Kato Medina
Create Your BadgeNever Let Animation Outsourcing End This Awakening Sunshine... Never!
I have been advocating the constructive exodus of animation studios from saturated metropolitan cities to viable rural locations. Though I still retain that there is no domestic animation market to speak off, the international possibilities of selling original content animation is real.
The high cost of living, the terrible transportation system, air & noise pollution, non-competitive compensation, expensive rents & maintenance and compressed human resources management contribute to the lack of competitiveness in terms of technical and creative innovations among domestic animation studios.
The mortality rate for animation studios are high and those studios that are surviving resort to unfriendly and incompetent means like under-employment, contractual loop-holes, low pay (worst… below minimum wage), subcontracting the subcontracted and non-payment of labor fees.
Shifting The Animation Process to viable rural locations enhances the competitiveness of Animation Studios. This shift is possible through the advances in communication and data transmition technologies as well as the creation of permanent conduits (like Kor-Phil IT Center) that will support and will augment overseas transmittal of output.
Given that the cost of living is low in viable rural locations like Davao, Naga or Legaspi Cities compared to NCR, adequate space is given for proper compensation of the creative and technical labor forces as guided by the Regional Minimum Wage. Transportation and Air Quality are friendly given the low population density for both residents and migrants.
By organizing a work force that is within the immediate reach of animation studios, productivity has the potential to increase 30 to 50 percent compared to metropolitan counterparts given that the work force is provided adequate time to deal with public, personal and private needs. As they say, a happy person is a productive person.
Energy is the most crucial necessity for animation studios. Unlike in Quezon City, residents in Legaspi City for example pay less for their electricity. Thus, the potential of further reducing cost for operation is real and not imaginary. Enterprising individuals tend to come up with self-sustaining measures like solar power, wind power or even bio-diesel driven generators (converting coconut oil to bio-diesel).
The competitive edge of Philippine Animation Studios is a collection of technological resourcefulness, creative innovation and unconventional business strategies. If we will constantly do it the old way, we won’t be able to compete because there is no domestic market that will support such a young industry.
In the end, we need to accept the fact that the battle ground is in the international market and the game plan is within the values of sustainable strategies and regional partnership with other animation studios. We must bring the fight to them, otherwise, we will always be in the defensive
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Isang mungkahi sa mga myembro ng site na ito... bilang pagbibigay ng suporta sa mga kasamahan nating hindi makawala sa mga busabos na mga amo ng animation outsourcing, sana, sa march 31, 2009, martes... sabay sabay nating i-blog sa mga sites natin. Isang tinig!
BAWAL ANG ANIMATION OUTSOURCING SA PINAS!
Di ko alam kung magtatagumpay ang mungkahing ito... pero pakiramdam ko, walang mawawala kung susubukan. Tama na, Sobra na, Laban Na!
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Philippine Animation is not an industry but an idea. It is an idea that is waiting to become a concept. A concept that yearns to capture the imagination of a generation. A generation that is vibrant, fearless and bold.
These are young men and women who are valiantly creative and sincerely grounded to understand the nature, potentials and limitations of Philippine Animation. They are not afraid to uplift the stature of their craft and transform it into a dynamic, nurturing and self-sustaining model from which an industry will be born.
Philippine Animation is an idea. An idea we believe in, an idea we will fight for and an idea that we deserve. This is not a plea of reckless idealism. Rather, this is a vision of practical optimism.
True, my generation is destined not to see the eloquence that is a birth of an industry and with fondness I accept this unfortunate fate. But to those who are the vanguards of this impending future from which legends are forged. To them, this idea is a seed that hopes to grow.
For we are but caretakers of this grand vision,
A legacy that is not of words but of heartfelt actions,
This is the true Art and Science of Philippine Animation
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Manual labor is the driving force in any outsourcing industry. Foreign enterprises need cheap and passive sources of labor to operate manual procedures and processes. But, third world countries are unaware that these enterprises are constantly developing technologies that will eventually eliminate manual labor in their corporate set-up.
Say for example, in the outsourcing sub-industry called Animation Services, the bread and butter of Animation firms comes from the unprotected and underpaid labor output of animation workers. These are creative individuals exploited by our enterprising "kababayans" in animation sweatshops. Wherein animation workers are alienated from their work and often cheated from "real" compensation that they rightly deserve.
