Courtesy of MNC Animation

An animation education center in West Jakarta has only been operating for less than a year, but the principal has big dreams about the future, inspired by the development of Indonesia’s animation industry for the past five years.

“ We want to create animators who are able to help Indonesia flourish in the world of animation,” Enspire School of Digital Art (ESDA) Puri learning center leader Angela Ramli told The Jakarta Post.

The positive trend in animation, according to the Indonesian Animation and Content Industry Association (AINAKI), has been marked by, among other things, a significant number of animated films playing in cinemas.

“Investment has been increasing. We have six animated titles to be or being shown in cinemas,” Ainaki chairman Daryl Wilson said.

Among the six titles is the MNC Animation-produced Titus — Mystery of The Enygma, which began playing in January.

MNC Animation has also produced Kiko for a local free-to-air TV station, as well as for foreign channels in 52 countries.

“We are proud that the locally made Kiko is being aired by a number of overseas TV stations. Hopefully, Kiko will be followed by other Indonesian animated content accepted by the world,” said MNC Animation marketing and communication officer Suhendra Wijaya.

He said the production of Kiko had all been carried out by local employees, except for particular parts of the work, which still relied on foreign experts.

This can be a challenge for ESDA, which was founded in 2013 by Andre Surya, an Indonesian animator whose portfolio boasts some Hollywood-produced movies like Iron Man and Transformers, made during his stint at the world-famous Lucasfilm.

“Surya believes that many young-generation hopefuls in Indonesia are born with limitless creativity and therefore can remain competitive in the ever-evolving, globalized workforce through accessible education that responds to current trends and industry demands,” Angela said.

“ESDA was founded to inspire and educate Indonesia’s next generation to be bold, creative and skillful animators.”

ESDA offers programs in 3D animation, 3D modeling, game design, digital sculpting and visual effects.

A program called 3D Complete allows students to focus on one of three design branches — automotive, interior or character — upon completion of basic requirements.

“For the professional program, the students are trained from being novices to becoming prepared for the world’s creative industry,” Angela said.

The professional class comprises 15 levels, each needing three months to complete. However, she said if students finish only four levels, they would still have equipped themselves with enough skills to work.

Angela said she believes the demand for skillful animators would continue to rise within the next few decades, as many sectors are transforming themselves into becoming more digital and creative media-based to remain competitive and constantly attract customers.

“As the largest country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is currently experiencing a rapid surge in economic growth across different industries, including creative media, design, entertainment and other industries that can benefit from 3D animation,” she said.

“ESDA’s innovative and most up-to-date learning modules are specifically designed by industry experts to prepare students so they are ready to join the workforce immediately upon graduation.

“All of our programs are delivered in modules with gradually increasing complexity, which makes them suitable for students with both zero or some experience. Our exercises are designed based on actual tasks animators typically encounter in their professional career and, upon graduation, students receive certificates that are recognized by Indonesia’s industry standard so the brand essentially speaks for itself.

“We also help students to craft their own diverse portfolios showcasing many types of work, so they have the confidence to seek jobs immediately after program completion. ESDA is also partnering with multiple production houses across the country to help students connect with potential employers,” she said.

Award winner

For animated film lovers, Kiko may be worth waiting to watch as it is about to kick off its third season this April on RCTI private TV station.

The award-winning TV series is set under the sea, revolving around the character of a mutated goldfish named Kiko.

The first time it appeared on TV in 2016, Kiko won a Panasonic Gobel Award for being the Best Kid and Animation Program. It claimed the winner status as Favorite Local Children Animation at the Indonesian Television Awards in 2017 and 2018 before being declared again for the second time as the Best Kid and Animation Program last year.

Kiko is one among several examples of animated content produced by MNC Animation, which was established in 2011. The others are Entong, Titus and Zak Storm. To follow this year are Dinda & Novy and Bima.

While Titus has come out in a movie version that premiered in January, Zak Storm is a joint production with partners in United States, France and South Korea.

MNC’s penetration into the world market has owed much to the company’s shifted business focus from producing animated content for local stations to marketing the products to the world.

“Kiko was first produced in 2014. We launched the new version in 2016 to go international as MNC Animation began to focus on intellectual property businesses,” Suhendra said.

The increase in orders for animated content, which is another positive indicator of Indonesia’s animation industry, gives Ainaki the challenge of preparing a workforce that meets quantity and quality standards, starting from the educational institutions.

“We work hard to create more eligible teachers and help to improve learning modules in order to make the students competitive in the work field,” Daryl said.

“The misperception is also still around that animation is merely related to animated film. In fact, there are 84 professions that can employ animation graduates,” he said.

Many would be surprised, Angela noted, that 3D animators can pursue a career in various different industries.

“From the traditional path of working at animation production houses, a lot of 3D animators find themselves exercising their skills within fields of architecture and design, product design, TV production, film production, product design, game design, advertising, education and even graphic design,” she said.

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