Rebirth In Hollywood

Perhaps for Hollywood, Lighting Entertainment Animation is relatively unfamiliar, and the only familiar one is Chris Mele Dandley, the founder of Blue Sky Studios, but this company must have its value if it can be acquired by Universal Pictures. .

Ryan is still familiar with the company, mainly from his previous life, because it is the producer of Universal Animation's Despicable Me.

It's a pity, as early as several years ago, "Despicable Me" was resold by Ryan to DreamWorks Animation Studio just like "Kung Fu Panda". part.

This summer, Walt Disney released two animated feature films, "Tangled" belonging to Disney's animation department and "Kung Fu Panda" produced by DreamWorks Animation Studio. In June, this traditional animation strong file was the first to be released. Landing on the big screen in North America is "Tangled."

Just as traditional Disney cartoons are based on fairy tales and famous stories from all over the world, "Tangled" is based on "Rapunzel" in Grimm's fairy tales, but the difference is that on the basis of keeping singing and dancing, cheerful and sweet, The character of the heroine Rapunzel Le Pei in the film has undergone earth-shaking changes.

As Ryan said in his speech in China, the biggest feature of Disney animation in the past, or the place behind the times, is that there is always a female character waiting for a man to save her. Still living on a high tower, but full of yearning for the outside world, and actively walked out, which led the male protagonist to have to take risks with her.

Times have changed, and Disney’s animated films with female audiences and teenagers as the main consumer groups must also change. If “Four-Eyed Chicken” solved the technical problems of Disney’s animation department, then “Tangled” Pointed the way for the future of Disney animation.

Since 2002, Ryan and John Lasseter have been pushing Disney Animation's creative staff to change their minds, and "Four Eyed Chicken" is a technical experimental work. And after four years of building "Tangled", although there are still many flaws, it is a successful experiment in creativity and theme adaptation.

"Tangled" earned $65.78 million in North America on its first three days. This is a normal and qualified first-week box office, and the film's box office of nearly $150 million in ten days is enough to make Disney's animation department loose. tone.

At the same time, the media also gave high praise to the film.

"Tangled is Disney's best animated feature film after The Lion King, and Disney Animation, which has been sinking for more than a decade, has regained its brilliance."

"While the outcome of the film is obvious at a glance, the film interweaves traditional storytelling with a modern sense of fashion."

"That's right.

The film is consistent with Disney's style, but has a new interpretation of the female character, making Rapunzel more believable, sincere and beautiful as the story unfolds. "

"After years of sinking, Disney Animation has finally ushered in a moment of re-emergence, led by Ryan Jenkins and John Lasseter."

The former world animation hegemon has gradually returned to the right track. As several heads of Disney's animation department were interviewed by the media, the reform that Ryan tried so hard to promote was quickly reported by the media and well known to the public. There were even tabloids with exaggerated headlines like 'Ryan Jenkins Saved Disney Animation'.

Compared with the previous Disney animation "Four-Eyed Chicken", "Tangled" has achieved great commercial success, but it has also attracted criticism from many people.

Among them are many hand-drawn animators from the former Disney animation department, who believe that the current Disney will only desperately cater to the audience and the market. and lost its traditional style.

Perhaps these words are correct, Tangled is essentially a departure from the standard prince and princess Disney animation, but let's not forget. The traditional Disney animation has declined and is even close to death. If no reforms are made, how many people still remember the long-dead Disney animation feature films?

Moreover. Disney is not an art research department, but a standard business group. The reason why traditional Disney animations came out in the first place was to cater to the tastes of the market at that time.

If you only know how to stick to traditions, but don't know how to be flexible and keep pace with the times, I am afraid that the whole world is still stuck in the Middle Ages.

In late June, when the response of "Tangled" in the North American market gradually became dull, "Kung Fu Panda" made a grand debut.

Just joined Disney's DreamWorks Animation Studio. Relying on the entire Walt Disney Media Group as a platform, the film's publicity and marketing have reached a peak that DreamWorks Animation Studio has never achieved before. The film's first week of theaters even reached nearly 4200. Family.

Also with the help of Walt Disney's powerful publicity capabilities, DreamWorks Animation Studio has also achieved the first true global simultaneous release.

Although this animated feature film has aroused heated discussions in the media after its global release, the voices of criticism and praise are very loud, especially some Chinese-language media, who have identified "Kung Fu Panda" as the victory of Kung Fu and Chinese culture to conquer Hollywood, but the actual what about?

For Hollywood, this is just another "Mulan". DreamWorks Animation Studio just borrowed some Chinese elements, and the film exudes a typical Hollywood flavor from beginning to end.

Especially in the eyes of a Hollywood producer like Ryan, all Chinese elements in the film are connected by the core values ​​in American culture, and values ​​are the deepest part of culture, which governs people's beliefs , attitudes, opinions and actions, become the guide for people's actions.

It can be said that no matter how exquisite the Chinese elements of the film "Kung Fu Panda" are, it is still a concrete manifestation of the cultural values ​​of the producer, that is, American cultural values.

The cultural concept of the producer, that is, the mainstream American culture, such as the American dream, self-confidence, the spirit of self-reliance, individual heroism and the concept of equality for all, has been well implemented from beginning to end.

Just like Disney's cartoon "Aladdin" doesn't belong to the Middle East, "The Lion King" doesn't belong to Africa, "The Little Mermaid" doesn't belong to Denmark, and "Kung Fu Panda" doesn't belong to the Chinese world, it's a standard Hollywood production and money-making tool , it just borrows foreign elements simply or even rudely, just like other North American films that incorporate foreign cultures.

As for the reason, it is even simpler. These exotic flavors can attract North American audiences. One of the biggest selling points of foreign movies in North America is the exotic flavor.

Therefore, "Kung Fu Panda" was very successful in North America, and it received more than 140 million US dollars in two weeks. When it came to "Kung Fu Panda 2", Ryan's memory of the North American box office seemed to have suffered a significant decline.

Although there are many reasons for this, when it comes to watching the first part, North American audiences will find the exotic atmosphere very attractive, and when they watch the second part, those same exotic elements are definitely no longer as attractive as before. force.

In fact, to put it bluntly, "Kung Fu Panda" just tells a very simple story, which incorporates some elements of China, such as Kung Fu and Buddhist Zen meditation. The mixed product is not much different from other Hollywood cartoons.

"Hollywood has conquered us with superb film skills and excellent picture effects, and it can't be the Chinese element in it."

When she came out from London Heathrow Airport, Nicole bought a few newspapers as a pastime on the road. The words in one of the Chinese newspapers kept her sane enough in the hustle and bustle of Chinese-speaking culture conquering Hollywood in the Chinese world.

The two came to the UK to attend a concert to commemorate Diana convened by Prince William and Prince Harry, got into the car that came to greet them, and went directly to the pre-booked hotel.

"Kung Fu Panda is definitely going to make a sequel?" Nicole looked back from the car window.

"Of course." Ryan closed the newspaper in his hand, "Let's not talk about other income, I can get 10% of the box office from the editing rights alone, and if it is replaced by milk powder, it will be enough for Sandy to drink. to grow up."

"Yeah, Ryan Jenkins' work has easily conquered the world again."

Taylor, who was sitting across from them, removed the newspaper in front of him and shrugged at the two of them, "This is written in The Sun."

"And..." She simply read a short paragraph, "... Is there anything that Ryan Jenkins can't do in movies and the surrounding industries?"

"Oh, Ryan." Tyler changed his tone deliberately. "They seem to think of you as the god of the film industry."

"Remember, my dear."

Ryan said to Taylor very seriously, "Our success is not about how strong we are, but we are more market conscious than others and respect the market and audience more."

"I understand." Taylor nodded solemnly.

"Our success has not been easy."

Only Nicole knows how hard Ryan has put in since the day they met.

"There are two hardest things in the world." Ryan held out a finger. "How to put other people's money into your own pocket is one of them."

"What about the other one?" Tyler asked with curious blue eyes.

"How to fit our ideas into other people's heads."

Both Nicole and Tyler laughed, and after the laughter was over, Tyler said, "We control so much media, aren't we just to achieve these two things? And in "Argo" and "Spartan Three Hundred Warriors" "And in the whirlpool of public opinion that appeared in "Transformers", we are all guiding the thoughts and public opinion of the American public, and we are very successful." (To be continued..) ()