3D CGI Animation
Call for Papers: Special Issue of the Journal of Chinese Cinemas
Guest Editor: Daisy Yan Du
Timeline:
May 1, 2026: Abstract (250 words) and author bio (250 words) due
December 1, 2026: Full article draft due
August 1, 2027: Article revisions due
Fall 2027/Spring 2028: Special issue published
We invite essays that examine 3D CGI animation in the Chinese context. Long regarded as a Western technology pioneered by films like Pixar’s Toy Story (1995), 3D CGI animation has a distinct and evolving history in China. While Chinese animators began experimenting with the technology decades ago, it was the global release of Nezha 2 (2025)—the highest-grossing animated feature film worldwide—that marked the spectacular debut for Chinese 3D CGI animation on the global stage. This special issue investigates Chinese 3D CGI animation as a technology, an industry, and an artform. We welcome contributions that explore, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- 3D CGI as special effects in live-action cinema, especially in big-budget blockbuster films.
- Aspects of 3D CGI animated feature films, such as the histories, aesthetics, formal style, themes, content, storytelling, technology, sound, dubbing, screening, audience reception, and fan culture, among others.
- 3D CGI and video games.
- 3D CGI and computer graphics.
- 3D CGI and software.
- 3D CGI and online platforms.
- The histories and prehistories of the 3D CGI animation technology, industry, and artform in China.
- Film and media theories pertinent to 3D CGI animation.
For inquires and submissions, please email Daisy Yan Du (daisyyandu@ust.hk)
