Sounds like political correctness gone mad. No one knows anything, but, if they're just going to provide propaganda, they probably won't be selling many tickets.
Disney will incorporate Chinese themes.
- Thread starter Aspiring Mogul
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Sounds like political correctness gone mad. No one knows anything, but, if they're just going to provide propaganda, they probably won't be selling many tickets.
Getting a bigger foot in the door is all about making the bux - nothing to do with being PC at all.
Pc gone mad? Propaganda? What?
Seems fine to me. I don't understand what the 'propaganda' and 'political correctness' fuss is about.
Seems fine to me. I don't understand what the 'propaganda' and 'political correctness' fuss is about.
Well, the Chinese government is apparently censoring any film that depicts China in a bad light. In a similar vein, they may be requiring the Mouse House to incorporate favorable themes about China, as a condition for letting the company sell its movies.
Collaboration between studios from different countries. I could be wrong, but I assume it's not going to be Disney-branded pro-Chinese government propaganda spreading their political and social ideas, just collaboration and working closer with other studios, which could be for a variety of reasons.
'Chinese themes' is really broad. I'm going to assume it means they will be incorporating certain visual styles, historical elements, and forms of art relating to Chinese culture.
Still not sure what political correctness has to do with this
'Chinese themes' is really broad. I'm going to assume it means they will be incorporating certain visual styles, historical elements, and forms of art relating to Chinese culture.
Still not sure what political correctness has to do with this
Let's see what kind of movies Disney puts out.
I'm actually really interested into seeing what the studios come up with 
China has 1/3rd of the world's population. Can you really blame them for wanting to tap that?
Propaganda shmopaganda, who cares? They're movies.
Propaganda shmopaganda, who cares? They're movies.
Sounds to me like Disney is trying to side step China's anti-western 34 film per year maximum by co-branding with Shanghi Media. That's just smart business.
I have no doubt that Disney's Chinese films (Huh? It's sort of confusing.) will be politically correct according to the Chinese regime's terms. So, for instance, there will be no mention or portrayal of the Tiananmen Square uprising or massacre. But then, no problem, I'm sure Disney has no interest in such matters anyway, even if there weren't "A 37-member Film Censorship Committee..." that vets every movie in China --or, even if the regime hadn't and isn't successfully blocking their citizens from finding information about it on the internet.
That's just an obvious example. I'm sure that anything unflattering from China's long history or their present will be off limits for their co-productions. But I doubt that Disney, of all "people", has any interest in making challenging content of that sort, anyway. Right?
Personally, I do loathe propaganda and censorship. (Not that we don't have plenty of that ourselves in the West, actually.) But I'm guessing Chinese censorship will not effect those of us outside of China much. For now.
Maybe someday, when the Dalian Wanda Group, or somebody like that, buys out Disney or Google or Viacom or Time Warner Inc. etc., yeah, that will be cause for worry, unless the PRC has changed a good deal for the better, or, the regime has been given the boot, à la the Soviet Union or the Arab Spring. (But as we know form recent history, Lord knows what that would lead too.) Maybe that will be something for our children or grandchildren to worry about, though, or, Heaven forbid, experience.
But let's be more optimistic.
Wouldn't we call China's policy for foreign films protectionism? Is that what it really is? Anyway, sounds like Disney has found a way in by agreeing to share its know-how with Chinese companies.
Hey, what will we call this new entity? Sino Disney? Get it? A play on "Euro Disney"? Maybe too obscure. How about Chino Disney?
That's just an obvious example. I'm sure that anything unflattering from China's long history or their present will be off limits for their co-productions. But I doubt that Disney, of all "people", has any interest in making challenging content of that sort, anyway. Right?
Personally, I do loathe propaganda and censorship. (Not that we don't have plenty of that ourselves in the West, actually.) But I'm guessing Chinese censorship will not effect those of us outside of China much. For now.
Maybe someday, when the Dalian Wanda Group, or somebody like that, buys out Disney or Google or Viacom or Time Warner Inc. etc., yeah, that will be cause for worry, unless the PRC has changed a good deal for the better, or, the regime has been given the boot, à la the Soviet Union or the Arab Spring. (But as we know form recent history, Lord knows what that would lead too.) Maybe that will be something for our children or grandchildren to worry about, though, or, Heaven forbid, experience.
But let's be more optimistic.
Wouldn't we call China's policy for foreign films protectionism? Is that what it really is? Anyway, sounds like Disney has found a way in by agreeing to share its know-how with Chinese companies.
Hey, what will we call this new entity? Sino Disney? Get it? A play on "Euro Disney"? Maybe too obscure. How about Chino Disney?
You said it well, Richy.
Yep, it's all about business which is should be. By doing this they'll bypass the foreign film limit which I also believe only offers 20% of takings? where a co-production you can get up to 30-40%ish. No brainer really considering it has the second biggest box office behind America.
I'm not afraid to admit that I have fantasy projects. As in, what would I make if I had $100mil budgets at my disposal? I've got a few ideas that I keep coming back to. One of them takes place in China, and would have a 100% Chinese cast. I originally conceived it as taking place in Japan, but changed my mind when I considered how many damn people there are in China.
Disney is in business to make money. Chinese people (some of them, anyway) have money. There's lots of Chinese people. Common sense dictates that Disney try to woo their Yuan.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Disney is in business to make money. Chinese people (some of them, anyway) have money. There's lots of Chinese people. Common sense dictates that Disney try to woo their Yuan.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Ditto. Though the government isn't likely to be friendly towards my story. I'll be banned in China...I suspect. =D
¡Verdad!
I don't know; I'm quite interested in seeing what comes of it. Inquiring minds want to know.