The Development of the Animation Industry and the Evolution of Animation Art in China

The Development of the Animation Industry and the Evolution of Animation Art in China, by Pan Jian, a professor from the School of Literature at Zhejiang University, presents a comprehensive view of the progress in China’s animation industry and animation art over the past two decades, analyzing the industrial and artistic challenges encountered throughout the process and identifying the trends and directions for the future of Chinese animation.

The development of contemporary Chinese animation industry and animation art must be understood within the context of a century of Chinese animation history. Pan divides this history into phases from both artistic and industry perspectives. From an artistic standpoint, Chinese animation has undergone three stages: the “Cartoon Era” before 1949, characterized by learning from Hollywood, particularly Disney cartoons; the “Art Film Era,” which began in 1949 with the Northeast Film Studio’s renaming of the “Cartoon Division” to the “Art Film Group” and lasted until 2004; and the “Animation and National Animation Era” from 2004 to the present. From an industry perspective, these periods align with the “Film Industry Period” before 1949, the “Non-Industrial Period” before 2004, and the “Animation Industry Period” after 2004.

After anchoring contemporary Chinese animation within its century-long development history, the book focuses on the third stage of development, or the last two decades. The author subdivides these two decades into three stages: the comprehensive rise and scale expansion of the animation industry from 2004 to 2011; its transformation and upgrading from 2012 to 2019; and new media development oriented toward the future from 2020 to the present.

The year 2012 marked a pivotal turning point for Chinese animation, ushering the industry into a phase of optimized development following the extensive, quantity-driven growth seen between 2004 and 2011. This transformation encompasses various aspects, including reduced quantity and enhanced quality, stronger branding, diversified channels, and optimized policies. 

Pan keenly observes the surge in quality, quantity, and production value of Chinese online animation in 2020, recognizing a significant shift in the primary media channel for Chinese animation following film and television, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The author boldly predicts that online animation will have a significant impact on art, culture, and industry. It should be noted that while Chinese online animation emerged in the late 1990s with the rise of the internet, its full development will be only made possible by the growth of major domestic internet companies.

Feng Xueqin is a professor from the Institute of Arts Education at Hangzhou Normal University.

Edited by YANG LANLAN