Source： Taiwan Today
Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee handed Taiwan a lofty cinematic compliment during a news conference Jan. 19 in Taipei City when he said that his latest celluloid offering “Life of Pi” could never have been filmed anywhere else. The US$120 million fantasy adventure, which has bagged swags of awards and chalked up heavyweight box office numbers, stands as a master class in movie-making that showcases the vast potential of the local film industry.
Describing the 3-D film as the most conceptually and technically challenging he has worked on, the Taiwan-born director said he drew great comfort from the fact that every member of his crew from 24 countries considered their time in country substantial and a delight. But more importantly, these professionals imparted invaluable knowledge and experience to their local counterparts, giving Taiwan’s film industry a welcome injection of know-how, confidence and energy.
With the majority of the film’s footage shot locally, it is understandable why many in Taiwan feel a great sense of pride over the production. The bulk of scenes featuring actor Suraj Sharma in a Kaohsiung City-made lifeboat were captured at a massive wave tank in central Taiwan’s shuttered Taichung Shuinan Airport. His animal co-stars were later added by Hollywood’s leading animation and visual effects company Rhythm & Hues Studios at its Kaohsiung Pier-2 Art Center facility.
But R&H’s involvement in the project did not occur by chance. Lee has long urged the ROC government and studio to explore the possibility of a tie-up, which both parties formalized in December 2011 with a memorandum of understanding on digital content cooperation in Taiwan. Under the agreement, R&H set up a Kaohsiung visual effects studio, began training the first of its locally sourced workforce and established venture fund East Grand Films, which was backed to the tune of US$21 million by the government-administered National Development Fund.
Since its launch, East Grand has introduced state-of-the-art visual effects technology to Taiwan and promoted collaboration between the local and Hollywood film sectors. Its commitment to financing and producing at least 10 headline projects with major U.S. studios within the next six years is also helping position the country in the supply chain of U.S. filmmaking for the worldwide audience.
Another essential plank in the plan is a cloud animation visual effects center being set up in Taipei City by Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd. and R&H. Agreed in a memorandum of understanding inked November 2012, the center is expected to create 300 jobs and turn out 1,000 special effects professionals by 2016. This development will play a key role in delivering customized digital content solutions for the global market.
The government has worked steadily to build Taiwan’s film infrastructure to the point where it can handle large-scale projects like “Life of Pi” with aplomb. While this move has thrust the country firmly into the Hollywood spotlight, it is just one step of many on the road to attracting major productions and adding more cinematic kudos to the nation’s CV.
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