“Some people say that we are sizzling, but Disney is not shooting so many Avengers.”
This year Sun Dasheng is particularly busy.
He started a theme hotel in Shanghai, and held an AI exhibition in Yuyuan Garden. He followed a Chinese airliner from Lianyungang to Japan and starred in the first vertical screen movie for Huawei P30 Pro. 敖 录 recorded a ski video for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The black cat sheriff, one ear, the gourd doll, the agarwood, and the big ear map with him “the same door” are not idle. They are busy with themed costumes, performing short plays, making documentaries, and bringing goods to each product.
Huluwa Friendship Starring Photo: “The Great Craftsman” documentary screenshot
The animated images of these services for generations are not too young – Sun Wukong in “Heavenly Palace” is 55 years old, “Where is the sea” where 40 years old, gourd doll 33 years old, black cat The sheriff is 35 years old, and even the agarwood in the youngest “Lotus Lotus” is 20 years old. Although it has been active in Chinese TV screens for decades, it is only in the past two years that it has been like the United States, such as the surrounding, selling, doing, and doing business.
They are their common home, Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio (hereinafter referred to as “Mei Ying Factory”) is 62 years old this year. It has experienced the Cultural Revolution, the Korean War, and the reform and opening up. It has been shocked by the beauty of the United States. It has been particularly brilliant and particularly lonely. It is often asked whether it has closed down. Nowadays, in the eyes of many 90s and 00s, it seems to be a company with an influential animation IP, but it seems that there is no sense of existence.
It is too difficult to make a change in a state-owned enterprise that has passed the ear of the year, but it is not impossible. In April 2018, the 70-year-old director of “Big Ear Map” quickly reached a new director for the US Film Factory. The film studio experienced a wave of younger leadership. In the new round of “five-year plan”, “redevelopment of the old IP” was mentioned at the same height as “creating a new IP”, and Speeda called it “the two legs of the beauty studio.”
Shoes, hand, tea set, graffiti wall, hotel, plane
In addition to the leadership team’s renewal, Li Zao believes that the changes in the US film factory also have a lot to do with the social environment. “Everyone’s acceptance of the national tide is high, and the consumption habits of young people have changed. ” Li said.
Li Zao is the assistant to the factory of , the head of the marketing center. Her department is responsible for all of the animation IP licensing operations of the film studio. Li Zao witnessed the roles of Sun Wukong, Black Cat Sheriff, Nguyen, Gourd Wa and other characters painted on the wall, printed on the shirt, painted on the plane, decorated in the hotel, and also contributed to them with Huawei, Tencent, Baidu, Alipay, Haishu House, Jordan, Metersbonwe and many other brands.
Haicang Home Furnishings on the theme of “Heavenly Palace” Image Source: Shanghai Art Film Studio
In addition to the rejuvenation of traditional IP, such as the re-enactment of “Tian Shu Qi Tan” and the adaptation of “Snow Kids”, the re-development of classic images by Meiying Factory can be divided into four categories: IP theme, Brand marketing, product marketing, and own products.
IP theme categories, such as the Yaduo Meiying Hotel opened in Shanghai in September this year; the “Liangyungang” theme aircraft with the moon phase; the Shanghai Yuyuan Park 200 meters in October Red wall and so on.
Tengyun Harbor, the cloud of the cloud Image Source: Shanghai Art Film Studio
Brand marketing, such as Doodle, which was produced in collaboration with the Google design team in the 35th anniversary of “Where the Sea” in 2014; in September this year, it was separated from Tencent Mobile Manager and Alipay respectively. Co-produced the short film of the theme; in October, the China Ice and Snow Sports Center jointly produced the “China Ice and Snow Expansion” promotional film and so on.
The “Black Cat Sheriff” short poster of the US Film Factory and Tencent Mobile Manager: Source: Shanghai Art Film Studio
Product Marketing, such as Haishu’s HomeDaily Tiangong Theme T-shirt; Metersbonwe’s Black Cat Sheriff’s Theme Costume; Warrior Brothers Theme Shoes and Jordan The big troubled Tiangong theme shoes and so on.
Own product category, that is, products independently developed by Meiying Factory, such as Da Tiangong “small egg” tea set, “Tianshu Qi Tan” theme, how to do it Sea theme puzzles, etc.
It seems to be very lively. In fact, IP authorization is a very risky thing, and it will not adversely affect the IP itself. “In fact, there are often net red to come to us, hoping to let our animated image come out with their products, and share the income with us afterwards. These invitations will be rejected by us.” Li said.
In addition to carefully selecting partners, doing a library is a more important and troublesome thing. Take the 200-meter graffiti wall of Yuyuan Garden as an example. There are a big troubled Tiangong, a black cat sheriff, a slap in the sea, a god pen Ma Liang, a gourd brother, an Avanti, a shuk and a beta, a nine-color deer, a red military bridge, etc. The animated image of the film factory, most of which are from the gallery of the film factory.
Where is the image on the wall of the Yuyuan Garden? Image Source: Yu Garden
How big should the golden hoop of Sun Wukong be? Where does the black cat sheriff’s eyes look? What kind of battle shape should it look like? These require the copyright party to strictly control, in order to let the audience watch the show. The difference between the cottage Snow White and the genuine Disney characters is here.
Aunt’s temperament cottage Snow White Photo source: Guan Shangwu “China Garden Lands”
However, it’s too difficult to produce creative works because the level is too dead. In the past two years, the limitations of the film studios have gradually relaxed. “Before the US film factory had strict control over the characters, and now gradually allowed the partners to make some adjustments.” Li Zao said.
In October, at the AI exhibition of cooperation between Baidu and the US Film Studio, we saw the “Spaceman Edition” wearing the smart glasses, Sun Wukong, the gourd doll riding the airship, and the Shuke with the modified version of the plane. And on the mechanical kinetic energy hot wheels. This series is designed by Baidu designers. The film factory is responsible for providing the library and check. From the final results, it can be seen that the copyright party has made a great concession.
Sportsman’s image of Sun Wukong Photography
Li Zao said that there is a lot of controversy about the second creation of the classic image in the film studio. The voice of opposition often appears, but the change is still promoted.
The change begins with the beauty studio itself. In July of this year, the US Film Studio opened a new public number called “Shangmeiying Animation Workshop”, which often pushed some comics without a sense of style. The protagonist is still a few classic characters, but the style, plot and lines have become more life-like. For example, the snake essence that was harmed by the honey bee was persuaded by the grandfather to go to the pangolin of the zoo, and remembered Shukbeta, who ran out of the house to buy the gourd doll.