A little bit of publicity

UNmarked has received a couple of awards at the 10th Malaysian Video Festival, namely:

SILVER for 'ASEAN Short Animated Film'

BRONZE for 'Short Animated Film: Open'

There's this big snapshot from UNmarked apparently on the newspapers but weirdly, there isn't any write-up about it....weird.

Read more about the MVA here. (The Star article)

Reflections

Was doing the usual commuting to work this morning and the train was delayed. So there I was, sittin at the platform (was actually pretty surprised that I could find a seat), 'hotel california' blasting away from my iPod (yes I am a fan of the Eagles) when I actually had the time to reflect upon what I've done in my life.

I remember when I was 15 when my dad bought me an original Jurassic Park VHS Tape. I was just awed by the fact that a team of people had recreated a part of history. NOT the fact that Dr. John Hammond re-created the dinosaurs by genetic engineering and all that bollocks but the animation team who managed to convince us that those creatures were actually alive and kicking right in front of us. THAT for me was one turning point. I didn't want to be an aeronautical engineer or any bollocks that my parents wanted me to be. I didn't want to be crunching numbers day in day out. My chance came when I went to the LimKokWing Institute of Technology roadshow (or so I thought). They had the image of the white house exploding (looks like something ripped out of Independance Day), repeatedly playing on one of the macs and I said....THAT's what i want to do. So I signed up for the course and went through the whole 3.5 years, got my degree in 'Electronic Design and Multimedia' and then tried to get a 'cool' job in Malaysia.

That was when I started thinking that I was duped. Don't get me wrong, I DID learn alot from my time at LICT and I have no regrets but I realised that all I learned didn't give me the knowledge of how to animate at all! So I ended up in advertising (due to the lack of spending money and pressure from my dad that i JUST HAD to get a job). Those 2 years spent in advertising were the most shit years of my life. I had a JOB. A working life which was allowing me to do stuff that I want to do (money wise) but I dreaded going to work. At the back of my mind, I wanted to make a film. I wanted to animate. But all I could do then was work on fuckin Photoshop and make fuckin images that my clients wanted. Not something that I liked. Don't get me wrong but i know that design takes alot of patience and all that but i just couldn't be fucked staring at static images anymore. I wanted to make something that spoke...that acted. Something that moved but not humdrum stuff like motion graphics.

That was when I found the Animation and Interactive Media school at RMIT. I liked their students work and I gave up my job to do the masters course. True, I had little money to do the stuff that I liked during the course but not that i cared. I had a whole friggin year to animate and to make a final film! And make a film I did. It sure beats sittin in my office in Malaysia knockin out fuckin psd and ai files. I spent a year watching, analyzing, learning why my characters didn't use to look convincing. I asked for feedback which I generously got in return from my lecturers. I was lovin it but in the back of my head, dreaded the day that the course would end and I had to go back to Malaysia. I didn't want to work in Malaysia.

Enter screen right, Peter Viska, head of Viskatoons Animation Studio. Peter attended the course's screening night and presented me with an award. An award because he honestly saw a glimmer of hope in me (hopefully) and part of the award was that I get to do a mentorship program at his company! But unfortunately, these opportunities in general are limited to permanent residents and citizens of Australia. So that was that. I was starting to feel more and more depressed. A couple o months later.... Peter called me up and told me that there was going to be a chance for me to work on something. Just come in with your showreel and resume etc. I already know your work but just come in anyway. (It was Kate Cawley, my lecturer who reminded Peter of my presence) And THAT was when i got started on my first animated series production. Mind you I was still in the middle of completing my exegesis for my Masters but I didn't care. Peter certainly didn't. He even helped with my Permanent Residency application!

6 months later, Faireez was completed and I must say it has been fully rewarding. Yeah, it's not a big arse payload compared to a doctor or an engineer. I'm now at my second animated series stint and I still DO enjoy my work. How many people can actually say it honestly and with a straight face...

"I LOVE MY JOB! VERY VERY FUCKIN MUCH!"

I make cartoons all day! I enjoy doing what I do...and little kids enjoy watching the fruits of my labour every saturday and sunday mornings! EXACTLY how I enjoyed watching cartoons every weekend and watched in awe at big lumbering prehistoric beasts walking beside human actors.

Then the train arrived....I can now continue my journey to work. I recapped my thoughts and smiled to myself. I've achieved one of my dreams. I can now hold my head up high and say "I'm and animator". Onward to bigger things... no different from dinosaurs.