2015-06-16

Information Technologies in the Film Industry

Foreign exhibitors show strong interests to Chinese market. Pic by Qiu Yuecheng

Information technologies have tightly integrated with film production and distribution processes, covering from ticket distribution, anti-piracy tools, special effect, 3D system to fund-raising, said firms attending International Film and TV Market yesterday, an exhibition of the Shanghai International Film Festival.

By the end of the first quarter, more than 63 percent of audience bought film tickets through websites or online apps in China, instead of box offices, according to Analysys International, a Beijing-based research firm.

"It represented increased influence of the Internet to push change and innovation in the whole industry," said Xue Yongfeng, research director of Analysys.

Online intellectual property protection is one of the technologies directly related to the income of film publishers.

Sky Union, authorized by the China International Film & Television Copyright Monitoring and Protecting Alliance, helps publishers monitor unauthorized links and downloads online for video and music. Then it offers related legal services to help them recover cash.

The firm, starting operation in April, has entered a promising market with limited players.
"With high technology thresholds, there are no more than five firms able to do the business in China," Jin Ye, marketing director of Sky Union, said in the company\'s booth.

China has become a base for post-production services and 3D film-making for Hollywood, through technology development and local talent resources.

Beijing Phenom Films Co, with an international team, has offered post-production services for dozens of Chinese films and Hollywood titles such as Hunting Games and Interstellar.

The 3Ality has established a Chinese headquarters in Hangzhou, offering 3D systems for film makers, whose products include The Hobbit and X-Men 4.

Internet finance is also used in film production.

For example, Skyline Media Group established a fund of 1 billion yuan (US$161.3 million) on micro-film production. Consumers are invited to invest in the projects and get expected investment return between 7 to 15 percent annually.

Overseas publishers from Russia, Germany, Italy and Taiwan were also seeking partners for domestic opportunities.

Sky Union is in negotiation with "Top 6" giants including Disney and Universal for global online IP protection, such as cross-board database sharing, Jin said.