Maharashtra emerges as major hub for animation industry

Mumbai, May 30 : Maharashtra is now the new hub for the animation and gaming industry.

In less than a year, the town of Pune has emerged as a serious gaming and animation industry hub with about 30 companies and studios dealing in special effects and animation.

Pune has already earned fame through animation studios that have made several 2D and 3D animations.

This place is ideal for every type of industry be it automobile, IT, gaming or animation.

People working here have made a name for themselves in Hollywood also. There is ample talent available for animation companies here.

In fact, several of the gaming and animation studios have decided to either move from other cities to Pune or to set up expansion projects here.

After IT and auto, it is probably time for the animation and gaming industry to grow several times over in Pune.

According to industry experts, what the IT industry achieved in eleven years in Pune - five billion dollar business per year - the animation and gaming industry is expected to achieve it in six years.

"Several companies are coming to Pune on a talent scout. There are several computer institutes and art colleges. So, the companies get easy access to talent from these colleges and institutes. Talent in other places like Mumbai and Hyderabad is saturated, but here in Pune, talent is fresh and ready to be absorbed. There are experienced people to be found here," said Hrishikesh Patil, Managing Director, Trimurti studios.

"One more advantage is that it is close to Mumbai life in metros can stay here in peace. The weather also complements the place. Traffic is a headache, but one can tackle that. This place is cheap too as compared to other places. So, these are some points that are favourable to the animation industry coming here," added Patil.

According to Anand Khandekar, Chairman, Animation and Gaming Committee, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (M CCIA), Pune has all the right ingredients because of its history and culture, and this combined with IT strengths makes the city an ideal destination for the gaming and animation industry.

"MCCIA took the initiative in 1996. At that time, there was virtually no IT in Pune. Within 12 years, the IT industry has grown from 30 million to five billion dollars. Thanks to the right ingredients and right government and infrastructure support from private as well as government agencies. We had support from educational institutions for the right manpower and very strong support from Maratha Chambers to co-ordinate all this and to provide business development support. All these four pillars have moved the IT industry to where it is now. I am absolutely confident that we will apply the same four pillars to uplift the animation and gaming industry in Pune," said Anand.

At present, at least three studios in Pune are working on independent animated films. For the gaming industry too, there are several outsourced projects in the city.

Animation films in India are still in the nascent stages. 'Ghatothkach-Master of Magic' will be the first non-mythological to be released in the country. This will be the second animation film from the stable of Shemaroo. Their first film that tasted success at the box office was 'Bal Ganesha'.

India is a cheaper destination to make animated films. For example, in the US it costs around 9,367 US Dollars to make a 30-minutes animated film, while in India the cost comes down to 1,405 US Dollars. (ANI)

Source : http://www.topnews.in/

Arena Animation opens new center at Mohali

MOHALI: Multimedia training firm Arena Animation opened a new center in Mohali, to meet the needs of students wanting to pursue animation & multimedia in the fast growing town.

The centre at Mohali will offer the flagship career course on 2D and 3D animation - the 2.5 year Arena Animation Academy Specialist Program (AAASP) & the comprehensive Arena Multimedia Specialist Program (AMSP).

The centre was inaugurated by Member of Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

Samir Bhattacharjee, Regional Sales Head, Arena Animation said, "The Animation & Multimedia industry is growing at a tremendous pace, with more and more students looking forward to a career in this sector. The Arena Animation centre would definitely empower the students of Mohali to be a part of this booming industry."

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

MIDDS ties up with American college for animation studies

NEW DELHI: Mumbai-based Meteor Institute of Digital Design Studies (Midds) has tied up with Expression College of Digital Arts in Emeryville, California, to offer a degree programme.

Midds, an animation and game design institute, is a division of Meteor Films.

Expression College of Digital Arts has its campus near Pixar Studios and has programmes in animation, visual effects, game design and audio design.

As part of the collaboration, students who pass out of the 17-month advanced diploma programme will be eligible to enter Expression College with part of the credits waived and will be able to complete their degree in approximately three semesters.

In effect, students will complete their diploma at Midds in India and rest of the curriculum at Expression college to get their degree.

In a period of two and half years, Midds has expanded to 10 centers across India.

Midds was established as an educational institution dedicated to the professional design disciplines of 3D, 2D design, animation, multimedia, and game development technology .

Source : http://www.indiantelevision.com/

Animators form 'holy alliance'

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines--Animation used to be big business in the '80s until computers made it almost impossible for Filipino cartoonists and animators to compete with India and Korea.

But after a 20-year hiatus, investors are now building animation schools in different parts of the country to train computer-savvy Filipinos so they can again capture outsourced contracts from Hollywood and major American production outfits like Walt Disney or Warner Bros.

CSDA Graphics and Animation Inc., the first animation studio setup in this city last year, wrote its own programs for virtual motion capture and computer puppetry to compete for major projects, says Raul Boncan Jr., the firm's owner.

But what may truly bring major international animation outfits back to the Philippine doorstep is a business model that would soon guide most Filipino animators, Boncan says.

Almost every animation outfit in the country, from Luzon to Mindanao, has joined a "holy alliance" of experts who would share studio contracts, he says.

This is a form of domestic outsourcing, "or insourcing, if you will," Boncan says, and it may just redefine how business is done in the Philippines.

The business process outsourcing (BPO) trade has helped develop a profitable pool of independent Filipino contractors who service almost every imaginable work field from medicine to hotel bookings and accounting, he says.

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Korea's Animation Industry Maturing

With a growing number of Korean animated characters gaining international fame, Korea is becoming one of the leading countries in animation. More companies are getting the chance to enter lucrative foreign markets.

"Pororo the Little Penguin" is what children are all hyped up about, both in Korea and abroad. Its creators have already exported content currently being aired in ten countries outside Korea. As for the reasons behind the country's fast growing animation market, the company says it is due to a major shift in production.

On Wednesday one of Asia's biggest animation festivals lifted its curtains in Seoul. The event was originally established to promote the Korean animation and cartoon industry, as well as to provide a platform for local talent. But now it has grown into a world-renowned festival featuring the latest trends in animated films and works of artists from around the globe.

Korea's animation industry is gaining support from the government as it realizes just how large profits from successful animated characters and their subsequent licensing can be. The Seoul Metropolitan government says it plans to expand an animation support fund to W100 billion (US$1=W1,044) by 2010.

Source : http://english.chosun.com/

Animation to gaming: It's all serious biz for Toonz

The makes of toon movie, Return of Hanuman and famous tele-serial, Tenali Rama, Toonz Animation India Private Ltd, are planning to foray into gaming industry now. The firm is in the initial stages of talks to acquire a UK-based gaming firm.

While the company official refused to give any information, industry sources said that the deal will be worth well over $100 million (over Rs 400 crore).

The company will get access to global gaming market after acquisition of the firm. At present, the total gaming market in India is pegged at around $450 million.

Headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Toonz Animation will work on tapping and training local talent for developing new games. It will be using the existing facilities at Toonz Academy for training, while technology know-how will be provided by its partner.

Toonz Animation has achieved a turnover of about $4 million (around Rs16 crore) in the financial year concluded March 2008. According to executive director of the company, Ramaprasad S, they are aiming at increasing it to $5 million (around Rs20 crore) in the current financial year. He was talking to DNA Money on the sidelines of launch of Tonnz Academy in Ahmedabad.

This is the seventh training centre on the company in India. The company intends to take the total number of such academies in the country to 20 by the end of current financial year, with a total investment of over $15 million.

According to Ramaprasad S, the Ahmedabad centre will have an annual output of 100 students. He said that there were around 300 institutes in India but the quality of training being provided to them lacked consistency and quality. He put the dearth of good animators in India at 20,000 at present.

Ramaprasad also claimed that they had moved up the value chain in business as they were more involved in outsourcing work for foreign firms. "Now, we are co-producers with famous Hollywood companies like Walt Disney and paramount," he said.

Source : http://sify.com/

Animation film ‘Ghatotkach’ premiers in Mumbai

Mumbai,May 23 (ANI) :The premiere of the much awaited animation film ‘Ghatotkach-Master of Magic’ was held in Mumbai on Thursday.

The film is an international collaboration of six countries namely United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, Philippines and India.

Animation films in India are still in a nascent stage and ‘Ghatotkach-Master of Magic’ will be the first non-mythological film to be released in the country.

This movie is co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Sun Animatics.

In the film, there are eight foot tapping numbers catering to all age groups and prominent singers master Shravan, S.P Balasubramanium, Chitra, Kalyani, Shrinivasan and Shwetha have lent their voices to the songs. Sameer has penned its lyrics.

Master Shravan, a child artist who has lent his voice for the main track of the film, said it was fun to sing for the movie.

“I was very excited because it is an animation film.So I enjoyed the experience and I was ready for recording,” Shravan Suresh, a child artist.

It is the second animation film from the Shemaroo camp.The first film which tasted success at the box office was Bal Ganesha.

The film ‘Ghatotkach-Master of Magic’ essays the story of ‘Ghatotkach’ or ‘Ghattu’ who is the prince of the forest and is blessed with extraordinary powers. He experiences loads of fun with his magical powers, but also uses them to protect everyone around him.

People associated with the venture said this is a family entertainment movie with musical tracks that offer fun and magic.

“The movie is about how Ghatotkach grows up, the magical power he has,and how he loves to have fun, lots of food and saves a baby elephant called Gajju with whom he has a life long friendship. It’s got a lot of fun, magic, music and it has seven songs. It’s a total family entertainment film,” said Smita Maroo, the producer of the film.

Sudesh Bhosle, a prominent Bollywood singer, who has also sung in the movie, appreciated its making .

“It’s a good thing.So far,we have brought movies from foreign countries and dubbed them and showed them to our children. But now,our own artists are making such movies and it is being appreciated,” said Bhosle.

Directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, a veteran in the industry , the film joins her masterpieces like Pushpak, Appu Raja, Mayuri and the Son of Aladdin.(ANI)

Source : http://www.thaindian.com/

Local animation industry needs production-ready graduates

MAKATI CITY, Philippines -- The local animation industry is in dire need of production-ready graduates, an executive of a local school and the president of an industry organization said.

Reuel Virtucio, chief operations officer of iAcademy, said in an interview that the school is now working closely with the industry to ensure they produce animators ready to take on production jobs.

iAcademy, which started offering a bachelor course in animation, is one of many schools in the country offering animation courses developed with industry experts.

Virtucio said iAcademy has worked closely with Holy Cow, Cutting Edge and Top Draw in the development of its Bachelor of Science in Animation, which is also accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).

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RP animation firms bank on quality vs China, India

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines faces mounting cost pressure from China and India but the local animation industry is making up for it with quality and wealth of experience.

A Tholons report mentioned that the Philippines faces a serious threat from other key players like China, India and Singapore. The report cited growing demand for outsourced animation services, reaching $80 billion.

Although the country was cited as a strong player, the report said local animation firms are missing out on large-ticket contracts due to lack of capacity and resources, especially in 3D animation.

While estimated 2007 revenues reached $105 million, the report noted that it is considerably less than $185 million projected by industry group Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPA/P) in 2004. Tholons also estimates 7,000 employees as of last year, compared to 10,000 projected by BPA/P four years ago.

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Manpower shortage hits Indian animation industry

MUMBAI: The Indian animation industry is expected to double its revenues to nearly $1.5 billion by 2010 but is still hampered by lack of skilled manpower, mainly due to lack of facilities and preference for traditional career options.

"At the close of next year, the industry will require at least 25,000 more trained hands to fill the gap and by the year 2012, the industry will have room to accommodate 300,000 professionals, if not more," Atul Vohra, in-charge of the education division of the Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), told reporters.

At present only a little over 10,000 professionals are working in this techno-creative field.

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Pune seeks to become India’s animation capital

Pune, May 17 (IANS) First, it was information technology, then came biotechnology and now Pune’s heavyweights want to make a mark in the animation sector. The fifth Hi Tech Pune-Maharashtra 2008 conference scheduled June 18-20 has brought into its ambit animation and gaming along with IT and biotechnology.

At a press conference here Saturday evening, Suresh Kalmadi, MP and chairman of Pune Vyaspeeth, the initiator of this annual event, said: “This time we thought we will go a step further. We are happy to inform you that this year we are presenting the sunrise industry of animation and gaming under this banner.”

According to experts one of the reason for Pune to be chosen as a natural hub for animation industry is because is its proximity to Bollywood. Another is the large student base the city has to offer.

According to Ashish Kulkarni, the of CEO Big Animation, a part of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group: “Creativity is completely lost when one has to travel three hours in a crowded local for work. Pune offers peace of mind. Besides, music directors and artists are more than ready to come and visit us at Pune.”

The conference will be held under the guidance of R.A. Mashalkar, president of Global Research Alliance. He has set innovation-led inclusive growth as the theme of the conference.

Mashalkar said innovation was the new global mantra and Indians should aim at becoming world leaders in it. “Innovation takes the idea into the marketplace, making nations wealthier. World over now ministers are being designated science, technology and innovation ministers. The benefits of innovation should come down to the masses.”

The conference will be inaugurated by Minister for State for Communications and Information Technology Jyotiraditya Scindia. The winners of the Lifetime Achievement awards will be Chairman and Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies, N.R Narayana Murthy and Managing Director, Shantha Biotechnics, Vardhaprasad Reddy, for their outstanding contributions to industry and society.

Source : http://www.thaindian.com/

Kahani World unveils 7 animation films at Cannes Film Festival

CANNES: Kahani World Inc, a Canadian headquartered company with studio tie ups across India, will produce seven animation films in the next 24 months.

NASSCOM has reported that by 2010 domestic demand for animation movies will be USD 77 million, it is presently growing at 37% per annum.

Kahani World is slated to produce a slate of animation films, involving some internationally celebrated names in the industry and working with savvy technologies and studios to execute its pipeline.

The ventures include:

1. Secrets of Seven Sounds, a Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur production, in a joint venture with Virgin Comics.
2. Raju the Rickshaw predicted to be the Asian successor to 'Thomas the Tank Engine'.
3. Coderman, a new kind of superhero film for tweens.
4. Chipkali World - The Gecko Adventures, a pioneering inter-relationship between our world and exposing the unknown 'parallel world' of Geckos.
5. Game Access - a movie that endeavors to probe into the world of video games. Co produced with Nelson Recinos, two time Emmy award winner for Spielberg's 'Pinky & the Brain' and the Batman animated series.
6. I Prin, an enchanting story of three young girls groomed to become princesses at Academie Royal, a multimedia property, co produced with Sieundesign, Korea. I Prin is also the 1st animated IMAX movie being made in India.
7. Ashati - the Asian Princess an Asian teenage 'girl hero' story, 'crafted' by Srinivas Krishna, a celebrated Toronto based film Director.
   

Each of these seven titles are in development and production.

The entire range of films, produced by Kahani World, reflects the vision of the company, which is to engage the minds and hearts of its viewers in a highly dynamic entertainment ecosystem using animated content assets with an 'eastern' flavour.

These films are then leveraged across mobile, console and also new media platforms. The portfolio of shows, cleverly target three segments of the viewers - kids, tweens, and teens.

Kahani World CEO and president Biren Ghose says, "Kahani World will pioneer animation movies with distinct & contemporary Indian themes in a 'platter' that makes families laugh, learn and grow together."

Source : http://www.businessofcinema.com/

Fox launches venture to discover animation talent

News Corp. is drawing up big small-screen animation plans. 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Broadcasting Co. have teamed to launch Fox Inkubation, a joint venture designed to discover new animation talent and develop animated projects outside of the traditional model.

Additionally, 20th TV has formed a new animation department focused on more conventional development of cartoon series and has tapped Jennifer Howell, executive vice president of "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker's Important Films, to run it.

"So much of our success has been driven by animated shows, and we have been contemplating how to step up our efforts in the area," 20th TV chairman Gary Newman said. "We believe it is critical to our future success."

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Toonz Academy bullish on Chinese animation market

Thiruvananthapuram-based training institute in 2D and 3D animation, Toonz Academy, sees vast opportunities in the niche Chinese market, which holds a $10-billion potential for animation training.

"Animation as an opportunity is enormous in the Chinese market place with huge scope to provide broad-based industry-academia related curricula for students. We intend to tap into this emerging market, which no institution has entered so far, and have already initiated discussions with the Chinese government in this regard," Ramaprasad S, executive director of Toonz Academy, said here on Wednesday.

The academy had recently signed MoUs with various Chinese universities including the Beijing University, Shengyang University and Dalian University to start centres of excellence in animation. As part of this, a student exchange programme will facilitate 50 Chinese students to study in India from this August.

"We will devise a six-month course in classical (2D) and 3D animation after which we will design a two-year programme as per the Chinese industry requirements, before introducing a three-year BS degree in digital animation in affiliation with the European Carolus Magnus University by the next academic year," he said.

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India Animation 'Ghatothkach' Scheduled for Release

Feature animated film Ghatothkach: Master of Magic, is coming soon. Representing a new bridge in the world of Indian entertainment, built for the enjoyment of both domestic and international audiences, Ghatothkach is a simple tale of childhood adventure and cultural mysticism but with the traditional flare and fun of Bollywood musicals. Currently scheduled for release in multiple languages across India and perhaps other territories, Ghatothkach helps kick off a Spring/Summer season of comedy films that Indian audiences are sure to enjoy.

A production between Shemaroo Entertainment (Mumbai, India) and Sun Animatics (Hyderabad, India), Ghatothkach is a fantasy-adventure title that follows a young boy of five-years-old, whom as the prince of the forest, spends a lot of his time playing jokes and having fun. But Ghattu, as he is lovingly referred to, often runs into some trouble of his own. He may be an excitable and quest-seeking child, but young Ghatothkach has to buckle down and fight against the odds when a new evil comes to challenge him.

Blessed with remarkable magical abilities, Ghattu and his trusted friend, Gajju, a baby elephant, must avoid being destroyed by the evil forces that threaten the happiness and stability of Ghatothkach and his beloved forest.

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Toonz academy opens advance animation course

Toonz Academy, the training arm of Toonz Animation India, has invited applications for its 12-month 'Advanced Diploma in Digital Arts and Animation' course. The course commences on June 20, a release, here, has said.

The advanced diploma awarded in association with the prestigious European Carolus Magnus University, Belgium fulfils the requirements of a European Vocational Qualification and Career Development.

The course aims to impart proficiency in key areas like character modeling, background, organic character texturing, lighting, character rigging, character animation and particle effects, dynamics, and compositing.

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Finding genuine talent is Indian animation’s biggest challenge

If all goes well, Maya Entertainment Ltd. may plan an IPO in the next two-three years. Ronald D’Mello, the new managing director of Maya, shared all this and more in a candid interview with Pritha Mitra Dasgupta. Excerpts:

Why did you leave UTV for Maya?
Being at the strategic helm of a diversified media company for 15 years, I felt the need to get involved in something more focussed and, hence, the move.

What was your primary mandate at Maya?
The primary mandate was to drive Maya towards its true potential. Maya looked to me like an entity, which had the potential, and my mandate was to identify and ignite this potential.

What were the reasons for restructuring the organisation?
There were some fundamental hygiene issues that needed to be set right, which led us to ensure that some executives exit the company. We also terminated some franchisee operations of the company on the education side. This was necessary to build a transparent and empowered organisation, without which no business can expect to have all-round growth. Secondly, my study on Maya’s historical evolution led me to believe that the company was always short of its real potential because of a lack of clear focus on each of its activities. Hence, we restructured the organisation in three clear verticals—education, services and own intellectual properties (IPs).

What are the basic differences you observed in the work processes/culture in UTV’s animation division and in Maya?
I think Maya had the legacy of stalwarts like Ketan Mehta and, hence, the overall creative backbone of Maya’s animation was superior to that of UTV. Apart from that and some culture differences that are peculiar to a corporate entity versus a personality driven business situation, it was all the same.

What is the current revenue and compounded annual growth rate of the company?
Maya’s combined revenue for 2007-’08 would be about Rs 100 crore, majorly contributed by its education vertical. While the education side of the business will see robust growth year-on-year, the services and own IP segments will see multiplying growth for the next few years, as we have been able to energise these verticals significantly during the last six months.

Maya is currently working on two productions—Toonpur Ka Superhero and Rama. What’s next?
Our ambition is to work towards releasing two animation films a year from the Maya stable, 2010 onwards. This is apart from other content initiatives in television, home video and other digital media deliveries like the online and mobile technology.

Recently, you have forayed into Delhi. Why Delhi? Where and how many branches do you wish to open, and by when?
With increased workflow, our infrastructure in Mumbai is fast filling up. Moreover, with our education side of the business catering for more than 3,000 students in the northern part of India, it made sense for us to set up our facilities in Delhi for expansion. Going forward, we will keep trying to use the synergies of our education side of the business to set up facilities in the east and the south as and when we see the need to expand our infrastructure.

Give us a perspective on the animation outsourcing market.
The service outsourcing business will continue to flow into India but the real upside the studios in India will achieve is when they have a piece of content growth for themselves. This realisation has led to many Indian studios looking at own content while working on outsourcing work. International co-productions are another way of moving up the value chain.

What is the biggest challenge in the animation business in India?
I think talent is the biggest challenge, as of now, in numbers. Recently, I read an article about animation in Japan that had some reference to talent in India as ‘primarily school dropouts or technically-oriented individuals looking for alternative engagement’ rather than passionate, creatively-driven people. This is one area to which we need to give attention. The other problem where some regulatory intervention could help is to provide a level playing field when we deal with European/Western country competition where the operators get substantial state grants and tax incentives, thereby creating a straight cost disadvantage for Indian studios.

Source : http://www.screenindia.com

DreamWorks Animation Moves From Activision to THQ

DreamWorks Animation will end its six-year exclusive deal with Activision in 2010 with the release of the MASTER MIND game with THQ, reports VARIETY. Activision's first DWA-based title was SHREK 2 in 2004.

The THQ deal is a one-off agreement. Activision will retain the right to make games based on franchises that it has already worked on in the past. THQ revenues have been down with several titles underperforming in 2007, including the RATATOUILLE game and Nickelodeon- inspired titles. THQ looks forward to strong performances from 2008 releases SAINTS ROW 2 and WALL*E.

Source : http://news.awn.com/

Arena Animation launches AAASP 2008

NEW DELHI: Global leader in animation & multimedia training, Arena Animation has announced the launch of the brand new version of its comprehensive 2.5year high-end animation-training course, the Arena Animation Academy Specialist Program 2008 (AAASP 2008), designed as a complete 3D Animation Career Program.

This specialist program is aimed at training students in the latest industry relevant technology so that they enter the world of animation as trained professional animators.

Through project-based work in conjunction with theoretical and practical experience, students would get an opportunity to explore different ways to put ideas into practice for developing their portfolios.

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Arena Animation launches AAASP 2008

NEW DELHI: Global leader in animation & multimedia training, Arena Animation has announced the launch of the brand new version of its comprehensive 2.5year high-end animation-training course, the Arena Animation Academy Specialist Program 2008 (AAASP 2008), designed as a complete 3D Animation Career Program.

This specialist program is aimed at training students in the latest industry relevant technology so that they enter the world of animation as trained professional animators.

Through project-based work in conjunction with theoretical and practical experience, students would get an opportunity to explore different ways to put ideas into practice for developing their portfolios.

Read More Article...

Award for Ram Mohan, doyen of Indian animation

Mohan, the doyen of the Indian animation industry, has received a Special Recognition Award from the British High Commission at the Ficci Best Animated Frames (BAF) Awards 2008. British Deputy High Commissioner Vicki Treadell gave the award late Wednesday evening at a gala ceremony.

“He has played a significant role in the evolution of animation in India. With over a hundred films to his credit, his contributions span a wide spectrum of work across the areas of 2D classical animation, 3D computer graphics animation to cinema and live action,” said Treadell.

Ram Mohan, the doyen of Indian animation, recently completed 50 years of involvement with the industry. He is credited with teaching and training a whole generation of modern animators in India, said a statement from the high commission.

“The Indian animation industry is increasingly becoming the outsourcing capital for many UK producers including the BBC and Channel 4. The Indian and the UK film industries continue to have a mutually beneficial partnership,” Treadell added.

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Earnings Preview: Walt Disney

Disney to report 2nd-qtr results; analysts watching for theme park and national ad weakness

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Walt Disney Co. reports earnings for the second fiscal quarter on Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: Disney's movie studio hits included "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," "Enchanted" and its 3-D hit "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour."

Disney said it will team up with several Japanese companies to produce animation for television in Japan. Disney also plans to publish Indian-language story books for the first time.

The company signed Chief Executive Robert Iger to a new five-year contract that will pay him an annual salary of $2 million plus bonuses and stock awards that could be worth millions more.

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Chch trio launches animation software

Three Christchurch buddies want to make computer animation accessible to the masses.

Indy Liu and brothers Billy and Tony Chang have created software that people can download to make their own 3D animated video.

The three, aged in their 20s, are targeting the Facebook and YouTube generation of bloggers who write online diaries. Using the software they can make their own animated diary in a movie form.

Tony Chang said computer animation was time-consuming and difficult for the average person to do, but the software gave people with no experience in programming the chance to create their own movies.

The software was launched two weeks ago and has so far been downloaded 100 times, mostly from people in New Zealand, but also in Britain and the United States.

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Katzenberg says 3D films are the future

When Jeffrey Katzenberg recently stood on stage in Las Vegas before 500 of the movie industry's most influential members and theatre owners from as far away as Australia, he looked like a general motivating his troops.

And the Hollywood studio boss' message was clear.

Digital 3D movies are the future of the industry.

"It is nothing less than the greatest innovation that has happened to all of us in the movie business since the advent of colour 70 years ago," Katzenberg, who founded the DreamWorks movie studio in 1994 with Oscar-winning director and producer Steven Spielberg and music mogul David Geffen, said during a keynote speech at Las Vegas' annual ShoWest conference.

To prove Katzenberg's point, 3D glasses were handed out to the audience and footage of DreamWork's yet to be completed digital 3D computer-animated film, Monsters vs Aliens, was shown.

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BYU's Animation Program Continues Growth and Excellence

In late March, a new BYU Center for Animation was announced. Pixar President Ed Catmull came to speak during the announcement and said, in a post-speech press conference, comments that stunned many.

"It's amazing to suddenly see that BYU is producing the best in the industry," said Ed Catmull, president and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios. "It's the perception not just at Pixar but also at the other studios that something pretty remarkable is happening here."

It's that kind of success, noted by industry employers and film festivals around the world, which helped foster the support for the Center for Animation.

The center is a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts and Communications and the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology.

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