Animation BPO Gaining Momentum

Animation and gaming are seen as the next wave in Indias successful outsourcing story. However, there is a major change, this is a sector which has moved up from outsourcing to co production, a move up the value chain from low end, less creative work to higher creativity and advanced technologies, says Krayon Pictures director Namrata Sharma. She said that for India to catch the animation bus, it needed to quickly provide the required manpower since Nasscom had projected that both animation and gaming were multi billion dollar opportunities for India. The usual block, however, is the lack of trained manpower.

And those who do go to training schools offering such courses are not studio ready, industry veterans claim Industry is now trying to bridge the gap through an industry training institute co operation. MCCIAs Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture, animation and gaming committee, comprising a three member group of industry professionals, has devised a curriculum for a six month foundation course, which will provide the industry with studio ready professionals.

Additionally, the committee has proposed the formation of a loose alliance of all training institutes so that some facilities might be shared. This association will ensure that basic standards are maintained in the quality of training imparted at these institutes.

MCCIA committee co ordinator Cmde Anand Khandekar said the sector was more than just software. Being a multi disciplinary area, its manpower must be skilled at acting and the other performing arts. Lalit Kala Kendra of the University of Pune has, therefore, devised a course for applied theatre, where theatre can be used as a therapy by the industry.

Source: http://www.offshoringtimes.com/

DreamWorks: 3D movies to double data storage requirements

With a growing number of feature-length animated movies and the changeover from a 2D to a 3D format, DreamWorks Animation deployed a disk-based data archive system that reduced the time it takes artists to retrieve reference video from days to seconds.

DreamWorks Animation SKG is releasing all of its films in stereoscopic 3D, more than doubling the amount of data storage capacity required to store its movies.

The move to 3D animation also requires the company's IT shop to migrate away from tape-based storage systems to disk systems in order to keep archived films online for animators to use as references for future sequels, which is the company's mainstay.

DreamWorks recently released its first 3D animated moviem Monsters vs. Aliens, which packed its newly installed disk array from Hewlett-Packard Co. with 93TB worth of images. The company plans to release five feature films every two years. In the past, each animated film averaged less than 25TB, according to Derek Chan, head of digital operations for DreamWorks Animation.

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Rs 120-cr 3D animation film on The Jungle Book

The mischievous ‘Mowgli’ and his jungle friends, including his bear companion ‘Baloo’, will once again be reincarnated on the big screen.

But this time, in a high-definition stereoscopic 3D (with wearable glasses for viewing pleasure) animated feature-film format.

Hyderabad-based animation, gaming and entertainment company DQ Entertainment International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the over Rs 200-crore AIM-listed DQ Entertainment Plc, is producing the film which is an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's novel The Jungle Book, with a budget of ¤18 million (approximately Rs 120 crore).

“Currently, two noted writers are working on the initial script treatment in London for the feature film. And we are in the process of roping in three distributors — one each in the US, Europe and Asia — to cover all the territories worldwide. The film will begin production in September 2010 and will be ready for a global theatrical release by the end of 2011,” Tapaas Chakravarti, chairman and chief executive officer of the DQE Group, told Business Standard.

About 150 of DQE’s animation experts, including 10 from its Paris office, will work non-stop for nearly 18 months for the 90-minute film, while the entire post-production work will be done at DQE's Ireland facility, he added.

The movie will unfold interesting tales of Mowgli, the man cub, raised by a pack of wolves in the tropical jungle of Seeonee.

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Magnolia TV Forum looks at China's animation industry

China produces hundreds of cartoons each year. But only a handful of them ever make a profit. Industry professionals gathered at the Magnolia TV Forum on Wednesday to discuss ways to boost the country's animation industry.

The popular animation "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" was the big winner in the Chinese animation market last year.

Yang Wenyan, director of Haha TV, said, "One successful approach is the government's ban of imported cartoons during evening prime time."

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Will the best animated movie of the year be ... 9?

Most animated films seem to be cut from the same cloth. This decade has seen an abundance of movies starring anthropomorphic animals and robots making cutesy pop culture references and singing songs. Pixar is the lone animation studio that strives to inject something original and fresh into their films, but even they end up making movies about talking cars and cute characters. And animated features like Waltz With Bashir are so unique that they are singular, only being made and released once every few years, and by dedicated people with a real passion for their work. Otherwise it's all a bunch of Hoodwinkeds, Delgos and Bee Movies (for the record, I like Bee Movie. But it's nothing special).

So when something like 9 comes around (not to be confused with the upcoming non-animated Daniel Day-Lewis starring musical film Nine), it might be worthwhile for you to check it out. That is, if you want studios to continue making interesting and unique movies.

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Anil Ambani Opens Animation School

The Anil Ambani group has forayed into animation education by launching the Big Animation Infotainment and Media School or Big Aims, a training institute in Pune.

"Big Aims is unique and a first-of-its kind," said Ashish Kulkarni, chief executive of Big Animation, the group company that launched the project and made the animated TV series "Little Krishna".

"It will be a big leap for freshers, amateurs and aspirants to migrate to a much higher level of training practised by major Hollywood studios like Dreamworks," Kulkarni told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

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With Pixar, Animation Grows Up'

"Up" is a wonderful movie. Among the best I've seen this year.

I gave it 3 1/2 stars. After writing my review I saw it a second time and came away convinced I should have given it 4 stars.

Apparently lots of you agree. Pixar's latest effort did smashing business on its opening weekend (nearly $70 million). Even more telling are the comments I've been getting.

On the same day, two guys - both middle-aged men - told me they'd found themselves crying twice during the film.

This is not a reaction we're used to with animated entertainment, much less from middle-aged men. But "Up" makes cartoon characters as real, as substantial, as emotionally rich as any Oscar-winning drama.

Yeah, it's a fanciful adventure about an old man and little kid who float away for a South American expedition in a house borne aloft by hundreds of colorful helium balloons.

But it's also about growing old, about loneliness at any stage of life, about bereavement and the human need for growth and adventure that stubbornly refuses to fade with time.

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