Let me draw you a picture

The Filipino is an artist. He can sing, dance, act and draw. In this day and age where to survive as a nation we have to be globally competitive, the Filipino has a competitive advantage in animation. The ability of the Filipino to distinguish his work through creativity is without question.

Let me paint you the picture of how big the opportunity is. The movie industry in the US alone generated record-breaking box-office receipts in excess of $8 billion last year. The biggest ticket sales came from animated movies like Shrek, and Monsters Inc. (The kids and I are already waiting for their respective sequels). Also recently released were Return to Neverland (a Peter Pan sequel), Atlantis, and Jimmie Neutron. Let us not forget about Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Even Gladiator used a lot of special effects to save money on a huge cast.

I believe there is a strong and sustaining trend towards more animation and more 3D special effects! The movie industry is a strong market where low budget is defined as less than $25 million (only about P1.2 billion). Just imagine if just a sliver of that $8 billion, let’s say $100 million is done by our animators.

Let me paint you another picture – the videogame industry! Despite the so-called US recession, sales of videogame hardware, software and accessories increased by 43 percent last year to in excess of $9.4 billion. This would include Activision’s Tony Hawk Pro Skater, the infamous Counter-Strike, Red Alert, and others. With XBOX, PS2 and Dreamcast, the industry needs more software to sell more boxes. Just imagine our animators doing another $100 million.

$200 million is around P10 billion. Just imagine how many jobs would be created. Hmmm…makes you wonder if all our legislators and leaders worked towards the same goal and not focus on petty things. Well, I can dream, can’t I?

However, the local animation industry is still quite fragmented with a lot of small mom and pop operations with less than 20 professionals. In contrast, PIXAR, the creator of Toy Story, has around 600 animators on staff. The team that can get to the scale that Hollywood or Silicon Valley demands first will be the winner. This industry is ripe for consolidation. It needs money to train new animators and develop the markets.

My Two Cents: Carpe Diem!!! (Seize the day!!!) The opportunity is out there!

I.T. and Healthcare

I had a recent bout with gout. According to research shared with me by Dr. Nicomedez of Fort Med Clinics, gout is caused when we overproduce uric acid or when we are inefficient in eliminating uric acid in our system. The research pointed to diet as a main source. They say gout is a rich man’s disease. I can attest that it hits non-rich guys like me as well. The only thing rich was the food I ate.

Anyway, limping to visit Dr. Nick, I had first hand observations of how a simple visit to the doctor generated so much paperwork. Admissions had to get my contact information and my HMO. The admitting nurse had to take a measurement of all my vitals. The doctor then wrote his diagnosis and prognosis. The lab had to get a blood sample. The pharmacy had to dispense medicine. All these departments’ records had to come together to one place – my file. Where at the end of the session, they could say how I was before I came in, what they did and then bill both the HMO and myself. It is a very paper-intensive process not so different from the rest of the world. Just imagine how much more paper would be involved if it was a major surgery. Other departments like anesthesia, operating room, hospital bed, etc. would have input.

Here is my description of an ideal visit to the doctor.

I walk in and press my thumb to a reader. The reader searches the main database of all my medical records and HMO’s and submits it to the Admissions lady’s screen and the admitting nurse. The time of Admissions and the nurse had just shrunk to mere seconds versus at least 15 minutes.

Dr. Nick then uses a PDA (personal digital assistant) connected wirelessly to the clinic’s local access network, to record his diagnosis and prescriptions. The diagnosis goes to my medical files and the prescriptions go to the drug store where it is already being ordered ready for my pick up. This concept I call DCS (Data Capture at Source)

After the visit, I go to the cashier where I just sign a prepared bill that includes the pharmacy and the doctor’s bill. The total time of the visit is cut down to the main and substantial time of the doctor seeing his patient and not on the peripheral (but still important) of record keeping.

My Two Cents: Don’t get sick!

An Easter Prayer

Dear Lord,

My wife’s devotion to you has given her a high bandwidth connection to you. I always thought that I could get a free ride on it. However, I learned from my pastor recently that these access points are personal and the use of proxy servers is quite ineffective. I now know that I do need to dial up to You directly and more frequently. To You, who not only have RAS (remote access servers) but OAS (omnipotent access servers).

Also, in these turbulent times, where Al Qaeda has taken your word and encrypted it but lost the key that their followers don’t understand. …where Israel and Palestine continue to bicker like children, causing blue screens (death)…where corrupt officials still roam this land…I pray that You grant the leaders of the world with the wisdom and integrity to keep the peace and protect the children.

My daughter’s two cents: All you need is Love! – Beatles

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Dickson Co is CFO (C is for Cheap) of both Dfnn.com and HatchAsia.com, for comments and suggestions, please email [email protected]