Students tackle Total Defence issues in annual animation competition

When Jason comes across a suspicious-looking bag in an MRT train, he starts trembling - for two reasons.

The young man is aware of the potential terror threat, and he also fears a $5,000 fine for pressing the emergency button at the station for what could be a false alarm.

But , over the possibility of lives lost in an explosion , he chooses to press the button.Jason's dramatic but relatable dilemma is the highlight of (In)Decision Comes At A Price, a 30-second animation project by a four-member team from Maris Stella High School (Secondary).

Back for its 12th season, this year's N.E.mation! has the themeTogether We Keep Singapore Strong.

The annual inter-school animation competition is organised by the Ministry of Defence's central national education office, Nexus.

The Maris Stella students, who are among the top 10 teams in the student category, said their project offers a "refreshingly light-hearted take" on "typically serious" public service announcement videos.

Student Tan Kian Yu, 15, said: "Our humorous art style and tone distinguish us from other contestants' videos, which are more straightforward."

Their project was showcased together with the nine others during N.E.mation!'s open house at Nanyang Polytechnic yesterday.

ECONOMIC STRATEGIES

Singapore's defence involves economic strategies too, such as food security, an issue tackled by the one of the two teams from CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School (Secondary).

Their project encourages consumers to purchase homegrown produce, which is "fresher".

One of the team members, Chong Tze Wyne, 15, believes that food security is an "issue that is rarely raised", and hopes that Singaporeans can "support local produce more".

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore's (AVA) community outreach director, Miss Joycelyn Ng, said: "Singaporeans can play a part in improving food security. Buy local produce because it is fresher, has higher safety standards and is more sustainable."

She added that AVA is open to sharing the girls’ animation in their education programmes and on their social media pages

The winning project will be decided by industry professionals, academics and government agencies. The public can also vote at N.E.mation!'s official website from Jan 20 to Feb 11, and the winner will be announced on Feb 25.

The winning team will get to visit animation studios overseas during a fully sponsored trip.