The National Center of Animation and Computer Games will open on July 27, 2004 at East China Normal University in the city, reports SHANGHAI DAILY. The Cultural Research Center of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Shanghai Broadband Television Corp. invested 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) in the center to encourage more domestic production.
"As the birthplace of the Chinese film and cartoon industry, Shanghai won the right to have the center over cities like Beijing, Shenzhen and Chengdu," said Tong Zuguang, vp of East China Normal.
Zhu Jianmin, president of Shanghai Broadband, expects the center will eventually attract funds from overseas.
"Such developing centers are usually run and sponsored by the government. It is the first time that the animation center is run by companies and the government provides nothing other than preferential policies," Zhu said. "We will attract domestic investment as well as overseas venture capital for the project."
The center will copy the South Korean format, providing a service platform to help local companies produce and sell animation or game products with strong Chinese characters. Companies at the center will either receive reduced taxes or no taxes as well as reduced or free rent. The criteria for each company benefits will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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