Core Insights - The animated film "Time's Son," produced by Maoyan Pictures, has surpassed a box office of 100 million yuan, marking it as the first fully cloud-produced animated film in China [1] - The film's production involved five years of development, with 2,336 production shots and 97,234 tasks, over 70% of which were completed in the cloud, supported by Tencent Cloud [1][3] Production Process - The film utilized a cloud-based platform that integrated various production stages, enhancing project management, collaboration efficiency, and production quality [3][6] - Traditional production methods faced challenges such as inefficient version control and slow data transfer, which were addressed by moving the entire production environment to Tencent Cloud [4][6] Technological Advancements - Tencent Cloud's capabilities allowed for low-latency, high-reliability networking across regions, facilitating seamless collaboration among distributed teams [6][10] - The cloud production model enabled significant improvements in rendering and production processes, allowing for parallel workflows and iterative visual effects without extending the overall project timeline [7][10] Market Potential - The global animated film market is projected to reach 26,519.2 billion yuan by 2024, with China's market expected to account for 7,425.38 billion yuan, indicating a substantial growth opportunity [8] - The shift to cloud production is seen as a transformative trend in the animation industry, moving from heavy asset reliance to a lighter service subscription model, which is particularly beneficial for smaller production teams [11]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the challenges and advancements in the Chinese animation industry, particularly focusing on the transition to cloud-based production methods, exemplified by the film "The Time of Son" which is the first fully cloud-produced animated film in China [1][2][4]. Group 1: Animation Production Challenges - The production of "Ne Zha" involved over a hundred production companies and thousands of artists, leading to complex management and unstable production cycles due to traditional subcontracting methods [1]. - The animation industry in China has historically faced issues such as workflow fragmentation and management complexity, which cloud-based solutions aim to address [1][3]. Group 2: Cloud-Based Production Advantages - "The Time of Son" utilized the "Maoyan Cloud Production Platform," achieving over 70% of production tasks and 100% of rendering and data storage in the cloud, significantly reducing production time [2]. - The film's production process allowed for parallel task execution, extending the time available for refining visual effects from five to over twelve months [2]. Group 3: Industry Transformation - The shift to cloud production represents a move from heavy asset reliance to a lighter service subscription model, which is particularly beneficial for small production teams [4]. - Chinese cloud service providers like Tencent Cloud are gaining advantages in local film production due to their deep service capabilities and rapid implementation compared to foreign giants like AWS and Google Cloud [4]. Group 4: Future Potential and Expansion - The capabilities demonstrated by the "Maoyan Cloud Production Platform" could be replicated across more animation and film projects, potentially leading to standardized production services in the industry [6]. - Other cloud providers are also enhancing various aspects of the content industry, such as script creation and dubbing efficiency, indicating a broader trend towards intelligent production solutions [5].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the innovative approach of "fully cloud-based production" in the animation film industry, exemplified by the original animated film "The Time Traveler," which achieved over 100 million in box office revenue during the Dragon Boat Festival despite lacking a major IP or renowned director. This method addresses significant challenges in traditional animation production, such as environmental fragmentation, inefficient data transmission, and computational bottlenecks [2][3][4]. Group 1: Challenges in Traditional Animation Production - Traditional animation production faces three main challenges: environmental fragmentation, inefficient data transmission, and computational bottlenecks. The current mainstream model involves multiple teams working across various locations, leading to significant discrepancies in local environments [3][4]. - Data transmission issues are prevalent, with large files often being compressed or delayed, which can impact project timelines. For instance, a 50GB model file can be reduced to 10GB for email transmission, risking errors upon decompression [4]. - The computational demands for rendering are substantial, with complex scenes potentially requiring days of rendering time on local machines. The film "The Time Traveler" consists of 2,336 shots and 97,234 production tasks, highlighting the need for efficient computational resources [4]. Group 2: Advantages of Fully Cloud-Based Production - Fully cloud-based production resolves these issues by providing a unified environment where all teams use standardized software and tools, significantly reducing setup time. For example, a supplier was able to start working on the cloud the same day as the kickoff meeting, submitting their first shot just three days later [5]. - The centralized computational power allows for rapid processing of tasks that previously took hours on local machines. For instance, complex effects that once required hours of local rendering can now be processed in just half an hour on the cloud [5][6]. - The iterative capabilities of cloud production enable real-time data sharing, allowing teams to work concurrently rather than sequentially, thus enhancing the creative process and allowing for more extensive revisions [6]. Group 3: Future Implications and Industry Impact - The success of "The Time Traveler" demonstrates the replicability of cloud production, with plans to promote this model in future projects, particularly those requiring extensive collaboration among multiple teams [7]. - The cloud production model is expected to become a foundational infrastructure for the animation industry, reducing costs and increasing efficiency for smaller teams that previously had to invest heavily in equipment and software [7][8]. - The Chinese animation market is projected to reach 742.54 billion by 2024, accounting for 28% of the global market, with the potential for further growth to 3,595.42 billion by 2030. The widespread adoption of cloud production could help Chinese animation align technologically with international standards [8].