Animation videos sketch a new dimension for Kenyan music

Any serious artiste knows how essential a good video is in promoting a single, album, or even the artiste himself. And, sure, you could just shuffle around in front of a blue screen, but there’s also a ton of creative potential when you take a chance to come up with some neat graphics or an original animation to accompany a new release.

Introduction

While there are many options available through which innovative-minded musicians can add flavour and spice up their videos, graphics, and animations remain largely uncharted territory for our local artists. Internationally, videos like “Heartless” by Kanye West, “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead, “Love Rollercoaster” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and “Do the Evolution” by Pearl Jam have changed music videos where the artiste doesn’t have to appear on his video.

Locally, Wakimbizi seems to have tested the waters with their debut video “Halloo Halloo” and although it was a poorly done job, people loved it.

Genge artiste Jua Cali attempted to break new ground by creating one of the few fully animated music videos available in the market. The video, which was done in 2D by Vicki Mmoja, captures the life and experiences of the King of Genge and his efforts to make it in the music industry.

Just-A-Band also had a very nice video for their song “Iwinyo Piny”. JAB, on the other hand, has managed to create a niche for themselves by fusing graphics and animation in almost all their productions, thus building a unique image for the boy band.

From elaborately designed album covers to simulated effects and animations, Just-A-Band has consistently remained ahead of the pack, something that gives them an edge over other industry players.

Of course, the fact that the group is composed of tech geeks helps a lot but, in the long run, other artists can borrow a lesson or two from the bunch.

Generally, most local videos fail miserably as far as even the simplest graphics are concerned. Little attention is paid to fundamental aspects such as colour schemes and image coordination resulting in videos that are horrifying to watch.

“You see some videos where the subjects are barely visible or the characters are practically overcrowding the screen and wonder how they are screened in the first place,” observes Muriithi of FatBoy Animations.

“In an attempt to cut down on costs, most artists end up hiring quacks to do their videos or they get one person to do a job that should be done by three different people. That’s how we end up with shoddy videos on our screens,” he adds. “To achieve satisfactory standards in their videos, artists need to source for proficient graphic designers and form collaborative partnerships that will ensure professional standards are attained.”

When used effectively, graphics exponentially boost the aesthetic value of a video. Muthoni’s latest video, “Life,” has all the proof you need. By making good use of graphics and visual effects, she was able to transform a simple video into an exceptional masterpiece.

Additionally, the use of animations allows greater room for creativity and originality in a video.

Animations create some kind of fantasy literary context and give the artist celestial control of their image and sound which the viewers can be part of through the video.

They construct a realm where the artiste can develop and manipulate characters, images, and events that express their music originally and distinctly.

“We’ve seen some artists who try to incorporate animations in their videos but most of them lack proper execution,” says Sean Kanyari of Homeboyz Animation who are behind the Tinga Tinga Tales animated series.

“Some of them are just monotonous and repetitive while others have limited motion scenes which is simply because the creators do not invest enough time, ideas, and worthwhile energy when developing the final product,” he says.

Like any worthwhile venture, developing good graphics animation is no simple task. It all depends on the nature of the concept and the individual choice and taste of the artiste but, in the long run, the result speaks for itself.

For instance, developing a 3D video from scratch is by far more demanding than developing a 2D one due to the techniques involved and time consumed. Ultimately, each type of animation delivers a different feel to the audience.

“2D videos have more human feel compared to 3D which take much longer to make bare more realistic and have more room for creativity. At the end of the day it depends on individual preferences,” notes Alex Kirui, an independent designer.

Kanyiri adds that manpower and time are also key factors that should be taken into consideration. “Working on one 11-minute episode of Tinga Tinga Tales takes a team of six animators five weeks to complete so you can imagine the work we have to put in.”

However, the greatest hurdle for the artists lies in the financial costs. To get quality results, your average artiste would have to fork out an amount not less than Sh80,000. The upper limit is determined by the level of detail that goes into the production.

“Most artists are not willing to part with such amounts and that is why they end up settling for second-rate productions that are below standard,” says Jonathan Munyi of Rift 3D who is behind the graphics in the “Pearl Rice”, “Bunda za Orange” and “Ushindi” ads among others. “In most cases, we work with corporates or agencies but I believe that, with proper organization, we can forge partnerships for the collective good of our respective industries.”

James Mwando, an established designer, attributes the relatively high costs to the vast inputs required to develop superior products.

He notes that the industry is still young and that there are few competent graphic designers in the market. However, with time he expects more players to emerge and naturally the dynamics will change. “Animation is not merely about graphics and effects, it allows us to tell stories most vividly and artistically possible and appeal to other people’s imagination. I hope with time our artists will come to embrace it and appreciate the opportunities it presents,” he says.