TVB to Limit Artists from Filming Chinese Dramas?
TVB is allegedly restricting their managed artists from filming mainland Chinese dramas, as reported by various Hong Kong magazines earlier this week. In order to tie down the artists closer to home, the reports claimed that TVB purposely turned down many activities and casting opportunities that were offered to popular TVB artists by mainland Chinese producers.
TVB also allegedly demanded that managed artists are to reserve every single empty slot in their schedules for TVB, and if they do receive casting calls from mainland Chinese production companies, the project must be approved by the executives. Allegedly, even simple and ordinary job offers like stage performances in mainland China must receive TVB’s signed approval.
Not only does this restriction policy limit the golden opportunities for artists to earn more film remunerations, TVB management will also earn less commission fees as well.
TVB’s previous lax rules on allowing their artists to accept an unlimited number of mainland Chinese filming offers had reportedly led a wave of popular leading TVB stars to turn down local drama offers in favor for the higher-paying mainland Chinese productions. With popular stars gone, TVB dramas were left with limited casting choices for their own productions.
TVB’s general manager Mark Lee (李寶安) once mentioned that it is important for a competent TV station to use and promote its own work. He also stated that he found it unreasonable to have their artists work for other TV companies and not for their own station.
Artists’ Responses
Moses Chan (陳豪), who is currently negotiating a contract renewal with TVB, appeared uncomfortable when he was asked about TVB’s new policy. He neutrally replied, “Let’s just say that the company has their tactics. I think I am not qualified enough to comment. Right now, I’m more interested in working out my new [TVB] contract.”
Fala Chen (陳法拉), whose management contract with TVB ended earlier this year, said she never heard of the new restrictions, but implied in her responses that she is not at all surprised if it were true. “Of course, TVB is our mother station after all and for TVB artists, it makes sense to have TVB as their first choice. When I was at TVB, I also had to prioritize my schedule for TVB first and film their dramas first. As a TVB employee, it makes sense. It’s normal.”
Nonetheless, Fala added that when she was still with TVB, the company would always allow their artists the opportunity to film dramas outside of TVB so filming remuneration and commission fees meet a desired balance.
Asked if TVB’s new restrictions would hinder Fala’s chances at working for TVB again, she said, “Not related. In all those years I was with TVB, I never filmed a mainland Chinese drama. Finding a suitable role for yourself is more important. TVB has created many good roles. They can help us gain an audience and improve our experiences.”
Fala said she is currently a freelance artist and is not signed to any management company. Asked if there were many companies that offered to sign her, she said with a smile, “I am thankful to have so many seniors giving me such great advice. I wish to have different developments in my career.”
Sources: Ming Pao, Next Week via ihktv.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
I love Fala…hope she has bright future under different management than TVB…same for Raymond Lam…I am his big fans…wish both the best!
Question- Can you change your name? I’ve been using “AC” as my name for a long time now. Thanks!
okay
Lol AC talking to AC
The only way to resolve this is for TVB to abandon this arcane employee-employer system and make all actors/actresses independent contractors like the rest of the world (including the Mainland).
There’s no way TVB can compete with mainland companies when it comes to money. It only makes sense for TVB to have first crack in casting their own managed artists. I think the best thing TVB can do is just require their top artists to film at least one series a year and then let the artists decide for themselves what they want to do with their remaining time. It sounds counterproductive to have to approve every non-TVB related job.
In fact, I support TVB’s new restriction policy. Why should they spend so much money and efforts to promote their artistes and let them to film Mainland Chinese drama series for more money? Those artistes, after gaining recognitions in Mainland China, they will definitely quit and move to Mainland China to film drama series for more money. I feel sorry for TVB for losing so many top-notch artistes.
tVB: working conditions are bad, paid like crap, dont promote those who are good at acting..
so why should they stay???
i would totally go somewhere else for more money. duh.
It is just about money. I heard that some do not want to go to China due to the working conditions and other reasons. Some would rather stay at TVB due to better working conditions, closer to family and friends,etc…
Meant to say it is NOT just about money. Gosh, I need the edit button.
Well, if this whole restriction thing is true (which, by the way, TVB’s Chairman Norman Leung has already denied that such restrictions exist), then TVB better adjust their artists’ salaries as well and stop paying them peanuts for their work. Otherwise, more and more people are just going to leave because they have fewer opportunities and also won’t be able to make enough money to put food on the table.
To be honest, TVB is stupid if they actually implement these restrictions because all they’re doing is pushing more artists away (especially right now when so many people are already ‘complaining’ about the various restrictive policies that TVB already has in place). Who came up with this lame idea anyway? Cheapskate Mark Lee?
I feel sorry for those TVB veterans. Everyone of them had to work hard to build up their names and experiences in TVB before they could “sell” themselves outside of Hong Kong, such as Charmaine Sheh, Bowie Lam, Gallen Lo, Jessica Husan, Lawrence Ng, etc. Therefore, their acting skills are more solid than the current fadans’ and siu sangs’ because they concentrated in their acting and not in making fast money outside of Hong Kong. If they could survive, why can’t the new fadans and siu sangs do same? That is one of the big reasons why the acting skills of the current fadans and siu sangs deteriorate so much these days.
I support better work hours and complete script for TVB artistes. In that case, they will have a healthy environment to work in.
However, many artistes are already making tons of money (compared to a regular citizen in Hong Kong). Besides filming, they get paid well by endorsing in advertisements and appearing in different promotions. How many people in Hong Kong can make millions and millions of dollars a year?
Well, if the restrictions actually extend to stage appearances in the Mainland (which is what the article states) or other events elsewhere, then no, the artists aren’t going to make much money because that’s where a huge chunk of their money comes from. Even the veterans from back in the 80s/90s didn’t survive on TVB’s salary alone — most of them made majority of their money through stage appearances, endorsements, etc. which they were allowed to do on the side (the only thing that they weren’t allowed to do without consent was film TV series or movies outside of TVB, which is the biggest reason why most of the artists left back then).
Besides, in this day and age, the Mainland market is huge and progressing rapidly (unlike back in the 80s/90s when filming in the Mainland was not very common), so it’s natural for artists to want to film there. TVB must have recognized this otherwise they wouldn’t have established TVBC…the reality is that the Mainland market is only going to get bigger with more opportunities, so if TVB tries to restrict their artists from going there, it’s likely going to backfire on them in the long run…
the more they restrict, the more artists will leave.
TVB is getting desperate and will do anything to keep themselves from sinking. But this may be a bad move because more and more artists may leave due to this restriction.
Indeed HTS. If I recall correctly, Steven Ma got frustrated and didn’t renew his contract because TVB didn’t accept mainland series filming for him.
Just because artists make more money, doesn’t mean they deserve to be treated poorly. You cannot compare a popular actor/actress’ salary to that of a regular joe because there’s just no comparison. Different industry, different expectations, different salaries.
I think the problem with TVB is that they’ve had a monopoly over the HK entertainment industry for half a century, and their totalitarianism is becoming transparent. Artists used to have only two choices: work for TVB, or don’t work for TVB. Now artists have a third choice, work in Mainland China, but TVB is trying to impose restrictions, which only illuminates the dictatorial nature of this organization.
TVB was able to get away with this in the past, but nowadays with the media and internet, they can’t do this to artists and employees anymore without receiving huge backlash. I don’t think a company can run (successfully) with unhappy and miserable employees.
Much as I like TVB and have watched it all my life, I personally think this station needs to fail before it will grow again.
Agree with everything you say! TVB’s bullying is becoming more apparent the more desperate they are.
I agree with many things you said Mt, however, they also had ATV as a choice back then too and also NowTV as well as Mainland China now if they are popular enough. You know how it is, TVB is like a king that has been ruling and of course wants to continue to rule in their empire. Who wants to give up their power???
Lolz, then their new openned TVBC is supposed to close now? A baby blues?
Chinese dramas in china are terrible, they dont know how to act, i hope fala sign with tvb again, she’the best.
Kenwu, may I please encourage you to give Chinese dramas a try, selectively. I used to think that Chinese dramas are horrible. I’m sure there are many Chinese dramas that are still not very nice. But I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of those dramas that I’ve watched. They are much better than TVB’s recent productions. The acting is leaps and bounds better than TVB.
Puff: Yuup! totally agree with you!
Well said Puff!!! There are good and bad dramas from every company and country. There are a number of China series that are terrible but of course NOT all of them are like that. It’s not like all TVB series are good,especially lately. Gosh, many of them are terrible.
When it comes to acting, China actors and actresses should be better since they were all educated at prestigious universities and all while you really wonder if any of the newer artists at TVB have had any type of training at all, especially those new pageant winners. When it comes to production value, it is not a doubt that China is way above TVB. As we can all see, TVB is really really cheap lately and their production values are so bad lately. It is like they are just more concerned about saving money rather than making a worthy series/production while China is not afraid to spend money to make a good and grand production.
tvb seires are crap now. cant think of anything new. dont promote those with good actings. they use new and bad actresses. a lot of chinese drama are wayyy better.
tbh, fala’s acting is terrible, so i guess she should stay with tvb… LOL
But she left.
LOL okay. I don’t know what Chinese drama you’re watching (cartoons?), but for the past 10 years, I’ve been much more impressed with the acting, production, and script of Chinese dramas than TVB.
thank you! i totally agree with you.
So I guess Kevin will be filming more tvb series again in this case
Or leave
Since Kevin is doing so well in China now, you really wonder if he will stay with TVB with these restrictions.
Another move to keep themself afloat.
this is messed up. tvb shouldn’t restrict their artists like this!
Why not dismantle the studio system/contract artiste and do the freelance way like it is with Hollywood now?
I feel like the reason why fala doesn’t sign with any company due to the fact that she is getting married soon so she lowkey doesn’t chose any company to sign with n slowly out of the showbiz n get married
she is getting married again so soon after the reported divorce?
I thought she just broke up and is now single?
She broke up with Sai Sit Hang. She said she wanna follow movie career so she left Txb.
No one knows the truth except for her.
If TVB will get less commission fees then they may change this policy again. They are just like any business, they want to profit as much as possible.
Oh very good point! It’s business and if artists don’t renew their management contracts because of the restrictions, it’ll hurt TVB’s profit in the long run.
“TVB’s previous lax rules on allowing their artists to accept an unlimited number of mainland Chinese filming offers “
TVB’s rules are only lax for some artists. Ask Steven Ma about it. The guy has to terminate his contract early to be able to film that one Mainland series he really wants to.
Steven was allowed to terminate his contract while some other artists could not. I really wonder…
steven had to pay a fine for it tvb wasnt going to let him go that easy
And Steven’s case actually revealed alot about how TVB operates. The part that pissed me off the most wasn’t just TVB denying him the opportunity to film in Mainland, but also their ‘arrogance’ later on when they made themselves sound like ‘saviors’ (remember VL ‘boasting’ in an interview how she had personally spoken to producer Tsui Siu Ming to have him ‘reconsider’ casting Steven in the Mainland series but then the producer revealed later on that she actually had nothing to do with it, implying that TVB was trying to take credit for something that they didn’t deserve credit in?).
Steven’s case is actually a good example illustrating how bad TVB is at managing their artists — it’s obvious that they don’t have their artists’ best interests or career development in mind (unless you’re on the favorites list of course) –most of the time, it’s purely about money and internal politics.
There must be a reason Steven wasn’t allowed to make that drama. Kevin was free fiļming as many mainland series as he wish and so are Myolie and Ron although they have yet to reach popular breakthrough in mainland. Maybe Steven wasn’t paid high enough while TVB demanding 100k – 500k per episode for their stars.
Myolie, Kevin, Ron are all under Virginia Lok’s camp, Steven Ma was not.
TVB demanding 100k – 500k per episode for their stars
No they are not. There are artists who filmed in China with lower prices (from 40k to 80k per eps) such as Sonija (60k then 80k), TY (40k), Ron (40k then 60k then 100k – now higher), Bernice (60k). Ma Ming was offered 30k/eps (Txb refused).
The price of artists are varied. Some have high prices and also high demands, some are not.
Over 500k/eps now I only see KC and LF. I heard that Myolie/Bosco is coming up next. Bosco was paid 250k/eps last time.
@natalie: It wasn’t about the money — it was politics at play, pure and simple. Steven wanted to film the Mainland drama because of the exposure it would give him (plus such a well known producer and all-star cast — it would be a no-brainer for anyone I would think). But TVB refused to let him film it citing that they didn’t purchase the rights to broadcast the Mainland series when it airs and there’s a rule in their policy book (supposedly) that states TVB artists are not allowed to film Mainland series that don’t end up airing on TVB. Management claimed that they could not make an ‘exception’ for him because that would be unfair to other artists, so they turned down the series.
Of course, we all know the ‘ironic’ part of this whole thing is that TVB management plays favorites because that supposed rule only applies to certain artists and they will readily make an exception if it’s an artist they favor.
It pretty much took Steven threatening to terminate his contract and also the issue getting Media attention in order for him to end up being allowed to film the series (though of course, TVB management tried to make themselves look like heroes with VL saying that she ‘begged’ Mark Lee and the other management to make an ‘exception’ for Steven to allow him to film the series and also claiming that she personally spoke to producer Tsui Siu Ming asking him to give Steven another chance…)