Year Of The Frog
It's official. We've forged a partnership with a production company here in Zhongshan, forming a whole new company.
Wan Ian ("Year Of The Frog" in English) Film Company is the newly formed partnership company between our two independent production companies. I just got the first draft of our new website online, and I'm going to be spending the next few days uploading the rest of the pages along with it's eventual Chinese translation.
General acts of celebration (jumping for joy, et. al.) would usually follow a forward step of this magnitude. However, the gang and I are still taking this whole thing with a grain of salt. We've learned enough about the general overmind of the New China culture to poke at our new friends with the right kinds of needles to see which social allergens he reacts too.
As expected, while his company has a long-standing history in producing public stage events, and they also seem to share in our vision of "taking over" the China market with Andy's heretofore unseen talent in CGI, the simple sad fact that we have learned in the last two months of working with these people is that they have absolutely no idea what they're doing.
Our first project being a music video to help jump-start the music career of our new partner's trophy wife, we actually had to explain to them the idea of lip-syncing during filming in order to better match her to intended music track. This can't possibly be just a basic Chinese misunderstanding...I've watched TV here, they've got Music Videos and seem to have a pretty decent handle on the basics. But our new partner literally had no clue.
Normally not a problem. Just the usually confident "we'll take it from here" gesture has always worked for us in the past. However, Zhanghe is Chinese. This means he has some sort of weird Old China Caste System based pride that makes him think he should be the expert and, ergo, boss.
While it is a very open and inviting door of opportunity we have chosen to step through, we do so with reservation, caution, and lowered expectations. This may not last long, or it could be the answer to everything. At this point, the odds are 50/50.
Everyone cross your fingers, pray, slaughter the fatted calf, what have you.
TTFN
Wan Ian ("Year Of The Frog" in English) Film Company is the newly formed partnership company between our two independent production companies. I just got the first draft of our new website online, and I'm going to be spending the next few days uploading the rest of the pages along with it's eventual Chinese translation.
General acts of celebration (jumping for joy, et. al.) would usually follow a forward step of this magnitude. However, the gang and I are still taking this whole thing with a grain of salt. We've learned enough about the general overmind of the New China culture to poke at our new friends with the right kinds of needles to see which social allergens he reacts too.
As expected, while his company has a long-standing history in producing public stage events, and they also seem to share in our vision of "taking over" the China market with Andy's heretofore unseen talent in CGI, the simple sad fact that we have learned in the last two months of working with these people is that they have absolutely no idea what they're doing.
Our first project being a music video to help jump-start the music career of our new partner's trophy wife, we actually had to explain to them the idea of lip-syncing during filming in order to better match her to intended music track. This can't possibly be just a basic Chinese misunderstanding...I've watched TV here, they've got Music Videos and seem to have a pretty decent handle on the basics. But our new partner literally had no clue.
Normally not a problem. Just the usually confident "we'll take it from here" gesture has always worked for us in the past. However, Zhanghe is Chinese. This means he has some sort of weird Old China Caste System based pride that makes him think he should be the expert and, ergo, boss.
While it is a very open and inviting door of opportunity we have chosen to step through, we do so with reservation, caution, and lowered expectations. This may not last long, or it could be the answer to everything. At this point, the odds are 50/50.
Everyone cross your fingers, pray, slaughter the fatted calf, what have you.
TTFN
posted by The Infinite Jester at 5:13 AM
