With the astounding successes of Rango , Wall E , Cars , Shrek , Kung Fu Panda , Rio , Happy Feet , Ice Age and other recent animated feature films, along with slightly older ones such as Toy Story , Chicken Little , Aladdin , Tarzan , Beauty and the Beast and A Bug’s Life among others, focus is slowly turning towards the animation industry. Major players like Walt Disney, Pixar and Warner Brothers still have a huge market stronghold, but smaller studios are slowly gaining popularity.
Although India's film industry has a long history, it is a relatively newcomer to the field of animation. A decade ago, there were hardly 10 or 15 animation related studios in the country but today, there are hundreds of them purely dedicated to animation, graphics and special effects.
This steep and speedy growth can be attributed to a huge demand for quality animators and professionals. This profession not only pays well but is also lucrative due to its connection with the glamorous film industry.
Animation in India is currently riding on two key factors – a large base of highly skilled labour, and low cost of production. While the industry is gaining prominence steadily, there are several important factors such as the government's role in supporting the animation industry, and producing original content locally.
Lots of international studios and production houses are outsourcing film-making processes to India. Animation and graphics are used everywhere nowadays – in movies, television serials, advertisements, trailers, promos and much more. The advertising industry is also a major employer of trained professionals from this field.
Amazing opportunities beckon from animation and new media!
(Surya is doing his diploma at the Animaster Academy, Bangalore.)