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Animators look to new creatives
By Xu Wenwen |
00:00 UTC+8 April 30, 2012
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Print Edition
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CREATIVITY and talent are constantly required by China's emerging cartoon and animation industry, stress insiders, as only this will ensure that the field remains er ... animated.
Among initiatives to uncover new talent is the Chinese Cartoon and Animation Best Newcomer Prize, awarded to artists or executives of cartoon and animation companies for outstanding contributions to the development of the industry.
Shanghai Daily talks to three of last year's winners and listens to the story behind their awards.
Lin Aiwu
42, CEO of Xiamen Blue Bird Animation Company
Lin Aiwu's story sounds like a Chinese version of JK Rowling's - a housewife and a mother of twins deciding to found an animation company because of a promise to her little girls to turn their favorite fairy tale into an animation.
One night back in 2004, when Lin was reading bedtime stories to her daughters, the girls asked if she could turn their favorite story "Virtue Garden" into an animation. Without hesitation Lin said "of course," and keeping this promise set her on a career in animation.
A housewife for five years and a secretary before that, Lin had no background in animation. However, she was not lacking in determination.
"I believe in miracles, which will occur as long as one persists," says Lin.
She sunk all of hers and her husband's savings into establishing Xiamen Blue Bird - the first animation company in Xiamen, Fujian Province - and brought in other shareholders.
Mindful of her pledge to her daughters, the first thing Lin did was to purchase the copyright from the author of "Virtue Garden" and make the animation.
In time Lin, who had been eager to be a writer since she was a girl, became the scriptwriter and created more than 83 hours of animation series, such as "Star Star Fox" and "Happy Spirit."
But it has not all been plain sailing, as Lin suffered bankruptcy at one point, leading her almost to give up.
However, her determination has seen her through. "Making promises makes me persist. At first it was the promise to my kids, then later to staff, to investors and people who have helped me," says Lin.
Lin believes winning the award can be attributed to the right timing - China's market needs original animation, and she can provide it.
She also believes that while one animation will not change the world, it can change a child's way of looking at the world.
Wu Jia
28, vice president of ZN Animation Company
ZN Animation Company is one of the leading animation companies in the country, which has produced almost 667 hours of animation that has been sold to more than 60 countries and regions.
Wu, as the vice president, has been promoting the company online, developing contacts and its international profile.
"Young people have unique perspectives on the industry - creativity that is vital for moving the industry forward," says Wu, who has helped bring about the country's first animated news comment TV program.
Wu says the cartoon and animation industry of Hangzhou is unique as it started earlier than those in other cities, and has a long industry chain that needs government and people's support.
She also offered advice to budding animators.
"Young people need to be persistent and stand by what they do. People only reap what they sow," she says.
Shen Leping
39, CEO of Hangzhou Xuanji Science & Technology Corporation
Shen Leping is the director and screenwriter of "Qin's Moon," a 3-D smash-hit wuxia (martial arts) TV series, and China's first 3-D kung fu story-based animation series.
The animation - unlike most in the Chinese mainland, which are aimed at children under 12 - targets an audience of between 12 and 25. Shen believes this more sophisticated content contributes significantly to the popularity of "Qin's Moon."
The series has certainly collected many plaudits.
It was selected in the 2010 Japanese Digital Content White Paper as a model of Chinese animation; it was part of the Autodesk 2010 Animation Show Reel, along with "Avatar" (2009) and "Ice Age" (2002, 2006, 2009). Autodesk is a world-leading 3-D design, engineering and entertainment software. In 2011 "Qin's Moon" was screened in the Asia section of the Cannes Film Festival while domestically, it has won more than 80 awards.
"The market welcomes production combined with fashion, technology and some depth in content. We find a gap in the market and strive to meet the demand," says Shen.
"In addition, the country and local governments provide much support to the industry."
Currently, the company spends an average of 15,000 yuan (US$2,381) producing each minute of animation.
Its total output of under 22 hours of footage is not big according to international standards, but very big in China.
Among initiatives to uncover new talent is the Chinese Cartoon and Animation Best Newcomer Prize, awarded to artists or executives of cartoon and animation companies for outstanding contributions to the development of the industry.
Shanghai Daily talks to three of last year's winners and listens to the story behind their awards.
Lin Aiwu
42, CEO of Xiamen Blue Bird Animation Company
Lin Aiwu's story sounds like a Chinese version of JK Rowling's - a housewife and a mother of twins deciding to found an animation company because of a promise to her little girls to turn their favorite fairy tale into an animation.
One night back in 2004, when Lin was reading bedtime stories to her daughters, the girls asked if she could turn their favorite story "Virtue Garden" into an animation. Without hesitation Lin said "of course," and keeping this promise set her on a career in animation.
A housewife for five years and a secretary before that, Lin had no background in animation. However, she was not lacking in determination.
"I believe in miracles, which will occur as long as one persists," says Lin.
She sunk all of hers and her husband's savings into establishing Xiamen Blue Bird - the first animation company in Xiamen, Fujian Province - and brought in other shareholders.
Mindful of her pledge to her daughters, the first thing Lin did was to purchase the copyright from the author of "Virtue Garden" and make the animation.
In time Lin, who had been eager to be a writer since she was a girl, became the scriptwriter and created more than 83 hours of animation series, such as "Star Star Fox" and "Happy Spirit."
But it has not all been plain sailing, as Lin suffered bankruptcy at one point, leading her almost to give up.
However, her determination has seen her through. "Making promises makes me persist. At first it was the promise to my kids, then later to staff, to investors and people who have helped me," says Lin.
Lin believes winning the award can be attributed to the right timing - China's market needs original animation, and she can provide it.
She also believes that while one animation will not change the world, it can change a child's way of looking at the world.
Wu Jia
28, vice president of ZN Animation Company
ZN Animation Company is one of the leading animation companies in the country, which has produced almost 667 hours of animation that has been sold to more than 60 countries and regions.
Wu, as the vice president, has been promoting the company online, developing contacts and its international profile.
"Young people have unique perspectives on the industry - creativity that is vital for moving the industry forward," says Wu, who has helped bring about the country's first animated news comment TV program.
Wu says the cartoon and animation industry of Hangzhou is unique as it started earlier than those in other cities, and has a long industry chain that needs government and people's support.
She also offered advice to budding animators.
"Young people need to be persistent and stand by what they do. People only reap what they sow," she says.
Shen Leping
39, CEO of Hangzhou Xuanji Science & Technology Corporation
Shen Leping is the director and screenwriter of "Qin's Moon," a 3-D smash-hit wuxia (martial arts) TV series, and China's first 3-D kung fu story-based animation series.
The animation - unlike most in the Chinese mainland, which are aimed at children under 12 - targets an audience of between 12 and 25. Shen believes this more sophisticated content contributes significantly to the popularity of "Qin's Moon."
The series has certainly collected many plaudits.
It was selected in the 2010 Japanese Digital Content White Paper as a model of Chinese animation; it was part of the Autodesk 2010 Animation Show Reel, along with "Avatar" (2009) and "Ice Age" (2002, 2006, 2009). Autodesk is a world-leading 3-D design, engineering and entertainment software. In 2011 "Qin's Moon" was screened in the Asia section of the Cannes Film Festival while domestically, it has won more than 80 awards.
"The market welcomes production combined with fashion, technology and some depth in content. We find a gap in the market and strive to meet the demand," says Shen.
"In addition, the country and local governments provide much support to the industry."
Currently, the company spends an average of 15,000 yuan (US$2,381) producing each minute of animation.
Its total output of under 22 hours of footage is not big according to international standards, but very big in China.
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