TV producers in Indonesia lack good animation: Expert
TV producers in Indonesia lack good animation: Expert
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian television producers' lack of
knowledge about animation and comics has led to serious damage in
children's education and learning process, comic experts said on
Thursday.
"Our TV producers are ignorant on the difference between
'animation and comics for children' and 'animation and comics
about children'," cartoonist Dwi Koendoro Brotoatmodjo said on
Thursday.
Dwi cited a vivid example on the controversial Japanese made
cartoon Crayon Sinchan, which tells a story about a super naughty
five-year-old boy named Sinchan -- whose character has become
very popular among children -- but is actually adult-rated
animation.
"Sinchan is an animation film about a boy. To a certain degree
the cartoon is very funny and entertaining but it is not for
children's consumption as its content is very rude and improper
if watched or imitated by children.
"In Japan, Sinchan is categorized as a cartoon for adults..
such as America's Bart Simpson. So why has the TV station here
put it on as a regular hour-long show for children?" Dwi told a
media briefing.
He said that comics can influence people's lives and
characters, citing how student protesters waved a huge banner on
Thursday's anti-government demonstration which bore the sign "Gus
Dur titisan Sinchan" or Gus Dur is the reincarnation of Sinchan.
He accused most TV producers of only thinking about money and
sacrificing educational aspects for children.
"For all these years, we've only been considering economic
aspects. Many think why should we bother to make our own cartoon
if we can import them from Japan, America or other countries?
"This is wrong. We have to have our own comic and animation
character as it is the reflection of our nation's culture. It's
who we are. Comics and animation are effective tools to educate
people," Dwi, who is famous for his folk cartoon Panji Koming
which has been in existence since 1978, said.
In a bid to help develop the nation's comics and animation, a
week of Comic and National Animation III festival will be held
from Feb. 9 to Feb. 16, 2001 at the Usmar Ismail Film Center on
Jl. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.
At the same event, there will also be an Indonesian Animated
Film Festival, which will be divided into three categories: short
duration animation films(2 - 20 minutes), animation for
television (24 - 30 minutes) and animation for VCD (marketed
through VCD).
The festival will also be held simultaneously with a Workshop
and Exhibition on ASEAN Comic Characters and Animation at Galeri
Nasional in Central Jakarta from Feb. 12 until Feb. 14.
Rahayu Surtiati Hidayat, a committee member for the event,
said Indonesia would come with two cartoons and three animations,
among them are Dwi Koen's Panji Koming and Al Fitri's Wawaren
Nanggi, a cartoon image based on a half-man-half-giant lizard in
Irian Jaya who makes friends with an 18-year-old girl named Meita
Vienetta.
Al Fitri is a promising cartoonist who has won several awards
and is now a student at the Jakarta Art Institute.
Three other animations include the popular Si Kancil, Unyil
and Panca Saka, a new-interpretation of the five wayang figures
Gatot Kaca, Antasena, Wisanggeni, Abimanyu and Hanoman who become
the "five heroes against evil" in their adventure. (edt)