Amidst the glut of activities at Animation Nation 2009, Singapore Kopitiam's Jasmine Kamiko manages to catch up with two talented Singapore-based animators -- Srinivas Bhakta and Tan Wei Keong -- for an interview about their work and views.

Hailing from India, Bhakta is an award-winning animator and the creator of My Father is a Washerman, which offers viewers a unique look beyond the usual father-son relationship. Wei Keong, meanwhile, is the creative force behind the short flick Hush Baby. The film, his second animated short film effort, was a Special Mention recipient at the 22nd Singapore International Film Festival.

My Father is a Washerman and Hush Baby were both screened at the recent Animation Nation 2009 Singapore Showcase.

Jasmine (J): My Father is a Washerman has a very village/local feel to it. Tell us more about the inspiration and concept behind it.

Bhakta (B): I always work on something close to me. When I was a kid, there were paddy fields next to my house and one of my neighbours was a washer man. So I wanted to do a film around that set up. I thought this context is new to others and could create interest.

I wanted to show how one remains in a system and helps his (or her) loved ones to pursue their dreams. This concept is told through a simple story of a washer man who helps his son from an evil scarecrow who tries to snatch his kite (dream).

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J: Wei Keong, tell us more about the inspiration, and concept behind Hush Baby.

Wei Keong (WK): The idea of 'Hush Baby' started as an image of 'a baby, on a piece of paper, being confined by the borders of the screen'. Strictly speaking, 'Hush Baby' does not have a proper story structure. I am pushing for something that is unconventional and preferably allows me to experiment with mixed media techniques (ie. stopmotion, 2D, 3D, pixilation).

Hush Baby employs a single camera view throughout the four minutes, this is vital in the notion of ‘constrain and restriction’ that runs through the plot. The film portrays the interaction between an inquisitive character and a dominant being that, like a parent, means well, but whose concern manifests itself as manipulation.

Audiences would probably take home different interpretations after viewing Hush Baby, simply because our ideologies and notion of a perfect world varies. The issue of suppression and restriction present themselves in different forms; it is not explicit but the baby's exasperation and emptiness of the world runs through the plot.

Watch the trailer of Hush Baby on YouTube >>

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J: What do you think defines you as a character animator and what is your most preferred style?

B: For all my animation films, I draw on paper with ink. Then I scan and digitally manipulate them to get the desired result. I enjoy drawing with simple tools like pencil and pen on paper. I am comfortable with this method to tell my simple stories.

WK: I usually don't worry about what kind of techniques and visual styles to use in a film, until after the story is written. So, ultimately it is the story that defines my style as an animation director.

Visually, I am more attracted to hand-drawn stuff because I think drawing is instinctive. But then there are cases where 3D is needed to compensate for what 2D could not achieve, or is extremely tedious to achieve. So it really depends on what the story needs.

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J: What inspires you the most and what interests you the most? Are there any over-arching themes in your work that you would like to bring across?

B: People and situations around me (inspires me). There are no over- arching themes in my films but most of my films have themes evolved from the stories and situations from my observation. They are not directly adopted but symbolically represented.

WK: Films that show rather than tell something, leave deep impressions and are really enjoyable to watch. I like my films to be subtle and sensitive. Timing is very important, and I do not like any shots to stay longer than they should be. I love watching films like Still Walking by Hirokazu Koreeda and Grave of the Fireflies by Isao Takahata.

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J: What are you currently involved in and what will your next project be about?

B: I am currently working on a short film based on the classic story of The Frog in the Well. In the future, I would like animate a funny story on HDB life.

WK: I am currently working on my next animated short film titled Fairies, which is about a little girl's night-time encounter in a hospital. I am revising the storyboards at this moment.

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J: Bhakta, your work has been screened in many countries over the world. And you teach as well. What do you think makes for a successful animator? And which is the critical criteria for success?

B: I think an original, interesting story and a novel visual style could work.

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J: Wai Keong, as an animator, what do you think is the ultimate achievement you would like to accomplish?

WK: Getting awards definitely helps push a career and it further encourages future works. I would love to work on a feature film that pushes boundaries artistically and visually.

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J: What are your thoughts on the Singapore animation scene as compared to the international scene? If there was something to improve, what would it be?

WK: I think the animation Industry in Singapore is still young but very promising. There is an influx of international companies setting up their offices here, which not only opens more jobs positions for the local talents but also educates our local audience with more animation coverage and awareness. The same goes for art schools and institutions. There needs to be a constant input of animated films, feature and shorts, independent and commercial, different genres, to have a (thriving) animation scene in Singapore.

I think it is a matter of perspective and choice. Many people disregard art to be a proper career and that is a misconception. And sometimes, a creative person is pressured by the social norm to find a proper job because he does not know better, or simply because there is no pre-existing route in the career he could take. Internationally, people could pursue art as it is; people take chances and risks; and sometimes it just works like that.

B: Since some well known international companies have started their set up in Singapore, the animation industry has picked up. There is also greater awareness of animation because of festivals such as Animation Nation. But I feel there is a lack of independent animation film makers. I have seen students with excellent drawing and technical skills so hopefully (in the future) they will be able to create animation films with original stories.

For booking and other enquiries, contact the Singapore Film Society.

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About Bhakta

A graduate from the National Institute of Design, India, Srinivas Bhakta now teaches animation at Nanyang Polytechnic. A multi-award winning animator, Bhakta’s films have been showcased at many international film festivals in France, Taiwan, Sweden, and even as far as Romania. His film Bloom was screened in 16 countries and won 6 awards and nominations.

Bhakta’s latest short film, My Father is a Washerman, has been screened in 5 countries and also made an appearance at Animation Nation 2009.

Visit his website at http://www.hommade.com

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About Wei Keong

Wei Keong’s first animated short film, White, was awarded the Special Achievement Award at the 20th Singapore International Film Festival. The Singapore-born animator had previously received a Gold Award at the 34th Singapore Youth Festival for sculpture design. Wei Keong regularly contributes as a cartoonist for the local papers and is actively involved in SIGGRAPH and Animation Nation. An MDA Media Education Scholar, he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Animation from Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media.

Hush Baby, which was a Special Mention recipient at the 22nd Singapore International Film Festival, marks his second animated short film effort.

Visit his website at http://www.crushedpaper.com