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Science/Technology
Science/Technology
UPDATED: February 5, 2010 NO. 6 FEBRUARY 11, 2010
A Real Thrill
Interest grows in advanced film technologies
By TANG YUANKAI
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FOUR-D ATTRACTION: A 4D movie is shown in a theater in Changchun, Jilin Province (XU JIAJUN) 

James Cameron created another miracle with his new science-fiction epic Avatar. Raking in $1.897 billion in its first six weeks, the movie became the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, smashing the record that his another blockbuster Titanic set more than 10 years ago. Released in China on January 4, Avatar's box office receipts in the country hit $1.03 billion by January 24, ranking third in the world.

In Beijing, unusually long lines were seen in front of the China National Film Museum. Moviegoers, undeterred by icy cold January weather flocked to cinemas to see Avatar. Tickets also sold out quickly at Shanghai's Peace Cinema, one of the few cinemas equipped with IMAX 3D screens in China.

The movie is available in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D versions. In China, most viewers were drawn to cinemas showing 3D or IMAX 3D versions, said Tong Gang, Director General of the Bureau of Film Administration of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Moreover, some Avatar viewers can even have a more "realistic" experience in theaters with 4D effects such as simulated wind, vibration and steam synchronized with screen scenes. For instance, viewers can feel their seats vibrating in a battle, smell explosives as a satchel charge is detonated, and sense the wind blowing as the avatars soar or race. Some viewers who have already seen 2D or 3D versions of the movie would like to view it in 4D theaters.

On January 1, a few days before Avatar's China premiere, a 4D theater was unveiled in a new venue of the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing.

But it is in no way China's first 4D cinema. In fact, a decade ago, Chinese film makers were making 3D films, and had come up with independently developed circle-vision digital film production technologies and 4D theaters. But over the years, these technologies and facilities were used largely for display rather than for staging commercial films for mainstream audiences.

Avatar has rekindled Chinese viewers' and producers' interest in 3D and 4D films. One week after its debut in China, China's first 4D cartoon Fishing Child was unveiled in Shanghai on January 11 by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio and Heilongjiang Animation Base.

"China's 3D and 4D technologies are quite advanced yet for a long time, and those 3D movies available to Chinese viewers were largely Hollywood blockbusters," said Li Xuejun, General Manager of Heilongjiang 4D-Vision Technology Co. Ltd., one of the producers of Fishing Child and a flagship company of the Heilongjiang Animation Base. He said he had been "stimulated" into producing 4D films by Hollywood blockbusters such as Avatar.

Fishing Child

The 4D version of Fishing Child was adapted from a paper cut animation film of the same name produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio half a century ago. The animation is part of childhood memories for several generations of Chinese people.

Fishing Child is a legend from more than 100 years ago. An old fisherman in heavy rain caught nothing but a plate with the design of a fishing child. When the old man went to bed in the evening, the fishing child came to life and magically produced many pearls for the old man. But a foreign clergyman and a greedy official colluded with each other to steal the magic plate. The fishing child taught them a hard lesson.

Wang Tianyun, Vice President of Shanghai Film Group, the studio's parent company, said his company had chosen to adapt classic animation films rather than creating original pieces because they had high artistic values and were readily accepted by viewers. Adaptation also takes less time.

The Avatar furore in China reminded film makers that viewers like to see hi-tech films, so his company chose to combine a classic film with cutting-edge technology, Wang said.

Shanghai's studio is a dream factory of Chinese animation films. In recent years, it has committed itself to reviving classic animation films using the newest technology. The original flavor of the classics is retained while viewers, especially young viewers, enjoy a fresh experience, Wang said.

Since last July, the studio and the Heilongjiang Animation Base have worked together on converting Fishing Child into a 4D version using the newest technology. The project took them three months and cost 6 million yuan ($882,353).

Fishing Child was revived in five steps: First, copies of the original drawings were made. Second, wood or clay figurines for the characters were produced. From this step on, the work was done on computer. "To put it simply, we first draw the characters' bone structures, and then put flesh on them," said Li. Choosing costumes was the third step, animation was the fourth step, and the last step was dubbing.

Several further 3D or 4D films that his company has converted from classics are in the post-production stage, Li said. These include Panda's Department Store, the Vagrant Life of Sanmao and Zhu Bajie Eats Watermelon. They will be released in Beijing and Shanghai in March 2010.

Li's company is also developing 3D technology for cellphones. "Our goal is to build a Chinese 3D film database. In the future, viewers can see these classic films in 3D format in cinemas or on cellphones," he said.

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