Future 'very bright' for animation industry

Chinese animation and art toy companies have developed an international vision to provide high-quality program content for the global market, according to insiders during a major fair.

"Increasing numbers of Chinese enterprises have started to join the international animation market, and I believe the future of Chinese animation industry is very bright," said Josh Selig, founder and chairman of China Bridge Content.

Selig made the remarks during a sideline forum at the 13th China International Animation Copyright Fair, which concluded on Sunday in Dongguan, Guangdong province.

Selig said he hopes to establish more cooperation with Chinese enterprises and to promote international exchanges in the animation and art toys industry.

The fair, which attracted more than 500 international companies from 40 countries and regions, resulted in deals for more than 3,500 intentional cooperation projects, five times the number of the previous session, according to the event's organizers.

During the three-day fair, Dongguan announced several measures, including subsidies, to encourage development of original art toys and animation intellectual property. The city was designated as the first "Capital of Art Toys in China" by the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association.

"The measures could potentially attract talent, bringing in highlky qualified artists who want to be part of the international animation and art toys industry," said Igor Lodeiro, a Spanish visual effects artist.

A 25-year veteran of the animation industry, Lodeiro was the CG supervisor of Kung Fu Panda 2 and the visual effects supervisor of Tales of Arcadia: Wizards, which won the Daytime Emmy Awards.

"Dongguan is surprising," he said, " and I can see a really strong effort in developing Dongguan to become central in animation production."