Animation Exodus : Changing Philippine Animation Paradigm

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 Minumum 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.