An Interview With Li Jianping Who Is Vice-President Of The Animation School Of Beijing Film Academy
December 12, 2008 – 2:58 pmDuring the 3rd China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival, VisionUnion took the honor of having a special interview with Li Jianping, Vice-President Of The Animation School Of Beijing Film Academy.
VisionUnion: Would you please tell us your feeling about attending the 3rd China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival?
Li Jianping: I attended many contests of this kind, including those for student, in recent years. The animation festival gathered student works, which covered domestic and foreign ones. With the number of works, there were quite a lot. With the judging process, there were more foreign judges in the final round – concerning its internationality and international standards. Under that judgments, we could view from a relatively wide or even full range of works by Chinese students and students from countries which kept close relationship with China.
Li Jianping: I attended many contests of this kind, including those for student, in recent years. The animation festival gathered student works, which covered domestic and foreign ones. With the number of works, there were quite a lot. With the judging process, there were more foreign judges in the final round – concerning its internationality and international standards. Under that judgments, we could view from a relatively wide or even full range of works by Chinese students and students from countries which kept close relationship with China.
VisionUnion: Would you give an overall comment on the works shown on the 3rd China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival?
Li Jianping: In general, those could be of all kinds, with totally different methods, different conditions – the conditions of schools, the extend to which those majors covers. Therefore the works were in a wide range of variety, which meets the need of shorts. In fact, shorts require being different. It is hard to use one standard, or apply one method, or achieve one effect.
Sometimes, the effect of this kind of shorts could win favors or sensation or the feeling of its creative inspirations from audience, just by one point of one content. Sometimes, the content is flat, but with an outstanding expression, by experiment of some method or material or software. All could be outstanding aspects of it.
So, when we watch the shorts – the student’s homework, we are watching his learning process and whether he could express what he learned through some method. In fact, we are watching his feeling about animation or the major, through the ability of expression. In another word, to watch whether he is express something using what he learned within the major.
Li Jianping: In general, those could be of all kinds, with totally different methods, different conditions – the conditions of schools, the extend to which those majors covers. Therefore the works were in a wide range of variety, which meets the need of shorts. In fact, shorts require being different. It is hard to use one standard, or apply one method, or achieve one effect.
Sometimes, the effect of this kind of shorts could win favors or sensation or the feeling of its creative inspirations from audience, just by one point of one content. Sometimes, the content is flat, but with an outstanding expression, by experiment of some method or material or software. All could be outstanding aspects of it.
So, when we watch the shorts – the student’s homework, we are watching his learning process and whether he could express what he learned through some method. In fact, we are watching his feeling about animation or the major, through the ability of expression. In another word, to watch whether he is express something using what he learned within the major.
VisionUnion: Would you introduce situations and characters of education carried out by The Animation School Of Beijing Film Academy ?
Li Jianping: Beijing Film Academy, which has had the major of animation since 1950s, is the earliest to carry out animation educations among all artistic colleges. Now the major has a relatively full system and a mature team of teachers, who cover from the retired to the young graduated or teachers graduated from our school, with a multi-age structure. So we have a tradition about education. In former times, our school’s professional education had a close relationship with Shanghai Animation Film Factory. Thus we had an education system and contents which are scientific and integrated. Now the animation college of Beijing Film Academy is under the environment of film, brought by Beijing Film Academy. The overall education is more favorable. Its animation major and the students in it all are belong to a film art system. It is closer to film. Actually it is like producing a kind of film through the method of animation.
Either artistic film, or commercial films, animation film, animation TV, TV series and animation program series over the web, which are carried out by students, emphasize on the ability of tell stories and expression through lens. The presentation of pictures is also important. But it is attached on between telling stories and lens expression.
Li Jianping: Beijing Film Academy, which has had the major of animation since 1950s, is the earliest to carry out animation educations among all artistic colleges. Now the major has a relatively full system and a mature team of teachers, who cover from the retired to the young graduated or teachers graduated from our school, with a multi-age structure. So we have a tradition about education. In former times, our school’s professional education had a close relationship with Shanghai Animation Film Factory. Thus we had an education system and contents which are scientific and integrated. Now the animation college of Beijing Film Academy is under the environment of film, brought by Beijing Film Academy. The overall education is more favorable. Its animation major and the students in it all are belong to a film art system. It is closer to film. Actually it is like producing a kind of film through the method of animation.
Either artistic film, or commercial films, animation film, animation TV, TV series and animation program series over the web, which are carried out by students, emphasize on the ability of tell stories and expression through lens. The presentation of pictures is also important. But it is attached on between telling stories and lens expression.
VisionUnion: Would you introduce the situation of animation education around the country?
Li Jianping: The situations and starts are different among schools. Some emphasizes design, some emphasizes technology – especially computer technology, while others emphasize complex training. I thought they should not be the same. But with animation education, the character of animation should be considered. It (animation) belongs to films – the art of image expression. Its language character should be considered. During the education program, it should be well balanced in the combination between art and technology. It is not correct that good technology could take the place of art, nor is the saying that it is unnecessary to learn technology for one to complete a good production with only good art opinions. Neither is fully correct.
With the participant works, when being judged or enjoyed, the first important thing is that the content is infective; the second is that the expression is powerful and sufficient. Some have good contents, but are lack of clearance or accordance about expression in color, arrangement or shaping. The inaccuracy of expression will reduce the original feeling of the creation.
Such kind of production could be made by a student. And such kind of problem should be solved by school educations. (The education) should let students growing from an unknown stage, or from starting experiments, to finally the main power and promoter within the profession. It is very important to know what to do in one’s mind.
Li Jianping: The situations and starts are different among schools. Some emphasizes design, some emphasizes technology – especially computer technology, while others emphasize complex training. I thought they should not be the same. But with animation education, the character of animation should be considered. It (animation) belongs to films – the art of image expression. Its language character should be considered. During the education program, it should be well balanced in the combination between art and technology. It is not correct that good technology could take the place of art, nor is the saying that it is unnecessary to learn technology for one to complete a good production with only good art opinions. Neither is fully correct.
With the participant works, when being judged or enjoyed, the first important thing is that the content is infective; the second is that the expression is powerful and sufficient. Some have good contents, but are lack of clearance or accordance about expression in color, arrangement or shaping. The inaccuracy of expression will reduce the original feeling of the creation.
Such kind of production could be made by a student. And such kind of problem should be solved by school educations. (The education) should let students growing from an unknown stage, or from starting experiments, to finally the main power and promoter within the profession. It is very important to know what to do in one’s mind.
VisionUnion: Could you please compare between the characters of domestic and foreign animation festivals?
Li Jianping: With foreign animation festivals that we attend, some are for students while the rest are for all. There are many for-all animation festivals in foreign countries, which are known by us within the professional field. Like those held in Stuttgart, Annecy, Los Angeles, Hiroshima, there are many animation festivals, but not only for students. Many works, which were produced by our film college and brought abroad for exchanging or contest, were highly praised. That is to show the fruits of our education and the ability of our students to the profession abroad. Yet we are not outstanding in international animation festivals till now. After all, the students experience is still too limited to face international animation festivals. For example, we could not adopt that standard like competing with those who is in their 50s or 60s, with many years of experience and many art works, or is very capable.
