Issue 10: 18 Aug 2014

From coast to coast, Thailand might have just become a paradise for the globe’s animation and computer graphics industry.

Khan Kluay makes a Thai Animation debut at the world stage.

Thailand has a natural advantage when it comes to the world of animation and computer graphics. At least, that’s the viewpoint of Nitipat Somsaman, the president of the Thai Animation Computer Graphics Association (TACGA).

By helping connect Thai animators and computer graphic artists with international studios, TACGA has discovered the secret recipe that can take the digital content industry to a world-class level.

“It might be the nature of Thai artists,” says Somsaman. “Artistic skill and a sense of craftsmanship might be programmed into Thai people’s DNA. Switch from a canvas or a side of a temple’s wall to a graphic tablet and you get the same beautiful artwork, digitalised.”

This can be seen in the rising number of Thai animations receiving awards at international festivals. Khan Kluay, a Thai computer-animated feature film about a brave elephant during wartime, has enjoyed great international acclaim since 2006’s Animadrid International Animation Festival. Nine, a Thai short animation about a cat, reaped awards for direction and art direction at the Apollo Awards 2014 and is about to be screened at international film festivals around the world.

A second advantage is the abundant human resources in the digital content industry. “There are over 30 universities teaching computer graphics and associated fields,” says Somsaman. “You can expect a handsome number of graduates every year.” This has made Thai graphic students increasingly attractive on the global marketplace. “Overseas companies snatching young artists out of the campus has even become a normal scene lately,” he adds.

But it is not just the high quality of staff that attracts international animation and computer graphic companies to the Kingdom. “The most important advantage, most mentioned and beloved by foreign studios, is the carefree working ambience of Thailand,” says Somsaman adding that foreign studios often tell him that Thailand is a relaxed place to work, as well as possessing numerous natural attractions and just being a fun place. “Artists can use the ambience as an inspiration to create good work,” he says.

This relaxed attitude comes through in the flexibility of the workforce especially when it comes to client changes. “Thai animators and computer graphic artists are usually happy to fix or revise artwork when asked,’ he says. “In other places, the revision would be calculated in minutes or hours.”

TACGA feels that all these advantages mean that Thailand has the potential to become an influential production base, as well as a destination for outsourcing. The next step is to make Thailand’s animation and computer graphics sector strong enough to compete with more developed markets.

“There are already many Thai artists working with major world-class studios,” says Somsaman. “Some are working behind the scenes, some are doing small parts in the production process. If we provide more financial support for authentic Thai studios, I am sure the Thai people will be able to do anything that people in the US, Japan and Europe can do.”

For more information, please visit: www.tacga.net/

Picture Credit from: www.dan-dare.org

Words by Phraewphan Puangkasem