Who can help me write a small essay on "Wan Brothers and Chinese Animation" about 1500 words

Chinese animation movies began in the early 1920s. If it can be said that a pre-liberation Chinese movie history is to a considerable extent approximately equal to Shanghai movie history. Then it can also be said that a pre-liberation Chinese animation movie history is also

approximately equal to the animation venture history of Wan Brothers. The Wan brothers are the pioneers of Chinese animation and the father of Chinese animation. From China's first animated film, to China's first animated film with sound. To China's first animated feature film, these

China's animated film milestones are created and witnessed by the Wan brothers, full of their hard sweat and endless blood.

Chinese animated films were in fact among the world's cinema even earlier than feature films, and international public opinion once praised China's animated films for their unique national style and called them the "Chinese School", which was founded by the originators of Chinese animated films, the four Wan brothers. In the history of Chinese animation, the Wan Brothers were a family creative group. Initially, they were composed of four brothers, Wan Lai Ming, Wan Gu Chan, Wan Chao Chuan and Wan Dui Huan, known as "Wan's Four Brothers". After 1937, due to the active participation of the four brothers in the war of resistance against Japan, Dui Huan was entrusted to take care of the families of the four brothers in the rear, which was the origin of the "Wan's Three Brothers". "

The four brothers actively participated in the anti-Japanese war.

The Wan brothers not only created China's first animated short film "The Great Trouble in the Drawing Room" and the first black animated feature film "Princess Iron Fan", but also created the pinnacle of Chinese animated films -- China's first color animated feature film "The Great Trouble in the Palace of Heaven". They are both the founders of the art of animation. Is also the creator, in the history of Chinese animation art, they occupy the position of no one before and no one after.

I. Rugged exploration

Because of the influence of their parents, the four brothers loved to paint from childhood, obsessed with their mother's hand shadow game and shadow play. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts, they worked in the art and shadow theater departments of the Commercial Press in Shanghai.

The 1920s. Western animated films were introduced to China, and the Flesch brothers' Popeye aroused the interest of the four brothers. They had written to the United States and France to inquire about the production process of animation, but did not get a reply, which on the contrary

stimulated their determination to study. Although the rise of animation in China was later than in the West, the Wan brothers were not able to stand on the shoulders of the giants in the West in terms of the technology of animation creation. Because "animation film technology

was monopolized in the hands of others," they "chose the path of the art of animation, which was very rough and winding from the very beginning.

The Wan brothers started with nothing, scrimping and saving, and began experimenting with movie animation. The experimentation was grueling. Walking lanterns, shadow puppets and movable Western mirrors all became objects of study for the Wan brothers, but the attempts were repeatedly unsuccessful. Wan's

Brothers with very limited general knowledge of film production and foreign animation speculation, as well as an old camera bought from the stalls after the modification of the "An Laimeng". After a few years of practice and a thousand failures, one night, in a rented room of less than 7,000 square feet, the movie was finally made. On the narrow walls of the rented pavilion, which was less than seven square meters, the animated image was reflected. Wan Lai Ming later recalled. "We brothers divided the work. And in the margins of a thick book you drew mice,

I drew cats, and in one breath we drew dozens of pages of drawings of cats catching mice, the cats were the cat's movements, the mice were the mice's movements, and we purposely drew the distance between the cats and the mice closer and closer together, and on the last page we drew mice crouching in the paws of the cats, not daring to move for one

movement. ...... In the edges of the rapidly falling pages, we clearly see the drawing of the cat and the mouse are alive, only to see the cat darting after the mouse, the mouse desperately trying to escape. The chase gets closer and closer, and finally the cat leaps

up. The mouse fell under the cat's claws. It was a heavenly discovery, a true miracle, and that night was a very memorable one in the lives of my brothers and I. ...... We finally discovered the secret of animated

movies after years of exploration."

These keys to making animation, which would be simple enough for students who know a little about animation today, became big problems in the early 1920s that long plagued several of the brothers. The Wann brothers then adapted their cameras to

capture the film's motion sequences, and used spikes to position individual drawings to minimize frame shake. The Wan brothers' active exploration and innovation undoubtedly contributed to the meticulous preparations for the creation of Chinese animated films

. At the same time, during the process of film experimentation, they further accumulated "the primitive experience of making animated films and extremely simple animation theories". These valuable experiences and theories are still of great significance to our animation

workers today.

Second, the first glimpse

In 1922, the Wan brothers successfully produced an animated advertisement film called "Shu Zhendong Style Chinese Typewriter", which was later called "ugly and ridiculous" by Wan Lai Ming, and was the prototype of Chinese art films.

Since then, the Wann brothers have embarked on a long journey of animation, and in 1926, they produced China's first animated film, "The Big Trouble in the Drawing Room", and in 1927, they drew "A Letter Sent Back".

Contains a small paper man to the painter to send out the letter's address changed, the letter sent back, making the painter laugh and cry; 1930, the paper man messed up the story was born, which is the Wan brothers created China's first animated short film.

The three animated films are imitated at the time of Europe and the United States animated cartoons live action and animation combination of methods of production, these films in the present, the plot is simple, the quality of the rough, but the film's production method is both money-saving and can be quickly

Quick out of the film. For the period of war and chaos. Manpower, material and financial resources in the case of serious shortage, the budding state of China's animation film, is the most suitable approach. These animated films were released in Shanghai, aroused people

great interest, Wan Brothers animation production began to advance from the exploratory stage to the pilot stage.

In the 1930s, in the midst of the fervor of anti-Japanese salvation, the Wan Brothers were influenced by left-wing cinema, and their creative themes were gradually broadened. The animated films they created were anti-Japanese patriotic propaganda films, most of which were about "boycotting Japanese goods and saving the country"

. Such as "compatriots", "wake up", "solidarity", "national goods", "do not forget the national shame", "blood money", etc.; There are also anti-imperialist, anti-feudal as the theme of the propaganda film such as "Dog Detective", "the national pain

History", "New Wave", "aviation to save the country", etc.. One of them, The Painful History of the Nation, was awarded by the Ministry of National Government and the Ministry of Education in 1934, which was the first animated film in China to be awarded by the government. The other category is the animated films based on fables

such as "The Flying Scourge", "The Tortoise and the Hare", and "Locusts and Ants", etc. The content of these animated shorts is mostly related to the fables. The content of most of these animated shorts is more in tune with the pulse of the times, and the art is constantly moving forward, transforming from live action and animation synthesis to a full use of

animation to express meaning.

In the case of "Europe and the United States engaged in animation continue to impose a technical embargo on us, with sound animation information can not be found", in 1935, the Wan brothers successfully solved the animated film sound,

light, painting synthesis of the difficult problem, shooting China's first sound animation, "Camel Dance". The successful production of Camel Dance marked a qualitative leap in China's animation into the era of sound. Due to the addition of sound

the animation survived the pressure of foreign capital and the impact of European and American movies, and it has an incalculable value for the development of Chinese animation in the future.

Three, amazing work

In 1939, the United States Disney cartoon business card "Snow White" is being screened in Shanghai, the Chinese people competed to watch, the attendance of the everlasting, creating an unprecedented box office value. This incident on the Wan brothers shook a lot - is it possible that we can not make such works in China? They were determined to make a high-quality animated feature film for the country.

After careful consideration, Wan Lai Ming and Wan Gu Chan decided to draw a large-scale animated film called "Princess Iron Fan" based on the episode of "Journey to the West" in which the Monkey King adjusts his banana fan three times. It is mentioned in Zhou Guanwu's "Republic of China Movie World Wind and Cloud Records" that this cartoon has been drawn by more than 100 people, and nearly 20,000 drawings were completed, which lasted one and a half years, and finally completed a film of more than 7,600 feet in length. It can be shown for 80 minutes. In the movie, the Monkey King's 72 changes and Princess Iron Fan's various demonic spells.

It is depicted in a vivid and mesmerizing way. The film also brings Chinese landscape paintings to the screen, for the first time letting the static landscape move, and absorbed the characteristics of Chinese opera art modeling, endowing each important role with a distinctive personality

characteristics, so that it has a strong national character. This film is also the first time that the image of the Monkey King is brought to the screen, and the first time that the flame is colored red in black and white film, highlighting the effect of "fire". The movie was a sensation when it was released in China and Southeast Asia

and gained great box office revenue. It can be seen that the "local princess" is not inferior to the "foreign princess", which is the fourth large-scale animation art

film after the U.S. "Snow White", "Little People" and "Pinocchio", is China's and Asia's first feature-length animated film!

The film was the first feature-length animated film in China and Asia.

In the 1950s. When Princess Iron Fan was released in Tokyo, Japan, the audience response was so enthusiastic that Osamu Tezuka, the originator of the Japanese animation industry, gave up his career as a doctor and picked up a paintbrush precisely after seeing Princess Iron Fan by Wan Lai Ming, the originator of Chinese animation, which would later become Technical Arm Astro Boy.

It's worth mentioning that the words "the people rise up to fight for the final victory", which inspired the anti-Japanese struggle, were forcibly cut out of the movie when it was screened by the enemy and pseudo-counterfeit electricity censorship authorities at the time. But the film was later banned by the Japanese military

Ministry, and it is said that the Japanese also saw the deeper meaning of "Princess Iron Fan," as evidenced by an article by Komatsu Jiura, published in Showa 51 (1978), which reads: "......At a glance, it's clear that, on the ground

Dao Dao, this is the first time I've ever seen a movie. >

This is a work that embodies the spirit of resistance. The Japanese army that brutally ravaged China was pummeled by the united efforts of the Chinese people, and the intent of this movie is clear as day."

"Judging from the perilous situation on the isolated island of Shanghai at the time, we were taking a great risk with such creative intentions. ...... If the Japanese had realized something, I would probably have been dead." The creator, Wan Lai Ming, later recalled, but there is no doubt that this patriotic fervor and persistence of the artist won the applause and respect that has continued from that time to this day.

Fourth, a great production

It was Wan Lai Ming's dream to animate this part of Journey to the West, especially when Princess Iron Fan was a great success, but it was not until nearly two decades later that Wan Lai Ming, a director at the Shanghai Art Studio, realized his long-cherished dream. 1964 The Palace of Heavenly Havoc

Painted by dozens of painters over four years. More than 154,000 frames of drawings were completed. The film is 3140 meters long and has a running time of 117 minutes.

The movie overturns the tragic disposition of the original Monkey King in its plot treatment, changing the end of the Monkey King being crushed under the Five Elements Mountain to a great victory in the inverted heavenly palace. Director Wan Lai Ming said of the script adaptation, "...... I have been indignant about this plot since

young. After repeated studies, we decided to boldly delete this part altogether and replace it with Sun Wukong kicking over the Bagua furnace, picking up the golden hoop stick, fighting his way up to the Spirit Heavenly Palace and almost making the Jade Emperor unable to sit on his throne, thus making

Sun Wukong's image extraordinarily full and complete." This drastic change makes the cartoon more focused on the sharp conflict between the oppressor and the oppressed, prominently displaying Sun Wukong's fearless spirit of daring to act, being resourceful and optimistic, and

boldly rebelling against the heavenly authority and divine power, while also exposing and satirizing the domineering and mediocre incompetence of the Jade Emperor, the Dragon King, and the celestial deities and generals of the sky.

"The Great Riot of Heaven" draws its rich nourishment from ancient Chinese bronze lacquerware and other unearthed relics, Dunhuang murals, folk annual paintings, temple art, etc. The theme is clear and profound, the tone is bright and exuberant, and it borrows a lot of characteristics from folk paintings and folk woodcuts. It overflows with a strong, flamboyant national style, just like the festive Chinese folk music, giving people a cheerful, active and enthusiastic mood.

After the release of the movie, it created a great sensation at home and abroad. The film won several awards, including the Outstanding Film of the Year at the 22nd London International Film Festival and the Best Art Film Award at the 2nd Hundred Flowers Awards, which is the pinnacle of the "Chinese School". The French newspaper Le Monde at the time praised "The Palace of Heaven" not only has the beauty of American Disney works. And the art of modeling is something that Disney art can't do

It perfectly expresses the traditional Chinese art style." Renowned film critic Kane Raskin commented "This movie is comparable to the mythology of the Bible and Greek folklore. They are equally full of unparalleled

poor originality, fascinating events, heroic behavior, and remarkable witticisms. The movie is a powerful work of art through outstanding art design. The place of the film's director, Wan Lai Ming, in the history of modern animated films

should be recognized internationally through this film." At the time, Osamu Tezuka, who is revered as the "God of Japanese cartooning," also traveled to Shanghai to study with Wan Lai Ming, the "father of Chinese animation.

It is not an exaggeration to say that "The Palace of Heaven" has reached a peak in the inheritance of traditional Chinese art and the path of nationalization. The film not only became a masterpiece of the "Chinese School", but is still regarded as the standard by which Chinese art films are measured today.

To date, the film, which was directed by Wan Lai Ming, is still regarded as the standard by which Chinese art films are measured. To date, this masterpiece directed by Wan Lai Ming has been screened in more than 40 countries and regions, which is the highest export record for art films. The Monkey King has become a favorite art

artistic archetype of hundreds of millions of people around the world, winning great honor for the motherland and its people.

Fifth, the synthesis

Looking at the creative process and works of the Wan brothers. We can summarize two characteristics:

1. Follow the pulse of the times. Playing a social lesson

Chinese culture since ancient times has a tradition of "Poetry speaks to the heart" and "Writings speak to the way of the world", Chinese animation in the context of China's overall culture also attaches importance to the ideological connotation of the work, and the formation of a conscious pursuit of the "teaching for fun". Chinese animation also emphasizes the ideological connotation of the works in the context of the overall Chinese culture, forming a conscious pursuit of "teaching and enjoyment"

Signature. Wan Lai Ming recalled: "As soon as animation appeared in China, the subject matter parted ways with that of the West. In suffering China, we had no time for jokes. To awaken our compatriots, we made more than 20 short films reflecting the lives of the oppressed laborers

and inspiring the Chinese people to defend themselves against Japanese aggression. As a result, the characteristics of Chinese art films are very different from those of foreign animation. We emphasize sharp creativity for the sake of clear edification, and to some extent

neglect the proper subtlety. Humor and entertainment. This was an advantage, but objectively created certain limitations on our later development."

Reviewing the anti-Japanese war period, Wan's animated films are mostly anti-Japanese patriotic propaganda films to "boycott Japanese goods, save the world" as the content, such as "compatriots quick to wake up", "unity in good faith", "the year of the national product", "do not forget the national

shame", "blood money" and so on, compared to today's lack of some of the spirit of the times, disease-free, meaningless animated TV movies and films. Wan's animation is nationalized as the soul of the establishment, the main idea is clear, full of passion, invigorating

Energizing, is a powerful note of the times, such as the 40's "Princess Iron Fan" has been in the form of innocent national to promote the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation's struggle to arouse the enthusiasm of the ten thousand anti-Japanese.

But at the same time, we must be clear that "edutainment" is the purpose of animated films. If, in this process, the way of teaching is simple and rough, the same kind of teachings are reversed, or the meaning of "teaching" is over-emphasized

Animation is not entertaining in any way, and our animation art will lose its entertaining nature and go to the rigid sermonizing, which is the "limitation" in the development as mentioned by Mr. Wan. This is the "limitation" of the development that Wan mentioned.

2, adhere to the nationalization of the road

From the twenties of China's animation art of the blank period all the way, despite the technical means is very simple, there is no foreign technical assistance, Wan brothers only with passion and unremitting spirit of research, overcame many difficulties. Many classic masterpieces have been created. Although inspired by American animation, the character modeling and action design focus on exploring the national style. Emphasis on the national tradition of the road.

In 1936, Mr. Wan Lai Ming wrote an article entitled "Gossip Cartoon", which said, "To make the Chinese animation business have unlimited vitality, it must take root in the soil of its own national tradition." Wan's brothers

brothers y realize that animation this imported product only really deep into the national spirit of the body, input the blood of the nation, completely free from Western influence, the development of their own style of innovation, in order to be based on the world's national forest.

Thus, with their advanced technical consciousness and oriental imagination, they brought the myths belonging to China to the screen in the form of animation, and established a clear distinction between Eastern and Western animated films with a movie called "Princess Iron Fan". What's even more remarkable

is that 20 years later, the Wan brothers completed an even more ambitious work, The Palace of Heaven, in which the nationalistic style and oriental humor expressed the essence of the original's quest for freedom and independence, and which became a monumental classic that has influenced future generations for many years

. Since then, Chinese animation has occupied a place in the world's animation gallery, and the "Chinese School" has become known to the world and exuded its unique charm.

It is true that since the Wan Brothers created China's first animated film, to China's first animated film with sound, to China's first animated feature film, Chinese animation has had an incomparable splendor, but the achievements only belong to the distant

Since 1991, Chinese animation has been 22 years and international awards have no chance, the development of China's animated films to the present fell into a blank slate. We are surrounded by American and Japanese cartoons, and the popularity of Garfield, Snoopy, Cherry Maruko and other foreign cartoon images are more popular among household goods and

printed materials, so domestic animation is undoubtedly facing a huge challenge. Today, we have advanced animation technology, how to reproduce the past glory of Chinese

Chinese animation, how to interpret the meaning of nationalization under the integration of the global economy? How to explore a suitable path for the development of Chinese animation?

Objectively speaking, the current development of animation needs to be combined with the thinking of the times and synergize with the modernity of style and form of development. This is now the domestic animation is urgent to solve the problem. At this time, we should go back to the source. Calmly think about the exploration process of the previous generation of artists, the Wan Brothers, and get inspiration from it. Find the answer.