The authors and creators of donghua
From the web to animated filmBorn in 1973, Wang Wei first founded Tudou, one of China's online video pioneers, before starting over with Light Chaser Animation, the studio behind White Snake and Chang'an.
Career
In January 2005, Wang Wei founded Tudou (土豆网), one of China's first big video-sharing sites. The company listed on Nasdaq in August 2011, then merged with its rival Youku. Once the merger was complete, in August 2012, he stepped down.
In March 2013 he founded Light Chaser Animation (追光动画) in Beijing, aiming to make world-class Chinese animated films. He is at once its head, a director and a screenwriter, starting with Little Door Gods (小门神, 2016).
Under pen names, he writes the studio's scripts: "Da Mao" (大毛) for the White Snake trilogy, "Hong Ni Xiao Huo Lu" (红泥小火炉) for Chang'an.
Style and themes
Wang Wei designs his films as popular family epics rooted in Chinese legend and history: the White Snake myth, the gods of the Investiture, Tang poetry. He bets on polished 3D and universal emotions.
Their works on Donghua Fan
The donghua adapted from Wang Wei's novels, with their guides, characters and watch orders.
Other works
- Little Door Gods (小门神, 2016)
- New Gods: Nezha Reborn (新神榜：哪吒重生, 2021), as producer
- New Gods: Yang Jian (新神榜：杨戬, 2022), as producer
Trivia
- His pen name for Chang'an, "little red clay stove", comes from a poem by Bai Juyi: "New wine green as ants, a little red clay stove…"
- In pinyin he shares his name with the poet Wang Wei (王维), who appears in Chang'an.
- His English name is Gary Wang.
Donghua Fan's take
Wang Wei made the boldest bet on this list: leaving the web at the top to build an animation studio from nothing. Chang'an proves the bet paid off.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan