a) Very well written and executed. Kudos to the writer. Look forward to reading more of your stuff.

b) I however feel that whats happening to animation industry, happened to IT during 2000…but today IT has matured and they have started paying attention to the ‘consumers’. In our industry, everyone is having their own take to what is going to happen and how the industry will change course / shape / dimension etc, while and experts’ opinion counts, at the same time it becomes indispensable to also figure out the consumer’s mindset. If we have to increase the length and the breadth of animation, only the ‘general audience’ is not our consumers. Our consumers are also the venture capitalists, the seed capitalists, the corporate honchos, the advertising agencies et al.

c) It therefore becomes important that the industry per se showcases a combined effort to ‘educate & eradicate’…educate with regards to the industry, the potential it has etc and eradicate the falsifying notion around animation industry being a bubble. The notion being that animation is just an entertainment industry. Wake up call! Guess what Animation did to Michelin tyres…what animation did to 7’Up etc

d) There is a lot of creative pool available in this industry. What this industry is definitely lacking is the talent pool which can merge creativity with business. There are very few people in India who can ‘sell’ animation, who can ‘brand’ animation, who can ‘market’ animation…we need more of such talent pool to really establish the industry and take it to its rightful place. Otherwise these positivistic figures are definitely going to die a slow death

e) Lastly I think we all need to do a rain-check on the business models our companies / studios are following. In the times of economic gloom, patience is like running water from a Municipal tap…it dries out quickly! Its always better to learn how to walk before one starts running! Comparisons with Pixar’s, Disneys etc therefore are a little too self-boasting.

We are yet to get the basics of this industry right (purely from a business perspective). While there are hits, there are many misses, and unfortunately misses go a long way in de-establishing the industry repute.

I am optimisting that whether this industry be a sun-rise industry or not, the sun will definitely rise on this industry one day. The need of the hour is to hear what the consumers want, and deliver it to them in the most time and cost efficient ways.

Cheers

Without sounding too harsh or pessimistic, i think the very question of “whether we can make films like PIXAR or better than PIXAR” which is being asked in Indian studios/forums/events should be avoided from immediately.

Continued here…

http://abtheanimator.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-extended-views-recession-in-indian.html

I am the CEO, Founder of aarka studio Pune.

I just chanced by this page on AAA. And I thought its the best and comprehensive website in itself. Kudos to the contributors keep up the A work ;).
Now about the animation bubble bust. I was just recently attending the asifa event held up at NCPA and was in a open forum by CG tantra about a film thats called ROADSIDE ROMEO. I was able to catch the film at the theatres and the was really impressed at the technology achieved in creating it by whichever studio that was involved. Now in this forum a gentleman who runs CGtantra speaks whether we will be able to make a film like PIXAR???
There was a huge roar of yesses all around and I like the enthusiasm of the people.
What although I felt missing was, awareness towards the concept of PIXAR like film. First of all we should be saying better than PIXAR. and then again we need to know what is it that makes the fimls made by PIXAR so very amazing.
WEll people its not just tech n gizmo way of life. A story essentially has to have a soul to commit and then only will the audience be able to accept it in each n every way. Remember the Grandma`s stories in the night when lights went out and we would (atleast I would) start imagining the story as in practically seeing it.
one needs to know as the exactly why this happens, n in a nut shell the answer will be that it happens because the mind has accpeted the story so well that it is willing to create its own imagery to assist the sound falling on ears.
SO I would again like to ask what is it that makes a film made by pixar so amazing.

answer is if your story is true and flow continuous enough, any form of expression is acceptable since your mind is always there to show u a film many more times amazing than what PIXAR guys wont be able to manage another thousand years.

I appreciate your efforts in building and maintaining this website especially, the line there saying ‘Understanding the Indian animation scenario.’ Your works/efforts here speak for that tag line. Cheers.

My whole summary would be, let’s be positive about the industry getting better a place for aspirants, artists, producers and consumers/market. If the movie wins, it is not only the producer who makes a lot of money but it is a whole set of artists, animators, aspirants, students that are filled with positivity and confidence.

One particular point that I repeatedly learned in all over 5+ years of my professional experience as an animator/concept artist/illustrator/comic artist/graphic designer etc., are:

1 - Spirit of teamwork to achieve a common goal.(This applies to any field or discipline in India, even for the IIM grads). Individually we have good track record, but as a team we fail and many times badly.

2 - Right mix of management and the artists or the right way of managing a creative/animation studio.

3 - Patience that it takes to produce a quality animation both in the management/producer and with the artists while during the production.

We have money, we have the infrastructure or atleast that part is affordable. We have talent around us, support and the zeal. We have everything except may be the above three, in my opinion and that’s not forever. Things will change. We learn and evolve. That may take time, and it should not mean that we dismiss the potential of being able to produce an animation work that can convince on the wide spectrum of both Indian and international audience. Keep it going guys… let’s be positive about the future works that are gonna be out there in the market.

Good luck to everyone,
Cheers,
Rama.

If its a hit, let us not call it another “formula” and rush to announce tons of new animated movies just for the sake of profit. Animation is a new medium in India and more so for the majority of the cinema going population. There is no guarantee if this works even the rest will work. We should analyze and try to improve upon what already has worked and in all aspects whether it be the characters, the animation, the final output in terms of lighting, rendering and compositing, the way its been marketed, publicity, media coverage and so on.

And incase it doesnt do as well as it was expected let us not be in a hurry to dig the grave. I am confident even if it doesn’t appeal and connect with the audiences, the effort put in should be worth while to at least give a chance to this medium.

Unfortunately unlike the West, for producers and most of the people connected with any movie is only concerned about the profits. But this can be detrimental for a new medium of Animation. We are still trying out and experimenting as to what will appeal to the audiences. Rome was not built in a day and similarly to arrive at a place where the film makers have an understanding of the process will take time. Agreed almost all major Animated features are coming to theatres in India, but understanding what goes behind is extremely crucial as seeing what goes on the screen. Audiences are constantly evolving thanks to the many kind of cinema being shown in theatres today.

Animation and specially 3D animation is like a new born baby. Lets have patient before it takes it first walk and run and so on.