Event

Join us for the Asian America Across the Disciplines Series with Hun Fang hosted by Dr. Weirong Guo in the course "Global Chinas and Chinese Diasporas." Prof. Jun (Philip) Fang from Colby College will be presenting his research on how the US and China collaborate on Hollywood movies. 

From ‘Cultural Diving’ to ‘Cultural Surfing’: How Chinese and Hollywood Studios Co-develop Global Movies

Abstract: How do cultural producers balance local particularities with global appeal? Drawing upon ethnographic data from a global film studio and interviews with industry insiders in Beijing and Los Angeles, this talk will explore how Chinese and Hollywood studios co-develop global movies with Chinese elements. It will demonstrate how studio executives engaged in U.S.-China coproduction seek “organic” stories to navigate market uncertainties and deteriorating U.S.-China relations. It argues that studios have shifted from “cultural diving” to “cultural surfing,” resorting to genre movies that are more “organic” to blend cultures, resonate with heterogeneous audiences, and circumvent China’s state censorship. This talk expands our understanding of the micro-processes of global creative production, offering analytical tools to explore further the dynamics between local aesthetics and global profitability in the new global cultural economy.

Jun (Philip) Fang is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Colby College. Check his personal website here!

The event is open to Penn community in person or by Zoom. Please register here to join by Zoom!