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 Film -
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Makai Motion Pictures LLC
 Johnson
Choi on Hong Kong investments with Hawaii filmmakers - Asia
in Review host Jay Fidell in a discussion with Johnson Choi, President of the
Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce on his recent (July 2010) trip to
Shanghai and Hong Kong and on Hong Kong investments with Hawaii filmmakershttp://vimeo.com/13994279 or
download video click: http://www.hkchcc.org/johnsonchoithinktec0710.mp4
  Brand
Hong Kong Video
Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR Guaranteed One Country Two System for 50 Years
March 18 2011
Hong
Kong's Digital Magic
 Investing early
in the technology helped Digital Magic expand quickly into 3D production
View
Video Presentation: Hong Kong film-makers are capitalising on growing interest
in three-dimensional movies following the record-breaking box-office success of
Avatar, according to the head of an influential trade group representing local
production professionals. In an interview with the HKTDC, Percy Fung, from the
Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals, said he expects
next week's FILMART to be a perfect forum for exploring new partnerships and
digital technology. or http://www.vimeo.com/21201088
From the 1960s comics of Alfonso Wong to today’s
on-screen adventures of Alice Mak’s McDull, Hong Kong’s illustrated
creations have long been admired internationally. And, as the digital
entertainment world has evolved over the last few decades, the local industry
has kept pace with cutting-edge global developments in technology and style.
The limits of what can now be created have never reached so far, and the
opportunities stretch from animation, to post-production work and such diverse
industries as gaming and merchandising.
The rewards can be impressive. Last year saw one animated film (Toy Story 3) and
another that relied heavily on computer-generated imagery (Alice In Wonderland)
top the charts, each ringing in more than US$1 billion at the box office. Those
sorts of returns have helped inspire the work of Hong Kong’s T-Films,
according to Distribution and Production Manager Charlie Wong.
“Animation is a very special industry,” says Mr Wong. “You can say it is a
film industry, an entertainment industry, a toy industry, a merchandising
industry, and even a copyright branding industry. All these things are involved.
And if you can make good-quality, original animation that is accepted by the
worldwide market, then you can make huge revenues.”
Home-Grown Animation
While Asian cinemas have seen full houses for the latest offerings from such
major players as Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks and Warner Brothers, the locals have
been making their mark on the box office as well.
Mr Wong points to the success of the China-produced Pleasant Goat and Big Big
Wolf, which was widely released on the Chinese mainland in 2009 and rewarded
with box-office returns that topped Rmb130 million. “And that’s without
calculating the merchandising revenues,” says Mr Wong. “That's why we are in
this business.”
Little Gobie
 Hong Kong’s Little Gobie is set for release this
summer in the United States
Hong Kong
has had its own success stories, among them the McDull franchise, which has seen
its films chart well, both in Hong Kong and on the mainland. “Hong Kong
companies have two advantages,” says Mr Wong. “We have quality and
experience, and the world sees us as the gateway to China.”
Mr Wong also cites the success of T-Film’s Little Gobie as an example of how
these advantages can best be put to use. The film, which tells the tale of a
reindeer and his search for his lost pet dragon, was picked up for international
distribution by the American film studio Weinstein Company. It has also been
selected to screen at seven festivals across the United States, picking up the
award for best animated production at the California Film Awards last year.
“We are planning to release Little Gobie this summer in the US and, of course,
European countries will be following the US market,” says Mr Wong. “This can
prove to the world that Hong Kong has the quality and experience to produce good
animation.”
As Hong Kong productions are allowed on the mainland market through the Hong
Kong-mainland Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), Mr Wong says that
the local industry is primed for international interest – and investment. And,
he says, success breeds success.
“There are now numerous worldwide distribution companies – including film
distributors and toy distributors – interested in our second project, Flying
Hero, which we will tentatively release in mid-2012. There are also Chinese and
European animation houses keen to bring jobs to our studio. So it goes to show
what can be done.”
T-Films Production Manager Charlie Wong with the
best animated production award for Little Gobie at the California Film Awards
last year
Mr Wong cites the difficulty of luring investors to
digital entertainment as one of the challenges faced by the industry. It’s not
that the money isn’t there, he says, but due to its very nature, long-term
investment is needed.
“You have to help them understand the industry,” he says. “Also, Disney,
Pixar, Warner Brothers and DreamWorks continue to make big and good-quality
animation. This, of course, hits independent animation work. The only thing we
can win with is the story and the culture of the country the work comes from,”
he says. “In China, for example, there is a long historical and cultural
background, so we should make use of this to make animation with good stories
and work that includes aspects of the Chinese culture.”
Cross-Culture Success
 Percy Fung, Production Director of Hong Kong-based
studio Digital Magic
While animation plays a dominant role in the digital
entertainment industry, other opportunities abound. Post-production work and 3D
effects and production are growth areas identified by Percy Fung, Production
Director of the Film Magic, Digital Magic, i-Magic and Heavy Optical companies,
which cover every aspect of digital entertainment.
“Hong Kong companies’ creativity is well-placed within the digital
entertainment industry,” Mr Fung says. “Entrepreneurs here react fast to the
market, to new technology and to the needs of the market, especially in China
and other Asian countries. There is a great demand for content, and we have a
proven record of success in crossing cultures.”
Mr Fung is also Chairman of Hong Kong’s Association of Motion Pictures
Post-Production Professionals (AMP4), which is hosting the fourth Digital Visual
Effects Summit, 22 March, as part of the annual Hong Kong Entertainment Expo.
The summit will focus on changes in the international digital entertainment
industry and opportunities available for Hong Kong enterprises.
Mr Fung cites Digital Magic as an example of how a Hong Kong company can pick up
on trends in the digital entertainment world and expand its own operations.
“We sought out innovative technological developments through well-advanced
research,” he says. “This paid off, as when the market was ready to work
with innovations, we had already become familiar with the technology.”
That’s why, he says, the company has been able to expand its work in 3D, which
is seen by many as the future of the film industry.
“It has been a big area of growth for us,” says Mr Fung. “With our own 3D
camera system design, we have been able to accomplish 3D filming services for
local and Asian producers. That goes to show what is possible if you are
prepared to embrace this new technology.”
September
29 2010:
HK film eyes Oscar nomination
A local film that raised public concern about preserving the historic old Wing
Lee Street, in Sheung Wan, was picked yesterday to represent Hong Kong among
films from which five nominees will be chosen to battle for the Oscar for best
foreign-language film at next year's Academy Awards. Echoes of the Rainbow,
starring Simon Yam Tat-wah and Sandra Ng Kwan-yu, won a Crystal Bear Children's
Jury prize at February's Berlin Film Festival, in Germany, and also four prizes
- including best screenplay and best actor - at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards.
The 1960s-set film - sponsored by the Hong Kong Film Development Council - tells
the story of a shoemaker and his family, whose eldest son becomes ill with
leukaemia. It was voted for unanimously by all 11 board members of the
Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong to run for the 83rd Oscars.
Plans to redevelop the rundown street used in the film were shelved following
the film's success. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
will hold a screening of foreign films in the US next month before selecting the
five final nominees for the ceremony on February 27. Producer Mabel Cheung
Yuen-ting said: "I am very honoured the film will represent Hong Kong. But
there's still a long way to go." Federation chairman Crucindo Hung Cho-sing said
he was confident the film would be among the final five nominees. "It had good
box office, was well-received by audiences and did well at festivals. It
reflects the real life of lower classes in the 1960s and truly represents Hong
Kong," he said.
San Francisco California USA - Wednesday - September 22 2010: Johnson Choi,
President of Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce met with Roger Garcia,
Executive Director of The Hong Kong International Film Festival and Robert Meyer
to discuss wine and business collaborations.
Pictures Archives
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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