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The IMPORTANCE of Industry Based Training in Animation by Ranjit Singh PART IV

Animation ‘xpress presents ‘Manpower’ the fourth in a 12 part series.. on The Importance of Industry based training in animation. The views expressed throughout the series are the Author’s.
Animation ‘xpress may or may not subscribe to the same.

Manpower
Let us now take a brief look at the manpower profile. We will limit this to the entertainment and more specifically to the arena of episodic and long format animation work.

Four broad categories
1. Pre-Production

2. Production

3. Post Production

4. Administrative

Pre-Production

This consists of the creative team. Prominent members of this group include Creative directors, art directors, character and art designers, research executives, script writers, prop designers, color key artists, storyboard artists, pre-viz, sound breakdown engineers, technical directors, production directors, senior animators, chiefs of computer graphics, model animation and camera, music directors and studio managers. More people may be involved in this process depending on specific needs.

Production

This consists of the hands-on team. Members that are added to the pre-production team include Junior animators, assistant key animators, cleanup artists, breakdown artists, in-betweeners, line testing assistants, production controllers, graphic designers, render and transfer assistants, model animators, model makers, mould makers, senior and junior programmers, ink and paint artists, compositors, checkers, scanning assistants, visual effects directors, background artists, set creators, computer model makers, riggers, computer animators, computer imaging directors, light-men, assistant cameramen, trainees, helpers etc. Almost every one involved in the actual creation of the project is part of this team.

Post Production

Post-production consists of all activities that take place after the product comes through the production department. This includes music recording, editing, addition of extra special effects, conversion to various delivery formats and specifications. Certain key personnel are required for this category.

Creative directors, music directors and their assistants, off-line and on-line editors and their assistants, machine operators and scheduling executives to aid the studio managers and effects directors. Other people from the pre-production or production departments may be recruited if required.

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/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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Administrative

This team consists of the suits that run the studio. From the chief executive to the managers, all administrative staff falls under this category. It would be interesting to note here that running an animation studio is quite a different experience from running a similar facility with a few hundred people. Creative arts require a knowledgeable head of operations and a flexible financial officer. Artists cannot be treated like mill workers if high standards have to be maintained.

A very personal hands-on approach is required of all senior executives who may be, more often than not, required to chip into the production process.

The easiest way to alienate a large workforce is to have a top-down management approach when the best-worked models are horizontal hierarchies. It is therefore imperative that the senior executives be people who are from the industry and understand its workings.

End of Part 4

Part 5 of the series entitled ‘Emerging Trends’ shall appear in the next issue of Animation Express.

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

Read Part 3

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