in Chinese culture, which symbolizes luck and happiness. The posters for animated superhero filmsKungFuPanda3 andSpider-Man:IntotheSpider-Versegive us great examples of Chinese paper-cutting, right in time for the Spring Festival.
WaterMargin,JourneytotheWest,RomanceoftheThreeKingdomsandDreamoftheRedChamberare four novels that form the core of Chinese classical literature and still inform modern culture. As with the works of Dante or Shakespeare in Europe, these books are touchstones in Chinese literary culture, and are never-ending resources for Chinese film and TV adaptations and recreations. Kung fu masters appear regularly in these novels, which have influenced a number of Western superhero films and their promotional posters.
Many critics consider landscape painting to be the highest form of Chinese art, and the most popular form to display Chinese culture to the West. Chinese landscape painting refers to a style of traditional Chinese painting that involves or describes scenery or natural landscapes, using brushes and ink rather than more conventional paints. Many Western filmmakers therefore choose to launch film posters set against the backdrop of Chinese landscape paintings, catching a sense of elegance and oriental beauty.
Chinese landmarks continue to welcome more and more visitors. These landmarks, in a certain sense, represent the best of Chinese history and culture. Spider-Man has taken photos with iconic Chinese skyscrapers and at historic scenic spots—places known by almost everyone in China. The posters will become a selling point for the filmSpider-Man:Homecoming, with people perhaps wondering what's going on with Spider-Man and famous Chinese landmarks before buying their tickets.
| Hollywood Producers Look to Chinese Culture | ||
| Introduction | More and more Hollywood producers are trying to to Chinese audiences by releasing film posters with Chinese elements. | |
| for Hollywood producers showing interest in Chinese culture | ●2018 an increase of nine percent in China's movie box office revenue. ●Foreign films' earning power is weaker than it used to be, though they and the domestic films are present in the Chinese market in roughly proportions. ●The rapid development of the Chinese film industry interests an increasing number of foreign filmmakers. ●The idea of joining Chinese and Western cultures together when the films is clever and attractive. | |
| Common Chinese elements in foreign film posters | Chinese paper-cutting | ●It is a traditional Chinese folk art form using scissors or knives to cut red paper for decorations and folk activities and the red color involved for luck and happiness. ●It was applied to the posters ofKungFuPanda3 andSpider-Man:IntotheSpider-Verse. |
| Four classic Chinese novels | ●They are of great importance in the history of Chinese literary. ●They have been adapted for many Chinese film and TV works. ●Many foreign films and posters are by kung fu masters in them. | |
| Chinese landscape paintings | ●Many critics regard it as the highest form of Chinese art and the most popular one to expose foreigners to Chinese culture. ●It is a style of painting on scenery or natural landscapes with brushes and ink instead of paints. ●Foreign film posters use it to capture a sense of elegance and Eastern beauty. | |
| Chinese landmarks | ●They are partly the best of Chinese history and culture. ●They appear in the poster of the filmSpider-Man：Homecomingto attract viewers. | |
