What I tell myself everyday.

To all the people watching, I can never ever thank you enough for the kindness to me, I'll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask is one thing, and this is.. I'm asking this particularily of young people that watch: Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism - for the record it's my least favorite quality, it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen." - Conan 'O'Brien

April 3, 2013

The mentality of the Singaporean Animator / Student.

This have been something that I encountered in the years of teaching students and trainees of different nationalities over the years. And came across different  mentality. Being Singaporean, I obviously am interested in the mindset of our students in comparison to other countries.

My personal observations are that a lot of local students are conditioned to have a sense of entitlement.. Maybe that is too strong a word... Maybe more of a sense of naivety to them. We are not not most street smart people in the world with almost everything controlled by the government and expectations structually heaped upon us since young.

i.e If I study hard and score good marks, I will get a good job with great salary. (endavuor for reward. Classic Singaporean incentive system.

So the result is a gullibity that I still retain. (Although I prefer childlike innocence.)

So if, someone tells you that after taking a partially govt-funded short course, you will get to work at Lucasfilm! Or D Neg! Heck even Pixar if you are good enough....you EXPECT that upon completion, you will get a job. Of course the sombering reality hits you that there are not enough jobs to go around or that the skillsets that you learnt isn't good enough to get you a job. Or that the slow realisation that YOU are actually not good enough to get that job.

The funny thing is when there is a job offer as a runner or as a matchmover, the locals frown at that job. They considered too low pay and low class for a degree grad or a diploma grad.

I do not blame them for that mindset. After all, they struggled the long nights over months to finish their FYPs and of course.

What i foresee is a lot of locals leaving to go work overseas in China and India. If you want to be working on the big Dreamworks movies, and you can get better savings then working locally. Plus a step towards the big boys. Of course the problem is that the big boys are here. because they want to cut cost. duh....

Rather then coming across like a preaching session or with a I know better attitude, I am more curious to investigate how to change this mindset.