China Daily Global Edition (USA)
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: MOVIE TOWN BACK IN FULL SWING
Hustle and bustle returns to ‘China’s Hollywood’
With the midday temperature reaching 37 C, many tourists took a break from the summer heat by staying indoors or under the trees in Hengdian, a town in Zhejiang province known as “China’s Hollywood”.
However, there was no rest for Wang Ling, an agent who helps movie and television crews find locations and book time for shooting scenes.
“I’ve been busy like crazy since work resumed in Hengdian and am now working with 50 percent more crews than I did previously,” said Wang, who uses an alias.
He said he walks a considerable distance each day throughout the town, which is in the city of Dongyang and is the country’s biggest film and TV production center.
Some 25 percent of domestically made movies and 33 percent of the nation’s TV series, including more than 64,000 episodes, have been shot in Hengdian.
For months, shooting was restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but since June, as the outbreak in China was controlled, a frenetic pace has been set in Hengdian. More than 100 film and TV crews are currently working in the town — about 16 percent more than at the same time last year.
At the end of February, Xiangshan Film and Television Town in Ningbo, Zhejiang, was one of the first production bases to reopen.
Hengdian World Studios, one of the country’s biggest movie and TV production centers, reopened five of its shooting locations on March 28, with more than 20 crews resuming work on productions, including the new TV series Legend of Fei starring Zhao Liying and Wang Yibo.
Work then resumed in quick succession at Shanghai Film Park, Oriental Movie Metropolis in Qingdao, Shandong province, and Bai Lu Yuan Studios in Xi’an, Shaanxi province.
On July 29, shooting began on the online movie Shuiyue Jinghua, a production sponsored by Youku, the streaming company owned by e-commerce giant Alibaba and Shanghai Films and Media Corp. The fantasy/ romance drama is being filmed in Hengdian and Shanghai.
Its producer, Ma Zhanyou, said, “We have spent more time and money than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on preparing the script, design, costumes, makeup and hairstyling, and are now rushing to start shooting in Hengdian as the film and TV industry recovers from the outbreak.”
Ma cited “superb” infrastructure, advanced technologies and favorable policies in Hengdian as the main reason for deciding to shoot in the town, adding that he hoped more locations could be provided and accommodations improved.
However, as more crews arrive, the shortage of extras has become a problem.
Thousands are needed each day — most of whom are good-looking, young, hard-working and have dreams of stardom. They act as corpses in war scenes and play other supporting roles.
Labeled hengpiao, or Hengdian drifters, they travel long distances from their hometowns for the chance to realize their dreams, but they seldom speak lines or appear in credits.
There are more than 80,000 registered hengpiao, according to the Hengdian World Studios Performer Association, including 6,000 to 8,000 who remain in the town all year round.
Zhou Fenglai, vice-president of Hengdian World Studios Management Services Co, said that with the outbreak under control, extras can now apply to the Hengdian authorities for actors’ passes by using their health QR code and travel records.
Local restaurants, hotels and guesthouses have welcomed the crews’ return.
Zhejiang Daily reported that more than 90 percent of the Dongyang Qiyang Film and Television Equipment Rental Co’s gear has been hired by crews since the middle of last month amid increased demand.
Sun Qiyang, the company’s chairman, said that since mid-March business had gradually returned to the level of previous years. In addition, in early March the company and some of its competitors promised to provide rental services for the lowest prices possible until the end of this year.
High occupancy rate
Last month, the Changzheng Hotel, which has more than 950 guestrooms and caters solely to movie and TV crews, had an occupancy rate of more than 85 percent, up from about 60 percent in March. The hotel is a subsidiary of Hengdian World Studios.
Qiu Liuying, the manager, said the hotel is currently home to seven film crews and seven doing preparatory work, adding that occupancy is a little higher than in previous years. Another two crews have booked rooms for next month.
Huang Yan, deputy manager of the fast food center at Hengdian World Studios, said, “Our staff begin preparing lunchboxes as early as 6 am every day and send them to more than 50 shooting locations by noon.” The center can cook food for more than 4,500 lunchboxes every day.
Li Haishan, 27, an extra in Hengdian, said, “My father always hopes that I will return to my hometown and land a steady job, but I insist on staying here to chase my dream.”
Li, who has often ridden horses in scenes, is using an electric bike to pick up and deliver meals for the online food ordering platform Eleme. “This way, I’m still a rider,” he said.
He plans to look for film or TV roles while continuing his delivery job. “I’ve been in Hengdian for months now, and the hard times will be over soon,” he added.
The authorities in Dongyang have introduced a series of policies to support the resumption of work in Hengdian.
Some 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) has been allocated to subsidize venue and equipment rentals, along with the cost of accommodations. Taxes and fees have been cut or exempted for film and TV production companies.
Hengdian World Studios has offered extras cost-of-living subsidies, with some of these workers also being employed by local factories.
When producer Huang Jinmei arrived in Hengdian in mid-April, the streets were empty, but since then, the town has become a bustling center of activity.
“In the film industry, as long as you can control the budget and provide high-quality products, there must be room for you to survive,” Huang said.
Producer Bao Mengmeng is hopeful about the future.
In May, Xinhua News Agency quoted her as saying, “Although we are encountering more challenges, we can spend more time polishing our scripts and keeping good connections with big platforms.
“In such hard times for the whole industry, I believe the fittest will survive and quality will prevail.”
To achieve its goal of becoming home to the world’s most competitive film and TV industry base, Hengdian Group began work on an industrial park in July 2018.
With investment of 3 billion yuan and a total floor area of 65.1 hectares, the venue will be home to 41 international high-tech studios.
The park will be divided into two blocks, with one housing standard studios, a shooting area for modern-day scenes, a film and television service center, post production center and hotels. The other block will be occupied solely by studios.
The No 3 Studio will be the largest in the world, covering 12,000 square meters.
Xu Xiaoqin, deputy general manager of Hengdian World Studios, said the park is due to be completed by the end of 2023 and will be covered by the 5G network.