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Age-old art
Animation is not new to mankind. An Egyptian wall decoration dating to about 2000 B.C. depicts, on successive panels, the actions of two wrestlers in a variety of holds. In one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous illustrations, “The Vitruvian Man”, he shows how the limbs would look in various positions. Since the beginning of time, human beings have tried to capture a sense of motion in their art. From the eight-legged boar in the Alta Mira caves of Northern Spain to paintings alongside the remains of long-dead pharaohs, this quest for capturing motion has been a common theme throughout many of mankind's artistic endeavors. It was only in the last century that animation truly evolved to an art with the most influential studio in the history of animation, the Walt Disney Studio, which exploded onto the scene in 1928 with Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie" and continued to dominate the field to this very day.
A new- age Career
Animation is shaping into the most explosive and dynamic industry and the demand for well-trained animation professionals is growing at an astounding pace. With technology getting simpler and its possible applications growing, the number of opportunities to become an animation professional is on the rise. Animation applications are varied and ever increasing. Animation is extensively used by many organisations like animation studios, dotcom companies, advertising firms, multimedia concerns, publication houses, etc and the jobs are available in the following areas:
Broadcast Design Game Design CD-ROM Design Web Design Simulations CD-ROMs Film Effects, Characters & Props Television Effects, Characters & Props Advantage India
Says Atul Vohra, National Head, Arena, “The Indian animation industry has experienced exponential growth in the last few years and the trend is expected to continue. Moreover, a lot of companies in the West have started outsourcing their work to Indian animation companies. The simple reason being that in India they get high-quality work done at an amazingly low cost, as compared to other countries due to availability of manpower. Added to this is the fact that India’s animators are considered to deliver world-class quality, creativity and artistry, technological proficiency, productivity and have a good command over English.”
According to a recent NASSCOM report on the animation and gaming industry, it is estimated that the global market size of industry will witness a CAGR of eight per cent and is expected to reach $ 75 billion by 2009. The global animation market is expected to increase to $ 35 billion by 2009 from $ 25 billion in 2005. The size of the Indian animation market was estimated at $ 285 million in 2005. It is expected to witness a CAGR of 35 per cent from 2005-2009 and increase to $ 950 million by 2009. The animation industry in India is facing a severe shortage of workforce today, especially on the quality front. In India alone, the animation industry needs over 30,000 people, while the demand met is a mere 10 per cent of the requirement. NASSCOM predicts that India will require around 3,00,000 skilled professionals by 2008. In order to keep pace with the growing and constantly evolving needs of the industry, the animation companies are hunting for animators with the knowledge of every aspect of animation, including both 2D and 3D animation.
Skill sets
An animator is an actor with a pencil. A skillful animator blends together creativity, dexterity and sheer hard work. The animator's task is to carefully read the script, study the storyboard, and try to "get into" the character. In other words he needs to know and understand the character. Knowledge needed:
Drawing techniques Animation techniques Different styles of animation such as 2-D and 3-D animation Design and layout How people move and express their feelings How animals move How to create different moods and feelings in characters Computers and animation software applications The history of art and design Film and television production. Animators should be:
Artistic, creative and innovative Good communicator Having inclination for good music Able to ideate and conceptualise Focused, self-disciplined and self-motivated Able to use their knowledge of the human body and how animals move to create animations Versatile and adaptable and able to accept criticism Able to work to a deadline Observant, with an eye for detail Able to work well in a team Able to understand the comic nature of cartoons. Training talk
ApeeJay School of Design and Animation (Delhi & Jalandhar) Arena Animation Academy Webel (West Bengal) Industrial Design Centre, IIT, Mumbai Toonz Animation India Pvt. Ltd. The speed of career growth is enormous, as animation has been rated the fastest growing segment in the IT enabled services segment. With trained animation manpower now a reality, India is poised to take off vertically in this segment.
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A picture says a thousand words” is very true of animation because the picture moves, and is alive. To animate means to bring to life and communicate feelings through storytelling. Telling a story that communicates emotions to an audience involves deep thinking, creativity and reflection.
