The animation industry in Singapore has been around for more than 20 years. Starting with a few 2D animation studios in the late 1990s, animation studios in Singapore have grown in number as more 3D and Motion Graphic animation studios have emerged over the years.
In Singapore, the majority of animation studios focus on providing high quality animation services, whilst the rest focus on creating original content. Studios in Singapore often create content for broadcasters, government agencies, private companies as well as corporate clients. Other than broadcasters looking for entertaining content and individual short films, most content created by Singapore animation studios are catered towards corporate messaging, educational content or the promotion of products and services. These range from the simple one-minute video to longer, episodical videos. Clients may even request for content in different mediums as well. From comics, to interactive games, and even to posters, the range of mediums for corporate, educational, and promotional services are extensive and unlimited.
In most countries, the animation industry is supported by broadcasters, the local government and Media and Art related agencies. As animated video production is a highly labour-intensive job, the presence of a strong animation industry creates employment opportunities for local talents interested in the field. Voice talents are needed to voice characters and do narration; script writers and directors are needed to create good and concise narratives; animators and video editors are needed to create quality videos; the list goes on. Due to the physical nature of the animation industry, the amount of talent required for each project is high.
Similar to most media companies, animation contributes to the export of a country’s culture. Like Japan’s Anime, Korea’s K-pop and America’s Disney, a strong animation industry adds to a country’s soft power, contributing to the economy in indirect and intangible ways different from that of traditional, mainstream industries.