Telling a good story

Animators at work. Father of Malaysian animation Hassan Muthalib says local film animators today are so engrossed with how their work looks visually that they forget how to convey a good story.

WHETHER we want to admit it or not, the Malaysian film animation industry has come a long way.

From humble beginnings decades ago, the local animation industry has seen various phases of growth, says father of Malaysian animation, Hassan Muthalib.

“I see four phases of growth for the local Malaysian animation industry. The first phase was in 1949, when we were doing everything traditionally. Everything had to be done manually.

“The second phase came in the late 1980s, when we began to have software to assist us in the animation process.

“This included things such as scanning and digital colouring, which helped to take a big load off our hands,” he tells StarBizWeek.

With the advent of three-dimensional (3D) technology in the mid-90s, the Malaysian animation industry saw another growth phase.

“When 3D software came a long, we were able to do everything on computers.

“However, we couldn't do character animation yet, just things like objects flying and architectural rendering.”

Hassan says the utilisation of 3D animation technology took off fully after Multimedia University was established.

“By 1999 when Multimedia University had already started, that's when we started using 3D software full blast. People also started doing training in 3D software.”

Today, the Malaysian animation industry is gearing up for its fourth growth phase a phase that is not without question marks, he believes.

“The question now is where are we now. I presented a paper in South Korea last year and I talked about the way of how we need to change our people in animation.

“We need to go back to the basics, which is all about story and character.”

Film language

Hassan points out that local film animators today are so engrossed with how their work looks visually, that they forget how to convey a good story.

“The only way to compete globally is to be a master storyteller both in terms of narrative and visuals.

“The film language is something that's very much lacking among our film directors and, of course, the animation people because when they started to teach animation, it was all about understanding the software and technique! Technique! Technique!

“But they forgot that the technique is about sending the story across,” he says.

Hassan says that Hollywood filmmakers have long mastered the art of film language an art that local animators need to grasp.

“If you watch any Hollywood movie, the first image is usually a capsule of what the whole film is about. If you watch Gladiator, for example, the first shot is from the back of the main character and he is walking with his hands over some weeds in a field. We don't know what the story is about and it has no meaning initially.

“But we realise later that in the middle of his greatest war, his mind is in his village and he is going to harvest his weed crop. We then hear a line of dialogue from him telling his men Remember men, two weeks from now, I will be harvesting my crops.' So now you see the connection.”

He points out how Hollywood movies, using film language, “drops hints” to distinguish between “a good guy and a bad guy.”

“When there's a shot of one guy from the front, the other a shot from the back, and then front, then this is an indication that the latter is the bad guy.

“Or, if the guy is wearing dark glasses, and because you cannot see his eyes, it makes one nervous. Or, if there's a shadow falling on you but not on me that's also an indication,” he says.

Hassan says that the mastery of film language is also lacking in other countries in South-East Asia.

“When I was in the Philippines working with some animators there, I discovered to my horror that they didn't know the visual development aspect which goes into film language.

“So every time I went to Manila, I had to give a crash course on this. Because they were giving services to Hollywood, everything was planned and it was not explained to them, so they just executed it without understanding it,” says Hassan, adding that he also gives lectures in Singapore, Sudan, India and Indonesia.

Hassan's understanding of the art of film language, its theories and practical applications stems from the fact that he was a movie buff while he was growing up.

“What led me to understanding story and visual development was that I used to watch 300 films a year in the cinema during my bachelor days and I took down notes when something attracted me.

“I didn't know that I was actually teaching myself. I discovered things by looking at how the experts were doing it and this is something I inculcate in my courses watching movies and learning from the masters!

“In story development, other than idea, theme and a premise, you then need to turn it into a script and then into a storyboard,” he says.

Practical application

Hassan says there are four practical approaches that need to be used when delivering a story: archetypes, binary opposition, semiotics and Gestalt psychology.

“I discovered that these four elements are being used everyday. You have been using it all this while, but are unaware about the theories behind it. Once you do, you will see the way you do things differently.”

The concept of archetypes, derived from Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, are models of people, their behaviours and their personalities, says Hassan.

“Archetypes are characters with functions in a story. When we design characters for animation, the look of the character, costume and props are all part of this element, which would help tell if the character is a king or queen, hero or villain.

“For instance, in Star Wars, it's 100% archetypes. The mentor, shape-shifter, they're all there. You don't have to give them a name. You just give them this character function and you know what they do in the story. Students need to understand this very basic element.”

Binary opposition, meanwhile, comprises the concept of effective storytelling by contrasting two characters or elements.

“Bollywood movies are great for this. The good guys will wear white while the bad guys wear black.”

Semiotics, on the other hand, is the study of signs and symbols, says Hassan, who gestures a “thumbs-up” pose, which is a universally understood sign for “good” or “accepted.”

“A certain symbol might be well identified for a long time and you need to understand the audience you're targeting (by using signs and symbols to explain everything),” he says, adding that Gestalt psychology, meanwhile, focuses on how people see objects in their entirety before perceiving their individual parts.

“For instance, when you look at an image of the Malay wedding, they have the couple standing side by side but have some decoration in the middle. You can't do that because it's bad Gestalt.”

Hassan notes that all of the four elements are not thought in any animation school in Malaysia.

“With the Malaysian animation industry now poised for its fourth growth phase, there has to be a focus on film language, which will give more meaning to what we do and hopefully the audience can grasp it.

“Film language is everything within a frame, having a reason to be there. Even if you take an outside shot, don't say that the lamp post happened to be there! You chose that location because you want it to be there!”

Hassan adds that today, the focus should be on developing animation filmmakers, rather than animators.

“This is because if you train an animation filmmaker, you are training him the entire process of animation but he can specialise in any area. So such a person will work very well with a director, especially one from overseas.

“This is what I'm teaching how to tell stories using narratives and visuals. There are many film directors who don't understand this (film language).

“Today, because we're so totally engulfed by visuals, all the more reason why we need to emphasise film language. As it is, we're using it everyday. Only then can we be on par with the West, which has already mastered this.”