Foreign Films Research Articles

From the Perspective of Cultural Turn Theory: An Analysis of Movie Subtitle Translation

Film is an indispensable entertainment activity in People's Daily life, and it is an important spiritual food for modern people. With the gradual development of China's opening to the outside world and the influence of the domestic and foreign environment, more and more excellent foreign films enter the domestic market, and the demand for film subtitle translation also expands gradually. People's understanding of the film depends on the subtitle translation of the film, so the subtitle translation of the film occupies a very important position. Under the guidance of Susan Basnet's cultural turn theory, this paper takes the film Harry Potter as the research object and analyzes the subtitle translation.

Trends and Influencing Factors in Film Box Office: A Study on Chinese Domestic and International Films

At present, box office performance has become one of the critical indicators of a film's success. Both domestic and international film markets have shown steady growth; however, the box office performance of different films varies significantly. In light of this, this paper focuses on the box office development of domestic and foreign films, reviewing and analyzing the factors that influence the box office performance of many films. Additionally, a comparative analysis between domestic and foreign films is conducted. According to research findings, the primary factors affecting the box office performance of domestic films include the "mainstream" theme, storyline, realistic social topics, release timing, and multimedia promotion. In contrast, the factors influencing the box office performance of foreign films mainly involve the production company, country of origin, type of film, technological innovation, and online reputation. Based on these findings, this paper further analyzes the shortcomings that have led to the box office failures of both domestic and foreign films. Furthermore, recommendations for enhancing box office performance, applicable to all films, are proposed from four dimensions: film content, filming technology, market timing, and marketing strategies.

Working Titles. Computational Analysis of Film Titling Practices: A Polish Case Study

This article traces historical trends in film titling practices in Poland, based on quantitative analysis of film metadata. The authors analyse a corpus of 2,519 films produced in Poland until 2023, looking at regularities in the naming of Polish original films: the average length of titles, title duplication, the most frequent content words typical of successive phases in the history of Polish cinematography, lexical diversity, and the presence of proper names and foreignisms. Then they replicate some of the tests on the corpus of foreign films translated into Polish, which includes 5,585 foreign films distributed in Poland between 1945 and 1989 and 33,794 films released in Poland after 1989. The authors compare the peculiarities of the original titles and those translated into Polish in search of similarities and discrepancies, potentially symptomatic of translationese, or titlese.

Learning from Competitors: Evidence from the Movie Industry

As an entertainment medium, movies are closely related to everyone's daily life. Using film industry data can help understanding how a country's industry develops and progresses. It is widely seen in many contexts that companies can learn from competitors to improve quality and adopt technology. This project uses detailed film production data to understand the upgrading process of China's film industry over the past decade. The study finds that foreign filmmakers produce significantly more feature films. Feature films are a special type of film that are more technical and require large visual teams. It finds that foreign films have more visual team members than domestic ones. It shows that domestic film productions catch up by hiring foreign visual team members. It is illustrated that how strategically hiring foreign experts promotes domestic industry upgrading and technological knowledge transfer. Film industry data provide unique insights into these human resource channels to narrow the capability gap between domestic and foreign producers. These results provide insights into the channels behind industry upgrading.

Desiring audiences: We will go to the cinema if…?

Beginning in the 1990s, Bangladeshi cinema began to lose its audiences significantly. This leads to the continual closure of cinema halls, one after another. Popular perception is that Bangladeshi audiences watch foreign films, Indian popular films in particular, and television programs using home-viewing facilities. Mainstream filmmakers and producers in Bangladesh argue that when audiences can almost effortlessly access similar contents at home and so they do not go to the theatres. This study, therefore, explores how the audiences decide about a film (irrespective of the origin of production) to watch, what satisfies their viewing, and their disinclination to watch cinema at the theatre in Bangladesh. A total of 100 regular movie-viewers participated in the survey interviews. The findings confirm that for most of the viewers, the trailer of a film, known or favorite actors and/or actresses, and cinema viewers or cinema-goers’ feedback are the three key sources based on which they decide whether to watch a film or not. Relying on these sources, they want confirmation that the film(s) they will watch must have all the necessary components contributing to their viewing satisfaction. The story itself, the craft of storytelling, performance, and dialogues through which characters of the story reach the audience, good making that creates reality, known (star) actors and actresses, and visual spectacle are found to be the primary elements that produce audiences viewing satisfaction. Though most respondents conditionally agreed that they prefer to watch films at theatres, films screened there are found unworthy of watching. Their leisureless lifestyle considerably contributed to this disinclination toward cinema-going.

An Exploration of Narrative Strategies in the Adaptation of the Cross-Media Text Postmen In The Mountains

The novel Postmen In The Mountains written by the famous writer Peng Jianming was adapted into a movie of the same name in 1999, and was adapted to the screen by director Huo Jianqi. Although the domestic box office was not good after its release, it successively won awards at major domestic and foreign film festivals caused widespread repercussions. The novel Postmen In The Mountains shows the exploration of life and the nostalgia for the countryside through the artist’s “prose culture” words. The 1999 version of the movie uses a unique narrative perspective to show deep themes such as the meaning of life. The text of the same name Postmen In The Mountains, presented in different media forms, reflects a unique narrative strategy in its adaptation, and shows changes in aesthetic taste and narrative structure, aesthetic expression and narrative style from the perspective of narratology.

Investigating the Potential for Collaboration Between Translators and Filmmakers in the Subtitling of Foreign Films

Collaboration between filmmakers and subtitlers should result in subtitles that better reflect filmmakers’ intentions. However, these parties rarely communicate in practice, and not enough research has been conducted to investigate attitudes towards collaboration among both parties. Interviews were conducted with 12 professional subtitlers and eight filmmakers to investigate attitudes to and prior experience of collaborating on subtitles. Attitudes varied between parties. Filmmakers were generally enthusiastic about past collaborations, whereas subtitlers’ opinions were mixed. Some subtitlers noted collaboration helped understand filmmakers’ intent for dialogue. Conversely, others reported input from filmmakers could be overbearing and unhelpful. Some subtitlers doubted filmmakers would be interested in subtitling, despite filmmakers’ largely positive attitudes to collaboration. Both groups expressed concerns about time and monetary costs. Interviewees also indicated concerns about when, in the filmmaking process, collaboration would be most useful, with some disputing the practicality of Romero-Fresco’s (2019) accessible filmmaking model, which includes collaboration from pre-production to post-production. Both parties viewed subtitling as a creative process, which might be facilitated by collaboration, depending on the product being subtitled. Given subtitlers’ higher scepticism towards collaboration, it is likely that an acceptable collaborative model would be subtitler-initiated and limited to post-production, although further research is required. Lay summary Collaboration between filmmakers and subtitlers should result in subtitles that are closer to filmmakers’ intentions. However, these two groups rarely communicate in practice, and not enough research has looked at attitudes towards collaboration among both parties. I interviewed 12 professional subtitlers and eight filmmakers to investigate opinions on the pros and cons of working together during the creation of subtitles. Attitudes differed between the two groups. Filmmakers were generally enthusiastic about past collaborations, whereas subtitlers’ opinions were mixed. Some subtitlers noted collaboration helped them to understand filmmakers’ intent for dialogue. On the other hand, other subtitlers said that input from filmmakers could be overbearing and unhelpful. Some subtitlers doubted filmmakers would be interested in subtitling, despite filmmakers’ largely positive attitudes to collaboration. Both groups expressed concerns about time and money. Interviewees also indicated concerns about when, in the filmmaking process, collaboration would be most useful. Both parties viewed subtitling as a creative process, which might benefit from collaboration, depending on the film or show being subtitled. Given subtitlers’ higher scepticism towards collaboration, it is likely that collaboration between these two groups would work best if it was initiated by the subtitler and limited to the post-production stage, although further research is required.

To Interpret and Analyze Foreign Film and Subtitle Translation Strategies from a Cross-cultural Perspective Take Coco as an Example

To Interpret and Analyze Foreign Film and Subtitle Translation Strategies from a Cross-cultural Perspective Take Coco as an Example

A Brief Analysis of English Film Title Translation from the Perspective of the Strategies of Domestication and Foreignization

The film is a highly influential and popular audio-visual art. The title of a movie is the epitome and essence of its content. Films are both cultural arts and commercial products. An excellent film title translation plays an important role in promoting film transmission, which includes social functions such as conveying film information, showing the beauty of language and promoting box office revenue. As the continuous deepening of globalization and the prosperity of the China's film and television industry, there is an increasing number of foreign films entered the Chinese market and some influential and acclaimed Chinese films also accessed to international market. In this process, it is inevitable to involve the linguistic, cultural and aesthetic differences between the source language and the target language. Faced with the cultural differences in translation, the core issue is how to flexibly use translation strategies to have the translation of film titles to be the best. This paper analyzes the application of domestication and foreignization strategies in the process of translating English film titles, and discusses the interrelationship between these two strategies, the effects they achieved respectively and the development trend of them.

Cultural Intermediaries: How Local Experts Shape the Financial Performance of Foreign Cultural Products

Purpose - This study examines the pivotal role of local expert reviewers in the financial success of imported foreign films (Hollywood movies) within the Chinese market. It integrates signaling theory and gatekeeping scholarship to examine how these intermediaries reduce mainstream uncertainty. We hypothesize local expert reviewers to better grasp spaces for resonance between imported films and local preferences compared to foreign critics. Moreover, we examine the moderating roles of films attributes such as production scale, prestigious awards, and local adaptation strategies.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - We test hypothesized relationships and contingencies via OLS regressions on box office performance spanning 500 top-grossing Hollywood studio imports in China from 2000 2017 with data from multiple sources.
 Findings - The OLS regressions reveal that local expert reviewers significantly influence cross-border film success, with the impact moderated by production budgets and awards, but potentially diminished by cultural adaptation.
 Research Implications - Our study unpacks market drivers and product-level contingencies around imported creative products amidst mainstream uncertainty. The findings contribute to international business literature and cultural business by showcasing the nuanced impact of local cultural intermediaries on the financial performance of foreign cultural products. This research underscores the importance of local expert opinions in navigating the complex landscape of global content distribution and consumption, offering valuable insights for content creators and marketers aiming to optimize the global reach of products.

Cultural Intermediaries: How Local Experts Shape the Financial Performance of Foreign Cultural Products

Purpose - This study examines the pivotal role of local expert reviewers in the financial success of imported foreign films (Hollywood movies) within the Chinese market. It integrates signaling theory and gatekeeping scholarship to examine how these intermediaries reduce mainstream uncertainty. We hypothesize local expert reviewers to better grasp spaces for resonance between imported films and local preferences compared to foreign critics. Moreover, we examine the moderating roles of films attributes such as production scale, prestigious awards, and local adaptation strategies. Design/Methodology/Approach - We test hypothesized relationships and contingencies via OLS regressions on box office performance spanning 500 top-grossing Hollywood studio imports in China from 2000 2017 with data from multiple sources. Findings - The OLS regressions reveal that local expert reviewers significantly influence cross-border film success, with the impact moderated by production budgets and awards, but potentially diminished by cultural adaptation. Research Implications - Our study unpacks market drivers and product-level contingencies around imported creative products amidst mainstream uncertainty. The findings contribute to international business literature and cultural business by showcasing the nuanced impact of local cultural intermediaries on the financial performance of foreign cultural products. This research underscores the importance of local expert opinions in navigating the complex landscape of global content distribution and consumption, offering valuable insights for content creators and marketers aiming to optimize the global reach of products.

Analysis of the Subtitle Translation of The Shawshank Redemption from the Perspective of the Skopos Theory

Translation is an important communication skill between different languages. In modern society, audiovisualproducts are distributed to worldwide areas as a popular means of mass media. As the globalization of economy and culture is advancing in the new century, audiovisual subtitle translation plays an increasingly important part. Good subtitles can enhance the audience’s experience of appreciating foreign films and make cultural communication more effective. This thesis conducts a brief survey on the strategies for film subtitle translation using the case study of the famous film The Shawshank Redemption. In this paper, based on Skopos theory, the author made a comprehensive analysis of subtitling activities and pointed out that subtitling, as a specialized area of translation, is not only guided by translation studies but also under the constraints of film properties. The Skopos theory of film subtitle translation is to provide, within the constraints of time and space, a well-translated subtitle that can contribute to a good understanding of what is happening on the screen. In short, the end justifies the means. Therefore, during the process of subtitle translation, the subtitler should take all the factors into consideration to identify the translation purpose, and then adopt corresponding translationstrategies. From this perspective, the author takes the Skopos theory as instruction and applies the reduction and addition method to analyze the film subtitle translation. In the age of globalization, foreign films are increasingly entering people’s lives. Watching foreign films is a popular and effective way to understand foreign cultures. However, in China, subtitle translation has not attracted as much academic attention as it deserves and few theories could be appropriately applied to subtitle translation. Therefore, the author hopes that subtitle translation could be paid more attention in terms of crosscultural communication.

Strategies to mitigate the cannibalization effect between subscription video-on-demand and transactional video-on-demand

Video-on-demand (VOD) service providers face the challenge of making strategic decisions regarding the allocation of movies to specific pricing plan libraries. This study delves into the cannibalization effect that occurs when a movie transitions from the transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) library to the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) library. We conducted a comprehensive analysis using user purchasing and viewing data for 1541 movies offered by SK Broadband, South Korea's leading VOD service provider. Our analysis employed propensity score matching and difference-in-difference methodologies. The results of our initial analysis reveal that allocating movies to SVOD leads to an 192% increase in the number of views while simultaneously 52% decreasing TVOD sales. Additionally, we investigate the characteristics of movies that are particularly effective for SVOD servicing. To accomplish this, we scrutinized 236 movies available in SK Broadband's SVOD service using a cost-effectiveness analysis. Our second analysis demonstrates that certain categories of movies, including foreign films, non-G-rated movies, animations, and films not allowed as Download-To-Own (DTO), are more suitable for allocation to SVOD libraries. Furthermore, movies with lower box office viewership numbers exhibit greater success when allocated to SVOD. This study offers insights into the strategic considerations that VOD service providers should embrace, emphasizing a content feature-driven approach to managing pricing plan combinations.

Research on the Advantages of Short Video and the Way to Revive Long Video

Short video is one of the fastest growing industries at present, and the spread of short video on social media is very large. Long videos not only provide more selectivity, but also change the way humans watch videos. However, in the face of massive content competition, it becomes more difficult to attract viewers, leading to more people choosing to watch short videos. This paper explores the advantages of short video in modern communication, and proposes the revival of long video. Short videos are popular for their concise and clear features, which grab viewers' attention in a fast-paced society. They are easily shared and disseminated across various platforms, expanding the reach of information. Moreover, short videos provide a rich audio-visual experience, making communication more lively and interesting. On the other hand, long videos face challenges such as the dominance of short video platforms, rising membership fees, and copyright restrictions. To revive long videos, platforms can open up copyrights, reduce fees, and improve member benefits. Creators should focus on producing premium content with appealing themes, while the government can promote the import of foreign films to enrich viewing options. Viewers can use their free time to watch long-form videos in theaters or on TV. By addressing these challenges and promoting quality content, long-form videos can thrive alongside short-form videos in the modern media landscape.

Развитие кинопроката в Иркутске и Красноярске: от Гражданской войны к НЭПу

The purpose of this article is to consider the development of the film distribution in Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk in the late 1910s – early 1920s. This period is marked by two major historical events – the Civil War and the final establishment of the Bolsheviks in power and their transition to a new economic policy after the Civil War. The article presents an analysis of the changes in the genre composition, the main plots of the films that were shown to the townspeople during the period under review. In addition, information is provided on the most popular domestic and foreign films and film actors who have enjoyed the most attention and interest from the local public. At the end of the article, it is concluded that film life in the centers of Eastern Siberia was quite developed. At the same time, she was influenced by historical events that took place in the country and the world.

ЖУРНАЛ «СОВЕТСКИЙ ЭКРАН» В ЭПОХУ «ПЕРЕСТРОЙКИ»

The authors based on content analysis (in the context of historical, socio-cultural and political situation, etc.) of the texts published in the "thaw" period of the "Soviet Screen" magazine (1986-1991). ), the authors concluded that the materials on the subject of Western cinema at this stage can be divided into the following genres: ideologized articles emphasizing criticism of bourgeois cinema and its harmful influence on the audience (1986-1987); articles on the history of Western cinema; biographies and creative portraits of Western actors and directors; interviews with Western filmmakers; reviews of Western films; articles on international film festivals and foreign film weeks in the USSR; reviews of the current repertoire of Western national cinemas.

Pierwszoplanowe bohaterki na marginesach polskiej kinematografii – przypadek Anny Walentynowicz

A biographical film drawing on historical narratives often plays an identity role, evoking heroes from the past who are important to the contemporary audience. Despite the fact that the number of biopics has been growing from one decade to the next, they feature only a marginal presence of leading female protagonists of political significance, whose fortunes would encourage the audience to identify with the values they represent. This absence is complemented by co-productions, which thanks to links with foreign film industries enable the inclusion of non-domestic perspectives or the production of works that would otherwise not find sufficient support from domestic institutions or the creative community. Using the example of Volker Schlöndorff’s Strike (Strajk — Die Heldin von Danzig, 2006), a German biographical film about the life of Anna Walentynowicz, it is possible to trace the reasons for the absence of female protagonists in Polish cinema and to identify the reasons why foreign filmmakers show an interest in them. This was furthered by including the evolution of biopics in both Polish and foreign cinema, by reflecting on the role women play within contemporary historical narratives, and by analysing the phenomenon of domestic traditions shifting into a transnational context.

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE FILM TEXTS AS A MATERIAL FOR THE STUDY OF IRONY

The main purpose of the article is to study the use and difficulties of translating irony in English-language film texts. For this purpose, a thorough study of theoretical research on the concept of "irony" was conducted. The increasing demand for Ukrainian-language dubbing of foreign films and the Ukrainization of the film industry make this issue particularly relevant. To achieve this goal, general scientific methods such as analysis, synthesis, historical method and description were used. The article deals with the origin of the phenomenon of irony, sarcasm as a negative form of irony, the peculiarities of multimodal use of irony in film texts and the difficulties of its translation. In the course of analyzing scientific works on the study of irony in the field of cinema such communicative functions of irony as criticism, ridicule and parody were identified. The ways of conveying ironic content were also considered, namely: visual, acoustic and kinesics. The results of this study can be used to identify, interpret and translate irony. The study makes a significant contribution to the scientific heritage of both translation theory and practice and pragmalinguistics. After all, translating irony requires not only deep knowledge of the source and target languages, but also an understanding and ability to interpret the intention of the ironist. The scientific novelty of this study is an attempt to cover and generalize the ways in which irony is used and translated. Given how widespread irony is in film texts, the results of the study indicate that further research is relevant.

Chiny w Hollywood. Wpływ wzrostu chińskiego rynku kinowego na treść współczesnych filmów hollywoodzkich

In this article I analyse the ways in which contemporary American movies are altered due to the growing influence of the emerging entertainment media market in China. For the first time in history, 2020 saw Chinese box office overtake its American counterpart in terms of yearly income. This milestone illustrates how significant the Chinese market has become. The At the same time, being an authoritarian regime, the PRC has a robust, refined and strict system of censorship at its disposal. In order for a foreign film to be admitted into the Chinese cinemas, it has to pass domestic censorship. In some decades, particularly in the 1970s, American movies were able to promote values which were not adhering to the mainstream, or were even a platform for criticism of the domestic establishment. Currently, the US film industry is predominantly driven by capitalist logic — box office appears to be the main factor dictating the content (and outlook) of fiction films. This model is exploited by China through imposition of numerous restrictions and regulations. In my analysis I show how “forbidden” topics, plots or even small details become altered in order to satisfy the regulations introduced by the Chinese government.

Musical Design of the Film in the Structure of Film Composer’s Professional Competencies

The purpose of the article is to define the main components of the film music scoring process and the corresponding professional competencies of a film composer. The methodology of research is based on the integrated application of systemic and competency-based approaches, methods of theoretical analysis, specification, synthesis, and generalisation. The scientific novelty. Based on the analysis of art criticism and the author's own practical experience, the author of the article has determined: the main components of the film scoring process; the essence of compositional innovations in the best soundtracks of Ukrainian and foreign films; the main professional competencies of a film composer required to create a film soundtrack. The musical and creative competence of a film composer reflects the level of their compositional skill and the ability to creatively adapt musical material. Artistic and communicative competence characterises the ability to communicate creatively with the film's directing team, understanding the artistic intent of the film and the means of its implementation in musical images. Technical and technological competence is realised in the possession of modern technologies of sound recording and sound processing and the ability to work with studio equipment. Conclusions. Film scoring is a complex creative process that includes several stages (familiarisation with the general concept and dramaturgy of the film, creation of a score with a system of music themes and leitmotifs, studio recording of music, editing and synchronisation with the video sequence, sound design, creation of the final version of the soundtrack). The success of this process depends on the professional skill of the film composer, which is manifested in the formation of musical and creative, artistic and communicative, technical and technological competencies.
 Keywords: film music, soundtrack, musical design of the film, film composer, professional competencies.