Conference Paper for ACAS (2021)
Ann Y. Y. Leung, or Ann/y Leung her byname, aka CG/思之 in Chinese
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Abstract
Ink-painting animation, originated from the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in the 1950s and earned reputation for its artistic excellence worldwide since the 1960s. This paper discusses how this art form travelled to Hong Kong in the 1980s, and how such unique production techniques are transferred to local Hong Kong animators, sustained with a manuscript The Secret Book of Animations written by those animation masters who emigrated from Mainland China to Hong Kong between the 1970s and 80s. As a result, there are ink-painting animated films created and produced in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, the arrival of the universal digitalization has drawn great impacts on Hong Kong’s ink-painting animation creation. In other words, ink-painting animation in Hong Kong has evolved along with the modernized computer-generated imagery (CGI) production workflow, which focuses on the computer-generated inking and ink-wash effects. This paper will disclose the novel Hong Kong developed ink wash simulation engines and software tools which indeed have contributed to an exclusive Hong Kong ink-painting animation practice, whereas animators and software developers work together to strive for the modernized and practical Hong Kong-style ink-wash animation workflow.
Panel Presentation
Panel 18 ☞ 9am-11:40am (Hong Kong time) on 11/May/2021
1). The Origin of Chinese Ink-painting Animation
Produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio
Fig 1: Little Tadpoles Look for Mama《小蝌蚪找媽媽》(1960)
Fig 2: The Herd Boy's Flute《牧笛》(1963)
Fig 3: Deer Bell《鹿鈴》(1982)
Fig 4: Feelings of Mountains and Rivers《山水情》(1988)
Fig 1: Little Tadpoles Look for Mama《小蝌蚪找媽媽》(1960)
Fig 2: The Herd Boy's Flute《牧笛》(1963)
Fig 3: Deer Bell《鹿鈴》(1982)
Fig 4: Feelings of Mountains and Rivers《山水情》(1988)
Some animation directors and animators moved to Hong Kong and joined the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), they included Fung Yuk Sung 馮毓嵩 (1940-), Tu Jia 屠佳 (1945-), Fu Shishen 符世深 (1938-), Wu Qiang 鄔強 (1927-), etc.
2). Hong Kong's Chinese Ink-painting / Ink-wash Animation
- [2.1] Farm Boy Azhi《白石阿芝》(2002)
- [2.2] A Hero Who Commands the Sky (2005)
- [2.3] Mei, The Stream from Heaven《天上人間 ─ 梅蘭芳》(2005)
- [2.4] Two VFX shots in the movie Chinese Tall Story《情癲大聖》(2005)
- [2.5] An 'Along the river during the Qingming Festival' shot for the movie McDull Kung Fu Kindergarten《麥兜响噹噹》(2009)
- [2.6] Wu Song Diary: Tiger Fight《武松日記之打虎》(2011)
- [2.7] Xu Beihong Grand Horses Animation《悲鴻駿馬動畫》(2012)
- [2.8] 《2014 農曆新年賽馬日 ─ 徐悲鴻賀年水墨動畫》Xu Beihong Ink Painting Horses Animation for The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2014)
- [2.9] Find Find《爪抓》(in progress)
3). The Secret Book of Animations《動畫秘笈》(Neco Lo's personal copy with his book cover design)
researcher's photo
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☜This copy of manuscript, owned by Neco Lo who joined RTHK between 1978-1993.
Roger Ho and Yeung-hin Seto were Lo's colleagues in RTHK, they hold their own copies of such manuscript. During the interview, Lo mentioned:-
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4). [2.1] Farm Boy Azhi《白石阿芝》(2002)
- Directed by Buck Mok and co-created with Roger Ho and other Hong Kong animators
- Applied a locally developed software tool 'Living Cels' by Dr. Alex Hsu in his 'Expression' program
- In 2005, Mok directed another CG ink-wash animation - Mei, The Stream from Heaven《天上人間 ─ 梅蘭芳》[2.3]
- In 2011, Mok's third CG ink-wash animation - Wu Song Diary: Tiger Fight《武松日記之打虎》[2.6] released
[2.2] A Hero Who Commands the Sky (2005)
- Produced by the Hong Kong Productivity Council
[2.4] Two VFX shots for the live-action movie Chinese Tall Story《情癲大聖》(2005)
- Ken Lee, a senior animator under 'R&D/VFX team' in the Menfond Electric Art & Computer Design Company, was responsible for both the 3D VFX shots production
- Some VFX applied the proprietary Moxi「墨戲 」engine developed by Dr. Nelson Chu
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A still image of the "Four Heavenly Kings' head portrait" 「四大天王頭像」shot
(image copyright: Emperor Motion Pictures) (image provided by Dr. Nelson Chu) |
Part of the animated "South Heaven Gate"「南天門 」sequence
(image copyright: Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB)) (image found on The Internet)
(image copyright: Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB)) (image found on The Internet)
[2.5] The 3D animated Along the river during the Qingming Festival shot for the 2D animation movie McDull Kung Fu Kindergarten《麥兜响噹噹》(2009)
- Kwai Bun, founder of Many Many Creations Ltd., performed the 3D animation director for this project
[2.7] Xu Beihong Grand Horses Animation《悲鴻駿馬動畫》(2012)
- Ken Lee, became a lecturer at the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) leaded his students produced this 3D animation
[2.8] 《2014 農曆新年賽馬日 — 徐悲鴻賀年水墨動畫》Xu Beihong Ink Painting Horses Animation for the Hong Kong Jockey Club (2014)
- produced by vfxNova Digital Productions Ltd. founded by Victor Wong
[2.9] Angela Wong and her indie animation Find Find《爪抓》
- Produced by Studio Biped
- Apply Expresii「寫意」developed by Dr. Nelson Chu
- Developed a "procedural inking" feature for the octopus' motion
image and videos copyright: Angela Wong & Studio Biped
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5). Two local software developers were interviewed - Dr. Nelson Chu and Chung-yu Wong:
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Nelson Chu
Images copyright: Nelson Chu
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Chung-yu Wong
Images copyright: Chung-yu Wong
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bibliography on Hong Kong animation history:
- Fu, Winnie, eds. Frame After Frame - A Retrospective on Hong Kong Animation. Hong Kong Film Archive, 2006.
- Hu, T. Y. Gigi. "The 'Art' Movement Between Frames in Hong Kong Animation." Animation in Asia and the Pacific, edited by John A. Lent, Eastleigh: John Libbey, 2001, pp. 105-121.
Useful links:
Posts in【CG思之專欄】related to Hong Kong's CGI Ink-wash Animation: Essay in ACAS website (based on this presentation):Professional Networking:
