New tidings from reality TV programs(2)

Poster popular reality TV shows adapted into movies Running Man. Photo provided to China Daily

With such movies becoming popular, trade analysts say the holiday season－one of the most profitable periods for Chinese movies－looks set to be dominated by the so-called unconventional movies.

"Filmmaking is like a money-hunting game now. Few producers really care about what a good movie should be," says critic Han Haoyue.

"When a new-genre film gains success at the box office, a slew of replicas will be produced. But it seems the producers just forget the basic rule of 'content is king'."

Producer Zhang Yaping says that Running Man, which was filmed over six months, wasn't tailored for profit.

"Though it enjoyed a high TV rating, it's still hard to estimate how many TV viewers will buy tickets for the movie. It's unfair to call the movie a 'money-hunter'," she says.

She adds the TV show, which was popular with millions of Chinese viewers, also inspired people to live healthier.

Zhang Hui, the branding head of Shanghai-based EE-Media which produced the Dad movies, disagrees with the opinions defining a "normal" movie.

"The world's first known movie (Roundhay Garden Scene) is only two seconds long. The Battle of Dingjunshan, the first movie made by China, is a silent production. So why must a movie obey rules, such as having dramatic storylines and prewritten dialogues?" he asks.

"The Dad franchise has its own features, such as the happy family subject matter. We'll never do movies with written scripts. How can you expect children ages 3 and 4 to remember the lines?" Zhang says.

While the producers defend the growing trend, some analysts continue to see money as the main motivation behind such moviemaking.

"Movies are for consumption, so it is natural that maximum profits will be pursued," says Zuo Heng, deputy director of cinema studies at the China Film Archives.

Younger Chinese audiences, compared to their counterparts in mature Western markets, have little interest in noting the difference between small and big screens, he adds. Young Chinese form the bulk of the country's filmgoers.

"If the movie can make them laugh and stars their favorite actors, they will buy the tickets and don't care if it's a real or good movie," Zuo says.

"The controversy mainly reflects the elite class' worries over the humiliation of high-end culture and 'good taste'."