New tidings from reality tv programs

Poster for popular reality TV shows adapted into movies, Where are We Going, Dad? 2. Photo provided to China Daily

Zhang Hui, the branding head of Shanghai-based EE-Media which produced the Dad movies, disagrees with the opinions defining a "normal" movie.

"The world's first known movie (Roundhay Garden Scene) is only two seconds long. The Battle of Dingjunshan, the first movie made by China, is a silent production. So why must a movie obey rules, such as having dramatic storylines and prewritten dialogues?" he asks.

"The Dad franchise has its own features, such as the happy family subject matter. We'll never do movies with written scripts. How can you expect children ages 3 and 4 to remember the lines?" Zhang says.

While the producers defend the growing trend, some analysts continue to see money as the main motivation behind such moviemaking.

"Movies are for consumption, so it is natural that maximum profits will be pursued," says Zuo Heng, deputy director of cinema studies at the China Film Archives.

Younger Chinese audiences, compared to their counterparts in mature Western markets, have little interest in noting the difference between small and big screens, he adds. Young Chinese form the bulk of the country's filmgoers.

"If the movie can make them laugh and stars their favorite actors, they will buy the tickets and don't care if it's a real or good movie," Zuo says.

"The controversy mainly reflects the elite class' worries over the humiliation of high-end culture and 'good taste'."

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