Pearl Studio, a CMC Inc. company and animation film studio, announces upcoming plans and strategies, including three new animated features in development and the “Dream Frame” Program — Pearl Studio’s Animated Feature Talent Accelerator.
As an animated feature studio with experiences in developing and producing international projects such as Kung Fu Panda 3, Abominable and Over the Moon, Pearl Studio aims to further entrench its international strengths, and at the same time to expand to encompass Chinese language content, promoting Chinese culture and telling genuine stories to the world.
While original content development remains its core feature, Pearl Studio will also focus on exploring and connecting with new resources and talents both internationally and locally. Three key directions for future strategies are highlighted: First, the expansion of genre exploration will include sci-fi, fantasy and Chinese mythological stories, diving deeper into young adult-oriented content with fresh artistic experimentations. Second, the exploration of new platforms in addition to theatrical release will incorporate upcoming streaming and interactive mediums in local and international markets, scouting new potentials and possibilities. Finally, Pearl will open up diverse forms of collaboration to invite and incentivize animation talents worldwide for different stages and types of sponsorship and cooperation.
Pearl is proactively developing various original animated feature films, including the three major projects Anitya, Ultraland and In the Stars.
Anitya is Pearl’s first original project set in ancient China. It centers around the mythological character of Meng Po (the goddess of oblivion) and tells a story of love and memories, life and death. Fresh renditions of classic characters like Meng Po and Yue Lao (the god of karma and matchmaking) will be a key focus of this film. Through this project, Pearl emphasizes the creation of a unique worldview and an innovative perspective on a classic tale while experimenting with new visual styles.
Ultraland is a sci-fi mystery adventure about the self-exploring journeys of teenagers growing up amid virtual worlds and physical reality. In the era of big data, informational overload and technological advancement bring about both convenience and concerns. Ultraland explores the coming-of-age experiences in this special era. Sci-fi is also an important focus of Pearl’s future content development.
In the Stars reveals the world behind our wishes – how does wishing work and how do wishes come true? People wish all the time, from coin throwing to temple visiting, and to the reposting of “lucky” koi fish images on social media. In the Stars explores the fantastical world and creatures behind human wishes.
The newly announced “Dream Frame” Program is Pearl Studio’s effort to discover and cultivate talents who are passionate about and talented at the animation feature industry and to provide sponsorship and platforms to showcase and groom their creativity and artistry.
The first phase of the program will be submission-based competitions, including three different competition tracks and one “hidden” track which will be revealed later on. The first track is open to all animated feature projects in any format of submission, including outlines, idea pitches, scripts, storyboards and designs. The second track is for completed animated shorts with no thematic restrictions. The third track is for other animation professionals, with submissions based on a specific prompt.
Pearl Studio will provide selected projects and talents with high-quality platform resources, financial sponsorship and a wide range of collaboration formats for future development. Dream Frame will cooperate with organizations and institutions in the worldwide animation industry to provide resources and opportunities to participants, aiming to foster future animation directors, writers, and artists for the booming Chinese animation industry.
“Our goal is to facilitate the creativity and originality of animation filmmakers, uncover ideas with potential for development, and eventually enhance innovation and premium content in this industry,” said Catherina Yang, CEO of Pearl Studio. “Therefore, the most prominent trait of the Dream Frame project is that we don’t have rules — we will provide the largest degree of creative and financial support to any selected talent and content, helping them towards project accomplishment and talent development.”
