At a critical juncture when the global animation industry is accelerating towards the ultra-high-definition era, China has officially released the 8K animation production technical specifications. The specifications, with cutting-edge standards such as ultra-high resolution of 7680×4320 and high dynamic range of HDR, build a full-process technical system from creative conception, character modeling to post-rendering output, which not only fills the gaps in related fields such as international animation ultra-high-definition production standards, cross-media technology integration specifications, and digital presentation of culture and art, but also provides a “Chinese solution” with both cultural depth and technical height for the upgrading and development of the global animation industry, marking the historic leap of the Chinese animation industry from following technology to leading innovation.
The implementation of this specification is the result of collaborative innovation among multiple parties. Under the guidance of the strategy of building a strong cultural country, the country has vigorously promoted the deep integration of the animation industry and cutting-edge technology, and encouraged the empowerment of traditional cultural expression through technological innovation. Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, Beijing Film and Television Animation Association, China Animation Society, China Film Association Animation Film Working Committee and other units have played the advantages of industry guidance and resource coordination, and provided support from the policy advocacy and direction guidance levels, and joined hands with experts in animation creation, animation performance, animation technology, animation sound and theoretical research, and worked with the School of Digital Media and Design Art of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center for Digital Film and Television Animation Creation of Beijing Film Academy and other university research teams. After several months of repeated discussions and verifications, it ensured that the specification was in line with international technological trends and highlighted Chinese cultural characteristics. As the core leader, Sun Lijun, former vice president of Beijing Film Academy and president of China Animation Research Institute, worked closely with Zhang Chunjing, the initiator of 8K animation production specifications and chairman of Beijing Shengshi Shunjing Cultural Media, and other industry forces to lay a solid foundation for the formulation of the specification with professional technology and rich experience.
The innovative practices of leading figures in the animation field provide solid case support for the standardization. The world’s first 8K ink-and-wash animation film “Autumn Fruit”, directed by Sun Lijun and executive directed by Zhang Chunjing, deeply integrates the freehand charm of traditional Chinese ink painting with 8K ultra-high-definition imaging technology, and makes the ink “alive” on the digital screen with delicate brushstrokes and rich layers. The work was successfully shortlisted for the 70th Berlin International Film Festival and won many international honors; “Door God” uses a combination of 8K live shooting and virtual production to present traditional mythological stories with immersive visual effects. The animated film “Loess Slope” uses 8K technology as a carrier to vividly show the local customs and cultural heritage of the Loess Plateau, providing an innovative model for the artistic expression and cultural communication of 8K animation.
From a more profound perspective, the release of this specification is highly consistent with the trend of digital transformation of the global cultural industry. Internationally, ultra-high-definition technology is reshaping the production and dissemination of cultural content, but there was a lack of systematic standards in the field of 8K animation. China’s 8K animation technical specifications not only clarify core parameters such as resolution, color space, and frame rate, but also propose specifications for application scenarios such as digital restoration of traditional cultural elements and multi-terminal adaptation, providing global animation creators with a new path for the integration of technology and art. With the detailed presentation of about 33 million pixels of 8K images, as well as the dynamic range and color expression far exceeding traditional HD, the specifications will promote the expansion of the animation industry into multiple fields such as cultural and tourism integration, virtual interaction, and education and popular science, and accelerate the construction of the “animation +” ecosystem.
This “UHD Animation Standard” that embodies Chinese wisdom is not only a manifestation of the technical strength and cultural confidence of the Chinese animation industry, but will also become an important reference for animation practitioners around the world. With the promotion and application of the standard, Chinese animation will surely use technological innovation as an engine and cultural connotation as the core to lead the global animation industry into a new era of ultra-high definition, strong interaction, and deep integration, allowing the world to see the infinite possibilities of Chinese animation in terms of technological frontiers and cultural heritage. In the future, Chinese animation will continue to use innovation as a pen and standards as ink to write a more brilliant chapter on the canvas of the global cultural industry.
The implementation of this specification is the result of collaborative innovation among multiple parties. Under the guidance of the strategy of building a strong cultural country, the country has vigorously promoted the deep integration of the animation industry and cutting-edge technology, and encouraged the empowerment of traditional cultural expression through technological innovation. Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, Beijing Film and Television Animation Association, China Animation Society, China Film Association Animation Film Working Committee and other units have played the advantages of industry guidance and resource coordination, and provided support from the policy advocacy and direction guidance levels, and joined hands with experts in animation creation, animation performance, animation technology, animation sound and theoretical research, and worked with the School of Digital Media and Design Art of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center for Digital Film and Television Animation Creation of Beijing Film Academy and other university research teams. After several months of repeated discussions and verifications, it ensured that the specification was in line with international technological trends and highlighted Chinese cultural characteristics. As the core leader, Sun Lijun, former vice president of Beijing Film Academy and president of China Animation Research Institute, worked closely with Zhang Chunjing, the initiator of 8K animation production specifications and chairman of Beijing Shengshi Shunjing Cultural Media, and other industry forces to lay a solid foundation for the formulation of the specification with professional technology and rich experience.
The innovative practices of leading figures in the animation field provide solid case support for the standardization. The world’s first 8K ink-and-wash animation film “Autumn Fruit”, directed by Sun Lijun and executive directed by Zhang Chunjing, deeply integrates the freehand charm of traditional Chinese ink painting with 8K ultra-high-definition imaging technology, and makes the ink “alive” on the digital screen with delicate brushstrokes and rich layers. The work was successfully shortlisted for the 70th Berlin International Film Festival and won many international honors; “Door God” uses a combination of 8K live shooting and virtual production to present traditional mythological stories with immersive visual effects. The animated film “Loess Slope” uses 8K technology as a carrier to vividly show the local customs and cultural heritage of the Loess Plateau, providing an innovative model for the artistic expression and cultural communication of 8K animation.
From a more profound perspective, the release of this specification is highly consistent with the trend of digital transformation of the global cultural industry. Internationally, ultra-high-definition technology is reshaping the production and dissemination of cultural content, but there was a lack of systematic standards in the field of 8K animation. China’s 8K animation technical specifications not only clarify core parameters such as resolution, color space, and frame rate, but also propose specifications for application scenarios such as digital restoration of traditional cultural elements and multi-terminal adaptation, providing global animation creators with a new path for the integration of technology and art. With the detailed presentation of about 33 million pixels of 8K images, as well as the dynamic range and color expression far exceeding traditional HD, the specifications will promote the expansion of the animation industry into multiple fields such as cultural and tourism integration, virtual interaction, and education and popular science, and accelerate the construction of the “animation +” ecosystem.
This “UHD Animation Standard” that embodies Chinese wisdom is not only a manifestation of the technical strength and cultural confidence of the Chinese animation industry, but will also become an important reference for animation practitioners around the world. With the promotion and application of the standard, Chinese animation will surely use technological innovation as an engine and cultural connotation as the core to lead the global animation industry into a new era of ultra-high definition, strong interaction, and deep integration, allowing the world to see the infinite possibilities of Chinese animation in terms of technological frontiers and cultural heritage. In the future, Chinese animation will continue to use innovation as a pen and standards as ink to write a more brilliant chapter on the canvas of the global cultural industry.
Editors: Li Yan and Zhang Jinfeng
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