Arena Animation, a training brand of Aptech Limited, today has announced the launch of its new program titled, ‘IP Creation and Storytelling in Animation’, under the banner of Arena Originals.
This is a novel studio-collaborated intensive program dedicated to intellectual property (IP) creation and storytelling in the animation sector. Developed for students, professionals and aspiring creators, the program marks a strategic shift from traditional skill-based training to ownership-driven content creation in India’s animation landscape.
The program is launched in exclusive partnership with Vaibhav Studios, led by International Emmy-nominated filmmaker Vaibhav Kumaresh. Through this association, Arena Animation and Vaibhav Studios aim to bridge the gap between creative ideation and commercial monetisation in animation. It offers a structured pathway for talent to develop, produce, and own their original content.
“The challenge for animation creators is not lack of ideas”, said the program’s chief mentor and Vaibhav Studios founder and creative director Kumaresh. “The challenge lies in nurturing these ideas into properties that have the potential to be monetised. The IP Creation and Storytelling Program in collaboration with Vaibhav Studios, under Arena Originals, is a first of its kind program. It is designed to provide a platform for creators where their original ideas will be mentored by veterans in the space of IP creation.”
“With the launch of Arena Originals, we are empowering our students to move beyond technical execution and take rightful ownership of their creative ideas as IP. The first initiative for animation students, in exclusive partnership with Vaibhav Studios, provides the mentorship and commercial roadmap necessary to turn artistic passion into sustainable, monetisable assets,” said Aptech Limited global retail chief business officer and Arena Animation brand custodian Sandip Weling.
The program is a specialised six-month dedicated course delivered in a virtual mode to ensure pan-India accessibility. To maintain high standards of mentorship, batch strength is limited to a maximum of 40 students. Admission to this program is governed by a strict assessment test. Prospective candidates clear a creative evaluation to receive a provisional admission letter. This ensures that the program identifies the ‘best minds’ capable of handling the rigors of professional IP development.
It is fully delivered by Kumaresh and his team at Vaibhav Studios. Founded in 2003, Vaibhav Studios is the creative force behind some of India’s most recognisable animated content, including the Vodafone Zumi campaign and the International Emmy-nominated series Lamput.
The curriculum is divided into three phases designed to mirror professional pipelines from ideation and pitching (brainstorm ideas, develop pitches for various formats and mentorship from experts at Vaibhav Studios), production and management (covering legal entity creation, taxation, and IP protection) to industry pitch (final stage wherein teams pitch their developed pilots to a curated panel of industry experts and distributors).
The launch of Arena Originals aligns with the explosive growth of India’s creator economy. Through a focus on IP ownership, Arena Animation equips creators to generate, monetise and retain value from their own content in the growing orange economy.
