Wong Ping: The Freedom of Animation | Art21 "Extended Play”

(gentle music)

- [Wong Ping] Growing up
in a city like Hong Kong,

we all live in a high-rise building.

We're inside a box.

(people chattering)

Living in a big city,

it creates certain amount of isolation.

I always wonder how people
engage to each other.

(gentle music continues)

15 years ago, that was when
I started to make animation.

So, I have a day job in a
broadcast station in Hong Kong.

I feel so trapped, depressed,

so I found that my mind fly
away when I was at work.

So I started to think about scenario

or funny situations, random stuff,

and I would write it in a blog back home.

One day, I opened the software,

and then I tried to just
drawing color shape,

and then I feel really good about it.

And then I found out, oh,
I can create animation

I couldn't believe.

I think that was the click.

I have the urge to create.

(gentle music)

Animation as a media give me the freedom.

It's almost like a candy
wrapping paper for people.

Just easier to swallow.

(door closing)

(foreign language)

I can say more terrible stuff.

Or evil thinking.

I can even like put more
personal stuff there.

So this one is basically talk about,

like Elephant become a monk

because she couldn't find dates,

she hates her single eyelid.

But since K-pop is popular
now, it's like a trend.

But she already did the
surgery for double eyelid.

So that was like a lesson I want to give,

like you're ugly at this time

but in different time,
you'll be the trend.

(wonky music)

In the fables, I try to
do everything in one frame

to tell a story without
any transitional editing,

no scenes cut.

I try to use this as a
new challenge to myself.

(foreign language)

The scenario is just like a container.

I can pretty much use any scenario

to make this hundred observation
fit in this storyline.

I think just in general,

I need material or story.

Events, accident, chaotic
situation on the street.

By the time I really have
to write solid story,

I would just look back.

The one thing I feel difficult
to write during the pandemic,

is that I don't find differences
in people across the world.

I feel like I lost the power of writing.

Where's the differences?

During the pandemic,

everyone using Zoom a lot.

I think maybe I can just use
Zoom to make a mockumentary.

I'm more interested in
stepping on the line

rather than crossing it,

because stepping on it is more provoking.

I create this legendary figure,

the quickest man who can make panda hard.

I think it's the toughest job
because they want to extinct.

They don't want to have baby anymore.

They don't enjoy orgasm.

So this was in my head.

I have to make a laboratory to do that.

In my work,

there's quite a lot of
erotic or sexual elements.

That was only my container.

That's not the topic I want to tell.

Why I enjoy and explore desire quite often

is because we have to make choice.

In bed, people can be more honest

to review the other side of themselves.

We are facing our true
selves more than ever.

Look at that one.

This.

So smooth.

Wow, wow, wow.

Poor lobster.

See, they're fighting.

I just need someone to bring up questions,

'cause question can bring
me to different places.

Because of Covid,

I realized more that I need
strangers conversation.

When I work alone in the studio,

I kind of feeling like I was trapped.

I have to force myself
to find inspiration.

I want the inspiration to
bump into me, like come to me.

I think maybe I can just try
to have like a small shop

and just put myself out there.

I don't even want to put
the price tag on each thing,

so I force the people to talk to me.

It's like forcing them
to give me inspiration.

Right next to this crazy cat lady.

This is a cute one though.

So that's pretty much me this month,

unpacking, moving.

I haven't started yet

but I feel excited to write
a story for each item.

I don't have to put so much
effort to look for inspiration

but now the inspiration is,
every day it's out there.

Look at this arm.

I like it.

It's almost like dancing with this guy.

I love it.

I'm looking forward.

Since I only settle for like few weeks.

Everything is in the name
of making better work.

I think.

I hope.

(whimsical music)