Factors Contributing to the Success of the Chinese Documentary Industry

Abstract

Although Chinese documentary has established a solid foundation and formed a relatively stable situation after decades of development, it still occupies a small market share in the Chinese television and online media industry. Also, the overall revenues of the Chinese documentary industry are not yet able to cover the costs of production. This thesis explored and examined the characteristics, distribution methods, and revenue streams that are helpful in increasing the viewership and revenue of Chinese documentaries. A survey focused on Chinese documentary viewers was conducted for this thesis, investigating the audiences' viewing preferences and habits, as well as their related consuming behaviors. Complementary data were collected from published reports of Chinese documentary, related statistical reports, and related database. The results showed that the characteristics of a documentary that primarily attract Chinese viewers are the combination of traditional culture and humanistic spirit present in the work, the capability to provoke meditation on reality and human nature, and well-scripted and compatible narration. With the increasing number of Chinese Internet users and the change of audiences' viewing habits from TV to digital media, digital distribution has played an increasingly important role in the distribution of Chinese documentary and the increase of its viewership. Developing documentary derivatives, on the other hand, is a practical strategy to extend the lifeline of Chinese documentary and bring more long-term revenue to the industry.M.S., Television Management -- Drexel University, 201