Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
ANIMATION
BREATHING LIFE INTO A CHARACTER
Animation Course Review Course Review Animation
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction03 ANIMATION, ALONG WITH VISUAL EFFECTS IS ONE OF THE FASTEST
GROWING INDUSTRIES IN THE WORLD TODAY.
2. What is Animation? 04
3. Course Content 06
E
4. Eligibility Norms 08
10. Institutes Offering Diplomas in Animation 20 multimedia. As the name suggests, multimedia & Brand Management/BCom
(Marketing & Advertising)
is a field that uses more than one medium of Programme: BSc Animation
communication. It merges text, images, graph- Eligibility: 10+2 Duration: 3 years
Popular Institutes: BIT-Mesra
ics, animation, audio and video to create vir- (Jaipur extension centre), Arena
Multimedia & Animation, Zee
tual magic. Animation is just one component of Institute of Creative Art, Whistling
Project Editors Dr. Nimesh Chandra, S. Rajaram multimedia. It is also one of the fastest growing Woods International Fee Rs. 3.6
lakhs (Graphic Era Hill University
Research Shiphony Pavitran Suri, Prerna Singh industries today. Animation and visual effects and IGNOU), Rs. 13.5 lakhs
Art Director Anshul Sharma are among the jobs that are most in demand in (Whistling Woods International)
Asst. Art Director Rajesh Chawla Job Roles Character animators,
the 21st century. Modellers, 2D animators, Layout
artists, Compositing artists,
Copyright © Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Texture artists, Rigging artists,
Editors, Compositors Earning
All Rights Reserved
Potential: Rs. 8,000-12,000
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd. (fresher). Upwards of Rs.1.5 lakh
with experience Top Recruiters:
Editor: B Mahesh Sarma Film, advertising, video and gaming
industries
Cover Design: Rajesh Chawla
WHAT IS ANIMATION? Animation is the art of breathing life into a character or object. It is a blend
of entertainment industry and technology. It is also related to design, draw-
ing, layout and production of graphically rich and attractive multimedia clips.
In other words, animation is all about making of movies, games or cartoons by
moving the drawings or models of animals or people with the help of comput-
ANIMATION IS THE ART OF BREATHING LIFE INTO A CHARACTER OR ers or other electronic means.
OBJECT, A BLEND OF ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY.
Need for Creativity
An animator should have an artistic bent with a lot of imaginative skills.
Creativity is the most wanted quality as animation starts with developing
L
an idea to a story. The art of sketching or drawing is another basic skill one
et us take a look at the evolution of anima- should possess. You must have a good sense of colour, proportion, size,
tion. The art of animation dates back to design, knowledge of background art and layout. Patience, discipline and
pictures drawn on rock surfaces. A dedication to work are vital as this field involves a lot of hard work and long
Frenchman, Paul Roget, formally demonstrated hours of planning.
it in 1828. The first animated cartoon was
‘Humorous Phases of Funny Faces’, made by J.
Stuart Blackton in 1906. Blackton made it by
drawing comical faces on a blackboard and pho-
tographing them. After that they were erased to
draw another stage of the facial expression. In
1914, the first cartoon film named ‘Gertie, the
Dinosaur’ by Winsor McCay, comprising 10,000
drawings, hit the theatres. In the early twenties,
traditional animation techniques were devel-
oped, resulting in more sophisticated cartoons.
Computer animation started during the seven-
ties and made a huge impact on this field. With
the passage of time, more and more advanced
techniques were developed.
COURSE CONTENT 2 dimensional animations deal more with drawing and framing and form the
base of 3D animation. 2D animators work mostly on paper, creating frames to
define a sequence. These sequences are then moved at varying speeds to cre-
ate an illusion of motion. The process first involves creating a large number
of drawings, and scanning them onto the computer. These images are then
MOST COMMON PAPERS OF ANIMATION INCLUDE FUNDAMENTALS imported into software. It is the software that helps in setting the timing and
OF ART, DESIGN AND VISUALISATION. layers for the scanned sequence of images. Toonz Harlequin, Adobe Flash,
CelAction, Anime Studio, Toon Boom Animation and Animaker are some
of the softwares used for creating 2D animation characters. 2D images look
shallow, while 3D images have depth, making them look more real.
A PASS IN 10+2 MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE TO GO FOR BACHELOR’S IN YOU SHOULD EYE OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND ANIMATION STUDIOS.
ANIMATION, BUT KNOWING HOW TO HANDLE A COMPUTER IS A MUST. THERE IS A BIG DEMAND FOR APPLICATION-BASED ANIMATIONS.
has scope in fashion and interior designing and even in legal and insurance
companies for presentations and models. The gaming industry that includes
JOB PROFILES
video and mobile games looks forward to good animators.
THE NUMBER OF JOB PROFILES RUN INTO DOZENS. YOUR JOB PROFILE
DEPEND ON OUR AREA OF SPECIALISATION.
2D animators - They are involved in the creation of a high volume of sepa- Rendering artists - They take all the data in a scene such as models, textures,
rate drawings that define a sequence. animation, lighting, etc. and output the correct combination in the form of
In-between animators - They have to learn all the basics of animation and individual frames of animation.
are at the beginning position in the career. 3D animators - They take the sculpted, textured and rigged 3D model and
Scanner operators - They scan the clean up artists’ drawings. breathe life into it. By putting key frames in order it gives an appearance of
Compositing artists - Layering individual frames of animation on top of one motion.
another to create final images. Image Editors - They assemble visual and audio components of a film into
a coherent and effective whole.
These images are then strung together to create complete shots or mini Compositors - They combine visual elements from separate sources into
animated movies. single images, often to create an illusion. It involves the replacement of
Visual effects artists - They integrate live-action footage with computer- selected parts of an image with other materials.
generated imagery or other elements. Visual effects (commonly shortened to VFX) are the various processes by
Audio and video specialists - Designing the sound for animation and also which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live
editing the visuals with softwares such as Avid and Final Cut Pro. action shoot.
Visualisers – Visualize the script and create basic designs for the project.
Texture artists - Apply surface to the 3D character, object or environment. Pay Packet
Rigging artists - They take the modelled, textured 3D character or object According to Jesh Krishna Murthy, Founder of studio Anibrain, a fresher’s
and set it up with a skeletal system or joints (if required). Without this step, pay scale begins at Rs. 8,000 to 12,000 per month, depending on his or her
the 3D model would not be able to animate, talk or move fluidly and correctly. skills. It can go above Rs 1.5 lakhs after 8 + years of experience. “Unlike the
Clean-up artists - They check the accuracy and consistency of the designs common perception, the VFX industry requires creative skills as well as
and drawings. A good clean up artist should have excellent draftsman skill analytical and technical skills. You need dedication, hard work and passion
with the knowledge of density, width, volume and mass. to excel in this field,” rounds up Jesh.
Lighting artists - They create variations of shade, colour intensity and
shadows.
Digital ink and paint artists - They give colours to each frame.
Compositors - They bring together all the different characters and back-
grounds into a single frame.
Editors - They edit the visuals with softwares like Avid and Final Cut Pro.
Key frame animators - Draw pictures of a movement’s beginning and end.
A TRAINER’S PERSPECTIVE particularly in post-production and 3-D content development. Many enter-
tainment giants, such as Walt Disney, Sony Pictures and Turner Entertain-
Ninad Karpe, ment, which make and develop television commercials and computer games,
CEO &MD, APTECH are off-shoring animation content to India. This has resulted in substantial
I
increase in the number of professionals enrolling for animation courses
n an email interview, Ninad Karpe, CEO &MD, APTECH discusses the (compound annual growth rate at 18.2 per cent). In sum, the sector presents
current and future scenarios with respect to training and employment in a huge job opportunity for the young and talented students of this country.
animation sector.
INDUSTRY TALK Q. With major international animation houses (Rhythm & Hues)
facing crises, does it make animation industry vulnerable? Especially
Ms. Aruna Kumar, when it laid-off some 250 employees?
Head of MIST & Marketing, A. Despite a late start as compared to the developed Western markets, ani-
Maya Digital Studio mation industry in India has registered an explosive growth since 2008: in
the four-year period till 2012 the industry has doubled from Rs. 17.5-billion
Q. What are the top qualities you expect from an animation aspirant? to Rs. 35.3-billion. By 2017, the industry is projected to cross Rs. 70-billion
A. Groom fresh talent – there are a lot of these students who do courses mark. The tremendous success of Life of Pi and Prometheus has made the
from various Institutes and feel that they are ready to take on any challenges West sit up and recognize the Indian animation industry, which now receives
thrown at them. They are flowing with enthusiasm and confidence and have a major chunk of animation outsourcing from the West. Animation caters to a
a fresh perspective. But they lack the artistic skills, knowledge about the art niche market. Animation is a part of the entertainment industry. Today every
and the aesthetics required to deliver the quality as desired by the client. We movie (Hollywood and Bollywood) has to pass through the visual effects /
expect them firstly to “Unlearn and Learn” then, interest to learn, passion post-production desk. After the arrival of stereoscopy or 3D, producers want
for this job-work (production), patience to grow and right attitude. to convert blockbusters into 3D and release them in theatres where the view-
ing experiencing is very enjoyable. Now no one can even imagine what the
Q. What is the criterion to join MIST (Maya in Studio Training)? future holds for us.
A. We are not teaching any courses here. Passing a basic animation test is
a prerequisite for any candidate who wants to join the MIST programme. Good storytellers and artists could also showcase India on the global map
Once the candidate is selected he starts working on the characters of the on and earn a good exposure. Around 40 percent of sequencing work in the
going series. He is familiarised with the character traits, character personali- Oscar award-winner Life of Pi was carried out at Rhythm Hues’ studios in
ties and character rigs and characteristics. At the same time he will have to Hyderabad and technical work was done in Bangalore. India’s animation
submit various assignments on a weekly basis. He is groomed to work on the industry is attractive to global animation producers for a variety of reasons—
in-production series. After three months of training and getting acclimatised prime among them being the high-quality, skilled manpower available here.
the candidate is assigned production shots. He also gets to see his name in the Low costs are another attraction. India still remains a favourable destination
credit list of the programme. MIST is the only programme in India, which for outsourcing projects owing to low infrastructure cost, cheap manpower
grooms and creates studio-ready animators. and an English-speaking workforce. However, countries like China, Malay-
sia and Philippines are trying to outshine India. Around 70 percent of all
Q. Do you think diploma or graduate degree makes a difference in American television animation is produced in Asia to an extent. Outsourced
animation industry? projects do offer a continuous work order and good pay to Indian companies.
A. No, it doesn’t make a difference. But in India graduation is a must or a The low-cost but talented English-speaking workforce is a definite advan-
minimum qualification. tage. There is abundant manpower in India to cater to increasing outsourced
projects. There is no doubt that India is at par with leading markets as far as Universities & Institutes offering Animation degree courses
animation, VFX, 3D conversion and technical efficiency is concerned. More
University Programme Website
focus and uniform animation policies throughout the country will enable us
IGNOU-Indira Gandhi National BA in 3D Animation
to offer excellent home productions, strong technically and content-wise. Open University and Visual Effects
www.ignou.ac.in
A. As per the FICCI-KPMG Report 2013, Indian animation and VEX Institutes*
industry has grown from Rs. 31-billion in 2011 to Rs. 35.3-billion in 2012 at AMA-Arena Multimedia
BA in VFX and Animation www.arena-multimedia.com
a CAGR of 13.9 percent. It is projected to grow to Rs. 40.5-billion by end- and Animation
2013. In 2010, the animation industry grew by 10 percent to touch Rs 10-bil- Animaster Academy, Bangalore
BSc in Digital Art &
www.animaster.com
Animation
lion. According to a NASSCOM report, the industry originated only about
Zee Institute of Creative Art BSc in Animation &
www.zica.org
40-years ago whereas in the developed market of the US its origin goes back (Lucknow, Pune, Ahmedabad Visual Effects
scores of decades ago, even before the digital era arrived, which probably Image Creative Education
(TN, Chennai, Kerala, Assam, UP, Pondi- BSc Multimedia www.image.edu.in
explains the difference in quality and technology. Indian animation industry cherry, Karnataka)
came into existence just a couple of decades ago. NAM Institute of Professional
BSc Multimedia www.namedu.net
Studies, Delhi
BSc in Digital Animation
India has amazing storytellers and talented animators and over the years RELIANCE AIMS (Jaipur, Nagpur)
Filmmaking
www.relianceaims.com
Indian audiences have become more receptive to animation films. We need to St. Angelo's Professional BSc in Visual Media
www.saintangelos.com
nurture the right talent with skill-sets and advanced technology to compete Education, Mumbai (Animation)
with the West. India has shown a steady growth in terms of both quality and *Programmes in tie-up with universities
quantity in the last decade. There has been a steep increase in the number of
animation movies. With the coproduction model being followed by anima-
tion studios, India is certainly moving up the value-chain. Institutes offering diplomas in animation
Institute Programme Website
Q. Salary Expected? Maya Academy of Advanced Advance Diploma in 3D
www.maacindia.com
A. This industry depends a lot on skill-sets, experience and the job / project Cinematics (MAAC) Animation EDGE
Maya Academy of Advanced Advance Diploma in 3D
value. Fresher’s can begin at Rs1.20 lakhs per annum; middle level at 4 lakhs Cinematics (MAAC) Animation NEXT
www.maacindia.com
per annum and experienced more than 4 years depending on the project can Advanced Diploma in
Toonz Academy www.toonzacademy.com
take home 12 -14 lakhs per annum. Digital Arts and Animation
ADVERTISING
THE SCIENCE OF INFLUENCING DECISIONS
ADVERTISING
THE SCIENCE OF INFLUENCING DECISIONS
TO A COURSE IN
YOUR QUICK GUIDE
CAREERS360