Animation firm grows one frame at a time

Allan Magled has a simple formula for business success. Love what you do. Learn as you grow. And never take on more than you can handle.

He is president and one of three partners of Toronto-based Soho VFX, a special effects studio that has been expanding with each project that comes its way. Now in its seventh year of operations, Soho VFX's portfolio of projects includes such blockbusters as Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The team of 70 full-time employees (numbers can reach 120 when projects are in full swing) animate characters, lighting, scenery and textures for the film industry from a 7,500-square-foot studio.

That is a far cry from the early days, when four people worked in a room the size of a freight elevator on television and short feature projects. "It was a great way to start," Mr. Magled says. "If the projects had been any larger, it would have been hard on us because we had to everything ourselves. Our computers were the cheapest you could get and we didn't have a render farm."

The team built up its repertoire by honing its software capabilities, he says. "Our software just kept getting better. We got very good at doing fur characters and creatures."

Over time, the studio built the infrastructure to take on bigger and better projects. "It's hard when you're new because the first question studios ask is if you have the infrastructure," Mr. Magled says. "You have to prove yourself each time."

Its big technology leap came in 2004. By then Soho VFX had landed jobs big enough to justify the investment. "Fantastic Four was the best thing that happened since it took us to where we are today."

"It takes a lot of processors to do this kind of work," says Kevin Smith, enterprise solutions brand manager for Dell Canada in Toronto. "The performance needs are similar to what university researchers use for advanced computational analysis."

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8-year-old computer wizard makes 1,000 animation films

Aman Rehman is merely eight years old but teaches "students" who are thrice his age. Popularly known as the "computerwala bachcha" in Dehra Dun, where he lives, this little genius is a computer animation wizard and has made more than 1,000 animation films till date. Aman, the youngest of four siblings, began showing interest in computers at the age of three.

"We had bought a second-hand computer for our eldest son and Aman would sit watching his elder brother work at it. He would dabble at it whenever his elder brother was away. While his friends would be playing in the fields, he would be sitting at the computer. I would scold him because I thought that he would spoil the machine, but Aman would not listen," says his mother Shabnam.

Aman’s father, M. Rehman, is illiterate and works as a scooter mechanic in Dehra Dun. When some of his friends saw Aman work at the computer, they advised him to take the child to some computer experts.

Aman’s father approached the authorities at the Dehra Dun College of Interactive Arts and after considerable convincing, the authorities agreed to watch the boy work on computers.

So impressed were the college authorities with Aman’s skills that they immediately offered him admission. Within a month, Aman had written his own programme and completed the 15-month animation course in less than three months.

The College of Interactive Arts has now provided him with a scholarship for further studies and the state government has given him a laptop and Rs 1 lakh as incentive.

Aman, with 1,000 animated films to his credit, has now applied for an entry in the Young Achiever’s category of the Guinness World Records.

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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/

Cartoon Network and Pogo line up local animation films

MUMBAI: Cartoon Network will air four Indian animation films namely Bal Ganesh, My Friend Ganesha, Bal Hanuman and Krishna Aayo Natkhat Nandlal this summer. With these films, the tally of Cartoon Network’s locally acquired animations has touched 19.

Additionally, POGO has also acquired it’s first Indian animation – Chhota Bheem. The series has been produced by Hyderabad based Green Gold Studios.

Gearing up for the summer, POGO will also air Hindi films like Krrish and Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire. The channel has also launched a live action comedy series about a fictional sports league – Thumb Wrestling Federation.

On the other hand, Cartoon Network has rolled new action-adventure shows – Naruto, Maskman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; plus the adorable pre-school series Land Before Time.

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Going global is the way forward for animation films

MUMBAI: In the emerging global scenario, animation is the new buzzword. The limits of quality and technology are being pushed constantly and workflow is not restricted to geographical boundaries. In fact, people are working in large scale, networked environments.

In studios such as Disney, Pixar, Sony and Warner, the average budget of an animation movie is close to $100 million (Rs 400 crore). The latest Dreamworks animation flick Bee Movie being budgeted at $ 150 million (Rs 600 crore).

With such big monies involved there is a need to spread risks of creativity and finance, increase geographical areas for content exploitation and provide access to media funds available in different countries, even tap global revenues from licensing and merchandising.

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