CATDOLL: Li Jianping: A box office of hundreds of millions will be the benchmark for the success of domestic animated films

With the popularity of "The Return of the Great Sage" and the industry's discussion on the future development of domestic animation, recently during the "2015 Ministry of Culture Cultural Industry Entrepreneurship and Creative Talent Training" (Visual Communication and Animation Design) sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance and hosted by the Central Academy of Cultural Management, Li Jianping, Dean of the Animation School of the Beijing Film Academy, said in an interview with reporters, "The general cost of an animated film is about 20 to 30 million yuan, and many Chinese animations lose money. In the future, if you want to make an animated film, a box office of over 100 million will be a basic standard for success. Only when the box office exceeds 100 million can it be considered a healthy progress."

Li Jianping talked about why "The Monkey King: Hero is Back" was successful. The age of Sun Wukong in the movie was positioned as being in his 20s. It attracted people of this age group, so it was successful in the end. So, should Chinese animation be childish? How should the age positioning be determined in order for animation to be successful? "If the target audience is children, then it will definitely be difficult to get a box office of over 100 million. But adult positioning does not necessarily lead to a box office of over 100 million. The key is to find a balance between the subject matter and positioning. At the same time, the creative team should have a new understanding of the market. Some of the previous films were either not chosen correctly or not done well. If you make something well, someone will definitely recognize it."

Stills from The Return of the Great Sage

During the period, Li Jianping told reporters, "Since Chinese animation has participated in the film market, people no longer view it as a cartoon, but as a movie. This should be very encouraging for creators. What role can 'animation' play in 'film'? When did it achieve such results and reach such standards? It is worth thinking about."

Li Jianping's representative work "Dream Man"

It is understood that the demand for the animation market in China is quite large, and the market space of over 100 billion yuan can still be regarded as a blue ocean that has not yet been fully developed. As for how to truly open up the animation consumer market, Li Jianping frankly said, "The most important thing is that everyone must have confidence. Now no one watches domestic animation, so this is very difficult. When a good work comes out, such as "The Return of the Great Sage", it will have a good driving effect. The key lies in whether you can do it well. 'Content must be king', and secondly, your story must be simple."

As for the artistry of animation creation, Li Jianping said, "Animation art is a cultural product of industrialized society. Compared with other art categories, the aesthetic value of animation art is inherently popular." Regarding the current situation that most graduating college students are oriented towards artistic creation and lack commercial thinking, "University itself is not a vocational skills training. If there is no artistic education, then its education itself is a failure. The setting of university courses is, in principle, based on the cultivation of artistry. Only with such an artistic foundation can we really make good things. Commercial films can also be artistic, and artistry and commerciality are not contradictory. Behind a movie with a high box office is actually a balance between artistic pursuits and audience preferences. Colleges and universities are a place to cultivate culture, not to directly cultivate market-applicable talents. After graduation, college students must receive further training and learning to know whether their works can adapt to the needs of society, and then make adjustments."

Li Jianping's representative work "Journey to the West" (1996 edition)

Regarding the current situation of Chinese animation, Li Jianping mentioned that the development of Chinese animation needs to first solve three problems: "First, the market problem. There must be enough consumption to support animation companies to produce good products. Second, the production capacity of enterprises. There must be enough technology, manpower and funds to produce high-quality works. Third, the policy issue. There must be policy support suitable for market diversification and protection of intellectual property rights."

Finally, when asked about his view on the "Beijing Art Series (Animation and Games) Professional and Technical Qualification Evaluation Trial Measures" jointly issued by the Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau and the Beijing Municipal Culture Bureau, Li Jianping said, "Domestic animation companies have not yet reached that standard in recruiting, and many companies are still relatively loose in recruiting. The key to whether society recognizes it lies in whether everyone attaches importance to this selection." As for whether the trial measures are really effective and what their significance is, it remains to be further observed.

Stills from The Return of the Great Sage