China Animation Event (0)

This is a don’t miss event for anyone looking for  the best talent anywhere for movie, flash, or digital animation. Suzhou, a gorgeous “water town” near Shanghai, is playing host to the event:

Take a look at the media industries and you’ll find animation everywhere. In TV, film, education and training, games, mobile, advertising, and online. It’s also one of the strongest youth market categories in digital media.

X|Media|Lab Suzhou concentrates on this “wealth of animation” bringing together a stellar range of animation experts from all over the world.

The Keynote Conference Day focuses on four themes: Animation Industry Development; International Business Opportunities; Quality Assurance and Management; and Technologies and Skills.

The Business Matching Forum focuses on you. It’s your opportunity to meet up with the animation industry experts, directly discuss your own animation ideas, network yourself right into the heart of the China animation industry, and explore business matching and partnerships with the other international participants at the Lab.

International participants include:

- Raman Hui - Director of Shrek 3
- Michael Johnson - Motion Picture Lead, Pixar Studios
- Duncan Brinsmead - Chief Research Scientist, Autodesk (Maya Software)
- Suresh Seetharaman - Founder and President, Virgin Comics and Virgin Animation
- Sue Erokan - Supervisor, Character Animation, Dreamworks
- Dan Scott - Head of Global Production, Nokia Games
- Masakazu Kubo - Executive Producer, Pokemon Film and TV Series (Tokyo)
- Xavier Nicholas - Managing Director, Lucasfilm Animation Singapore
- Heather Kenyon - formerly Director of Development, Original Animation at Cartoon Network
- Dale Herigstad - 5-time Emmy Award Winner, Schematic (LA)
- Nickson Fong - Founder, Egg Story (Singapore)
- Paul Steed - Founder, Exigent Studios (Los Angeles)
- Madhavan - Founder, Crest Animation (India)
- Michael Stevens - Board Member, Park Road Post (Wellington)
- Tatiana Kober - Founder, Bejuba Studios (LA and Toronto)
- Anand Gurnani - Founder, Animation ‘Xpress (India)
- Tim Brook-Hunt - Head of Children’s TV, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Sydney)
- Alan Lindsay - CEO, Vue DC Group (Perth)

China participants include a ‘who’s who’ of the China animation industry including: the Dean of Animation, Beijing Film Academy; President, Great Dreams Cartoon Group; Executive Deputy Secretary General of China Animation Association, and Head of Digital Media Technologies, Beijing Institute of Technology; Executive Vice President of China Animation Association; Deputy Director of Digital Animation Creation R&D Centre, China Art Academy; Secretary General of Mobile Animation Industry Association; CEO of China Animation Association; Managing Partner of China Renaissance; the Vice President of ID Tech Ventures; and many others.

XML Suzhou will be the perfect place to make contact with some the best animation people from all over the world – whether you are interested in creative development, best practices, or business opportunities internationally or in China.

Suzhou is one of China’s animation centers of excellence, about 90 minutes north of Shanghai - and it exemplifies the “New China”: hundreds of huge new buildings springing up out of the ground, great vitality, and a commitment to developing the digital media industries.

X|Media|Lab Suzhou “Wealth of Animation” International Participants

Places are strictly limited to both the Keynote Conference Day (300 maximum – 120 already sold) and the Business Matching Forum (80 participants – 30 already allocated).

For Chinese head here: Animation Workshop

English: Animation Suzhou

Online digital advertising and reputation Management firm  CultureFish Media is a new International Marketing Partner with X|media.

Original story here: XML Suzhou: China Animation Spotlight Event

Posted 26 April, 2008 in China Business Consultant, Animation, Suzhou China, 中文, China Web 2.0, cartoons, Digital Cavalry, 中国, China Resources

China: The Balance Sheet…. (0)

when china sneezes dragon

China: The Balance Sheet differs from most other books we have been reading in preparation for our 22 province journey across China for charity and understanding. China guides to business or living become obsolete almost before they are published. And most of the “expert” commentary on China gives the reader intellectual whiplash: The data contained in strategy texts is often conflicting or out-dated. This text offers comes with online resources for continuing information and is a testament both to the wisdom and commitment of the authors.

China Balance Sheet What the World Needs to Know About the Emerging Superpower

China: The Balance Sheet isn’t so much a book as it is a project that yielded enough information for a book. It is a collection of work, information, and analyses collected by the Institute for International Economics and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Balance Sheet is rife with diverse demographics, like statistics about China’s graying population, as well as an informed political discussion on the Middle Kingdom’s long, curious relationship with Russia. Yes, its such dry reading that we carried an Internet canteen–interspersing the book with irreverent spoofs from Sinocidal to keep from humor dehydration–but every sentence, to drag out a metaphor, is an informational oasis for a Sinophile.

One of the more engaging elements of this book is its ability to maintain a separation from the standard strains of China fever: while the book delivers competent, clear information about mainland China, it avoids over-generalizations and makes clear the plurality and multiplicity of a country with 56 distinct ethnic groups, 200 spoken languages, and size enough to make Europe jealous. As Lucien Pye of foreignaffairs.org says of the book: “The main thrust of the analysis is that diversity has replaced the monolithic system that Mao Zedong created. There are, therefore, many Chinas — rural and urban, wealthy and poor, educated and illiterate, international and isolated.” And yes, seemingly benign statements like that one make it unavailable on the mainland, but censors should tale a second look as it is careful to avoid the paranoia about China’s growth that pervades Western news and doesn’t issue dark proclamations about China’s fearsome rise or apocalyptic fall. The book holds to tenets set forth in early pages: “Because we believe that constructive US policies toward China must rest, first and foremost, on a firm factual and analytical footing, this study’s primary purpose is to provide comprehensive, balanced, and accurate information on all key aspects of China’s own development and its implications for other nations.”

Will the Balance Sheet help you understand business culture in China and learn the secrets of guanxi, face, or how to hold your chopsticks at just the right angle to impress the Chinese delegation leader? No. Will the book arm you with a clear understanding of the economic, political, and demographic realities facing China now? Yes. You can find an overview and preview of the first chapter of the book here and a collection of 2007 published addendum’s here.

This ranks high on our list of must-read texts along with Harold Chee’s Myths.

By David DeGeest with Lonnie B. Hodge

Posted 27 July, 2007 in Cross Cultural Training, China Resources, Book Reviews, China Consultants Directory