Zhou Yifu: a very real talent in the VR industry

China used to lead the world in animation. Back in the 1960s and 70s, many of Shanghai Animation Film Studio's masterpieces such as Havoc in Heaven, Calabash Brothers, Mr. Black and the Magical Pen became household names of original Chinese productions which carried Chinese values and wisdom. They were the most cherished memories of children then. Many were exported overseas and some had won international awards. In 1978, China opened up its door, foreign videos and animation movies started to pour in and challenged China's animation industry. That's why in Yifu's memory, we found very few Chinese cartoon movies but only western animations. Greater fusion with the rest of the world occurred at the cost of China losing its advantageous positions in many fields including animation. Yifu and his peers now shoulder the responsibility to catch up. While studying in the US, unlike older generations, those born in 1950s, 60s, 70s and even 80s, he said he didn't have a cultural shock living and working outside of his own country simply because in high school and university he already had exposure to western culture through organized exchanges. Upon arrival in the US, he said, he had experienced no shock but noticed only cultural differences.

Zhou Yifu, Digital Domain VFX Supervisor, Vice President and Head of Studio in Beijing. [File photo: provided for China Plus]

Yifu now serves as the head of a US company and leads an almost local Chinese people team. It reflects the film industries have merged well and virtually reduced borders to the bare minimum. Be it Hollywood-made or China-made, good stories told with the most avant-garde technologies will champion in the box office. To make it happen, understanding and cooperation is the key, not trade wars and protectionism.

As a young leader in VR production, Yifu said, "We are growing and we are growing quite fast." He is confident that China will catch up as he is doing his share to make that happen. He believes that those wonderful Chinese classic literature figures, like the Monkey King, will sooner or later be made into huge superhero IPs like Thor. He mentioned that he is never really worried about having to deal with his life in VR or in reality. All it takes he said is to switch from one world to the other. When asked if one day AI will take over our human world, Yifu thought it was way too early to worry about things that are yet to happen.

Before I stop typing, I wonder if we have a chance to meet again years later, will he give me the same answer as he has given me now, which shows no signs of fear at all about the unstoppable trend of artificial intelligence and virtual reality? Call it a generation gap, as Yifu told me in the interview, "It is understandable for people to stay away or reject a VR world." Am I ready to accept this reality? I can't help asking myself.