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China’s Influence on American Films

In what is a powerful sign of the rise of Chinese influence and economic power, the New York Times is reporting that major Hollywood studios are given the Chinese government access during the production of films to ensure that none of the content lead to rejection by Chinese censors: Hollywood as a whole is shifting […]

January 15, 2013/by dpogreba

Speech & Debate Class Final on Tuesday

Debate Class

For our final, we will have a class debate on the following resolutions: Helena High School should require all students to wear uniforms. Helena High School should install video cameras in the hallways and parking lots. The use of outside research and information would certainly improve the quality of this debate and your score. The […]

January 14, 2013/by dpogreba

China’s Influence on American Films

Daily Wisdom

January 15, 2013/by dpogreba

Speech & Debate Class Final on Tuesday

Debate Class

January 14, 2013/by dpogreba

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China’s Influence on American Films

Daily Wisdom

In what is a powerful sign of the rise of Chinese influence and economic power, the New York Times is reporting that major Hollywood studios are given the Chinese government access during the production of films to ensure that none of the content lead to rejection by Chinese censors:

Hollywood as a whole is shifting toward China-friendly fantasies that will fit comfortably within a revised quota system, which allows more international films to be distributed in China, where 3-D and large-format Imax pictures are particularly favored.

At the same time, it is avoiding subject matter and situations that are likely to cause conflict with the roughly three dozen members of a censorship board run by China’s powerful State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or S.A.R.F.T.

In addition, some studios are quietly asking Chinese officials for assurance that planned films, even when they do not have a Chinese theme, will have no major censorship problems.

Both The Life of Pi and The Karate Kid, for example, had to be altered for Chinese censors’ approval:

For example, 20th Century Fox managed to get “Life of Pi” through with only the modification of the “religion is darkness” line, despite the movie’s spiritual themes — which tread close to a prohibition against the preaching of cult beliefs and superstitions — and the earlier trouble over “Lust, Caution.”

For Americans, the hard part is knowing what might suddenly cause trouble — initial approvals notwithstanding. In 2009, Sony Pictures and its partner, the China Film Group, submitted their script for “The Karate Kid” to China’s censors, and dutifully changed parts of the story to suit them. But the finished film was rejected, according to people who were briefed on the process, essentially because film bureaucrats were unhappy that its villain was Chinese.

After negotiation, 12 minutes of the film were cut, and it was released in China, though later than intended.

January 15, 2013/by dpogreba

Speech & Debate Class Final on Tuesday

Debate Class

For our final, we will have a class debate on the following resolutions:

Helena High School should require all students to wear uniforms.

Helena High School should install video cameras in the hallways and parking lots.

The use of outside research and information would certainly improve the quality of this debate and your score. The final will be about 10% of your grade for the semester—and your participation in the debate should reflect all of the skills you have developed in the first semester of the class.

January 14, 2013/by dpogreba