The actors brought wonderful performances for children.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.Children photograph with their beloved actors joyously.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.photosChildren interacting with the stage prop.
A Taiwanese made, immersive musical fantasy We sincerely invite you to come to love and protect Earth
The story of《Voyage Undersea》is constructed based on the knowledge of marine biology, together with artistic imaginations, image technology and the belief the education of environmental protection, immerse the values of friendship, dream, and courage into musical in a fun and entertaining way. While inspiring children with theatrical experience, the production practically put into effect the conviction to care about the environment, cherish natural resources and to protect the Earth.
Image in Motion《Undersea Voyage》utilized 3D animation scene, movie special effects, together with custom made doll costumes, vibrant story line, vivid style and touching music and dance to integrate virtual scenes and live performances, thus creating gorgeous undersea kingdom and an exciting adventure.
Cute and bubbly costumed performers and colorful sea creatures were immersed in ever-changing 3D animation and special effects, singing and dancing. Without wearing 3D glasses, every audience will be led to dive into the mysterious ocean to experience the imaginative and beautiful sea world.
Story
A immersive musical fantasy takes you on to an amazing undersea adventure.
The story of Voyage Undersea started with the knowledgeable Dr. Food(Franz) who came from Sweet Planet to investigate the strange ocean discoloration on Earth. Occasionally, Dr. Food made friends with Kye, Tammy, Jack and Doug. They formed an adventure team and drove the all-mighty Jolly Jelly Bean Cruiser deep into the ocean, and adventurous undersea voyage thus unfolded.
On their way, they encountered all kinds of novel and interesting sea creatures. However, they were miserably imprisoned in the Jellyfish Dungeon due to mistakenly interrupting the birthday party of Poseidon! How will they cleat the misunderstanding, make things right while uncover the mystery of ocean discoloration?
Characters:
An expert on the solar system, Nicknamed Dr. Food, loves sweets. He always can pull out something magical at anytime, anywhere.
Franz
Extremely acrobatic, can score with either foot. Witty, polite, and looks after his twin sister- Candy very well. Dreams to become the best soccer player in the world.
Kye
A cute little sweet heart, a bit timid at times. Relies on her twin brother- Kai. Dreams to enjoy a vacation on a vacation resort with water fountain and Ferris wheel.
Tammy
Clumsy and always can relate anything to food. Dreams to sleep as much as he wants.
Doug
Loves to sing, speak foreign language, can be pretentious at times. Dreams to have a concert of his own by the beach!
Jack
Omniscient! As long as it is filled with loads of happiness then it can travel up and down, and different space and time!
Jolly Jelly Bean Cruiser
The creative team
Core Creative Team
Group Leader, Artistic Director & Lyricist｜Yau CHEN
Yau Chen has long been fascinated by how the combination of movement and sound can carry audiences into realms of imagination. In 1992 she presented her UCLA master's thesis, 《ChanceFormation》; this six-minute independently produced computer-animated short won Best Art Film at that year's SIGGRAPH animation festival and, under its Chinese title 「禪畫話禪」, took first place in the experimental film category at Taiwan's Golden Belt Awards in 1993.
For nearly two decades she worked in computer animation and digital film visual effects, and lived through the boom of Hollywood visual-effects cinema in the 1990s. As animation director, art director, digital-effects supervisor, project director and head of production, she took part in and led the design and production of more than a dozen Hollywood theatrical films and other large-scale projects, such as 《Mortal Kombat》, 《Batman Forever》, 《Under Siege II》, 《Matilda》, 《For Richer or Poorer》 and 《Kull the Conqueror》; the Omnimax motion-theater film 《Star Quest》; Universal Studios' environmental effects film 《Escape from the Lost City》; television series, music videos, 3D computer-animated cartoon series and dozens of American and international commercials.
To explore how imaging technology can be applied to artistic creation, and to develop storytelling that fully merges with its setting, Yau Chen and Serina Chen founded Image in Motion Theater (IMT) in Taipei in 2000. Gathering visual artists, animators, performing artists, stage designers and engineers, they research and create together, leading audiences into a new style of theater that gallops through the space of imagination.
She strives to make imagery not merely a backdrop but a soul that dances together with the performers. From early motion capture and 3D animated theater to today's 5G real-time technology, Yau Chen has led IMT's team of visual, animation, stage-design and engineering specialists to keep researching and challenging themselves, taking audiences to experience a whole new vision of the performing arts at the border between the virtual and the real.
Producer & Director in Chief｜Serina CHEN
Upholding the ideal of “staying in step with the world, developing diverse cultural exchange, revealing the pulse of contemporary art, and bringing refined Chinese art to the international stage,” she has long devoted herself to curating performing arts, cross-disciplinary creation and international cultural exchange. In 1997 she founded the Taipei Arts International Association (TAIA), and as a professional curator she planned the first Taipei Arts Festival in 1998 and 1999. She later founded such international-scale festivals as the International City Arts Festival, the Taiwan International Dance Camp, the Taiwan World Music Festival and the National Performing Arts Expo, building an important platform that connects Taiwan's performing arts with the world.
Her creation and curation span theater, music, dance, multimedia performance and large-scale outdoor productions. In 2006 she led an international team in producing the arena-scale Mandarin musical 《In Love with Carmen》 starring A-Mei (Chang Hui-mei). In 2007 she planned and staged the immersive classical musical 《The Night Revels of Han Xizai》 on the plaza of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City—the first private performing group in five hundred years to enter the inner gate of the Forbidden City. In 2010 she was invited to serve as executive producer and chief director of 《Window of the City》, the only thematic show hosted by the Shanghai World Expo; blending Chinese and Western perspectives with top-quality audiovisual technology, it ran more than 500 performances over 184 days, drew over 1.7 million visitors, and won Exhibitor Magazine's Best Presentation Award for Expo 2010.
In recent years she has continued to advance the cross-disciplinary integration of technology and theater. Major works include the interactive multimedia theater piece 《Fantasy Maze》, the large architectural projection light show 《The Story of Tainan—Giant Light, Wondrous Shadow》, the façade audiovisual light show 《Memories under the Banyan Trees》 at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), and, in 2016–2017, serving as general planner and artistic director of the cultural events of the Taipei Summer Universiade, successfully promoting the city's image. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2023–2024 she created the stage play 《Love · Quarantine》, responding to a shared global experience through theater and showing the healing and caring power of art. Besides creative practice, she has long researched the cultural and creative industries, the ecology of the performing arts in Greater China and cultural policy; she has led many cultural-industry research projects and took part in the planning of Huashan and Songshan Cultural and Creative Parks. She has taught arts management, marketing and non-profit management at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei National University of the Arts, Soochow University and Chinese Culture University. A co-founder of the Taiwan Performing Arts Alliance and a long-serving executive director, she actively promotes cultural forums, builds consensus across the arts community and works toward a healthy arts ecology.
She is currently Artistic Director of the Taipei Arts International Association, and head and chief director of the Spectacle Arts creative team (奇觀藝術創作團隊). She was nominated by the European Festivals Association as one of the “world's best curators,” and her cross-disciplinary work continues to open new possibilities for contemporary performing arts between art, technology and public culture.
Creative Team
Visual Director｜Liu En-lin (劉恩霖)
One of the founding members of IMT and a senior Taiwanese animation director and creator, an outstanding key-frame and animation designer in the 3D animation field who has designed and produced effects for many animated films. He has long been devoted to developing original animation, and is skilled at exploring emotional connections between people through delicate motion language and layered visual narrative. His solid technique and distinctive artistic vision have won recognition at film festivals at home and abroad. In 2013 he co-directed the animated short 《Gu》 with director Huang Shih-ming, which won the Excellence Award in the General Works category at the 37th Golden Harvest Awards and was selected for the 2014 Taipei Film Festival. In recent years he has directed the animated feature project 《Blue Runners》 (《長跑少年》), which was selected in 2025 for the Annecy International Animation Festival in France, known as the “Oscars of animation.”
Music Director & Composer｜Hou Zhi-jian (侯志堅)
A well-known producer of pop and film music, recognized with multiple Golden Melody, Golden Horse and Golden Bell awards, who has shaped an important chapter of Mandarin music through cross-genre creation and deep musicality. An influential veteran music producer and composer, deeply versed in advertising and film/TV scoring, he is hailed as “the storyteller of the black and white keys.” His representative works include 《Blue Gate Crossing》, 《You Are the Apple of My Eye》, 《Our Times》 and 《Your Name Engraved Herein》. In 2011 he won Best Composer in the Instrumental category at the Golden Melody Awards for 《This Is the City》 (《這就是城市》), and twice won Best Original Film Score at the Taipei Film Festival, for 《The 36th Story》 (《第36個故事》) and 《Fan Bao-de》 (《范保德》). In 2018 he won Best Original Film Score at the Golden Horse Awards for 《Fan Bao-de》, and in recent years took Best Album in the Instrumental category at the Golden Melody Awards with the soundtrack of the film 《Xiu Xing》 (《修行》).
Dance & Movement Designer｜Xiao He-wen (蕭賀文)
Active for many years in stage, theater and imagery creation as dancer, choreographer and movement designer, his work spans modern dance, classical dance and traditional Chinese opera, displaying a deep and diverse physical vocabulary. He took part, as choreographer and performer, in large-scale productions of Han-Tang Yuefu such as 《The Night Revels of Han Xizai》 and 《Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River》; he has also been invited to choreograph and design dance for Guoguang Opera Company's 《Three People, Two Lamps》 and 《Water Sleeves and Rouge》, building a delicate and dramatic body language between traditional performing conventions and contemporary theater aesthetics. He excels at starting from character, dramatic rhythm and visual composition, turning dance into part of the narrative and establishing precise relationships among actors' bodies, stage space and imagery. From traditional opera and modern theater to technology-driven cross-disciplinary productions, he has always infused works with vivid dramatic tension and vitality through a mature and compelling physical aesthetic.
Dance & Movement Designer｜Cui Bing-yuan (崔秉媛)
In a choreography career of more than thirty years she has repeatedly won national-level dance awards, and has repeatedly led works to the Best Art Promotion and Showcase Program awards of the ROC Armed Forces Golden Image (Literature and Art) Awards. In 2015 her classical dance piece 《Flag-Defending Victory Command》 (《捍旗勝令》) won Best Choreography at the national student dance competition, demonstrating outstanding skill in large-scale group choreography and imagery-driven narrative. Adept at precisely deploying performers' bodies and stage space to suit each script, she balances artistic beauty and commercial market demands. With a solid traditional foundation and flexible cross-disciplinary thinking, Ms. Cui has always been an important force in Taiwan's theater and screen productions, connecting the soul of the body with imagery narrative.
Dance & Movement Designer｜Zhang Wen-mei (張文美)
Currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Peking Opera at the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts. Beyond campus, she actively takes part in cross-disciplinary arts exchanges and outreach, exploring the narrative energy of traditional opera elements in cross-cultural theater. In landmark works such as 《Formosa Night Market》 (《寶島大夜市》) she put into practice the idea of “dramatizing acrobatics,” transforming folk skills that pursue technical limits into stage performance with emotional tension and plot, successfully breathing a modern soul into traditional technique. Her macro vision as a former Director of an arts center and Dean of Research and Development makes her not only an inheritor of craft but also an important aesthetic bridge linking traditional opera, acrobatics and contemporary film/TV cross-disciplinary productions.
Stage Designer｜Huang Ri-jun (黃日俊)
Holds an MFA in Design and Technical Arts from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and is currently the head of Shenrui Design & Production Co., Ltd. A graduate of the Department of Theatre at the National Institute of the Arts, he is active in Taiwan's theater and event-exhibition scene. His main stage design works include Performance Workshop's 《Big Widow's Bean Arbor》 (《大寡婦豆棚》), Taipei Ballet Company's 《La Dame aux Camélias》, Appearance Theatre Lab's 《Scenery III》 (《風景 III》), If Kids Theatre's 《Oh, Mommy!》 (《媽媽咪噢！》), and Cloud Gate 2's 《Bobo's Adventure—The Mystery of the Big Tree》 and 《Bobo's Adventure—The Mermaid's Wish》.
A professional theater lighting designer and technical director working on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and an expert in coordinating the technology of large-scale productions. Formerly Technical Director of the Taipei Arts International Association, his projects include the Shanghai World Expo thematic show 《Window of the City》, the 2014–15 tour of 《Voyage Undersea》, the stage play 《The Great Fortune-Teller》 (《大算命家》), the 2017 Weiwuying light show 《Memories under the Banyan Trees》, and the 2016–17 《Taipei Universiade Cultural Events》.
Image in Motion Theater
Image in Motion Theatre Company (IMT) was established to bring 3D animation together with movie special effects into conventional theater, through integration of live performances with virtual stage design, hence the name. As a result, the audiences witness a fantastic story-telling experience that is constantly interchangeable between multimedia theater presentations and live performing acts. The artistic director of IMT, Yau Chen, has had a decade of experience with the production of Hollywood animation, films and special effects. In 2000, she and her sister Serina Chen, who has been a long-time theater producer and art festival director, decided to collaborate and give birth to Image in Motion Theater Company, a multimedia theater production team that pioneers the first-of-its-kind multimedia theater in Taiwan.
Since its birth, IMT has gathered talents from various fields such as performing arts, animation, and special effect as well as to collaborate and discover all the possibilities of multimedia theater. IMT has created a high standard of theater production that fused multimedia with live performance. Step by step the dreams of successfully combining technology and performing arts have realized, inspiring the limitless and diverse artistic creativities.
2019 2019 "Franz & Friends" Series Film Production Project
2018 "Sacred Heart's Day-Charity Amusement Park" Planning and Design
2017 The First Seeds – Memories of the Banyan Trees, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Wei Wu Ying, an outdoor audiovisual lights show, Image Design
2016 "Franz & Friends "Taiwan Cultural Fair Exhibition
2015 Immersive Musical Fantasy "Voyage Undersea" International Version Performance-Taiwan and Hong Kong Tour
2014 Immersive Musical Fantasy "Voyage Undersea"
2010 The only thematic show in the World EXPO Shanghai《Window of the City 》
2008 《CHANCEFORMATION of life》- total improvisational multi-media theater
2006 Pop musical《In Love with Carmen》visual image design
2006 《Chanceformation》
2005 Imaginative Dance Theater piece “@Dream”
2005 Interactive multi-media theater “Imagining Kung Fu”
2004 Interactive multi-media theater “Imagining Kung Fu”
2004 《Metamorphosis》
2003 Imaginative dance theater piece “@Dream”
2002 《Dilatation》
2001 《My shadow and I》
2001 《Not a Love Story》
Reviews & Press
Audience Highlights
“Lively, fun and educational. On leaving, the children were singing and dancing and clamoring to be friends with Franz—truly an immersive musical fantasy worth gathering your friends for!”
“A really special visual shock. It's my first time seeing a children's stage production with LV-level (luxury-brand) gorgeousness—it feels great!”
“This is the best family show I've ever seen. The story is touching and meaningful, the imagery colorful and three-dimensional, the music lovely, and the actors and dancers gave their all.”
“I've always loved IMT's multimedia theater—every time brings a new, moving shock. 《Voyage Undersea》 is really good; my child was glued to it, thrilled, for the entire show.”
“Work created with such effort for children gives our nation's young seedlings wonderful artistic nourishment—so touching.”
“A great format—combining stage play, musical and modern technology to teach through entertainment, so that children, without noticing, pick up some simple awareness of ocean environmental problems.”
“The group is very well coordinated, the props and costumes are exquisitely made, and it's very educational—excellent!”
“《Voyage Undersea》: Dr. Franz (Dr. Food) and his human friends go on an undersea expedition to investigate rising ocean temperatures and the proliferation of jellyfish, and discover the sea floor full of garbage. A warm and educational stage play that reminds us there is only one ocean and we must cherish it.”
“The whole show is like a 3D undersea extravaganza—besides sound-and-light effects and giant puppets, there are performers doing stunts, plus simple melodies and songs children love; it's a lively, bustling musical. The kids were thrilled! The children we came with—aged one-and-a-bit, three-and-a-half, and in second and fourth grade—all gave it rave reviews!”
“I never expected that within the first five minutes on stage I'd feel it was absolutely worth bringing my child. Besides ordinary stage performance, it combines song and dance with 3D animation, to excellent effect—my restless son immediately agreed to sit still and enjoy the show. Of the main characters, the funny-natured Doug made the deepest impression on him. A lovely story, all kinds of fun undersea sights, and of course, as expected, lessons about the importance of protecting the environment. A children's show with really high value for money!”
“The story of 《Voyage Undersea》 is easy to follow, and the songs woven into it are easy to sing along to. Whether it's the cute character costumes or the sound-and-light effects, everything is very appealing and resonates with children. In addition, the characters on stage interact with the children in the audience—singing together, or at the end helping clear the garbage out of the big sea turtle's belly—making children feel involved while instilling correct knowledge. It's a wonderful model of family musical, and a strongly recommended show.”
Media Praise
“《Voyage Undersea》 combines 3D animated scenery, film special effects and original puppet performance; you can feel the three-dimensional effect without wearing 3D glasses. The whole gorgeous undersea kingdom is richly colored, and the puppet costumes feel contemporary and refined.”
— Liberty Times
“《Voyage Undersea》 awakens love and care for Earth's ecology and marine life, and for cherishing the abundant resources God has given us. Through storytelling that teaches by entertaining, it puts humanistic care into practice. We hope Taiwanese society becomes ever better, more harmonious and happier, restoring life's rightful beauty and richness.”
— Christian Tribune
《Voyage Undersea》 not only shows an entertaining adventure story through song, dance, sound and light; it also draws on IMT's years of experience combining multimedia and theater, overlaying animated imagery projected onto front and rear curtains to present dazzling, layered undersea scenes that enrich the audience's visual imagination.
— NCKU Alumni Liaison Center
“A groundbreaking family show that combines technology and creativity”
— Liberty Times (Taiwan)
“Combining 3D dynamic imagery, animation, song and dance, live performance and plenty of audience participation—imaginative and wonderful beyond words”
— Taipei Times
《Voyage Undersea》 by Franz & Friends is a rare, original Taiwanese environmental family theater production, supervised by the Taipei Arts International Association and created by Image in Motion Theater in the spirit of original “made in Taiwan.” Gathering top talent from Taiwan's theater and animation fields and using glasses-free 3D multimedia technology rarely seen in theater, it builds a Hollywood-grade, high-spec large-scale fantasy theater, skillfully blending rich visual effects, exquisite and agile puppet stunts and environmental-education concepts. Through interactive multimedia theater experiences that teach through entertainment, it offers the audience a colorful visual impact and a baptism of dynamic music in a virtual ocean kingdom, not only inspiring children's imagination but also conveying ocean knowledge, environmental awareness and practical ways to protect the Earth.
— Asia Pacific News Network
Bringing together talent from theater, animation and film special effects, it creates for children a fantasy song-and-dance party fused with vivid 3D animation, with eye-catching sets, pleasant songs and charming puppets. Franz and friends, together with the lively undersea troops, sing and dance, and with fun interaction spread simple yet easily overlooked basic values—friendship, dreams, courage and care for the environment—into the hearts of audiences young and old.
— Kuang Hua News and Cultural Center
《Voyage Undersea》 is a high-spec musical built on multimedia theater, bringing together the finest of Taiwan's theater and animated-film worlds to devote themselves to creating something tailor-made for children. In 2014 the Taipei Arts International Association launched a nationwide tour of 《Voyage Undersea》, breaking out of the commercially driven atmosphere of the market, opening a new multimedia trend for family theater and setting a new milestone in the history of Taiwan's cultural and creative industries.
— The Epoch Times
“Voyage Undersea is a wonderfully imaginative mix of 3D motion capture, video animation, music, dance and live actors— and a lot of audience participation.”
— Taipei Times
Tickets
The international touring of VOYAGE UNDERSEA is coming soon …
Latest News
Our New Website Is Here! Explore More Exciting Content and Adventure with Franz & Friends
2026.10.05
Dear kids and grown-ups, have you noticed our new look?
To bring everyone a more convenient and enjoyable browsing experience, the official Franz & Friends website has been newly launched!
All along, we have accompanied children as they grow up happily through joyful stage shows, lively singing-and-dancing music and spectacular 3D fantasy song-and-dance. Now, through the official website you can easily learn about the expedition team's brand philosophy, classic productions, environmental education knowledge and rich video content, keep up with the latest brand news, and explore the wonderful world of Franz & Friends anytime!
Follow Our Official Social Media So You Never Miss an Adventure
Want to be the first to know about the latest performances, enjoy behind-the-scenes clips, or join fun interactive activities? Besides browsing the website, don't forget to follow the official Franz & Friends Facebook fan page and Instagram!
Through our official social media, you can keep up with the latest performance and event information, enjoy exciting videos and singing-and-dancing content, join festival-limited activities, and even share your family's theater-going impressions and your little ones' creative works, interacting with more kids and grown-ups.
The website takes you deeper into Franz & Friends, while Facebook and Instagram keep you up to date with the latest news and wonderful daily moments in real time.
Head to the official website now, and search “Franz & Friends” to follow the official Facebook fan page and Instagram. Sing, dance and explore adventures with us, and let joy accompany every day!
As the autumn breeze brushes the treetops and a bright, mirror-like full moon hangs in the night sky, the warmest festival of the year—the Mid-Autumn Festival—is quietly arriving once again! On this day that symbolizes reunion and gratitude, Franz and his fellow explorers are in a state of great excitement, ready to celebrate this lovely holiday with kids and grown-ups all across Taiwan.
Franz & Friends has always upheld the core spirit of “singing and dancing, exploring and adventuring, growing up happy.” To us, every stage performance and every adventure story is like a grand family gathering. Whenever we see parents leading their children by the hand into the theater, their eyes sparkling with anticipation and curiosity for a fantasy world, that spontaneous sense of happiness is the strongest motivation for the expedition team to keep moving forward and create more quality works. The spirit of the Mid-Autumn Festival is “reunion,” and the most precious asset between parents and children is every moment of being together and creating memories side by side.
On this full-moon holiday, besides enjoying sweet mooncakes and peeling fragrant pomelos, why not give the family around you a big hug and a word of thanks. Parents can try asking their children: “If we were going to travel with Franz in a spaceship to explore the moon today, what gift would you bring for Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit?” Such simple, imaginative conversation not only brings parents and children closer, but also ignites children's boundless creativity and childlike heart.
Over the past while, the Franz expedition team has received warm feedback from fan-page followers and theater audiences. Seeing many children learn courage and sharing from our musicals, and even show the spirit of little eco-warriors who care for the environment in daily life, makes us extremely proud. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the adventure—full of surprises and challenges—will continue. We are actively preparing more rich activities and content, and hope to meet you again very soon in a brand-new form!
Finally, Franz and all the members of the expedition team once again wish all the parents and children who support us: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! May every day of yours be as round and complete as the Mid-Autumn moon, filled with light and laughter. Don't forget to keep following our official fan page to stay up to date with the expedition team's latest news and exclusive surprise short videos!
A 3D Fantasy Visual Feast Where Virtual Meets Real: The Stage Charm of Image in Motion Theater
2026.09.22
Step into the theater, and as the lights slowly dim, scene after scene of dazzling fantasy light and shadow unfolds before your eyes—this is the magical moment that Franz & Friends brings to countless families. Produced with great effort by Image in Motion Theater and the Taipei Arts International Association, this original family production has not only drawn enthusiastic responses at home but has also toured overseas in an international English version. What is the charm of this work that lets thousands of family audiences be immersed and linger on?
The answer lies in IMT's years of pursuit of “the perfect fusion of technology and art.” Franz & Friends breaks the limitation of traditional family theater that relies only on props and costumes, being the first to deeply combine 3D animation and cinematic visual effects with exquisite live puppets and gorgeous song-and-dance performance. On stage, the audience sees the heroes exploring a mysterious forest one moment and, the next, diving with the camera straight into the deep sea, where dazzling marine creatures seem within arm's reach. This ultimate “blend of virtual and real” visual experience makes children feel as if they are traveling inside a film frame themselves.
Yet top-notch visual technology is only a medium that catches the eye; what truly moves people is always the irreplaceable “warmth of live performance” in the theater. IMT has invested enormous effort in character design and the crafting of costumed puppets; every character's movement details, eye contact and song-and-dance choreography has been refined through countless rehearsals. When actors and puppets on stage sing and dance with passion, countless sparkling eyes in the audience light up in response; that field of energy in which the atmosphere of the entire hall interweaves is an artistic thrill that content on a screen can never match.
As one of the pioneers of original Taiwanese family IP, Franz & Friends is dedicated not only to bringing entertainment to children but also carries the mission of artistic enlightenment and cultural promotion. We believe that quality children's theater should not be a compromise of “adults accompanying children,” but an artistic feast from which both adults and children can be moved.
In the future, IMT and the Taipei Arts International Association will continue to hold on to this passion for the performing arts and explore more diverse and creative forms of expression. Whether in new attempts at online video or in the stunning return of the offline stage, we will keep creating the most representative fantasy adventure stories, accompanying Taiwan's next generation as they grow up nourished by aesthetics and imagination!
Learn While You Play! Become an “Ocean Guardian” with Franz
2026.09.19
The vast, deep-blue sea is always full of endless mystery and charm. For children, the colorful coral reefs, swimming tropical fish and elegant, steady sea turtles of the deep-sea world are like a huge natural treasure trove. Yet this beautiful blue world is facing an unprecedented crisis. In IMT's classic immersive musical fantasy 《Voyage Undersea》, Franz and his friends set out on an exciting rescue mission!
Why can a vivid story move a child's heart more than dry preaching? Because in the world of theater, children are no longer passive listeners, but become members of the expedition team, sharing joys and sorrows with the characters. When children in the audience see the beautiful undersea world lose its luster because of waste, and see the sea turtle suffer from mistakenly eating a plastic bag, the empathy and protective instinct that arise naturally plant the seeds of environmentalism in their young hearts.
So after leaving the theater or putting down the storybook, how can parents guide children in daily life to turn this care for the ocean into practical action? The Franz expedition team has put together three “Ocean Guardian plastic-reduction proposals” that the whole family can carry out together:
Tip 1: Bring Your Own “Expedition Bottle” and Shopping Bag
When you go out, build the good habit of carrying your own water bottle to reduce buying single-use plastic bottled water. Mom can tell the child: “This is our special expedition gear—every plastic bottle we don't use means we've successfully saved a little sea turtle!”
Tip 2: Say Goodbye to Single-Use Plastic Straws and Tableware
Use reusable tableware and straws when eating. Let children choose the styles they like themselves, to increase their willingness to use them and their sense of accomplishment.
Tip 3: A Little Waste-Sorting Game in Daily Life
Set up a simple recycling area at home, and let children learn “sorting and reduction” through play. Tell children that only waste thrown in the right place can become resources again and won't end up in the sea trapping fish.
Environmental protection never needs earth-shattering feats; it comes from every small choice in daily life. Franz & Friends hopes, through works full of imagination and appeal, that children will naturally learn to respect life and cherish nature amid laughter, singing and dancing. Let's hold hands, big and small, start with little things, and become “Ocean Guardians” protecting the blue Earth!
《Voyage Undersea》 amazing live adventure coming to an international audience with English world premiere in 2015!
Franz the Doc and his friends are ready to take on audience worldwide to this fantastic voyage undersea with Mandarin and English performances in 2015! Are you ready ? It all begins here. The premiere is right around the corner for the joy of children in Taipei !
《Voyage Undersea》drew enthusiastic response from audience
From the audience
“《Voyage Undersea》is a musical that is interesting and has lots of educational messages. While departing, all the children are singing, dancing and wanting to befriend with Dr. Franz. It is truly a musical that is filled with friendship and educational meanings.”
“It’s amazing to see the dolls dancing alongside the fish imageries; it’s fun and educational!” “This is my first time to see a children’s production with stunning visual effects, feels pretty awesome.”
“The story is really touching and meaningful, with the vivid visual presentation that incorporates 3D visual effects and musical, by far, the best children’s musical production!”
“I have always enjoyed Image in Motion’s multimedia theatre productions, each production comes with a new experience, so glad to see the kids are so excited with 《Voyage Undersea》.”
“It is the first time for my kids and I to see an animated musical and I’m just happy to see my kids were so focused at the musical. Thanks to Image in Motion for creating this great show, I hope you guys can create more quality works!”
“Never imagined on stage I can see those 3D movie effects, and the dolls interact with the visual effects is just an eye- opener.”
Media Pundits
“《Voyage Undersea》, the immersive musical fantasy combines animation with dolls performing on stage, which is the first production for the Chen sisters, as the pair plans to enter the children’s market.” – Liberty Times
《Voyage Undersea》reminds everyone that we need to care and protect the Earth, and to cherish what God has given us. Children learn to care through the fun and educational story- telling. And hope through faith, we can better the society with love, peace and happiness, and to restore life’s richness and beauty. – Christian Tribune
「Voyage Undersea is a wonderfully imaginative mix of 3D motion capture, video animation, music, dance and live actors— and a lot of audience participation. 」- Taipei Times
Chin- Yu Chao/ Taipei After the hands- on experience of producing large- scale shows at the Shanghai World Expo, Image in Motion artistic director Yao- Chen and the producer/ general director Serina Chen produced a fantastic 3D musical “Voyage Undersea”. The immersive musical fantasy combines animation with dolls performing on stage, which is the first production for the Chen sisters, as the pair plans to enter the children’s market.
Hermit the crab replaces his shell with a traffic cone; Sea turtle does not know the dangerousness of consuming plastic bags, not to mention humans uncaringly affected the ocean with the garbage they produced, anyone could literally see mountains of garbage from an aerial view. A scuba diving enthusiast, Yao Chen discovered such uncaring act by humans that had affected the ocean deeply.
Such experience became the motivation for Serina Chen, who wanted to combine various elements such as environmental friendliness, technology, and art together to produce a brand new show.
"The idea began five years ago, we had the courage to dream, but at the time we were working on the Expo so it was temporarily paused." Chen Yao said, the show combines 3D animation, special effects and performance from puppets, you can feel the 3D effect without having to wear a pair of 3D glasses; the whole beautiful undersea kingdom is filled brilliant colors, the costumes are full of contemporary, with an elegant touch.
Chen Yao said that the purpose of combining arts with science and technology is to allow technology be decorated with art. "Instead of letting the technology to be seen as purely technological, technology is used to bring art to complete the value of art," which is what Taiwan is capable of doing "I hope more people come in to do the integration, thus technology and art can flourish."
However, despite the vision of this avant-garde production has, it hardly attract much from governmental sponsorships. Serina Chen smiled and said the committee members think "Image in Motion" is only a dance company, "In fact, we are back at the beginning to explore the possibilities of science and technology on stage, but the committee members still think we are not capable of producing drama.” Despite not getting any sponsorship, the Chen sisters still completed the project with a strong belief in “made in Taiwan”, and hoping to achieve a new milestone on Taiwan's culture and drama scene.
It will be staged in Jhihde Hall, of kaohsiung City, October 5th, 6th, and the 12th to the 14th at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.
2012.08.19 《Voyage Undersea》debut at Taipei Cultural Centre, a massive success!
The 3D musical《Voyage Undersea》debuted on 8/18& 8/19, at the Sun Yay Sen Memorial hall. For these young guests, this wonderful musical performance is just the best memory they could ever get from the summer!
The actors brought wonderful performances for children.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.Children photograph with their beloved actors joyously.The actors brought wonderful performances for children.photosChildren interacting with the stage prop.
