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Interview with Liao Xiangzhong who is chairman of the animation college of China Media University

It was on October 22, 2008, when the 3rd China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival has just spent half of the splendid time, VisionUnion luckily invited Liao Xiangzhong, who is chairman of the animation college of China Media University and also one of the festival’s organizers, to introduce aniwow!2008 in detail.

Liao Xiangzhong, dean of the animation college of Communication University of China

VisionUnion：How do you do, Mr. Liao? Being the organizer, would you please introduce something about the animation festival’s organization work?
Liao Xiangzhong: There are some new features compare with the past two sessions. The main feature is that we now have two administrators - Beijing Municipal Government and the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, the former and the only one.
Last year, Hu Zhanfan, the deputy ministor of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television talked with me that we should look for a landing place for our [animation festival]. The landing place refered to Beijing Municipal Government. He hoped that we could get support from Beijing Municipal Government. He also mentioned that the State Administration of Radio Film and Television anticipate the co-operation with Beijing Municipal Government as a co-organizer.
With the instruction of Hu Zhanfan, the deputy ministor, we talked with Mr. Shuai Min, the director of Beijing Kaku Channel, and got his support rapidly. He said it was a very good idea. Beijing Television Station and Beijing Kaku also hoped to have such a good platform and promote it. We agreed to co-operate very soon. Under the support of the leader from Publicity Department of Beijing Municipal Committee of CPC, every thing ran smoothly. Under the Beijing, our whole organization work developed from a flat in-school platform to a 3-dimension space. It was a flat plane and now is a cubic one.
The cubic platform is not simple. Our activities spread from the school to the outside, from the production site to millions of homes through television. Since Kakoo is broadcasting these works, letting the master’s voice to millions of homes, the platform is already a very big one. We also got support all along from other organizations such as the Ministry of Culture, the cultural market branch, the Ministry of Education, the physical education branch, the CYL central committee, the college branch, and other leading organizations. As the media aspect, beside our old friend VisionUnion, China Education Television much participated in the activities as a special supporter.
With the above efforts, our activities is developing further and broader. I could tell you that we have achieved substaintial development in depth and broadness.

VisionUnion：What is the brightest point during the animation festival?
Liao Xiangzhong: The main points during the animation festival are:
First, our product’s quality raised greatly. Refer to the number of countries and areas, it was 37 last year and is 46 this year. From the viewpoints of the judge members, students’ work have developed greatly this year. It is a big shining point.
Second, the animation festival has been on for two days. I thought people could find the master’s lessons are very appealing. Many students said the animation festival is worth attending and they are happy to listen to the master’s lessons.
Third, the Alamo Award and Junior Alamo Award we set gained public acceptance this time. What the Alamo Award and Junior Alamo Award promote will be another shining point. In the meantime, the Kaku Animation Prize which is set by Kaku is also expected by the audience.
Forth, at the start of the animation festival, we founded a strategic alliance with Shanghai Animation Film Factory, Beijing Science Education Film Factory and Canada Sheridan College. At the same time, we host the opening ceremony for the China Animation Art Museum. These activities are all shining points during the animation festival.

With respect to the co-opereation with Canada Sheridan College, Canada Sheridan College is regarded as the Harvard in the animation field. It is an exellent animation college in North America. It is a wonderful breakthrough to co-operate with Chinese Universities, carrying out student-exchanging and training program. The other point is that we set up the China Animation Art Museum which was paid much attention by medias. Many people asked why to build the museum. To build a museum costs a lot of money and labor. The reasons that we set up China Animation Art Museum are:
To protect the herritage and the species of Chinese animation art. The more important thing is to keep the spirit of Chinese animation, the expensive treasures left by the old of the Chinese school through protect the master’s manuscripts, the hardwares. We keep it in the college to teach our students, letting the students feel the master’s art spirits, absorb our art inspirations, and carry out art creation.

VisionUnion：What is the future direction of the animation festival?
Liao Xiangzhong: The main direction is to be more international. The name, China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival, emphasis three points: China, Beijing, International. Also the undergraduates, if we add the forth. The four name combined together, with each one has its own meaning. The most important is international. The international undergraduate animation festival focuses on internationalizing. As I mentioned just now, over 40 countries and areas participate in this year. We are trying to add the number and make a real global animation feast.
I do not know whether audience knew that CCTV news reported yesterday that it was our country’s first international student animation festival which is approved by the State Administration of Radio Film and Television and an international contest. We should not betray the hope of the Administration. We would improve the internationalizing. Only when the internationalizing is complete, we could know how much difference exists between us and other countries and what our adventages and disadventages are. We should take the advantage to strengthen animation education, bringing up Chinese animation masters. China’s animation will boom on this basis.

VisionUnion：What kind of effect are you expect through the animation festival?
Liao Xiangzhong: The animation festival has been on for half of its time. I am happy to see audience are satisfied with it through the smile on their face. What I expect is the audience’ smile. The more the smiles are, the better the effect is. I hope every spectator leave the place with smiles on their face. That is the effect I am expecting.