Starting Your Own Animation Studio?

How do you start an animation studio? Well, it is difficult to pin down the most reliable steps in building an animation studio. But one thing I know, in order for a studio to grow, it needs to engage in original content activities.

I have been posting several messages in the web with the purpose of looking for "pinoy" original content animation studios. And at the moment, I only found three namely Mind Tap Studios of the Asia Pacific College in Magallanes, Enrick Geronia's Indio Genome Project and Tuldok Animation. So, given that these are the studios I got so far, I will begin my article by giving my impression with regards to the said studios.

Mind Tap Studios is a unique creative and technical institution. It is a working studio that has a modest amount of clients who consistently make use of the creative and technical functions of the studio. Its operation does not rely on donations or private contributions rather its operation is sustained by its own revenues.

Besides providing technical and creative support to its clients, the studio is engage in original content animation as reflected by its animation arm "Mobytoons". This engagement created a natural need to put up animation programs that will develop individuals who will eventually participate in original content projects and activities.

Checking their website, Mind Tap is further developing new programs for other media platforms like digital photography, web designing and original content comic book development. I see these programs as pioneering steps toward original content development and management for animation, comic book, wed design and even digital photography.

I met Enrick Geronia in a foreign animation studio based in Makati. I was managing the creative department and Enrick was part of the production line. To be honest, we do not share certain views with regards to Philippine Animation but we do share a common vision with regards to original content development and management. In fact, I did a freelance story editing work with him under his maverick enterprise called Indio Genome Project that was a modular unit of a foreign animation studio.

Enrick Geronia's Animation Studio reflects the character of the person behind it. In a nutshell, Enrick's studio can be summarized into one sentence. "Imagine Che Guevarra handling an animation studio in the midst of heavy gunfire".

I encountered, through the web, Tuldok Animation Studio when one of the studio's core member e-mailed me with regards to the animation pre-production seminar that I plan to conduct this coming summer 2008. Tuldok Animation Studio is a direct opposite of the previous animation studios that I mentioned above. The studio is a conglomerate of individuals working in educational institutions engage in multimedia programs and animation workers. In their website, they are clearly soliciting private contributions and public donations. And if my memory serves me right, their studio is a non-profit group affiliated with the NCCA which happens to be a government agency under the Office of the President (correct me if I am wrong).

The said three original content animation studios are inspiring in the sense that they all are working for the establishment of original pinoy animation. Though each may use a different tactic in achieving a common goal, still, their collective courage to go against the flow is admirable.

In an "animation scene" dominated by sell outs and animation services, I hope that by writing about these studios, others will be brave enough to venture out the confines of animation outsourcing. I know that there are a lot of original content studios out there. So please, if you want me to write about your studio, just send me your website so that I can check it out.

You can also read the article at http://bravenewworld2004.multiply.com/journal/item/11/Starting_Your_Own_Animation_Studio

'Libingan' At Animahenasyon, Pinoy Animation Fest!

"Libingan," a 20-minute animated short film produced by Tuldok Animation Studios Inc. is set to compete in the Animahenasyon, Pinoy Animation Festival which is organized by Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI) http://animationcouncil.org/.It will be shown together with other short films in the 6-20 minute category this Nov. 22 (Thursday) 8:00 pm. – 9:30 pm. and also on Nov. 24 (Saturday) 12:30 nn. – 2:00 pm at Robinsons Galleria Indie Cine. You can check the other films and their screening schedules at the ACPI website.

Tuldok Animation Studios Inc. is a non stock, non profit organization that aims to promote the creative talent of the Filipino artist through animation.This all volunteer group made this film in a span of almost two years during their spare time, making the most out of their limited resources, at their individual homes. It is supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and Wordtext Systems Inc.(WSI) provider of Licensed/Original Adobe Software.

You can check out their trailer at http://www.tuldokanimation.com/

Synopsis:

Anna is brought to the province to meet her relatives for the first time. With its unfamiliar sights, sound and smell, she doesn't like it one bit. Her experience is made worse when she meets three kids who bully her into going into a haunted forest. Together with her dog, Rambo, she ventures into the shadows and makes a startling discovery…

Reviews:

"Libingan is short, sweet, and snappy — and it succeeds just by being a simple story that's very well-told. In the small, elegant story of a little girl exploring a dark forest, it doesn't try anything fancy, but still nails all the right notes, from the start all the way to the satisfying ending."

-K-Zone Magazine blog

"More than its impressive presentation, Libingan triumphs with its desire to incorporate local traditions and mythology to its overall story, stressing Tuldok's objective to create animated films that would reflect Pinoy culture."

-Philippine Entertainment Portal

You can also read the article at The Mindanao Examiner Website at http://mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20071119212718

"LIBINGAN" on EXHIBITION at the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival 2007

" . . . Presented with the animated short film, THE BURIAL, by Ramon del Prado: a search for a cell phone lost in the woods becomes a magical journey for a young girl and her dog. English subtitles."

You can check out the other details at the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival website at http://cfaff.org/films.html

"LIBINGAN" is a FINALIST in ANIMAHENASYON 2007 PINOY ANIMATION FESTIVAL

ANIMAHENASYON 2007 highlights original Pinoy animation

The Filipino animator must be one of the most overlooked artists inthe Philippines. As diligent and creative as the Pinoy independent filmmaker but not as recognized, the local animators have, for the longest time, been looking for a chance (and in some cases, a venue) to finally showcase their originality and talent. Strangely enough, it is the foreign animation companies that have been recognizing the local animators by giving them steady work for the many years now. Indeed, it has been an open secret that some of the cartoons produced by foreign production houses employ Pinoy animators. No doubt about it, Filipino animators are talented but the question is: when will they be given the spotlight they so rightfully deserve?

Enter ANIMAHENASYON 2007, Pinoy Animation Festival slated on November 21 to 25 at Robinsons Galleria's Indie Cine. The festival aims to finally give professional and amateur Filipino animators a venue where they could screen their original works. "I think it is about time to give these animators a chance to show their own works," says Ricky Orellana, festival director of ANIMAHENASYON. "After all, they have been working on other's people's materials for the longest time." He says that viewers might be surprised to discover that Pinoy animators are not just copycats of American or Japanese animation. "We have our own style," he says.

Indeed, if the entries this year prove anything, it's that Filipino animators are hard to pigeonhole. "Some are in 2-D and 3-D and some used cell animation but what is really surprising is that we received entries from all over the Philippines: from Baguio to Iloilo, from Lapu Lapu to Marinduque," Orellana said. Suffice to say that the topics are also diverse. Some are interpretation of local folklore and some are original stories by the animators themselves. "Even now, I expect our judges to have a hard time picking which entries to include in the final list," the festival director said, "because some of the entries are really good."

And since ANIMAHENASYON's goal is to spotlight Pinoy animators, what better way to do that than to have two very successful Filipino animators from PIXAR (Toy Story, Finding Nemo) and Dreamworks (Shrek,Madagascar) to give a talk during the festival. "Aside from the original Pinoy works, we are also inviting two Pinoy animators who have done significant work in mainstream Hollywood," says Orellana."Hopefully, the forum will give animators a chance to discuss pertinent issues concerning not only the local industry but the international animation industry as well."

And like any other festival, ANIMAHENASYON will hand out various awards for deserving entries. Up for grabs are the GRAND PRIZE AWARD, AWARD for BEST REGIONAL ENTRY, JURY'S SPECIAL AWARD, and AUDIENCE'S SPECIAL AWARD, among others. But of course, as the festival organizers never fail to point out, the real prize is that finally Pinoy animators are not just anonymous workers toiling on some cartoon series but, through ANIMAHENASYON, artists in the real sense of theword.

ANIMAHENASYON 2007 is spearheaded by the Animation Council of the Philippines Inc. (ACPI), a non-stock and non-profit organization. The members of ACPI specialize mainly in—but not limited to— 2D or 3D animation. The organization, which is recognized and supported by the Philippine government, aims to create an identity for the Philippines to be considered among the preferred countries that service theanimation industry.

Please check the ACPI's Website at http://animationcouncil.org/