Behind the Scenes: “Có Thờ Có Thiêng” - Vietnamese Traditions in Animation

Có Thờ Có Thiêng stands as one of DeeDee’s most successful and beloved original IPs. The film impressed audiences not only with its polished, beautiful visuals but also with its profound message deeply rooted in Vietnamese identity.

In celebration of Lunar New Year 2023, DeeDee released the short film Có Thờ Có Thiêng, which quickly generated an enthusiastic response among young viewers. Running nearly 10 minutes, this explainer-style animation dives into the tradition of ancestor worship - a cultural practice familiar to many, yet often misunderstood or overlooked.

Official Poster for Có Thờ Có Thiêng

The decision to take on such a theme came from DeeDee’s observation on how young audiences are genuinely curious about history and culture, but reliable and engaging sources of information remain scarce. This gap has disrupted the way traditions are passed down. By recognizing this challenge, DeeDee sought to harness the power of animation – a medium inherently appealing and relatable to younger generations – to retell cultural stories in a fresh, accessible way. The results spoke for themselves: Có Thờ Có Thiêng reached over 300,000 views on YouTube, thousands of shares across social platforms, and continues to receive praise from the online community even two years later.

A fan-favorite scene from the film

Behind this success was a dedicated creative process that aimed to balance modern storytelling with cultural authenticity. In the visual design, deities and spiritual figures were portrayed with reverence and dignity, yet given approachable, endearing expressions to resonate with viewers.

Character design style in Có Thờ Có Thiêng

On the scriptwriting side, abstract and complicated concepts were re-imagined into visuals and references familiar to Gen Z: from Minecraft and streamers to street cameras, along with playful modern metaphors like “multiverse connection portals” and “Wi-Fi signals.” These creative choices made traditional ideas feel more relatable and even entertaining for today’s audiences.

Modern visuals and Gen Z language bring tradition closer to young audiences

👉 Watch the Behind the scenes video below to hear directly from DeeDee’s creative team about this unique journey:

For DeeDee, Có Thờ Có Thiêng represents more than just a successful project - it embodies the studio’s guiding principle: to create truly Vietnamese stories, celebrating and promoting the nation’s cultural heritage through animation.

Beyond delivering top-quality service work for clients, DeeDee holds an even bigger ambition: to build original IPs that reflect Vietnamese identity, for Vietnamese audiences, and ultimately, to bring Vietnam’s animation industry closer to the global stage.

If you share the same passion for elevating Vietnamese animation, let’s connect!

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