Animation school Toonz-Webel set up in Kolkata

EC Team / Kolkata

Trivandrum-based production house Toonz Animation India and WEBEL, the nodal IT body of the West Bengal government have set up a animation school called Toonz-Webel Academy. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee inaugurated the animation school in Kolkata recently.

While the global animation industry is estimated at $40 billion, the Indian animation industry is worth only $700 million. And the biggest problem plaguing the Indian animation industry is the lack of skilled manpower, said S K Mitra, managing director, WEBEL.

“Keeping in mind the requirement of skilled manpower for this sector, we decided to set up an animation academy in the state. West Bengal has one of the largest pools of creative talent and a large English-speaking population, which is essential for the animation industry,” he said.

To start with, the 5,000-sq feet state-of-the-art academy will offer diplomas in 2D and 3D animation. It will also offer a six-month advanced certificate course. 50 students have been selected for the diploma courses.

Toonz Animation India, part of the Comcraft Group has a studio at Technopark, Trivandrum. The company specialises in providing 2D and 3D animation services while producing its own television series based on Indian themes. Toonz will offer consultancy for planning, operation and placement services of the academy, which will run under the administrative supervision of WEBEL. Veteran animation expert Bill Mathews, special consultant to Walt Disney Feature Animation, will help develop the course curriculum. The academy has an international faculty comprising veterans from the animation industry. An advisory council comprising eminent personalities from within the industry as well as from art and culture will help the academy with their suggestions and guidance.

Mitra said that the academy has already held informal discussions with a number of animation studios in the country and most of them have promised to absorb the pass-outs.