Building the Pixar of the Philippines

It’s time to put the Philippines on the map as a creative powerhouse.

I have a dream: to build the Pixar of the Philippines. I want to build an ecosystem of creativity in Metro Manila that allows our creative workforce from different disciplines — animation, design, illustration, music, acting, gaming, whatever — to exercise their skills and create new and exciting worlds for the world to discover and enjoy.

We won’t build the next Pixar by being mere outsourcers. While the Philippines has made its name as a leader in cost-effective offshore services (as evidenced by the boom in call centers in the past decade), there is a dearth of creativity brought upon by the work that we do for others. We don’t create new things; we fulfill the dreams of those who choose to hire us. We follow trails instead of blazing new paths for our people. Once again, our people are servants instead of leaders, as we were centuries ago.

I don’t want Filipinos to be known as servants. I think we can do better than that.

What we need to do is establish the Philippines as a leader in the creative field, not as a cheap labor farm, but as a fountain of new and exciting intellectual properties that the world can enjoy. We have a unique culture — a great mix of Eastern sensibilities and Western perspectives — and coupled with a colorful national history, we have an opportunity to share universal messages through stories that everyone can relate to, regardless of race, religion, age, gender or ideology.

We need to move away from the tropes that have plagued our creations for years, even decades. Let’s move away from the hackneyed themes of poverty porn, barrio children, evil madrastas and other telenovela cliches. Let’s ditch the flashy noontime show gimmicks and focus on what is essential. Let’s give the world something it can appreciate, relate to, and talk about — the fun, the heartwarming, the controversial, the intriguing, the heroic, the universal, the real.

Creativity is not dead, especially not in an age of reposts and remakes. Our people’s best asset lies in our creativity, our imagination, and our ability to see the positive in everything. So let’s put the Philippines on the map and share our stories — the kind of stories that the rest of the world can and will listen to.

This is my dream for the Philippines. This is my dream for the nation I still believe in, no matter what. Let’s show the world that we’re not just a nation of domestic helpers, call center agents, corrupt politicians and impoverished servants. Let’s show the world that we can be leaders in our own right.

Let’s give them one hell of a show.

I’m the CEO of a little animation outfit called Stream Engine Studios. Since 2012, we’ve been creating animated explainer videos for various companies and startups in the Philippines and abroad. We’re about to (re)launch our online platform for gamified video entertainment, Stream Engine TV.

I have big dreams and even bigger plans for the Philippine animation industry. Send me a message if you share that dream. gino@streamenginestudios.com