Compared with other industries, what is special about the cultural industry?

First, we all know that the cultural industry is different from other industries. What do you think is the particularity of the cultural industry?

Zhang Xianliang: Human cultural creation activities have existed since ancient times, but the following three social conditions must be met to form a "cultural industry": First, the market economy has developed to a certain level; Second, the Engel coefficient has dropped below a certain level, and the proportion of people's expenditure on food is very small; Third, the weak monopoly position of mainstream ideology and less religious or political control mean that the cultural environment is more free and relaxed. In the past, these three conditions have not been met for a long time, so human production activities are basically divided into three categories, namely, the first category of agriculture, the second category of industry, and the third category of business-service industry. At that time, the cultural industry was attached to the tertiary industry. From the end of 19, these three conditions gradually formed and the cultural industry developed. So far, it has become a production department independent of industrial activities. This in itself illustrates the particularity of cultural industry: first, cultural industry is an industry of individual mind, but it is different from science and technology, which does not depend on collective strength and relatively perfect and modern equipment to a great extent; Its production process is a personal creative process, and it does not need to follow a gradual scientific law like scientific research and development. Excellent cultural products rely almost entirely on personal talent, intelligence and inspiration, so we can see that many cultural products (works) are transcendental and advanced; Second, cultural products are basically immaterial, not to meet people's needs in use, but to meet people's psychological and spiritual needs; Third, many cultural products are unique and unique that cannot be mass-produced; Fourth, many cultural products are irreplaceable, unlike scientific and technological products, which must be updated frequently. No matter how rich, diverse and even superior similar cultural products are later, the earlier "this one" will always be "this one"; 5. The value of many cultural products is not only widely recognized and preserved beyond time and space, but also increases with time; 6. Cultural products are called "culture" because they can reflect the mode of production, lifestyle, requirements of the times, collective consciousness and scientific and technological development level of that country and that social and historical development stage, and constitute a state of human existence. This state of existence can only be expressed by people with innovative ability, so excellent cultural products are original; Seven, therefore, cultural products have a very deep personal imprint, and almost every cultural product is closely related to the person who created or planned it. The personal accomplishment, temperament, style, style and creative style of the person who created or planned it will form the personal charm of the creator and planner, and eventually become his brand recognized by the society. His name alone produces value, and its value will form different prices when it enters the market. Therefore, the most important production factors in the cultural industry are producers and planners. This is a completely personalized and humanized industry, and it is an industry with "less capital investment and more brain input".

2. According to the data, the added value of cultural industry in China in 1998 only accounted for 0.75% of GDP, 2.33% of the added value of tertiary industry, and the employees in cultural industry only accounted for 0.4% of employment. In many developed countries, cultural industry has become one of the pillar industries for economic growth and labor absorption. The number of employees in the cultural industry is as high as 10% in Australia, 6% in Canada and 5% in Finland. In the past two years, the cultural industry has developed rapidly, but compared with the huge cultural consumption demand in China, the development of the cultural industry is still relatively slow, and the gap with the growing cultural and spiritual needs of the people is still quite large. To accelerate the development of cultural industry, it is necessary to accurately determine the market positioning of cultural industry. So what do you think is the market orientation of developing cultural industries in China?

Zhang Xianliang: You are still quoting old information. Just to tell you, in 2002, Britain's largest export product was "spice girls" instead of steel products, and Hollywood's film and television export volume has already surpassed Boeing aircraft and cars, so we can imagine the further development of cultural industries in western countries today. What China needs is a relaxed and orderly cultural market, and it is not busy "positioning" our cultural industry. As long as there is a relaxed and orderly market environment, practitioners will naturally find their own "positioning". The rich and diverse cultural resources in China, the multi-level and multi-demand of the people in China and the wisdom of the people in China determine that employees in every cultural industry can find their own "business" in the cultural market, with tens of thousands of seats, more than those in the Great Hall of the People. The "orientation" before action is actually the thinking mode of "planned economy". At present, China's largest and most influential cultural export is Yao Ming. Who "located"?

3. After China's entry into WTO, China's economy will be greatly affected, as will its culture and cultural industries. What challenges do you think China's cultural industry will face after its entry into WTO? What kind of cultural strategy should we adopt?

Zhang Xianliang: As the old saying goes, it is both a challenge and an opportunity. However, perhaps the "challenge" of China's cultural industry will be even greater, because our cultural industry started late and its foundation is weaker than other industries. Why do you start late and have weak strength? First, the system reform of "cultural professional groups" (including film and television broadcasting and publishing) in China. ) State-owned enterprise reform lagging behind other industries. For a long time, they have assumed the function of propaganda and belong to the management of the party and government propaganda departments, generally regardless of economic benefits and input-output ratio; Second, as mentioned earlier, "the cultural industry is actually an industry of personal mind", and it is in terms of personal "mental" activities that we have always lacked a relatively relaxed and good cultural environment suitable for exploration and innovation; We have been circling in a strange circle: on the one hand, "pornography, gambling, poison and corruption" have been repeatedly banned, which seems to be "loose" on the one hand, but on the other hand, there is not enough room for personal mental activities. I can't think of any countermeasures, and the formulation of "cultural strategy" is beyond my power. However, judging from the recent handling of some best-selling writers and Zhang Yimou's "True colors of heroes" and "House of Flying Daggers", we have begun to adopt a more correct approach. Best-selling authors enjoy full freedom of writing. Although Zhang Yimou's two films were severely criticized by critics and the media, the government still strongly recommended them to the world. The government began to show a more tolerant, caring and supportive attitude towards cultural and artistic talents. In my opinion, we should vigorously develop China's cultural industry (because this is a major event related to the survival of a nation's spirit). Finally, our "cultural strategy" will be in line with international standards.

As we all know, you are a leader in the cultural industry. The "Western Film and Television City" you run is not only a film and television shooting base, but also a famous tourist attraction. So what do you think is the main reason for your success?

Zhang Xianliang: First of all, I must declare that I am by no means a "leader in the cultural industry". In the 1980s, I constantly broke through the "forbidden zone" in literary creation, and I may have "led the troops". In the cultural industry, as a writer, I just made more achievements than other writers who went to sea. Personally, I think I succeeded because: 1. I am more prepared than other writers who went to sea in economic theory, which can be seen from my long literary and political prose novel China published in 1997, while the social development of China from 1997 to today has basically not escaped my foresight; After 22 years of reeducation through labor, I have developed a strong endurance, a strong challenge and an adventurous spirit that is not afraid of risks; Third, in fact, the "Western Film and Television City" is just another kind of my literary works, which is itself a cultural industry. If I go out of the cultural industry like other writers, I won't succeed.

5. Some people say that you are selling desolation. What do you think of this?

Zhang Xianliang: 80% of China is desolate. How can those desolations not be sold? "Betraying desolation" is the title of a report published by a Japanese journalist in a Japanese newspaper. It was really desolate at that time. However, it is obviously not enough to rely solely on desolation to make it "sustainable" to sell. Tourists come to see and visit the culture and art in the desolation, not the desolation itself. The couplet I wrote for my "Western Film and Television City" is: "Two ruins have been turned into treasures through artistic processing, and a desolate scripture has been turned into a spectacle through makeup." I did it according to this idea, so that I can not only "continuously" sell but also "sustainably" develop.

Six, the development of cultural industry is not only unbalanced, but also irregular. That is to say, when the development conditions of enterprises and even industries in the usual sense are not sufficient, there are excellent enterprises and even the whole industry is full of vitality. Las Vegas in the United States is a widely quoted example in the California desert. So is China. The Scholar was not founded in Beijing, Shanghai and other central cities with the most developed economy, the most abundant culture and scholar conditions, but appeared in the remote western Lanzhou, and you are also developing cultural industries in the west. Then where do you think the space for developing cultural industries in the west is?

Zhang Xianliang: Your questions and examples are very good. But you might as well enlarge your eyes. To tell the truth, I don't care much about "the space for the development of the western region", but I care about the development of China's cultural industry in the world. I said it before, because I think it is a major event related to the prosperity and continuation of the Chinese national spirit and cultural tradition. You are right: "The development of cultural industry is not only unbalanced, but also irregular." Then, why can't China, with its relatively backward economy and insufficient readers, have a "unique" cultural industry in the world? In terms of machinery, electronics, aviation, automobiles and other manufacturing industries, it will take a long time for China to catch up with the western developed countries (although we can manufacture it, but we don't have the core technology, and we have to pay foreigners more than ten dollars of intellectual property rights to make a DVD), but it is precisely in terms of cultural resources that China has a rare advantage in any other country. The "core culture" of the Chinese nation is only in our hands. For example, without any government support, China's "food culture" is popular all over the world; China folk Spring Festival, which has not been promoted by any government, is popular all over the world. Mayors in Paris and London, new york "pay New Year greetings" to Chinese-inhabited areas every year (though Christmas is celebrated here). It can be seen that as long as we support, relax, tolerate, adjust our thinking and broaden our horizons, China's cultural resources will soon be transformed into cultural products, and become a standout in the export share of world cultural products. Don't forget, China is second only to Jews as a businessman in the world. Just kidding, you can get a good price by treating the desolate makeup spots. What else can't be sold?