Chinese Independent Animation

Aaron Wenhai Zhou received his PhD in Screen and Media Studies at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. His research focuses on the realm of Chinese independent animation in context with sociocultural transformations during the post-socialist era. Currently, he is involved with the 8th of CIAFF (China Independent Animation Film Forum) working on different projects. His areas of research combine Chinese studies and media studies.

• Introduction.- ‘Postsocialism’ and ‘Independence’.- Chapter 1: A dispersed 'independent' ecology.- 1.1 The Meishu Legacy.- 1.2 An Emergent ‘Animation Industry’.- 1.3 The Pioneer of Chinese Independent Animation – Shanke.- 1.4 Toward an ‘Ecological’ Conception of Independent Animation.- Chapter 2: Understanding the Ecology of Independent Chinese Animation within the context of China's Post-Socialist Reality.- 2.1 Minjian Individuality.- 2.2 From production pipeline to platform: the CIAFF.- 2.3 Conclusion: Assembling Ambiguous Contradictions.- Chapter 3: The Imaginative World of Pisan.- 3.1 Pisan – Redefining ‘Independence’.- 3.2 An Icon of Resistance – Kuangkuang.- 3.3 Parallel ‘Realities’ in Miss Puff.- 3.4 ‘Parallel’ Responses of Pisan Within the Chinese Media Ecology.- 3.5 Conclusion.- Chapter 4: Lei Lei: A 'third way': Lei Lei and the Festival circuit.- 4.1 The journey towards independence.- 4.2 Early ‘rebellion’ through animationFace (2007).- 4.3 Post-socialist ‘reality’ and collective ‘identity’.- 4.4 Lei Lei's Transcendent Response to the Media Ecology.- 4.5 Conclusion.- Chapter 5: The Future Prospect of the Chinese Independent Animation Ecology.- 5.1 The mainstream path: a national ideology of Chineseness.- 5.2 The evolving independent path: disoriented individual identity.- 5.3 An ideological mirror: Piercing I.- 5.4 Conclusion.- Chapter 6: Conclusion.