"Martin Martin, you wake up every morning, Martin Martin, there is a character waiting for you." The classic animation IP "Martin" (formerly "Martin's Morning") has gained the love of a generation of children since it was launched 20 years ago . This little boy who transforms every morning always has strange ways of transformation waiting for him. Sometimes it is the protagonist in fairy tales and legends, sometimes it is a professional player with special skills, sometimes it is an animal or even an alien... But no matter what he becomes, his relatives and good friends will always be by his side, Support him to start a happy adventure together.

Movie "Martin: Monster Wars" poster

Since its birth in 2003, "Variety Martin" has undergone hundreds of gorgeous transformations. It will enter the cinema on July 22, bringing everyone back to their innocence in the form of a big movie.

On July 15th, the film "Martin: Monster Wars" premiered in Shanghai. Director Zhang Tianxiao made a surprise appearance with Martin dolls and had a loving interaction with the audience. As Martin's father, director Zhang Tianxiao shared Martin's Exclusive stories from the making of the big movie.

The scene of the premiere of "Martin: Monster Wars" in Shanghai.

The first Sino-French co-production animation

Inspired by San Mao and Ding Ding

Zhang Tianxiao has worked in the animation industry for many years. In 1983, he joined Shanghai TV Animation Factory and became the deputy director at the age of 22. In 1989, he went to France to study and entered the world's most famous animation school - CFT Gobelins School of Visual Arts (CFT Gobelins) for further study, and worked successively in Paris Cartoonman Animation Company and French TV 4 Elips Animation Company. After nearly 10 years of creating and producing for foreign companies, he has been thinking about how to make a cartoon for children all over the world from a creative perspective.

The 1990s coincided with the low tide of China's animation industry, and a large number of foreign cartoons poured in. Mature Japanese and European and American animations brought new and exciting experiences to young audiences. It is not only the eyes of the children who are attracted, but also the animation talents. At that time, a large number of animation companies sprang up in southern China to process for foreign manufacturers. They had abundant funds and a lot of projects, and a large number of people in the traditional Chinese animation industry flowed to the south. Even Shanghai Meiying Studio, which has a long history and great glory, has experienced the sad scene of "house after room of animators have left, and the animation studios that were once in full swing have gone to empty buildings".

"What I always hope is to be original. Especially after going abroad, when I look at Chinese culture from the platform of the world, I hope that the things of Chinese culture can go to the world. So for a creator, even at that time There are many opportunities in front of me, and I can make money as an OEM, and I still hope that by learning advanced foreign animation technology, I can help us create original things.” Zhang Tianxiao recalled his state of mind at that time.

Director Zhang Tianxiao

Martin was born at the beginning of the 21st century. In its initial stage, it was also called "Martin's Morning". It was the first Sino-French co-production film approved by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. The French side was the main investor and it adopted the model of overseas pre-sale . Looking back now, Zhang Tianxiao believes that whether this animation is a co-production model for international cooperation, or the practice and improvement of co-production policies, as well as the promotion of international exchanges and cooperation through co-productions, and the improvement of domestic animation creation and market-oriented operations, it is important. has important meaning.

In the impression of many people, "Martin's Morning" seems to be a foreign animation, which is related to the Chinese-French co-production gene of the animation, and the more direct reason is that the characters in the animation look more "foreign".

Talking about Martin's character design inspiration, Zhang Tianxiao said frankly that he was indeed influenced by western animation. "I was the first to make the cartoon "The Adventures of Tintin". I was the only Chinese in the whole crew. That experience influenced me a lot. In addition, I am particularly fascinated by the European comics in the 1950s. I think that It is very stylish, so Martin’s inspiration at the beginning was actually a combination of Western Tintin and Chinese Sanmao. I think these two images have something in common.” At the same time, Zhang Tianxiao, as a Shanghai animator, thinks that Shanghai itself It is "Shanghai-style culture that is inclusive of all rivers." "I hope to create a role that can play the role of a cultural messenger between China and the West."

Martin

Zhang Tianxiao has the characteristics of both Chinese and Western animators. When he was young, the only animation class in the Zhonghua Vocational School he attended was a class commissioned by Meiying Studio, "Our teachers are all artists from Meiying Studio, and Meiying Studio has had a particularly great influence on my animation creation to this day. "Many animation creations of Meiying Factory draw materials from traditional Chinese myths and folklore. "When we created Martin, we used classic European stories as the source of creativity, such as 'Fore Martin' and 'Malatin'. The appearance of the transformation, the world-famous classic story should be known to children, but it is actually in the same line." In the movie version of the animation, more Chinese elements have also been integrated into this story. The name of the monster Lishou is taken from "Shanhai According to the legend of "Jing Jing", the scene design in the film also draws heavily on traditional elements such as Chinese painting and opera.

Martin and the Beast

gift for viewers watching martin at one o'clock in the morning

"Chinese Boy" is also on the way

The most amazing thing about Martin is not that he has a different identity every day, but that no matter how strange his identity is, he will insist on going to school. And Zhang Tianxiao, the "Father of Variety Martin" who keeps turning Martin into various novel shapes, also said that in the process of continuously outputting creativity, the difficulty is never what makes Martin become, but what he transforms and the people around him. relationship, and the story that develops from it.

"Martin's biggest feature is that he transforms every day, and at the same time it brings a problem. The interesting stories brought by his transformation each time, and it must be in line with Martin's own growth, which is a relatively difficult thing. Plus Over the span of so many years, he has changed his direction and the surrounding environment, and he has to keep pace with the times.” Zhang Tianxiao said that it is not easy for Martin to manage constant changes.

When an independent animation story of ten minutes per episode is to be brought to the big screen to present a more grand and fantasy adventure of only one and a half hours, the biggest challenge in creation is to tell a more complete story belonging to Martin.

"When you turn into a movie, you suddenly find that the previous plot structure doesn't work. It's impossible to piece together a small story brought about by a transformation like a plot. So we have to find a big main line for Martin, At the same time, the transformation must conform to Martin's original genes, and the technical audio-visual effects are completely different in cinemas and small screens, these are all challenges."

martin becomes aladdin

The wish to give Martin a more gorgeous and complete adventure was fulfilled on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the birth of this animated image. The children who once watched Martin have grown up. Zhang Tianxiao hopes that when the movie is released, it will be a common gift for the children who once watched Martin and the children today. "We make a more complete and full story, so that the audience 20 years ago and today's children can share together. I think this is the best gift for Martin when he is 20 years old." Zhang Tianxiao said at the premiere of the film.

An interesting statistic is that he found that the playback data of "Various Martin" on the Internet over the years is the best at night or even in the early morning. "At one o'clock in the morning, the playback volume is higher than during the day, I thought, yes What kind of person opens this animation at this time?"

After research, the team found that the audience of Martin Jr. is not only children, but also college students and some white-collar workers. Interesting, not boring."

Martin Lorna Guo Mo escaped with a parachute

Under Zhang Tianxiao's Weibo, another voice with a high voice is about his other work "Chinese Boy". In 2006, the story of three young heroes using Chinese Shaolin martial arts to fight against black fox monsters was once the "childhood shadow" of a generation of teenagers. The ups and downs of the story and the dark and colorful painting style make people feel a little creepy on the one hand, but can't stop it at the same time. But the film took 26 episodes, and there was no follow-up, which left a generation of viewers still unsatisfied. The film's Douban score is as high as 9.6, and fans have been thinking about the follow-up of the film for many years.

In the ending egg of "Variety Martin: Monster Wars", Martin transformed into the image of Tang Xiaolong in "The Chinese Boy", and then the painting style changed, from comic-style cartoons to more Chinese-style rivers and lakes, which is very exciting. Imaginative thoughts about the follow-up of "Chinese Boy".

Zhang Tianxiao said that after the twenty-six episodes of "Chinese Boy" were completed, it was difficult to surpass in terms of quality, and the whole story had many limitations in terms of expression and in-depth excavation. "I prefer to use the form of a movie." Let it go on." Zhang Tianxiao revealed that the film creation of "Chinese Boy" has already started, "but the film takes longer. It is normal for a film to go through a cycle of four to five years. By the time of its 20th anniversary, it should be able to Meet the audience."