EVERY
PICTURE TELLS
A STORY
Part 4 of 4
(When Will the "Yellow Ceiling" be Raised) Film Review: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
What role(s) will Wendi
Murdoch and Florence Sloan
be playing to help the Chinese Cinema attain
prominence and influence within Hollywood and the
international film scene - along with its audiences.
SNOW
FLOWER'S INITIAL SALES
"Snow
Flower and the Secret Fan" grossed nearly $5
million in its first 10 days of release, according
to China-based research group EntGroup. It has been
estimated that that the film cost about $6 million
while having product placement from from companies
such as Louis Vuitton, Samsung and Yves Saint Laurent.
According
to Box Office Mojo (latest update of September 2011),
the domestic sales is $1,325,543 (made possible
by Rupert Murdoch’s personal request for Fox
Searchlight to distribute the film in North America)
and international markets brought in $1,627,801
– in addition to the above listed figures
in China. Their approval breakdowns went as follows:
A = 48%, B = 12%, C = 8%, D = 12% and F = 20%.
THERE
ARE HIGH STAKE FOR CHINA to successfully
enter the global film market while not becoming another
Bollywood that is healthy on its home continent but non-existent
abroad or be viewed as mainly as a propaganda mechanism.
The Chinese government and private companies are pouring
significant resources into the film industry to meet officials’
eagerness to boost their country's cultural exports to match
the already booming business in factory goods. As a result,
who will be the producers with steely business minds with
the soul of an artist that will displayed an understanding
rigor and sophisticated artistic sensibilities associated
with unfailing support while allowing the filmmaker to do
their job that solicited trust and admiration like the late
John Calley? Who and where will Chinese Cinemas’ visionaries
who have at their roots the passion to produce bold, filmmaker-driven
picture with a singular vision that will entertain audiences
throughout the world?
PRODUCERS
& CREW
In
China – the film was presented by Shanghai
Film Group Shanghai / Film Studio (CN), IDG China
Creative Media (CN), Huayi Brothers Media Group
(CN), Huayi Union Culture Media Investment (CN),
Sky Land Entertainment (CN) - a fully-funded, vertically-integrated
film and multimedia production, distribution and
financing company, which was jointly owned and controlled
by SAIF Partners and IDG China Media, and owned
by Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media - and
Trends Magazines (CN). The project was produced
by BigFeet Productions (US) and co-produced by IDG
China Creative Media Limited (a China-focused investment
arm of Boston-headquartered International Data Group
- IDG). The executive producers were Ren Zhonglun
(Shanghai Film Group President), Hugo Shong, Wang
Zhongjun, Yuan Haibo, Andrew Yan, Liu Jiang. The
producers are Wang Tianyun, Wendi Deng Murdoch,
Florence Low Sloan and Wang Zhong - co-producers
are Jessinta Liu and Andrew Loo. The production
and cosstume designer is Man Lim Chung and the editor
is Dierdre Slevin.
WILL
WENDI MURDOCH/FLORENCE SLOAN
be Chinese Cinama's visionaries/leaders following the
tradition of "The Archers' (Michael Powell and Emeric
Pressburger) and their “Manifesto” brought
great prominence to British Cinema by being guided by
one’s judgment within successful financial guidelines
to make clear that any film’s theme/purpose has
the highest priority. Will Wendi Murdoch/Florence Sloan's
Big Feet Productions aspires to follow Ismail Merchant/James
Ivory's long tradition of highly acclaimed films that
are praised for bringing out career-best performances
from actors and elegant visuals communicating intelligent
themes (even without words) that established their reputation
of making of English-language films in Asia/India/China
aimed at the international market with upscale literary
cinema experiences that are prestigious and beautiful.
WENDI
MURDOCH AND FLORENCE SLOAN ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED
(along with a selected few others such as Thomas Tull’s
Legendary East/Paul Y. Engineering Group/Huayi Brothers,
Rob Minkoff, Mike Medavoy, Peter Chenin, etc.) because
they represent both sides of the Pacific Ocean with direct
access to factors that often derailed most efforts. Wendi’s
background of being born/raised in Mainland China, educated
at Cal State Northridge/Yale, employed at Hong Kong’s
Star TV and married Rupert Murdoch – CEO of News
Corp. provides many advantages. Malaysian Chinese Florence
Sloan is married to former MGM Chairman/Chief Executive
Harry Sloan has personally witnessed how the film industry
works. In Snow Flower – they’ve utilized Lisa
See (acclaimed American Asian writer) and Wayne Wang (Chinese
American director) to fulfill their mission and purpose.
They have the ears and support of well-connected friends
(i.e. Hugh Jackman, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg/Priscilla
Chan, Goggle’s Sergey Brin/Larry Page, Arianna Huffington,
Diane Von Furstenberg, Ivanka Trump, Nicole Kidman, Rita
Wilson/Tom Hanks, Wonder Woman’s Lynda Carter),
financing (through their own financial resources, along
with numerous other available options in China) and distribution
(pitfall of many recent films such as Aaron Kwok-starrer
$9.8M “Empire of Silver” financed by business
tycoon Terry Guo/???, Zhang Yimou’s $100 million
dollar project - “The Flowers of War,” Feng
Xiaogang's "Aftershock," Dayyan Eng’s
“Inseparable” starring Kevin Spacey/Daniel
Wu, John Cusak/Gong Li/Ken Watanabe’s “Shanghai,”
Sherwood Hu’s “Amazing” and others).
Hopefully Wendi Murdoch/Florence Sloan’s future
films will provide many reasons why they exist while providing
opportunities for audiences to connect with stories that
are seemingly distant very moving that might be flowed-
but never bad ones, never shabby or unworthy ones.
CHINESE CINEMA
WILL BE AN INFLUENTIAL PLAYER IN HOLLYWOOD and
on the international scene making “global films”
– the strategic question(s) will be what role will
China’s Culture of Ministry, producers like Florence
Sloan/Wendi Murdoch, etc. will play. Acknowledging that
“every picture tells a story, it will be fascinating
if Chinese Cinema will create films that has amazing reasons
to exist and to have audiences connect with something
that seems so distant very moving. Will Wendi Murdoch’s
words "We hope to inspire other people to make Chinese
films for everyone" be written in every Hollywood/international
film executives’ proverbial “Secret Fan.”
PRODUCING
TEAM
WENDI
MURDOCH is co-CEO of Big Feet Productions,
a film production company launched in 2008. Prior
to forming her production company, Murdoch provided
strategic counsel to Myspace China, the groundbreaking
social networking site. Earlier, she was a Vice President
at News Corporation’s Asian satellite television
operation, STAR. A native of China, Murdoch is fluent
in Mandarin and English. She holds a MBA from Yale
University’s School of Management and a B.A.
degree in Economics from California State University
at Northridge in Los Angeles. She currently serves
on the boards of the Yale School of Management; the
Fund for Public Schools in New York City; Artsy, a
digital start-up company focusing on the fine art
market; AdChina and Myspace China. She is married
to Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation.
The couple has two children.
FLORENCE
SLOAN is co-creator, producer, and CEO
of Big Feet Productions. Prior to creating the production
company, Sloan was a writer and author of children’s
books in London. She was born in Malaysia and spent
much of her early years in London, England. She
studied at the City University London where she
obtained her B.A. in Law while graduating with honors.
A philanthropist at heart, she sits on the board
of many charities, including The Los Angeles County
Museum of Arts, Facing History and Ourselves, and
American Ballet Theater. She is married to Harry
Sloan, Chairman and CEO of Global Eagle Acquisitions.
They live in Los Angeles with their four children.
REN
ZHONGLUN is the president of the Shanghia
Film Group, a film, documentary, and animation production
company under the Shanghai Entertainment and Media
Group. Zhonglun has been the producer, executive producer,
and co-producer on numerours television series and
films including THE LAST BLADESMAN, AFTERSHOCK, TRUE
LEGEND, 14 BLADES, THE FOUNDING OF A REPUBLIC, “iPartment,”
the television series, RED CLIFF II, FIT LOVER, THE
MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR, RED CLIFF, DUIANDE
ZHANGSHENG, 24 CITY, FENG HUO, SHANGHAI 1976, LUST,
CAUTION, “Stage Sisters,” the television
series, STILL LIFE, DRAGON TIGER GATE, THE WHITE COUNTESS,
EVERLASTING REGRET, THE WORLD, 2046, and BAMBOO SHOOT.
Currently, Zhonglun is in preproduction on the film
THE ADVENTURE OF KOKOCHIN, and he just signed a deal
with BLACK SWAN producer Mike Medavoy to co-producer
an English-language World War II film and miniseries
based on the Chinese novel, The Cursed Piano by Bei
La.
WANG
ZHONGLEI is the president and co-founder
of Huayi Brothers, an entertainment company and record
label. The company was found in 1994 by Zhonglei and
Zhonglei’s brother and current Huayi Brothers
CEO, Wang Zhongjun, as a film production company.
Since then, the company has grown into a publicly
traded corporation and is one of China’s largest
entertainment conglomerates. Under his Huayi Brothers
banner, Zhonglei has been a producer, executive producer,
and co-producer on numerous film such as XI FENG LIE,
HOT SUMMER DAYS, THE MESSAGE, TRACING SHADOW, JOHN
RABE, YAU LUNG HEI FUNG, THE EQUATION OF LOVE AND
DEATH, LU DING JI, ASSEMBLY, THE MATRIMONY, BATTLE
OF THE WARRIORS, ONE FOOT OFF THE GROUND, ROBIN B-HOOD,
THE BANQUET, MOUNTAIN PATROL, KUNG FU HUSTLE, WARRIORS
OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, THE MISSING GUN, DA WAN, I LOVE
BEIJING, and SORRY BABY. He was also a supervising
producer on the television series, “Da Zhai
Men.” Most recently, Zhonglei and his brother
have signed a deal with Legendary Pictures forming
a joint venture named Legendary East. Huayi Brothers
will co-produce the films, starting in 2013 with one
or two a year, and they will act as their distributor
in China. Warner Bros. is expected to distribute the
films throughout the rest of the world, including
North America.
JESSINTA
LIU (Co-Producer) joined Shaw Brothers Studio
as a liaison officer in 1981. She was responsible
for the communication of both the internal and external
affairs of the company and thus made her first steps
into the film industry. In 1982, she was assigned
to take on the role of associate producer. Jessinta
specialized in the organization and preparation of
productions. Her first film production, MAYBE IT’S
LOVE, earned her the trust of her superiors and compliments
of enthusiasm and professionalism from her fellow
filmmakers. In 1984, she left Shaw Brothers Studio
and started her career as an independent film producer.
Some of her work includes films such as LOVERS IN
DREAM, THE BOOK OF ROMANCE AND SWORD, SONG OF EXILE,
RED DUST, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, CHINESE BOX, and THE
STORM RIDERS. Jessinta is also specialized in foreign
productions management in Hong Kong and China. Her
work in foreign production management includes films
like TO BE HONEST, starring Anthony Hopkins, Marion
Hensel’s BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE
SEE, and Peter Greenaway’s PILLOW BOOK. Between
1996 and 2002, Liu joined Golden Harvest and later
BOB and Partners as an executive producer and an executive
producer/general manager, respectively. Since then,
she has set up her own production company, Greenlight
Pictures, to provide production services for local
and overseas productions.
WANG
TIANYUN (Associate Producer) is the head
of production of the Shanghai Film Group. Tianyun
has been a producer, executive producer, and planner
for numerous films and television series such as SHOWTIME,
TRUE LEGEND, 14 BLADES, THE FOUNDING OF A REPUBLIC,
“Wo De Qing Chun Shei Zuo Zhu” the television
series, DUIANDE ZHANGZHENG, FENG HUO, “Stage
Sister” the television series, PRINCE OF THE
HIMALAYAS, and STILL LIFE.
TED
PERKINS (Associate Producer) is a former
executive at two major studios, including Warner Bros.,
and his most recent post as Head of International
Co-Productions and Acquisitions at Universal Pictures.
He has 20 years of experience in international film
financing and distribution, business planning, and
U.S. theatrical marketing. Perkins also serves as
Executive Vice President of Production for IDG China
Media as well as Sky Land Film, a new joint-venture
media and film investment and distribution company
based in Beijing. His work in China included his post
as executive in charge of production for the first-ever
co-production between a U.S. Studio and Mainland China,
PAVILION OF WOMEN, as well as producer of such local
films as HUTUNG DAYS, RED RIVER, and TURNING POINT
1977. Perkins, the son of a Foreign Service diplomat,
has a B.A. from the University of Virginia with a
double major in Literature and Drama and a Master’s
Degree from USC in Management.