ANIMATION INDUSTRY IN THE

PHILIPPINES
Animation is a pretty big industry in the
Philippines. Most of the people we
know who graduated from Fine Arts
end up in an advertising agency or an
animation office. Though the BPO
industry mostly deals with voice
accounts or “call centers”, the
outsourcing business also extends to
animation.
 Most Cartoon Series and Movies are
Made in the Philippines
Pinoy Pride! There are many animation
offices here in the Philippines, most of which
are outsourced to make different drawings
for series and movies. The most in-demand
type of animation in the Philippines is the
‘traditional’ or hand-drawn kind. Though
digital animation is booming, Filipino artists
are known to have excellent drawing skills.
Traditional drawings make cartoons softer
and more life-like.
 Drawings are Priced Per Piece
• Here’s the deal: if you want to work freelance, this
is the road for you. Though there are regular jobs
in animation, many of the offices here in the
Philippines pay their artists by piece

• An in-between artist gets paid at least Php20 per

drawing. Each paper or drawing of an in-between
artist has one character movement. They can
draw at least 30 drawings per day and as many as
200 drawings, depending on the detail of the
character.
Photographers Can Work in Animation

If you are a different kind of artist, like a

photographer, you can work in the animation
industry, too. Some photographers take actual
photos of landscapes or seascapes on which
animation backgrounds are based. Some
photographers take photos of all of the
drawings to digitize them. They then collate all
of the drawings to turn them digital, color them,
and make them move. They are basically the
middle ground between traditional and digital.
 It Takes More Than 100 drawings to
Make a 1-minute Clip

Even the simplest movements of a character

may require lots of drawings. A 1-minute clip
may consist of more than 100 drawings! And
that doesn’t even count the background
drawings or the characters’ surroundings
yet.
There are More Than 20 Kinds of
Animation Artists
• When people hear “animator”, people often think of people
drawing the characters. What you might not know is that there
are over 20 kinds of animation artists here in the Philippines.
The character designer is based in the head studio. The base
character draft is sent to the Philippines or to the animation
studio to make movements and studies. The in-between
artists make the movements of the characters. The clean-up
artists check all of the drawings for adjustments, straighter
lines, additional in-between drawings, or drawing erasures.

• If you are a painter, there are also background artists in the

industry who paint the background like the sky, beach,
mountains, and other settings. These are just there of the
most known kinds of animation artists that are outsourced
here in the Philippines.
 Animators Doodle to Practice

• If you like doodling, that is actually the perfect

training for you to get that animation vibe
going. Artists who work in the industry doodle
all the time. They make studies of their
characters, settings and backgrounds all the
time. This is also where the animators sneak
in the Hidden Mickeys and their initials.
• Doodling can actually help animators get a
basis of what their characters will look like
with different emotions, looks, and
movements.
Filipino animators have once again proven their
caliber in creating animated films with the
release of Saving Sally, an entry to the 2016
Metro Manila Film Festival. But before the
success of this masterpiece on the big screen,
local talents produced animated movies that
wowed the moviegoers in the past. What were
these movies about and how were they made?
CIIT, a 3D animation school, prepares a list of
few animated clips that made Filipinos so proud
to call them their own.
 Ibong Adarna (1997)
• Based on the famous local epic about a mythical bird and the
three princes, this local animated movie featured the voices of
famous actors and singers. These included Regine
Velasquez, Martin Nievera, Boots Anson Roa, Marvin Agustin,
and Jolina Magdangal (who gave voice to the magical bird).
Gerry Garcia, the pioneer of Pinoy animation, was the writer
and the director of the film.
• Awarded as the first full-length Pinoy animated film, Adarna
adapted the story of the eponymous folklore and turned it into
cartoon. It took animators plenty of time to finish voice
recordings, drawings, and storyboards as part of the cel
animation technique. There wasn’t enough money to produce
an animation, too, during Adarna’s release; so the producers
had a hard time financing the entire production of the film.
Urduja (2008)
• This 100-minute film showed the life and struggles of Princess
Urduja, a warrior princess in Pangasinan. Actors Regine
Velasquez, Cesar Montano, Eddie Garcia, Johnny Delgado,
and Jay Manalo formed the cast giving voices to the lead
characters.
• In the story, Princess Urduja is the only daughter of Tawilisi
tribe’s chieftain, Lakanpati. He wants her to marry Simakwel,
someone she dislikes. Instead, Urduja falls in love with
Limhang, a stranger who escapes from the wrath of Wang
and hides in Tawilisi’s place. Limhang’s kindness and good
deeds won the tribe’s trust and respect. The tribe bravely
fought against Wang.
• Urduja is a product of teamwork among a group of Filipino
animators, who used the traditional animation process of hand
drawing.
Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia (2008)

• This movie showed the adventure of an 11-year-old

boy as he attempted to rescue his kidnapped
grandparents. His quest led him to a magical land
called Elementalia, which housed popular local
creatures of mythology, such as kapre, aswang, and
tikbalang. Dayo starred voice actors Nash Aguas,
Michael V., Peque Gallaga, and Trina Legaspi.
• A mix of traditional and 3D animations, the film
became the country’s first all-digital full-length
animated feature. Over 500 animators worked on the
2D animation of the characters and the 3D animation
of the scene’s backdrops.
RPG Metanoia (2010)

• RPG Metanoia shares the story of a timid

young online gaming fan named Nico. Every
time Nico plays Metanoia, an MMORPG, he
turns into an unpredictable wanderer
equipped with a magic yoyo and startling
agility. The film used the voices of Zaijian
Jaranilla, Aga Muhlach, Mika dela Cruz,
Vhong Navarro, and Eugene Domingo.
• RPG became the first full-length 3D animated
film in the Philippines.
Saving Sally (2016)
• A story of teenage love between a young aspiring comic book artist
and a gadget inventor, Saving Sally depicts a Manila-state of mind in
Marty’s world. In here, huge animated monsters roam the streets of
Manila while tackling the characters’ yearnings and the country’s
current rampant issues. Enzo Marcos gave life to Marty’s role while
Rhian Ramos played Sally.
• Behind the nice story and visuals of Saving Sally hides the entire
staff and cast’s struggles. It is perhaps the toughest in the list
because the film took a decade before it finally reached the
cinemas. It ran out of funds, faced problems with the initial casting,
and endured arduous editing works. But it’s worth the long wait!
What makes Saving Sally a great artwork is it mixes 2D animation
with live actors.
• As a Filipino animation fan, sure you’re dreaming of following in the
footsteps of these great movies. Dream no more. Let the country’s
top 3D animation school teach you and prepare you for the future.
Find the best course or degree program that aligns with your
passion and career goals. Visit us at ciit.edu.ph.
 Ta NET
x PAY
Annual Salary of
Php 160,000.00
Monthly Salary of
Php 35,000.00
Annual Salary of
Php 78,000.00
Annual Salary of
Php 505,000.00
Monthly Salary of
Php 65,000.00