Menu
Despite the on-going boom in the animation industry in Africa, there still exists a disparity between established studios and independent animators with limited access to useful knowledge, professional skills and facilities required in buttressing their career.
Production companies in the western world are increasingly outsourcing projects to freelancers in Asia and Africa. However, due to a pile of challenges, amngst which is the lack of the required ethics and production experience, many freelance Animators remain excluded from the game.
So, “Motion to the sound”, an initiative of Jolly Squid Limited1, teamed up with producers, writers, voice over artists, sound designers, musicians, career coaches, animation instructors, journalists, and so many more, sought and found a sustainable solution to these problems, both on the micro and macro levels.
Through quadrimestral animation challenges, accompanied by industry-relevant trainings, we empower talents the needed knowledge and confidence to hone their skills, develop a sense of co-operation, scale production hurdles, and strive towards self-sustainability in the global competitive market. Then we go an extra length and reward them for their willingness to get out of their comfort zones!
Furthermore, through our partnerships with Film festivals where every thing produced during the challenge will be spotlighted, the visibility of these animators is being promoted on a level that would not have been possible without our concept.
With big players like Disney, Cartoon Network and Netflix stepping in to acquire, produce and license animation projects in Africa, established animation studios stand good chances of getting exposure and competing on the international market. But how about those struggling freelance animators, who possess amazing imaginations and visions of storytelling, but lack access to studio facilities, or core assets necessary handling animation jobs and contracts in the industry?
How about the talents with “mad skills” who, due to lack of guidance, motivation, constant practice, and the essential industry navigation tools, do not make it beyond the “idea” stage?
The objective of “Motion to the sound” is a sustainable prospect of knowledge gain for independent and freelance animators towards competitiveness in the industry globally. Through fully mentored animation challenges, accompanied with skills-building masterclasses, the participants learn how to harness their talents, sharpen their imaginative skills, take control of their stories, scale the production hurdles, and establish their voices globally as Pan African animation directors both for entertainment and commercial productions.
We have two core activities namely; Motion to the sound animation challenge and Skills building trainings and masterclasses.
1) Motion to the sound Animation challenge
Sound! As irrelevant as it might sound in the context of silent films, is one part of film making which African creatives are still struggling with. Be this in form of bad sound productions or from the angle of animators especially, being overwhelmed with sound postproduction, we have all been there!
Hence, “Motion to the sound” sought to tackle this problem indirectly through “reverse production” by providing fully composited, duely licensed sound timelines depicting scenarios, which can include voices, music, foleys and sound effects. The animators then visually interpret these according to their understanding of what is going on in the scenario. This, not only will have interesting results but will enable the animator focus on their creativity without having to worry about sound, music rights, voice overs and all that is connected to that.!
Every four months, a thirty second sound file is released. Each participating animator creates 30 second film with the file.
Once every year, a 120 second sound file is released. Each participating animator creates 2-minute film with the file.
During the creation period, leading industry professionals will be assigned to the participants as remote coaches to evaluate, guide them, and give feedback,on how they can improve their skills.
Also, in our Telegram group, the participants can network with each other and discuss their on-going process. Parallel to that, they are encouraged to post their ongoing process on their social media networks and receive opinions from their peers. This approach is to foster a co-operative mindset which is heavily lacking amongst African animators.
In pursuance of our goal of fostering sustainable knowledge gain, co-operation and skills improvement for African Animators, each challenge period ends with diverse winners of different prizes some of which are:
• Mentorship from high-ranking industry professionals.
• Fully paid hands-on practical production experience internship with our partner
animation studios.
• Free access to the Afriilancer outsourcing platform as well as all our career building workshops
• Creation of the next Sound challenge file with a partner sound designer; an opportunity for the animator to learn the rudiments of sound-design, which is an asset of immeasurable value to any independent animator.
• Gadgets and Equipment which enhance the creator’s workflow towards an improved productivity rate.
Additionally, all clips produced will be showcased in special spotlight screenings in our partner festivals, with The Festival of Animation Berlin and The Silicon Valley African Film Festival currentlyx on our top list.
Alongside these will also be a hybrid showcase.
While the online version will always be accessible to everyone with an internet connection, live screenings will be arranged in Art and Animation institutions as well as cultural centers not in different African countries but globally, wherever the interest arises. In the absence of these possibilities, the roll-back location for the live screenings remains Nigeria.
2) Animation Trainings, Workshops and Masterclasses for Freelancers
Nowadays, thanks to internet access, the traditional workforce is experiencing a major shift . Then with the COVID 19 pandemic, the flexibility of freelancing, anchored in the the so called “Gig economy” has become the norm. Yet, due to lack of structure, ethics and and self management capacities, a lot of freelance animators in Africa are still caught in the rubble of the cliché “poor artist”.
Following our empowerment goals, workshops and extensive Masterclasses have been planned, to run parallel to the animation challenges.
In co-operation with Shrinkfish Media Limited2, Shrinkfish Media Lab (smedLAB)3, and Afriilancer4, and deploying the “trinal-S” 5 method, these workshops and masterclasses will provide a breakthrough from the rubble, so asthat they can harness the full advantage of this booming freelance work culture
Given that most animators are creative generalists, we have these masterclasses are strategically, tructured to extensively cover all the creative sectors which in one way or the other are connected to the needs of freelance animators.
We have split them into two major categories namely: “Creative Enhancement workshops for Animators” and “Career building Masterclasses for freelancers”
2A) Creative Enhancement Workshops for Animators
This section is full of leads for any animator who not only wants to improve their skills but also want to earn money with what they do. Next to the classical essentials and basic principles of animation, conceptualisation, and storytelling, how to pitch animation projects using the formats of the big players like Disney, Netflix, Network as well pitches to get commissioned by some global brands.
There will be leads on the conception and development process for animated series, best practices for earning with motion design, the implementation of real animations in modern day web design as well as the place of animation in social media psychology.
Over 90% of African animators are very active on social media, yet how many realise that over 60% of their social media consumption as related to interactive gaming and playable Facebook ads puts money in the pockets of some animators somewhere?
With the recent rebranding done by Facebook, having even the most basic knowledge of virtual reality animation and augmented reality is a huge asset for any freelancer who wants to stay in the game.
Knowledge is power and the first step towards solving a problem is to identify it. Thus, we have put together a curriculum which not only will make the participants discover these problems, but also empower them with the knowledge to get in and stay in the game.
There is also voice acting for animators, an asset which most never know that they need to own. Also, a hands-on sound design experience with our partner sound studio will give the winners of the MTTS30 a chance to create the sound files for the MTTS120
2B) Career Building Masterclass for Freelancers
This section, targeting Animators as well as Graphic Designers, Illustrators, Photographers, Website Designers, UX/UI Designers and more, reviews all aspects of the freelancing process. There they will learn how to set goals, write good profiles and mission statements, build good portfolios, find the right market, harness the power of branding themselves, learn how to communicate effectively, find clients online and offline, learn about contracts and why these are essential, learn how to manage and structure their time and finances as well as the best how to price their services effectively, get inspiration from real sucess stories of other freelancers.
This is a goldmine for any freelancer with a creative skillsets in their craft who wants to get the best out of their potentials and start their journey towards becomeing successful and earning freelancers.
See attached budget covering the first 12 months of activities (2022)
TIMELINE
The Motion to the sound initiative is set to be an indefinite event, with “MTTS-30” and “and MTTS-120” recurring quadrimesterly and annually respectively. However, the first two years represent an incubation period after which -depending on the value propositions, key resources, and partners- the timeline might be reviewed and adjusted.
CONCLUSION
Standing on its sustainability and concept “Motion to the sound” will not only provide a road map for African animators and creatives but will also instil the much needed spirit of co-operation amongst African animators and creatives, because “united we stand!”
Our aim is that in the next two years, “Motion to the sound” will have a visible positive impact in the animation and creative industry, not only in Nigeria but in the whole of Africa.
Howéver, we cannot achieve this alone.
This is why we seek support from you and your Institution, to help push this highly sustainable project, one of its kind in Africa, which certainly not only provide a roadmap for a successful freelance careers of the participants but also foster networking and contribute towards building the industry in the continent.
Do also visit OUR WEBSITE for detailed information as is made available to the participants and the general public . Our Frequently asked questions page contains a very detailed explanation of the process. Yet, if you have any further questions, I will be more than glad to personally supply you with answers to them.
Thanking you so much in advance and looking forward to a positive response from you.
Ebele Okoye | Founder & Co-Ordinator
GLOSSARY
1) Jolly squid media is a new media company, founded by Ebele Okoye in 2021. With the head office in Abuja, a physical studio is being set up in Lagos.
2) Founded in 2009 by Mr Ifeanacho Okoye, Shrinkfish Ltd, was one of the foremost animation production entities in Nigeria, but with remote producing operations. One of their productions is the 2015 Africa Movie Academy Award winner “The legacy of rubies”
3) In 2013, the Nigeria-born animator Ebele Okoye founded the Shrinkfish media lab (smedLAB) and in co-operation with the Goethe Institut and the Centre for Co-operatives and development of the University of Nigeria, she held the first ever animation course in Nigeria.
4) The Afriilancer platform and The Pan African Freelancing Company were started in 2021 by Olukayode Abobadoye, an Alumni of smedLAB3) Olukayode came to learn animation but during the workshop and the accompanying career guide, it was discovered that he is more skilled as a businessman in the tech industry, thus was guided accordingly in that direction
5) “In addition to media design and animation, I privately coach people, helping them overcome barriers in their personal, professional, and emotional development. This is how I developed the “trinal-S” method (Start, Survive, Succeed), which helps my mentees take daring step towards their goals. There is no impossible in my dictionary” – Ebele Okoye
We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.
