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The University of Southampton
FilmPart of HumanitiesPostgraduate study

Mr Shaopeng Chen 

Postgraduate research student

Mr Shaopeng Chen's photo

 

2010-2013 - MA Animation Arts, Nanjing University of the Arts

2006-2010 - BA Animation Arts, Nanjing University of the Arts

 

I hold a MA degree in Animation Arts from Nanjing University of the Arts (China), but my research covers both Chinese animation and live-action Chinese film. I’m a Film Studies PhD student in University of Southampton now, and I’m sponsored by China Scholarship Council (CSC). Previously, I taught animation production courses at Nanjing Normal University of Special Education. My research interests include style of animation character, general aesthetics in animation, film industry in China, government policy of Chinese creative industries, the cartoon Brand in the Chinese Animation Industry, new generation cinema animation in China.

Research interests

My thesis examines Chinese cinema animation works produced from 1995 to 2015, and analyzes the significance of characteristics, such as cultural background, technical features and the different production modes of animation The key aim of this thesis is to identify key developments in Chinese animation, and the reasons behind particular critical and commercial success, in order to provide a strong theoretical understanding of a neglected field in Film Studies. The key case-studies include Lotus Lantern/宝莲灯(Guangxi Chang, 1999), Kuiba/魁拔 (Chuan Wang, 2011), Kuiba 2/魁拔II (Chuan Wang, 2013), Kuiba 3/魁拔III (Chuan Wang, Gang Zhang & Jie Zhou, 2014), Boonie Bears: To the Rescue/熊出没之夺宝熊兵 (Liang Ding & Fuyuan Liu, 2014) and Monkey King: Hero is Back/西游记之大圣归来 (Xiaopeng Tian, 2015)

My research focuses on the changing style of contemporary animation, the influence of government policy on the Chinese animation industry, and the emergence of a new generation of animation in China. During my initial research I discovered that partly due to the explosive growth of multi-screen cinema in China, Chinese cinema animation is currently undergoing a high-speed of development, presenting a series of new features. My research is thus timely in charting significant new areas of Chinese cinema animation, a field that is badly in need of theoretical support.

Supervisors

  • Dr Michael Williams
  • Dr Corey Schultz
  • Dr Malcolm Cook

Mr Shaopeng Chen
Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Southampton, Avenue Campus, Southampton. SO17 1BF United Kingdom
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