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In this report, we try to answer these questions:
1. How is the Cannes Film Market held this year?
2. Can the online movie market accommodate all the transactions during the film festival?
3. Can film producers buy this year’s competition films online?
4. What is the impact of online market on movie trading?
5. What else can Cannes film market do besides trading?
Special feature of 1905 film network What to do in Cannes this year should be the topic that fans are most concerned about during this period. May every year not only means how more than 100 films will meet the audience, but also means that those films will become the focus of discussion by the audience in the coming year, and what kind of films will be displayed at major film festivals.
Cannes Film Festival not only provides a few months’ talk for fans, but more importantly, it is one of the largest film markets in the world. In May, together with directors, actors, producers and the media, there were also representatives of film companies, agents, distributors, film foundations and other people in the industry from all over the world.
The market set a record in 2019 How to face difficulties in 2020?
2019 is the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival film market, which has welcomed more than 12,000 participants in an unprecedented way. This year, when the selection of three parallel units was cancelled and the date of the official screening unit was ambiguous, the future of the film market and the screening markets in many countries behind it became a topic of more concern to the industry.
Now, the film market has decided to hold it online this year. In its official statement, this year’s online film market will fully simulate every function offline, from the agent booth to the film agency exhibition hall; From online video conferencing to online watching movies; There will even be online forums.
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But at the moment, will the online movie market still maintain the vitality of offline every year?
"In our platform, the film market accounts for about 10%." David, a reporter from a film media who has reported the Cannes Film Festival for many years, said, "This year, I don’t think the impact will be great, and maybe there will be a lot of transactions."
The person in charge of the film market said that 80% of the publishers they consulted were willing to try the online market; 66% still have the ability to buy films including films, post-production and script creation.
The person in charge stressed that this year’s online film market will provide an efficient and cutting-edge platform for film screening, trading and financing. The online movie market has been scheduled for May 22nd for a week.
Online movie market Can you replace the seaside luxury hotel?
Walk into the movie palace and go down the stairs directly to the basement. These hundreds of planes and the two floors above them are the movie market in Cannes. Film companies and agents from various countries distribute thousands of film copyrights to all parts of the world here.
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But among other movie people, there is an invisible "market" in Cannes, which is located in hotels lined up by the sea. Larger film companies often negotiate cooperation here. Someone from a film company once said: "The films in the movie palace market are basically films that no one wants after the copyright is robbed."
When the film market appears online this year, will there be "two markets"?
"I don’t quite agree with this statement." Li Yihua, the person in charge of Nianhua outside the window, said. In recent years, she has bought the China rights of many films in Cannes and other film festivals. "The so-called hotel is the second market, which may be a relatively large company and needs more freedom. I think the difference between talking about business and not talking about business is not so big, but the conditions and timing of negotiation. "
Li Yihua believes that the film market of the Film Palace actually plays an important role for sales companies to develop new customers and buyers. This is also the necessity of the existence of the official film market in Cannes.
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But this year, the market turned online, and she felt that it might not be so friendly to new buyers. When selling films, sales companies may have concerns in the face of buyers they have never met.
In the Cannes film market transactions in the past few years, even many familiar companies talked about their cooperation intentions long in advance in order to improve the efficiency and success rate of the transactions during Cannes. Li Yihua mentioned that for new buyers, online film festivals may also bring difficulties. Not knowing the sales company and not meeting in advance will reduce the success rate of the transaction.
Advantages and disadvantages of online market Can a film dealer buy a competition film?
The official statement of the film market of Cannes Film Festival seems to be a reassurance to film practitioners. Perhaps the only worry is what kind of films can be bought this year.
Recalling the experience of buying films, an industry insider who went to Cannes Film Festival all the year round revealed that every time, he had to sit down at the booth of the Film Palace market, listen to the seller’s introduction, and then spend two or three minutes watching a film. If a company has 10 films, it may take 30 to 40 minutes to watch it, and then he can start to talk about conditions, and basically he will not decide whether to buy a film immediately. Actually, it’s a waste of time
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This year’s film festival was held online. In the eyes of this industry, it actually saved a lot of time for purchase and negotiation. "The same work can be done online, and there are written materials in advance, which can make better decisions. If there is a link to the demo, everyone in the company can watch it. More flexible. "
Li Yihua, who buys copyright for her company at major film festivals every year, agrees with this view. She said that she has to fly to four or five film festivals every year to hold meetings, watch films and sort out materials in a few days. The time is particularly tight: "If you are online, the time on the road and the time difference will be omitted. It will be more efficient for everyone to watch films directly."
Li Yihua told us that at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, she chose to watch the film online at home and then make a decision to buy the film: "Some foreign companies anticipated this problem and sent us the link when they showed it in Berlin. I watched a lot of competition films, and the last film I bought won this year’s Golden Bear. "
David, a film journalist, is generally optimistic about the online market this year. He thinks that in this year’s environment, the copyright transaction volume of online broadcasting may reach a new high. But at the same time, he is worried that because the market is held before the film festival, filmmakers may not be able to buy any "explosive" movies.
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"The online market will not have much impact on procurement." Li Yihua said, "But if there is no nomination, or a stunt like a competition unit, I think it will be very difficult to buy a film." She mentioned that more than 100 films in the official and parallel units of Cannes will be concerned by the domestic media because of the name of "Cannes", but this year’s changes will make her more cautious in buying films.
The online transaction is solved. Where is the offline activity going?
"The film market is a more specific, practical and functional trading platform extended by the film festival. It will include market screening, forum activities and so on, and its diversity and inclusiveness are also very important." According to Liu Lei, the operation director of China Film Foundation’s Wu Tianming Youth Film Special Fund, this is a very important part of the offline activities of Cannes Film Festival.
Liu Lei mentioned that the world filmmakers attracted by Cannes Film Festival will help young filmmakers understand the necessary practical skills such as film promotion skills, joint production, international finance, market strategy, market distribution and international sales.
Therefore, for filmmakers, the film market is a platform for buying and selling film copyrights. But at the same time, the establishment of this market is also helping young people in the industrial chain to stand on the international stage faster.
Liu Lei gave us an example: Xiao Gancao, our producer, was greatly encouraged after he came to Cannes. Before that, he never thought that famous actors could be used in this project, but after returning to China, he found Duan Long, and after many conversations, he "knocked him down" and became the star of the film.
When the movie market moves online, what will happen to these projects and forums outside the copyright?
Liu Lei did not disclose whether there will be relevant arrangements for this year’s Wu Tianming Youth Film Special Fund. But he said: "Some of the things that the Foundation can do is to help filmmakers in need to answer their doubts. Of course, switching to online also represents a lot of workload for Cannes film market staff. If there is anything we can do, we are also willing to contribute. "
Whether it is the Cannes Film Festival or the international film festivals in Beijing and Shanghai, for them, the work is not only a screening, but also an important part of the global or regional film industry system. The film market turnover of Beijing International Film Festival is increasing year by year; The venture capital unit of Shanghai International Film Festival has become a climate. At this time, it is even more necessary for filmmakers to support each other and make the film industry develop continuously in a new form.
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In the interview, Liu Lei said: "Under such a global crisis, we can use this time to reflect on the future development of the film, the film itself, its commercialization, cultural attributes and so on. The film has never stopped for more than 120 years, everything will pass, and we will eventually get back on the road. "
