Name Yang Yadi Lilac
University number 2008801826
Sub-class: ECEN 1904 - N
Should More Money Be Invested in Chinese Film Industry?
The Chinese film industry has achieved satisfactory development in recent years. Noticing the large profitability of movies, both Chinese government and individual investors are planning to invest more money in Chinese film industry, whereas meanwhile many potential problems in film development in China have also risen. By analyzing the characteristics of film commodity, the cost and benefit of film production and the problem of piracy in China, this essay argues that China should not raise its investment in film industry, although it may seem profitable to do so.
Theoretically speaking, more investment in film industry can bring about tremendous benefit not only to Chinese economy but also to our cultural development. Belonging to the tertiary sector of industry, film industry takes mainly intangible cost and generates immaterial output covering various social aspects including economy and culture. In addition, the peculiar characteristics of the film commodity, such as its “non-diminishable, invisible, indefinitely enlargeable, infinitely reproducible, but excludable nature” and “the slow physical deterioration of the means of its production” (Sedfwick & Pokorny, 2005, p.13), make it a high-profitable commodity attracting sustainable investment flows. Indeed, recent development of Chinese films has proved this. A total of 119 Chinese films were produced and released in 2007 and 144 in 2006. Up until November, 74 Chinese films have been released in 2008, including many blockbusters experiencing both domestic and international box-office booms. For example, the movie “Red Cliff” received gross globa ...