Creativity is at the heart of high-tech hub

By Wing Tan  |   2008-7-12  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE latest expansion of Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park aims to build China's biggest center for animation and comics production, writes Wing Tan

First it was "Medi-cine Valley" and China's very own "Silicon Valley" and now Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park is forging ahead with its latest expansion - Animation Valley.

The Shanghai Comics and Animation Valley was inaugurated recently and there are ambitious plans to make it the country's biggest base for animation and cartoon creation.

The new facility will also provide a creative hub for animation and comics artists and investors to tap the vast potential of the domestic market.

The valley has teams of animators, together with BG artists, graphic designers and directors.

Each link in the animation production process can be completed at the facility, including graphic design, storyboard, layout, coloration, compositing, special effects and post-production.

More than 20 enterprises have already settled in the valley.

These include Fantasia Animation, which is China's first privately owned animation company that is qualified to export their products, and Hippo Animation, which specializes in producing 3D and 2D animation feature films, TV series, games and short mobile animation series.

Other tenants include City Animation, which adapts online literature into comics that are available in the city's 4,000 supermarkets and convenience stores.

These enterprises are well integrated with the nearby online game base, which was established three years ago.

The country's biggest base for online games, this part of the park is home to over 30 online game developers and operators.

These include SNDA Entertainment, The 9, and Electronic Arts. Online game companies at the park have captured a combined 75 percent share of the Chinese online games market, according to 2005 figures.

"The combination of animation and online game development can help to form integrated industries that can optimize resources," said Yuan Liqiang, general manager of the Shanghai Zhangjiang Creative Industry Development Co Ltd.

With the Animation Valley and the online game base, the Zhangjiang area is vying to be the country's predominant creative industry hub.

By the end of 2007, Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park had attracted 216 enterprises, which had contributed a combined output valued at more than 4 billion yuan (US$590 million).

"This shows a huge potential to develop the creative industry in the park," Yuan said.

In the next five to 10 years, the animation valley plans to attract 200 animation related companies which the management believes will have a combined output of 5 billion yuan.

"We hope that we can incubate three to five international-level animation makers," Yuan says.

In addition, an animation museum and a comics gallery are also planned for Zhangjiang Road.

There are also plans to construct a 56,000-square-meter animation and comics theme park, complete with interactive electronic games.