Following the footsteps of his TVB colleagues, Steven Ma (馬浚偉) announced the opening of his own production company, Zhonggang Taoyuan Steven Ma Studio, at a contract-signing event this week. The company is a collaborative effort between Steven and China’s Zhonggang Taoyuan Entertainment Company, and will invest mainly in television, film, and music. Due to the rapid growth of China’s entertainment industry, many artists are investing in their own behind-the-scenes teams to augment their income and to enjoy the creative freedoms that come with being their own boss. This trend gave rise to many young entrepreneurs from within the entertainment circle. Mainland actors Huang Xiaoming (黃曉明), Wallace Huo (霍建華), and Yang Mi (楊冪) have all helmed their own production companies. Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒) became a notable business school case study for his aptitude and business sense while running his successful special effects studio Post Production Office Group. Many former TVB artists have also made their business marks up North. Michelle Ye (葉璇) is one of the most successful stories in recent years. This year, she was able to bring her major work Loved in the Purple <紫釵奇緣> to Hong Kong audiences. Since leaving TVB, Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎) kept himself busy by producing his own TV drama, and Michael Tse (謝天華) established Laughing Workshop, an artist management company. Similarly, Steven is looking to create and star in his own TV and film productions. His latest partnership will invest up to $30 million RMB annually and has plans to deliver two television series and one movie in the coming year. Steven hopes to spread the love by casting his artist friends. Fala Chen (陳法拉) is a name on the top of his list. Steven is very excited about this new opportunity, and is in a hurry to kick-start the project. He finds his collaboration with Zhonggang Taoyuan a good fit, remarking, “I feel that the conditions proposed by [Zhonggang Taoyuan Chairman] Mr. Huang Hong (黄洪) are comprehensive, reasonable, and give me a lot of freedom. We were able to quickly come to an agreement in terms of scheduling and work matters….” Creds: Oriental Daily
