Monte’s animation magic

For most children, life is about watching cartoons and playing videos games as opposed to outdoor fun. An Xbox is a must-have for them to join millions of other game lovers, including adults experiencing the new generation of games and entertainment.

But eight-year old Monte-Alain Msosa is going beyond the experience of just playing existing video games.

He is among young geniuses in the world of animation who are diligently creating games that both the young and the old can ultimately enjoy.

No wonder, he is currently trending on YouTube where he has over 15 700 followers who watch his animation videos. The videos include games which he designs or redesigns, coming up with cities, among others, using applications on his laptop or already designed canvases.

“My YouTube channel was opened in February 2020. I post games by other people which I have edited by putting my narration where I am mostly telling people how to play.

“I consider myself as a gamer and animator. I also add text to explain a game as a way of helping those playing or wishing to play,” said Monte in an interview in the presence of his father, Alan.

He uses Roblox, an online game platform and game creation system that allows users to programme and play games created by other users and another video game, Minecraft.

How does he discover these games or applications?

“I search what I want from the Internet. Nobody tells me what and how to do it. I also learn how to use some applications through YouTube tutorials,” said Monte.

What drives Monte is the zeal bigger than his stature to not just perfect his skill but the final product.

“I got a laptop as my eighth  birthday present and Xbox for my seventh birthday. For some time, I was watching DVDs on my mum’s laptop and it was just random DVDs plus tutorials on YouTube and downloading some videos for minor editing. I wanted a big computer, but they got me a small one. It works but not professionally,” he said.

According to Msosa, his son was drawn into video games as a child and has never turned back since.

He said: “When he was six, he started using his mum’s computer. His interest was checking videos and a bit of changing them. Then he moved to our phones and that’s when we saw the need to get him one. That gave him the space and time to be doing what he loved.

“However, since his laptop has smaller space, he deletes some of his work periodically.”

As a seven-year-old, Monte was completely drawn into developing the skills of creating video game characters. He now has developed intricate skills to do more in designing and creating ‘worlds’.

“He creates a world, like a city full of buildings, roads, trees in which this character walks around plus birds and airports. He also knows how to, for example, remove trees, rivers to create a flat surface that can be turned into an airport.

“It took him two months to build that world as he could spend at least two to three hours a day, working on his project,” explained Msosa.

Watching some of Monte’s works, one is bound to realise that his precision and flair are as a result of hundreds of hours devoted to his work, bringing forth constant development.

Said Monte’s father: “I was doing my PhD, he was spending more time on my computer than me and that was affecting my research. And on that computer, from the age of six, he was watching YouTube videos about different coding software, downloading and trying them out, and in the process recreating smaller video games, videos and sound effects, among others.”

“He eventually settled for Scratch, which is a coding software for beginners and there is a children’s version as well, which he was recreating some games and storylines, special effects as well as texts accompanying videos.”

The father said eventually Monte found Minecraft and Robrox, which essentially reduce his workload as he no longer has to code as the two are essentially pre-coded stuff that he only has to build without time-consuming computation/calculation.

So far, no serious opportunity has come knocking on Monte’s door, but for Msosa it works to the advantage of his son as he has been perfecting his skill.

“There was a gap in that, initially, I was not paying much attention until recently. He asked me to create a YouTube channel for him and after posting two or three videos, we moved from the UK to here,” he said.

Msosa said after all the work, it is fulfilling to note that since Monte started posting, they got attention.

Msosa believes his son is at a stage where all things available, he can do something big.

“He can create a movie. In essence, what he does and can do, is bigger. He has a project about his life in Lilongwe. In all videos, you will notice that he does not appear as he has agreed that he is not visible.  So, for the upcoming project, we agreed that we will have him in the video.

One of the words that stand out from Monte, is about being “a professional”.

“I love this and want to continue when I grow up,” he says.

Beyond that, Monte harbours the dream of one day turning his passion into a money-spinner.