本土电影成功的关键在内容

A number of new Chinese films released this year and last year have become local hits at the box offices, where they have made more than several hundred million yuan.

The film "The Chef, The Actor, The Scoundrel" is a relatively recent success, having already gained almost 300 million yuan, or nearly 50 million dollars at the box office.

Besides this film, other recent domestic hits include "Beijing Meets Seattle", also known as "Finding Mr. Right" in English, which reached almost 500 million yuan at the box office. The 2012 Chinese comedy "Lost in Thailand" was another success, being the first-ever Chinese film to surpass one-billion yuan at the box office.

The succession of well-received films at China's box office has been seen as a positive sign of encouragement by China's film industry insiders. Chinese comedy film actress Dai Lele is one of them.

"We are proud of the box office performance of several Chinese movies released this year. I believe it to be a good trend as well as a great encouragement to us Chinese filmmakers. The films 'Lost in Thailand' and 'Finding Mr. Right' do reflect the state of life of many of China's young people, so are easily relatable.

Watching these films instills in us a sense of familiarity and comfort, as well as interest."

In light of recent developments, playwright Dong Runnian explains why he believes that new Chinese films have become increasingly popular among domestic audience members.

"Recent local hits have not only reached the production standard of American commercial films, they also exhibit local Chinese characteristics well. Take the film 'Lost in Thailand' for example: the story-line of this comedy film sets out each of its laughing points or romantic plot turning points at designated intervals. This film-making style completely complies with the rhythm of a typical Hollywood movie. More importantly, it incorporates elements of Chinese humor which Chinese people can understand and appreciate."

A hit in the cinema is qualified by the movie's box office performance, which is usually considered an effective indicator for the public to judge the quality of a movie. And this is more than true for investors in the film projects.

Taking profit as the main concern, Shan Dongbing, a famous investor and distributor of film projects in China, explains their investment preferences.

"We tend to invest in kung-fu, martial art and comedy films, as they are regarded more as entertainment than elegant art forms. Just like a type of fast food culture, films have become a commodity just for quick consumption, like something you can buy from McDonald's."

Shan also added that films should be designed with the film market in mind, emphasizing the need for strong content to satisfy the spiritual needs of young viewers.

For CRI, I'm Shen Ting.