amazing images, videos, news, trends, pictures, technology, architecture, art, design, reports from China, and Hong Kong.
History of China pictures Shenzhen hosted the “Workers, Farmers – Zhu Xianmin, Wang Yuwen image collection exhibition”, organized by the local photographers association. The two … Read more
Today, anywhere in China. Every day, millions of square meters of old slums are torn down to make room for luxury condos and shopping malls.
Although these neighborhoods are demolished, people try to lead a normal life.
Video by Matteo Damiani, Music by Felix l’Amour
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBswGn0fw1U[/embedyt]
Taiwanese company Next Media Animation strikes back.
This time they produced a funny 3d video history of the life and career of Steve Jobs. Following you can find our interview to Michael Logan, pr of NMA.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJSFFpDuGZU[/embedyt]
Everybody is talking about Next Media Animation and 3d animated news. Michael Logan tell us more about production progress of their videos.
1. When and how did you come up with the idea to create a full service 3d animation studio?
The first news animations were published in September 2009. The research and development process took place for several years before that. Animated news is an evolution of a visual style of storytelling that Apple Daily and Next Media are well known for. The idea is animate the ‘missing’ action … ie those scenes not captured on video. Animation is a tool to help fully explain a story. In our view, having a news story without an animation is like having a newspaper without a color photograph … it just isn’t done. Our viewers have come to expect animation from our video news coverage.
2. How many people are involved in making a video?
There are presently 200 people at Next Media Animation and we have plans to add more. NMA provides news animation to the Apple Daily websites in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the NextTV station in Taiwan and to external clients.
3. Which software do you use for making your videos?
We use a variety of software and hardware tools that are well known throughout the animation industry. But what is important is not what tools we’ve acquired, but how we’ve applied them. We have set up a production process that allows us to turn around animations in the space of three hours, which is very important when working within an hourly news cycle.
4. Who are your main clients?
Again, our main clients are internal: Apple Daily websites in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the NextTV station in Taiwan. Externally, we have done work for the Cartoon Network, BBC, etc.
5. Did you expect a success like this?
Yes, and we expect to be even more successful in the future.
6. Tiger Woods, Google, Apple, North Korea. How do you choose the topics for your next videos?
We’re a news company at heart and we animate whatever is driving the news cycle.
7.Your animation are pervaded with a subtle irony. Is this the key to making successful videos?
Just like there are different styles of written articles (straight news, features, commentary) there are different styles of animated news stories. Some of our animations are straight news. Some are satirical and having a sense of humor helps.
Interview by Matteo Damiani
Click Baidu – A failed advertisement in a shopping mall in Kunming, southern China.
The Empire of Dwarfs, also known as the Kingdom of the Little People, was an unconventional and controversial theme park located near Kunming, in Yunnan Province, China. Established as a tourism venture, the park capitalized on its unique premise: employing people with dwarfism as performers and staff. It quickly garnered attention for its peculiar approach, sparking debates on ethical grounds and cultural perceptions of disability.
During our second visit, the overt references to Snow White—a narrative initially tied to the park’s branding—had vanished. Nevertheless, the central focus on dwarfs remained unchanged, with their performances being the primary draw for visitors.
The park featured an eclectic mix of attractions, including a deformed calf, a talented acrobat from Xinjiang, and, most notably, a community of performers with dwarfism. These performers engaged in choreographed routines, singing, and dancing twice daily for audiences consisting largely of families and school groups. The spectacle was designed to entertain but also invited scrutiny due to its portrayal of the performers.
For the individuals involved, many of whom came from rural or economically disadvantaged backgrounds across China, the park represented an unusual opportunity. While the concept of a theme park centered on dwarfs may seem exploitative at first glance, it provided an alternative to a life that might otherwise involve marginalization or begging in urban areas. Performers received housing and a degree of financial independence, albeit within a framework that commodified their physical traits.
The Kingdom of the Little People raised significant ethical questions about the intersection of entertainment, employment, and the dignity of individuals with disabilities. Critics accused the park of perpetuating stereotypes and exploiting its employees, while supporters argued that it offered a rare source of income and community for individuals who might otherwise face societal exclusion.
Over time, the park’s novelty waned, and discussions about its place in modern society highlighted broader issues of representation and human rights. Whether seen as a controversial attempt at inclusion or an insensitive commercialization of disability, the Empire of Dwarfs remains a striking example of the complexities inherent in cultural tourism and ethical entertainment.
If you want to know more, read here or here.
UPDATE: A friend told us the Empire has been shut down recently (2015).
Pictures & video by Matteo Damiani
The article was originally published on Aug 8, 2011, Latest update Jul 18, 2019
Topic: dwarf theme park in China,dwarfs empire in China,china dwarf empire,dwarf empire documentary
Images of Chinese flowers A collection of beautiful and colorful flower images taken with a macro lens. Yunnan Province, Southern China. Pictures of flowers of … Read more
Images of Chinese insects A collection of spiders, worms, bees, dragonflies, ladybugs and other colorful bugs images taken with a macro lens in parks and … Read more
Impact of urban renewal on communities in China: A photo essay on the changing face of China’s ‘City of Eternal Spring Kunming, the capital city … Read more
Qingdao beach after an invasion of sea lettuce. Many species of sea lettuce are a food source for humans in many countries. However, rotting leaves … Read more
Urbanization in China A side-effect of rapid modernization is the confusion. Destroying entire neighborhoods from night to day is malpractice that leaves many victims in … Read more
Cultural Revolution Propaganda Images – Defend the territorial waters was the priority of the People’s Liberation Army troops. Following a series of images depicting rare … Read more
Luna Park in China – Daguan Park is located on the shores of Dianchi Lake, in the southwest of Kunming City.
In the last two years, the park expanded the funfair area. People of every age interacts with the rides. It doesn’t matter if a quick ride costs 30 or 50 RMB. The most important thing is to have fun, feel the high, scream, smile, feel good, alive! Opening hours are from 08:30 to 18:00.
The ticket fee is 20 RMB for adults and doesn’t include rides or service you can have in the park.
Photos & video by Matteo Damiani
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-XbgbFCtlI[/embedyt]
4D Cinema
Pictures & Video by Matteo Damiani (www.cinaoggi.it ; www.china-underground.com)
Locust invasion in China Fu Sheng, a village not far from Changsha has been invaded by a swarm of locusts. Bamboo forest and crops were … Read more
Photographs of floods in China. Summer is coming, a time of flooding in Southern China. Like every year, many southern provinces are literally submerged and … Read more