Indian Animation Turns Spotlight on Local Stories

MUMBAI (Reuters Life!) - When the Cartoon Network channel launched in India more than a decade ago, it simply dubbed its shows in regional languages.

But it soon realized there was a market for local content and tapped Indian animation firms for shows such as "Krishna Balarama" on a Hindu god and "Tenali Raman," a popular folk hero who was a 16th century court jester.

Last year, parent Turner International, in a maiden effort, set up a multi-million dollar unit in India to develop and produce animated films and original live action TV series.

"The opportunity in developing local animation content is significant," said Samir Patil, chief executive of ACK Media, which was recently commissioned by Turner to produce two animated films and a TV series based on popular Indian folk tales and mythology from the Amar Chitra Katha comic books.

The animation industry in India, including entertainment, visual effects and gaming, is estimated at about $500 million and forecast to double by 2012, according to financial services firm Ernst & Young. The entertainment segment is likely to grow at 18 percent annually.

Animation in India, driven by lower costs and software expertise, was largely limited to low-end work such as title credits, special effects and brushing up of scenes created in Hollywood studios. Original work was rare or of poor quality.

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India's Animation Ind Seen At $1 bln By 2012-Report

MUMBAI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - India's animation industry is expected to hit $1 billion by 2012 and the gaming industry would touch $830 million then, aided by increased outsourcing and a growing domestic market, a report released on Wednesday said.

The Indian animation market, estimated at $494 million in 2008, is seen growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 22 percent till 2012, a report by National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and Ernst & Young said.

"The industry will witness a dip in growth rates for two years before becoming a billion dollar industry by 2012," Farokh Balsara, Partner & National Leader-Media & Entertainment Practice with Ernst & Young, said at a media briefing, referring to the animation industry.

The gaming industry was estimated at $167 million in 2008 and is seen growing at a compounded rate of 49 percent yearly to hit $830 million by 2012, the report added.

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Animation BPO Growing In Strength

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/

Original content to drive growth of Indian animation industry

MUMBAI: Unlike the Indian cinema industry, which has brands like the Khans and the Bachchans participating in marketing stints to promote the end product that would consequently pull in audiences into theatres and create box office hits, the nascent yet growing Indian animation industry is still to witness anything of such kind, at least in the near future. This is because the industry is still under the spell of outsourced content.

Hence, industry experts and marketers, present at the Animated Feature Forum in Mumbai on 23 August to discuss the future prospects of the Indian animation industry, believe that the only way to drive brand India into animation is by producing "good original content".

The Animated Feature Forum was organised by Animation Xpress with an aim to provide professionals from both the cinema and the animation industry with a platform to share and discuss their expertise domain.

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Mythology is heart & soul of Indian animation

NEW DELHI: “I hope we never lose sight of one thing, it was all started by a mouse.”––Walt Disney.

It took a mouse for Walt Disney to kickstart the $60-billion global animation industry. Back home, mythological heroes like Hanuman, Ganesha and Krishna have done that and more for the Rs 1,300-crore Indian animation genre, as per KPMG estimates. Mythology has virtually become a crutch for the risk-averse industry loathe to experiment with original storylines and characters.

Currently, as many as 15 animation movies are in the works for release starting end-2008—Arjun (UTV), Return of Ravana, Untitled movie on Lord Krishna (Percept Picture), Jumbo (Phoebus Media Creations), Krishna (Rakeysh Mehra) and Friends and The Trap (Dream Studio)—and most of them are mythological.

“When a concept is successful, everyone follows it. Plus, mythology provides readily available storyline, well-defined, easy-to-recall characters that instantly click with the core audience of 4-14 years,” reasons Shailendra Singh, MD, Percept Holdings, producers of Hanuman and Hanuman Returns.

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Indian animation: Future bright

Today Indian animation companies are doing feature films, commercials and TV series work that aspire to international standards. However, the company is only as good as the artists it employs. So good, well trained animation professionals find themselves in high demand.

The Animation industry in India has grown exponentially over the last few years. What is more remarkable is that even with this rapid growth India still represents only a small portion of the world animation pie! That means there are still lots of opportunities for Indian animation to grow.

What is it going to take for animation to come of age in India? Production of original content.

Animation is an extraordinary means of telling a story. What one can achieve in animation is the ability to strip away all the unnecessary details so the story can be presented in its purest form. Here is where the secret of animation’s appeal lies. This is why people remember good animation movies even decades after they first saw them.

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Is Bigger Always Better?: The Rise of the Indie Animation Feature

Erstwhile Animation Pimp Chris Robinson talks to Nina Paley and Bill Plympton about their new movies.

Two bad breakups, a blues song and the Indian epic Ramayana inspired Nina Paley to create Sita Sings the Blues. All Sita images © Nina Paley.

What's that? You want to know how I feel about the increase in animation features? Well, let me tell you just what I think.

Most of it stinks. These clods can't even make short films, so why are they on about features now? Me? I forgive them. So should you. They can't help themselves. They are the victims of a horrible disease that's infested their sponge-worthy carcasses. This blinding disease of the featuretwitus insinuates itself into the body (often through the penis opening or nasal passage) and saturates the sponge's noodle, convincing it that LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG is RIGHT. MUST MAKE LONG. Make 'em long and they will come (with money, praise, sunglasses and coke). Make' em short and they will yawn and forget.

Some are immune to this soul-sucking mind-twist; others are only partially affected. There have been some recently reported cases where some good has come from this viral bitch of a killer. Unconfirmed reports state that at least two (deux) mutants actually make 'em long AND make 'em good. These mutants, miraculously, think first, make second. It's a God damn miracle (who else's miracle could it be, praise ye all). Praise Wayne Gretzky for Persepolis, Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly (puritan animators be damned for your perverse perfection puddyfutting).

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Govt plans Excellence Centre in Animation

The government is finalising plans to set up a National Centre in Excellence in animation, game and visual effects to meet the shortage of skilled professionals in this growing sector.

According to Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said the centre could come up in Pune as the Film and TV Institute of India is already there. The centre would be set up through public-private partnership.

Earlier, the Working Group Report of 11th Five-Year Plan had suggested that the government should set up a Centre for Excellence in animation, gaming and special effects to address the problem of manpower shortage in such a high-tech content industry.

With the Indian animation and gaming Industry expected to grow, the I&B ministry has engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to prepare a report on the human resources requirement for this sector. The consultancy is drawing the blueprint of the requirement of skilled manpower by the industry and suggest necessary steps.

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