We do need some education

The animation industry in India is still in its infancy and hence offers a lot of scope for career growth. This is one job that has the vital creative element to compensate for the day-to-day grind. But what are the qualifications required from an animator? Love for the arts and creativity tops the charts. Animators must have creative and artistic abilities. A good sense of humour and an observant eye to detect the incongruous are assets that are a must if you want to make a successful career out of animation.

Other than that, most studios require a bachelor’s degree or diploma in fine arts/ applied art/ visual art/ commercial art/ graphic design/ animation design and or visual communication design. Most studios like Maya or Western Outdoors prefer to provide hands-on training to new recruits in animation and multimedia software like Maya, 3D Studio Max and Tictactoon, Flash, Giff Animator, Ulead and Adobe After Effects. But not all companies can afford the training part as it is too expensive a proposition for upcoming companies.

There are various renowned institutions offering courses on animation. Some of the more popular and acclaimed ones include Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design, ZICA Studios in Mumbai, Industrial Design Centre at IIT Bombay, IIT-Guwahati, B.Des (Visual Communication /Industrial), Arena Animation Academy, Pentamedia Graphics in Chennai and CDAC’s National Multimedia Resource Centre in Pune.

Despite the large number of institutes catering to this sector, there is still a dearth of skilled manpower. Most studios Express Computer spoke to feel that the quality of manpower churned out by these institutes do not match international standards. Says Jayakumar, “Unlike the software industry, which is fed by a continuous stream of software engineers from the many educational institutes in India, the animation industry is starved of animators.”

The primary requirement from aspiring animators seems to be a keen enthusiasm towards a career in Fine Arts. Says Madan, “People should not choose animation as a last option. Even parents should encourage their children to look at animation as an alternative career path.” But a general lack of awareness, more often than not discourages even the interested. Increased awareness about the challenges and opportunities animation has to offer seems to be the need of the hour if we want to see India emerge as a preferred outsourcing destination for animation. Says Madan, “Our positioning is not right. We associate animation with entertainment. We have to educate the public about the application of animation in areas other than entertainment. Until such time we will face a mindset block.” The only option left to provide the budding industry with the requisite manpower seems to be in involving the government in the training and education process. Says Jayakumar, “Most countries that have been successful in animation production have been backed by animation colleges. We will have to replicate the same strategy here in India if we want to make any progress.”

Says Dudhe of Octoplus, “We have to take the issue of education on a war footing. The 3D segment in India is growing at a rapid pace. This calls for a better system of training even the existing manpower.” Dudhe suggests partnering with the likes of J J College of Arts and such others to tap the creative talent churned out by these institutes. Agrees Madan of Discreet, “Animation should be introduced at the school and college level. We need to replicate the success of state-owned management and engineering institutes if we want to scale up the animation industry.” He believes that such initiatives would help students to be more creative, which would in turn help them in any career and not just animation.