International animation industry looks to Caribbean youth

Globally the animation industry is booming. Two of the top ten grossing films of the past year were fully animated and it’s a trend that’s not only expected to continue but also has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the Caribbean alone. On average 120 people are needed to produce a 10 minute animated clip, and crucially they are skilled jobs which our highly-talented youth are qualified for – around 8,000 Jamaicans under 30 years old already have the basic skills to be animators. KingstOOn, held at the Edna Manley School for the Visual and Performing Arts at the beginning of the month both celebrated and showcased this talent. Professional animators and artists from across the globe were in attendance, and close to a thousand submissions for the competitions were received from 93 different countries. It’s the second conference of its type, with the first being held in 2013, with the ultimate aim of positioning the Caribbean as a potential hub for the animation and tech industry. And for the youth who took part, it was a unique opportunity to network and get one-on-one advise from the best in the business. Hear from some of the weekend’s winners in the video above.