Company Background

Asia Animation Limited (AA) was incorporated in 2002 in Hong Kong and is the sole distribution agent for Hong Kong and overseas for Puzzle Animation Studio Limited, one of Asia's leading animation studios, headquartered in Shenzhen, China.

AA also provides professional consultancy services to Puzzle Animation Studio on the creation, production, marketing, and direction of 2D and 3D animated movies featuring Chinese themes and characteristics. AA has also been participating and organising a number of promotional events, such as film exhibitions, for Puzzle Animation Studio and has assisted Puzzle Animation Studio in developing numerous effective marketing tools and effective distribution channels.

AA has two corporate goals: to introduce and promote high-quality animation content created by local Chinese studios to the international market and to distribute the secondary products of the most memorable characters in popular movies and animation. In addition to Chinese animated movies, the company aims to explore collaboration opportunities with potential partners to enhance the company's creativeness of animation production and to establish a comprehensive network of distribution, promotion and retail channels.

Awards

AA has been receiving awards organized by the HKDEA since 2007. HKDEA is a non-profit making trade body and is dedicated to the betterment of the local digital entertainment industry. HKDEA's mission is: to promote technology development within the digital entertainment industry in order to create internationally competitive products; to explore and develop new markets; to eliminate the negative images associated with playing video games; to discourage software piracy; to facilitate communication and interaction between industries associated with digital entertainment, including toys, entertainment and video games; and to provide a mechanism upon whereby local developers could cooperate to ensure industry-wide prosperity.

AA received its first award in 2007. The Sparkling Red Star, one of the popular Chinese animated movies, won the "Hong Kong ICT Awards 2007: Best Digital Entertainment Award" organized by HKDEA. This award recognises and honours the company's efforts and outstanding work.

In 2008, the company reached another important milestone in the animation industry. The company's film, Storm Rider- Clash of Evils, won several major awards at Hong Kong ICT Awards. The company was awarded the "Certificate of Merit" of the "Best Digital Entertainment (Digital Animation) Award" and the "Best Digital Entertainment Grand Award," in recognition of the company's achievements in the digital entertainment area. In addition, Storm Rider - Clash of Evils, won the best animation film of the fifth Golden Dragon Award, is the most prestigious award of the China animation industry. It was also the first Hong Kong animation film to obtain the highest box office record in China.

Storm Rider - Clash of Evils

Based on the famous Hong Kong comic book, Storm Rider, a new character named Ao Jue was added in the story of Storm Rider - Clash of Evils to provide a new story outline. The character and scene designs are Chinese in style. The combination of 2D characters and 3D effects is a new trial which bring the verve of the characters together with the visual effects. The 2D animation maintains the feeling of the material style in the original comic, while the 3D technique well enhances the reality scenes and the competition in the martial skills.

The sophisticated 2D technique and 3D background allow the audiences to visualize the heroic story of the characters. Besides the emphasis of martial art skills, Storm Rider - Clash of Evils also focuses on traditional values including loyalty, justice and chivalry. The cross-over of Chinese martial arts and Hong Kong comic style was used in the film, which turned to be a unique selling point for the overseas market.

Sparkling Red Star

The story is set in 1937 against the background of the Red Army's Long March. In Liuxi Village in Jiangxi, an innocent and cheerful child, Pan Dongzi, spent his carefree childhood. But after reaching the age of 10, he began to experience the sorrows and joys of life's partings and reunions. Pan constantly strived to become stronger, and gradually became a tough person. He had changed from a stubborn child into a brave and passionate young man.

The animated films from Japan and the United States have long since dominated the world's animation market. One which is originated from Hong Kong has always been longed for. In these films, the animators have well used a blend of 2D character animation which in turn effectively represents the original comic style, and 3D background animation which is done meticulous with a world class standard.

This type of Hong Kong-originated Chinese martial arts animated film is the pride of the Hong Kong creative industry. It successfully brings the renowned local comic to an animated film. The production well weaved 2D and 3D technology to a high level of aesthetic. As this animated film has well fulfilled most of audience's expectation, it will have a unique place in the history of Hong Kong's and China's comic industry.

Future Development

In addition to animated movies, AA is helping produce a number of 2D and 3D Chinese animated TV series, such as the AL Football GGO, Ori-Princess, and Paula & Friends. AA has recently produced various types of TV series, such as cultural education, imaginative, realistic and situation comedy. The company aims to continue to expand the variety of animations while maintaining the Chinese characteristic features.

The company plans to keep searching for new collaboration opportunities with potential partner studios and establish a comprehensive network of distribution, promotion and retail channels.