Promoting the Creativity Industry and Spreading the Chinese Culture
推动创意产业，传播中国文化

——水晶石影视动画公司积极参与文化创意产业发展
Crystal Film & Animation Technology Co., Ltd. actively participates in developing cultural creativity industry
采访/INTERVIEWER...岳宾 Mr. Bin Yue
来源/Source…数码设计CG WORLD

随着《福娃奥运漫游记》和《奥运ABC》两部奥运大型主题电视节目先后热播，为这两部影视作品进行三维动画制作的水晶石数字科技有限公司(以下简称水晶石公司），正被越来越多的人所关注和熟知。2007年9月18日，作为“北京2008年奥运会图像设计服务供应商”，水晶石公司举行新闻发布会，宣布正式成立水晶石影视动画科技有限公司，携手联想风险投资有限公司（以下简称联想风投公司）共同致力于推动中国文化创意产业的发展，为文化创意市场注入新活力。水晶石公司如何牵手联想风投公司，借助奥运平台拓展自己的业务和走向国际？对此我们专门采访了水晶石公司董事长卢正刚先生和联想风投公司的董事总经理、投资总监陈浩先生。

With the successive hot broadcasting of Fuwa’s Olympic Stories and Olympic ABC, the two large-scale theme TV programs of Olympic Games, Crystal Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter named Crystal CG), the 3D animation producer of these two programs, is now getting more and more concern from the public. In 18th November 2007, as the Beijing 2008 Games Graphic Design Services Supplier, Crystal CG held a press briefing to announce its foundation of Crystal Film and Animation Technology Co., Ltd. and cooperation with the Legend Capital Ltd. to jointly develop the Chinese cultural creativity industry and transfuse new energy to the market of the cultural creativity industry. How will Crystal CG spread its business and get internationalized by cooperating with Legend Capital and in virtue of its Olympic opportunities? We intentionally interviewed Mr. Zhenggang Lu, the General Manager of Crystal CG and Mr. Hao Chen, the Director General Manager and Investment Majordomo of Legend Capital.

公司介绍：
水晶石数字科技自1995 年成立至今，长期专注于基于数字图像的应用服务，其数字图像产品及服务在国内赢得各行业的广泛认可，并逐渐拓展到海外市场，帮助不同领域的客户取得成功。水晶石公司先后参与了通过数字多媒体复原北京老城、唐代长安城、秦始皇陵等遗址，参与制作文化遗产保护宣传片《我们的记忆，我们的遗产》——浙江诸葛村宣传片，配合各地博物馆等文化机构进行文物复原等工作，并逐步将积累的经验扩展到影视动画领域，完成了《故宫》、《大国崛起》、《新丝绸之路》等众多大型纪录片的三维动画及特效。

Introduction of the company:
Since the foundation in 1995, Crystal CG concentrates on the application services of digital graphic which has won the public recognition of different walks of people in domestic, and has been gradually developed to the international market to help customers of different industries achieve the success. Crystal CG successively  participated in recovering the site of old Beijing City, Chang An City of Tang Dynasty, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor through digital multimedia and producing the trailer film of culture heritage protection Our Memory, Our Heritage, namely the trailer film of Zhuge Village of Zhejiang province and helping the cultural organs like museums in different places to recover the culture relic. Little by little it has extended its accumulated experience to film and animation field and has completed the 3D animation and special effect for many large-scale documentaries, such as The Forbidden City, The Rise of The Great Nations and New Silk Road., etc.

卢正刚：以下简称卢；Mr. Zhenggang Lu (thereinafter called Mr. Lu)

陈浩：以下简称陈；Mr. Hao Chen: thereinafter called Mr. Chen;

《数码设计·CGWORLD 》以下简称Q    Digital Designing. CGWORLD thereinafter called
Q    水晶石影视动画公司从孕育到今天成立经过了多长时间，中间都经历了哪些阶段？新公司的发展定位又是怎样的？How long did Crystal CG spend to found the new company from gestating to foundation? What stages has it experienced and what is the orientation of the new company

卢   先回答第一个问题，我们和联想风投公司的沟通其实是在去年年底就开始了。双方的过程还是很快的，没有什么不顺利的事情。对于我们刚刚成立的一个新公司来说，迎面就赶上《福娃奥运漫游记》和《奥运ABC 》两个大型项目，压力很大。一方面要招人才，扩编制，还有制定一些流程，所有这些都是很紧急的。第二个问题就是新公司未来的定位，一个是高端制作，另一个就是结合中国文化的创作。这里说的创作不是把我们公司变成一个纯粹的制片公司或是剧本公司，而是首先要结合新媒体，其次结合中国本土文化，这是我们的关注点。有高技术水平的制作并不代表全部，整个制作和制片的过程都需要优秀的人才加盟。我们要由低到高逐渐培养创意型人才，从基础开始。所以我们是两条腿走路，一个是三维制作，一个是有中国文化的新媒体内容创作。

Mr. Lu: The first question first. The communication between our company and Legend Capital was started from the end of last year. It went fast and smoothly. As a new company, we head on face the two big projects, Fuwa’s Olympic Stories and Olympic ABC with high pressure. On the one hand, we have to recruit elites, expand organization and establish working flow, which are all urgent. On the other hand, we should confirm the future orientation of the new company which is production of top end and creation combining Chinese culture. Creation here doesn’t mean that to make the company simply of production and scripts, what we concern is to combine the new medias firstly and the Chinese local culture secondly. The production of high technical skill doesn’t represent all and we need excellent talents through whole production process. We will start from the base to cultivate creative tales gradually. So now we walk with two legs, one is 3D production and the other is new media creation with Chinese culture.

Q     公司承接的奥运两大制作项目对水晶石公司的现实意义是什么？What is the realistic significance for Crystal CG to produce two projects for Olympic Games?

卢     我觉得一个是品牌意义。大家原来认为水晶石公司是做建筑设计的，现在都知道水晶石还可以做动漫，而且做得很好，这里面有一个品牌丰富化和延展的作用。从市场的角度来说，中国做自己的动漫也是能达到一定高度的，包括其他的市场和客户，这里开了一个很好的头。还有一个比较重要的作用就是两个大型项目一起上，这对我们的流程是一个很好的锤炼，整个团队经过这样一种磨合以后就会更好。我记得央视体育频道的一位领导曾经说过，他很珍惜目前的央视制片方和我们这一方的联合团队，他认为这个团队将来做完《奥运ABC 》以后就解散很可惜。因为国内很少有这么大规模的团队聚在一起干一年，出来这么多的东西，积累了很多技术和流程方面的经验。还有一个优势就是，当企业规模很大的时候，体现出来的速度和效率就很重要。有的公司会一个项目做三年，我们可能会三个项目做一年，这样锤炼出来的效率和组织对于公司将来的发展会非常有利。

Mr. Lu: I think the brand significance comes first. Before, people all know that Crystal CG is dealing with the architecture design, now they know we can also do animation and cartoon and do them well. It is the enrichment and extension of brand. Viewing from market, China is capable of making top animation and cartoon for itself and other markets and customers, this is a good beginning. The second relative important function is that making two projects together can improve and perfect our flow, and anneal our team. As I remembered, one leader from CCTV Sports Channel once said that he cherishes very much the present collaborative production team of CCTV and Crystal CG, and it will be a great regret to dismiss this team after completing Olympic ABC. Because there is seldom one team of such a scale spending one year together to do so many projects and accumulate so much experience on technique and flow. When the scale of the company becomes huge, its speed and efficiency of production is another advantage. For some companies, they may spend three years on one project, for us, we may do three projects in one year. The efficiency and organization tempered from so much practice will benefit much future development of the company.

Q     水晶石公司一直致力于传播中国传统文化，而现在中国正好是处在国学复兴、传统文化热的关口上。文化部经常说现在的文化已经上升到国家安全的战略角度了，国外的一个电影大片甚至能席卷整个中国大陆。这个投入产出比在商业上怎么理解，陈总在这方面有什么考虑？卢总作为具体的执行机构，如何更好致力于传播中国的传统文化？
Q: Crystal CG has been dedicating itself to spreading the Chinese traditional culture and now China is the pass of revival of national and traditional culture. The Ministry of Culture states that we have promoted culture to national security from strategic view, as one foreign film can even sweep the whole mainland. How to explain this rate of input and output commercially? And what does Mr. Chen think of this aspect? As the executive institution, how can Mr. Lu do better to spread the Chinese traditional culture?

陈    我想任何一个企业都有自己的理想，当然做大做强是其中之一，更高的就是精神层面的理想——为民族、为国家做出更大的贡献。这两者之间肯定在不同的阶段会有不同的诠释和定义。企业在早期的时候，我们很难说当时就能站出来为国家在精神层面做很大的事情。当时首先想到的是如何让这个企业生存下去，等发展到了一定规模的时候，我们会意识到社会责任方面的理想更重要。因为在商业和理想之间，我们总会找到一种平衡，绝对不会偏向于只为自我理想而不为社会做贡献，也绝不会唯利是图只管赚钱不管别的，这绝不是一个长远企业要做的事情。在这一点上，我们联想风投公司和水晶石公司的团队是高度一致的。

Mr. Chen: I think any company has its own ideal. Of course, possessing the large scale and the ability are one part, furthermore, namely the spiritual part is to contribute the country and the nation. The explanation and definition of the two aspects are different in different stage. At the early stage of an enterprise, it is very hard to contribute the country a lot from the spiritual perspective, what the company considers first to how to survive. As it develops to some degree, we will realize that the ideal of social responsibility is more important. Because we can always hold a balance between business and ideal, we will neither lean to ideal without contributing society nor concerning on benefits only without others, for all these are not what an enterprise aiming long-term will do. From this point of view, we Legend Capital and Crystal CG team are completely consistent.

卢    陈总刚才说的这些观点恰恰是我们对联想公司比较欣赏和认同的地方。这个话题我可以换一个角度补充一下，一个就是我们对自己的定位是：要么我们是一个现实的理想主义者，要么我们是一个理想的现实主义者。首先投入文化和激情肯定没有错，但并不是说你要没有原则的投入，一味盲目地冲上去，可能干了半年就会死掉。文化领域并不是说只要传播文化就一定要亏损，一定要捐献和做公益。如果你能把这种激情和商业模式结合得很好，就会出现既能打动人心又能获得商业收益的好作品。我们现在整体的文化产业跟国外相比还很落后，许多地方需要学习。这种情况下我们必须站在传播中国文化的角度，因为这对企业有好处，对中国文化有好处。我跟陈总是很有信心的，我们不是新成立的公司，前些年我们都是在结合市场情况运作。我们的团队还是很棒的，都是一些年轻人，这个信心和基础还是有的。

Mr. Lu: The above viewpoint of Mr. Chen is just what we appreciate Legend Capital. I can supplement it from another point of view; one is our own orientation--- realistic idealist or ideal realist. The devotion of culture and enthusiasm is certain, but it doesn’t mean devoting without principle, otherwise the enterprise will not survive more than half a year. In field of culture, it is a wrong idea that an enterprise will get loss and must contribute if it spreads culture. If an enterprise can combine the enthusiasm and business model very well, the good works that can impress people and acquire business profit will come forth. We lag far behind foreign countries in industry of culture, and need to learn many things. So we must stand in angle of Chinese culture, this will do well to both enterprise and national cultural. Mr. Chen and I am confident, for we are not a really new-founded company, we have been operating combining the market. Moreover, we have a excellent team consisting of young people. So we have the confidence and foundation.

Q     现在很多动画公司要不就是做外包加工，或者是搞培训，这两个现在看来是最能挣钱的，水晶石公司始终坚持走原创的道路，而原创似乎就意味着会赔钱，公司在这方面是怎么考虑的，还有就是水晶石对于人才方面是怎么看待的？
Q: Many animation companies do outsourcing or make training, at present this two ways are the most profitable. Crystal CG insists on making origin production, but origin production seems to be loss, what do you company think on this aspect? And how does the company think of talents?

卢     我们自己关起门来说，注定要赔钱的原创做它干什么？并不是说只要原创就要赔钱。前期要做好市场调研——就是与买家的沟通、内部测试和谨慎投放，这是一个标准企业的做法。如果我们只是凭一时的冲动先干再说，认为一定会有人买的，这是不行的。我们做原创会采取渐进式，或者说先找到市场后再去创作。我们在公司允许的情况下，会在内部做一些小的测试，让大家去解放思想。因为有时即便有充足的资金，也想不出好的策划来，这就很尴尬。对于人才来说也是我想跟各位沟通的，就是水晶石公司很希望成为一个人才的平台。我希望人才是稀缺的，不要只是一种人。大家可以是学究型的，或者是思维特别跳跃型、发散型的，也可以是闷葫芦型的。但是我们希望通才、专才都可以到水晶石的平台上协作，通过一个团队的合作创造出比单个艺术家更大的价值。这个起点我们希望高一点，希望能从大一点的公司或者别的行业引进这种高端人才。我们现在引入的人才主要是两部分：一部分是我们自己的教育学院定向培训出来的学生，另外一个就是我们从外面引进的人才。人才是我们关注的头等大事，以前水晶石公司做出的成绩全依赖于对人才的重视和团队成员彼此之间的激发。

Mr. Lu: Say it in private, why we do the origin production if it is doomed to get loss? It is not inevitable that doing the origin production must get loss. In the prophase, we should do market research well, namely the communication with buyers, internal testing and cautious launching. This is what a standard enterprise normally does. It is eyeless if we do it by impulse and take it for granted that there will be somebody buy it. We do make origin production step by step, or find the market first. Within the limits, we will do internal tests to expire ideas, for sometimes it is embarrassed that we can not get a good idea even if we have abundant capital. As for talents, what I want to communicate with you is that Crystal CG hopes to be a platform for different talents. I hope the talents to be scarce and various. They can be of study, or of jumping and emanative thinking or of silence. We hope all talents of all-purpose and certain specialty can come to work under Crystal CG to create more value of certain individual through the cooperation of a team. Presently we have two ways to introduce talents: one is the students trained by our training school, the other is the employees recruited from outside. Talents are what we concern most, as the previous achievements of Crystal CG all depend on recognition of talents inspiration among colleagues.

Q     您在CG 行业打拼也有好多年了，能不能给现在想进这个行业或者正在从事这个行业的人提一些建议，就是他们以一个什么样的心态和方式继续发展下去会比较顺利？
Q: Since you have been involved in CG industry for many years, can you give some suggestion to those who want to enter this field or are dealing with the industry that by what kind of attitude and manner that they can develop smoothly?

卢     从我自己的角度来看就是两条路：要么最大要么最小。最大就是大家发挥团队精神意识，你一个人做不了，需要别人的配合，所以不要动不动就孤芳自赏。要么就是最小，就是做专做细，做到别人不能替代你，就是小型的专业化和大型的合作化这两种趋势，中间的比较难一点，这是我们总结以前的经验教训得出来的。

Mr. Lu: In my opinion two ways to select: the biggest or the smallest. The former one means to exert team spirit. We can not do all by ourselves and need to cooperate with others, so do not indulge in self-admiration. Otherwise, we can choose to be the smallest. This means to do it deeply and professionally and make you can not be replaced. So two trends for future development, one is small specialized and the other is large collaborative. It is difficult for the middle stage and we get this from summary of previous experience and lessons.