Wan Laiming
Encyclopedia
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He was one of the Wan brothers
Wan brothers
The Wan Brothers were born in the early 20th century in Nanjing, China. They became the founders and pioneers of the Chinese animation industry and made the first Asian animation feature-length film, Princess Iron Fan in 1941.-Background:...
who pioneered the Chinese animation
Chinese animation
Chinese animation or Manhua Anime, in narrow sense, refers to animations that are made in China. In broad sense, it may refers to animations that are made in any Chinese speaking countries such as People's Republic of China , Republic of China , Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.- History :The...
industry, and became China's first animator. As the director of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio
Shanghai Animation Film Studio
Shanghai Animation Film Studio is the animation division of the Shanghai Film Group Corporation in Shanghai, China. It is responsible for the production of Chinese animations.-History:...
, he would raise the standard to International level before other historical events affected the industry.
Early history
Wan Laiming and Wan GuchanWan Guchan
Wan Guchan was a Chinese filmmaker. Born in Nanjing, China, he was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animations industry.-Early history:Wan Guchan joined his twin brother Wan Laiming in most of the animation projects and experimentations....
were twin brothers. They were the first ones to experiment with primitive film technology adapted from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other parts of the world, and were often inspired by foreign cartoons that made it to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. In 1919 they worked in the fine art departments at Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Commercial Press
Commercial Press
-History:In 1897, 26-year-old Xia Ruifang and three of his friends founded The Commercial Press in Shanghai. The group soon received financial backing and began publishing books. In 1914, Xia attempted to buy out a Japanese company that had invested in the Commercial Press. Four days later he was...
(商务印书馆). They were exposed to early technologies like zoetrope
Zoetrope
A zoetrope is a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures. The term zoetrope is from the Greek words "ζωή – zoe", "life" and τρόπος – tropos, "turn". It may be taken to mean "wheel of life"....
with galloping horses that animate on rotation. Other cinema techniques like zoetrope projection principles were being studied.
In the early 1920s on a summer evening, the brothers were squeezed into a small attic. They used a thick book and drew pictures of a cat and mouse. They bent the corners in such a way that it animated the cat catching the mouse. The brothers would spend their days testing and experimenting.
Achievements
In 1922 they made the first cartoon short Shuzhendong Chinese TypewriterShuzhendong Chinese Typewriter
Shuzhendong Chinese Typewriter is the first Chinese animation ever made in 1922 by Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan.-Translations:There are 2 possible translations...
which was a commercial used for the Commercial Press
Commercial Press
-History:In 1897, 26-year-old Xia Ruifang and three of his friends founded The Commercial Press in Shanghai. The group soon received financial backing and began publishing books. In 1914, Xia attempted to buy out a Japanese company that had invested in the Commercial Press. Four days later he was...
. At the time one of their first technological challenge was to make the background expose. Their technique caused grease that prevented them from seeing anything but simple lines in the background.
In 1924 they were invited to the Great Wall Film Company
Great Wall Film Company
Great Wall Film Company was one of the first Chinese film production companies based in Shanghai, China, in the 1920s.-Early history:The company was founded by and . At the time the Communist Party of China was just established, and the Northern Expedition was taking place.The first known film...
(長城畫片公司) to try and animate a film under studio terms. Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan
Wan Guchan
Wan Guchan was a Chinese filmmaker. Born in Nanjing, China, he was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animations industry.-Early history:Wan Guchan joined his twin brother Wan Laiming in most of the animation projects and experimentations....
were then recognized as China's animation pioneers when they successfully produced the first animation short Uproar in the Studio
Uproar in the Studio
Uproar in the Studio is a black and white Chinese animation short made in 1926 by Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan. The short film helped the Wan brothers become recognized as the official pioneer of the animation industry in China. The film is now lost....
running 10 to 12 minutes long in black and white. By 1932 one of the Wan brothers, Wan Dihuan
Wan Dihuan
Wan Dihuan was a Chinese filmmaker. Born in Nanjing, China, he was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animation industry...
, would voluntarily leave the Great Wall Film company for his own photography studio. By 1935 the Wan Brothers would launch the first animation with sound titled The Camel’s Dance
The Camel's Dance
The Camel's Dance is a black and white Chinese animation made in 1935 by 3 of the Wan brothers. It is considered the first animation with sound in China.-History:...
.
In 1938 the remaining 3 Wan Brothers moved from Shanghai to Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
. Later Wan Dihuan
Wan Dihuan
Wan Dihuan was a Chinese filmmaker. Born in Nanjing, China, he was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animation industry...
went back to Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
to launch anti-Japanese animation campaigns. Wan Laiming was also at the Chinese anti-Japanese National Film association as part of the leftist movement. From here they would combine war songs into animations to produce propaganda materials for the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
.
In 1939 the brothers were inspired by the American production Snow White
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
. They would set the standard in attempting to create a film of equal quality for the nation's honor. By 1940 the brothers would be part of the Xinhua Film Company
Xinhua Film Company
The Xinhua Film Company , was one of the film companies to capitalize on the popularity of the leftist film movement in 1930s Shanghai, that had begun with the Mingxing and Lianhua Film Companies. It should not be mistaken for the modern-day Xinhua News Agency...
animation department since it was the only remaining production company left during the Japanese occupancy period. The manager of the company Zhang Shankun wanted to invest in profitable films, and he later found how much animation expenses were and wanted to give up. He sought additional investments, but insisted the production would take too much time. Wan Laiming guaranteed that they would not lose money. Though at the time the city was considered a "Solitary Island" since it was semi-occupied by Japanese forces as part of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. Princess Iron Fan
Princess Iron Fan (1941 film)
Princess Iron Fan , is the first Chinese animated feature film. It was directed in Shanghai under difficult conditions in the thick of World War II by Wan Guchan and Wan Laiming and was released on January 1, 1941.-Plot:...
, the first Chinese animation
Chinese animation
Chinese animation or Manhua Anime, in narrow sense, refers to animations that are made in China. In broad sense, it may refers to animations that are made in any Chinese speaking countries such as People's Republic of China , Republic of China , Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.- History :The...
of notable length, would be complete and shown as a proud achievement to some of the remaining people who haven't left the city.
Wan Guchan
Wan Guchan
Wan Guchan was a Chinese filmmaker. Born in Nanjing, China, he was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animations industry.-Early history:Wan Guchan joined his twin brother Wan Laiming in most of the animation projects and experimentations....
wanted to draw a plan for the next project Havoc in Heaven
Havoc in Heaven
Havoc in Heaven , also known as Uproar in Heaven, is a Chinese animated feature film directed by Wan Laiming and produced by all four of the Wan brothers. The film was created at the height of the Chinese animation industry in the 1960s, and received numerous awards...
. As the Japanese occupation was increasing, Hsinhua comic department has already been forced to close. As a result the investors withdrew their money and nothing got started. Time would past and the Shanghai Animation Film Studio
Shanghai Animation Film Studio
Shanghai Animation Film Studio is the animation division of the Shanghai Film Group Corporation in Shanghai, China. It is responsible for the production of Chinese animations.-History:...
would be established in 1950.
In 1954 Wan Laiming went to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and returned to Shanghai by autumn of the same year. He then served as the director of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. Two years later in 1956, Wan Laiming would create the first animation in color Why is the Crow Black-Coated
Why Is the Crow Black-Coated
Why Is the Crow Black-Coated is the first Chinese animation in color produced at the Shanghai Animation Film Studio by Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan.-Plot:...
.
It became a reality in 1961 when Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan finally had the opportunity to work on the 1st part of the animation film Havoc in Heaven. By 1964 all 4 Wan brothers were collaborating for the last part of the film. The movie would win International awards officially putting China on the map in terms of a nation capable of producing high quality animation films.
Unfortunately by 1966 Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
would start the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
. The animation industry would take a nose dive as many artists were affected in the industry. It was then that China's golden era of animated film would end.