"Into the Mortal World," a 3D animated film produced in Guangdong and based on a traditional Chinese fantasy, will be available nationwide to audiences on July 12th.
On June 29th, a conference was held in Beijing where the movie's creation process, art styles, and underlying philosophy were shared with the public. Representatives from Winsing Animation, the Guangdong studio behind the film's production, along with industry experts and scholars, were actively engaged in the discussions.
"Into the Mortal World" is inspired by the ancient Chinese folktale "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" and tells the story of their descendants. It follows Jinfeng, the son of the Weaver Girl, as he descends to the mortal realm to redeem his mother by capturing the stars. Unexpectedly, he allies with Xiaofan, a mortal girl determined to ascend to the heavens to find her own mother.
According to Winsing, "Into the Mortal World" was completed by over 50 top production teams and more than 2,000 animation artists over a period of five years. The film's major highlights include its unique Oriental aesthetic, featuring Song dynasty architecture and Chinese martial arts action in the fighting scenes.
The movie showcases various elements from Chinese folk art tradition, including cloth art, dragon and lion dances, and Sichuan Opera's face-changing. It also incorporates modern elements such as fashion rap, hotpot, and bubble tea, reflecting the lifestyle of younger generations in China.
Guangdong, with its rich cultural resources and unique industrial advantages, is a fertile and promising land for Chinese cinema. It has been the top box-office contributor for Chinese films for 22 consecutive years. In recent years, outstanding animation enterprises like Winsing Animation have emerged, with approximately one in every three animated films produced in China being "Made in Guangdong."
According to Huang Long, the General Manager and Chief Producer of the Film Division of Winsing Animation, the company launched a support program in 2015 to encourage young artists to work on animations that focus on traditional Chinese culture from an international perspective. By 2019, the program had incubated four animations: "Into the Mortal World," "Phoenix," "Lion Dance," and "Herbal Master." These animations respectively center on traditional cultural elements such as Chinese folklore, the Chinese totem, lion dance performances, and traditional Chinese medicine culture.
"Into the Mortal World" was originally a graduation design created by a team of students from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. The 6-minute short video gained 940,000 views on Bilibili, a popular Chinese video website, and won both the Silver Award for the platform's animation support program and the honor of Best Fine Art Work, which led to its adaptation into a 1 hour 58 minute movie.
This year marks the 21st anniversary of Winsing Animation. Since its first movie in 2012, Winsing Animation has been creating children-oriented animated content for 12 years. "Into the Mortal World," as Winsing Animation's first animation film targeted at older generations, represents a significant milestone.
Author | Tonny (intern)
Editor | Monica, James
