On December 10, P.I.G. launches its Shanghai screening series with a special collaboration with our friends at The Grumpy Pig. And what better way to ring in the season than with a Hollywood holiday classic: “Die Hard” (1988). We’ll be screening the film and serving a special, Die Hard-themed menu – reserve now to make sure you don’t miss it! The Grumpy Pig x P.I.G. China “Movie & Grub”: Christmas Edition Tuesday, December 10, 2013, 8pm @ The Grumpy Pig, Shanghai Space Limited. Reservations: 6217-3355 Did you forget that “Die Hard” is an amazing Christmas movie? Watch the trailer again to refresh your memory…
Archive for November, 2013
P.I.G. Screening Series: Die Hard at the Grumpy Pig
Debut Feature “Bends” Opens in Hong Kong
After premiering at Cannes in May and touring the international festival circuit to much acclaim, “Bends” (過界), the debut feature of Hong Kong director Flora Lau, finally opened in Hong Kong in late November. Produced by P.I.G.’s own Melissa Lee, the film has attracted much media attention for its sensitive portrayal of the meta-relationship between Hong Kong and Shenzhen through two complex characters, portrayed by icon Carina Lau and young star Chen Kun. If you’re anywhere near Hong Kong, try to catch it in cinemas, or else wait for other territory release dates coming up. Read the in-depth New York Times profile here, as well as coverage from the SCMP, the WSJ, and an interview with Flora Lau from Indiewire. Also it’s worth exploring the beautiful Bends website, created by HK design star Rex Koo, which features behind-the-scenes extras and making-of videos. Trailer below: First of 3 making-of clips: BENDS_MAKING_OF – The_Story from Flora Lau on Vimeo.
November Roundup: News on Film, Digital and Beyond
(Real Chinese astronauts from Shenzhou-9 launch)
(Sandra Bullock in current blockbuster “Gravity”)
Selected readings, links, and other buzzworthy items:
Gravity’s Big Impact: Gravity is breaking box office records in China, soaring past other current releases; while Gravity’s director Alfonso Cuaron wants China to take him to space, for real (reports Xinhua):
“I know that I will never do another space movie. It took too long. But I would go to space as soon as I was invited,” Cuaron told Xinhua in an exclusive interview given while he was in Beijing promoting “Gravity,” which debuted on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday. “So I’ll keep on pleading. Maybe then Chinese authorities will want to send me to space. I would be very happy to accept the invitation, very honored,” he said.
China’s Micro-Movie Zeitgeist: BBC piece on how micro-movies evade Chinese censorship; even Chinese airlines are using micro-movies in in-flight entertainment systems.
Hollywood x China: “Hollywood and China: in Figures” by Jonathan Landreth offers a useful look at the relationship by the numbers; LAT piece “Hollywood meets a sleeping powerhouse” is a good basic primer on current dynamics; NPR showcases “Hollywood’s New Strategy: Supporting Chinese-Made Blockbusters” and the flipside where “China Pits Hollywood Blockbusters Against Each Other
“; The Hollywood Reporter examines the Chinese presence at AFM earlier this month; The Guardian on what it gleaned from US/China Film Summit at AFM; Variety on how marketing platform FansTang Plans to Deliver Hollywood Content in China;
Festival Circuit: The Guangzhou Documentary Film Festival kicks off; as well as one part of the beleaguered China Independent Film Festival in Nanjing; the ASEAN Festival launches in Singapore; Asia-Pacific Film Festival runs in Macau mid-December; Beijing recently hosted the Chinese Folk Women Festival; Shanghai’s expat-geared “Meiwenti Film Contest” still seeking short film submissions until November 30 for its Dec 14 event; and an interesting UK academic research group exploring the phenomenon of film festivals in China.
Other: A report on Ang Lee at the Art of Transnational Cinema event at Harvard University; and the frankly disgusting teaser poster for upcoming TIny Times 3 (reported to start production soon in Rome).
Super Cool Party: Interview with Designer Francis Lam (aka db-db)

Last week saw the launch of “Super Cool Party”, a new iOS app from Francis Lam (aka db-db), which has quickly taken over the Instagram and WeChat moments feeds of Shanghai creatives. It’s a “super pixelicious fashion simulation game” with db-db’s trademark style seen in Tofu Go and Nudemen – a combination of funky 8bit graphics, catchy tunes, and cheeky gameplay (which here involves “undressing” characters to unlock their clothing for fun mix-and-match). In the future, it may feature packs of branded fashion content and beyond. Francis’ expansive practice also encompasses his long-time work as Creative Technologist at Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai, and founder of hand-crafted wooden furniture brand OWW. To kick off POV’s new interview series with diverse creatives, Francis graciously agreed to answer our questions. POV INTERVIEW: FRANCIS LAM, AKA DB-DB Q: In a nutshell, how would you describe “Super Cool Party”? What’s its connection to shopping and fashion? A: It’s a fashion-themed 8-bit casual game + social camera app. But what I also want to experiment is to create a new platform for advertising and mobile gaming. In-game advertising has always been a big turn-off for gamers, I really want to build something that can make both marketers and gamers happy. Q: What inspired the game, especially its visual style, music, and beach setting/”party” concept? A: Happy, fun and 8bit are always the main themes and styles of my work. It also vaguely linked to my Nudemen Series by the way. User images from Instagram – add your own with the #supercoolparty and #supercoolstyle tags! Q: This is your first app since Tofu Go – what have you learned since then, and what different techniques of design, programming, marketing, and distribution were you looking to try in Super Cool Party? A: I think all my other mobile apps and games are experiments or extensions of my other work. Most of them were finished in a weekend or so. Super Cool Party is a more well-thought and
produced project which leverages different digital and social channels. It’s also the first product launched by my new entity db+DB. Instagram from @bbfish Q: Since you left Wieden+Kennedy to work on independent projects, you mentioned that you’re pursuing an interesting workflow of experimenting with various new projects on quick-iteration time-schedule. Can you describe this new project structure you’re exploring? A: Sure. db+DB is a small team aiming for making tiny digitally-driven products in fast iterations. We have three criteria for our products: 1. It has to be launched in less than 2-3 months. 2. It has to be commercially viable. 3. It has to have a big idea which potentially change the world and make our lives better – maybe for just a little bit. Q: What do you think is the future of mobile advertising, and how do you think games are important in this space? Many people have talked about the death of Weibo and the rise of Weixin as a space for brands – how are you hoping that an app/game like Super Cool Party can pioneer new directions on those platforms? A: I think games are one of the biggest digital communities yet to have a working advertising ecosystem. Super Cool Party is an experimental project to try answer the issue. Q: What inspires you the most right now? A: Currently, definitely my newborn daughter. Download Super Cool Party here and check it out!
6 awards/Nominations for PIG China at the 6th Annual ROI Festival
Last Friday we were very happy to attend the 6th Annual ROI Festival held at the Shanghai Centre Theatre. We were even happier to receive 3 awards + 3 nominations for our recent TVC and digital work for Intel, Coca-Cola, Senova and
Nike (co-produced with Great Guns). Congrats to all winners and nominees! Intel – Micro Film Starring Wang Luodan — Silver Award – Production Shenbao – Town of Car Legends — Silver Award – Production Coca-Cola – IceBreaker — Nominate Award – Production Nike – Win Against the Elements — Bronze Award – Production Nike – Win Against the Elements — Nominate Award – Post Production – Best Editing Nike – Win Against the Elements — Nominate Award – Post Production – Best Animation