Shaw Brothers Studio: Pan-Chinese System

Pan-Chinese Studio System

• Run Run Shaw was head of Shaw Brothers Studio and a key figure in Chinese film.
• Shaw Brothers Studio was influential, producing approximately 40 Asian films per year.
• Shaw Brothers employed vertical integration, controlling production, distribution, and exhibition in cinemas.
• The managerial principles of Hollywood, like star promotion, long-term contracts, and studio-controlled talent, influenced Shaw Brothers.

Development of the Shaw Empire

• The Shaw family started in the film industry in the 1920s in Shanghai.
• Due to competition in Shanghai, Run Run and Runme Shaw went to Singapore.
• The Shaw Empire diversified into film, television, real estate, amusement parks, and media.

Capitalist Paternalism in the Film Industry

• Work culture at Shaw Brothers included employees, like actors and directors, living in dormitories, while strict contracts ensured studio loyalty.
• Shaw oversaw script approvals, production, and marketing strategies with hands-on leadership.
• Studios monopolized key actors and directors, which limited their ability to find work elsewhere.

Expansion and Competition

• Hong Kong became the center of Chinese cinema in the 1950s.
• Cathay Organisation produced Mandarin-language films and were a major rival.
• Due to government policies in Taiwan and Singapore, Mandarin movies gained popularity over Cantonese movies.

Transition to Television

• Shaw invested in TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited) in 1967 and shifted focus from film to television.
• TVB monopolized Hong Kong's television industry, obtaining advertising revenue and audience control.

The Business and Political Environment

• Ethnic tensions in Malaysia and Singapore led to worries about nationalization of the film industry.
• Hong Kong became a hub for Chinese media, attracting talent and investment.
• Singapore and Taiwan controlled television, though Hong Kong allowed private media enterprises.

The Role of Overseas Chinese Networks

• Shaw Brothers operated within overseas Chinese merchant traditions, emphasizing secrecy, family trust, and strategic investments.
• Interactions with triads influenced the entertainment and labor industries.

Key Themes in Media Studies

• Media industries involve production, distribution, and governance.
• Genres and formats have shifted from traditional cinema to streaming platforms.
• Local influences interact with transnational influences.
• Production struggles include regulatory challenges, financing, and representation issues.
• Streaming Platforms include services like Netflix, iQIYI, and Disney+.

The Media Triangle

• The media triangle is made up of Text, Producer, and Audience.
• Texts: media content (films, TV shows, music etc.)
• Producers create and distribute content.
• Audience are the media consumers, influencing trends and demand.
• Governance includes regulations and government policies.
• Finance concerns funding sources and market influence.
• Circulation & Distribution is how media content spreads across borders.

Media Theories & Concepts

• Media Imperialism is U.S. and Western dominance in global media and serves economic/political interests of dominant countries.
• NWICO (New World Information and Communication Order) sought fairer global media representation in response to media imperialism.
• Challenges to Media Imperialism: growth of local/regional media industries in Asia, audience preferring national/local content, and Asian networks competing globally.
• Modernization & Marketization theories say economic modernization drives media growth more than decolonization.
• Modernization & Marketization focus on Asian creativity and inter-Asian exchanges over Eurocentric views.

Changing Media Landscape in Asia

• There is a rise of Asian Media Powerhouses: China has billion+ TV viewers and 200+ million cinema-goers.
• Hollywood-Asia Co-productions: using Asian talent and locations.
• Regional Expansion: Companies like Star TV and Singaporean media are spreading globally.

End of Isolation & Globalization

• 1980s: Economic liberalization in Asia (China, Taiwan, Singapore).
• Rise of consumer culture and youth markets.
• There is an increased information flow from Asia to the West.

Implications & Future Challenges

• Media is shaping Asian identity and global perception.
• Clash of Western and Asian values in media representation.

Can Asian Media Challenge Hollywood?

• Growing audiences and regional investments suggest potential.
• Local narratives and cultural specificity are critical for success.

"Beyond Globalization Theory"

• Authors argue Western media theory is parochial, focusing on few Western countries, ignoring global diversity.
• Globalization, end of Cold War, Asian economies' rise, media studies growth necessitate inclusive media theory.

Geo-political Perspective

• Four Theories of the Press: 1950s model dividing world into liberal democracies, Soviet totalitarianism, authoritarian; criticized for Western bias.

Modernization Perspective

• Modernization Theory: 1960s theory: developing countries should emulate Western media systems for modernity.
• Criticisms: Theory justified repressive regimes and ignored pluralistic media systems' importance.

Media Imperialism

• Critique of Modernization: Late 1960s media imperialism theory argued American aid programs and policies promoted American media dominance, eroding local cultures.
• Counterarguments: Critics pointed at multidirectional global media flows + local cultures' resilience against Western dominance.

Cultural Globalization

• New Orthodoxy states globalization globally transforms everything, emphasizing increased communication/cultural exchange.
• Global Village states communication technologies enhance global understanding and empathy.
• Cultural Diversity states globalization promotes ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity within countries.

Global Capitalism Restored

• Radical Political Economy is where globalization restores unfettered global capitalism, diminishing democratic control over economies.
• Historical Context: The Bretton Woods system (regulating international finance) weakened from 1960s, leading to transnational corporations/financial markets' dominance.

New Conventional Wisdom

• Cultural theorists view globalization diversely + empowering; political economists see it as a threat to democracy/progressive movements.
• Nation-State is something both perspectives agree is in trouble, though for different reasons.

Aims of the Book

• Broadening Media Theory: expand media theory by looking outside Anglo-American orbit and providing a globalized response.
• National Media Systems: the book is based around around national media systems, with a spotlight on their diversity and social relations.
• Media and Power: Essays in the book explore how media relate to societal power structures, media influences, and globalization's media impact.
• Media Liberalization: General media liberalization trend, but its impact varies; some countries see more freedom, others see media oligarchies in power.

De-Westernizing Media Studies

• Authors push a context-specific media studies approach, underlying enduring national contexts' shaping media systems importance.
• Globalization Theory needs to be critically approached as it tends to oversimplify nation-state's role.

Research Background

• De-Westernization: need to de-Westernize media/cultural studies as American media cultures' dominance is challenged by non-Western rise, especially East Asia
• East Asia is a Key Region: Alternative cultural expressions thrive + signficant intra-regional intake and cultural mixing.

De-Westernization of Media and Cultural Studies

• The de-Westernization process faces challenges, including the Western academic world‘s limited collaboration with non-Western research and the risk of strengthening East-West differences.
• Important to translate and adapt to ensure innovation for Western theories to understand non-Western contexts more effectively.

East Asian Media Cultures and Corporate Governance

• East Asia has increasingly produced and circulated media including films, and music. Regional synchronization and partnerships are becoming more common.
• East Asian media blends local and Western elements and occurs within and in relation to Western media.
• Corporate governance influences global cultural production/circulation via cross-border partnerships/localizing strategies.

International Governance of Media Culture Encounter

• Glocalization is where international governance both enhances cultural variety while adhering to universal formats..
• International governance of culture networks commonly strengthen national structures, leading to "banal internationalism," emphasizing national cultural boundaries.

State Governance of Brand Nationalism

• Brand Nationalism where governments are increasingly marketing in media cultures.
• Focus on national interests, and neglect of corporate governance/historical reconciliation problems.

Towards De-Nationalized Public Dialogue

• Dialogic Potential focuses dialogues for global topics.
• De-Nationalization pushes an approach media and cultural studies that are de-nationalized.
• Researchers' public role is vital for social actors, to facilitate cross-border dialogues.

Global Cultural Dynamics

• A significant increase in transnational media cultures in East Asia via cultural mixing, corporate partnership.
• De-Westernization academic knowledge in has regained attention, particularly w/ rising non-Western countries.

De-Westernization and Beyond

• The "de-" prefix in De-Westernization may be too harsh because rejection isn't productive. Western theories must be translated.
• Reciprocal Learning a need for mutual exchanges among Euro-American and Western backgrounds Scholars must counteract Euro-American knowledge domination.

Inter-Asian Referencing

• To advance knowledge production through reciprocal learning through strategies to spark Asian conversations.
• Examples of Inter-Asian Referencing where "mugukjeok" a positive, uninhibited quality by Sun Jung, and expands on its applicability.
• Crucial to historicize connections from historic connections in East Asian popular culture, influenced by earlier trends from Hong Kong and Japan.

Cultural Mixing and Adaptation

• East Asian cultures have incorporated hybridized American influences in all aspects.
• Reworking through dynamic processes with other elements like in the Taiwanese drama "Meteor Garden".

Popular Culture and Cross-Border Dialogue

• Cross-Border Consumption in Asian creates new relationships+ shifts viewpts.
• Via cultural resonance reflecting on their own.
• For popular culture helps through discussion to address relationships.

Conclusion

• Inter-Asian Referencing not academic method but an change that challenge Euro-American Production and knowledge.
• Analytical Unit focus should on all areas.

Key Themes to Remember

• De-Westernization to re-analyize theories.
• Inter-Asian Referencing for dialogue among Asians.
• Adaptation in EA cultures.
• Dialogue with others.

Models of Broadcasters

• State-Owned Broadcasters are controlled through state control like propaganda.
• PSB (Public Service Broadcasting are like non commercial for the public. .
• Commercial Broadcasters have various content.
• Media and content through comunnities.

State-Owned Media

• State-controlled, politically biased
• Regulation and info. necessary

PSB

• Public, non-politically biased
• The funding covers donation
• Principles are unified

Commericial Broadcasters

• Disney and others for profits
• The content is not ethic
• "New digital realities and old public service broadcasting models the case of public access and participation in Singapore's televisual landscape"

Singapore

• Government and commercial objectives.Established in 1963 and in radio

Limitations

• National objetives
• Content and interest
• Commercial and natinonal

Conclusions

• Should focu on the content.

Reregulation on tv.

• In Asia is on tv channels and chinese culture.
• It shows china influence.

De regulation

• china and singapour the govermnets did
• It has activity.
• The tv in Twiwan also.
• Singapore the development authority promote local and collab
• It allowed access.
• deregulation produced diverse outcomes across these regions.

State control

• Television has been for policies.
• Entertainment vs development
• Tv seems to find diverse topics.

Representation

• Words and images to stand for other things in media stidues.
• Elected and portrayal influences our understanding.

Language

• Media influences us with language.

Identity

• Influences who
• Limited with women also
• It shows how to treat complexity of tv.

Ideology

• Understadning with norms.
• It can be a space too for cultural and ethnicities.
• Channels can be superfical too and explore issues.

Television

• Reflecting on history for Singapore and etc

The title Suggests

• Is the same for languages too in that matter and context.
• It also makes the identity.
• Distances

Television Genres and Formats

• Genre is a type of classification program.
• From radio etc
• Conventions and expecrtions.
• Title that tells the content.
• Multi genre program.
• Specifies other things with other people too.
• Longrunning character emotions etc
• Set and short films
• Linked with other things.

Hybridity

• Reality and tv.
• They have mixes.
• Survellaince.
• Emotions vs what's real
• Engages everyone.
• Drawn images and character
• A real setting too