OCAD University recently embarked on an exciting collaboration with iAcademy in Manila, Philippines, under the leadership of Philippe Blanchard, Chair of the Experimental Animation Program at OCAD U. This unique initiative, spanning from May 10th to 25th, 2024, united six OCAD U students with their counterparts at iAcademy to create a short animated documentary. The project delved into the rich history of independent animation in the Philippines, highlighting Canada's significant influence within this field.
Unearthing hidden histories between Canada and Philippines
Our partner, Dean Jon Cuyson at iAcademy, curated an exhibition on the history of independent animation in the Philippines, and invited us to contribute a piece on Canada's involvement in the Philippines animation industry, to be shared in the context of the exhibition. iAcademy and their students worked on a short film on four different seminal Filipino animations from the last fifty years, and we worked in parallel on researching how Canadians have impacted Filipino animation. Through this, we learned that many Canadian animation studios outsourced production of kids' cartoons to the Philippines from the 90s onward, and that Canadian software Toonboom Harmony is the dominant tool for 2D animation in their industry. With this in mind, we researched the complicated history of outsourcing by Western animation studios in Asia, and ended up interviewing two Canadian studio executives with direct experience of this process, Patricia Burns (ex VP of International Production at Nelvana) and Trevor Bentley (founder of Toon City). Once in the Philippines, we met Filipino animation students, teachers and professionals to learn more about their experiences, and set to create a short animation using the soundtrack from our interviews.
Learning beyond the classroom
The collaboration provided invaluable lessons for OCAD U students. Immersed in the realities of international animation production, they gained firsthand experience of the global networks that shape the cartoons they grew up with. Working under tight deadlines and in unfamiliar environments, they learned to adapt, collaborate, and prioritize the learning process over the final product. Despite challenges like jet lag and cultural acclimatization, the students left with a deeper understanding of both their craft and the broader animation landscape. This collaboration marks the beginning of an ongoing relationship that promises to inspire future projects and foster cross-cultural connections in the world of animation and we hope to invite iAcademy staff and students to OCAD U in the near future.