Insiders to young directors—compromise and aim for mass audiences
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Film industry insiders discouraged young directors from making their movies too personal, and instead advised them to appeal to vast audiences at a forum held June 14 during the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival.
"Currently, young Chinese directors don't know how to make proper movies that attract a large audience and establish a good reputation, and this is the core of the problem," said Zhao Haicheng, a manager of China Film Group Corporation, the largest film company in China.
Lu Jianmin, manager of the privately owned Chunqiu Entertainment Company, said some young directors are too self-centered and have no sense of teamwork.
"Time and again, they quit shooting with various excuses, such as loss of inspiration, and leave a large crew behind. Their films don’t turn out marketable," Lu said.
Lu questions their actual motives.
"I just wonder if they really love movie-making, or if they have other goals to achieve," Lu said.
After many unpleasant experiences, Lu is fed up with young directors and vowed never to collaborate with them in the future.
"Young directors should show their sincerity to make investors realize they haven't wasted their money," Lu said.
Leon Dai, a director from Taiwan, said young directors should understand that movies aren't ultimately for showing their personalities, but for being viewed by as many people as possible.
If they really want to access the market, they must make necessary compromises and give up some of their ideas, Dai added.
But Fruit Chan, a veteran independent filmmaker from Hong Kong, disagreed and warned that too much commercialization could do more harm than good for Chinese cinema. He said filmmakers are losing their personalities in the fast-growing market, and that although the industry sets a lot of constraints, directors should insist on making their personal vision.
