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Toon Boom Sponsors Award-Winning Child Animator Perry Chen’s New Film About His Late Father

Toon Boom Animation sent a donation check to Perry S. Chen to help fund his new and most personal animation film “Changyou’s Journey,” about his father's fight against cancer.

Perry Chen with Karina Bessoudo, Toon Boom Animation's Vice President of Marketing at CTN (photo by Zhu Shen)

Press Release: March 18th, 2013 - San Diego, California and Montreal, Canada.

Toon Boom Animation Inc, a worldwide leader in digital content and animation creation software, sent a donation check to Perry S. Chen, a 13-year-old award-winning animator in 7th grade from San Diego, and his mother and producer Dr. Zhu Shen, becoming animation industry’s first corporate sponsor to Perry and Zhu’s new and most personal animation film “Changyou’s Journey,” about Dr. Changyou Chen, Perry’s father, a biotech CEO and cancer drug researcher, who lost his brave fight against metastatic skin cancer in 2012 at the age of 49.  Perry and Zhu received Toon Boom’s donation on the date of what would have been Changyou’s 50th birthday.

Perry Chen showing his dad Dr. Changyou Chen animation scene from "Changyou's Journey" July 14, 2012 (photo by Brian Bostrom)

Perry and Zhu started their first collaboration with Toon Boom Animation in 2010 when Perry was animating his first short film, “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest,” in collaboration with animation legend, two-time Oscar nominee Bill Plympton, about a young Holocaust survivor.  Toon Boom became the first corporate sponsor by providing Toon Boom Studio software and technical support to Perry and Zhu.  Perry used Toon Boom Studio 7.0 and Wacom Intuos tablet to create the 6 minute film which went on to win multiple film festival awards in the U.S., screened at over 30 film festivals around the world, featured as a bonus film at the 2011 Animation Show of Shows, and was an Oscar-qualifying film in 2011.

Perry and Zhu were invited to present the film at DreamWorks Animation, introduced by Oscar-nominated “How to Train Your Dragon” co-director Dean DeBlois in December 2011. The film is distributed by Shorts International, the world’s leading short movie entertainment company with the globe’s largest catalog dedicated to short movies, and distributor of Oscar-nominated shorts. “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” is now available on iTunes in 54 countries.  Perry was also an animator for the award-winning “Guard Dog Global Jam” (directed by Bill Plympton based on his Oscar-nominated “Guard Dog”), and “The Namazu” along with other collaborating animators in 2010 and 2012. “Changyou’s Journey” is Perry’s 4th animation film.

“We are honored to team up with Perry Chen in his new project ‘Changyou’s Journey,’ which will surely be a wonderful love testament for his dad. Perry is a remarkable artist we have grown attached to since our first successful collaboration on Perry’s critically-acclaimed, multiple awards-winning film ‘Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest’ in 2010, and it is our pleasure to facilitate his creative process,” shared Joan Vogelesang, President and Chief Executive Officer at Toon Boom Animation Inc.

“Toon Boom has been a ‘Perrific!’ sponsor and supporter to my animation films for years,” said Perry Chen.  “I want to thank the wonderful team at Toon Boom for their generous donation and support to my new film about my dad, and great technical support throughout the making of my first three animation films. ‘Changyou’s Journey’ is my most important and personal film, which I will write, animate, and direct.  And to receive Toon Boom’s donation on my dad’s birthday means so much for my mom and me, as we move forward to production of our film.”

“I still remember watching Perry use Toon Boom software to create our first animation film three years ago.  I am delighted to see the wonderful progress Perry has made as an artist, storyteller, and animation filmmaker,” said Zhu Shen, Producer of “Changyou’s Journey.”  “We are indebted to Toon Boom’s commitment to support Perry’s talents and budding career in animation, and look forward to many years of great partnership ahead.  We are also grateful to so many friends and colleagues in and outside of the film and animation industry both in the U.S. and China, for their generous donation and support to our film so far, and look forward to welcoming new supporters in our own journey of making ‘Changyou’s Journey.’”

“Changyou grew up in China in an impoverished mountain village in Ningguo, Anhui, becoming the first person ever to leave that village and go to college.  He was a brilliant scientist with a passion for biomedical research, and pursued his graduate education in the U.S., before returning back to China as an entrepreneur and biotech CEO. Changyou’s dream was one day developing powerful cancer therapeutics to benefit patients around the world.  In making our film ‘Changyou’s Journey,’ we hope to inspire all who have experienced great joy and loss in their lives, who have loved and lived a life of purpose and pursued their dreams.  The film is also our way to give back to the community of care and those who have touched our lives in many ways.  The journey will go on.”

Perry Chen with parents Changyou Chen & Zhu Shen at ShortsHD's Hollywood premiere of "Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest" Sep 2011

Upon learning that Changyou had only two weeks to live, Perry decided to start making an animated film “Changyou’s Journey,” about his dad’s life, to give him hope to live, something to look forward to each day, and to honor his legacy.  Perry worked hard day and night, showing new scenes at the end of each day to his dad.  Changyou was profoundly moved and delighted to see the first 8 scenes of this film, which were presented as a trailer at Perry and Zhu’s Comic-Con Panel on July 15, 2012 to an enthusiastic audience.  The film started when Changyou was a young boy growing up in the Chinese countryside.  During a recent visit to China, Perry saw the childhood home of his dad, and interviewed his grandmother, relatives, Changyou’s teacher, friends and colleagues about his dad’s childhood and career.  Perry and Zhu were featured in a two-part, 30-minute feature about Perry’s career in animation and movie reviews on China Central Television (CCTV), the only national network TV in China.

“Changyou’s Journey” is currently in production, and expected to be completed by 2014.  It will be submited to film festivals around the world.  The film will be made with Toon Boom Studio 7.0 software and Wacom tablet, both companies have been sponsors of this and other animation films by Perry Chen.  Additional Corporate sponsorship and private donation of any amount are greatly appreciated.  All donors’ names will appear at “Changyou’s Journey” film’s end credits.  Visit http://www.perryspreviews.com/ and contact Dr. Zhu Shen for additional benefits to donors. Email: bioforesight@gmail.com,  858-761-7955.

Watch trailer: http://www.youtube.com/user/PerrysPreviews/featured

Donation link and background info about “Changyou’s Journey:”

http://www.perryspreviews.com/

http://bit.ly/T6kN0o (donation link)

About Perry S. Chen:

Perry S. Chen is an 13-year-old award-winning animator, renowned film and entertainment critic, artist, TEDx speaker, and entertainment personality, currently in 7th grade from San Diego.

Perry became the youngest animator at age 10 when he made his first critically acclaimed 6-minute animation short “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest,” about a young Holocaust survivor, in collaboration with two-time Oscar nominee Bill Plympton who provided storyboard and character design.  The film went on to win multiple film festival awards, including 2011 Special Jury Award for Extraordinary Vision at Flyway Film Festival in Wisconsin, Best Animation Award at 2012 International Family Film Festival in Hollywood, Special Jury Award at the 2012 WorldFest Houston International Film Festival.  The film has been screened at over 30 film festivals around the world, and was an Oscar-qualifying film in 2011. The film is distributed by Shorts International, and available on iTunes in 54 countries. More info and iTunes download: http://ingridpitt.co.uk (Official film website) https://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/ingrid-pitt-beyond-the-forest/id554607718

About Toon Boom Animation Inc."

Toon Boom Animation Inc., a Corus® Entertainment Inc. company, is the worldwide leader in digital content and animation creation software, delivering products and services online to its global community. Toon Boom carries user-friendly applications for all, catering to children, home users, creative professionals as well as students, educators and schools. Toon Boom is fully dedicated to education and goes far beyond just developing technology and curriculums that will enhance the classroom experience. Toon Boom is an influential advocate of bringing industry and education together, while partnering with value-added partners to help students achieve their goals.

Over the years, Toon Boom has garnered multiple awards for its entire family of products, including the prestigious Ub Iwerks Award granted by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, at the 2013 Annie Awards. Other awards include a 2012 Primetime Emmy® Engineering Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for Storyboard Pro, the 2011 Global Animation Software Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award given by Frost & Sullivan, the 2012 Academics’ Choice Brain Award in the Software category for Toon Boom Studio and Flip Boom All-Star, and many more.

Toon Boom’s client base ranges from major studios creating Hollywood blockbuster animated films to individual animators creating their first masterpieces. Market-leading studios using Toon Boom’s products include Disney, Nelvana, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Fox, Bento Box, Film Roman, China Central Television, DQ Entertainment, eMation, Rough Draft Korea, Alphanim, Imira Entertainment and Enarmonia, to name but a few. Some of the prestigious productions done with Toon Boom’s technology include Les Triplettes de Belleville (Les Armateurs), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (Warner Bros.), The Rugrats (Universal), SpongeBob The Movie (Nickelodeon), Hanuman (Silverline), Curious George (Universal), Go West: A New Lucky Luke Adventure (Xilam), Simpsons The Movie (Fox), Chico & Rita (Mariscal) and The Princess and the Frog (Disney).

For information about Toon Boom Animation Inc, contact Karina Bessoudo, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Toon Boom Animation Inc, email: karina@toonboom.com, tel:  800-962-8666 .