Long but not lasting.
In film and animation, IP is generally understood as a system of characters, stories, images, etc., created by an individual or organization, copyrighted, and commercially exploitable. IP is not just a short-term project, but a product with the potential to develop into a brand, driving the commercialization of animation.
Globally , many IPs have spread their influence worldwide, such as: Doraemon, The Lion King, Toy Story, Madagascar, Ice Age, Shrek, The Croods, Minions, Pokemon, Dragon Ball… In Southeast Asia, Malaysia also once had a very successful IP - Upin & Ipin.
Beginning in 2007 as an animated series, this franchise was later broadcast on Disney Channel Asia from 2009, before being adapted into films, including the 2019 film UPin & IPin: The Legend of the Magic Sword, which was screened in Vietnamese theaters. In addition, Malaysia has other popular IPs such as BoBoiBoy, Ejen Ali... and more recently, Mechamato Movie (2022).
Vietnam has initially produced some IPs that are gradually winning over audiences, such as Wolfoo, Rainbow Rabbit, and Swallow... or more recently, characters like Cricket and Trang Quynh, which are also expected to be potential IPs with long-term prospects. However, despite a history of over 65 years of development, with many works winning awards at film festivals around the world, Vietnamese animation is currently limited to individual works, mainly in the form of short films.
The number of feature-length animated films shown in theaters can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The awareness of building IP to create a brand and then exploit it commercially has only begun to emerge in the last decade or so, pioneered by Sconnect - the company that owns the Wolfoo IP.
Ms. Vu Nguyen Phuc Anh, Director of the Vietnam Association of Visual Effects and Animation (VAVA), stated: “The core of building Vietnamese IP is to create unique, distinctly national characteristics, similar to the case of Upin & Ipin in Malaysia. I hope that by 2030, we will have famous IPs, at least at the regional level.”
Overcoming the "silent power"
According to VAVA's assessment, the animation and visual effects industry in Vietnam, while developing strongly, lacks prominence due to its primary focus on outsourcing international projects. It is estimated that over 60% of animation and VFX studios in Vietnam are deeply involved in international projects. However, VAVA representatives argue that without a transformation similar to what China and South Korea have achieved, the Vietnamese animation industry will remain merely an "unnamed factory" for the world.
Director and Meritorious Artist Trinh Lam Tung calls this the "pain of outsourcing." According to him, the positive aspects of outsourcing include significantly higher income compared to the domestic market, thus ensuring a better life; opportunities to learn advanced production technologies and rigorous quality control processes; and improved communication and project management skills according to international standards. However, there are also many downsides. The overwhelming demands, time zone differences, and repetitive work erode health and creative passion, thus diminishing the dream of making feature-length animated films. More importantly, outsourcing fragments the team and reduces team spirit.
"I know many colleagues who are extremely capable, but when they're hired, they only know how to do the job they're doing. Many are full of ambition, but then they get caught up in doing subcontracting work, and when they look back, all their dreams have been shattered, and they haven't left behind a single work with their own personal touch. That's a painful professional experience," shared Meritorious Artist Trinh Lam Tung.
However, that doesn't mean Vietnamese animation lacks positive signs. Mr. Ta Manh Hoang, CEO of Sconnect Vietnam, revealed that in 2026, the company will release at least two films, while continuing to focus on training human resources and developing quality scripts to create a sustainable ecosystem.
Several domestic studios, such as Sun Wolf Animation and Colory Animation, are also actively developing animated projects for theatrical release. Recently, VAVA, with the support of the French Embassy and the French Institute in Vietnam, organized the Vietnam Animation IP Contest with the goal of creating a platform for new and innovative IP ideas.
These efforts aim to build a creative platform to promote the development of the animation and special effects industry in Vietnam – a field that already has almost everything, from human resources to infrastructure, lacking only the right direction for Vietnamese animation to truly flourish and conquer audiences both domestically and internationally.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ip-nen-mong-con-thieu-cua-hoat-hinh-viet-post810150.html
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