Hollywood animators look to tell stories of China

Filmmakers tour animation studios in 3 Chinese cities, bring 10 projects to pitch

The Hollywood animation industry not only can tap into the vast market of China but also mine its rich history and culture for great stories, said the filmmakers behind hit movies like Mulan, Ice Age and Despicable Me after returning from a recent trip to China.

"This is an exciting time in the animation industry. We are seeing more investment into the world market of animation than ever before, and much of this investment is coming from China," said Tony Bancroft, director of Disney's Mulan and the upcoming Animal Crackers, and one of the eight masters participating in the trip.

"China is experiencing one of the most exciting growth periods in film production and investment - it's unparalleled in the history of cinema," said Bancroft, a veteran director at Walt Disney Animation and Sony Pictures, as well as an independent producer and director.

The "Hollywood Masters' China Trip" took the moviemakers to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai, where they visited animation studios, met with their Chinese counterparts and investors and visited places of interest like the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu.

The filmmakers brought 10 projects to pitch to investors in China and generated a lot of interest, according to trip-organizer Stephanie Xu, president of US-Asia Innovation Gateway, a Silicon Valley-based organization aimed at advancing economic opportunities between the US and Asia.

"Some of them are now in talks with potential investors," she said.

"Learning about and meeting with China financing and co-production entities has already sparked investment interest in one of my film projects and inspired my journey to develop more shared content with China," said Damon Santostefano, another filmmaker on the trip.

Because of Chinese investment in Hollywood independent animation, people are seeing different kinds of stories being brought to life for the world market, said Bancroft.

Mike Reiss, writer of The Simpsons, Ice Age and Despicable Me, said he hoped the trip would help China learn Hollywood's best practices "without picking up its bad habits".

"China is more than just a big and growing market," he said. "It's one where the filmmakers and audiences are still excited about movies."

"I've visited many Chinese animation studios, and they are state of the art. However, the tools mean little if they don't have stories to tell," Reiss added. "It is in the creative area that Chinese animation has room to grow."

This trip was aimed at promoting bilateral cultural exchange between the two sides so they have a deeper understanding of each other's culture, history and lifestyle, according to Xu.

"There is still a huge gap between how we view the US and China. This trip provides an opportunity for our group to explore China at different levels," she said. "It's an opportunity for Chinese people to learn from these Hollywood masters why their movies have been so successful worldwide."

At the same time, the Hollywood writers can draw inspiration from China.

"After all, China is so rich in culture and history that many more stories can be explored and discovered beyond Mulan and Kung Fu Panda," said Xu.

"Since my days at Disney Animation I was taught how to bring stories to life for a universal market - not just the US. It was these unique skills that helped me realize an ancient Chinese story like Mulan and bring it to the screen," said Bancroft.

"The key to success in animated films are three things: engaging characters, a great story and a strong team making it," he said. "A story has to have heart and connect emotionally with an audience, but, as I learned at Disney, 'Funny is Money'!"

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com