Digital artist pursues animated quest for universal message

Cedrick Chan, a Chinese-American digital arts director, has worked on projects for leading cinematic lights such as George Lucas and Zhang Yimou but has shifted focus to the mainland in the past two years and is preparing to make a 3-D movie with Yian Studios and the China Film Group. He wants to make an international movie that echoes universal human feelings and at the same time helps lift the country's animation industry.

What is the idea behind this 3-D movie?

I am thrilled to potentially be the director of China's first 3-D animated movie co-produced by Yian Studios, a Shanghai-based media company, and the China Film Group. We all have Chinese roots and feel it is an exciting time to be in China for many reasons. The No1 reason for me is, as a story-teller, there are many Chinese stories to tell to the world. I know I am not a local so I am not going to tell stories from the perspective of a local, but I do have a unique perspective as an ABC (an American-born Chinese).

I know how the West thinks and I know many Chinese people want their own Star Wars and Avatars. The problem is they are obsessed with being Chinese. Is Star Wars a movie about being American? The key is it is not just an American story. It is a universal human story. When you are obsessed with China, China, China, you are not going to tell a story for the global masses. You will maybe fill a couple of niches. Just as if a story is only about America, it will generally only hit people in America. But movies such as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Avatar, they are about the universal human condition, they are not about America. The type of movie we are after is an international movie. To get the big international box office you cannot just make a Chinese movie.

Can you reveal what the movie is about?

I will not get into the details, but a lot of Chinese movies are set in the past and modern stories are limited in scope and subject matter. I have challenges telling stories of China's past and I am limited by the present. What does that leave? The future. I want to tell stories about what China could be like in 20 years and beyond.

Do you have any challenges making that movie in China?