The Shanghai Animation Film Studio is now making a 52- volume cartoon series "Music Up", whichis expected to be shown on TV at the end of this year.

Being different from the "Lotus Lantern", the studio will choose amateurs from the over 1,500 applicants to do the dubbing job.

"We do so, for we want to provide a chance for the audience toparticipate in the production so as to make it more acceptable andhumorous," said Jin Guoping, the studio manager.

The characters in the series look a little similar to those in Japanese cartoons, for the makers did a study of the Japanese cartoon characters, while their facial expressions, eyes, and the costumes are rather Chinese characterized.

Statistics show that China produced only a total 6,000 minutes of cartoon products last year, more or less the same with that of one Japanese cartoon company. While the need for cartoon programs of one domestic TV station alone is about 7,300 minutes. Altogether 36 million of the Chinese population are below the age of 17, composing the main part of the audience, but the slow development of domestic cartoon industry has left a large space for foreign producers.

Instead of home cartoon characters, Chinese people have been deeply impressed with Mickey Mouse, Tom Cat, and Chibi Maruko Chan.

The main reason for low yield of homemade cartoon is the lack of investment, pointed out Zhang Songlin, vice president and secretary general of the China Animation Film Association, adding that the annual governmental allocation for the industry is only 60 million yuan, as the Disney's "Lion King" alone cost as much as60 million US dollars.

"Lotus Lantern", which was on show last August, received warm welcome nationwide, with its box office income reaching 25 millionyuan, more than that of Disney's "Mulan".

Jin said that it is a successful try in market operations. And it has also been a inspirer to the long-time weary domestic cartoon industry, though there is still much room for further improvement in story telling, and character sculpturing.

Zhang said that lack of humor and dry sermonizing have also contributed to the lag domestic cartoon industry. Cartoon, as a kind of entertainment, must be, first of all, entertaining.

The competition brought by the market operational system will surely encourage more and more home cartoon producers to shift their attention to the needs of the audience.

Jin said that China's entry of WTO (World Trade Organization) will not despair domestic cartoon producers. " We will not sit there and see the domestic market to be occupied by the foreign cartoon producers. But rather we would grasp every possible opportunity to develop ourselves and compete with them."

China has only produced five cartoon films in the last 70 years of development, while Disney has up to now made 37 films, and Japan has already formed their own cartoon characteristics.

Liang Xiaotao, director of the Animation Department of the China Central Television, said that the "Lotus Lantern" was a bright spot in cartoon filming industry in 1999, while the Chinese producers ought to see clearly that there is still a long way to go to catch up with the Disney.

What is important now for the Chinese cartoon makers is to set practical goals according to their actual conditions, and to prevent blindly copying Disney and Japanese cartoon industry.

The output of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio has seen rapid increase since its entering into market in 1994, with the figure up to 1,800 minutes in 1999. And its output is expected to reach 5,000 minutes this year.