Challenges and Opportunities of Virtual Reality Painting Animation in Mainland China: A Case Study of Dark Tide

This article draws on the experience of producing the music video Dark Tide in Quill, a virtual reality painting software, to discuss the potential of integrating virtual reality (VR) technology into the animation industry workflow. Despite significant updates in VR content-creation technologies over the past seven years, many animation companies in Mainland China are reluctant to include these innovative technologies in their animation production workflows due to a lack of knowledge and drawbacks in the VR workflow. However, in light of uncertainty within the animation market and the commercial success of independent animation, VR painting technology could provide start-up animation studios with an alternative animation production workflow and production strategies for their future projects. Against this background, we examine the current advantages and limitations of Quill.