Between The Elite And The Mass: A Study Of Suzhou Funa TV Series

As one of the first movie makers approved by State Administration of Radio and Television with A-level show permit, Suzhou Funa Culture and Technology Co. Ltd.(Funa for short) has produced 38 TV series in the recent twenty years and has exerted some influence at home and abroad. The company not only demonstrates its regional features in selecting themes, plotting, details and propaganda, but reflects the trend in the mass culture as a result of consumerism. The present dissertation makes an insightful study of different types of Funa TV series from the perspectives of narratology, postmodernism, consumerism and pleasure theory, in the hope of better understanding the production of popular TV series. The content and the main idea of the dissertation are as follows:Chapter 1 mainly clarifies the origin of this research, the scope of the study, literature review, research methods and framework of the dissertation. It expounds the relationship between Suzhou Funa TV series and Suzhou culture and Chinese television drama, and points out that company of TV drama has been walking between the elite and the masses. This chapter defines several terms as "drama adapted from Jiangsu contemporary fiction" and "new myth(Series), " Southern School of film and television drama ", " writer TV series ", " new literati drama " and " new humanism drama ". Chapter 2 mainly discusses the adaptation characteristics of Funa’s " new literati drama ", which is marked by a transformation from the elite to the mass. It puts Funa TV drama in the overall framework of the development of history and culture of Jiangsu, especially Suzhou, and explores the efforts and regional historical cultural origin in respect to the effects of the shot in film and television drama, open type, entertainment and commercial potential. At the same time, the dissertation clarifies the relations between Jiangsu contemporary fiction works and the adaptation of Funa TV series, makes a textual comparison research with the model methodology and analyzes and refines image innovation practices of the Funa adapted TV series. Chapter 3 mainly discusses the carnival phenomenon caused by the Wulitou style in Funa’s " new myth(Series),This chapter employs the idea of “deconstruction” and “subversion” in postmodernism to study the most popular and controversial new myth "brilliant spring pig". The dissertation focuses on cultural reasons of its monumental rating, the ruthless criticisms from departments in charge of culture and some researchers, and Funa’s propagation effects. Chapter 4 focuses on the stimulating demand of the public pleasure from Funa’s costume series. This chapter relates pleasure theory to the practical significance and sorts out the TV pleasure generation, dissemination and acceptance process. It explains the spectacular effects and pleasurable experience created by the mash-up of comedy and quack Kung Fu, that of joking and historical story, and that of magic and ancient imagination, which is manifested by the postmodernist techniques of mash-ups collage adopted in the production of Funa’s costume series. Chapter 5 is a study of win-win case of reputation and business maneuvered between elite and mass culture. Using Funa’s one of the most important TV drama "IP MAN" as an example, the dissertation explores the economic and cultural factors behind the heroic drama and the national sensations at work in TV making industries. At the same time, it explores Funa’s efforts in upgrading the martial arts dramas and highlights Funa’s successful experience and mode of marketing. Chapter 6 studies the creation and propaganda of Funa’s contemporary series. It analyzes the track of personality shaping in contemporary series from the perspective psychoanalysis, feminism and humanism. It not only pays attention to the weaknesses of contemporary Chinese realistic TV plays, but also admits that Funa’s series try to make a breakthrough in this regard but there are still significant problems in creation and dissemination. The last chapter summarizes on the gains and losses of Suzhou Funa’s drama creation with reference to the current situation of China’s TV industry, based on which the development of Chinese TV industry is shown.