PENANGITES and visitors have long enjoyed the scenic journey up Penang Hill via the funicular railway. However, do you know how the funicular railway system operates?
Penang Hill Corporation (PHC), in collaboration with The One Academy Penang, has launched a special narrated 3-dimensional (3D) animated video that explores the funicular system’s mechanisms and delves into the rich history and heritage of Penang Hill.
“In 2023, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Penang Hill Railway. As part of this grand occasion, we have initiated efforts to document the engineering marvels of the hill’s funicular. For a while, PHC has been keen on producing a short animated video to showcase the technical intricacies of the funicular.
“Hence, we were indeed lucky that One Academy Penang jumped at the idea to support the project and graciously agreed to collaborate with us!” PHC general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said during the launch event.
The creative team behind the video comprised two lecturers Ooi Chek Tung, and Jeremy Yeoh, along with five final-year students pursuing a Diploma in Digital Animation: Chloe Ch’ng Pey En, Angie Yeap Ern Qi, Teh Pin Pin, Vivian Loh Voan Xiun, and Eunice Goh Xia Xin.
In their endeavour to grasp the intricacies of the PHC’s funicular operations and systems, as well as craft the animated video, the team received invaluable assistance from a group of seasoned and highly trained engineers, with R. Saravanan being one of them.
Speaking to Buletin Mutiara, Saravanan said the complexity of the funicular system installed at Penang Hill presented a unique challenge for him and his team in conveying the system’s intricacies to the students.
“Designing the engineering operation system of the Penang Hill funicular is no simple task. The students not only require an in-depth understanding of the funicular’s operating system but also must master various 3D animation applications to bring the stories to life,” Cheok chipped in.
“Attention to detail is crucial, and producing attractive animations demanded in-depth understanding of concepts such as dynamics and aesthetics.
“This collaborative venture began last May, with the students and their lecturers embarking on a visit to Penang Hill. This first-hand experience allowed them to witness the engineering marvels of the Penang Hill funicular system.”
Ooi Chek Tung, one of the lecturers, shared insights into the inspiration behind the creation of the 3D animated video when asked by Buletin Mutiara. He remarked that eventually, this set the foundations for formulating a visually engaging 3D animation narrating the funicular’s operations.
Final-year students Ern Qi and Voan Xiun both said time was against them as they had to juggle between their studies and the video. However, they were able to overcome this by taking turns to conduct site visits to Penang Hill, while the other team members would do the animation.
Despite the time constraints, Ooi and his students expressed their hope that the animation would simplify understanding for the audience and foster an appreciation for the small, delicate, yet robust and complex funicular system.
In return, Cheok expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated students and lecturers from The One Academy Penang for their hard work and invaluable contributions to this project.
“Stay tuned for the video that will be available on Penang Hill Corporation’s YouTube page soon!” Cheok told reporters.
Story by Norman Sim
Pix by Darwina Mohd. Daud