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Studio's move bittersweet for China's film veterans

By Zhang Rui: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, August 6, 2012

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Zheng Huiwen talks in front of the buildings he designed. [China.org.cn]

Zheng Huiwen, 60, started his film career in 1974 as art designer. He worked alongside six generations of heads of the studio. Zheng was in charge of constructing the famous 12,000-square-meter "A Dream of Red Mansions" sets, which cost 4 million yuan, an enormous sum at that time.

The massive construction of the sets also forced the removal of numerous peach trees inside the compound, Zheng recalled. "My son once yelled at me that we couldn't eat peaches anymore!" he laughed.

At that time, the Chinese film market was still in an early developmental stage. In response to requests from Hong Kong and Taiwan tourists requesting to visit the Beijing studio, then-president Wang Yang agreed to build a Chinese film tourist city. The tourist city generated more income, more jobs, and covered garbage disposal and water fees.

The original Beijing Film Studio comprised four filming studios built upon a football field, one of which covered more than 3,000 square meters and was recognized as the "largest film studio in Asia."

At first, the film studio produced news reels. Then, under the order of premier Zhou Enlai in 1954, the studio sent outstanding filmmakers to the former Soviet Union to learn film techniques. Upon returning, the directors began producing feature-length films in 1956. Several landmark Chinese revolutionary films were made during this time.

Many of the original Beijing Film Studio's former offices and buildings have been rented out to private companies. [China.org.cn]

The Beijing Film Studio was also the first studio to adopt the producer system in 1988. Prior to 1988, the studio heads would decide which films to produce and then find the directors, who would choose a suitable "producing director." The cameramen and art directors were selected by sub-directors of units, not by director himself.

Under the old system, many films lost money. Finally, a director named Huangpu Keren suggested to the heads of the studio that he would like to fund a film. The top decision makers finally granted the permission and allow self-funding and organize an independent film crew as long as the director handed over 100,000 yuan in risk-guaranty money to the studio. The film, "Killer in the Wild," made a profit and opened the floodgates to new era of Chinese film industry which allowed producers to exist and gave filmmakers more freedom.

Looking back at his own experiences as well as the historic buildings set for demolition, Li Xin said he has mixed feelings about the studio's relocation. "Speaking from the heart, I hate to see it go, but I'm not quite sure, because, maybe this is the way of development," he said.

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