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commercial side of Indian animation industry has been active
now for more than a decade. As is common in all new age technologies,
it has had its share of peaks and lows and is currently going
through an important phase of introspection. There are a number
of studios that have had to scale down operations, staff and
expenditures in light of falling revenues. Unfortunately a
large part of this slowdown is self-created. For many years
now, the Indian entrepreneur has viewed this industry mainly
as a cash cow. Failure to recognise the need and importance
of qualified and efficient manpower, the never ending desire
for greater profits, the callous attitude towards research
and development and all this at the expense of human resources
has put the industry in this precarious position.
Animation
is labor intensive, requires long hours of dedicated work
and being a form of creative expression is not something
that can be mastered in a short while. It is a prestigious
part of a much larger industry (the Entertainment Industry)
and has an international appeal. But it is still confined
to the small-scale sector with relatively few animation
companies worldwide employing over 300 artists. Majority
of this industry comprises of small independently held studios
and companies with fewer than 20 artists. The absence of
a unifying body that can act as a guide, mentor and support
structure to hundreds of practicing animators also contributes
to the fragmented structure of this industry. With the advent
of newer technologies web and computer game developers have
also made inroads into this sector.
However
these companies do not find economies in affiliations to
large animation houses since they do not depend on animation
as their main source of revenue. Also present are small
independent operators who have taken to computer animation
and provide some form of low-cost alternatives to the frugal
advertiser, corporate house and upcoming independent businessman.
In
the near future companies do see changes that will involve
better technology, established work norms and production
processes and the general feeling is that computer animation
and digital processing will become quite common. The direct
implication of this development is that a large adaptable
skilled workforce will be required to service this spurt
in demand. Herein lies the dilemma. Small companies are
not in a position to conduct significantly effective training
programs and neither are they in a position to carry trainees
for long periods of time. Large companies on the other hand
are too busy chasing nightmarish deadlines to be able to
do full justice to training programs as most of these are
designed towards specific skills of its workforce relevant
to the jobs at hand. In such a situation the industry suffers
because:
1.
It is difficult to maintain current skill-sets
2.
New skills cannot be easily developed to face the ever-changing
demands of business.
In
the present scenario companies find that the limited pool
of experienced local talent is a hindrance to business development.
If we are to compete in the changing global environment
we need experts to lead our businesses.
The
international scene is quite different from that in India.
A large part of the animation workforce has some formal
training in the field before it enters or rather, is accepted
into the industry. This training may be in the form of a
recognised degree or some other animation related qualification.
This however does not mean that qualified people get into
animation abroad and that India accepts rookies. A sizeable
percentage of new entrants abroad are just as clue-less
as their Indian counterparts and further a large number
of companies do not follow a system of in-house training.
Job profile and skill up-gradation is pretty much left to
the employee and his personal outlook. In some cases where
companies provide formal training for skill upgrades, the
courses are restricted for its regular employees only. Freelance
artists have to pretty much fend for themselves.
In
India, animation training is quite a hands-on experience.
Workplace supervision by seniors is the major contributor
to skill development and up-gradation. Whatever formal education
is being provided by a handful of private institutes is
quite irrelevant to the requirements of the practicing industry.
The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad is just about
the only place in India that can be called a formal institute.
Even NID has recognised a need for change and up-gradation
of the courses being offered to students in order to keep
abreast of the latest global developments and this has made
a positive impact on the quality of animators it is producing.
The
following factors are enough to show that serious introspection
is required both at the training and industry level as far
as animation education is concerned:
1.
Current lack of industry based institutes
2.
Small companies do not have the resources to commit towards
training employees
3.
Skill up-gradation is necessary to service and compete in
the changing global scenario
4.
Shortage of skilled animators in the industry and projected
high demand in the near future
5.
Small companies and relatively stable workforce call for
an industry based training course
6.
The large gap between available courses and training needs
as recognised by most animation companies in the country
7.
Theoretical software based approach towards training by
private institutes that are distanced from ground realities
of the medium
8.
Absence of courses in subjects such as life drawing, character
study, storyboard development, scripting, art direction,
visualisation, production planning, project controls etc.
9.
Willingness of local and international industry to participate
in such ventures
10.
Urgent need to establish a competent body that can impart
education relevant to the production demands of the industry
11.
Required to give a necessary boost to the local animation
industry
A
serious effort will be required by industry, educational
institutions and the Government if we are to place India
firmly on the global animation map not just as a source
of cheap labor but also as a hub of creative development.
India has the manpower, talent, willingness to learn and
desire to excel as has been amply demonstrated by the revolution
in information technology. Countries such as Canada, China,
Korea, Philippines and others in the South East Asian region
have recognised the importance of this medium for their
local economies and these Governments proactively support
their animation industries. It is high time we create an
atmosphere for the Government to look at us seriously.
The
primary aim of this series is to try and understand the
need, viability and profitability of true animation training
given the existing and future Indian market conditions.
There is no doubt that a huge market exists for industry-based
courses. Qualifications that can help people get profitable
jobs and create people who are useful to employers without
additional financial burden will always be welcome. Jobs
that contribute to the improvement of industry revenues
and corporate bottom lines will eventually provide for creative
freedom and artistic development within this industry.
End
of Part 1
Part
2 of the series entitled 'Animation Overview' shall appear
in the next issue of Animation Express.
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