Turner turns to India’s animation opportunity

MUMBAI: After sealing a joint venture deal with Miditech’s Alva Brothers for television channels, Turner International India is now chalking out aggressive growth strategies for India.

Turner will independently launch its animation theatrical business in the country and is also planning a Hollywood-centric entertainment channel in partnership with Warner Bros.

For its animation business, Turner will establish a new “multi-million dollar business unit” to develop and produce animation films to be released primarily in the Indian market and expand its current output of live-action television series.

Steve Marcopoto, president, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific and Anshuman Mishra - MD South Asia said in a press conference on Thursday that this was Turner’s first maiden venture of its kind internationally.

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Animated movies to go 3-D, Disney says

The Pixar animation studio plans to release all future movies in 3-D format beginning in May 2009, the Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday.

Most animated films from Walt Disney Animation will also have 3-D versions, chief creative officer John Lasseter said at a presentation in New York.

"I love 3-D. I made a 3-D computer-animated short in 1989 called Nickname, and in fact my wedding pictures with my beautiful wife Nancy were made in 3-D," he said.

DreamWorks Animation announced last summer it would make all its computer-animated titles 3-D.

Disney is following suit, with plans for both conventional and 3-D releases for 10 upcoming movies.

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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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Animation comes closer home

The success of movies like Hanuman and Bal Ganesha has made production houses realise the potential of the domestic market .

The Indian animation industry is moving away from being just a back office for Hollywood studios and other international production houses. It is now creating original content for the local market.

With the success of animated movies like Hanuman and Bal Ganesha, production houses and studios are realising the potential of the domestic market. Apart from animated movies, animation series on television with original content have also been garnering huge TRP ratings such as J Bole To Jadu on Nickelodeon, MAD on Pogo among others.

The entertainment segment of the Indian animation industry is worth Rs 1,300 crore, says a Ficci-PwC report on the media and entertainment industry.

Over the next four years the growth in domestic demand for TV/Broadcast animated content is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49.5 per cent. It is forcast the domestic market will be worth Rs 150 crore in 2008 and will touch Rs 300 crore by 2010.

The launch of new channels almost everyday and the resultant desire to provide diversified and original content has made media houses look for original and localised content.

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