Thank you! There are so, so many art forms and stories out there that could be brought to animation. The feeling that everything needs to adapt to (say) Disney or Pixar is very powerful for a lot of people, but it isn't the only way to go.
Thanks very much! (This one definitely took a while.) And happy to share MIMT and your newsletter -- nobody else is highlighting animation like that. Excited to see what you cover next!
Great write-up, a significant expansion from your previous articles of the overall picture for Chinese animation. Although I'm not very excited about the path the new Nezha films and other contemporary works are setting—I find the realistic designs and extremely fluid CGI animation of human(oid) characters utterly off-putting—, it's good to know at least the same principles remain. Animation's ability to revitalise and repurpose traditional local arts in the modern age is understated. That's something that really bothered me about The Glassworker; while no doubt an impressive accomplishment, by attempting so hard to mimic anime aesthetics the film lacks a visual identity of its own.
Thanks a ton for that -- we were really aiming to bring a different, wider angle to our coverage of the team's styles/theories. Finally getting access to the book Studies on Animated Filmmaking (after a year or two of hunting) was a game changer.
Definitely understandable about that style of CG animation: it's not for everyone. Not sure if you've seen the Chinese film To the Bright Side or the Yao - Chinese Folktales series from recent years, but they favor other kinds of design and movement that might be more to your liking. We've planned to feature Bright Side forever, but haven't had the chance yet. Hopefully this year!
Unfortunately, it looks like it was taken down just moments after we sent tonight's newsletter, strangely enough. We checked it right before sending! You can find a copy on Bilibili (a bit like China's YouTube equivalent): https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1sT2RYSEu8/
I didn't expect to read a piece like this on Substack! Love it.
Shanghai Animation Film truly defined the aesthetic sensibilities of many generations of Chinese viewers—I still remember watching clips from Nezha Conquers the Dragon King and Little Tadpoles Search for Mama as a child. By the time I reached elementary school, television offerings had shifted almost exclusively to Disney and Japanese anime.
Recently, I visited rock carvings at the Yungang Grottoes in China and purchased books featuring murals from Dunhuang. I was struck by how many of the colors and line techniques used in Shanghai Animation Film productions can be traced directly back to these ancient artworks.
The ink-wash painting screenshots you've selected are absolutely stunning. Chinese painting's ability to capture essence rather than mere appearance reaches its pinnacle in these works—the concept of xieyi (写意) expressed to perfection.
Thanks for this very thoughtful comment! It's fascinating to hear a first-hand account of the shift toward imported work -- it's something we've seen mentioned in books as well. And it's true about the Dunhuang murals. We almost included one of Shanghai Animation's films, The Nine-Colored Deer, that was based directly on those. We've even seen a photo of two staffers from the studio in the caves, sketching the murals on location. Really cool stuff.
Anyway, really glad you enjoyed the piece, and thank you again!
Great read! I hope this inspires other regions and countries to be bold and tell their stories.
Thank you! There are so, so many art forms and stories out there that could be brought to animation. The feeling that everything needs to adapt to (say) Disney or Pixar is very powerful for a lot of people, but it isn't the only way to go.
A really fascinating post with an amazing amount of research! Hats off to you guys & thanks so much for mentioning Ted's film and EoF too!
Thanks very much! (This one definitely took a while.) And happy to share MIMT and your newsletter -- nobody else is highlighting animation like that. Excited to see what you cover next!
Great write-up, a significant expansion from your previous articles of the overall picture for Chinese animation. Although I'm not very excited about the path the new Nezha films and other contemporary works are setting—I find the realistic designs and extremely fluid CGI animation of human(oid) characters utterly off-putting—, it's good to know at least the same principles remain. Animation's ability to revitalise and repurpose traditional local arts in the modern age is understated. That's something that really bothered me about The Glassworker; while no doubt an impressive accomplishment, by attempting so hard to mimic anime aesthetics the film lacks a visual identity of its own.
Thanks a ton for that -- we were really aiming to bring a different, wider angle to our coverage of the team's styles/theories. Finally getting access to the book Studies on Animated Filmmaking (after a year or two of hunting) was a game changer.
Definitely understandable about that style of CG animation: it's not for everyone. Not sure if you've seen the Chinese film To the Bright Side or the Yao - Chinese Folktales series from recent years, but they favor other kinds of design and movement that might be more to your liking. We've planned to feature Bright Side forever, but haven't had the chance yet. Hopefully this year!
Thought you must had gotten your hands on some new book, your continuous research is much appreciated! (as are the recs)
Is the Piggsy Eats Watermelon link lost on YouTube?
Just saw the Qui Baishi exhibition at the SF Asian Art Museum..
Unfortunately, it looks like it was taken down just moments after we sent tonight's newsletter, strangely enough. We checked it right before sending! You can find a copy on Bilibili (a bit like China's YouTube equivalent): https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1sT2RYSEu8/
I didn't expect to read a piece like this on Substack! Love it.
Shanghai Animation Film truly defined the aesthetic sensibilities of many generations of Chinese viewers—I still remember watching clips from Nezha Conquers the Dragon King and Little Tadpoles Search for Mama as a child. By the time I reached elementary school, television offerings had shifted almost exclusively to Disney and Japanese anime.
Recently, I visited rock carvings at the Yungang Grottoes in China and purchased books featuring murals from Dunhuang. I was struck by how many of the colors and line techniques used in Shanghai Animation Film productions can be traced directly back to these ancient artworks.
The ink-wash painting screenshots you've selected are absolutely stunning. Chinese painting's ability to capture essence rather than mere appearance reaches its pinnacle in these works—the concept of xieyi (写意) expressed to perfection.
Thanks for this very thoughtful comment! It's fascinating to hear a first-hand account of the shift toward imported work -- it's something we've seen mentioned in books as well. And it's true about the Dunhuang murals. We almost included one of Shanghai Animation's films, The Nine-Colored Deer, that was based directly on those. We've even seen a photo of two staffers from the studio in the caves, sketching the murals on location. Really cool stuff.
Anyway, really glad you enjoyed the piece, and thank you again!
thanks for the read
Happy to bring this beautiful animation to folks -- glad you enjoyed!
Love the article
Thank you!
Exciting!
Always glad to share this beautiful school of animation!
Thank you for your work! It’s amazing
Really appreciate the kind words! Thank you -- happy you liked the issue.