History

Main article: History of Chinese animation

In the first century BC, the Chinese craftsman Ding Huan invented a device "on which many
strange birds and mysterious animals were attached" that were said to have "moved quite
naturally", but it is unclear if this and the other devices historian Joseph Needham calls "a variety
of zoetrope" involved any true illusion of animation or simply featured static or mechanized
figures actually moving through space.
Modern animation in China began in 1918 when an animation piece from the United States
titled Out of the Inkwell landed in Shanghai. Cartoon clips were first used in advertisements for
domestic products. Though the animation industry did not begin until the arrival of the Wan
brothers in 1926. The Wan brothers produced the first Chinese animated film with sound, The
Camel's Dance, in 1935. The first animated film of notable length was Princess Iron Fan in 1941.
China was relatively on pace with the rest of the world up to the mid-1960s, with the Wan's
brothers Havoc in Heaven earning numerous international awards.
China's golden age of animation would come to an end following the onset of the Cultural
Revolution in 1966.[4] Many animators were forced to quit. If not for harsh economic conditions,
the mistreatment of the Red Guards would threaten their work. The surviving animations would
lean closer to propaganda. By the 1980s, Japan would emerge as the animation powerhouse of
the Far East, leaving China's industry far behind in reputation and productivity. Though two
major changes would occur in the 1990s, igniting some of the biggest changes since the
exploration periods. The first is a political change. The implementation of a socialist market
economy would push out traditional planned economy systems.[5] No longer would a single entity
limit the industry's output and income. The second is a technological change with the arrival of
the Internet. New opportunities would emerge from flash animations and the contents became
more open. Today China is drastically reinventing itself in the animation industry with greater
influences from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Terminology

Monkey King, from the 1964 animation Havoc in Heaven

Chinese animations today can best be described in two categories. The first type
are "Conventional Animations" produced by corporations of well-financed entities. These
content falls along the lines of traditional 2D cartoons or modern 3D CG animated films
distributed via cinemas, DVD or broadcast on TV. This format can be summarized as a reviving
industry coming together with advanced computer technology and low cost labor.[6]
The second type are "Webtoons" produced by corporations or sometimes just individuals. These
contents are generally flash animations ranging anywhere from amateurish to high quality,
hosted publicly on various websites. While the global community has always gauged industry
success by box office sales. This format cannot be denied when measured in hits among a
population of 1.3 billion in just mainland China alone. Most importantly it provides greater
freedom of expression on top of potential advertising.
Characteristics[edit]
In the 1920s, the pioneering Wan brothers believed that animations should emphasize on a
development style that was uniquely Chinese. This rigid philosophy stayed with the industry for
decades. And animations were essentially an extension of other facets of Chinese arts and
culture, drawing more contents from ancient folkores and manhua. An example of a traditional
Chinese animation character would be Monkey King, a character transitioned from the classic
literatureJourney to the West to the 1964 animation Havoc in Heaven. Though the concept of
Chinese animations have begun loosening up in recent years without locking into any particular
one style. One of the first revolutionary change was in the 1995 manhua animation
adaptation Cyber Weapon Z. The style consist of characters that are practically indistinguishable
from any typical anime, yet it is categorized as Chinese animation. It can be said that productions
are not necessarily limited to any one technique; that water ink, puppetry, computer CG are all
demonstrated in the art.
Newer waves of animations since the 1990s, especially flash animations, are trying to break
away from the tradition. In 2001 Time Magazine Asia Edition would rate the Taiwanese
webtoon character A-kuei as one of the top 100 new figures in Asia.[7] The appearance of A-
kuei with the large head, would probably lean much closer to children's material like Doraemon.
So changes like this signify a welcoming transition, since folklore-like characters have always
had a hard time gaining international appeal. GoGo Top magazine, the first weekly Chinese
animation magazine, conducted a survey and proved that only 1 out of 20 favorite characters
among children was actually created domestically in China.[8]
In 1998, Wang Xiaodi zh:王小棣 directed the full-length animated feature "Grandma and Her
Ghosts" zh:魔法阿媽.

Conventional animation market

Animation from mainland China Thru the Moebius Strip

Hong Kong Chinese Animation,Cyber Weapon Z

From the demographics perspective, the Chinese consumer market has identified 11% of the
audience are under the age of 13 with 59% between 14 to 17 and 30% over 18 years of age.
Potentially 500 million people could be identified as cartoon consumers. China has 370 million
children, one of the world’s largest animation audiences.
From the financial perspective, Quatech Market Research surveyed ages between 14 to 30 in
Beijing, Shanghai andGuangzhou and found that over 1.3 billion RMB (about US $163 million)
was spent on cartoons every year, but more than 80% of the revenue flows straight out of the
country. Further studies show that 60% still prefer Japanese anime, 29% prefer Americans, and
just 11 percent favor those made by Chinese mainland, Taiwan or Hong Kong animators.
From 2006 to present, the Chinese government has considered animation as a key sector for the
birth of a new national identity and for the cultural development in China. The government has
started to promote the development of cinema and TV series with the aim of reaching 1% of
GDP in the next five years against an investment of around RMB250-350 million (€29-41
million). It supported the birth of about 6000 animation studios and 1300 universities which
provide animation studies. In 2010, 220,000 minutes of animations were produced, making
China the world's biggest producer of cartoons on TV.
In 1999 Shanghai Animation Film Studio spent 21 million RMB (about US $2.6 million)
producing the animation Lotus Lantern. The film earned a box office income of more than RMB
20 million (about US $2.5 million), but failed to capitalize on any related products. The same
company shot a cartoon series Music Up in 2001, and although 66% of its profits came from
selling related merchandise, it lagged far behind foreign animations.
2007 saw the debut of the popular Chinese Series, Qin's Moon. It boasted impressive 3d graphics
and an immersive storyline. Its third season was released on 23 June 2010. Its fourth season is
under production.
One of the most popular manhua in Hong Kong was Old Master Q. The characters were
converted into cartoon forms as early as 1981, followed by numerous animation adaptations
including a widescreen DVD release in 2003. While the publications remained legendary for
decades, the animations have always been considered more of a fan tribute. And this is another
sign that newer generations are further disconnected with older styled characters. Newer
animations like My Life as McDull has also been introduced to expand on the modern trend.
In 2005 the first 3D CG-animated movie from Shenzhen China, Thru the Moebius Strip was
debuted. Running for 80 minutes, it is the first 3D movie fully rendered in mainland China to
premiere in the Cannes Film Festival.[12] It was a critical first step for the industry.
In November 2006 an animation summit forum was held to announce China's top 10 most
popular domestic cartoons as Century Sonny,Tortoise Hanba's Stories, Black Cat
Detective, SkyEye, Lao Mountain Taoist, Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, Wanderings of
Sanmao,Zhang Ga the Soldier Boy, The Blue Mouse and the Big-Faced Cat and 3000 Whys of
Blue Cat.[13] Century Sonny is a 3D CG-animated TV series with 104 episodes fully rendered.
In 2011 Vasoon Animation released "Kuiba", also known as 魁拔. The film tells the story of
how a boy attempts to save a fantasy world from an evil monster who, unknowingly, is inside of
him. The film borrows from a Japanese "hot-blooded" style, refreshing the audience's views on
Chinese animation."Kuiba" was critically acclaimed, however it commercially fell below
expectations.[14] It was reported that the CEO Wu Hanqing received minority help from a venture
capital fund at Tsinghua University to complete "Kuiba." This film also holds the distinction of
being the first big Chinese animation series to enter the Japanese market. From July 2012 to July
2013, YouYaoQi released One hundred thousand bad jokes.

Flash animation market

On 15 September 1999 FlashEmpire became the first flash community in China to come online.
While it began with amateurish contents, it was one of the first time any form ofuser-generated
contents was offered in the mainland. By the beginning of 2000, it averaged 10,000 hits daily
with more than 5,000 individual work published. Today it has more than 1 million members.[17]
In 2001, Xiao Xiao, a series of flash animations about kung fu stick figures became an Internet
phenomenon totaling more than 50 million hits, most of which in mainland China. It also became
popular overseas with numerous international artists borrowing the Xiao Xiao character for their
own flash work in sites like Newgrounds.
On 24 April 2006 Flashlands.com was launched, hosting a variety of high quality flash
animations from mainland China. The site is designed to be one of the first cross-culturalsite
allowing English speakers easy access to domestic productions. Though the success of the site
has yet to be determined.
In October 2006, 3G.NET.CN paid 3 million RMB (about US$380,000) to produce A Chinese
odyssey, the flash version of Stephen Chow's A Chinese Odyssey in flash format.

Criticism
Statistics from China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) indicate
domestic cartoons aired 1hr 30 minutes each day from 1993 to 2002. And that by the end of
2004, it increased the airing time of domestic cartoons to 2hrs per day.[19] The division requested
a total of 2,000 provinces to devote a show time of 60,000 minutes to domestically-produced
animations and comic works. But statistics show that domestic animators can only provide
enough work for 20,000 minutes, leaving a gap of 40,000 minutes that can only be filled by
foreign programs. Though insiders are criticizing domestic cartoons for its emphasis on
education over entertainment.
SARFT also have a history of taking protectionism actions such as banning foreign shows
like Babe: Pig in the City. While statistics are proving there are not enough domestic materials
available the administration continues to ban foreign materials. On 15 February 2006 another
notice is issued to ban cartoons that incorporated live actors. As reported by Xinhua News
Agency, the commission did not want CGI and 2D characters alongside human actors.[ Doing so
would jeopardize the broadcast order of homemade animation and mislead their development.
Neither ban makes logical sense to the general public.
Early history
In the first century BC, the Chinese craftsman Ding Huan (丁緩) invented a device "on which
many strange birds and mysterious animals were attached" that were said to have "moved quite
naturally", but it is unclear if this and the other devices historian Joseph Needham calls "a variety
of zoetrope" involved any true illusion of animation or simply featured static or mechanized
figures actually moving through space.[1][2]
The modern animation industry began in France in 1888, invented by Charles-Émile Reynaud.
Chinese animation started in the 1920s, inspired by French, German, Russian and mostly
American productions. One of the first examples of foreign animation did not land in Shanghai
until 1918. This piece of animation from the US was titled (从墨水瓶里跳出来),[3] known today
as Out of the Inkwell.

Exploration periods (1920s–1945)

In 1922 Wan Laiming produced the first animation in a cartoon advertisement for

the Shuzhendong Chinese Typewriter. Followed by the 1924 animation short Dog Treat.
Shanghai tobacco company also produced an animation called New Year. These are the earliest
known cartoon shorts.[3]
In 1926 the 4 Wan brothers, Wan Laiming, Wan Guchan，Wan Chaochen and Wan
Dihuan worked under the Great Wall Film Company in China, not to be confused with Great
Wall Movie Enterprises Ltd. Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan were then recognized as China's
animation pioneers when they produced the first animation short Uproar in the Studio[3] running
10 to 12 minutes long in black and white. The brothers believed that Chinese animation should
be instructive, logical and thought-provoking besides being entertaining to its audience. They
wanted to emphasize the development of an animation style that was uniquely Chinese. It was a
common trend at the time to combine live action film footages with 2D animation.[4] By 1932
one of the Wan brothers, Wan Di-huan, would voluntarily leave the Great Wall Film company
for his own photography studio.[4] Some of the first wave of influential American animations that
reached Shanghai were Popeye (大力水手), and a show known as (勃比小姐)[6] that may be an
off translation to what is known today as Betty Boop.
By 1935 the Wan brothers would launch the first animation with sound titled The Camel’s
Dance.[3] Four years later in 1939, America's Disney's Snow White would also be introduced in
Shanghai and it would be a great influence. In 1941 China's first animated feature film of notable
length, Princess Iron Fan, was released under very difficult conditions during Second Sino-
Japanese War and World War II using extensive rotoscoping. While there were overlapping
progress made in the Asian regions with Japanese anime at the time, they were not
geographically or artistically influential to China directly.[ During the Japanese invasion period,
the brothers produced more than 20 animated propaganda shorts focusing on various patriotic
topics from resistance against Japanese troops, opium and imperialism.[4]

Steady development (1946–1949)

On October 1, 1946 a northeast motion picture studio was established in the Nenjiang
province (龙江省兴山), known today as the Heilongjiang province. It is the first known studio
established by a communist party.[6] In 1947 productions such as Emperor's Dream used puppets
in an exaggerated way to expose corruption of the Kuomintang Chinese nationalist party.[7] The
idea of using political content in puppetry films was becoming acceptable, and animators took
note on their success. An example of such documentary-type cartoons can be found in Go After
an Easy Prey (1948).[8] In 1948 the Northeast studio would change its name to Shanghai Picture
Studio Group. On October 1, 1949, China would enter a new communist era led by Mao Zedong.

Founding of Shanghai Arts and Film Studio (1950–1965)

In February 1950 the northeast group would combine with other divisions to become the
predecessor of Shanghai Animation Film Studio. The Wan brothers, Central Academy of Fine
Arts, the Art Institute of Suzhou and many other big name artists would all be concentrated in
this studio for the first time.[6] Among the talent is Japanese animator Tadahito Mochinaga who
would spend time in Shanghai creating Thank You, Kitty. Three years later he would depart for
Japan, becoming possibly the only artist to have worked in both Chinese and Japanese industry
in the era. By 1956 the Wan brothers have created the first colored animation of notable length
titled Why is the Crow Black-Coated, which became the first Chinese animation recognized
internationally.
In April 1957 the central government would begin sponsoring the studio making it the nation's
first and official animation factory. From the technology standpoint, China's animation was still
relatively on pace with the rest of the world. In 1958 the Wan brothers created a new animation
film technique based on the folk art cut-paper animation, which was demonstrated in Pigsy Eats
Watermelon.[4] At the same time another technique called origami animation was also developed
by Yu Zheguang (虞哲光) in 1960, in the film A Clever Duckling.[9] Also in 1960 the first set of
animation film exhibitions were held in 6 major cities including Shanghai and Beijing, followed
by exhibitions in Hong Kong in 1962 and Macau in 1963.

Pigsy eats Watermelon

The Wan brothers would receive the most recognition for their film Havoc in Heaven, since it
was well known among ordinary citizens.[4] The development spanned 4 years from 1961 to
1964. It ran for nearly 2 hours pushing the technology to the limit with some of the most vivid
colors ever put to the screen.[6]
It can be said that in the short run, the financing of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio was
strictly an extension of Mao's Anti-Rightist Movement following up on speeches like “Let
hundreds of flowers blossom and hundreds of schools of thought contend" (百花齐放，百家争
鸣). Mao has publicly admitted that promoting new art forms and institutions was vital to
the new China.[4] Though with time, his political campaign would prove to be a major backlash to
the industry. Putting an end to the golden era.

Cultural Revolution interference (1966–1976)

Animations were considered technological marvels up until the cultural revolution kicked into

full gear in 1967. By now Mao Zedong was promoting the animation industry only under the
circumstances that it was a useful propaganda tool for his Hundred Flowers Campaign. He would
send a dangerous message to the animation industry, since his regime allowed complete freedom
of expression, yet persecuted those who had views different from his political party. The
revolution was widely known for the red guard destruction crusades that would destroy artifacts,
antiques, paintings, books and anything of conflicting value. Some of the artists were humiliated,
forced to become farmers in the countryside, accept re-education or sent to prison. Some of the
famous artists in the film and literature industry would rather commit suicide than to be
humiliated. Most of the animators were not allowed to draw and forced to do labor work.] The
persecutions would grow exponentially worse from 1966 to 1972, labeling the period
"catastrophic" for the industry.
The Chinese animation industry was practically put on pause for a decade until 1976 when the
cultural revolution was over. What is left of the period were animations that heavily favored
Mao's campaign if not furthered his ideology. Animations such as Little Trumpeter in 1973, a
story about a young boy named "Xiaoyong" who became a heroic red guard soldier.[11] Other
animations from the same year include Little 8th Route Army, a story about a boy taking on
revenge against the Imperial Japanese Army.[12] Or Little Sentinel of East China Sea a story
about a young girl named "Jiedaling" who followed 3 chemical warfare workers in disguise, and
called upon the People's Liberation Army to wipe out the enemy.[13]

Reform period (1978–1989)

By 1978 it was clear that significant damage have been done by the cultural revolution. An
indication of where China has dropped in rank was apparent. In the 20-year span from 1960 to
1989 from the theater standpoint, the majority of cartoons in Hong Kong were imported from the
US. It was typical to play American movies in major cinemas preceded by an American cartoon
segment. Sometimes the segment would even be shown in its entirety. An MGM or Disney
movie was almost certain to be preceded by another Disney animation.
From the home animation standpoint, Japan have already emerged as the dominant animation
provider in the Far East. Their export of anime TV series would reach Hong Kong, Europe and
the Middle East in mass quantities via analog broadcasts directly to home. Some of the more
popular shows include Doraemon and Transformers, which was accompanied by one of the most
successful toyline in history. It was difficult for China to compete directly at home or on the big
screen.
Nonetheless the Chinese animation industry would begin to reproduce animations in a new
direction. Shanghai Animation Film Studio would launch 219 animation films in the 1980s.[3] In
1979 Nezha Conquers the Dragon King was one of the first notable animations shown during the
rebirth period. Other films include Snow Kid (1980), Lao Mountain Taoist (1981), The Deer's
Bell (1982) and Legend of Sealed Book (1983). Among the works Three Monks(1980)
and Feeling from Mountain and Water (1988) were among the few animations that managed to
earn awards.

The Digital era (1990–present)

While China's broadcast was catching up on Doraemon on CCTV, foreign animations
like Pokémon have already been popularized worldwide spawning $15 billion in sales.]The
commercialization and innovation of Japanese and American animations pushed the traditional
Chinese animations out of the market. Complaints have been heard throughout the 90s about the
problems facing Chinese animation. Numerous artists even ended up adopting into American and
Japanese animation styles, with more noticeable changes in manhua work.

The Lost Magic of the Shanghai Art Studios

 -At the end of the 1950s, Shanghai Art Studio was among the most important in
the world. It employed 500 workers and was acclaimed across China. In The Lost
Magic of the Shanghai Art Studios, numerous beautiful film extracts, paintings,
and drawings illustrate that the Shanghai Studio's creativity was comparable to the
work of the Disney Studio, but reflected a more delicate sensibility. The studio
chief, Wang Laiming, had begun working on a full-length animation, "The
Monkey King," which was to become the masterpiece of Asian animation. A labor
of love, it was finally completed after 10 years, in 1965. But that was at the dawn
of the Cultural Revolution. Wang Laiming and the film's director, Te Weï, were
arrested by the Red Guards, along with many other designers, and imprisoned.
The studio fell silent for 10 years, its films forgotten. Only a few propaganda films
hailing President Mao were produced. In the mid-1980s, the studio attempted to
bring itself back to life and regain its former glory but the whole animation
business had changed. Much of the work is now handled by computers and the
business needed to adapt to the size of the television screen. In the film, many of
Wang Laiming's collaborators and Te Wei, now 88 years old, recall the golden age
of the studio as well as the hard times they experienced during the Cultural
Revolution. This film is a testimony to the former glory of the studio's
achievement. A unique, important film for students of Chinese culture, film
studies, and animation.
WAN Brothers

Wan Brothers Documentary (Chinese/2005)

The Uproar in Heaven films (Monkey King Havok in Heaven / Hue And Cry Over The
Sky / Big Trouble) were directed by Wan Laiming, one of the early pioneers of art
films in China. These animated films were so popular in China that Wan is regarded as
a treasured artist by the Chinese people. Wai Laiming had three brothers- Vancomyein
Toad, the twin brother who was moon to Wan Laiming’s sun; Wan Chaochen and Wan
Dihuan. They are all well known in China as "The Wan Brothers".

They were born in Nanjing, on the banks of the Yangzi River. Their father, a
businessman, expected them to learn a trade from books, so they could make a lot of
money when they grew up. But their mother encouraged them to cut
paper into the shapes of people and birds, and the sons enjoyed art more than book-
learning. When they were young, they performed puppet shows with their paper-cut
characters, based on a story from the four classic novels titled "Journey to the West",
the books that document the legendary Monkey King epic.

In 1916, the family moved to Shanghai. Wan Laiming took a job working for the
Shanghai Commercial Press, and held positions in the Department of Fine Arts and the
Department of Activities Movie Service starting in 1919. Inspired by American
cartoons, China’s shadow puppet plays, and cinematic techniques he saw in live
action films, Wan Laiming began making his own animated films. His brothers joined
him at the Shanghai Commercial Press shortly after they graduated from art schools.
Together, they made the advertising film, "Shuzhendong Chinese Typewriter" (1925),
which marked the beginning of their animation career.

In 1926, they made their first silent animated cartoon short, "Studio In A Row"; and in
1935, they made their first sound cartoon, "The Camel Presentation Dance". After the
outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, the Wan Brothers, (with the
exception of Wan Duhuan, who had started a photo studio) moved to Wuhan and
produced the propaganda films, "Anti-Japanese War Slogan" and "Song of Resistance".

The first full length cartoon feature was made by Walt Disney in 1937, and in 1940,
after returning to Shanghai, the Wan Brothers began work on their own 8,000 foot, 80
minute long sound cartoon film, "Tieshangongzhu", completing it a year later. This
film lay a sound foundation for the Wan Brothers’ career in animation production.
After its completion, the Wan Brothers moved to Hong Kong for a few years, and in
1954, they returned one by one to New China, where they became directors at the
Shanghai Animated Film Studio. They devoted all of their time and energies from that
point on to making animated films for New China.

The 1961 film in the "Uproar in Heaven" series is the culmination of all of Wan
Laiming’s painstaking efforts. He later recalled how the crew made the movie

The script of "Uproar in Heaven" was adapted from one of the four classic novels,
"Journey to the West". Li Kerou and I were asked to write the story. The first thing
we worried about was whether we would dare to present the story as it was told in
the book. It was a sensitive issue at the time. We studied the first seven chapters of
"Journey to the West" and believed it to have profound significance- the sharp
contrasts of conflict and struggle between the oppressor and oppressed within the
mythological context. In "Uproar in Heaven", the dramatic conflict is mainly between
the Monkey King and the rulers headed up by Emperor Jade. Throughout a series of
adventures, the Monkey King matures, and uses his courageous ingenuity, unyielding
character and tenacity to prevail.

The Monkey King has the characteristics of a real monkey- He’s a lively and nimble
prankster. But he is also a God that can change 72 times, or become invisible at will.
Human beings certainly do not have these features. He is also thoughtful and
upright, so in the shaping of the character, it was necessary to exaggerate some
aspects and use our imagination. Zhang Guangyu, the main designer on the film,
together with Yan Dingxian and Lin Wenxiao made the characters in the film come
vividly to life, and they deserve a great deal of credit for the success of the film.

For each scene, we paid particular attention to the setting and atmosphere in order
to unify the scenes with the personality and style of the characters. We absorbed the
best essence of Chinese folk art tradition, and added to it our own imagination. As a
result, the film has a very special flavor. Because of the fantasized atmosphere of
the myth, we strived to construct a unity of rich colors, refinement toward
simplicity and a shaping of the images that is more "vague" than "real". By doing this,
we achieved a greater artistic effect.

The pacing of the film adopted many techniques of montage, so the story develops
quickly, avoiding a slow unfolding of the plot. We made use of typical Chinese folk
music- the drums and percussion instruments commonly used in Peking opera. This
added a strong sense of rhythm to the action of the figures.

The director of photography on the picture was Duan Xiaoxun. She later described
how they shot the effects on the Monkey King’s weapon, and the magnificent palaces
of the heavens…

The Monkey King’s weapon is called the "Jingubang". It looks like a glittering red
stick with yellow on both ends. In order to make it glow and sparkle, we employed
multiple exposures, and it proved to be a very successful technique in the film.

The voices were provided by many famous actors of the time. Among them were Qiu
Yiefeng (Monkey King), Fu Runsheng (Emperor Jade), and Shang Hua (Taibaijinxing).
Their excellent work added a great deal to the film.

After more than a year, and nearly 70,000 drawings, the image of the Monkey King
finally appeared on the big screen. Wan Laiming’s decades old dream had come true.
In the 1980s, the Wan Brothers were awarded an honor by the Chinese government for
devoting their life to Chinese arts and filmmaking. Wan Laiming passed away 1999 at
the age of 98. His tombstone reads, "Founder of the Chinese Animation Industry".

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Biography: The Wan Brothers

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Birth/Death
Wan Lai-Ming- Birth: January 18, 1899 , Death:October 1997?Wan Gu-Chan-
Birth:January 18, 1899, Death: November 1995?Wan Chao-Chen- Birth: 1906 Death:
1992?Wan Di-Huan- Birth:1907

Occupation/Title

an Lai-Ming: Animator, Director and writer ?Wan Gu-Chan: Animator, Director ?Wan
Chao-Chen: Animator, Art Director?Wan Di-Huan: Animator, Photographer

Bio Summary

The Wan brothers were born at the turn of the century in Nanjing, China. During their
early years they put on puppet shows and experimented with art within the family’s
home. Ultimately, they taught themselves how to animate; though, Chao-Chen did
travel to America in the 1940s to study it academically. The twins Lai-Ming and Gu-
Chan stuck together the longest career-wise; eventually they became the pioneers of
Chinese animation. All four brothers reunited professionally for the final film in their
Uproar in Heaven series. Then after, beginning in 1965, the Cultural Revolution in
China halted all animation for almost ten years. The Wan brothers, especially Lai-
Ming, were recognized for their efforts in animation and art by the Chinese
government in the 1980s.

Early Life/Family

Their businessman father expected them to learn a trade from books, so they could
be successful in life. Their mother, however, encouraged them to cut paper into the
shapes of people and birds. When they were young, they performed stories, such as
Journey to the West, in puppet shows with their paper characters. In 1916, the family
moved to Shanghai, and Lai-Ming soon left for a job at the Shanghai Commercial
Press.

Education/Training

Wan Lai-Ming taught himself animation and started making his own animated films by
1919 after viewing American cartoons, China’s shadow puppet plays, and cinematic
techniques in live action films. In the late 1940s, Wan Chao-Chen traveled to America
to study animation. He returned during the early 1950s, eventually directing a puppet
animation, The Little Heroes (1953).

Career Outline
Lai-Ming worked at the Shanghai Commercial Press in both the Department of Fine
Arts and the Department of Activities Movie Service beginning in 1919. After his
brothers finished art school, they joined him at the Commercial Press, and together
they made the advertising film, Shuzhendong Chinese Typewriter (1925). This film
would be the beginning of their animation career.?The brothers worked under the
Great Wall Film Company beginning in 1924, where they produced the first animated
short film, Uproar in the Studio. This film utilized the techniques they witnessed in
American cartoons, such as Fleischer’s Out of the Inkwell, by animating a cartoon
character acting on an artist’s canvas. They believed that animation should be
instructive and thought provoking as well as entertaining. Eventually, they hoped to
develop an animation style that was uniquely Chinese. At this time, Di-Huan left the
company to pursue a career in photography and to set up his own studio. In 1933, Lai-
Ming, Gu-Chan, and Chao-Chen were hired by the Mingxing Film Company to set up an
animation unit in Shanghai. They worked at this studio until 1937, when the Japanese
capture of Shanghai shut down the studio. After the closure, they relocated to Wuhan
province where they made patriotic animation for the China Film Production Firm. By
1939, Lai-Ming and Gu-Chan were invited to set up another studio in Japanese-
occupied Shanghai. There they viewed Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
which inspired them to create a similar Chinese animated feature.?Production of the
full-length animation took place in their new Xinhua United Film animation
department. They decided on an adaptation of a story from the long Monkey King folk
tale written in the sixteenth century. The result was Princess with the Iron Fan, a 76-
minute cartoon produced in sixteen months by a team of 237 artists.?During the war,
the remaining brothers worked on propaganda films, which combined war songs and
animation. After the war, one by one the brothers returned to the Shanghai Animated
Film Studio where they became directors. By 1956, Lai-Ming finished the first color
cartoon in China, Why the Crow is Black-Coated, this film would later become the
first Chinese animation recognized internationally. In 1961, Lai-Ming and Gu-Chan
started work on an idea Gu-Chan had had before the war. This would later become
the Uproar in Heaven series, which revisited the story in Princess with the Iron Fan
and told the next part of the Journey to the West novel. All four brothers reunited
professionally to work on the last of the series in 1964. ?In 1965, when the Cultural
Revolution began in China, all art forms were put on hold. This eventually crippled
the animation industry for almost ten years.

During the 1930s, the Wan brothers utilized cut-paper and cel animation for
entertainment and patriotic films. They also used live action mixed with cartoon
animation to imitate the Fleischer Studio’s Out of the Inkwell series. For Princess with
the Iron Fan, they enhanced the quality and sped up production by relying on
Rotoscoping as well as traditional animation techniques and metamorphosis.?In 1958,
Gu-Chan began work on a new technique of cut-paper animation, which was
showcased in Pigsy Eats Watermelon. His technique relied on ancient folk art cut-
paper designs rather than the origami styles being created at the same time.?For the
final film the brothers worked on together, Uproar in Heaven, the Wans utilized many
new artistic styles. They created simple backgrounds with vague shapes, but ones that
would maintain the unity of rich colors throughout other elements of the film. The
film also used motifs from Beijing Opera, such as movement and music. When the film
was released, it was considered a metaphor for the current havoc caused in bourgeois
China by the Chairman Mao.

Influences

The first influences that reached China were US animated shorts from the Fleischer
studio. Therefore, the Out of the Inkwell series heavily influenced the Wan brothers’
earliest shorts. Later, more US animation including Popeye and Betty Boop reached
China, influencing their styles further. The Wan brothers were then deeply influenced
by Disney’s feature films. Most notably, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs stirred
them to begin a feature length Chinese animation.?Their films were also influences to
other aspiring animators within Asia. Most notably, after viewing Princess with the
Iron Fan, Tezuka Osamu was inspired to become a comics artist and later, an
animator. It also prompted the Japanese Navy to commission its own animated
feature film for Japan.

Shuzhendong Chinese Typewriter (1925) ?Studio in a Row (1926) their first silent
animated short?A Paper Man Makes Trouble (1930) combined live-action and
animation?The Prince of Blood (1932) anti-Japanese propaganda film?The Camel’s
Dance (1935) China’s first sound cartoon?Patriotic films made while at Mingxing
Company (1933-1937):?The Sad State of the Nation ?Aviation Saves China ?Detective
Dog (1937) comedy for children?The Tortoise and the Hare (1937)?Patriotic films while
at China Film Production Firm (1937-1938):?The Anti-Japanese War Special
Collection ?Slogans of the Anti-Japanese War ?Songs of the Anti-Japanese War ?
Princess with the Iron Fan (1941) China’s first full-length animation?The Little Heroes
(1953) Chao-Chen’s puppet animation?Why the Crow is Black-Coated (1956) China’s
first color animation of notable length?Pigsy Eats Watermelon (1958) Gu-Chan’s
experiment with cut-paper animation?Uproar in Heaven (1961-1965) first color
animation feature in China?The Golden Conch (1964) Guchan’s paper-cut animation