Beijing Business Daily: When Will China'S Performance Industry Get Rid Of "OEM"?

In the traditional manufacturing industry, China has always been a "big manufacturing nation and small brand country", and OEM has become a major way for many foreign goods to enter China.

The similar situation is equally serious in the performing arts market. The Chinese performance for the foreign brands to dress is everywhere. In some of the cultural industries that are rich in talent and fierce competition, some even fail to reach the level of OEM.

The current situation of Chinese culture and foreign brands in China's foundry industry has also aroused the industry's thinking.

Domestic acrobatics took the initiative to ignore copyright.

Before retiring, Zhao Tianyun worked in the military acrobatic troupe affiliated to the military area. Now she is returned to the Chinese acrobatic troupe and is still responsible for the training of the league members.

She recalled that during the flag acrobatic troupe, the Canadian Cirque du Soleil bought eight or nine programs from the flag of war, with four flags and dragon lion dance as its main theme, and two foreign programs.

"The Cirque du Soleil averaged an average of 100 million dollars a night, but huge profits were not related to China."

According to Zhao Tianyun, the Cirque du Soleil pays more attention to the rights and interests of the other parties when signing contracts with foreign actors. For example, a foreign designer has designed the costumes and music for the party, not only for money, but also for the other party's name, but the copyright is always in the hands of the Cirque du Soleil.

The banner at that time enjoyed a patent for 10 years in the city, and it was not allowed to imitate others, but the Cirque du Soleil used it, but the intellectual property was not given to the flag.

"The intellectual property rights belong to the group, and the group did not ask for it at that time. It was felt that the Chinese first did not attach importance to this problem."

Zhao Tianyun said with emotion.

In addition to the cost of buying programs, actors' performance fees, daily living expenses, and poor program recording costs, huge intellectual property rights are "free" to the circus of the sun.

The practice of the Cirque du Soleil also caused a lot of dissatisfaction among many domestic groups. At that time, they awarded the Shenyang acrobatic troupe a French Competition Award, through "buying" the actors of Shenyang group, and "shell" a group in Beijing, and then took the Cirque du Soleil to pack the show. At that time, Shenyang acrobatic troupe went to the courtroom, and the other side paid 400 thousand yuan.

"This cost is negligible compared to the huge cost of intellectual property."

It is understood that in the treatment of actors, the Cirque du Soleil is divided into two pieces, one is the performance fee and the other is the living expenses.

In 2000, their A team enjoyed a salary of $35 per day, and the tour to Europe in 2003 was treated at $40 per day.

Compared with the actors hired by the circus in other countries, if the actor of the flag takes 260 euros a week, the European actor is 1300 euros a month.

Despite the low end of the sun circus, the Chinese acrobats are still on the move.

"No way, the overseas performance fee is high, a $500 a week, 2500 dollars, our flag in the army team's salary level is high, an average of 3000 yuan / month, and the actors who can go to the Cirque du Soleil can earn more than 8000 yuan a month, which is much better than that of many domestic acrobats. The gap is huge."

Zhao Tianyun felt that at present, most of the domestic acrobatic troupes are national associations, and the treatment of actors is difficult to integrate with foreign countries in a short time, which makes it difficult to retain actors, because acrobats also eat young meals.

As a matter of fact, the acrobats who go to work privately or directly from the state-owned family groups play a sizeable proportion.

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The cirque of the sun is expanding rapidly by intellectual property.

The Canadian Cirque du Soleil has been in league for more than 20 years. As a folk art group, its rapid expansion speed amazed the whole world.

Zhao Tianyun said that it has a very big principle, that is, the production and property rights are always in their hands, no matter where they buy the programs from the world, they are eventually packaged and then exported to the Cirque du Soleil.

Of course, during the growth of the circus, the Canadian government provided huge support, such as allowing it to be duty-free for 3 years at home and abroad.

The Cirque du Soleil set up a "hematopoiesis" mechanism at the very beginning. It recruited actors from all over the world and had special recruitment departments. They often patronized all kinds of acrobatic competitions both at home and abroad. China was the focus of their observation. Now even in China, they will come to see the program and watch the trend.

Moreover, the Cirque du Soleil usually sign contracts with individuals, unlike China.

This is not only flexible, but also cumbersome, and does not require huge royalties.

Today, the Cirque du Soleil has more money than the Canadian National circus. Besides the base of Montreal, North America is their best market, and they have several performances in the big cities such as Las Vegas Garth.

The way of touring is often adopted, leaving the big cities first and then moving to the second tier cities. In 2002, the Cirque du Soleil began to break through the North American market and expand to the emerging economies of Asia.

Zhao Tianyun said that the Cirque du Soleil can be successful, and there is also a place for domestic academy to learn.

For example, China's acrobatic skills have always been internationally recognized, but the layout of the program is far less advanced than the Cirque du Soleil.

Many of their programmes are not hard to understand after they have finished reading, but people enjoy watching them and enjoy a relaxed and happy life.

The hardware facilities of Cirque du Soleil are very advanced because they also know the importance of actors and pay special attention to security protection.

At first, some of their fighting equipment were borrowed from Hollywood. Later, they developed more and more advanced and beautiful. Even Hollywood now had to borrow props from them.

Every performance of the Cirque du Soleil can match any large-scale commercial performance.

Every performance can usually be sponsored by a number of world-famous brands. Even Michael Jackson's team must engage in activities with it, and borrow its Taiwan opera.

Zhao Tianyun said with emotion that the Cirque du Soleil "made a snowball" on intellectual property and made profits and foundations "solid". However, in China, whether it is acrobatics or other industries, the protection of intellectual property rights is a problem.

China has occupied the high-end technology, but has become the bottom of the market.

Musicals performers collective "job hopping" in Japan

Xiao Ke, a famous musician who was enthusiastic about the creation of musical works, once regrets that his "why I love you" really failed, and he felt frustrated at the domestic musical market.

The reason is that the overall environment of domestic musicals is not yet mature.

Li Bonan, a famous independent drama producer and playwright, has recognized a number of musicals performers who have worked in Japan's four seasons troupe. Some of them are running dragon sets, others can be number one actors, especially in the past few years.

He understands these actors very well. Japan's musicals have already formed industrial chains. They can perform all the year round. For actors, they not only earn more, but also have a good platform for each other, and they can also get satisfaction in their performance. In China, they are faced with unemployment, or very few opportunities.

Chen Gang, a professor of the performing arts teaching and research section of Central Academy of Drama, said: "the annual theatre of the four seasons will invite actors and actress around the world, and will also buy some good copyright works. Many Chinese opera graduates can meet the requirements and carry out international movement.

Working in the four seasons troupe, there are up to 37 Chinese actors in the other group.

As for salary, we are not too happy to ask, many actors return to China to do nothing, or they do not play musicals to make plays. Some of the students of professional musicals will also act as hosts.

"The industrial environment of domestic musical industry has never been formed, and the market has never been nurtured."

Chen Gang said, in fact, the Chinese actor's ability is not in line with the world, but the market effect is not mainly an actor, but a drama creation and operation mechanism.

At present, there are no musical writers who have been recognized by the market in China.

In fact, the musical itself is closely related to the market. It should understand popularization and popularization, and also have a team to operate it.

For example, the four seasons troupe, they not only know marketing, but also set up a membership system. Usually they sell tickets after they get the copyright. When it comes to composing and rehearsing, the money can be invested, and a scientific and benign system has been formed.

And which group and the boss in the country usually invest in it and see it alone. There is no atmosphere, and usually do not play after a play. There is no accumulation of drama.

The Japanese four seasons troupe can perform different repertoire on average in 6 cities.

It is necessary to have such a group doing such things for a long time, accumulating repertoire, forming the corresponding brand effect, and producing a group of directors who are recognized by the market, so as to gradually form the scale effect.

So many people gather firewood.

Chen Gang said.

The incentive mechanism of the other side is also worth learning. The actors of the other side can buy certain shares of the troupe after working for a certain time, so that they can motivate the league members to take the group as their home and take the musical as a lifelong career.

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OEM mode tries to open China market

Chen Gang said that the Chinese opera is currently working with the four seasons troupe. The other side feels that the Chinese market has great potential, while the Chinese opera has the advantage of actors, so it is combined with Chinese opera.

After several years of cooperation, many achievements have been achieved. The performance of the Chinese Opera Musical class has been greatly assisted by the four seasons troupe. Many students of the Chinese opera teacher go to the other side to visit and study, and the other side will send teachers to help Chinese drama teaching.

The other side also symbolized the charge of his original works, "the cat that wants to become a man" and "the dream of waking up in dream", pferring the copyright to the Chinese opera, rehearsing the Chinese opera, and performing the domestic performance within the prescribed time.

"In fact, there is of course a plan to expand the Chinese market, but not yet."

Chen Gang said that the domestic acrobatics level is very high, and it is leading in the world. However, the creation of musical drama has just started, and this western art is how to create a healthy market for it. There are still many places for Chinese people to learn.

The Japanese four seasons troupe has risen rapidly, and its operation mode also has much to learn from.

After coming out of the four seasons theatre, Chen Gang took the first musical drama Princess "happy princess". He invested fully in the movie. He hoped to train more audiences through the way of movie and TV.

The first musical series, "fruit girl", was also invested by the China TV production center.

"China's musical market needs to be raised."

Chen Gang said.

Domestic producers begin copyright management

From a daily cost of only a dozen dollars to a minimum fee of 300 thousand yuan, the copyright awareness of Chinese producers is also awakening.

The opening fee of 300 thousand yuan is the masterpiece of the Chinese acrobatic troupe, "one product, 13 absolutely".

Li Enjie, general manager of Beijing performing arts group, has a deep understanding of this "pain". He said that before the foreign performance Shang Lao "pinch", the domestic programs and materials were provided to them, after they carved, they had to play the brand of others, like the OEM processing, so that their own regiment would never have a brand.

In recent years, the acrobatic troupe of China has created the highest quality of the 13 categories of acrobatics in China. Li said that the Chinese acrobatic troupe is now saying that no one can change the program, the recognition party will be taken away. If it is too expensive, it can provide some low-grade content for the other side flexibly.

For example, they exported to Japan a group of "one product 13 absolutely" in the actor, according to some of the elements to remake the Taiwan Party called acrobatics king, has played 99 games in the local.

At present, the output of "one product, 13 absolutely" is not very much, mainly because the price is too high for the other party to afford, and they decide to go out for a minimum of 300 thousand yuan.

Not long ago, Broadway Asia World Company Limited jointly signed a cooperation agreement with Beijing performing arts group, Henderson company and Beijing Huairou district government. It decided to build an international standard musical drama based on the story of Kunqu Opera "Peony Pavilion" and make it a long live play on Broadway as the first capital cultural "go out" brand project.

To pursue this cooperation mode, Broadway is equivalent to a production team hired by Beijing performing arts group. Eventually, the copyright of the musical is still in the hands of Beijing performing arts group, so it is possible to develop international copyright trade in the future.

Broadway, on the basis of cooperation agreements, will undertake overseas tour and promotion of "Peony Pavilion" and other obligations.