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Creative industries go high-tech and high end
By Xu Wenwen |
June 18, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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FOR years "Made in China" has been the logo of small commodities and cheap labor. However, Chinese bosses are trying to get rid of that association with low-end goods, especially in the creative and cultural industry.
Owners of small cultural and creative enterprises are appealing to the foreign market not with cheaper prices, but advanced technology and originality.
Shanghai Daily discovers four of them in the Phoenix International Creative Park in Hangzhou.
3D lenticular printing technology produces printed images with an illusion of depth, change or movement as the image is viewed from different angles. Hangzhou Nooker Culture Development Co has been engaged in the industry for more than 10 years.
The company used to be an OEM (original equipment manufacturer), but in recent years it has been transforming and upgrading, especially since 2011 when Disney licensed it to make stationery with Disney cartoon figures.
In one year, this new Walt Disney licensee received recognition: It won the 2012 Best Licensee Award for 3D Lenticular Stationery awarded by Disney.
"The design team is the core of transformation and upgrading," said Fang Mingjin, the company's sales director. "The award is a great encouragement, and the company's focus is on establishing the own brand and becoming a licensee of big names."
Nooker has also been licensed by the popular manga "One Piece" to produce posters, folders and bookmarks.
Nooker's neighbor in the park, Timeaxis Digital Graphics Co, cooperates with Modus Fx, a Canada-based visual effects company that has contributed to films including the "Twilight Saga" and "Snow White." Timeaxis has no more than 50 employees.
Two years ago, Modus Fx hired Timeaxis to do some of the visual effects of explosion and flame scenes for the Canadian film "Source Code." It is working on another film "Dragon."
Since last year, the Hangzhou company started sending staff to study at Modus Fx.
"It's a win-win situation," said Wu Luoyang, the manager of Timeaxis. "On one hand, we need to study better foreign technology, on the other, foreign companies need people with Asian culture background to enter the Asia market."
Two months ago, Timeaxis set up a center for training on world-leading digital compositing software Nuke, to cultivate new Chinese professionals in the complicated software.
Modern design and fashion were introduced into China from developed countries, but some Chinese companies in the design field are now thriving, such as Beidouxing Color Research Co.
Attached to China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, it is one of China's earliest color design companies, which created and helped complete China's color design and education system.
Since 2007, the company focuses on city color planning, and is one of the country's few city color planners.
The company became widely known after designing the crimson color of the majestic China Pavilion of World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Since then, it has been receiving domestic and international orders. In 2011 alone, it completed more than 40 city color planning projects in various Chinese cities.
To be international and sophisticated is a trend in cultural and creative industries.
Feish Design Firm in Phoenix International Creative Park provides design services to international clients including Olympus, Siemens and Intel. It won the Cologne Design Award International in 2009.
For examples, Feish has provided Olympus a total solution, including design of a camera system for laparoscopic surgery, and provided Schneider Electric a brand identity solution.
"Many Chinese firms continue to do style design, which is low-end, and what we want is high-end business, like service design," said Yu Biao, Feish's CEO.
"Only by competing internationally can the firm improve and grow," he said, adding that their main clients are foreign enterprises in China and big Chinese brands.
The company recently attended the Hanover Fair and received a dozen orders.
"China's manufacturing industry developed because of cheap labor and it takes time for business owners to think about higher service and better solutions," Yu said. "And now is the time."
Owners of small cultural and creative enterprises are appealing to the foreign market not with cheaper prices, but advanced technology and originality.
Shanghai Daily discovers four of them in the Phoenix International Creative Park in Hangzhou.
3D lenticular printing technology produces printed images with an illusion of depth, change or movement as the image is viewed from different angles. Hangzhou Nooker Culture Development Co has been engaged in the industry for more than 10 years.
The company used to be an OEM (original equipment manufacturer), but in recent years it has been transforming and upgrading, especially since 2011 when Disney licensed it to make stationery with Disney cartoon figures.
In one year, this new Walt Disney licensee received recognition: It won the 2012 Best Licensee Award for 3D Lenticular Stationery awarded by Disney.
"The design team is the core of transformation and upgrading," said Fang Mingjin, the company's sales director. "The award is a great encouragement, and the company's focus is on establishing the own brand and becoming a licensee of big names."
Nooker has also been licensed by the popular manga "One Piece" to produce posters, folders and bookmarks.
Nooker's neighbor in the park, Timeaxis Digital Graphics Co, cooperates with Modus Fx, a Canada-based visual effects company that has contributed to films including the "Twilight Saga" and "Snow White." Timeaxis has no more than 50 employees.
Two years ago, Modus Fx hired Timeaxis to do some of the visual effects of explosion and flame scenes for the Canadian film "Source Code." It is working on another film "Dragon."
Since last year, the Hangzhou company started sending staff to study at Modus Fx.
"It's a win-win situation," said Wu Luoyang, the manager of Timeaxis. "On one hand, we need to study better foreign technology, on the other, foreign companies need people with Asian culture background to enter the Asia market."
Two months ago, Timeaxis set up a center for training on world-leading digital compositing software Nuke, to cultivate new Chinese professionals in the complicated software.
Modern design and fashion were introduced into China from developed countries, but some Chinese companies in the design field are now thriving, such as Beidouxing Color Research Co.
Attached to China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, it is one of China's earliest color design companies, which created and helped complete China's color design and education system.
Since 2007, the company focuses on city color planning, and is one of the country's few city color planners.
The company became widely known after designing the crimson color of the majestic China Pavilion of World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Since then, it has been receiving domestic and international orders. In 2011 alone, it completed more than 40 city color planning projects in various Chinese cities.
To be international and sophisticated is a trend in cultural and creative industries.
Feish Design Firm in Phoenix International Creative Park provides design services to international clients including Olympus, Siemens and Intel. It won the Cologne Design Award International in 2009.
For examples, Feish has provided Olympus a total solution, including design of a camera system for laparoscopic surgery, and provided Schneider Electric a brand identity solution.
"Many Chinese firms continue to do style design, which is low-end, and what we want is high-end business, like service design," said Yu Biao, Feish's CEO.
"Only by competing internationally can the firm improve and grow," he said, adding that their main clients are foreign enterprises in China and big Chinese brands.
The company recently attended the Hanover Fair and received a dozen orders.
"China's manufacturing industry developed because of cheap labor and it takes time for business owners to think about higher service and better solutions," Yu said. "And now is the time."
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