KUALA LUMPUR: A young talent took centre stage today as the winner of the animated short film competition hosted by the Communication and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) and the Faculty of Creative Multimedia (FCM), Multimedia University (MMU).
Aswara student, Nadiah Farhanah Alfian, 19, from the university's FAM, emerged as the winner of the animated short film competition, receiving a prize of RM 6,000.
Her animated short film aimed to show people the importance of being cautious about what they post on the Internet.
Nadiah said as people often shared everything online, it could pose danger or attract negative attention.
"The message here is for everyone to be mindful of what they put online so they can protect themselves.
"We do not have any prior personal experience that contributed to this animation. Our inspiration came from social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, where people frequently post about their lives and how dangerous it would be to just display your private information publicly," she told the New Straits Times.
The most challenging part of creating her animation, she said, was the animation itself.
Nadiah explained that the process was time-consuming, and it was difficult to make the animation look smooth.
"Our animation concept is inspired by anime and cartoon art styles, and it took us approximately 1 to 2 months to complete fully.
"The medium we used to create the animation was computer-aided two-dimensional (2D) animation software and compositing tools," she said.
In the future, Nadiah hopes to produce an animated short film that would showcase Malaysia's traditional cultures.
"At the moment, there are no projects in the works, but we hope to create more short films that craft engaging narratives with valuable lessons."
The second-place winner in the competition received RM4,000, while the third-place winner was awarded RM2,000.
Amirul Hadif, who came in third place, said he regularly watches animation and gets inspired by vocal performances.
The 21-year-old said he was particularly drawn to the world of local animated series 'Ejen Ali' and the way technology was portrayed in them.
"I create original content and continually learn, especially from Indonesian local concepts."
CMCF chairman and Media Prima Bhd group managing director Rafiq Razali, in a statement, said the initiative aimed to promote the values of responsible content among students by using the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code as the foundation for storytelling.
The awards were presented by CMCF chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood, and MMU Academic and International Relations deputy dean and senior lecturer Dr Syarifah Nurleyana Wafa Syed Naguib Wafa.