Undescribed Writing:
28.10.08
Note: This is copyrighted. No part of this article will be produce without prior consent.
The Animation in the Philippines
( Enchantment of a Medium and its Share in the World )
By Jose Parman, The Animation Dailies pg.13a
I am not keen in examining a formal thorough research about the ruff roads of animation in this country. It is that I don’t see any honest article about it. I am an insider in the industry, and maybe my share of knowledge will enlighten people and artist alike. This article endeavors on my personal observation of the medium, on which a part of my life is consumed also, a bread and butter, a source of money to buy milk for my children, and a life I lived for quite sometime as an animation artist, a fun and cherished profession. This article also deemed to be one sided,--leaning on the artist side.
Animation was brought in this country in 1984 via the Burbank Animation in Makati, City. It was in this studio that artists’ were trained and introduced in the arts of animation.and some of the pioneer artists came from them, the likes of Reggie Entienza ( writer/director of Urduja ,2008 Animation Feature ). Danilo Milla, a.k.a. Dani Miles ( CEO of Dog n’ Bonn), Benny Quilatan (Evershine Studio ) among others. This is to my knowledge the first ever outsourcing animation job placed in the Philippines. It was followed by Optifex and Asian Animation.
“… it is the catch basin of outsourced work in the world during its glory days.”
In 1986. The legendary Fil-Cartoons Animation in Pioneer Street with a flag of the Philippines and USA waving outside, emerges. The biggest animation studio in Asia that time. Its employees peak numbered to almost 1,200. In – house artists’ were given housing, car loans, artist children are given scholarship etc. Its employees are envied by many. With an income bracket almost five times or even more compared to a minimum wage earner, a subsidiary of Hanna-Barbera, with a Warner, Disney, MGM, Turner, etceteras departments, it is a catch basin of outsourced work in the world during its glory days.
When Jerry Smith, founder and owner was gone, the studio gradually slows down as internal problems that sorrounds it worsens. Until it finally shuts down in 2001,--for good.
You may asked? Its pool of talents, where did they go?
Remnants of its animation departments.---some went out of the country,--the Disney Department which was sent to Australia, some never came back and continue to work with the Walt Disney Australia until its closure in 2006.
In1995, Fox Animation Studios, based in Phoenix, Arizona USA hired around 70 animation artist in the Philippines. It includes animators, layout artist, (posers and background designers) clean-up, inbetween artist, background painter, among others for the Don Bluth’s production of Anastasia, followed by Bartok and Titan AE ,some Fil-Cartoons’ artist also were hired together with artist from Pacific Rim Animation, Philippine Animation and Toei Animation.
Some of them made it big in the states. Others applied for residency, while some went home in the Philippines to flex again their muscles in this buckling country.
Others were absorbed by Toon City, a former Disney’s subsidiary in 2002 to work for Zeroman, a Leslie Nielsen character from Canada. The work was brought by John Rice, an English/Australian who passed away in 2007.
Some of the artist from Fil-cartoons, you can still find today as freelancers, studio managers, owners,---though some have left the industry to pursue another career and others evolved on flash and CG’s.
“…is the biggest animation studio in Japan and not Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Gibli on which he is also one of the artist of Toei..”
In that same year 1986, EEI-TOEI Animation Studio,Philippines, a Japanese Animation Studio started its operation in Strata 2000, then in West Avenue, Quezon City and now in Pasig City.
Toei Animation has a training program conducted by Tatsuji Kino, a lifetime employee of Toei animation Japan to train assistant animators –for the Japanese has a unique way of animation production process. The key drawings are far apart and its hard to inbetween by an inexperienced artist. The company then sent artist to Japan for training and interaction among its peers. Its stop sending up to batch 4 of its trainees in 1990.
It specializes in inbetweening, they call it assistant animation and cel painting of the classic Dragon Ball series, Tarurutokon, Crying Freeman ,Kinnikuman etc..
Toei Animation is the most durable animation studio in the Philippines. They went now digital and with a strong workforce. Artist are paid lower in this studio than of other American inclined animation studios. Contrary to some, Toei is the biggest animation studio in Japan and not Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Gibli on which he is also one of the artist of Toei.
In 1991-1992 another Japanese anime studio ventured in Makati City, Animatronics Group, It has a four Filipino animators, namely; Boy Baarde, who is now based in Canada, Jimmy Pabulos, Nelson Oligario and Laurence Tan. It also caters Inbetweening , clean-up and painting for Japan’s t.v. series. It has done some outsourced scenes of Orotsuki Dhoji ( The Legend of the Overfiend), a sex and extreme violent film. The film is so undescribable, so violent and sexually explicit in an unimaginable degree. …And maybe that era of experiment marked the beginning of an anime porn, called Hentai. There is also a small Japanese Studio in Mayon named (TAP) Tokyo Animated Products then.
1992 also is the time that Philippine Animation Studio,(PASI) owned by a Malaysian, started the long running episodes of Biker Mice from Mars,--from Marvel Productions, followed by X-men, among others.
“ In fact, there is another concept to launched, The Noli me Tangere, if ever the Adarna was not a flop. “
There were already existing smaller studios in the vicinity of Metro. Manila in operation. The Pacific Rim Animation, Atlantica in Makati and Moving Images in Pasig.--- while Island Animation in Aurora Boulevard prepare to close. Then in 1995, after a close open syndrome, New PacificRim Animation thru Ching Reyes reopens with a show, Cliffhanger, a Sylvester Stallone look-alike cartoons, and Mortal Kombat. The studio again closed after 4-5 months of operation. This is the time that Gerry Garcia, started Ibong Adarna ,The Mythical Bird thru Guiding Light Productions. In fact, there is another concept to launched, The Noli me Tangere if ever the Adarna was not a flop. Garcia unlike the Japanese Hayao Miyazaki is not an animator, though he acted as one. In fairness to Garcia, he still endeavors to look for a possible investors in the states. Some artist in the industry were asked to do a character design and other artworks that he could use as samples to get a client but was unsuccessful. Some artist clamored they are not paid.
Rainbow Animation,---first started in Pasay and later to Makati, a Korean owned studio that outsourced Hot Rod Dogs,Legend of Atlantis,among others. It also closed after a short stint. Dream Productions in Shaw Blvd. started Cleo the misfit Unicorn, then Toonworks opened near Buendia and so on …and so forth. Typhoon Toons, New Dawn Studio, Digitoons, Discman, Animasia, Southerlights, Trade Winds, Neko, Sunwoo, DQ, Top Draw, Top Peg ,Etcetera and etcetera’s. The litany of animation artist and studios just redundantly reverberates,---as always it ended as “the studio is closed”.then another studio opens…the cycle seems endless. Closed and Open.
Lately, Urduja was launched... Flop or not, I don’t care for today we need every little effort to produce. This is not the time to critic, this is the time to produce for we lack an original content, be it in T.V., games, in films, or in the internet. We are left behind by countries like India on which we lend our hand in some of their training and productions. If we Filipinos can eradicate those old animation films and animes in our television, and change its content into an original Pilipino content,---maybe the industry still have a chance to flourish again.
The venture of Dayo,we have still hope of rejoicing. Maybe. -- But, we still needs more…
I have heard that an interest in the medium of animation sparks in Iloilo City, Bukidnon and in Bicol. I just wiz that our local government will encourage and support them.
This country is not just Metro Manila, it is made-up of thousands of islands. I hope in every viable island like Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo, Bacolod, Capiz, Luzon etc., will put their interest in seeing their legends, folklore, tales and stories in animation, gaming and films.
It is not known to many that Cebu has been doing outsourcing anime in 1992.
PASI ( Philippine Animation Studio Inc.) outsourced also in Puerto Princesa and in Vietnam. During the peak season of Fil-Cartoons’-- artist brought some IB/CU in Bacolod and Iloilo City.
We could still can hope in the success of the animation industry in the Philippines.Whatever materials that is being done by the highest possible technology and techniques available today, will just become outdated soon. The unique character of handrawn animation will always lives on. We become well known in the world thru outsourcing in this medium. Or, it is time perhaps that we produced and financed original Filipino content,-- be it in 3D, hand drawn, flash , live or games.--In this thought I’m sure, God help us! we will rise again. #
