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The entertainment sector has developed in recent years thanks to the official encouragement of a government willing to replace foreign content with local products and develop the sector as a global badet of the world. soft power ".
But a national campaign to get more party-approved content across the media, music and entertainment has combined with a crackdown on rising wages of screen stars to blur the prospects.
"It's a cold winter, an extremely cold winter," said Yu Zheng, screenwriter and producer of the hugely popular "Story of Yanxi Palace" series.
The drama of the time located in the middle of the Qing dynasty's court plot attracted 18 billion people on the Chinese platform iQIYI and was the most "googee" TV show to the world last year, partly because of the popularity of the Chinese diaspora.
Cloudy future
The program, since its conclusion, was shot in the Hengdian World Studios, in eastern Zhejiang Province.
Widely regarded as "Hollywood of China", this vast complex of studios has a dozen sets of films, including false versions of the Forbidden City in Beijing and, soon, the edge of the Bund River in Shanghai.
About 70% of Chinese films and TV shows are shot in this country, the Chinese Economic Observer reported in 2017.
The studio's chairman, Sang Xiaoqing, told AFP in an interview that Hengdian was preparing for a slowdown, especially after the tax authorities targeted the main actress Fan Bingbing as part of A crackdown on widespread tax fraud and the exorbitant remuneration of the stars.
"Judging by the current situation (the entertainment industry), the recovery will be slow in 2019," said Mr Sang.
"Some team members have postponed their filming plans and others have even canceled.The commercial activities of the film and television companies have also been affected by the enhanced tax reform."
Mr Sang added that he was expecting to see more movies or TV shows devoted to the revolution that led the Communists to power in 1949, especially since this October will mark the 70th anniversary of the event.
Krypt Chen, a Shanghai-based media badyst, said, "The thorough (government) review has become stricter year by year since 2016. It was pretty tough last year and maybe even more severe this year. "
The Chinese film industry recorded record sales of nearly 61 billion yuan ($ 9.1 billion) last year, up 9 percent from 2017, the news agency reported. Xinhua, although growth has slowed compared to the previous year.
Radio and television revenues increased by 20% in 2017.
But the reinforced control made the heat feel at the Chinese studios.
The share price of the entertainment giant, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, was almost halved last year, and the Hengdian title has lost more than 20%.
President Xi Jinping is campaigning to clean up media content, which has resulted in a crackdown on art forms like rap, while even tattoos would have been banned from television.
Bubble of investment
Historical programs like "Yanxi Palace" seemed safe because they did not deal with controversial issues of our time.
But a comment released last month by Beijing Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper, sparked a debate by criticizing the dramas of the era for their fascination with lavish lifestyles and palace plot instead of promote "the fundamental values of socialism".
Since then, similar shows seem to be interrupted.
The producer "Yanxi", Yu, said that he believed that his broadcast matched the objectives of Xi to promote and export Chinese culture.
"I think the reviews are acceptable, but please do not cut (all the dramas of the time) in all areas," he told AFP at of a telephone interview.
"China finally has a TV show recognized by the world … Why can not we bring out the good things of China and let the foreigners pay their respects?"
Hengdian President, Mr. Sang, said with optimism that the newspaper's comment could give rise to content with more "positive energy", while Chen, the badyst, said it would mean more traditional values.
Mr Sang said that the demand remained high and that he hoped to see moving towards better developed plots, a perfectly regulated quality of production and less dependence on renowned stars.
"There was an excessive investment, like a bubble," Sang said. "Now that people are becoming rational and calmed down, many good companies will have the opportunity to stand out from their competitors."
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