Opera (CalArts Short Film 2022)
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- Опубліковано 23 кві 2022
- A Peking Opera troupe performs at North America for the first time. Xutian, Maomao, and Chengyuan have different feelings about their upcoming performance.
A Film by Janelle Feng
Thank you to everyone for contributing your talent and for helping me put this together!
Voice:
Xutian-Joe Zhang / natural_joe
Maomao-Yuzhi Chen / chen._yuzhi
Chengyuan-Joy Chan / joyuzu
Costumer-Olivia Xing / oliviacrossing_
Crew-Anthony Paras / bamfonyy
Music:
Solar Zhu / solarzhu_1997
Sound Design:
Ying Xin / shadowyx122
Singing:
Yang Liu
/ nirvanayang
nirvanayang.weebly.com
Script Edit:
Qi Liu & Chengyuan Chen
Recording Assistance:
Chengqing Zhu
Re-Recording:
Daniel Eaton
Special Thanks:
Thank you to Michelle for your help with designing the title slide and moral support.
Thank you to my family for reviewing my script and constantly supporting me.
Thank you to all my friends for your help with making this story the best it can be.
Watch other films made by my classmates: • 2022 CalArts Character... - Фільми й анімація
I showed this to my Chinese class, and they laughed at the "ok" "what did he say?" "I don't know" lOL. My Chinese teacher especially liked the message~
Haha I am so honoured! Glad that your class and your teacher enjoyed the film!
Forgive me, what was the message?
@@LucyFerr000 About sinophile
Delightful piece. Gave me a chuckle as well. Had my own similar experiences as an English-only speaking stage manager with an Asian theater company.
So, of course, I have to share this short with all my stage management colleagues around the country.
AMAZING…. The interactions feel so natural(and totally sound like things my cousins would say)
Hahaha I'm glad the dialogue felt natural to you! And thank you!!
We agree! The viewing made us feel the same way! 😍😍😍
@@SmileyFaceOrg yeah it really was! The “没听懂你 OK个屁” (1:04)was hilarious! Made the dialogue sound natural
the animation and story is amazing but the guy that says "ok"even though he don't understand anything is gold✨👌
Edit:Mom!!!I'm famous!!!!!!!!!🤯🥳
we appreciate him so much 😌
He's the best
(it's a comment chill xd)
Haha, it’s really natural dialogue too! Makes the story better haha
I'm russian and I don't understand several things that guy saysd, so it's actually for me too) it's hard without subtitles yet)
This is gorgeous, I love the little nuances and subtle pointing towards the little sinophobic attitudes. During the last scene I felt the doubt in my bones. I love this film so much
Aaa It makes me content to know that you were able to relate to emotions within this film ; 0 ; The theme was a hard one to juggle so your comment means a lot
@@SmileyFaceOrg your animations are honestly so inspiring!! Its amazing that you can fit so much beauty and a sense of intimacy while still deliver a strong message. I really look forward to seeing more from you!
How is it Sinophobic? I don't understand.
@@chloe_speaks2384 It might be different for other chinese people but as a chinese person I notice a lot of white people tend to "like" our cultures bcs it looks different but still eurocentrically beautiful enough to enjoy. Even so they will not take the time to learn from chinese people about the cultures and choose instead to sit through shows that are hard to understand and as a result, we would feel like glorified monkeys in a circus. Instead of being there to enjoy the opera, they would just "appreciate the culture" without even actually appreciating it asides the obvious aesthetics. Chinese opera in itself has very different pacing, storytelling, form of expression etc compared to western media that even us chinese people have to put in effort to understand it.
Also the fact that in the film, they sent a white person who can't even speak chinese to be in charge of the troupe speaks volumes of how they don't really care of accomodating them properly
@@shanni0604 Why does it matter that he's white if he can't speak Chinese? Would it be better if he was black or Latino, or even a different kind of Asian? Also, depending on the size of the city they're in, they may not be able to find a Chinese translator on such short notice.
Really, this is the fault of both the theater and the company. They should have at least one member who speaks English if they're going to be performing in English-speaking areas.
As for being "glorified monkeys in a circus", these people are paid performers. If they don't like performing in front of audiences who aren't necessarily familiar with their culture, they should go into a different line of work.
Considering we don't even see the audience in this film, you can't really make judgments about why they're there. What's wrong with "appreciating the culture"? Do you have to read the entire Wikipedia article on Peking opera to be allowed to attend one if you're not Chinese? How is it "eurocentrically beautiful" enough to enjoy while other cultures aren't? I feel like you're really grasping at straws here.
I feel Xutian has experienced trauma when interacting with 'foreigners' and it's interesting when juxtaposed with the girl who had a good experience interacting with them. Very beautifully animated.
I don't think he experienced it, then the emotions would have been raw, his were lukewarm. But he did see someone going through it and it created phobia of sorts.
I am guilty of the same attitude as him. I am just so in love with my culture, that i get extremely protective over it.
That was beautiful. I loved that as much as the male singer was worried about his audience not understanding and appreciating the opera, he didn't seem to care about how he couldn't understand the stage manager, nor did he go out there and understand the culture the way the other singer did.
ehhhh
so basically his character is being a hypocrite?
The duality of understanding presented within this short is amazing, alongside the wonderful art style. The way the dialogue deals with fears of sinophilia and Orientalism but also exposing the ignorance on the part of the performer, especially with the troupe being abroad but still referring to the audience and crew as “foreigners”. Altogether stellar
This comment should be pinned! ✨
You pointed it out so well!
this whole film was gorgeous but that quick shot at 0:37 especially wowed me by how much detail you put into the hair accessories!! so beautiful and the voice actors did great too!
Thank you! >< AND YAA applause to all my amazing voice actors!
Yea it’s so pretty 🤩
THIS IS SO REAL THOUGHHH like -__- as an asian its always such a weird experience when white people take an interest in your culture because you want to believe that their intentions r all good and that instead of just gawking theyre going to be actually respectful vs contending with the reality that its not always going to be that way vs wanting to be fair to them vs the whole history of orientalism etc etc wahhh this animation was fantastic and also so real!! props!!!!!!
This is SO SPOT ON......And thank you so much!
Just let the white ppl admire your culture. Don't think too much about it, enjoy the convo while it lasts. At least that is how I talk with foreign admirers (but they aren't white, mostly Desi tho) :)) and that is how they deal with me.
do you feel the same weird experience when brown or black people are interested in your culture? Just curious. As a Mexican I don't' really care what skin colors are interested in my culture as long as they're nice about it, respectful and ask questions, but as you mention I suppose its whether you have that POV. If you choose to view the best or worst in people that'll really dictate your overall perception.
@@Noorboomboomshakalakaboom Thats what it is, I think some people think to much about it. But if its a nice peaceful experience with no antagonist behavior, why not just vibe and chill with one another?
I dare say the reverse is also true.
”他说什么？”
“没听懂”
”没听懂你OK？”
As a Chinese-Speaker that got me.
Your character designs are so unique, you truly push others to explore more styles ♡
We haven't seen that anywhere, either. Very talented and unique! By the way, what do you think of our characters? We transformed the jewels into living characters 😄🥰
I find this especially intriguing because in the west there is an understanding that half (or probably more than half) of the time you go to an opera you won't understand the words of the opera. MOST western operas are in Italian, but also French and German and other languages, and the audience is even wider than that. So the western opera going world expects to not always understand the words and are tuned in to the emotions as they are expressed by tone and physical actions of the performers, as well as the set dressing and lighting.
These actors are used to their stories being understood, and have strong misgivings of the sincerity of their audience because they themselves do not know or understand that piece of western culture
Maybe not EVERYONE can enjoy or understand but I believe that as long as people are open to it, art transcends culture, and your art is amazing by the way. :)
As an east-asian american, the subtle nuances really hits home... the line between if somebody is either being respectful of or fetishizing your heritage and culture can be hard to distinguish at times, which makes it hard to not be cynical sometimes. The dialogue feels very charmingly human, and I adore it! ((And there will always be that guy that answers with 'ok' even if they don't know what's being said 😂 A wonderful animation yet again!))
...I really feel that when he says "Do you think [the foreigners] actually come here for the opera or... "
do they genuinely like the culture or they are here for a zoo exhibition?
it brought me back to that time when a really internationally popular Chinese game released a Peking opera character and I was just sitting in front of my computer, hesitating over whether I should scroll down to see the comments or not.
As someone Chinese, I can confirm there’s always that one friend that says “O.K” despite having no idea what someone’s just said to them.
Also the animation and voice acting is absolutely stunning! Keep up the great work!! :)
THIS IS INCREDIBLE !!! the art is what first caught my attention when i first saw a clip from ur instagram page, and what compelled to find the youtube video- but the scripting, the voice acting and the way the characters interacted is so dynamic and authentic. i like how you’ve expressed sinophobic attitudes through anxieties of ur characters, that typical fear of mockery and disregard of culture that many asians risk being victim of at the expense of performance. resonated with me :) keep up the good work!
Aaa thank you so much for the touching comment! It made my day... ;; I really appreciate it thanks again!
This is the first time I’ve heard Tim Hortons in Mandarin!!! This is so cute
I visited Vancouver 2 years back and there was mostly asian people and I was like… this just feels like HK but bigger and colder 🤣🤣
Hahaha you understand what is up then! And thanks!
As a Chinese born, this short film is absolutely AMAZING!! the animation is very smooth, and when they say 'oh i don't understand anything' kinda reminds me of when i was younger and traveling to other countries and being clueless about what people are talking about
also the dialogues are very natural too :0 so in the end this is some amazing work!! keep up with it!! :D
p.s
also, in china there are more types of opera than the pekin opera too! they may be sang in different tones and the dance moves are different
"we have subtitles..." That killed me 🤣🤣🤣
The sheer level of anxious dread I got second hand even while I was happily enjoying how beautiful this was... This hit me right in the diaspora but in the best way if that makes sense? Thank you for this so so much 😭♥️
Tbh when I watched this for the first time I didn't get it, But its been a few months, and I can't stress how many times I have felt like this about my motherland's(India) culture . You are always wary if someone outside your culture will get it or its just "exotic" to them but also excited to share something that means so much to you. The film really validated(in a way?) such feelings that I always had . I think this film will resonate with a lot of different cultures.
Thank You 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
I really feel the message of this short film. That was gorgeus and so naturally artistic. I wish I had better words for this. I really love these shorts that doesn't try for some really deep and meaningful messages, but rather something much more mundane but no less thought-provoking, something realistic and somber. The dynamics and pace was beautiful. God, my new favourite!
Saw this in the open show and my jaw dropped from how pretty this was
Just like him answering "Ok" to anything the foreign says, so too the audience cheers to whatever spectacle they witness. My, my, I loved that analogy.
I adore the anxiousness he has, yet the others were hopeful. Loved the different layers you were able to show - but the best one is that there was no answer who 'was right' after all (the friends or his doubt).
Love the textures you have, this was no exception ♡
啊啊啊啊啊 太好看了 ！！！好喜欢这种画风，我觉得在海外的人往自己作品里放咱们中国的文化元素是一个很好的事，能给外国朋友看看我们很厉害的历史和文化！！！加油啊
this is gorgeous!! i loved the dialogue they got going on lmaoo
Yooo the make-up lady's expression at 0:18 is the best! The sheer exasperation...man what an animation! Love the dude who says "ok". Actual vibe, just rollin' with it, super chill. And that final scene with all the makeup and costume on the characters, the hustle and bustle of the backstage before a performance was really well captured. Beautiful animation and colors, can't wait to see more of your work!
This is so fantastic. I love the character designs, the dialogue and the way each personality handles the same topic. Every time I watch it I see something new or notice another detail, also loved the voices!
SUCH A GORGEOUS AND SUBTLE STORY!!!!😭
THANK YOU JINGQI THAT MEANS A LOT TO HEAR IT FROM YOOOOOOOU 😭😭😭
The duality is very well expressed within a simple daily moment, the dialogue feels natural, and the art was obviously worked on with thoughtfulness. It feels... Crisp and open, if there's a way I can put into words my feelings on both the way subject chosen was dealt with and visuals while watching. Overall, just bravo. I was even a little disappointed when it was over. I'll show this to my uncle, who has been studying Chinese for the past year.
The 沒聽懂 gets me everytime LKJDSFKLDJSFLD this is amazing!!!!
It's so incredible how the short articulates both the excitement and hope that comes with others appreciating your culture, and the fear of fetishization. It's so scary when people take in interest in your culture because you'd like to be welcoming but, when you're an immigrant yourself, and feel distanced from your background, sometimes it feels as if I'm out in the audience as well, gawking at my people's own history. Sometimes I worry there isn't much of a difference between me and the Orientalists I fear so much.
You’ve said it so well. My family has lost much of their culture when they moved here as an effort to fit in. It’s sad to know that I will never understand it the way my relatives back in China do.
The way you worded it is perfect. As someone who is wasian (white and asian) thats how I feel/felt for such a long time in my life but I never knew how to describe it. Im so happy to see other people that feel the same way and I dont feel so alone anymore.
Wow incredible work Janelle💗 I remember your spectacular work from Gobelins as well. So amazing to see how you evolve!! (Also the guy saying 没听懂 all the time cracks me up)
Aaa thank you for following along my artwork! So glad you enjoyed the film X )
the dialogue was so good! as a chinese, it was so easy to understand and the conversation was so natural while discussing little bits of sinophobia, i love this so much! :)
BRO this is the type of short films that make me to go pursue animation when I apply to college. A way to tell stories is what I wanna do
Asking if the westerners are here to watch Chinese opera itself or just to see something new and exotic is like asking you’re lover if he/she loves you for the person that you are or for your appearance and social conditions.
You absolutely nailed it, I love Chinese opera and the interactions/dialogue + the inner doubt were very well done!
The level of detail in this is phenomenal. The level of detail included even in the background like at 0:05, 1:36, 2:08 or 2:29 just adds to the realism both visually and to the story being told.
哇，真的好喜欢，自己也是学的动画的，但是什么也不行。好佩服和欣赏你们坚持做动画的人。这个画风非常喜欢，情节也逼真到位，期待后续。支持你，追了！
从微博找来的。最后结尾时的那种迷茫和不安真的太真实，我的很多戏曲演员同学对英文世界都有类似的迷茫。特别是疫情后人与人的隔阂更加重，这种迷茫和未知就更加被凸显了。
而且说实话，我作为中国人都不太“听得懂”戏曲，每次上戏曲鉴赏一类的课都云里雾里，所以真的怀疑老外到底能懂多少，以及到底是为什么来听戏。
@@saracui4769 谢谢你发表感想,能觉得到这部短片有真实感我真心很高兴。也许因为这种细节的讨论不多吧,但制作本片时也能感受同样的那种不安。再次感谢!
Ghhh oh this was so lovely even as it stung, from the brutal realism of the dialogue and interactions to the tangible minefield of nuance between the performers and their venue collaborator. To be glad you're being spoken to normally or to feel wrong-footed that they just assumed you would understand? Should it be questioned at all, at risk of being told "then you should've taken up that responsibility"? "You knew what you were getting into"? But so did they, and yet...? It's such a difficult distance to navigate, and the more one thinks on it the more the dread settles in despite the comfortable familiarity of this atmosphere. I really loved this ;q;!!
This short is so beautiful. I'm from Italy, but I really love chinese history and culture (and opera!).
My dream is to learn chinese mandarin one day, and become fluent, because it is just such a beauitful language...I had to watch it a couple of times (with pleasure) because I focused so much on listening to the voices, that I forgot to look at the drawings.
I also want to be able to appreciate the literature in its original form. I think that the best way to truly learn and appreciate another culture is by learning the language.
I hope I can find an IRL course to learn from soon (for the moment I'm trying to learn how to recognize pinyin by myself).
The voice actors killed this! 💕
I feel like this is a combination of slice of life chats & some cultural barrier issues in their talk. It's relatable with some warmth talk like in family gathering but like has abit of anxiety sparks (since I believe we focus more on that one male with dressed as young concourt prince/ something.....I know abit about Kunqu so I can say that....even though I doubt I even understand well my chinese background 😅😅😅😅😅). But oh well, let's not overthinking too much. The animation is....."gorgeous" I guess? It's simple but still evoke much to the reference of the cultural heritage/ something? I dunno, it's beautiful anyway. Good work!!!!!!
I love hearing what people took away from this film and thank you for writing such thoughtful comment! Yeah that guy's costume was a reference/inspired by the Peony Pavilion, so you got it right hehe. I'm glad you were able to experience both from this film. Thanks a lot!
gosh this was so good!! nothing anyone else hasnt already said but the lighthearted bits were so wonderful (i got such a cozy feeling hearing mandarin while im away from home :")) and in such a short amount of time u were able to make me love the characters and feel the same anxieties as xu tian,, also love your art style and animation sm too !! absolutely adore this
I remember when I was little & mum used to play for more operas & shows like this, I didn’t always understand the language, but I still enjoyed them
Great animation!
phenomenal. you really capture the nuance of a very difficult conversation with such snappy dialogue and cute interactions. The music and animations work well to really paint the culture too. Thank you for sharing this piece of yourself
everything about this is so beautiful!! from the art to the writing to the characterization! i love this so much, thank you for creating this!
That's sooo beautiful. Thank you for creating this MASTERPIECE!!
This is so gorgeous amd well-made. Subtly & pointedly get the message across. A true joy to watch. Thank you for sharing your work!
this is really beautifully done!! there's so much depth in the candid and natural dialogue that speaks to cultural nuances/ differences/ expectations on top of the stunning visuals
this is absolutely beautiful!! the designs and the painting style gives so much character, it honestly very inspiring. keep up with the good work!!
this is genuinely one of the best animations i’ve ever seen! your character designs are amazing and they’re so full of personality!
the dialogue, the designs were so well done! I love how you showed the interactions, incredible job on this film!
I love this film. The art is phenomenal, but the story? That too. I’m sad to say that when I went to a Chinese Opera performance, my parents wouldn’t stop laughing. I don’t remember it. Being three. But they tell me about it with a smile and it frustrated me. If only they viewed it as they do their own culture. With utmost respect.
It’s tempting to send them this wonderful film. You did an excellent job crafting this visually and narratively.
This reminds me of Gobelines' Sundown! So cool!!!
That's what I was thinking
everything looks so pretty! the interactions between the characters are so entertaining too~
This was so beautiful. Such a short time period but I feel like the personalities of each character were very clear. The animation style was also gorgeous 🤩 amazing work!
This is now one of my favorite short animation films. I hope to see even more work form your team!! Takes great mastery to create recognizable characters in such short time. Your team did so great on storytelling and voice acting. I want to rewatch it so many times! You put so much weight in few phrases.
Im chinese and when they said: you dont even understand, why did you okay? I was laughing hard
i LOVED this. it’s such a gorgeously designed and animated film!!!
👏so👏well👏written/ smooth dialogue and transitions, gorgeous saturated palette and style. Amazing piece of work🌻
Wow this is beautiful! The characters were so naturally well done
this is an amazing and sweet short animation. i love the art a lot and i think you guys did an especially good job at writing the script. well done! your film warms my heart
This is beautiful! The designs, shape language and visuals are stunning!
your blocking is impecable, the story is so concise yet strong and i'm not even starting in the art direction, mindblowing, you are an incredible director/animator/everything!!!!!!!!!
I love how the background music sounds like ones you'd hear at Peking opera, as a filipino studying opera and theatre, I adore Chinese opera and it's different variants! I loved the singing as well even if it was short, it was lovely to hear and the message was very eye opening too. thanks to you and the team for making such a lovely short film! 💖
This is a really fantastic short film ❤️ You’ve really nailed interactions, it feels so natural. Despite coming from a vastly different culture that has been treated very differently to China by the world, I can very much understand the worry behind when others say how much they adore your culture, especially when it very often doesn’t come from a good or genuine place and you’ve really captured it in a really fantastic way. It’s a feeling that a lot of people don’t understand, or is often portrayed as completely unfounded but the way you portrayed the different viewpoints was beautiful. I can only imagine how difficult and odd feeling it must be to be a performer in this situation, especially for Chinese performers were sinophobia as well as orientalism have been so prominent in Western countries for so many years.
the colours and textures in this are so gorgeous, and as someone who pays way too much attention to coffee cups in animation, especially Tim Horton’s cups, you really just set the standard. absolutely incredible all around
excited to follow you:)
wow! The visuals, the voice acting, the beautiful intricacies in the writing and dialogue, all wonderful! I always find narratives like these compelling, and you did an amazing job! Great work!
Oh God, I'm so intrigued by this, I wish there'd be more parts coming up...
SCREAMING I love chinese opera so much and this was incredible
I can't wait to see what other films you make! this was incredibly well done! amazing job to you and everyone involved
THis is so good and so natural! The dialogues and interactions!! Amazing
The amount of detail on their little facial expressions and dialogue are amazing. Got my throat knotted up with anxiety til the end duveidndoq amazing work!
As a Chinese person, this touched me on a personal level… I appreciate this animation so much, every detail was beautiful, and the dialogue was very realistic and funny 😆 I felt the doubt at the end clearly. Enjoyed this very much!! Kudos to you ❤️❤️
I’m Half German and Half Haitian and Chinese and Indian Culture interest me quite a bit! But I always feel embarrassed whenever learning about them because I feel like i’m always being rude in some way 🥲 Aside from that I really love this animation! The art style is really eye catching and gives me a lot of inspiration 😄😄
OH MY GODD THIS IS SO GOOD!!! I literally love the voice acting it sounds so natural. banger animations too fr
love ur drawing style! the dialogues are so cute!
Fantastic exploration of topic and I loved the character designs
OMG, the animation and story behind your film is incredible! Dude your animation and design skills are truly outstanding, I can't compete XD
I especially love the way that you present your stories, and the types of stories that you choose to tell, freaking amazing man!!
The character designs are unique, cozy color tone is comforting, and nice voices. Wish you great success and look forward to seeing more videos of this Opera troope.
the detail in this!! the storytelling! you are so talented
;0; crying this is so beautiful?!!!? Aaaaa it’s so incredible 2 see ur art and animation progress so beautifully?!!!?
The absolute chokehold grip this has on me, omg. I swear this is part of my daily routine I just love it so much.
Beautifully animated, and though I wanted to see what came next after that abrupt ending, enough was said... Well done. I am so excited to see more of your work.
Gorgeoussss! Reminds me a bit of another short from Gobelins, but it's also just got such a fantastically unique humanity to it.
so amazing! I love everything about this
such a memorable and amazing film. your talent never fails to blow me away!
This was a really engaging animation! I can relate to this even if i’m not Chinese, especially when you wonder if people are genuinely interested in your culture and who you are as an individual or are they pretending to seem like a better, more cultured person on the surface.
Edit: The guy saying OK even though he doesn’t understand is relatable. I’m a chinese minor in college and i’ve done that a lot while learning.
Also, 我是外国人，我不听懂京剧。即使是中国人也很难理解京剧。当然我喜欢学关于中国的传统文化可是我也学中文为十年了。我不知道为什么non-chinese speaking 外国人去京剧。 出于好奇？ fetishization/sinophilia? 这个 视频提出了一个艰难而有趣的问题。当外国人来加勒比的Carnival的时候，我也问那个问题。为什么他们来的？有的时候我觉得分享我的文化有点儿uncomfortable，因为我看到很多人嘲笑(mock)它。 （对不起， 我的中文有点不好啊）
细节真的做的好棒！好喜欢
Beautiful!!! I found the film very comforting! Love it!!!
配音是我近几年听过最自然舒服贴切的了❤❤❤动画也很舒爽！表情拿捏的也非常自然！！！！太棒了❤❤❤
Oh wow, this was so beautiful! Aside from amazing art and a really well explored message, made more difficult for its complexity, the sound design is also phenomenal! That is what I often pick out as lacking in student short films - but not this one!
I was really into Jing Ju before and during my study abroad trip to China, and all my foreign peers made fun of me for liking it, and even a lot of local Chinese people said they didn't like it. So as a non-Asian foreigner, I might not have as much understanding but I have a lot more interest and fascination than a lot of people from the culture this is representing.
I love love love this film. Dialogue is natural~
Wow I really loved this animation! If you ever need any music done for any future films I’d be more than happy to work with you guys! Keep up the awesome work 🤟
Such an amazing short film!