Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd., now known as Brilliant Animation Studios Ltd. (also known as Hong Guang Animation (宏廣) and Cuckoos' Nest Studio) is a Taiwanese animation studio that was founded in 1978. The company, based in Xindian, Taipei with offices in Los Angeles, California, is one of the oldest and most prolific animation studios in Taiwan, and has done traditional hand-drawn 2D animation and ink-and-paint for various animated TV shows and films for studios across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
History Wang Film/Cuckoo's Nest, the studio's original name, was founded by James Chung-Yuan Wang (王中元 Wang Chung-yuan), Hsu Chih-wei and Lu Kuang-chi started the studio in 1978 as a Taiwanese subcontractor for various Japanese animation studios and also an overseas facility for the American animation studio Hanna-Barbera. Hanna-Barbera sent Jerry Smith to help set up the company and eventually owned half the company. Many employees from Chunghwa Cartoon came to work at Cuckoo's Nest Studio along with employees from Ying Ren Cartoon and Shang Shang. Don Patterson was brought on board as a trainer. The company started with about 50 employees but soon had 300.
In the company's first year, 17 episodes were produced for Hanna-Barbera. Quickly, they had contracts with Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal.
With increased wages and foreign exchange rates, Cuckoo's was being priced out of the outsourcing market. Thus the CNS began restructuring. A Mainland Chinese subsidiary was opened in 1990 in Zhuhai, southern Guangdong province. In 1991, Cuckoo's Nest had to lay off 200 employees in Taipei. The company began computerization to reduce costs, while training some that would have been laid off to operate the computers. By 1993, the company had capacity to produce 200 half-hour episodes each year. In 1993, a Shanghai unit, possibly a joint venture, was under consideration with Bangkok as an alternative. Also, internal developed and produced material was expected to start hitting the market in mid-1994.
In early 1991, Hanna-Barbera sold its digital ink-and-paint software to the company which was developed by Marc Levoy.
The company is also notable for their work on the overseas production for Nelvana's Care Bears franchise, Film Roman's Garfield and Friends and Bobby's World, Klasky Csupo's Rugrats pilot and first season, Disney's DuckTales and Stretch Films' Courage the Cowardly Dog. They also helped produce effects for the 1982 film Tron and some Peanuts television specials, production ink & paint matting, and animation assistance.
Filmography TV series Outsourced from Hanna-Barbera Show Year(s) Notes Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels 1977–1980 credited as Jerry Smith Laff-A-Lympics 1978 season 2Wang's World Godzilla 1978–1979 uncredited Fred and Barney Meet the Thing 1979 uncredited Super Friends 1980–1983 credited as James Wang The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang 1980–1981 credited as James Wang Laverne & Shirley 1981–1982 credited as James Wang The Little Rascals 1982–1983 credited as James Wang Shirt Tales 1982–1983 credited as James Wang The Dukes 1983 credited as James Wang The Biskitts 1983 credited as James Wang Monchhichis 1983 credited as James Wang The Smurfs 1983–1989 seasons 3-4; credited as James Wang, seasons 6-9; animation production shared with Toei Animation in season 7 Pac-Man 1983 season 2; credited as James Wang The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show 1983 credited as James Wang Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show 1984 credited as James Wang Snorks 1984–1985 season 1; credited as James Wang Challenge of the GoBots 1984–1985 season 1; credited as James Wang The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible 1985–1992 direct-to-video series; 5 episodes: "Samson and Delilah", "Noah's Ark", "Daniel and the Lion's Den", "The Nativity", and "The Creation" The Jetsons 1985 season 2; credited as James Wang Paw Paws 1985–1986 Yogi's Treasure Hunt 1985–1988 Galtar and the Golden Lance 1985–1986 The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians 1985 The New Adventures of Jonny Quest 1986–1987 Wildfire 1986 The Flintstone Kids 1986–1987 Pound Puppies 1986 season 1 Foofur 1986 season 1 Popeye and Son 1987 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 1988–1991 The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley 1988 The Further Adventures of SuperTed 1989 Timeless Tales from Hallmark 1990–1991 direct-to-video series Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures 1990 Season 1 Tom & Jerry Kids 1990–1993 Gravedale High 1990 The Pirates of Dark Water 1991–1993 Yo Yogi! 1991 Capitol Critters 1992 2 Stupid Dogs 1993–1995 What a Cartoon! 1995 "Dino: Stay Out!"
Outsourced from Disney Television Animation Show Year(s) Notes DuckTales 1987; 1989–90 select episodes Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers 1989–90 16 Season 2 episodes: The Luck Stops Here, An Elephant Never Suspects, Fake Me to Your Leader, Last Train to Cashville, The Case of the Cola Cult, Throw Mummy from the Train, A Wolf in Cheap Clothing, Robocat, Does Pavlov Ring a Bell, Seer No Evil, Chocolate Chips, The Last Leprechaun, Double 'O Chipmunk, It's a Bird, It's Insane, It's Dale!, Short Order Crooks and Out of Scale TaleSpin 1990–91 8 episodes: The Bigger They Are, the Louder the Oink, Bearly Alive, On a Wing and Bear, The Old Man and the SeaDuck, Sheepskin Deep, Waiders of the Wost Tweasure, Mach One for the Gipper and A Jolly Molly Christmas Darkwing Duck 1991 3 episodes: The Darkwing Squad, Inside Binkie's Brain and Slime Okay, You're Okay The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 1991 5 episodes: "Sorry, Wrong Slusher", "A Pooh Day Afternoon", "Home is Where the Home Is", "The Wise Have It", "To Dream the Impossible Scheme" Goof Troop 1992–93 8 episodes: Buddy Building, Where There's a Will, There's a Goof, Terminal Pete, Rally Round the Goof, Frankengoof, Calling All Goofs, Pistolgeist and Tee for Two Raw Toonage 1992 Bonkers 1993–94 4 episodes Marsupilami 1993–94 The Little Mermaid 1993–94 Aladdin 1994 14 episodes: Elemental, My Dear Jasmine, To Cure a Thief, My Fair Aladdin, Web of Fear, Seems Like Old Crimes: Part 1, Seems Like Old Crimes: Part 2, The Love Bug, The Vapor Chase, The Day the Bird Stood Still, Smells Like Trouble, Armored and Dangerous, Dune Quixote, The Prophet Motive and Sea No Evil Gargoyles 1995 "Enter Macbeth" The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show 1995 Timon & Pumbaa 1995–1999 Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series 1996–1997 2 episodes: "Dungeons and Ducks", "Puck Fiction" Quack Pack 1996 5 episodes Jungle Cubs 1996–1998 101 Dalmatians: The Series 1997–1998 12 episodes Hercules: The Animated Series 1998–1999 12 episodes The Weekenders 2000–2001 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command 2000–01 10 episodes Teacher's Pet 2001 9 episodes The Legend of Tarzan 2001–2003 Fillmore! 2002 21 episodes Lilo & Stitch: The Series 2003–05 13 episodes Dave the Barbarian 2004–05 13 episodes Brandy & Mr. Whiskers 2004–06 W.I.T.C.H. 2004–05 Season 1 American Dragon: Jake Long 2005–07 14 episodes The Emperor's New School 2006–08 23 episodes The Replacements 2006–09 23 episodes Phineas and Ferb 2007–15 The 7D 2015–16 Season 2 Milo Murphy's Law 2016–19 with Synergy Animation
Outsourced from Warner Bros. Animation Show Year(s) Notes Tiny Toon Adventures 1990–92 31 episodes: The Looney Beginning (animated by Kennedy Cartoons with a few scenes by Wang Film Productions), You Asked for It, Rock 'n' Roar, Career Oppor-Toon-ities, Dating, Acme Acres Style, Hare Raising Night, Citizen Max, Prom-ise Her Anything, The Acme Acres Zone, Starting from Scratch, Looking Out for the Little Guy, Spring in Acme Acres, Ask Mr. Popular, Europe in 30 Minutes, Fairy Tales for the 90's, Here's Hamton, No Toon Is An Island, Return to the Acme Acres Zone, Mr. Popular's Rules of Cool!, Viewer Mail Day, New Character Day (animated by Kennedy Cartoons with a few scenes by Wang Film Productions), K-ACME TV, High Toon (animated by Kennedy Cartoons with a few scenes by Wang Film Productions), Going Places, Best of Buster Day, Toon TV, New Class Day, Flea for Your Life, Weekday Afternoon Live, Buster's Directorial Debut and The Horror of Slumber Party Mountain Taz-Mania 1991–95 Animaniacs 1993–98 Pinky and the Brain 1995–98 Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain 1998 Histeria! 1998–2000 Detention 1999–2000 Baby Looney Tunes 2002–03 What's New, Scooby-Doo? 2002–03 4 episodes: It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine, Roller Ghoster Ride, A Scooby-Doo Christmas and Pompeii and Circumstance Ozzy & Drix 2002–04
Outsourced from DIC Entertainment Show Year(s) Notes Client Les Aventures de Plume d'Elan 1979–81 DIC Audiovisuel (France) Ulysses 31 1981–82 uncredited Inspector Gadget 1983 season 1 only, 12 episodes: Down on the Farm, Gadget at the Circus, The Amazon, Movie Set, Amusement Park, Art Heist, M.A.D. Trap, Eye of the Dragon, King Wrong, Pirate Island, Smeldorado and So It Is Written DIC Entertainment Kidd Video 1984 first season only DIC EntertainmentSaban Productions Heathcliff 1984 85 credited as James Wang DIC Entertainment Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling 1985–86 Animation production shared with Shaft and Hanho Heung-Up (Korea) DIC Entertainment Kissyfur 1988 season 2 only DIC EntertainmentSaban Productions The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil 1988 DIC Entertainment Slimer! and The Real Ghostbusters 1988 Slimer! segments New Kids on the Block 1990 DIC Enterprises Street Sharks 1995 season 2 only DIC Productions, L.P.
Outsourced from Nelvana Show Year(s) Notes Ewoks 1985–86 The Care Bears Family 1986–88 Madballs: Escape from Orb 1986 The Video Adventures of Clifford the Big Red Dog 1988 Beetlejuice 1989–91 Eek! The Cat 1992–97 Family Dog 1993 Tales from the Cryptkeeper 1993–94 Free Willy 1994–95 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective 1995–97 seasons 1–2 Stickin' Around 1996 Season 1 Pippi Longstocking 1997–98 The Future Is Wild 2007–08
Outsourced from other studios