To show off the results of digitization at the National Palace Museum (NPM), computer animation techniques have been used to personify treasures in the NPM collection as its "superstars", in the hope of bridging the gap between modern audiences and ancient artworks. The result is that the NPM has specially cooperated with Digimax Corporation to film a 3D animated film short entitled "National Treasure Superstars", which will premier to audiences on April 13 on the B1 level of the Main Building at the NPM.
The artworks at the NPM offer many stories that can be told, and to make this become a reality, the NPM has teamed up with some of the top names in entertainment production, including Gérard Pirès (director of the 1998 world blockbuster French comedy Taxi), Tom Sito (Hollywood director of animations), and Digimax Corporation, renowned for its dazzling 3D animation technology. Using the latest computer animation techniques, breakthroughs have been made in traditional filming methods, the result being a fantastic 3D animated film short on museum art sure to please and inform audiences. The "stars" of the film include personified animations of such NPM "national treasures" as "Ceramic child pillow", "Jade pi-hsieh evil-averting beast", and "Jade duck". They take part in the exciting story of their search for a katydid that has flown away from another of the NPM's treasures, "Jadeite cabbage".
In addition to the NPM's "Jadeite cabbage" familiar to many audiences, the animated short also features the "Ceramic child pillow" interspersed through the story with charm and spirit. Characters based on or from other treasures in the NPM collection, such as "Jade duck", "Jade pi-hsieh evil-averting beast", "Children playing" and "A palace concert", also show up here, also taking audiences on the harrowing journey of the collection in the past. The filming of this 3D animated short took more than a year to complete, with "National Treasure Superstars" running for a total of 13 minutes, presenting not only the refinement and importance of the NPM collection, but also demonstrating the digital contents of its collection and using a humorous animated presentation to leave a strong impression on audiences.
Film Synopsis:
After the sun goes down, the lights come on. Don't assume that everything is quiet and still inside the exhibition galleries at the National Palace Museum. That's because every evening, after the last visitor has left the Museum, the works of painting and calligraphy and antiquities in the exhibition galleries come alive, throwing a party, chatting about everyday things, or just creating a general ruckus. The plot of this film involves three characters come to life--a child pillow, a jade duck, and a pi-hsieh evil-averting animal. These three friends often romp around playing together. However, one night during their revelry, they lost one of the insects perched on the famous jadeite cabbage on exhibit, leading them on a chase of the insect around the premises. How does it end? Just wait and see…
racters in the Film:
"Child Pillow": This character is based on a ceramic pillow molded into the shape of a young upper-class child. With incision and molding techniques for decoration, the ivory-white glaze echoes the pure innocence of childhood. The animation makes use of the innate naturalness of children to create a lively character who is curious and untainted by the ways of the world.
"Jade Duck": The jade from which this character derives is simply carved into the form of a duck, but it nonetheless magnificently captures details of the tail feathers and the plump quality of its body. The cute and lively features have a natural charm all their own. The film presents this character as somewhat foolish and not that sharp, being the troublemaker in the group here.
"Pi-hsieh Beast": This character is based on a Han dynasty jade carving representing a symbol of wisdom and courage. In the past, it would have appeared in the imperial palace, a treasured object for protection against evil. With this in mind, the animated short utilizes the qualities of self-confidence and resoluteness to mold a character that naturally serves as the leader in the film.
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