Products Name--------------------- "Light of Olympia"
Production Country---------------- China
Theme Type------------------------- Sports
Episode Volume-------------------- 1
Episode Length-------------------- 90 min
Film Director------------------------ Chen Sanwei
Dubbing Actor---------------------- Phyllis Diller , Debbie Reynolds
Completed Date------------------- 2007
What do a bronze donkey, a witch doctor, demi-gods, a princess and a torch all have in common? They’re all going to the Olympic games! But, they’re not just going for the gold. This game is for keeps. The champion of this deadly game takes the kingdom and rules the ancient world. Find out if an idealistic donkey (played by Phyllis Diller) can vanquish a magical menace, powerful demons and his own amnesia to save the world and win the girl – who thinks he’s nice and all – but, well he’s a donkey! Starring: Phyllis Diller, Debbie Reynolds.
3D Animation
By Stuart Alson
IFQ’s Stuart Alson sat down with San Wei Chan, the creator and director of the new 3D animation Light of Olympia. Light of Olympia’s budget is valued at ＄15 million and features the voices of Phyllis Diller and Debbie Reynolds. The animation is a joint collaboration between the USA and China.
IFQ: How did you get into animation? Where did you go to school?
San Wei Chan: First I went to school at the Beijing Film Academy in Beijing. We were the first class in the culture revolution. After I graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, I went to CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) in California.
IFQ: Some of your classmates at CalArts were also very successful.
SWC: My classmate Eric Darnell was the director for the studio called PDI (Pacific Data Images), which is a part of DreamWorks. He was the director of the 3D animation Antz and another DreamWorks animation called Madagascar. Another schoolmate was the animation director of films like Monster, Inc. and Toy Story.
IFQ: You graduated and then you went to Warner Bros. from there?
SWC: Yes.
IFQ: You remained at Warner Bros. for 15 years?
SWC: Actually a little bit over 16 years.
IFQ: What was your position while at Warner Bros.?
SWC: My main position was senior character artist. We handled the redesign and updates for the Looney Tunes characters and Hanna-Barbera productions, like Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo, that kind of stuff.
IFQ: So you updated them?
SWC: Yes. Also we created the Baby Looney Tunes in 1994. The reports for the first four years since the character was designed generated over ＄400 million for the company.
IFQ: Now you have opened your own studio. Is that right?
SWC: It’s kind of like a workshop. We develop ideas and when we have a good opportunity, we make films.
IFQ: Santoon Productions is the name of the company, right?
SWC: Yes.
IFQ: Your goal is to independently make your animations and have them distributed, and your new movie is called the Light of Olympia.
SWC: It’s kind of like an independent film project. The film is a co-production between the USA and China.
IFQ: Who is doing the voices?
SWC: The leading actress is Phyllis Diller and she plays Pelops, the donkey, and she did a very nice and tremendous job and she’s very funny. Also we have another talent, a Hollywood star, and her name is Debbie Reynolds. She plays the Queen in the movie.
IFQ: What about the music?
SWC: The music is from a live orchestra. Pinar Toprak is a very good composer.
IFQ: Will the movie have a soundtrack?
SWC: Yes, there will be a soundtrack for the movie.
IFQ: How many different characters are in the film?
SWC: We have eight to ten and maybe more really good characters.
IFQ: Also you want to offer merchandising of the characters, right?
SWC: Yes. We have some characters, kind of like superhero types and also we have the very cute and funny characters and the sidekicks.
IFQ: Briefly, what is the story of the movie?
SWC: The story is about the hero Pelops and he wins the tournament and he gets to dance with the princess. He fights the bad guys, saves the torch and in the end, the hero wins the tournament and saves the country, thus celebrating the victory which starts the first Olympics.
IFQ: The first time people will see the movie is in Cannes 2008.
SWC: Yes.
IFQ: Is it going to open in all the theatres in China before the Olympics?
SWC: Yes, we hope. We are planning to show it in theatres everywhere in China before the Olympics.
