ASIA IS HAPPENING!
The Asian animation industry is really happening. Of course we immediately think of the growth of anime, but I am talking about a major surge in places like Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, China and India. The biggest reason for this is that the governemnts in these nations realize the importance of animation to growing economies there and they are getting involved in a big way!As Asian regions grow, improving living standards, as well as the rise in artistic skill standards and better technology in the animation industry, many are starting to create their own intellectual properties (IP), ranging from animated TV series and animated feature films, to today’s advanced videogame developments.
I remember being shocked when I first heard that George Lucas was opening a studio in Singapore, but now I read that with the island's advanced infrastructure and communications systems its not a surprising move. Neighboring Malaysia is also attracting a lot of studio attention from the west. They say that labor costs in Asia could save studios anywhere from 15 - 60%. The governments there also invest alot into the animation industry to make it more attractive to foreign studios.
Over the last three years, Singapore’s animation industry has made strides in the international arena. Numerous local animation companies have benefited from the schemes and initiatives. For example, IV Lab signed a deal to co-produce a slate of animated TV series with Nelvana of Canada; Infinite Frameworks signed a deal to co-produce an animated feature with Mainframe (of Canada); Peach Blossom Media has entered into co-productions with U.S. and South Korean companies. With the assistance of these initiatives, many more animation companies are emerging in the country.
The governments give tax breaks and incentives for local animation production some even going as far as 1:1 investment fund matching for production beneficial to the market. They also offer rewards for productions and even invest in the creation of greater facilities for taking animation to the next level.According to statistics from the Shenzhen Film & TV Animation Assoc., there are about 500 enterprises in Shenzhen that create and produce animation, with a working force of nearly 10,000 annually making several hundred million (RMB) worth of productions. In the future, the animation industry will be an important part of cultural industry and will eventually become the major industry of Shenzhen’s economy.
When you consider all this, when was the last time you found a person to talk to who took what you do seriously? Clearly animation is serious business and worth a lot. Why must we struggle?
1 Comments:
It seems to me that the public image of animation in the United States is just fundamentally different from that of Asia. On one hand, most poeple still think that "animation" is just cartoons and kid's stuff. Then on the other hand American publishers have a very narrow concept of what is marketable at all. The idea that animation could have an R Rating is just unheard of to these people; they don't think it will sell, and they're probably right until the expectations of the public change.
What these companies don't seem to realize is that the public's expectations won't change so long as they refuse to market animation that isn't the same old Disney-type story. It may take a time of financially unsuccessful ventures before Americans are excited about mature, progressive animation. Unfortunately, that sort of long term investment doesn't interest anyone yet.
However, with a younger generation of people who are interested in animation, and particularly anime, maybe that will change. Hard to say, and this absurd obsession with 3d films at the moment doesn't help.
So getting back to the whole Asia point, I don't know enough about the history of animation there to say why, but for whatever reason they just look at it differently. Appreciation of animation in the US may never really be what it is in Asia which is sad, really, but sort of unavoidable. It's hard to change mass prejudices like this, especially in the age of American Idol and reality TV...
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home