By Norhidayyu Zainal
CYBERJAYA, Selangor: Creating an animated series demands not only creativity but also resilience and a willingness to keep learning, especially for young talents entrusted with new responsibilities behind the scenes.
For 31-year-old Wan Heidi Sofia Wan Norarjuna, moving from concept artist to director brought a new set of challenges as she sought to understand every stage of the animation production process.
“As a concept artist, my focus was solely on creating visuals. But as a director, I have to lead a team and oversee the entire production process, from script development to the final video,” she told BERNAMA after the recent exclusive screening of the latest animated series, Build-It Blocks, here.
A graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animation from Columbia College Chicago in the United States, Wan Heidi Sofia began her career as a concept artist for the animated series ‘Omar & Hana’ and ‘Mina Mila’ before making her directorial debut with the Islamic-themed musical animation series, Showtime.
“Although I initially doubted my own abilities, I accepted the challenge to step out of my comfort zone while sharpening both my creative talent and leadership skills,” she said.
Wan Heidi Sofia said directing Showtime taught her not to judge audience reception based solely on personal expectations, but instead to rely on viewership data to refine subsequent episodes.
Speaking about her latest project, she said Build-It Blocks is an animated series for children aged three to five that introduces a wide range of professions through three main characters: Amir the architect, Bena the builder and Camil the construction engineer.
“Besides familiar occupations such as firefighters, veterinarians and singers, we also highlight roles like parcel delivery workers, recycling personnel and cleaners, who are rarely portrayed as main characters in animation. This helps children understand and appreciate the contributions of every member of society,” she said.
The series, which premieres on the Durioo+ platform on August 8, also incorporates lessons from authentic hadiths and Islamic values naturally through themes of good manners and mutual assistance.
Development of the series began in May and involved about 20 local talents covering every stage of production, from scriptwriting to final animation, in collaboration with Piapi Animation Studio in Padang, Indonesia.
Wan Heidi Sofia said artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated throughout the production process using an Integrated Production Pipeline to streamline workflows and improve the quality of the final product without altering the fundamentals of animation production.
However, she cautioned young talents against becoming overly dependent on AI at the expense of mastering animation principles, storytelling and visual design.
“AI is not a replacement for human talent. It is a tool that enhances efficiency and productivity. Users must still have a solid foundation in animation to produce quality work,” she said.
On the industry’s prospects, she expressed confidence that Malaysia’s animation sector can offer sustainable long-term careers as local studios continue to mature and produce content for international markets.
Nevertheless, she noted that a gap still exists between what students learn in higher education institutions and the realities of the industry, as academic programmes tend to focus more on theoretical knowledge and coursework.
“Once they enter the workforce, graduates must adapt to different creative styles, production processes and standards adopted by each studio. They also need to be versatile and committed to continuously upgrading their skills,” she said.
Looking ahead, Wan Heidi Sofia hopes to direct a family-oriented animated feature film within the next five years. She also aspires to become an AI instructor to help nurture young talents in using the technology according to industry standards. – BERNAMA
