Funding a South African Animator

Following your dreams is the biggest adventure you can take but it can also be the scariest one ever. Hello from South Africa and thank you for taking the time to look at my GoGetFunding page. My name is Basil and I’m an animation student from Africa, more specifically – South Africa.

My History:

In 2010 I graduated at Prestige Academy with an average of 83%, obtaining my Diploma in 3D Design and Digital Animation. For two years I’ve been doing a lot of freelance work, building my portfolio and trying to gain experience in the animation and design industry.

Unfortunately, I had to find other ways to pay off my student loans. I was lucky enough to find a full time job with a fixed income; however it was not related to the creative world at all.Even though it was the “safe” thing to do and I was able to pay off my student loans, I wanted to go back into animation and create entertainment for children and adults.

Fast forward another two years and I applied at the college to complete my Bachelors of Arts in Animation. Luckily, due to previous education, I’ll only need to do two years but there are still fees outstanding which I’ll need to pay.

My Goal:

Once I complete my BA in Animation, my goal is to work in the animation industry and create intriguing stories and animations which will be suitable for all ages. Ideally I’d like to work at a studio like Pixar or Disney (as a degree is required for an international candidate to work in the United States).

If I do obtain a job in the US, built up enough experience and saved up enough money, then I want to further my education and study for a Master’s Degree in Animation – as creating my own animation studio would be my ultimate goal.

The Costs:

With the US Dollar being so strong against the South African Rand ($1 = R16), it would have being relatively cheaper if I was earning US dollars. The costs that I still need to cover are as follows:

Subjects:

• Philosophy and History of Animation – R 8 500 ($530)
• Statistics – R 1 500 ($95)
• Drawing Foundations – R 4500 ($280)
• Contextual Info Design – R 4500 ($280)
• Costumer Presentation Skills – R 2 350 ($150)
• Creative Thinking – R 4250 ($265)
• Study of Maya Techniques and Animation – R 9 040 ($565)

Other

• Tuition Fees (includes classroom fees) – R 16 000 ($1 000)

Books Required:

• Mastering Maya 2016 – R 1 670 ($100)
• Academic Literacy – R 490 ($30)
• Force Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators – R 350 ($20)
• Advertising and Promotion – R880 ($55)
• Exploring the Basics of Drawing – R 900 ($55)
• Creative Thinking – R 275 ($15)
• Applied Business Statistics – R490 ($30)
• Animators Survival Kit – R 490 ($30)

These costs are for the year of 2016 and do not cover the 2017 costs as those costs can change but I have taken on a part time job in order to save up for the costs of the second year. Other costs such as deposits, registration fees as well as any transport costs involved have already been paid by me and the support of my family.

I do already own a drawing tablet, although it’s not a Wacom tablet – it does the job just fine. My current PC still does the job ok but it is beginning to show it’s age as it is over 5 years old. With research and some friends in the IT industry, I could purchase a new PC but at the cost of R 12 500 ($780) which does not seem possible at this moment. But should this cause reach more than the desired goal, then any additional donations will go towards a new PC and I’ll donate my current PC to a local charity.

Why now:

As mentioned, my original goal was to obtain a degree in animation. However the institution did not offer a degree program at the time, thus I could only do my diploma and I had student loans to pay off. I took on an office job with a secure income in order to pay off that loan and to save up for continuing my education.

I could have worked another two or perhaps four years but felt that being away from the creative world for that long, would affect my creative abilities and I would end up being stuck in that system – never following my dreams in the end.

Currently, with the assistance of my family, I’m able to pay for the first few months (but I’ll need to repay them) but I’ll be required to take out another loan to pay for the remaining fees.

A final note:

Thank you once again for taking the time in reading through this. Any donations would be greatly appreciated. Some of my previous work can be found in the screenshots above so feel free to let me know what you think. If you cannot donate, then have a look at my work and let me know anyway.

I look forward to the journey ahead!