Vasoon Animation

Last updated
Vasoon Animation
Type Private
Industry Animation
Founded1992
Headquarters,
Key people
Wu Hanqing
(Founder and CEO)
Stefanie Zhang
(Head of Overseas)
Website www.vasoon.com

Vasoon Animation is a privately owned Chinese animation studio that was established in Beijing in 1992.

Contents

History

Vasoon Animation was officially formed by Wang Chuan, Wu Hanqing, Kuang Yuqi, Zhang Jianwei and Wu Guanying in 1992, making Vasoon Animation China's oldest private animation studio. [1] The 180 employees of Vasoon Animation are involved with all aspects of animations including editing, planning, design, production and direction. The animators of Vasoon enjoy the challenge of experimenting with wide range of animation styles, including modern realism, Chinese modern painting style, and comic realism. The company produces and distributes a complete array of animated entertainment products including animated feature films, animated TV series, artistic short films, illustrated books and animated interactive applications. Organizations including China Film Group Corporation, Shanghai Media Group, CCTV and BTV have collaborated with Vasoon Animation during various television and film projects. [2]

One of Vasoon Animation's most notable features is "Kuiba", also known as 魁拔. The film "Kuiba" tells the story of how a boy saves a fantasy world from an evil monster. The film borrows the Japanese "hot-blooded" style, refreshing the audience's views on Chinese animation. It is the pioneer of Chinese Anime, influential for many late comers in the cinema. "Kuiba" has been critically acclaimed, however it commercially fell below expectations. [3] It was reported that Wu received minority help from a venture capital fund at Tsinghua University to complete "Kuiba." [4] "Kuiba" also holds the distinction of being the first big Chinese animation series to enter the Japanese market. [5] "Kuiba" not only has 156 episodes for television but also five feature-length films. [2] China.org ranked "Kuiba" as one of the top ten Chinese movies made in 2011. [6]

In October 2012, Vasoon Animation signed a co-production deal with French animation studio Folimage Studio. The two sides will work together to determine the future of four co-produced animated features.

Vasoon Animation released Kuiba 2 on May 31, 2013. The film made over 18 Million Yuan the first week. [7] The film was not only the first Chinese animated feature which was viewed in 3D, [8] but also the first Chinese animated feature with Dolby Atmos. [9] "Kuiba 2" won the Magnolia Award at the 19th Shanghai Television Festival.

In 2023, Vasoon Animation partnered with producer Tintin Li from New Zealand to reactivate three feature animation titles "God Hunter",“A Bear in My Family",and "Ksitigarbha".

Filmography

[10]

Awards

[11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of China</span>

The cinema of China is the filmmaking and film industry of the Chinese mainland under the People's Republic of China, one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Plympton</span> American illustrator, animator, and film director

Bill Plympton is an American animator, graphic designer, cartoonist, and filmmaker best known for his 1987 Academy Awards-nominated animated short Your Face and his series of shorts featuring a dog character starting with 2004's Guard Dog.

Chinese animation refers to animation made in China. In Chinese, donghua describes all animated works, regardless of style or origin. However, outside of China and in English, donghua is colloquial for Chinese animation and refers specifically to animation produced in China.

Ishu Patel is an animation film director/producer and educator. During his twenty-five years at the National Film Board of Canada he developed animation techniques and styles to support his themes and vision. Since then he has produced animated spots for television and has been teaching internationally.

Michel Gagné is a Canadian cartoonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre</span> Canadian documentary film maker

Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre is a Montreal-based filmmaker most notable for her animated documentary films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa International Animation Festival</span>

The Ottawa International Animation Festival is an annual animated film and media festival that takes place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The OIAF was founded in 1975, with the first festival held from August 10 to 15 in 1976. Initially organized by the Canadian Film Institute on a biennial basis and with the co-operation of the International Animated Film Association, the Festival organization now remains in the hands of the CFI. It moved from a biennial to an annual festival in 2005. Today the festival is recognized as the largest and oldest animation festival in North America, and regularly attracts upwards of 25,000 attendees when it is held each September.

Chris Landreth is an American animator working in Canada, best known for his work on the 2004 film Ryan. He has made many CGI animated films since the mid-1990s, including The End, Bingo, The Listener, Caustic Sky: A Portrait of Regional Acid Deposition, and Data Driven The Story Of Franz K.

The People's Republic of Animation (PRA) is an animation studio based in Adelaide, Australia. It began as a creator of music videos for Australian bands in 2003, and has since created award-winning short films and TV commercials, and developed feature films.

The history of Chinese animation began in the 20th century in the Republic of China when the people became fascinated with the idea of animation. A lengthy history interlocks between the art, politics and the ever-changing economy. Chinese animation has long been under the shadow of Disney and Japanese animations, but it once played a very important role in world animation.

Shanghai Animation Film Studio, also known as SAFS, is a Chinese animation studio based in Shanghai, China, as part of the Shanghai Film Group Corporation. Shanghai Animation Film Studio was officially established in April 1957, led by pioneering animators and artists, including Te Wei, and the Wan Brothers. It has produced around 500 films with over 40,000 minutes of original animation data source, covering 80% of China's domestic animation production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai International Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in China

The Shanghai International Film Festival, abbreviated SIFF, is the largest film festivals in Asia, was also China’s longest-running international cinema event. The first festival was established in October 1993. It is the only Chinese festival accredited by the FIAPF.

<i>Peter & the Wolf</i> (2006 film) 2006 film

Peter & the Wolf is a Polish- British-Norwegian stop-motion animated short film released in 2006. Written and directed by Suzie Templeton and scenography by Marek Skrobecki, it was made in Se-ma-for Studios in Łódź and has been shown in cinemas, sometimes with live musical accompaniment. The film won the Academy Award for the Best Animated Short Film at the 80th Academy Awards.

The BigScreen Festival or BigScreen Italia is a film festival that focuses on Chinese and Italian cinema. It was first held in 2004 in Padua, Italy, but in 2006 moved to Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Edward Alexander White, known as Eddie White, is an Australian writer/director and co-founder of The People's Republic Of Animation. White won an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Short Animation for The Cat Piano (2009). The film was also shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Short Animated Film in 2010.

<i>A Jewish Girl in Shanghai</i> 2010 Chinese animated family film

A Jewish Girl in Shanghai is a 2010 Chinese animated family film written by Wu Lin and based on his graphic novel of the same name. It is directed by Wang Genfa and Zhang Zhenhui, and voiced by Cui Jie, Zhao Jing and Ma Shaohua.

Erik van Schaaik is a Dutch animator, screenwriter, film and television director, producer, production designer and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dmitry Geller</span> Russian animator and film director (born 1970)

Dmitry Alexandrovich Geller is a Russian animator and film director.

Hu Jinqing was a Chinese animator and film director, and a pioneer in adapting the traditional art of Chinese paper cutting to animation. His film The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam won the Silver Bear for Best Short Film at the 1984 Berlin International Film Festival. He co-directed the 1980s animated television series Calabash Brothers and created the Hulu (Calabash) Babies, which have become some of the most popular animated characters in China.

Japan had a significant influence on Chinese culture, particularly in the 20th century.

References

  1. Landreth, Jonathan (2011-06-16). "Vasoon Animation Prepares for Release of $7 Million 'Kuiba'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  2. 1 2 "'Toon In: Wu Hanqing of Vasoon Animation". The Beijinger. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  3. "Chinese Animation At A Crossroads". CNTV English. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  4. Kemp, Stuart (2011-06-24). "Beijing Calls the Toons" . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  5. "China Animation To Be Screened in Japan Before Its Mainland Theater Release". China Screen News. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  6. "Top 10 Chinese films in 2011". China.org. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  7. "Kuiba 2". CRI English. Archived from the original on September 3, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  8. "Kuiba 2 Tianjin Firm Produces China's First 3D Animation Movie". What's On Tianjin. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  9. "Dolby Atmos Brings Chinese Animated Film Kuiba II to Life". DCinema Today. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  10. "Vasoon Animation Website". Vasoon Animation. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  11. "KoWe Vasoon Animation Basic Info". KoWe. Retrieved 2012-10-30.