Animation: The next big step for Trinidad and Tobago

As many industries continue to feel the brunt of the pandemic, the animation sector is showing promise as a major economy booster for Trinidad and Tobago.

Leslie Ann Wills-Caton, general manager and film commissioner of the TT Film Co Ltd (FilmTT) – a state agency established to develop the film and audio-visual sector – said the possibilities for animation are endless and the company has been working with creators since 2006 to push the sector forward.

“Animation is and has always been the next big step,” she told Business Day. She said there are possibilities for creators in a wide range of areas related to animation, including audio visual and content creation locally, regionally, and internationally.

Wills-Caton said the pandemic has only served to bolster the marketing and attention for animation around the world. “People realised that we should have really been working with creators (and) creating content.

“Music videos now have animation, local commercials are using (it) more than they would have done in the past because it is one of the only content creation platforms where you can work within the confines of your home/office.”

She said FilmTT is working with the National Export Facilitation Organisation (ExportTT), which generates export growth and diversification in the non-energy goods and service sectors, in facilitating a few animation companies to attend a conference which will help them to work with international companies.

Wills-Caton said FilmTT currently has nine animation companies listed in its production database and includes animators, editors, graphic designers, computer graphic artists and computer-generated imagery (CGI) animators.

She said FilmTT is encouraging others to reach out and join its network. “As much as possible, we capture the information and when people reach out asking for animators we are able to recommend from that database.”

She said when people think of animation, they think of cartoons, but it is much more than that. “There are green screen techs, visual effects (VFX), think of the credits at the end of Black Panther. There are so many different things that can support all forms of the economy.

“Even as a teaching platform, it can (help create) cultural awareness…animation has always been the next level.”

She said it is one of those film or content creation areas that has not been fully recognised in terms of the value it can offer.

She said the company supports, as much as possible, several animation-type companies. She said she has sat in on classes at the University of TT (UTT), which has an animation programme, and provided insight for students on the possibilities of the industry. FilmTT supports UTTs Toon Market which features the work of animation students during their two-year programme, including short films, stop motion animation, traditional two dimensional (2D) and 3D animation.

FilmTT has also supported Animae Caribe, a non-governmental organisation which works collaboratively with creators in animation, gaming, and technology, for several years. “It has always been our mandate to support (creators).

“Over the last few years we would have been able to give more money (to Animae Caribe), but things have been a bit constrained recently. We supported last year and the intention is to support as much as we can this year.”

She said TT needs to continue pushing an animation brand and hopes animators can have the opportunity to work with live action professionals, including filmmakers.

“It boils down to awareness…The awareness is lacking. Once the awareness is there, we can get investors and fill the industry.”

She said she is aware of the challenges creators have in being paid fairly, which can be a deterrent to entering the sector. Animators can get a fixed salary when working with a studio, but freelancers have a harder time. “When you’re hiring someone to work on your project, you will look at your budget. Internationally, you have your budget and you pay based on a scale. It’s the other way around locally.

“Locally, we will work on the budget and still try to be as equitable as possible, but it may not be the amount (the creator) wants to get or the value they may consider for their skillset.”

FilmTT is working on discussing a scalable rate and is also considering having a union for discussing a pay scale, because there is no set figure for payment.

Wills-Caton said because animation is expensive, it takes a while for projects to get off the ground, but FilmTT shares its resources and supports creators financially as much as possible. It supports other agencies as well, such as exportTT, to assist with the marketing of the industry.

One creator who has benefited from FilmTT's support is Kafi Kareem who is currently working on what will be TTs first animated feature film, The Caddy Club.

The 2D animated film is about five young golf trainees who become secret crime fighting heroes when they discover a magical portal on the golf course.

Kareem won best pitch in 2018 during the TT Film Festival.

“It’s a musical, fantasy animation for families, much in keeping with the animated films we grew up with where we fall in love with the songs as much as the animation,” she said.

Kareem, who is also a songwriter, wrote the music for the film and is currently deciding on producers to collaborate on the project. She is collaborating with musicians with backgrounds in soca and calypso, some of whom have worked in film.

She said because the film is such a heavy undertaking, she can’t say when the project will be ready. “It takes big studios (Pixar, Disney) about four years to turn around an animation project like this. We’re a much smaller organisation. It will take some time, but we are doing our best to have it on screens within the next couple of years.”

Kareem said for many filmmakers, one of the major hurdles to overcome is raising the money needed to produce the film. “There are big returns, but it also requires a lot of upfront investment.

“Because (The Caddy Club) is the first project like this, it has been difficult getting the right investors on board, but not impossible. We’ve been able to slowly, but surely. It’s not a dead end road (and) we do see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

She said FilmTT has lived up to its title as a business support organisation. “They have had a lot of conversations with me to find out what’s the mission of my company and right now our mission is to produce this film.”

She said last year, FilmTT assisted in a collaboration with Nestle which provided Kareem with a hamper that she used as part of a recruitment project to find a character designer for the artwork. “To some, it may seem like not a huge deal, but it was a big deal to get the marketing support. That really helped give us a boost.”

She said FilmTT also hosted informational sessions on where to find funding and got a small percentage of the film’s budget from one of its recommendations.

“I absolutely think their support team is on the ball. There might be a hurdle for new film makers, but once you introduce yourself, they are very supportive.”

Kareem said animation is a billion-dollar industry and she is interested in developing products loved by local audiences that have the potential to be exportable.

More information on The Caddy Club can be found online at storyplaymedia.com/caddyclub.