Independent from What? The Practice, Strategies and Limitations of Independent Animation Artists in Contemporary China and Hong Kong

Abstract

This project aims to provide a reasonably comprehensive snapshot of the contemporary field of Chinese independent animation that has emerged since the late 1990s. Through the analytic lenses of discourse analysis, critical theory, and the notion of the field of cultural production, the study examines the meaning, discourse, practice, and obstacles of independent animation in the Chinese context. The aim is to answer the following key questions: What does the independent mode of animation production mean to its practitioners in contemporary mainland China and Hong Kong? What existing definitions and discourses of independent animation have been constructed within this field of cultural production? At the same time, what are the major restrictions, limitations, and forms of support that most independent animation artists encounter?

The objectives are achieved firstly through a detailed analysis of the various discourses (definitions and interpretations) of independent animation, which I analyze further by means of a comparison against my criteria that animation should ultimately be defined as an art form that allows artists to explore the dimensions of their inner world and their internal truths and desires, and to relate to the human condition and truths of life itself. In addition, the analysis takes place through the construction of a theoretical model that compares the two major extremes on the continuum—“classical and formulaic” and “alternative or expanded” types of animation. This model can be used as a yardstick to measure the practices and strategies of the various types of animation, including the dominant form of commercial animation and the alternative types of independent or experimental animation in the contexts of both mainland China and Hong Kong.

The thesis also examines data from some of the existing distribution channels, which consist primarily of three local recurring animation festivals. I mainly draw on the data and information collected from ethnographic fieldwork and the critical analysis of some documentation. I argue that these festivals become sites of struggle between the two extreme poles or modes of organization—autonomous and heteronomous poles in the field of cultural production—as some organizers can influence the audience and practitioners through their role as “tastemakers” at festivals, even with their diversified judging criteria and the comments made during the judging process. Evidence also shows that some artists and event organizers are struggling to remain independent from aspects such as commercialization and the needs of the existing market at these local film or animation festivals (instead of through the mainstream channels such as cinema and television).

Furthermore, some ethnographic observations were conducted in several educational institutions, and these observations are presented as case studies in the thesis to show the different situations in mainland China and Hong Kong. They show that various kinds of limitation and support are placed on the institutional level that either restrict or promote the development of independent animation. Data and information from the research field was collected primarily by using an ethnographic research methodology, which was supplemented with analysis of the political or socio-cultural context and circumstances, as well as with critical examination of select texts, based on the varied perspective of narrative, aesthetic, or ideological strategies adopted by individual artists.

It is shown in the findings that even though independent artists from the mainland are evidently faced with more restrictions than those in Hong Kong, such as issues of tight censorship and self-censorship, many of them are still able to engage in some expanded and experimental types of animation in their practice, and they try to extend their animated art to include other paradigms, including the avant-garde. On the contrary, the practitioners in Hong Kong generally show a lack of interest in discovering or deconstructing the possible meanings of independent animation, which is shown in both the lack of discourse in their independent animation and their regular engagement with the dominant market paradigm. Finally, the relationships and conflicts between the different spheres of the two contexts are discussed.

I argue that independent animation is a form of art that should be considered to hold more cultural value than is conventionally recognized in Mainland China, and that the aforementioned socio-cultural, economic, and political factors are all just as influential as personal factors, such as the mode of authorship or individual decisions made during the creative process. All these factors contribute to the shaping of the different outlooks, discourses, approaches, and strategies of independent animation production in contemporary mainland China and Hong Kong.

Date of Award	10 Sept 2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Steve FORE (Supervisor) & Linda Chiu-han Lai (Supervisor)