Many young South Africans study animation, but too few studios, too little funding and a lack of work experience keep graduates out of the industry. This is according to Dreamforge Creative executive producer Isabelle Rorke.
Rorke spoke to TshisaLIVE at the Durban FilmMart. She was a panelist in a talk on marketing, distribution and community development in animation and gaming.
“There is a challenge of too many young kids coming into the industry from all of the different schools and the industry not being able to absorb them,” she said.
Rorke said the industry could create jobs for young people. She said it needed more businesses that can turn their skills into lasting careers.
She said the high cost of making animation and the small number of internships made it hard for new talent to get started.
Rorke said animation was a costly and complex business that needed more than artistic talent. “It takes lots of high-end people to pull it off,” she said.
She said the industry needed more people who understand the business side of entertainment. This includes how to fund productions, market content and build audiences.
Training interns is also expensive. Rorke said studios had to provide computers, software, workspaces and mentors for every intern.
She said graduates did not have to look for work only at animation studios. She pointed to motion comics, animated graphic novels and animated e-books as other ways to reach audiences and earn money.
“Schools also need to do more to prepare students for the business side of the industry. Rather than relying only on studios for employment, graduates should learn how to develop their own projects and build audiences online,” Rorke said.
She said more business incubators and accelerators were needed to help young creatives turn ideas into real productions.
Rorke gave the example of a start-up incubator in KwaZulu-Natal. It has started testing its programme with two candidates, who are already making AI-animated adverts while working on business, marketing and distribution plans.
She welcomed the return of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s production rebate after two years. “Large productions depended on this kind of support,” she said.
She also said South African companies entering co-productions could be forced to give international partners a bigger share of their intellectual property.
Rorke said young people who cannot pay for formal training can still enter the industry. She pointed to free online learning resources and free software.
“Building a business, finding clients, marketing their work and connecting with audiences could also help young creatives move from waiting for opportunities to creating their own,” she said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by TimesLIVE. Image: TimesLIVE. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.