Am I Raising A Future Animator?

education, mum's thoughts, Philippines Today, jared's nook, Jared
my little one hard at work on his Transformers coloring book

I was contemplating on my chores last night when this question popped into my head. With the way Jared finished working this coloring book I got him from one of my trips to the market, and the way he is consuming his sketch pads enthusiastically re-creating his favorite scenes from the latest animation he was enamored at the moment, drawing his 5-year old rendition of his favorite animations, it is not too far fetched that he might consider becoming an animator in the future. I think it will be a dream come true for him to work for one of his favorite animation companies like Disney or Marvel. I am sure he will have the time of his life working with the same company that brought us his favorite superheroes like the Avengers, Big Hero 6, and his all-time favorite, Lightning McQueen. I will be sure to supply him with enough drawing materials to fuel his passion and enthusiasm.

Animation a booming BPO industry in the country

I did a bit of reading about Animation in the Philippines and chanced upon this interesting article on PhilStar.com. I found out that it is indeed a big BPO industry in the country and I am not surprised. The Filipino talent, creativity, and ingenuity is outstanding and can very well compete with creative artists from around the world. {Grand Champion nga sa Asia’s Got Talent ang El Gamma Penumbra, right?  😉 } According to the article, penned by Mary Ann Ll. Reyes, in 2011 alone, the local animation industry already generated about Php5.3 Billion income, with local animators working for distinguished animation outfits like Marvel, Disney, and Cartoon Network. And based on the growing popularity of animation these days, I am sure that figure will only go higher in the coming years.  It is, therefore, safe to assume, that a post in Animation might just be a great career choice.

iAcademy in a nutshell

While doing further reading about animation, I also found that the Philippines is not tapping the full potential of local animation with majority of the universities offering Animation courses sticking to the old and traditional curriculum. Among the educational institutions in the country, iAcademy, is said to be the only one offering a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animation. iAcademy aims to produce world-class animators equipped not only with traditional drawing skills but also trained in various related social media, software, and applications making them easily adaptable to different technological advancements in the field.

Mum’s two cents

It is high time the Philippines consider cashing in on the untapped full potentials of the local animation industry. The universities and colleges, who offer an AB Animation Degree, ought to adapt modern ways to teach their future animators by including modern techniques into their curriculum. It is important to not only equipped them with heavy training on traditional drawing but also with modern craftsmanship and proficiency. It is probably time they take a leaf from iAcademy’s book and offer a BS Animation Degree. I thought it will best ensure the successful future of our would-be animators. Hopefully, when it is Jared’s time to enroll in an Animation course, each university in the country is already offering a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animation.

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15 Comments

  1. I have also considered to be an animator before just because I love watching animation movies and drawing. My dad is also a good illustrated and he has inspired us to be more creative. It’s great that we have iAcademy here locally that offers that course.

  2. Isn’t it amazing to watch your kids grow up to see what they are interested in? I am pretty sure my three-year old is a future song writer! 🙂

  3. I often wonder if the things my kids are interested in right now will turn out to be their profession in adulthood, too! I hope that things turn around for the better soon if your son decides to become an animator. It sounds like he is really interested in drawing!

  4. What an incredible job that would be! I hope that Jared follows his dreams and accomplishes them! I’m sure he will with your involvement and help! This is an awesome post and I really believe the internet is the future! 😀

  5. Wow, iAcademy sounds absolutely amazing. As a teacher I always try to pull out my students’ creativity and it looks like iAdademy is doing just that. With all of the amazing animation out in the world right now, I can’t wait to see what the future holds. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Wow that sounds great. I had no idea that the Philippines was booming on the animation field! (I am however not surprised!) That’s pretty cool. I wish my kids liked to draw, or create but none of them really do. I’m not too creative myself so I guess I understand. But it sounds like a great things and will have lots of opportunities!

  7. It is amazing to watch kids blossom and find their talents!! I was not aware that the Philippines were so big for animation industry! Sounds like an amazing program for young animators to be able to enroll in.

  8. I’ve never thought about the animation industry before but I’m sure there’s a lot of money to be made from it. I do wonder though what my son will be when he’s older, I’m sure I’ll be proud of whatever career path he chooses. It’s great that your little boy loves to draw so much, it’s a great hobby and skill to have.

    1. Don’t you just love the possibility of your child becoming anyone he wants to be? Yup, it is a very interesting hobby. I hope my little guy develops his drawing skills as he grows older.

  9. I’m glad to hear your son is so passionate about art. He is lucky to have such a supportive mother! I hope that he finds a college someday that fits his talents.

  10. Awwww how cute, I am sure he will definitely love it if he worked with companies that have indeed brought it amazing movies over time. I do not have kids yet but I love watching my nephew and seeing his little mind work, I am told his picking up a lot from nursery so I bought him a disney book for him to colour, read stories and draw his favourite characters

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