All Entries Tagged With: "jobs"
More on industry employment trends…
In my previous post I had mentioned how despite the bleak outlook of the market in general, VCL is about to embark upon a hiring spree. Information trickling out of other studios suggest that VCL is not alone. Many Indian studios and production houses are currently packed with work - be it outsourced or in-house. Most of them are even working on multiple co-productions simultaneously. What seems to have worked in their favour is that most of these projects began before the financial slowdown emerged. And the duration of these projects extends to another year or so. Therefore, the effects of the recession will not be visible in this industry at least for some time to come. A lot of animated features are being currently produced and though I’m not confident of the quality of the animation, it at least bodes well for the animators whose jobs are guaranteed.
What happens after a year remains to be seen. By then, if the situation is improving outside of the industry as well, then one couldn’t be asking for more.
The subject of recession particularly pertaining to the Indian Animation industry has been addressed before in this blog. Read here.
VCL bucks the trend. Plans to increase workforce 5 times over!
While there’s talk of recession, layoffs and pink slips all around, Visual Computing Labs (VCL), India on the other hand is looking to increase its team strength 5 times over!
Sources from the company revealed that VCL, which is a division of Tata Elxsi, plans to increase its headcount from the present 300 to 1500 animators and special effects artists over the next three years. Having completed ‘Roadside Romeo’ they are now working on three more animation films, TV shows for Germany and bidding for large Hollywood projects.
Recession in the industry?!! Don’t press the panic button just as yet.
Now that the noise has died down and the dust has settled, the casualty is slowly beginning to show. For two years everyone was shouting from the rooftops about the animation boom in India. Institutes proclaimed India needs animators and ill-informed parents poured out their hard-earned money into many an unworthy school. Many people left their well-paying jobs and successful businesses to enter the animation industry. All of a sudden everyone wanted to be in animation.
The hype was not all bad. Many more people began sitting up and taking notice of this thing called ‘Animation’ than before. Students and parents alike opened their eyes to this new career prospect. Existing animators began celebrating their new-found respect in the eyes of their detractors who had so far looked down upon their choice of vocation. All-in-all the Indian animation industry saw a spurt in interest, enthusiasm, educational avenues and job opportunities. Within a year, more than 70 animated feature films were announced. Actual work began on a far lesser number of movies.
But the latest news coming out of studios is not good. Many production houses and studios have folded up. Others have laid off a majority of their employees. People have woken up to the fact that making an animated film is no cake walk. There may be a lot of enthusiasm and ideas but the lack of funds, acute shortage of ‘talented’ artists and short-sightedness of studios have become major obstacles.
