Interview. The animation industry is one of the most precarious in the country

RW: How did the Vigía Planetario series come about?

DD: I began to spread the idea, I sent it to Lautaro Ortiz from Fierro magazine, he liked it and he suggested that I do something specific for Fierro. I was encouraged to produce something myself, since it costs a lot to make an entire animation production. I presented him with an idea, which was the Planetary Watcher and he told me “go ahead”. Kind of “broke” me because I averaged animating one minute per full month with backgrounds, music and so on. The stories are simple and as in any series I have saving points (this is the name given to the reuse of drawings, shots, backgrounds, made in other chapters so as not to produce them again and thus save time).

I armed robot fist, my production company, to produce for an internal market and working with Fierro is great since he has his public, his support. The project was partly financed with the Patronage of the City Government, although it was very little money.

I practically did everything, from the planning to the actual realization, and as far as the script was concerned, he gave me complete freedom. Now we are at the moment of showing it. they invited me to comic con of this year and making the “Cafecito” (You can collaborate if you want by clicking here ) to get contributions to the project.

The music was made especially for the series by Hernán Do Brito and Francisco Acerenza and the voices of the characters are made by Rodrigo Díaz and me.

In general, I usually make a scheme, very quick drawings for the animatic, even there I already animate some things. Then I do the assistance, the color, the editing, etc. What is most difficult for me is choosing the color palette, but anyway, it’s a basic, simple palette, there are almost no shadows on the characters, and I use many colors for many things, that saves me time .

RW: How do you animate alone?

DD: I had the click making shorts, because I told myself I have to solve everything by myself, look for an aesthetic that allows me to quickly solve the animation. I understood that it is a virtue to start and finish something in the time you have to do it. Because otherwise the logic that only Disney is fine wins. You have no choice but to adjust to your reality, your economy, your market, etc.

RW: What are the working conditions like in the animation industry?

DD: I am quite involved in this issue because I am a delegate of the animation branch of the Film Union (SICA-APMA). You say animation and only 3D animation is contemplated; 2D and Stop Motion and don’t know each other. They have different problems, different salaries.
The reality is that the animation industry exists, there is the myth that we are not an industry. For example, most of the Disney and Cartoon advertisements for all of Latin America are done here. The animation produced in Argentina is considered high-end.

Here the problem is that no one hires in white, let’s say that the misnamed work in black is all irregular. The other problem is that as a union we have little weight or strength, especially when it comes to making claims and defending our rights.

I didn’t accept help for my short film, not even from friends, because I didn’t have the money to pay them, which is what corresponds. It is a reality that this thing of pro bono work is installed and that is not good.

RW: What do you think of the Expiration Law?

DD: It happens that in this job it seems that there is apparently no need to organize. And things like INCAA assignments, that is going to hurt us. There are many people who make a living from that, not necessarily people from animation, but from Cultural Centers, theaters, many places that support it and if that is lost it is because we did not give it the necessary importance and it will be an issue not having claimed like we could have.

RW: Is there job insecurity in animation?

DD: At one time there was more white work. We know that one of the signatories of the collective labor agreement for the animation branch was García Ferré. And that had to do with the fact that at one time they needed to have things in order to get paid for jobs, etc. Then the modality of making people invoice was installed, when I started working in 2001 I had to invoice, a job that was subsidized by INCAA. In the rest of the branches of film and television it is not so common that you are not unionized, as it is in animation. The fact that you can work at home, that you are very atomized and that also the discipline that leads you to be more individualistic, because you are the one who draws and you can do just that.

RW: What do you think of the current situation in the country?

DD: It seems to me that all the conflicts that exist are focused on having cheaper labor, as if the companies were not earning well, but in any case, for employers, labor either remains in the mold or is even cheaper. I’m not following the tire conflict very much, but you saw that Massa said “I’ll open the importation of tires so I’ll unlock the conflict” and you’ll see how everyone calms down.

I had many meetings as a delegate where you can have a very firm opinion but at some point you have to negotiate, and you always have to give something, something is gained and something is lost.

I believe that the PRO proposes a country of service, where the working class receives the minimum, and I believe that there is a certain sector of the Peronism of the Frente de Todos that wants to produce with logic in how they see it. But when a crisis like the tire crisis, among others, then you realize which side they want to take the country to, do you think those who make tires charge a lot? In other words, do you see the profits from the balance sheets of the companies and what the workers are demanding does not seem fair to you? On what basis do you say that they charge a lot or if you have to import? That is the discussion that has to be done for me as a country model and then ultimately what you are going to vote for.