With the theme “A nice product sells very well, if it is packaged well”, Graphiti is presenting a seminar in collaboration with CGTantra and Animation Xpress.

Making of a Showreel

The seminar will focus on:

- Skill sets required by a Studio
- The Dos and Don’ts of  making a Show reel
- Key points in a Show reel
- HR perspective on a job application
- Making of a show reel – a case study

CGTantra will also be presenting on how to showcase show reel online.

Seminar Details:

Date: 21st November, 2008
Time: 3 pm to 6 pm
Venue: Rangsharda Auditorium, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (West), Mumbai

Entry is by Registration Only so please remember to register yourself at the earliest. To register:

- Send an email to showreel@graphiti.net with your name, age, mobile number, email and current professional status.
- Call 24440107 / 32448544
- Call or sms 9833841580

In this section we take a look at the evolution of animation in India and the participants - the institutes, studios, organizations as well as individuals that collectively form the ‘Indian Animation Industry’.

Graphiti Multimedia

AIGA - Asian Institute of Gaming and Animation

View the ‘online showreel’

PROFILE

Set up in 1995, Graphiti has gone on to build a niche for itself as a world class animation studio. Graphiti has a track record in servicing clients across different segments – advertising commercials, co-produced serials for channels – domestic and international, works for international bodies like UNICEF, special effects for Bollywood, short films, feature length films etc.

THE VISION

Graphiti’s vision is to be a global leader in content creation. Graphiti creates visual content for meeting user needs for entertainment, gaming education, information and other applications by making them available in all the media. that reach them namely television, mobile-telephone, broadband, and wireless, and building talented professionals through innovative education.

TEAM

Graphiti has a strong team of over 75 employees and associate professionals capable of meeting any animation challenge and producing complex animated 3D CG films along with some live action. A second line of managerial talents exists in the company

KEY CLIENTS & WORK:

Cartoon Network - Next Big Toon: CN approached Graphiti to develop a great idea for their Next Big Toon contest winning entry – Leo the Magic Pencil. They developed the idea of a ‘cat and mouse’ relationship of Leo the Magic Pencil and The Sharpener. The result was the film won the Promax award for CN.

Walt Disney Studio: Graphiti was approached by Disney Studios to design a series of channel ids, promos and break bumpers for Toon Disney. Though originally meant for the Asian markets they are now being used in US, UK and Japan as the studiowas extremely happy with the slick execution and global appeal. In fact the character design changes suggested by Graphiti have been incorporated in their Global Toon Disney Style Guide.

Nickelodeon - J Bole Toh Jadoo: This was a co-production between Graphiti and Nickelodeon, a large kids entertainment channel with a 30% market share in the US. First co-production deal of its kind Nick has undertaken in Asia. Animation and live action TV show for kids based on the alien character Jadoo from the Hindi blockbuster “Koi Mil Gaya” - 26 episodes

UNICEF: Grass-root Campaign addressing concern of health, education and social awareness built around ‘Meena’, an animated girl character designed by Ram Mohan for UNICEF. Graphiti designed several animation series for educating people across countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka etc.

UNICEF: Development of Educational Short Films on topics like Breast feeding, Personal Hygiene, Aids Awareness and films on issues like Adult Reproductive Health, Psycho-socio Impact of Tsunami etc.

UNICEF: Comic books have been developed for by Graphiti on various educational and social concepts like Pure water, Girl Education, Child Marriage etc.

Ministry of Education: Advertising campaign for Government of India on the concept of education for all (Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan)

John Hopkins University: AIDS Awareness campaign for the university for educating students

Anubhav Sinha’s CASH: Anubhav Sinha of DUS and TUM BIN fame wanted to experiment with different mediums of film making for his next action packed feature film “CASH”. Two months and fifteen days later Graphiti’s team of highly creative and experienced animators delivered a never before seen style of animation with 10 mins animation comprising 200 shots.

Turner’s Cartoon Network: Currently working on a feature length film produced by Turner’s Cartoon Network.

ANIMATED FILM: Ramayana - the legend of Prince Rama

ADVERTISING COMMERCIALS for Brands like Kellogg’s, Mattel Toys, Reebok, Coke, Nestle, Samsung, P &G, UniLever, Godrej, Kissan, Marico, Parle, UTI, bank of Baroda, Aquaguard, Top Ramen, Canon, Pepsi foods etc.

AWARDS

Graphiti has bagged the Seagate award for Excellence in Digital Technology for Film and Television in the category of 3D animation for the last 5 consecutive years. This is a feat unmatched in the Indian animation industry.

Other Awards include:
2006:
- RAPA 31st All India Awards for Best Animation Serial for “J Bole Toh Jadoo”
- Indian Telly Award 2006 for Best Visual Effects for “J Bole Toh Jadoo”

2005
- RAPA 30th All India Awards -
for Best Animation Serial for “J Bole Toh Jadoo”
for Best Animated Commercial for “Kellogg’s Nutrichamp of the Galaxy”
- Indian Telly Award 2005
for Best Visual Effects for “J Bole Toh Jadoo”
- Seagate Awards at Broadcast 2005
for Best 3D Animated Ad/Promo for “Disney Kitchen Film”

2004
- RAPA 30th All India Awards
for Best Animation Serial for “J Bole Toh Jadoo”
for Best Animated Short Film for “Next Big Toon”
- Seagate Awards at Broadcast 2004
for Best 3D Animated Promo for “Toon Disney-market”
for Best 3D Animated Ad for “Kotex”
for Best 3D Animated Short Film for “Next Big Toon”

2003
- Seagate Awards at Broadcast 2003 for Best 3D Animated Promo for “Action Hero BC

2002
- Seagate Awards at Broadcast 2003 for Best 3D Animated Promo for “Khulja Sim Sim for the Character Genie

2001
Seagate Awards at Broadcast 2001 for Best Animated Commercial for “Parachute “Shudhata Seal”

Others
- Award for Best Animation at the Indian Academy of Advertising Film Art (IAAFA) awards 1996-97 for the ID of “This Week That Year”, a weekly program on Star Movies
- Nominated for Best Animation at the Indian Academy of Advertising Film Art (IAAFA) awards 1996-97 for the “Top Ramen: Oye Tomato” commercial.

PORTFOLIO

Previously Featured Studio: Illusion Interactive

www.illusion-i.com
Ground Floor, Saraswati Mansion, Lamington Road, Mumbai 400007
Tel.: (91-22) 23052546 / 47

PROFILE

Illusion Interactive Animation is an independent, full service animation studio based out of Mumbai. They have created content for clients such as Ogilvyone, Yahoo! India, Publicis, YellowR as well as created intelligence services in project analysis and implementation. They have developed projects right from scripting to final compositing. They are currently producing their first full length animated feature - Aryaman (working title only)

Gaurav Jain, Producer and Founder

A third generation entrepreneur, he graduated with a degree in Marketing & Film from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Giving in to his creative urge, he quit the family business and established Illusion Interactive Animation in late 2005 to produce original IP for the Indian and International market.

He was later joined by his brother Gautam Jain who brought along with him his own experience in business. Gautam is the executive producer of Illusion Interactive Animation.

THE TEAM
Illusion has brought together a rather unique mix of people - experts from various fields writing, investment banking, process management, accounting and film, with some working full time and others as advisors to the team.

Aryaman (working title)

ABOUT ‘ARYAMAN’

The film is the story of Emperor Asoka, who after the destructive war of Kalinga decides to find a way to save mankind from future destruction. Along with the nine wise men of knowledge he creates a force and contains it in a medallion. This medallion is dormant for 3000 years and in the present day finds its way to Ashok, a young, good hearted boy who then becomes our superhero.

He must then deal with the problems that come with being a school going superhero which means he has to drink his milk, do his homework, save the world and pass his exams. How he deals with the pressures of being an eight year old, school going, crime fighting, world saving machine is the story of the film.

THE INSPIRATION
Gaurav says, “I always wanted to do an Indian super hero script, while working on it we decided to treat it a little differently and explore the problems of being a super hero and the challenges it brings. Besides, the plan was to do something fun, that the audience would enjoy and be free of the shackles of gods and myths.”

PREVIOUS WORK

Cadbury (webisode)

Guerra (short film)

Water (short film)

Young Ones (TV Pilot)

Previously Featured Studio: Paprikaas Interactive

PROFILE

Paprikaas Interactive Services Pvt. Ltd is a leading 3D animation and Video Games Services Company and a part of the Technicolor / Thomson group of companies worldwide. Paprikaas combines the best of both worlds: putting together a global company offering world-class animation services, cutting-edge imaging technologies, cultural compatibility and solid management, with industry experience and cost advantages provided by unique workflows and local market talent. Paprikaas is reputed for its uncompromising quality, delivery discipline, high end pre-production services and post-production services. Armed with the experience as well as the expertise to provide end to end production solutions, Paprikaas is addressing the global Animation, Gaming and VFX markets with high end digital content services.

Currently, Paprikaas is working for Nickelodeon on a TV Series called “Back in the Barnyard” based on their animated feature film “Barnyard”. They are also working on another TV series called “Farm Kids” for an Australian production house & Porchlight Entertainment. With their past experience in providing services to global clients, they have developed the expertise and knowledge to leverage them to the next level. Their group companies include Moving Picture Company in London, UK, which is one of the world’s top VFX Houses. It has recently concluded working on the in-game cinematic for “God of War II” AAA Video game title for Sony Computer Entertainment, USA, in conjunction with Technicolor Interactive Services at Burbank, California. The company also has in place a robust project pipeline in different formats like direct to video and feature films under NDA.

THE BEGINNING

Since starting out in the year 2001 with a small, 5 member team in Bangalore, Paprikaas has grown in more ways than one. Now, in 2007, it boasts of a world class facility, 200 strong team, international partnerships and a brilliant body of work.

Nandish Domlur, CEO
Nandish holds a Masters Degree in Surgery and a Post Doctoral Degree in Cardio Thoracic Surgery from Bangalore University. Hailing from an entrepreneurial family, it was in his genes to start something which would make a tremendous impact on the nextGen and Nandish saw an enormous amount of opportunity in the Animation Industry. It was a time when the need for superior Visual effects in Digital content services was growing and Nandish distinguished this as one of the emerging trends in the domestic market. He met like-minded creative people who, like him, had a quest to take the Animation Industry in India to a new level and thus Paprikaas was born.

Dr. Nandish Domlur

Veerendra Patil, Creative Director
Veerendra began his career 15 years ago with Prasad Studios, one of the first animation studios in India. He then went on to work for TATA Elxsi followed by a two-year stint in Dubai before beginning his tenure as Creative Director at Paprikaas.

TEAM STRENGTHS

At Paprikaas, fresh minds and strong skill sets are welcomed. They have stringent guidelines for hiring - if 50 CDs sent by prospective employees are seen, as few as 10 are selected. The ones chosen go through rigorous and intensive training from the department heads for a month at least in their fully-equipped 24 seater training room. After the training is complete, they undergo a one month probation period and only after successfully completing it can they actually join the workforce. This commitment to training, combined with access to global training resources has been Paprikaas’ key to achieving an aggressive growth and is one of its distinguishing value propositions. Paprikaas has a very strong in-house R&D team that creates scripts, tools and plugins for use with Maya.

FACILITIES

Paprikaas has recently moved to a state of the art – 100,000 sq ft facility at ITPL Bangalore and its new cool and swanky creative environment complements the high end technology infrastructure, necessary to produce high quality digital content. The atmosphere at Paprikaas is bright and creative, with plenty of breathing space for the artists and technicians. Facilities include a special training room, a mini-sized auditorium for presentations, a vast production area, a separate section altogether for gaming, and even a flexible, modular working and seating system for VFX projects where the team size and requirements keep changing.

INVESTMENTS

In February 2007, Technicolor, a Thomson group company made a strategic investment in Paprikaas to propel its creative, technical and computer animation capabilities to the global stage in the rapidly expanding Indian digital animation & content services industry. The new entity operates under the name of Paprikaas Interactive Services Pvt Limited. This investment from Technicolor has catapulted Paprikaas into the big league of being a part of a global corporation. Technicolor / Thomson has brought to the table of global practices, synergies in selling and access to their sales network and the world’s top clientele in the digital business, adding credibility to the brand Paprikaas and the much needed capital to fuel the growth of the company.

FUTURE

Paprikaas plans to be among the top companies in the world providing digital content services through their centre of excellence, leverage the opportunities in the booming Indian media and entertainment Industry. They are also looking to establish partnerships with key global players in their domain. Paprikaas aims to grow from the current 180 to 1000 employees by 2009. They are focused on markets such as USA, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

PORTFOLIO

Barnyard

Barnyard

Farmkids

Farmkids

Farmkids

God of War

God of War

God of War

Heist

Heist

Spyro

Spyro

As promised, we present the transcript of the chat we had with Dhimant Vyas about the making of the clay animation sequences in Taare Zameen Par. Hope you enjoyed the photographs we posted earlier. You can send your feedback and comments to Dhimant directly by sending him an email at dhimantvyas@rediffmail.com

AAA - First of all, congratulations on being the first animator to use Clay animation in a Bollywood live-action feature film. How has the response been?
Dhimant - Yes, the response is overwhelming and very positive!! Thanks to Aamir for choosing the clay animation style. It is a craft with a human touch to it so it also tugs at the audience’s heartstrings. It works well with the main film because the story needed this kind of feel to it. The scenes depict Ishaan, the main protagonist’s imagination so the transitions had to be smooth scene and convey the dream-like quality. we used transitions like morphs, camera moves, elements appearing and disappearing, or you have one element dragging you to anther scene, so there is not cut till the end. And you do not realize when the three minutes pass by.

AAA - How did this project come about?
Dhimant - I had created the caricatures for the Lagaan DVD (Special Anniversary Edition Three Disc DVD box) I had shown Aamir some of my work which he had really appreciated. So when he decided to use animation for TZP, he approached me. Aamir initially wanted to use the classical animation style with a painterly quality. I suggested we try the clay animation technique. I showed him some samples. He liked it a lot and we decided to go ahead with clay animation.

AAA - Why clay animation?
Dhimant - Aamir showed me the completed film and we discussed the use of animation. The sequences where we planned to use animation were mostly dream sequences, where the boy is lost in his own world of fantasy. There are a lot of transitions from one fantasy to the other. Aamir did not want to use human characters in the animation. He wanted elements from nature - fish, animals, birds, plants, flowers and so on. I created a few samples for him of which he liked the clay animation the best. There is a certain tactile quality to this technique. As children, all of us have played with plastecine or modelling clay and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There is an organic feel to the medium which is not achievable through computer generated animation. Clay is something that everyone can relate to it easily.

AAA - But the animation doesn’t come across as ‘childish’ in the film as it is film about children.
Dhimant - No. Aamir made it very clear that though it is part of the protagonist child’s imagination, there must be no childishness to the animation. He wanted a beautiful and polished effect which we tried our best to deliver. The elements are bright and colourful, just the way a child’s world is but it flows smoothly into the story. It is not animation just for the sake of animating something. There is a purpose and that is to carry the story forward. It is a subtle way of giving the audience a glimpse into the child’s inner world and the animation captures that perfectly.

AAA - Aamir is known to be a hard task master. How has the experience of working with him been?
Dhimant - Aamir’s thinking is crystal clear. He knows what he is looking for and conveys it exactly. It is up to us to realize his vision. He is a perfectionist but at the same time he respected my knowledge and experience with clay animation. He gave me full freedom, only giving his inputs from time to time but leaving the responsibility of the work squarely on my shoulders. Having the director’s trust in your ability is vital.

AAA - Who came up with the concept for the animated sequences?
Dhimant - I visualized the entire sequence. I first presented a couple of concepts to Aamir which we discussed and finalized before beginning the actual animation. We had a very narrow deadline of a month and a half to complete the entire animation from concept to modeling to execution and compositing. I showed Aamir the storyboards. We removed some elements, added a few others. It was an enjoyable process. I had 3 model makers working with me including Arvind Chudasama. The cinematography and lighting was done by Satya Prakash Rath who has worked on stop motion projects before so he has the experience to handle this kind of work.

AAA - There is some cel animation and CG animation as well in the movie?
Dhimant - Yes. Vaibhav Kumaresh’s Vaibhav studios handled the 2D animation while Tata Elxsi worked on the CG animation as well as the visual effects and compositing besides putting credits on the sequence and adding some effects in my clay animation sequence. The 3 teams were working simultaneously but in isolation from each other. Aamir and his production team were the contact points.

AAA - Tell us about the technique.
Dhimant - I use my own technique which I like to call embossed clay illustration. It is different from typical clay animation, as the clay figures don’t stand upright but are laid out flat on a smooth surface. It is technically easlier to animate in this manner as it requires less planning than when armatures are used. Light is used to give the almost 2D surface the look and feel of a three dimensional one. The illusion of depth comes from the play of light and shadows. But the light has to be planned carefully or else it will throw unnecessary shadows. This steals the volume. So the challenge is in creating a model that looks three dimensional under the camera. You have to cheat a lot. When you look at the model by itself, its shape looks odd but when looked at through the camera lens, it is perfect. The camera is set up to film the animation from the top. We used 2 cameras - a web cam to check the animation frame by frame and another Canon digital SLR for capturing the final hi-res stills.

AAA - This is a technique you have developed on your own?
Dhimant - Yes. I haven’t seen anyone else use this technique. This is just the third time that I have attempted to use it. Before this I had tried a few clay illustrations for my own work and later to create “Happy Planet”.

AAA - What other challenges did you face during animation?
Dhimant - A very important thing while animating is to be able to maintain correct timing. Each element has a different speed and a unique style of motion. Sometimes, one shot has 20 to 25 items moving. For example, there was a scene with 2 groups of fish. One small mistake means everything needs to be redone. To add to that, there was a very tight deadline. But timing is something that you learn with experience. There were no cuts in the 3 minute sequence. Sometimes we used morphs, other times there were pans, but the flow is always continous. It was physically stressful but creatively most satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed animating it.

AAA - Tell us about the title sequence.
Dhimant - The title where the name of the film Taare Zameen Par morphs from English to Hindi to Urdu, the movement of the octopus, fish and parrot was shot against a blue, red and then a green screen placed under the glass. The team at Tata Elxsi composited those shots.

AAA - Could you please share some clay animation tips and tricks with us?
Dhimant - Sure. For certain scenes, instead of modeling directly on the table, we made replacements beforehand and used them to speed up the actual animation process. But in other scenes, like in the scene where the peacock turns into a flower, we had to sculpt on the table. Everything was animated on one layer rather than multiple glass layers as is generally used for this technique. We left very little work for post-production. Only the bee’s and bird’s wings were created using Photoshop. The scene where the Hippos is entering the water also needed to be done differently.

AAA - What about the music and the soundtrack?
Dhimant - Luckily the music was superimposed later or else it might have been even more tedious to animate.

AAA - What else would you like to tell our readers?
Dhimant - Work very hard and have a passion for the work that you do - it could be anything. Enjoy your work, don’t just think about the money, it will follow if you do your best. Keep your eyes open and try to learn new things, experiment, try to be perfect and stick to your deadlines. Love your work and teach others! I think that is a lot of advice. Bahut ho gaya!! Enjoy the movie on the big screen.

Located in Bangalore, India, Asian Institute of Gaming and Animation (AIGA), offers international quality training, aiming to develop raw talent into inter-disciplinary holistic professionals with the necessary skills and expertise to meet the demands of the Gaming industry.

AIGA’s strengths are its experienced faculty from the Games Industry, its Industry relevant courseware developed in academic partnership with the University of Wolverhampton (UK), Middle East College of Information Technology, MECIT (Oman) and professionals from the Industry. Students have access to state of the art systems, game consoles, games, library of books and e-learning material.

PROGRAMMES
Game design, Game Art, Game Programming all being separate streams within Games, we have started with Game Art and Game Programming. At a later point they intend to introduce more streams and sub streams like Casual Online Game development, Mobile Game development, Game design. The Game Art courses at AIGA are being carefully planned and structured to cater to the Industry needs. The aim is to take potential raw talent and mould them into trained professionals on par with international quality benchmarks, who could be plugged into Game studios.

FACULTY & TEAM
AIGA’s strength lies in its people and their experience. The team is distinguished by their functional and technical expertise combined with their hands-on industry experience, thereby ensuring that learners receive the most effective and professional service. The learners shall also be engaged during their training by international experts and industry leaders on a continuous basis. The programme also ensures that the learners are professionally trained to work in groups as well as in teams that actually develop games. (See details at the bottom of the article)

WHO CAN JOIN?
AIGA’s learners would comprise of fresh talent and sponsored candidates from the industry. Students applying need to exhibit expected levels of art skills, aptitude and passion for games. The Game Art Professional Diploma is being offered to graduates and 12+ students with exceptional art skills.

FACILITIES
Situated on Airport road, AIGA is nestled in the heart of Bangalore, just 5 km from MG Road. Located in an area which is home to many IT companies, AIGA has a great social network with Cafes, Restaurants, Supermarket, ATMS, Hospitals and various other amenities within walking distance. AIGA is well connected by all modes of public transport, with the HAL Airport just 5 mins away.

* State of the art Labs and classrooms.
* Industry grade systems with Dual monitors and Wacom tablets.
* Fine Art studio
* Gaming area with multiple Game consoles
* Extensive Library of training DVDs, Books and Games
* 100% authentic software
* Mini-cafeteria

BATCH SIZE
To ensure individual attention each batch has been restricted to 25 students. New batches are taken in thrice a year.

COURSE DETAILS, DURATION & FEES
Foundation introduces students to software and tools in relevance to Game development. Traditional Fine art subjects are being taught to strengthen fundamental art skills.
*Foundation is free, subject to the candidate successfully qualifying for the Game Art Course.
(DURATION - Full Time: 3 months, Part Time: 3 months)

Game Art Core is a certificate program which exposes and teaches students various aspects within Game Art development. It consists of modules that are essential for any Game artist.
(FEES: 1.35 Lakhs. DURATION - Full Time: 6 months, Part Time: 9 months)

Game Art Professional is a full Diploma program which takes each artist beyond the essentials. Further to the core modules it allows students to specialize in subjects of their interest and strength. It enriches each student with complimentary subjects thereby creating a more wholesome game artist on par with International Industry expectations. (Fees: 2.53 Lakhs) (Full Time: 12 months, Part Time: 18 months)

Game Art Focus and Focus Advanced are top-up programmes available to students who have successfully completed the Game Art Core modules. It allows the students to selectively choose subjects that he or she would like to specialize in. For example, through Art Focus one could specialize as a Game Character artist or as a Game Texture artist and so on.
(FEES: 1.91 Lakhs. DURATION - Full Time: 8 months, Part Time: 12 months)
The Game Art Focus Advanced programme enables students to pick additional subjects from the pool of modules available.
(FEES: 2.42 Lakhs. DURATION - Full Time: 10 months, Part Time: 15 months)

Total Fee is inclusive of 12.36% tax.

All courses are being offered in full time and part time modes. Full time courses would require 40 effort hours per week from each student. Part time courses would require 25 effort hours per week from each student.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
AIGA offers scholarships to deserving applicants. To know more, visit the AIGA website - Scholarship and Financial Assistance sections. check the Scholarship section within Admissions. Additionally AIGA assists students in procuring Bank loans. To know more check the financial assistance section within Admissions.

TEAM AIGA

Kiran G. R. - CEO
Kiran G. R. is the CEO of AIGA. He is an Electronics and Communication Engineer and a University topper in MBA. He has done his M.Phil (Applied Economics) from Jawaharlal Nehru University and is currently in an advanced stage of his PhD at the London School of Economics. He was earlier the Mission Coordinator in the IT Mission, Government of Kerala in charge of e-governance and has headed projects like FRIENDS, Akshaya and State Wide Area Network. He also heads the Centre for Post Graduate Studies & Continuing Education at MECIT.

Hanif Mohammed - Director Biz Dev
Hanif is Director Business Development and Operations at AIGA. He is a post graduate in Management from the University of Glasgow, UK, specialising in International Finance. Hanif has a strong background in Business development and prior to moving to AIGA worked with Integral Solutions and MECIT, Oman. Hanif has been a part of the core team at MECIT, since its inception. Hanif continues to be a Director at eVolution Consulting Pvt Ltd, India.

Shailesh Watsa and Joshi Mark Premnath

Joshi Mark Premnath - Art Director and Erol Shailesh Watsa - Technical Director
Joshi and Shailesh were among the first to get into game development in India and have been in CG since 1993. Joshi, a fine arts graduate with strong creative skills has been pivotal to successful completion of many Art intensive International game projects. Shailesh’s strength lies in his ability to blend between Art and Technical, an unrelenting eye for quality and vast experience in managing International game projects and teams.

Their individual experience in Game development spans nearly a decade each having worked with older consoles like N64 to current gen XBox 360 and PS3. Joshi and Shailesh have been part of Dhruva Interactive, one of India’s leading game company, almost since its inception and together lead the PC Console Art division as Creative Lead and Head of the Studio respectively.

Over the years have successfully worked with leading International game companies and contributed at various levels to AAA games like Grand Prix 4, Toca Race Driver, Mission Impossible 2, Terminator 3, Toca Race Driver 2, Forza Motorsport, TRD3, Asterix and Obelix XXL2, Project Gotham Racing 3, Battle Field 2 Modern Combat, Forza Motorsport 2 and Colin McRae Dirt.

Sensing the overwhelming need for quality game professionals in the Indian market, decided to move into training after having worked in CG for over 14 years. Drawing from their rich blend of experience and strengthened by the University of Wolverhampton, have designed the Industry specific course to help aspiring students understand and reflect international quality expectations.

Niranjan Shivling Mhamane - Faculty Fine Arts
Niranjan Shivling Mhamane heads the Fine arts department at AIGA, bringing with him a rich background in fine arts, having graduated from the renowned art institution in Pune, Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya. He has Studied the art of illustration from legendary Mr. Pratap Mulick and has developed his fine arts skills with guidance from Mr. Ravi Paranjape and Mr. Milind Mulick, specializing in figure drawing, watercolour, acrylic painting and composition.

Niranjan loves working on story illustration and comics  and for the last seven years worked with almost all the major publications in Maharashtra including Sakal Papers, Baalbharati. His works for Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver’s Travels won critical acclaim. Niranjan is the winner of many state level and national awards in painting, including the prestigious travelling scholarship by Camel Art Foundation. He visited many museums in Europe through this scholarship and had the opportunity to study original works by old masters. He is a winner of the international drawing competition organized by North Light Books, USA. Niranjan’s drawings are included in the international publication “Strokes of Genius: the Best of Drawing”.

Milind Mulick - Fine Art Advisor www.milindmulick.com
Milind is a renowned painter, who divides his time between painting and teaching. He has authored 4 art books and written many articles in various art-related magazines. He is a visiting faculty member for the India Art foundation. He has won awards in International artist magazine competitions and has been selected for the annual show of American watercolor society for last 3 years consecutively. Milind has been part of many group shows throughout India, and has conducted several one-man shows in Mumbai, Pune and Stockholm and Sweden. His paintings are in the collection of many private individuals and a few Corporate houses in India, USA, Europe, as well as Japan and Singapore.

Mr. Arun Shankarappa - Academic Consultant
Mr. Arun heads the Department of Computing at MECIT. He is an M.Tech in Computer Engineering from VTU with over 12 years of extensive experience (10 years in Teaching and 2+ years in the IT Industry). Earlier worked for SLK software services and Ampersand software applications limited Bangalore as project lead and was responsible for Analyzing, Designing, Developing and Implementing Enterprise wide web based applications using J2EE for US clients. He is also pursuing his PhD in computer science and engineering from UK.

Previously Featured Institute: Graphiti School of Animation

RAM MOHAN’S VISION : GRAPHITI SCHOOL OF ANIMATION

After years of training artists to become animation professionals in the studio environment, Mr. Ram Mohan or Sirjee as he is lovingly known, had a vision about how animation should be taught. Graphiti School of Animation (GSA) was set up to implement this vision- to cultivate the unique qualities of each student through an interesting curriculum in an inspiring environment, under the guidance of committed trainers and industry experts.

“The school has successfully completed one year and the first batch of students has graduated in July 2007, all of them having been placed with various leading studios.”

FACULTY
The faculty comprises of a group of professionals with passion for teaching, experience in animation training and exposure to working in a studio environment. They have re-oriented themselves to the training model set up by the institute and developed detailed class-room deliverables, before getting into the training activity at GSA.

The faculty does a substantial amount of experimentation for concepts, techniques and new tools. Each assignment taken by student teams is tried out by the faculty beforehand. They constantly innovate in their approach to impart their knowledge to their students, within the framework of the courseware. At the foundation level, faculty is rotated among the different batches. This is an advantage for students as it exposes them to different styles of teaching and the faculty is able to compare their own observations.

The faculty profiles students on the basis of their strengths, interests and leanings which helps in the continuous counseling process of the students.

At the specialization level, each faculty member’s core specialization is defined by his or her prior experience as primary and/or support faculty. The trainers do not just teach, they also provide support in the management activities of the school. This helps them understand student issues and participate in solving them with a common perspective.

COURSE
The courseware is designed in such a way so as to standardize the faculty-student interaction at session level. Individual faculty members have the flexibility to innovate within this framework in each session to ensure learning by the entire class. The learning objectives are defined at every level and provide the benchmark for the pace and the detailing needs. The individual faculty member discusses these issues with other faculty and arrives at specific plans for the class.

COURSE DETAILS

G-CAT: Graphiti Certificate in Animation Technology

The courses are spread across various time periods starting from a short term course of 2 months to an Advance course of 2 to 3 years. These courses cater to different learning needs of people from students, hobbyists and freelancers, to those wanting to become industry ready professionals.

There are 4 course options:
G - CAT Primer

G - CAT Swift

G - CAT Expert

G - CAT Pro

G - CAT Primer: A two month compact animation course to introduce students to the art of making animation and help them gain sufficient skills to make simple animation shots.

Eligibility: 14 yrs and above. For those who want to learn the basics of animation.

Duration: 2 Months (6 days a week, 2 hrs class)

G - CAT Swift: A six month animation course to train students on the complete tools of animation and take them through the life cycle of animation production. At the end of the course, the graduate will be a ‘generalist’ who can work in any animation production house at an entry level.

Eligibility: 18 years and above. For those who want to get a break in the animation industry as trainees.

Duration: 6 Months (6 days a week, 2 hrs class)

Placement: Industry will be invited for Campus Placements

G - CAT Expert: A six month course to acquire expert level of training, to enhance the core skills of any practicing animation professional. Emphasis on one animation production specialization – ‘Modeling’, ‘Texturing’, ‘Rigging’, ‘Animation’ and ‘Lighting & Compositing’.

Duration: 6 Months (4m specialization + 2m production) (6 days a week, 3 hrs class – 3 hr lab).

Eligibility: 18 years and above. Anyone who has prior animation experience or has trained in animation institutes.

Entry Test: Portfolio & Personal Interview

Placement: Industry will be invited for Campus Placements

G - CAT Pro: A twelve month course which includes Foundation, Specialization as well as Production. At the end of this course, the certificate holders will be ready to work directly in their chosen area of specialization.

FACILITIES
Students have access to the lab for practice, to complete individual projects and team assignments. They plan their needs, coordinate among themselves and use resources optimally. All work has to be completed within the school premises, within budgeted time deadlines. Each student has access to individual machines and password controlled individual work space, along with access to common work areas where files can be shared over a network. On an average, a student spends about 6-8 hours per day in the premises. Along the way, they gain exposure to working under pressure due to deadlines, unanticipated needs etc.

STUDENT PROFILING
Profiling of the students is done from the time the application is accepted. It is continuous and process driven. At every stage, each individual student is observed for progress vis-a-vis the specific learning goals. Where required, individual feedback and counseling is given to ensure that the student is in sync with the training process.

At the Foundation stage, the emphasis is on natural orientation e.g. leadership, artistic experience, communication skills etc. Towards the close of Foundation, the profiling captures both knowledge levels and other traits that the students were exposed to, for example- working in teams, effect of acting and drawing workshops on work etc. During Specialization, the emphasis shifts to skill development and perseverance. Senior industry specialists interact with the students in each specialization and review their work, simulating interaction with the head of a production studio.

Students receive 360 degree feedback from the faculty, the experts interacting with them and their own peer group.

CONTACT
Graphiti School of Animation
404, Udyog Mandir No. 2, Mogul Lane, Mahim (West), Mumbai - 400016
Email: training@graphiti.net
Telephone: +91 22 24440107 / +91 22 32448544

Previously Featured Institute: Takshaa

BACKGROUND
Takshaa is a sister concern of the Ittina Group of Companies, well known for their impact on the architecture of Bangalore. Having made a niche for themselves in the business world; the group has moved a step forward by establishing Takshaa in the year 2006, thus entering the world of edupreneurs. Located in the suburbs of Bangalore at Hope Farm Circle, near ITPL on the Whitefield Main Road, Takshaa is set across 18,000 sq. ft of area housing state-of-the-art facilities for students from all over the country and the world.

In the ancient world, Takshashila or Taxila, was a renowned centre for learning. Takshashila held a pivotal position in the world of the erudite, be it art or humanities or any other logical and other form of learning. In the modern scenario, the founders of Takshaa are channelizing all their efforts into making it a centre for learning for all professional animators, modelers, lighters and visual effects artists.

The philosophy of Takshaa is that it is not technology that drives creation, but the power of the human mind and with this as the core belief effort is being directed at bringing computer animation back to art.

FACULTY
The USP of this institution is its immensely talented and industry-experienced faculty. For the first time ever in India, Takshaa has proved to be an academy with exclusive Hollywood experience. The teaching talent, namely Manu Ittina, Bill Miller, Aaraty Mehta, Ruturaj Arolkar and Anuj Anand, have worked in studios like Dreamworks, Disney and Weta for major animation blockbusters like Shrek 2, Madagascar and Hercules. Academic staff teaching on the programme come with a vast experience in the industry and have established credentials as practicing designers. A Course Director heads each programme and is responsible for the design, evaluation and other assistance for the programme.

TRAINING
The School offers a flexible, modular program that enables students to specialize in character animation, modeling, light and shade, game asset creation and visual effects. Along with this, students are taught art history, drawing, and sculpting as well. The various programmes of study aim to develop in the student a number of skills be it technical competence, computer skills, critical skills, visual, verbal and written communication.

The approach to teaching is holistic with many supplementary classes like theatre arts, puppetry, voice modulation, acting and photography being taught as well. Learning is carried out through a combination of individual and group studio projects run by one or more tutors, formal lectures, workshops, seminars, peer learning and self directed learning. The course offers a healthy combination of practical and theoretical work and is designed to give students a complete understanding of design. The environment within the School is conducive to group and individual learning.

Students at Takshaa are not only afforded the best of the world of academia and the industry, but also gain hands on experience in each of the modules that they would work on. From high end workstations to screening rooms, auditorium, studios, library and media centre to the best in the software world; students are provided with the best in terms of amenities.

DURATION
Foundation: 1 year

Specialization: 1 year (Animation / Modelling / Visual Effects / Lighting and Shading / Game Asset Creation

Students who have just completed their 12th grade (10 + 2) must go through the 1 year Foundation Studies Programme before going through one year of Specialization.

Graduates can take a faster route, with a 6 month Foundation followed by the one year specialization.

Professionals or those who have a CG background, may directly enroll for the Specialization Course of one year.

INTAKE
Thrice a year: June, September and February

INTERNSHIP & CAREER OPTIONS
Apart from becoming world-class animators, some of the other career paths that students of Takshaa can take include careers in the field of entertainment, interactive multimedia and web content development, animation, gaming special effects, education and advertising. Takshaa offers assured placements at Ittina Studios and has initiated dialogues with several other reputed animation studios in Bangalore and outside like DQ Entertainment, Digital Juice, Pixeltek, St. John’s Academy, Reva and the like for placements.

CONTACT

Takshaa

Ittina Anu, Hope Farm Circle, Near ITPL, Whitefield Main Road, Bangalore 560 066
Email: admissions@takshaa.com
Telephone: +91 9945137770 / +91 9945277700

This is the opportunity for an organization to participate in one of the biggest animation events, spread over two days. Participants get a chance to interact with luminaries from the industry, listen to experts debate on topical issues and trends, witness interesting case studies and see the best of animation and gaming previews, in addition to introductions to the latest animation and gaming technologies, most of the time before it is out in the market.

The target audience for this event includes animators, producers, program directors, broadcasters, production units involved in media & entertainment, art & design schools, IT companies, investors, VC’s, government officials from Films Division/ Information and Broadcasting Departments, media etc. It will provide an ideal platform for Indian animation, gaming, electronic media, mobile and console players to participate at the event and demonstrate their competencies, strengths and capabilities.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

* Superpitch for Animation and Gaming (See below)
* Futuristic Animation
* Entrepreneur’s Journey – Case studies
* Global Alliances in Animation & Gaming
* Licensing & merchandising – the big idea for animation and gaming
* Hollywood VFX Blockbusters - Made in India
* State of Gaming 2008
* New Business Models for the next decade
* Story telling in Gaming
* Half day session on Education and HRD

Download the form here or Register Online

SUPERPITCH

As part of the NASSCOM’s endeavor to promote the creation, development and maturing of the ecosystem of Indian animation industry, the forthcoming NASSCOM Animation & Gaming India 2008, has specially included a session on ‘Super Pitch’.

As the ecosystem evolves and the tempo of original content creation increases, for any project to be green lit depends, on how well it is thought through and pitched to the stakeholders’ viz. potential broadcaster/ producer/ distributor.

NASSCOM would like to promote the interests of Indian content creators and those who aspire to understand and hone his skills in pitching his offering. The whole exercise of thinking your project through in an objective manner and then sharing the various elements that makes your show unique is what the super pitch will enable you to practice.

The objective of the super pitch is to breathe confidence into aspirants who wish to create original content even as your show is exposed to a large audience of stakeholders and decision makers.

Takeaways for the Participants

* The experience of creating a Bible and the experience of pitching it.
* Exposure to key decision makers and an entire gamut of stake holders in the Indian animation ecosystem
* Special Profile of your Bible on Animation on www.animationxpress.com as exposure to all its readers

Time Lines

* Finals – 7 November 2008
* Last date for submitting entries: 10 October 2008
* Short listed entries would be contacted by NASSCOM and the nominees would be announced by 20 October 2008 on NASSCOM and Animation Xpress websites)

Points & Guidelines for the Bible & Pitch (A basic primer for participants)

While the way you make your pitch is up to the individual, we are providing you with a basic primer with a list of a few essentials that need to be mentioned in your Bible. The sequencing of the same and the materials as well as the manner in which you pitch is left to the individual’s discretion.

A few essentials that need to be highlighted in your Bible / pitch / presentation include:

* Poster & Title of your show
* Target age group / genre
* Style / treatment
* Initial platform/ product for launch
* Synopsis
* Character sketch / description
* Backgrounds & Universe
* The USP of your show
* Budget for producing the show
* Credits, with profile of creators

Formats

Please send your pitch to NASSCOM in any of the following formats PDF, power point, DVD / CD, Physical Hard Copy along with the Super Pitch Registration Form.

Who can Participate

* Studios
* Institutes
* Creative Professionals from Ad Agencies
* Writers
* Actually anyone who has a creative idea for animated entertainment content

What can the content be?

* TV Show
* TV Special
* Direct 2 DVD
* Feature Film

RULES & REGULATIONS

1. There is no limit to the number of entries that can be submitted from individuals as well as studios
2. NASSCOM has fine tuned the format of the super pitch based on feedback and inputs from the industry
3. Last date for receiving entries is 10 October 2008
4. Entries can be sent in formats including PDF, power point, DVD, CD, Hard Copy.
5. All postage/courier charges must be pre-paid.
6. While the show could be of any language, the pitch would have to be made in English
7. The details on the entry form should be typed or handwritten clearly (In Legible and Readable Capital Letters Only).
8. Entries once submitted to and accepted by NASSCOM, will be considered as final. No alterations, replacements will be permitted.
9. Duplication of entries by the same studio/individual will not be allowed.
10. Each form can be used only for a single Entry; No Multiple Entries per form will be permitted. If you need more forms, you can download them from the NASSCOM website.
11. The NASSCOM ANIMATION & GAMING SUPER PITCH Jury decision will be final and binding for all the entrants.
12. Please label your entries with clarity giving proper credits and details
13. A covering letter from the entrant claiming ownership of the work must be submitted.
14. The jury  of NASSCOM Animation super pitch reserves the right not to award a winner in any particular category, if the quality of the entries does not meet up to the required standards.
15. Entering the competition, entrants warrant to NASSCOM that they possess or have secured all necessary rights, clearances, and/or licenses with respect to all materials and elements embodied in works submitted for the competition, and that the use by NASSCOM of such works will neither violate nor infringe upon the copyright, trademark, privacy, creative, or other rights of any party not submitting the work. Entrants agree to defend, indemnify, and hold NASSCOM harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, costs, and losses arising out of the breach of this warranty.

Here you will find a list of names from all over the world, artists from varying backgrounds, all working towards the same goal - to create animated masterpieces. Over time we shall provide detailed information on each and every one of them. As of now, do take some time to search the net or scout your local library or bookstore for books on the life and art of these inspirational masters. You will find something to learn from each one of them. If you notice that we have missed out any name, do write to us and we wil append the list right away.

Alexandre Alexeieff
Andrew Stanton

Barry Purves
Berthold Barthosch
Bill Plympton
Bill Tytla
Bob Clampett
Brad Bird
Bruno Bozetto

Caroline Leaf
Charles Mintz
Chuck Jones
Cordell Baker
Craig McCracken

Dave Sproxton
Don Bluth

Emile Cohl
Emile Reynaud

Frederic Back
Friz Freleng

Gene Deitch
George Dunning
George Griffin
George Pal
Georges Melies

Hans Fischerkoesen
Hayao Miyazaki

Ishu Patel

J. Stuart Blackton
Jan Svankmajer
Jim Henson
Jiri Trnka
Joanna Priestly
Joanna Quinn
John Canemaker
John Grierson
John Halas
John Hubley
John Lasseter
John Randolph Bray
Joseph Barbera
Joy Batchelor

Koji Yamamura

Ladislaw Starewitch
Lotte Reiniger

Marv Newland
Max Fleischer
Michael Dudok de Wit

Norman McLaren
Nick Park

Osamu Tezuka
Oskar Fischinger
Otto Mesmer

Paul Driessen
Paul Grimault
Paul Terry
Peter Lord

Ralph Bakshi
Raoul Barre
Ray Harryhausen
Rene Laloux
Richard Williams
Robert McKimson

Shamus Culhane
Stephen Quay

Terry Gilliam
Tex Avery
Timothy Quay

Ube Iwerks

Victor Bergdahl
Viking Eggeling

Walt Disney
Walter Lantz
Wendy Tilby
Will Vinton
William Hannah
Winsor Mcay

The Animation Society of India (TASI) has been formed with a view to increase awareness of the medium of animation in India. It aims to educate the emerging generation and the public at large and at the same time provide a platform for the exchange of creative and technical information within the Indian art and animation fraternity in order to strengthen existing talent and encourage growth by educating and guiding prospective artists in India.

Visit the TASI website

NASSCOM, National Association of Software and Service Companies, is India’s premier trade body and the chamber of commerce of the IT software and services industry in India, with over 1100 members, of which over 250 are global companies from the US, UK, EU, Japan and China. NASSCOM’s member companies are in the business of software development, software services, software products, IT-enabled/BPO services and e-commerce.

Visit the NASSCOM website

NAGFO or NASSCOM Animation & Gaming Forum

ABAI - Association of Bangalore Animation Industry was formed by like minded people to have an association that would regulate the Animation business activities in Bangalore & contribute towards the greater good of the regional animation industry. Their vision is to create a platform and bridge the gap between, production facilities and qualified manpower and to promote Animation, Gaming and VFX professionals and production houses in Bangalore. The association will constantly encourage talent to enhance artistic and digital skills qualitatively.

Visit the ABAI website

Women In Animation is a professional, non-profit organization established in 1994 in US to foster the dignity, concerns and advancement of women who are involved in any and all aspects of the art and industry of animation. WIA is also an educational organization. Through our workshops, meetings and panels you are bound to gain valuable insight into the industry, opportunities available to you and other educational resources in your area.

Women In Animation is currently in the process of starting its Indian chapter and is actively looking for volunteers to help launch this organization at a grass roots level. The Indian chapter is led by Saraswathi Balgam with help from Rekha Thorat. All interested individuals should please send an email to info@womeninanimation.in and you will be notified soon about the first get together to establish and formalize the organization.

The WIA India website is being developed.

The Association of International Du Film D’ Animation, officially called ASIFA, is a professional body, recognized by UNESCO, devoted to developing film animation both as an art and also as an effective means of communication. ASIFA today enjoys a representation from over 55 countries.

ASIFA India received its official charter on November 25, 2000, and it aspires to the same ideals and goals as the international organization. By staying true to the spirit and upholding one of its mottos of blending art and technology, making available invaluable knowledge and information, ASIFA India throughout the year, arranges several free workshops, namely the CG-Meetup. The chapter also recognizes the best animation in India through the ASIFA India Awards of Excellence. In addition to this ASIFA India also extends its support to other community building events.

Visit the ASIFA India website

If you are an independent animator too or the founder/owner of a small studio that creates independent animated films, and wish to be featured here, please send us an email.

TASI - The Animation Society of India

NASSCOM Animation & Gaming Forum, a NASSCOM initiative

ASIFA India

Women in Animation, India

ABAI - Association of Bangalore Animation Industry