With their digital comics and animated videos, content creators Vince Animation and Sskait bring entertainment and inspiration to their 700,000 followers.

The millennial animator, Vince, who requested not to share his full name for privacy, is mostly known for his “College Life” series that puts a humorous spin on the struggles of students, such as the daily commute on packed jeepneys, dealing with the suspension of classes, and preparing for job interviews.

“Isa naman sa mga goal mo as a content creator, yung ginagawa mo out of passion eh nagugustuhan ng mga tao,” he said.

(One of your goals as a content creator is that what you do out of passion is appreciated by other people.)

Vince Animation started sharing content on YouTube, Facebook and TikTok when the COVID-19 pandemic struck four years ago. Today, his “College Life” videos garner millions of views.

“Lahat ng age group nakaka-relate. Simulan natin sa post graduates, nakaka-relate sila kasi pinagdaanan na nila. Then mga college student kasi andoon sila mismo sa point ng buhay nila, then pagdating naman sa mga mas bata, curious naman sila sa ano ang mas kakaharapin nila sa future so pinapanood nila,” he said.

(All age groups can relate, let’s start with the graduates, they can relate because they have already been through that phase. The college students can relate to the videos because these depict their current daily life, then when it comes to the youth, they are curious about what they will experience in the future, so they watch it.)

Sskait creator  Allan Jeffrey Bacar. SSKAIT website

Meanwhile, Sskait creator Allan Jeffrey Bacar’s big break came with the digital comic series “Man vs Ipis” depicting the “savage” conversations of a man and a cockroach, with a scoreboard at the end of every exchange. 

Sskait – which means “Siya, Sila, Kami, Ako, Ikaw, Tayo” – later branched out to other topics.

Bacar said his page became his breathing space and a platform to help his followers reconnect. 

“Sinimulan ko kasi ang Sskait na breathing space ko mula sa stress, sa ingay ng mundo, sa gulo, sa trabaho. Para makahinga, dino-draw ko yung mga nafi-feel ko,” he said. 

(I started Sskait as a breathing space from stress, the noise of the world, from chaos, from work. So I can breathe, I draw what I feel.) 

“Sarap sa feeling na through your simple work, may mga nako-connect kang tao na matagal ng di nag-uusap and sa mundo na kapag burnout ka, yung simpleng ‘kamusta ka na’, napakalaking bagay niya. Naging wake up call siya sa akin kung para saan ko nga ba ginagawa tong si Sskait,” said Bacar, a former office worker. 

(It feels good that through my simple work, I get to connect people who have not been talking for a while and in a world when you experience burnout, a simple ‘how are you?’ is a big thing. It became a wake up call for me and reminded me why I created Sskait in the first place.) 

TESDA offers course on content creation

ENTERING THE WORLD OF CONTENT CREATION 

Growing up, Bacar said he would often read the funny comics that his mother brought home from the market on Saturdays. At four years old, he started trying to draw comics – a hobby that he honed in college, when he joined a student publication. 

“Regarding sa Sskait naman, sinimulan ko si Sskait noong December 16, 2016… Triny ko lang gawin ulit habang nagtatrabaho na ko. Bumili ako ng murang digital tablet tapos sabi ko why not i-upload ko yung mga ginagawa ko online sa Facebook?” Bacar said. 

(Regarding Sskait, I started it last December 16, 2016. It is like a habit for me to make comics since when I was in college, I was part of a publication. I tried to make one again while I was working then I wondered why not upload it on Facebook?) 

He said his first followers were his friends and family members.

On the other hand, Vince had worked as a junior architect at a firm before he pursued online content creation. 

“After ko mag-resign ‘don, nag-review na ako for board exam pero tinigil ko kasi ‘di talaga ako masaya sa field ng arki,” he said. 

(After I resigned, I reviewed for the board exam but I stopped because I wasn’t happy in that field.) 

He uploaded his first animated videos in 2020. It took around two more years before he garnered some 200,000 YouTube subscribers. 

“Doon na rin ako nag-start kumita ng medyo malaki-laki nang konti. So, doon ko masasabi talaga na nagsimula ako,” Vince said. 

(In 2022, after two years I already had 200,000 subscribers on Youtube and that’s when I started earning a little more.)  

CREATIVE PROCESS

When he was just starting, Vince only produced one video every three to four months because of his detailed art style, which he has since simplified.  

“Pagdating sa topic, kung ano lang maisipan ko ngayong buwan. Pero halimbawa walang interesting na nangyari ngayong buwan, mag-iisip ako ng content na na-experience ko noon, na feeling kong makaka-relate yung iba,” Vince added. 

(When it comes to the topic, it’s whatever comes to my mind in a certain month. But for example there’s nothing interesting that happened this month, I’ll think of something that I experienced in the past, that I feel like others can relate to.)

The 27-year-old full-time content creator said his 10 to 15-minute videos take almost a month or two to craft from the storyboard, dialogues, and voiceover.

“Madaling magkwento, magsulat ng experiences ko, pero para lagyan ng humor tsaka mas gawing entertaining sa pananaw ng viewers ko, yun yung mahirap, doon ako natatagalan,” he said. 

(It’s easy to tell a story, to write my experiences, but to put humor and to make it entertaining in the perspective of my viewers, that’s what’s difficult, that’s where I allot more time.) 

Meanwhile, Bacar said ideas for his comics are often sparked by his surroundings and friends. 

“Nagsisimula lahat ng idea lang, minsan sinusulat ko sa note. Tapos after nun, parang sa tablet, ilalapis ko na. Ngayon, may tumutulong sakin mag-finalize sa mga comic, kasi isang comics it takes around three hours to eight hours para lang malabas yan,” he said. 

(It all starts with an idea that I write on my notes. After that, I outline it on my tablet. Now, I have someone who helps me to finalize it because one comic takes about three to eight hours before it is released.) 

After his colleagues finished adding details, Bacar would polish the draft, which he would send to his friends for feedback. Once the video is posted, he would interact with his followers for up to an hour.

HIGH AND LOWS 

According to Vince, one of the most fulfilling parts of content creation is receiving positive feedback from his followers. 

“Pinakanatutuwa ako ‘pag may nagsasabi sa ‘kin na mga tao, yung mga depressed, mentally unstable na sinasabi nila pag pinapanood nila mga content ko kahit papaano nagsa-subside yung nararamdaman nilang panic, kasi nagdaan na din ako sa ganoon eh,” he said. 

(I am most happy when people tell me that when they are depressed or mentally unstable, they watch my content and their panic somehow subsides, because I also experienced that before.) 

But he said content creation and entertaining people come with undeniable pressure. 

“Para sa gaya kong mga animators, hindi kami weekly nakakapag-upload eh, monthly lang. So halimbawa isa kang gaya ko na dito na kinukuha yung main source of income, mape-pressure ka kasi kailangan mo makapag-produce,” Vince said. 

(Like my fellow animators, we can’t upload weekly, we only do so monthly. So, for example, you're like me and content creation is your main source of income, there’s pressure because you should be able to produce content.] 

Bacar agreed that while their craft could be rewarding, it also comes with certain disadvantages. He said criticism could sometimes be mentally taxing and that financial instability is also a challenge.

“When you grow a platform, you will have an audience and you will have a certain responsibility once you have a voice so siguro (I guess) in terms of responsibility, yun yung [that’s the] challenge,” Bacar added. 

FUTURE PLANS 

Asked about his dreams for Sskait, Bacar said, “Gusto ko sana maging Disney or Marvel of the Philippines.”

“Sobrang laki ng dream ko. Nasa phase ako ngayon na I’m trying to make comics and stories, have it printed, andoon ako ngayon,” he said. 

(I want to be the Philippines’ Disney or Marvel. I have a big dream. I am trying to have my comics and stories printed.) 

Meanwhile, Vince said he would “branch out to other social media platforms like Instagram.” 

“Tapos may balak pa ako ulit gumawa ng manga, kasi nakagawa na ako ng dalawa dati. Kaya balak ko pa ulit gumawa ng manga,” he said. 

(I plan to create manga again, because I have made two before.) 

Vince said he also wanted to start his own business. 

“Kasi itong content creation hindi naman pang habangbuhay ‘to. So hangga’t may followers pa, dun na ako magbi-build kung ano pa yung kaya kong ipromote,” Vince added. 

(Content creation is not a permanent thing. So, as long as I have followers, that’s where I’ll build what I can promote.) 

For aspiring artist-content creators, Bacar’s advice is: “Start. Kasi the hardest thing to do sa panahon ngayon is to start on the things that you want.”

(Start because the hardest thing to do in these times is to actually start doing the things you want.]

“When you have started it na, make a habit leading to that goal,” he added.