02 Dec 023: dealing with ageism and climate change
Popstar turned producer Sally Yeh talks about how she dealing with ageism, censorship, and climate change in China.
China-based producer Sally Yeh talks about ageism, censorship, and climate change in China. We discuss the US / China divide – the effects of the current trade war on the film industry in China. She also shares her thoughts on what the Chinese studios are looking for.
KEY POINTS ON AGEISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE
NETWORK TO DEAL WITH AGEISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN CHINA
Go to mixers. screenings and industry functions. Join WeChat groups and you’ll attract like-minded people.
THE US / CHINA DIVIDE – DEALING WITH AGEISM, CENSORSHIP AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN CHINA
Sally brought up the example of the ban on Korean talent in China. As you may recall – due to the THAAD – Terminal High Altitude Area Defense US’s military-installed this defense system on the Korean peninsula. Sally says the Korean pop culture ban has slightly lifted but it’s not clear.
FLEXIBILITY ON CENSORSHIP
Sally mentioned outside the normal obstacles a producer must handle – there are also censorship issues. And that hits’ twice. First when you apply for co-production status and the censorship committee reviews your script. And then if you are distributing your film I china, the completed film is again reviewed. You can’t predict what will pass or not. There are guidelines/rules however it’s a very grey area and you need to be flexible.
TAKEAWAYS ON AGEISM & CLIMATE CHANGE & FUTURE PROJECTS
DEALING WITH AGEISM IN CHINA
Sally makes a counter-argument on ageism that I hope more people adopt. People want to work with partners they have a history with. This makes a big difference in the way they collaborate. And this shared history comes with age. We all need to drop the negative bias that ageism fosters.
DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IN CHINA
Not only is this a world problem. But if you have a story or a script about this – she is looking for collaborators on this important subject that affects all of us. She mentioned she will take a course on climate change and in the future teach the course to others. This is another opportunity for content creators – perhaps a documentary on teaching climate change. You can find Sally’s contact details in the show notes.
BIO PICS
When I asked Sally what kind of projects China might be looking for – she mentioned that there might be an opportunity in biopics. It’s best to avoid certain sensitivities – for example, historical figures from times of war. But you might consider Chinese heroes from the recent past – the 80s and 90s.
For my insight on dealing with obstacles – check out my previous podcast 014: Robert Cain – How China Can Get Out of Its Own Way
The China-Hollywood Greenlight Podcast – Episode 023
Sally Yeh, Producer
Show Notes
Host: Caryn McCann
Website: The China List – where Hollywood and China meet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheChinaList
Twitter: @chnlist https://twitter.com/chnlist
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryn-mccann-5718058/
Guest: Sally Yeh
LinkedIn: SallyMYeh
WeChat: TimeLoveEntity
Email: SallyMYeh@yahoo.com
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