Karen Raugust has an article at Animation World Network (AWN) on the challenges facing the Chinese animation industry entitled, appropriately enough, “Challenges Ahead For China”. The article features some observations from moi, and makes mention of “Road To Home”, the Chinese animated feature that I am consulting on in Beijing.
On business in Beijing.
I’ll be “off blog” for a couple weeks, but in contact at: kevingeiger@animationoptions.com
The Pacific is known for big waves. A barely perceptible ripple grows, until a massive wall of water breaks: an inexorable force that could consume you… or that you could surf on.
As mentioned in my article “China Rising” for O-meon.com, there is a wave of original animation content coming from Pacific Rim nations such as China that stands not only to transform the international animation landscape, but also to provide new opportunities for American animation entrepreneurs.
The Chinese are eager to reclaim their early history of innovation in the medium. Not only was the zoetrope invented by inventor Ting Huan in 180 A.D., but Chinese animation pioneers the Wan brothers released their animated feature “Princess Iron Fan” within two years of Disney’s Snow White, and during the Second Sino-Japanese War, no less! Of course, Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution took a great toll upon the Chinese animation industry, among many others.
Contrary to popular opinion, China actually doesn’t “want” outsourced work from the U.S. They currently “need” outsourced work because 90% of their domestic market is dominated by foreign content (primarily Japanese). Domestic Chinese studios would love nothing more than to produce proprietary content, but the cards are stacked against this due to decades of lost ground.
Trade restrictions in China often elicit a knee-jerk reaction of “outrage” from Americans, who forget that the U.S. itself once engaged in such protectionist practices against Britain and Europe. Yesterday’s pirates are today’s policemen. Yet the Chinese restrictions are more of a problem for the captains of our major studios than they are for independent American animation creators. In fact, they actually present an opportunity. For example, China is restricting the major studios from dumping content into their market without limit, yet they still need content to fill those hours. The solution: co-productions with experienced overseas creators - not only your Nickelodeons and your Disneys, but your small & mid-level studios and individuals willing to partner with the Chinese.
Within the next 5 years, I predict that you will see an outpouring of high-quality, original content from mainland China that will be facilitated by closer relationships with established Taiwanese studios and co-produced with American animation interests of all shapes and sizes. It’s a coming wave of animation that some in the West will ride, at the same time that it wipes out others. It all depends on whether or not you anticipate the swell… and are ready with a surfboard.
Think China is content to be regarded as the place you go for cheap animation outsourcing? Think again.
See our article at Omeon.com…
Back to the blog after the better part of a month in China, where I had the pleasure of unveiling my new presentation “CG Production Principles and Practices: Keeping Your Money On The Screen And Off The Floor”.
The trip went very well, although I wound up on the business end of an IV drip the day before flying home. Read all about it in the Animation Options press release.
