I have been interviewed by Dina Harsono, college student from Limkokwing University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia taking Creative Multimeda degree. She has project making 2D animation style about Wayang Kulit (Rama and Shinta).

1.) If you get invited to watch at the cinema and watch the wayang kulit play, which one do you prefer? why?

Cinema and wayang kulit is just a tool to entertain and communicate with people. If i know the language, understand the story, familiar with the characters and easy to access, i will watch both of them. But in our daily life, especially in the big city, cinema is easier to access for people. And this creates most mind of people that wayang kulit is old fashion and for country people. And it causes modern youngster alergic with wayang kulit, especially in Indonesia.

2.) When you heard the word wayang kulit, what is in your mind?

Just only the physical things such as puppet made by the leather, shadow, traditional language, story and music. But also as an author of animation book, wayang kulit is the first animation in the world. You can see the movement of the shadow. It is also animation. Very amazing.

3.) What recommendation would you propose to improve the traditional wayang kulit play in this modern day? Reason (what is the potential from your idea)?

We have to use common symbols to improve the playing of traditional wayang kulit. I think, there is nothing wrong if we change the characters and music into modern way so that people can understand and enjoy the show. But don’t forget, we should tell them this is inspired from the traditional wayang kulit so that people know the source. It will popularize our own culture in the world.

4.) Do you think the Indonesian youngster are really affected by the western culture and start to leave their tradition slowly?

Yes, everyday we see western culture in cinema, game station, mobile phone, restaurant, billboard advertising in the road, television, magazine, newspaper, and internet. Our mind is full of that information. They have lost their identity and feel inferior of anything. Everything comes from the west, they will follow without filtering. It is strange if i look at their life style. It is not true at all.

5.) What are the possibilities of a modern animation that could attract younger generation to know about their local Indonesian myth?

As I said before that we have to use symbols familiar with their eyes, their ears and their perception. If we have to use “bule” characters in story of malin kundang, why not? And still don’t forget to tell them that story inspired from local Indonesian myth. This is makes people of Indonesia proud and like their own identity.

6.) What are the potentials of a modernized version of wayang kulit in comparison to the old one?

The modern version of wayang kulit should be understandable for everyone.

7.) Is the new generation lacking of knowledge on local Indonesian myth because of the western & modern influences?

Yes, our mind is full of the western culture. We have to modernize the story and people will like it. To modernize the story is not only using the expensive tool. Modern is not the same as the western. Make it easy to understand for everyone, this is modern.

8.) How do you think the best way to preserve the wayang kulit tradition where everything now is digitalized?

Mixed it with the current technology. You can use sound fx, laser and animation to give sensational feeling and new experience to audience watching wayang kulit.

9.) Do you think the globalization will affect our interest in the past?

Yes, if we don’t have our identity. The globalization will make us somebody else. So, if we try to forget the past, we are nothing. We will lose our journey of humanity and become a robot without knowing everything in the past. We will become an instant human as a robot. Be careful of this effect. We have to know and go back in our own culture.

10.) If wayang kulit play are plan to be modernize will it affect the old one?

Yes, it will affect the old one. If we have to use a computer to type a book rather than a traditional type machine, use the computer. It is not about the modern one or the old one. We have to adapt with the situation so that everyone can get benefit from that. Every person should learn to update their skills. And if it is not, they will be forgotten and become useless for public.

11.) Have you ever heard or seen anything about the myth story of Rama and Shinta? What do you think of it? Why?

Yes, I like the story because it triggers our imagination, creativity and emotion. We can relate many aspect in our daily life to this story so we can learn from that.

12.) If the Rama and Shinta story are plan to be modernize (adapt). How do you think will make it interesting?

Modern is understandable for everyone. The characters and stage should be made in a simple way without losing the essence of the story. Rama, Shinta, Hanuman, Rahwana and The Magic Bird of Jatayu should be changed in a modern way. Use common symbols adapted to our world such as a fancy car, t-shirt, funky hair style and so on.

Read part of the story that you like many times and get the deeper meaning that will make you attach to it. Find many perspective of that story. And it is bad luck to you if you read the story once and get only the physical or low things such as love between two human, violence, and war. This is what happened to our sinetron in Indonesia, the stories are around that low things. Related the story to our condition in Indonesia or our world. How can we solve our big problem and give public awareness using that story. This will make your work excellent and interesting to people.

Your job now is… Connect the story to our world’s big problem, the Global Warming. Are you surprised and shocked? If you are, then this is a good challenge. Read the story about Rama and Shinta. Read about the Global Warming. Connect it to each other to give public awareness. It will push your creativity into maximum. Modernize the story, make it simple and fun for everyone. You will shock the work, your project will get an A and don’t forget to send your work to me.