THE city’s animation industry has made new achievements during the past two years. There are more than 60 animation companies in the city, twice the number in 2008. Along with the companies related to animation and toy manufacturing, Qingdao has now become the sixth national animation industrial base with an annual production volume of 4 billion yuan (US$616 million).

    At present, animation industrial parks in the city include Qingdao International Animation and Gaming Industrial Park, Qingdao Software Park, Laoshan District Business Software Incubator and Animation Industrial Park and Shibei Keji Street Animation Industrial Park. There are 22 animation training organizations in the city with more than 5,000 students.

    Since 2008, the city has created more than 30 cartoons with a combined length of 10,000 minutes. Among these, a 52-episode cartoon called “Little Cow, Move On” aired on China Central Television 1 (CCTV 1) has gained 14 percent viewership, while several other cartoons and films had won national and provincial awards.

    In the gaming production area, a basketball management online game produced by Meitian Internet Technology Co. Ltd., landed in the Taiwan market successfully in 2008, while two other online games developed in Qingdao will be finished this year.

    The first phase of construction of Qingdao Huaqiang Cultural Technology Industrial Base with an investment of 5 billion yuan started on Nov. 11, 2009. The base will include three theme parks related to animation. After construction finishes, it will have three production lines for 2D and 3D animation production and puppet show, offering more than 5,000 positions for animation professionals.

    Meanwhile, a Qingdao creative media college jointly founded with Beijing Film Academy will finish construction on Fenghuang Island soon and the country’s first 3D film and animation production equipment will be installed here. The base will start its outsourcing services in the United States, helping Qingdao’s animation development in 3D production.

    (Wang Yuanyuan, Qing Bao)