Razahk Issaka, one of our DLA#2 alumnis, has been granted with a scholarship from Netflix to study at top French animation school Gobelins. We asked him a few questions.
DLA: Hi Razahk. You studied Clinical Psychology at school: how and why did you end up going into creation and art?
Razahk: I’ve always had the passion for creation and art but after high school, I realized there were no schools in Ghana where I could study 3D Animation, so I had to study psychology since I had some interest in human behaviour.
DLA: How did you learn 3D Animation?
R: I taught myself 3D animation through random tutorials online, experimenting with different tools and techniques and trying to put them into practice by working on real life projects
DLA: Man Must Chop won the DLA#2 Audience Award: what happened afterwards? How did it help you to develop your project?
R: DLA has, since then, helped me grow as an artist by guiding me through things I had been ignorant about and my understanding of the dynamics of the global animation industry has truly widened. With their assistance, I have also been able to begin building a more valuable network with industry professionals and stay up to date with ways of making the best out of my projects.
DLA: Tell us about your animated series Man Must Chop.
R: Man Must Chop is a comedy animated series about a young man called Aluta and his personal struggles, which are often self-inflicted. He is embarked on a self-discovery journey to find his true talent, so he is always jumping from one job to the other even after failing dramatically at them because one thing is for sure: he never gives up.
DLA: Any future projects?
R: There are several other projects I’m developing and this includes an exciting full-length superhero movie and a feature length animated film starring Aluta. Not much can be said about these projects but I definitely do have a lot to show the world in the near future.
DLA: How do you plan to develop animation in Ghana? Is there opportunities for this sector in Ghana?
R: Having had to teach myself over a period of about 7 years, I truly understand the frustration that most young aspiring animators face in Ghana and the dying dreams. Hence one of my goals is to setup an institution where others can acquire at least a good foundation in the field of 2D & 3D Animation so that further studies would be both possible and feasible
DLA: Why did you apply to this scholarship for Gobelins? Any projects that you hope to develop with this opportunity?
R: I was introduced to the idea by DLA Project Manager, Alizée Dallemagne, who asked of my interest in further study and encouraged me to apply to the Gobelins School and for someone who has longed for an opportunity like this that was it. Knowing the diversity I am going to be exposed to at Goblins, I am convinced that my superhero project has a lot to benefit from this opportunity.
DLA: What does this scholarship represent to you?
R: This scholarship represents the bridge into a future I have always wished for, and I pray that for other young local artists, this represents an image of hope and would help them see some of the truly unbelievable opportunities out there so that they continue to work hard with the tools they have at their disposal.
Find Razahk on social media:
Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Twitter
