ASPIRING ANIMATOR, KUPEH ROD (INTERVIEW)

Ahmad Ufiz Bin Ahmad Shabri is well known to his followers in his instagram art account as Kupeh Rod. His fan would know that the name is taken from Kupeh Rodriguez. He is now 37 and working as a lead animator in Vision Animation as a prop designer. We have been given the precious opportunity to interview Kupeh in person. Surprisingly, he is a very friendly, fun and nice artist as he shares some of his experiences being a senior in animation industry.

Kupeh`s amazing career began in 2007 until today. He has made more than 10 animations project throughout his 12 years experiences! Kupeh started as a cleanup artist, before he become an animator. After years of gaining experiences, honing skills and creating artworks, he finally managed to become a lead animator. There are some department such as background, colour, character and animation but Kupeh had decided to stay in as prop designer department as he can utilize his full potential there.

As an artist, Kupeh defines art as his meaningful hobby. He honestly stated that despite become free time activities, his passion in art also driven by economical factor. Every person needed to pay bills, to eat and basically to survive every day and art itself had become his main key to escape those circumstances. While Kupeh is now working as permanent animator in the company there are actually many animators are doing animations by freelancing. By doing freelance, animators are working only for certain period of time, usually a year as agreed in the contract between the animator and the studio. If they cannot continue the contract either because the there is no job, or there are better animator or maybe company`s cut costing strategy, they had to find other ways to maintain their financial status. Kupeh also admit that many young and new animator struggles to sustain a stable job as most of the animators in Malaysia works as freelance artists. This financial struggle had pushed many talented artist to leave the animation industry.

The company policy is not the only one that needed to be blamed as there is a bigger factor for Kupeh and many other artists had to rely on, the community. For survival cause, the crowd needed to show their support and interest in these creative works as whole. Unfortunately, Kupeh believe that this issue is happening not because of less appreciation, but worse, Malaysian still did not know how to value an artwork. Multiple countries had taken many initiatives to increase their own art industries such Japan, Italy, Ireland and USA because these countries realize that the modernization of a country was measured by the value of the country`s artistic involvement. Ireland even make art as a compulsory subject in school. Art also had become the most effective medium to spread the culture, lifestyle and history of a nation.

Kupeh also mention the bright side of entering the animation scope of work. For him the most benefit he had received was making friends, everywhere and anywhere. Art itself become a language that connects every artists all around the world. Kupeh had received many friends through his art and every one of them exchange information, knowledge and new stuffs. It is as what Kupeh himself had described, “It is like getting a free classes” Although Kupeh have many connections, he never had a specific a role model. According to him, every artists had different styles such as anime, European and local that he can learn something from various sources. In other words, he did not limit his focus and attention to certain people only.

When asked about his own stroke, Kupeh prefers to use a cartoon style of drawing. A stroke is the artist`s identity where his fan recognize of the particular way of the drawing. The reason why Kupeh often use cartoon theme artwork is because he is so into the character designs. An important tips from Kupeh, his development of style did change over the years due to the crowds and observation. He had to be keen with current style and trend. For him, even if you are 50 years old, you still can contribute your creative works as long as there is a fan, because the stroke was changed with time. No wonder he had been into collaboration with the launching of Volkswagen, Vans off the wall with his short animation, advertisement, local brand such as Rantai Art Festival and the latest, Kelantan Art Culture Festival.

We are also excited to announce that there will be a new Kisah Bawah Tanah, or underground story. It is an animation series about two ghosts, who work together at the convenience store in the underground world. The casts are all creatures besides human, mostly ghost. Even Malaysian famous ghost will be included too! Kupeh was thrilled to join the Space Boy Studios production to create Kisah Bawah Tanah because the director, whom also his friend give a full trust for Kupeh to utilize his own stroke. Kupeh also comfortable with the production. No confirmation from Kupeh himself on whether the series will be launched in our country`s television, become a web based or other platform. Let us just hope for the success of the first dark humour animation from Malaysia, Kisah Bawah Tanah in the future. 

Kupeh`s dreams were to have his own animation series, enlarge his clothing brand, Korod Klothing, and producing toys seriously. He realized that the art received more love everyday years as he saw the increasing number artist at any art events. He also hope this positive reaction would put an impact for the international art industry. Citizens must started to appreciate art as the way it should be. Before our small interview ended, Kupeh had some advice the upcoming artists to draw as much as possible, observe other artists and most importantly, have faith and confidence with your own stroke.