Labor of love keeps old animation art form alive

Passing the baton

His students, eager to learn this nearly forgotten art, come from varied backgrounds, and are curious and excited to master the traditional skills that Zhao Lei has painstakingly revived. "It's a tough process. The demands are high — lines have to be smooth, precise, firm, and alive. Coloring needs to be flawless. Every detail matters," said Shen Jie, a student at Beijing New Media Technical College.

In September, Zhao, along with his students, including Shen, participated in the Third Vocational Skills Competition in Zhengzhou, Henan province, that featured 3,420 competitors from 35 delegations competing in 106 events.

They showcased the cel animation technique, which gained recognition during the competition, China's highest-level, largest, and most influential national vocational skills event.

Later, the team traveled to Nanjing, Jiangsu province, to join in a Monkey King-themed exhibition held at Jiangsu Art Museum, displaying their replicas of the artwork from the classic animated movie, The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven.

What makes Zhao most proud, however, is not just the technical mastery he has passed on to his students. It's the fact that many of the young people are now using the technique of celluloid animation in their schoolwork, while some directors are including cel animation in their movies, which allows more people to appreciate the art form.

Xie Xinyi and Shen Yuting, two students from the Film-Television and Communication College of Shanghai Normal University studying animation, have been creating their own celluloid animation works.

Their ongoing animated movie project — The Legend of Fox — blends traditional cel animation with digital tools. The pair had initially planned to make the entire movie using cel animation, but encountered significant technical challenges.

"It's difficult to find the right tools and resources, so we decided to combine traditional cel animation with digital techniques, adding special effects to enhance the final product," said Shen.

"Nothing captures classic storytelling like the warm, textured feel of cel animation," she added. "The imperfections and subtle variations in hand-drawn animation make characters feel more lifelike and emotionally resonant."

Xie and Shen, both aged 19, grew up watching Chinese animation movies, such as the Calabash Brothers.

"The unique art style, memorable characters, and engaging storyline marked a distinct departure from digital cartoons," said Xie.

The 13-episode Calabash Brothers, originally screened from 1986 to 1987, was her first encounter with the works of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and inspired her future career choice.

Xie and Shen's passion for animation led them to explore the traditional techniques of animation production, aided by the university's emphasis on traditional hand-drawn animation processes, including cel animation.

"Every step in the traditional animation process, like painting each frame by hand, feels like creating a piece of art," Xie said.

"It's like cooking; the order and technique matter. Even the smallest difference in coloring can change the whole frame."

Both are also keenly aware of the growing wave of Chinese animated films and the increasing popularity of domestic productions like Ne Zha and its sequel, Ne Zha 2, the highest-grossing film in Chinese history. The ink-wash animated movie, Nobody, inspired by Journey to the West and produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio — also swept the box office this summer.

"These movies are helping place Chinese animation firmly in the global spotlight and are attracting many young people to Chinese animation movies made with traditional techniques," said Shen.