Yang Siqi’s Rise to Industry Leader and Box Office Hit in Chinese Animation

Yang, a BA (Hons) Animation graduate, was part of the first cohort to graduate from the Animation course at the Joint School HBU-UCLan in China, a partnership between the University of Central Lancashire and Hebei University. After graduating, Yang founded Wuhan FrameFantasy Animation Studio and has since worked on high-profile game trailers for Onmyoji, Honor of Kings, Identity V, and Team fight Tactics, gradually establishing herself in the industry.

A skilled animator and project manager, Yang works with major clients like Riot Games and played a key role in the record-breaking animated film Ne Zha 2: The Devil Child Rages the Sea. The film has grossed 15.58 billion yuan (approx. £1.7 billion), currently breaking the record for the highest ever grossing Chinese Language film and ranking fith globally at the box office.

Yang and her team were among one of the 138 studios and 4,000 animators who worked on Ne Zha 2, contributing to the animation of characters in the Jade Void Palace scenes. "The rigging for Ne Zha was incredibly intricate, allowing for extremely detailed expressions. Just the facial rigging alone required more than a month to complete," she said.

Being part of the behind-the-scenes team for Ne Zha 2 filled Yang Siqi with immense pride. Seeing the film receive widespread acclaim made all her hard work feel worthwhile. After the movie’s release, she received numerous congratulatory messages from family and friends, including pictures of her name in the credits, which deeply moved her.

Yang credits her recent progress to her experience at the Joint School where she learned to collaborate on projects and gained rich experience through entering competitions. "When I was shortlisted for the China Animation Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Finals, the school provided funding for my trip to Hangzhou to compete. My major course instructor, Charlotte, even submitted my work to a film festival, which ultimately made it into the Seattle International Children’s Film Festival in the United States." Yang said.

Now in its 11th year, the HBU-UCLan partnership continues to be a model for Sino-UK collaboration in the creative industries, nurturing global talent and bringing cultural stories to life through innovation and digital media.