Another problem with domestic animations is the tendency to appeal only to children. Children often go to cinemas with their parents. If a movie is too childish, it will not win over parents. Insiders say that making films that appeal to both demographics is a major obstacle for Chinese animations.
New style
Qian Jianping, director of SAFS, sees reproducing classic movies a way of giving life to old ones.
He said that several years ago, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television evaluated 11 cartoon images from SAFS, including Monkey King, black cat, calabash brothers and the slovenly boy, with the total market value reaching 1.7 billion yuan ($268 million).
"It is to our advantage," said Qian. "Why would we invent a new style of Chinese animated movies?"
The success of the 3D version The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven early this year made SAFS realize the value of classic cartoon images.
As Qian revealed, they restored The Slovenly Boy's Adventure to renew a classic and also to push the reproduction of classic movies to a new high, reported Time-Weekly.
Qian said it is difficult to build new brands in a short time. "We should focus on classic brands, which have left impressions on people's mind."
But Su Mu said SAFS might use old movies to make money, exploiting people's nostalgia while saving money on advertisements.
For the production team of the original The Slovenly Boy's Adventure, there is still a lot to cover. The script consists of three parts, containing various roles including vampire bats and extraterrestrial rats. They hope there is still a chance to continue the slovenly boy's adventure.
Su Mu remains cautious. "What we like might not be accepted by the next generation," he said. "If not handled well, the new ones might damage classical images."
"It's fine to innovate classic images, but the key is to have a good attitude in this environment," Su told Global Times, "The quality and attitude of the production team decides everything."
Editor: Shi Liwei
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