Design and production of a 2d animation on Asebu Amenfi the giant

Abstract

This project work is the outcome of the study’s intervention of countering the influx of foreign tales dominating the Ghanaian audio-visual media space; with an audio-visual content that reflects and projects traditional Ghanaian characters, settings and values. Mythical stories are major means of entertaining, educating, preservation of cultural heritage, norms and values as well as character molding. This is because the content, characters, plots and settings have a strong influence on its listeners or viewers. Unfortunately, traditional story telling which is a key instrument in instilling moral values and revering heroism, is on the decline in most Ghanaian homes. This has resulted in children being ignorant of most of the heroic characters in their cultural jurisdiction and their legacies. To this effect, the study considered it appropriate to animate the story of one cultural hero (Asebu Amenfi) to help socialize it onto younger generation. This will expose them to their traditional orientation, cultural heroes and their legacy, and also, revive their interest in traditional mythical stories. To arrive at this aim, the study considered a traditional 2Danimation as a medium of projecting and preserving traditional Ghanaian mythical tales, specifically the story of Asebu Amenfi the Giant. The study reviewed several scholarly works relating to the subject from various authors to aid the study. This was followed by interviewing some members of the traditional authorities and natives of Asebu in the Central region to gather more information or narrations on the subject. The qualitative research approach and the historical research method were employed. The scope of the study covered the main character that is Asebu Amenfi the Giant while the population for the study were indigenes and members of the traditional council of Asebu. Based on the principles of design, the traditional 2D animation was successfully executed with the aid of hand drawings, software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Cubase and Fl Studio. The animation was then premiered to gather views and reactions from children as well as selected arts and culture experts as a form of evaluation. The final stage of the study was the summary of the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the study.