‘Phnom Penh Creatives Meetup’ To Promote The Cambodian Digital Arts Ecosystem
Confluences, in collaboration with PIXEL Digiart, held the "Phnom Penh Creatives Meetup" networking event to promote understanding of digital development, and connect creatives from various industries with one another. The event also introduced the partnership between Confluences and PIXEL Digiart (ex-Erai Pixel) to bring innovative digital solutions to Cambodia.
The meetup was held at Seekers Spirits Independent Phnom Penh on March 1, 2024, welcoming around 100 guests from different creative industries in Cambodia. A diverse array of companies specialising in digital arts services were highlighted, including the co-organiser, PIXEL Digiart, and ‘Moustache Production’, a company that specialises in connecting Southeast Asian animation studios with international partners (within a network of 700 partners, including 2D, 3D, gaming, and/or VFX firms).
Aymeric Pons, the CEO of PIXEL Digiart and Moustache Production, mentioned during his presentation that the company is ready to welcome collaboration from local Cambodian studios. Matthieu Petit, Account Manager of PIXEL Digiart, added that the time has come for Cambodia to embrace software advancements, as digitalisation continues to progress.
Cambodia’s Animation Studios
The event featured two key presenters: Phare Creative Studio and Lizard Animation. Phare Creative Studio, located in Battambang province, is recognised for its contributions to animation and graphic design. As part of the Phare Performing Social Enterprise, the studio offers students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to acquire skills for gainful employment.
The studio has a strong commitment to supporting the Visual & Applied Art School (VAAS) of the Phare Ponleu Selpak Association. Richard Sanviti, Development Manager of Phare Creative Studio, told B2B Cambodia that the animation sector in Cambodia is experiencing growth, primarily due to the presence of studios like Phare and other private companies.
He shared that the primary focus of Phare Creative Studio's work is to produce content that raises awareness about specific social issues, aiming for positive impacts on society. In response to increasing market demand, the studio is also seeking collaborations with the private sector. They specialise in 3D animation, virtual reality (VR), and video games.
"I think [the animation market] is still small, but there is a lot of creativity and many talents that would like to develop and elevate the sector's importance in Cambodia,” said Sanviti. “We hope to keep growing, and [undertake] more international projects and original creations.”
Lizard Animation, a homegrown Cambodian animation and webtoon studio, was established in 2016. The company’s presentation at the event detailed how it has long partnered with overseas creative studios, including those from the United States, Japan, South Korea, and China, for animation production. Additionally, Lizard Animation shared that its team is currently in the process of creating an original anime series.
Siem Leakheana, CEO of Lizard Studio, spoke with B2B Cambodia and explained that the company initially started with storyboarding work and then later expanded its scope to include other animation-related tasks such as character design, layouts, key animation, model check, 2nd key animation, in-betweening, character colouring, background animation, and camera work. She added that Lizard Studio is also going to start producing a web animation project in Cambodia soon.
Bringing Digital Innovation Amenities To Cambodia
Announcing the new partnership between Confluences and PIXEL Digiart, the companies announced that they are planning to bring innovative digital amenities to Cambodia. They promised to provide new software and training solutions for the digital arts sector in the Kingdom, a field in which they have been operating for more than a decade, supporting studios and production companies with their expertise.