Toonmax Media and Shanghai Film Group\'s Oriental Distribution Company signed an agreement yesterday on long-term cooperation for production and distribution of domestic animated films.
The two local companies started working together in 2008 on the Chinese martial arts animated feature Storm Rider: Clash of the Evils.
Produced by Toonmax Media and distributed by Oriental Distribution Company, the film took in more than 33 million RMB, a good box office returned at that time for a domestic animated movie.
Later the animated film franchise Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, with each installment taking more than 85 million RMB nationwide, strengthened the confidence of the two companies about working together.
Representatives of both firms yesterday agreed that, as Shanghai was the birthplace of Chinese cinema, they had responsibilities to bring excellent local animation works to the world.
To revive the domestic animation industry and create more original products catering to the tastes of today\'s children and young audience, they plan to do audience surveys and host workshops among creative professionals.
By Joyce Xu Pic by Zhu Liangcheng