By Moses Abeka
There are unsung heroes in our lives. Those that tread new paths and take on fresh approaches. One of them is Solomon Jagwe, a USA based Ugandan animator. Moses Abeka aka Hood Lighta caught up with him and he had this to say.
1.WHO IS SOLOMON JAGWE?
I am a 3D artist, Animator and Independent Film Director based in the USA but born and raised in Uganda.
2. THE LOCAL ANIMATION INDUSTRY IS LARGELY UNTAPPED, PERHAPS DUE TO LIMITED KNOWLEDGE AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ANIMATION ARTIST? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE ANIMATION?
I think that in order for a Ugandan to be a successful Animator, you need to have the drive, commitment and passion for story telling. Animation, once you strip away all the special effects, and technical aspects, is at its core all about telling the story, using computers as a medium.
I was inspired by a 3D animated clip I saw while on a Sabena flight from Uganda to the US to attend University and pursue my degree in fine Art. I had decided to concentrate on being the best painter and sculptor I could be, until I saw that animated video on the monitors that are located at the back of the seats. I was so fascinated by the animation that once I got to the University, I inquired about it, and promptly switched my major to Animation and Computer Art.
3.WHAT IS THE SECRET? WHY ARE ANIMATED MOVIES LIKE HOBBIT, ICE AGE , TOP GROSSING MOVIES IN HOLLYWOOD ?
Animation has come a long way and companies like Pixar/Disney have blazed a trail of success, which in turn has been copied by other studios. So it’s an open secret, in order to have a successful movie, whether it is 2D or 3D animation, or a mix of both, including live footage; study what the successful studios have done, and duplicate it while putting your own touch to the final product ~ ultimately, the story, dialog, and emotions that the movie portrays, are the the main things that will drive people to the movie theaters to pay their money and watch your movie. If a movie has awesome special effects, but lacks a good story and dialog, it won’t have a lasting run for it to be considered successful.
4. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SOLOMON JAGWE. WALK ME THROUGH IT!
Lol!! God first, Family second, and work last, not to mention fun :) I am a father of 2, and I home school my kids, so I have to balance that with life as a freelance artist. But family comes first. So in the Mornings it’s all about the little ones and making sure they are taken care of, after which I begin my animation work in the afternoon, after home school is over. I have to make sure I spend time with my wife and kids, and when they are tucked in, I continue to work ~ sometimes till late at night. The life of a Freelancer ~ balancing family and work.
5.BACK IN UGANDA, THERE IS A GENERAL PERCEPTION LIMITING THE VIEWERSHIP OF ANIMATION. THEY ARE CALLED “CARTOONS”, MOST BELIEVE ARE FOR CHILDREN. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THAT?
You know, I am realizing how true that is. The more I interact with people online through quizzes and feedback, the more I realize that the moment you say cartoons, automatically, they get categorized as children stuff. My hope is that through sensitization and creating of local favored animated projects, we can start to slowly change that perception. The good thing is that Uganda is a young country, about 78% of us are 30 years and below, so as the youth gain more exposure, the outlook will change so animation can be looked at for what it is: some telling a story and sharing an experience.
6.DOES BEING AN ANIMATOR MAKE YOU TO BE TAKEN LESS SERIOUS BY YOUR PARTNER AND OTHER PEOPLE?
Not necessarily. The animations I have been creating for the last 14 years have been primarily for the US Military. Animations that are used to train soldiers about situational awareness, strategy, and mission capability. So animation comes in many flavors.
7.WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR MAJOR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AND MAJOR SET BACKS?
The major highlights have been seeing my name on a commercial video game box, to watching my animations being used to showcase products by Hollywood affiliated companies. The greatest highlight so far has been signing a contract with WBS TV to create the Nkoza and Nankya animated TV series. Setbacks have included my losing all my animation equipment to thieves. That was a low in my life and for a while I didn’t think I could ever get back into 3D, but through God’s grace and provision, I was able to pick up the pieces and push on ~ that’s how ‘Nkoza and Nankya’ came to be.
8.ANYTHING NEW ON THE TABLE?
Yes, the upcoming animated TV series of the Adventures of Nkoza and Nankya and wrapping up of the Galiwango film. Check out ‘Nkoza and Nankya’ on Facebook.
9.IS ANIMATION A SOLO PROJECT?
Not at all. You need a team to pull off anything noteworthy: there are some projects that I have done alone, but those were mainly for clients who contracted me to create something that they felt I alone could pull off. But for bigger projects, you do need a team. Galiwango has been a solo project, but even with that, I still had to reach out to teams like the guys at Mixamo and Faceware Tech for their support in the motioncapture area. For the ‘Nkoza and Nankya’ TV series, I have about 4 people who are volunteering to help me. My plan is to raise enough funds through fundraising so I can have money to pay the volunteers and some more artists to accomplish the goal of creating 12 episodes.
10.ANY LAST WORDS TI UGANDANS READING THIS…
I look forward to a time when there are many more local animations created by my fellow Ugandan animators. I will do my best to share my journey so others can learn from the experience. I encourage you all to Dare to Dream Big, and to never give up. We have so much potential. For God and My Country. Proud to be a Ugandan.
“[katogoaward]”