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CONSTANTS
1. Involvement of animation companies from the industry
2. Involvement of senior and experienced people from industry
3. Should keep standards of industry always in focus
4. The courses should be practical and relevant to industry
5. Senior faculty be of only working members from industry
VARIABLES
1. Recruitment methods used by various institutes
2. Structure of courses taught at these institutes
3. The target audience
4. Duration of courses offered
5. Whether financial aid available to trainees
6. Management of the courses
7. Place of training
8. Other participants such as non-government bodies
9. Teaching methods used by the institutes
10. Infrastructure available at institutes
CONSTANTS
Involvement of animation companies from the industry
The
success of an industry-based course is directly proportional
to the level of involvement of the very industry it aims
to cater. Industry involvement means immediate transfer
of newer technologies and processes to fresh entrants. It
is also a means of keeping recruits in touch with industry
norms and practices. Look at the best management schools
and colleges. All of them have serious participation from
the industry.
Involvement
of senior and experienced people from industry
Senior
and experienced people bring with them a wealth of knowledge
and a stable perspective into teaching. They are not driven
by trends and fashions but rather by the desire to help
groom fresh talent. Experience is a vital part of an animators'
training. Senior people can utilise their experience and
knowledge to guide recruits and bring with them loads of
credibility. It should be noted here that this involvement
should not be on paper alone. Many institutes today approach
industry professionals purely for the credibility factor.
Should
keep standards of industry always in focus
Training
courses should always strive to maintain and improve upon
prevalent standards of operation in the industry. An industry-based
course is only as good as the students it produces. Poor
teaching standards and course design will affect the caliber
of fresh recruits and thereby be detrimental to the industry
in the long run.
The
courses should be practical and relevant to industry
Teaching
students material that does not aid employment and/or is
outdated, irrelevant to current industry requirements is
of no use. If industry is to benefit, courses have to be
designed in such a manner that new recruits are able to
get employment and become useful to their employers from
day one. Too much emphasis on theory without practical application
and vice-versa are bound to produce trainees that will be
misfits.
Teaching
staff be of only working members from industry
If
those that teach are actively working in industry on a daily
basis the course is bound to be updated and relevant to
industry needs. Few people outside the industry understand
the pressures and demands of working in this medium. A practicing
animator will bring in his own set of practical measures,
solutions and problems for recruits to learn from, something
a pure classroom teacher is ill equipped to do.
VARIABLES
Recruitment methods used by various institutes
Institutes
should be free to decide how they want to recruit or lure
students. In the final analysis, it is compliance with the
constant factors that will determine the success or failure
of a particular school. Some institutes prefer direct advertising
while other might want to tap into their local contacts
and referrals supplied by their faculty.
Care
should be taken to provide training to all categories of
students, from freshmen to practicing animators who might
want to refresh and/or upgrade their skills.
Structure
of courses taught
Varying
course structures will bring about competition and open
the education field to better resources. It would be quite
impossible for one institute to provide skills in all relevant
areas. Therefore it might be better if many different schools
run industry-based courses and offer variety to students
and professionals alike so that specialisation and excellence
in both training and course materials is possible.
The
target audience
Most
courses available today do not take into account senior
artists who might want to refresh their knowledge or improve
their skill sets. Courses are not designed for the practicing
animator on the pretext that he would learn all that he
requires on the job.
Nothing could be further from the truth. There is very little
time or space available for a practicing animator to attempt
gaining newer skills while under constant production pressure.
There is a large market for such courses that can be designed
around production schedules.
Duration
of courses offered
Current
courses range from short 3-months to a year. Too much is
crammed into the syllabi to be of any practical use to the
animator. The idea is to design and offer specialised, 6-month
courses that enable students to get thorough knowledge both
in theory and practice.
Whether
financial aid available to trainees
With
courses in animation being urban-centric, most students
find the costs exorbitant. There should be an attempt to
organise financial aid in the form of educational loans
by the institute to offer talented people from all walks
of life a chance to realise their dreams.
Management
of the courses
Qualified
people should manage these courses. Businessmen and knowledge
brokers will never be in a position to understand the complexities
and constraints of running an educational institution. Some
level of idealism is required to avoid the common pitfall
-that the teaching of business becomes a business of teaching.
Be
it setting up his own animation and sfx studio in 1995
or providing insights and project reports to help re
structure organisations and animation training schools,
independent animation producer and TASI India founding
member and spokesman Ranjit Singh's 15 yr old
stint in the animation Industry is marked with many
highlights.
In 2001, Ranjit resigned from the company he founded
and has since been working as an independent animation
producer, director and consultant. He is currently writing
the first of a series of books on animation for beginners.
An animator and modeler himself, Ranjit is very passionate
about animation. He wants the new breed of animators
to avoid the struggle of his formative years and in
this endeavor he is forever available for advice to
students and animators alike. He can be reached at phanspal@vsnl.net
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Place
of training
Art
schools and colleges are best suited for such courses. In
any case courses are best situated in an environment of
learning. Teaching staff in such cases should be independent
and there should absolute freedom to the institute to conduct
the course as it deems fit. Animation can become part of
courses in fine and commercial art as a field of specialisation.
Animation courses can also be incorporated into the normal
structure of higher education with regulations in place
to ensure proper recruitments and validations.
Other participants such as Non-Government bodies
Lack
of funds is a main source of trouble for any high-end specialisation
course. Non-government organisations and public bodies can
play an active role in financially supporting such ventures.
It would be quite impossible for a single unit to take over
the entire burden of such an exercise. However care should
be taken that financial assistance does not lead to interference
in administrative and more importantly course related issues.
It is very difficult to keep focus with too many players
involved in the financial aspects of a venture. Certain
compromises on the intended direction are necessary to take
the project forward.
Teaching
methods used by the institutes
Different
institutes may employ different teaching methods. So long
as they are relevant to industry norms and practices and
are technologically current they will be useful. Care should
be taken that there is a right mixture of theory and practical
time on the courses. As far as possible independent practice
sessions should be encouraged.
Infrastructure
available at institutes
Equipment
that is used for animation is fairly expensive. However
institutes cannot afford to train students on outdated technologies
and systems. Constant upgrades and induction of fresh equipment
on a regular basis is required in order to offer the most
relevant training to students. Institutes that realise this
fact are bound to lead in terms of the quality of students
they offer to the industry.
End
of Part 8
Part
9 of the series entitled 'Current Indian Scenario' shall
appear in the next issue of Animation Express.
Read
Part 1
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Part 2
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Part 3
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Part 4
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Part 5
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Part 6
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Part 7
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