Cashing in on creativity: Caribbean animation is an industry on the rise

When young artists first come through the doors of Malfinis Film and Animation Studio Inc. in Castries, Managing Director Milton Branford is surprised at what he sees: “The first thing they draw is Japanese anime. None of them can draw themselves, Saint Lucians, the people in their communities. We do not tell our own stories enough.” Caribbean animators may not be well-versed in telling their own tales, but that’s set to change as the industry matures. Long neglected as a small niche within the cultural and creative industries, animation is now gaining new traction as established artists push for progress.

From tourism to talent

A veteran of the Saint Lucian arts scene, Branford believes that, with the right support, the burgeoning Caribbean animation industry can provide economic growth, sustainable employment and valuable diversification opportunities for the entire region. “There is a great deal of talent in the Caribbean,” he says. “It is undeveloped as it is now, but it is beginning to blossom. This is a billion dollar industry that we have not tapped, but we have the potential to do so.”

The global animation industry was worth US$259 billion last year, according to the Global Animation, VFX & Games Industry 2019 report, and it is projected to total US$270 billion by 2020 with most segments in the market growing at a rate of 2 per cent each year.

The home of animation in the Caribbean is Trinidad and Tobago, which has been leading the pack in terms of carving out a thriving industry. Trinidad hosts the region’s largest animation festival, Animae Caribe, which began in 2001 and has grown to encompass game development, 3D printing, virtual reality and other emerging technologies. In 2013 festival founder Camille Selvon Abrahams teamed up with business development expert Jason Lindsay to launch Full Circle Animation Studio. Full Circle is now one of the biggest names in the business, working on international projects for HBO, Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, Amazon and Netflix.

Lindsay says this borderless business model isn’t just good for Full Circle, but also animators across the entire region as the studio contracts with smaller operators such as Malfinis to increase its production capacity. “The animation industry is digital so the entire production pipeline is virtual,” he says. “That model is more efficient and develops capacity in other islands. Caribbean collaboration is the only way we will maintain sustainability.”

Animation is a global business. Film studios frequently use producers in hubs such as India, Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines but the Caribbean has a long way to go before it can compete, according to Lindsay who says there just aren’t enough animators to meet demand. “Caribbean studios can operate at the price points we see in the Asian markets, but the challenge is that we are unable to produce at the level of consistency and capacity that they do. The longer play is developing studios and practitioners until we are efficient enough.”

New blood

The lifeline of any industry is new blood. And Branford believes that animation can offer sustainable employment for Saint Lucia’s young people. He says: “We have suffered a brain drain. In almost every other industry people get qualified and leave to use those qualifications. Animation is one of the rare industries where you do not need to leave; you can bring work here. When people speak about animation, they think of cartoons but it spans a much wider footprint. There are so many areas where it is utilized: architecture, medicine, tourism.”

Training is a key part of Malfinis’ operations; the company offers internships to upcoming artists and is working with the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College to create professional training courses. As a small studio, Malfinis can only do so much, however, and Branford wants more institutional support to help ease the burden on the private sector. “We know the pressures in Saint Lucia. We know our young people need an income while they are on internships, but we cannot pay all of them. Some of these kids come out with huge ideas and we are willing to incubate some of those ideas but there is a cost to doing that. We need to be working hand in glove with the policymakers.”

Institutional support

Over the past decade, studios and their supporters have been quietly building the Caribbean’s animation industry from the ground up but, as the sector grows, development agencies and governments are coming onboard.

One of the biggest advocates regionally is trade facilitator Caribbean Export which has supported boot camps, technical workshops and accelerators. “Animation plays a very important role in the development of the creative sector,” says Allyson Francis, services specialist at Caribbean Export. “Caribbean Export is supporting the development of the sector by funding capacity-building programmes, encouraging regional linkages and linking creators in the sector to international buyers and possible investors.”

This kind of assistance is welcome, but Francis says there is more to be done, especially in terms of data intelligence. “It is not well-monitored,” she says. “Caribbean Export will be working with other donor partners to better map the sector. This mapping will let us know how many players are in the sector and which aspects of the industry they are involved in, and also allow the region to better position for export. We see the sector progressing steadily [but] facilitation of skills training and exposure to markets will be essential. Having the right policies and more public-private collaboration will be beneficial.”

As Managing Director of Full Circle, Lindsay has seen firsthand the benefits of collaboration between the public and private sectors, driven by supportive leadership. “Government offered good film incentives and we also had the educational support. All those things come together and create a buzz and an energy.”

He adds, however, that the evolving nature of the business can be an obstacle to institutions as they struggle to put enabling infrastructure in place. “Working in the digital space is very different. The people that support the industry — banks, investors, government — still do not understand how the digital economy works with respect to business transactions and production. I am very optimistic [about the sector’s future] but I think the opportunity is a narrow gap that has an expiry date. 

“In the digital economy the speed of business is a lot faster. We have a small window. My concern is that agencies and bodies that need to support the industry are operating on a more traditional model.”

In Saint Lucia the situation is even more challenging as smaller islands have bigger hurdles. Branford says: “In Trinidad the government is totally behind the industry. We do not have the same thing. It is a slow creep for us to get the equipment, training and support we need to create a similar platform. Export St Lucia is providing what it can and loaning us technical support [but] it needs dedicated funding to support us. I have done most of this out of a love for what I do, and out of my own pocket.”

Fuelled by his passion for the industry, Branford believes that Saint Lucia’s unique cultural attributes are an untapped asset and that there’s room in the market for the Caribbean to make its own distinctive style: “Japanese anime is infused with Japanese culture and it’s known all over the world. We have a rich culture and a rich history. Although some of our culture [in the Caribbean] is similar, there are nuances in each island that can be captured. 

“Animation is ideal because everyone, from the very old to the very young, will sit and watch. It is such an all-embracing medium. If you want people to have national pride, show them their story.”