CATDOLL: "Avanti" movie will be released in the summer of 2016, "Black Cat Sheriff 3" is confirmed to be produced

Cartoon characters such as Tintin, the Smurfs, Sanmao, Old Master Q, Calabash Brothers, etc., which have a strong resonance with the post-80s and post-90s generations, have recently collectively "landed" at the Guangdong Museum of Art and made their debut at the "Chinese School of World Animation - Chinese and Foreign Animation Art Exhibition". The Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which is known as the "Disney" of the Chinese animation industry, is one of the organizers of the exhibition.

It is understood that the classic cartoon character Black Cat Sheriff from Shanghai Animation Film Studio will hit the big screen on August 7, and another well-known cartoon character Afanti will meet the public in cinemas next summer.

Why do Chinese classic cartoon characters seem to be "flash in the pan"? Why is it difficult for Chinese ink-and-wash animation, a characteristic of Chinese cartoons, to continue? A seminar at a recent exhibition may have the answer.

Q: "Black Cat Sheriff" is so popular, why is there only 5 episodes?

Answer: It is determined by the planned economic system.

"The movie 'Black Cat Sheriff' tells a brand new story and will be released nationwide on August 7," said Zhu Yuping, deputy director of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, in an interview with Xin Kuai Bao. This is the second movie about Black Cat Sheriff since Black Cat Sheriff hit theaters in 2010, and the production plan for the third one has also been launched.

This cartoon was produced and broadcast in 1984. The original cartoon only had 5 episodes. However, in the past 30 years, whenever the theme song "Ahaha, Ahaha, Black Cat Sheriff" sounded, the people born in the 1980s and 1990s would smile happily. Zhu Yuping introduced that in 2010, the movie version of "Black Cat Sheriff" was released, and fans praised it with more than 10 million yuan in box office revenue. "The box office exceeded our expectations."

Why was the beloved "Black Cat Sheriff" only produced 5 episodes? Chang Guangxi, former director of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, revealed in an interview with the Xin Kuaibao reporter that at that time, animation did not consider the market, and one project was completed and then the next one was completed. "In terms of the system, the films we made were sold to the country and had nothing to do with the market. Every animation was created as a work of art."

Q: Why are ink-and-wash animations so rare?

Answer: First, the investment is too high to afford it, and second, there is no box office.

In this exhibition, ink-and-wash animation occupies an important position. The animation work "Shepherd's Flute" produced in 1963 was hand-painted by the Chinese painting master Li Keran. The 20-minute animation won the gold medal at the 3rd Odense Fairy Tale Film Festival in Denmark, which was the highest award won by Chinese animation at that time. When visiting the exhibition, citizens can watch the complete animation "Shepherd's Flute" on site.

As an important type of animation in China, why are ink-and-wash animation rarely seen now? Sun Lijun, dean of the Animation School of the Beijing Film Academy, said bluntly, "If there really is such a sentimental movie, if there is really a company that risked its life to make an ink-and-wash animation, firstly, it can't afford it, and secondly, it will definitely not make any box office, and its direction is wrong."

However, Zhu Yuping revealed that Shanghai Animation Film Studio is taking a "risk". "We are also preparing an ink-and-wash animation. Mr. Chang (Chang Guangxi) is our animation consultant. It really takes a lot of investment to make an ink-and-wash animation in order to get a big return. If it is really commercialized, I am personally quite worried."

Q: There are so many classic anime characters, how can we develop them further?

A: It is an important part of the work, making a brand new feature film.

The Shanghai Animation Film Studio, founded in 1957, produced animated films that supported the childhood of several generations. The manuscripts behind the production of "Havoc in Heaven", "Calabash Brothers" and "The Lotus Lantern" are all on display in the exhibition.

"For us, we have many cartoon characters, and people outside are very envious of them, but we are also trapped. The problem of intangible assets has never been solved." Zhu Yuping revealed that a large number of classic cartoon characters were born in the planned economy era. The production of cartoons was a work of art rather than a commodity, and the success rate of the works was relatively high.

However, the redevelopment of classic cartoon characters has always been an important part of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio's projects. Zhu Yuping revealed that in addition to "Black Cat Sheriff", the "Avanti" movie will be released during the summer vacation next year, and the "Flame Mountain" cartoon is also being prepared. "Old cartoon characters tell new stories for today's children." Zhu Yuping said that there will be nostalgic elements in the new cartoons, for example, the "Black Cat Sheriff" movie will invite the original theme song singer Shen Xiaocen to sing the theme song again.