If it was a teen summer flick, it might be called "Hollywood rocks the China rice bowl."

A growing number of major Hollywood studios -- including Time Warner's Warner Bros and Sony's <6758.T> movie division -- are attracted to the Middle Kingdom as a shooting locale, taking advantage of its unique vistas, historical sets and ultra low costs as much as half those in the West.

"Many companies are coming in to test the ground," said Zoe Chen, the Shanghai-based producer for independent U.S. production house Ruddy Morgan Organisation, who introduced Hong Kong kungfu stars Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung of the TV series "Martial Law" to the U.S. market.

"The regulation of the entertainment sector has just opened up in the last year."

Observers say the "Made in China" label could soon extend from the realm of cheap manufactured goods to the glitz of big-budget films. Hollywood's China move is part of a trend that began in the 1990s, with studios branching out to Canada, New Zealand and Eastern Europe to cut costs.

China, though, is still learning how to pamper big-name actors and take care of their tall demands in a country where star treatment is a new concept.

Censorship is also an issue in the media-wary nation, especially for films with domestic ambitions. In all instances, flexibility is key, say people who have worked in the market.

"The advantage here is obviously economic. The stunt crews are amazing, and the work hours are very flexible," says Jeremy Bolt, producer of "Dead Or Alive," a $25 million starlet-packed kungfu film based on the video game of the same name.

"CREWS NOT JADED"

"There's also just this passion of the crew -- they're not in any way jaded," Bolt added in an interview under a tent to escape scorching summer heat. The film is being shot in the small city of Hengdian, about four hours southwest of Shanghai.

The expansive 25.6 square kilometre lot at Hengdian World Studios boasts 13 sets, including a massive reconstruction of Beijing's Forbidden City.

This year alone, Hengdian studios expect to film more than 100 movies and TV shows on its lot, which is also used by other Chinese and Asian productions.

Hengdian could see a lot more Western productions following its recent signing of Hollywood heavyweight Creative Artists Agency to attract business.

Despite costs estimated at half those in the United States or Britain, the road to China has not been easy for Hollywood.

One of the earliest productions was Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film "The Last Emperor," which wowed audiences with its sets at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Logistical, political and other issues kept the industry from taking off until a few years ago, when smack-'em-up director Quentin Tarantino shot his "Kill Bill" movies in Beijing in 2002.

The less successful 2004 film, "Code 46," starring Tim Robbins, also counted Shanghai in its list of foreign locales.

"The White Countess," starring Ralph Fiennes playing a blind diplomat in old Shanghai, wrapped recently in Shanghai as well, with "Dead Or Alive" also set to be finished within weeks.

In what could be the biggest boost for the industry to date, "Mission: Impossible 3," the latest in the blockbuster series of Tom Cruise movies based on the 1960s TV show, may shoot some of its scenes in Shanghai in filming later this year.

LACKING AMENITIES

While costs are low, amenities are often lacking for stars used to having their own trailers and crews to beckon to their every need. Trailers were a non-issue at Hengdian, mostly because few if any existed in this city of several tens of thousands with a single main street.

"I don't even know how long it's been," muses Holly Valance, a former star of the Australian hit series "Neighbours" and a co-star on "Dead or Alive," speaking after 10 weeks in China.

"The food is probably the hardest. ... As to the crew, it seems like madness -- lots of shouting, but the job gets done at the end of the day."

Logistics can also be an issue when moving sets, said Bolt.

"Location moves take a long time," he said. "It took us three days to go from our first location in Guilin to Hengdian. That would have taken one day in the U.S."

Despite the problems, major studios like Merchant Ivory, maker of "White Countess," and big name directors like Tarantino are embracing the market for its uniqueness and low costs.

Hengdian's sets include whole towns recreated from periods in Chinese history. One, from the Qin dynasty in the third century B.C., was where the Zhang Yimou movie "Hero" was shot.

Other studios in Beijing and Shanghai offer similar facilities, though on smaller scales.

Among major Hollywood studios, Warner Bros. has been the biggest to embrace the market, setting up the nation's first film-making joint venture last year with plans to crank out 10 films per year, mostly for distribution in China.

Sony's Columbia TriStar has also been active in developing projects for the local market.

Unlike productions that mostly target foreign markets, Warner and Sony will likely face a tough censorship process, which can often require approval of scripts before shooting even begins, for its China-targeted productions.