The rise of new media and online videos is rapidly changing the way China views its movies with an estimated audience of around 1.3 billion now waiting to tune in to the trend.
A "New Media: New Prospects for Online Distribution of Entertainment Content" seminar kicked off Hong Kong's annual Film and TV Market (Filmart) Monday -- a four-day event that ranks itself second only to the market held annually in the French city of Cannes in terms of size and importance in tracking the way the entertainment world is turning.
And much of the focus was on what is happening just north of the border.
Geng Xiaohua, vice-president (operation) at Qiyi, one of China's online video providers, explained how viewing habits had changed across mainland China thanks to the wild popularity of both the internet and new media such as smartphones.
"According to statistics provided by [the China Internet Network Information Centre] CNNIC, 93 percent of internet users love to watch movies, and 87 percent love to watch TV dramas online," he said. "For entertainment shows, dating shows and entertainment talk shows are very popular. In China, prime time TV dramas and entertainments shows are the main consumption for users online."
Meanwhile Zhu Huilong, who holds down the same position at fellow online video provider Youku, told the seminar his company estimated there was now an online audience of 500 million in China, while mobile phones were used by an estimated 800 million people.
"Our service provides to around 50 million people every day," he said. "Video on demand offers a much greater quality of product, with Chinese films released just one month after they hit cinemas."
Zhu explained films can be watched online for around 40 yuan (4.8 euros), compared to the average price in China of a cinema ticket which sits at between 50 to 100 yuan (six t0 12 euros). Pirate DVDs remain a problem, he said, as they cost on average around five yuan (0.6 euro) but their quality varies wildly and he believes the audience increasingly would rather turn to a product they can trust.
Zhu said there had also been a major shift in just when it was that people were "tuning in" -- with primetime viewing now extended to different parts of the day such as when people are in transit or even when they are in bed -- and in just who it is making use of the new technology.
"As ways to consume entertainment content vary, interactive elements are proliferating and the consumption-peak periods are expanding. Also, the user population is growing and becoming younger," said Zhu.
"As the main consumers are from younger generations, funny, goofy videos and fashion-related videos are also becoming more popular."
Source:entgroup