The 'All About Animation' Blog

Anifest Ahoy!! Get set for Anifest India ‘09

admin — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:47:02 +0000

Come August, Anifest India will be back with more power-packed sessions, more fun and more learning than ever before. So mark your calendars and get all your friends and acquaintances who love animation to come down to Mumbai for the 2009 edition of ANIFEST INDIA.

Remember the dates: 14th, 15th and 16th August in Mumbai

The TASI committee has worked extra, extra hard and got some super-speakers all ready to share their knowledge with the Indian animation enthusiasts. Here is the basic information (click on the posters to enlarge) and if you want to know more, just go right ahead to the TASI website - www.tasionline.org

Announcing anifest India 2009

TASI Viewers' Choice Awards 2009

*NEW* Category for TVCA - Films by Teachers

Anifest India 2009 - Sessions

Three Cheers for ‘Yama and Moo’

akshata — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:04:45 +0000

After blog upon blog of cribbing about the absolute crap coming out of Indian animation studios, here is something that will bring a smile to your lips and make your chest swell with pride. A short CG animated film conceived, produced and executed by a young team of Indian animators. A brilliant piece of art, it is the result of a collaboration between Void Films and Frameboxx Incubation Center. Don’t take my word for it. See it for yourself and send your feedback. Enjoy!!

A note from the editor

akshata — Tue, 12 May 2009 05:47:22 +0000

Dear Readers,

First, a very big thank you to all those who have been waiting patiently for new updates on the website and blog. As most you must be aware by now, AAA is a one-person effort at spreading awareness about animation and sharing knowledge as well as industry news. AAA is not a funded company but the result of an individual’s passion for the art of animation.

For the past couple of months there has been very little activity on the site and blog because I have been busy working on some other projects. As these projects, which essentially fund AAA, are almost reaching closure, I assure all my readers that come June, AAA will be back in full swing. In fact, with a lot of new features as well as some important announcements. Therefore, I request all of you who have been patient for so long to just bear with me for another month, and I promise not to disappoint you.

Also, to enhance some of the features, I am moving the site to another server in the coming weeks. This will enable me to host many of the new services/features that are being planned for AAA. During the shifting process, the AAA website and blog will experience downtime for 24 to 48 hours. I will post an announcement 2 days before the actual migration. Once the transfer is complete, you will find AAA at the same url as you always have - www.allaboutanimation.com

Looking forward to rekindling the active relationship with all readers from June onwards. Do send in any suggestions that you have for improvements to the website!

Thanks to all the supporters, friends, colleagues and especially, all the readers!
Akshata

Frame Flixx Awards 2009 - send your entries NOW!

akshata — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:52:41 +0000

Frame Flixx Awards 2009 - Call for entries

TASI’s Full Day Model Making Workshop with Vaibhav Studios

akshata — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:47:03 +0000

TASI Model Making Workshop

TASI is organizing a full day Model Animation Workshop conducted by none other than all-time-favourite Vaibhav Kumaresh of Vaibhav Studios. It will begin with the screening of some puppet animation film clips. After that, the process of stop motion/puppet/clay animation will be demonstrated live. This will include techniques like displacement as well as replacement animation. Topics like lip sync and character performance will also be touched upon. The participants will be guided to create their own wire frame armatures for stop motion.

The workshop will demonstrate the following:

1. Translating a 2d character design into an armature diagram
2. Building the armature
3. Shoot setup
4. Action planning
5. Lip sync with replacement lips
6. Stop motion shoot and playback
7. Q&A with the audience

Date: 22nd March, 2009
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Venue: P C Saxena Auditorium, IIT Powai, Mumbai
Fees (includes the cost of materials for armature creation):
Students - Rs.300/-
Professionals - Rs.500/-
TASI Members - Rs.200/-

ONLY 100 SEATS!

To register, contact the following TASI committee members:
Devang - 9870006181
Devika - 9821319058

REMEMBER: There is no online registration for this workshop and registration is against full payment only. Registrations close on 19th March.

Learning from Waltz With Bashir

akshata — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:34:03 +0000

Waltz with Bashir

Well, from Ari Folman, the creator of this compelling animated documentary, actually. An interview with Marshall Fine of the Huffington Post, gives us a glimpse into the mind of writer/director Ari Folman who made this film against all odds and gained worldwide success. He has almost philosophical views on war, forgiveness and politics but those have no place here on an animation blog. What I really want to share here are 5 invaluable lessons gleaned from the interview with this unconventional film-maker. I hope our aspiring animators and film-makers who want to make their own films will take these lessons to heart.

Lesson No. 1: It is all in the story-telling

(from the interview) …A very personal look at the Israel-Lebanon war of 1982, Waltz with Bashir follows Folman as he tracks down old friends and fellow veterans of the Israeli Army and asks them to share their memories of the conflict. Whenever he tries to remember it, he draws a blank - and so he goes to his friends to help refresh his memory. The result is an exercise in recall that melts from memory to dream to hallucination - ending in a shocking moment of reality when the film suddenly moves from animation to archival footage of the aftermath of the Sabra and Shatila massacre of Muslims by Lebanese Christian forces, in retaliation for the assassination of president-elect Bashir Gemayel…

With a controversial but factual story about war combined with real, archival footage, who would have thought the film would catch the fancy of people across the world? A dark, disturbing subject like war has been tackled innumerable times before so what sets apart this film? The answer lies in the telling of the story. Can you create interest in the minds of the audience? Can you get them involved in the lives of your characters? Can you hook them, grip them, enchant them, make them suspend disbelief and lose themselves in your story? THAT is the power of story-telling, no matter what the subject is.

Lesson No. 2: Believe. In yourself. In your story. In the medium.

(from the interview) …But, as Folman says, a nonfiction retelling that relied on archival footage would have been lumped in with all the other talking-head political documentaries that come and go - many of them never being released, most going unseen in the U.S. - every year. Animation made it stand out - and helped Folman find a way to exploit the visual aspects of what is essentially an oral history.

“Animation was the only way to do it,” he says. “I imagined it as an animated film. I always knew it would be. I had no other choice. It’s a story about the subconscious, about fear and death, war horrors, drugs - the only way to include all of that was animation.”

Inevitably, he faced questions: Is it true? Is it real? Which raised other questions: Did animation undermine its connection to reality - or enhance it? “The hardest part was convincing people that it could be done,” Folman say…

A lot of people questioned Folman’s decision to make a film on this subject. They felt his choice of medium was inappropriate as well. He did not have a background in animation either. But he believed. In the story he had to narrate, in the medium of ‘animated-documentary’ and most of all, in himself. The strength of his conviction ensured that the film got made.

Lesson No. 3: Never give up. Keep trying.

(from the interview) …Even then, the film had to be made piecemeal. Folman started with three minutes, then started pitching. It took him four years to get the money to finish the movie.

“I pitched it three and a half years ago in Toronto,” he says. “I had a three-minute scene that I showed to 40 people - and 38 of them said, ‘Why animated?’ They didn’t want it.

“You have to convince a lot of people. I went to a lot of parties. It was a complicated four years. I never stopped. I did three minutes, then went to Toronto and raised money. Then I did 20 minutes, then I stopped and raised more money. Then I did 40 minutes. If you stop, you get stuck and lose your team and it gets more complicated.”…

The task was daunting. The film was almost experimental and most people had rejected his pitch. Yet he went on undeterred. He not only worked on the film himself, he also went around trying to raise funds. He did everything possible to ensure the film was completed. He had a vision and a task. He went all out to make it a reality, not giving up even once.

Lesson No. 4: Innovate

(from the interview) …A TV writer (including for the Israeli version of In Therapy) and director, Folman had never worked with animation before. And with minimal funding for his idea, he had to come up with his own approach. “We invented the animation style,” he says. “Basically it is cut-out animation. We did it ourselves because of the very low budget we had.”…

Sure, there were problems. Unforeseen ones as well as expected ones. With a budget that was limited, Ari and his team reiterated the proverb - Necessity is the mother of invention. When you have a goal, you cannot let anything stop you from achieving it. Try with whatever is within your means but also push the limit whenever you can. Experiment, innovate, turn your shortcomings into advantages, push the envelope.

Lesson No. 5: Do it for YOURSELF

(from the interview) …As he worked on it, Folman felt he was making something special - but what filmmaker doesn’t? Even then, though he was excited when the film was accepted at Cannes, he had no sense of the way it would be received.

“We were clueless about its impact until we came to Cannes,” he says. “We knew nothing. We were working in a small lab on the outskirts of Tel Aviv and we were having fun. I knew when it was done it would be a great movie. All along, I was very confident. I had solved a lot of the problems artistically and financially. But I was surprised at the fight for the film after the screening. Really, we didn’t know what we were doing. I believe you never do as filmmakers.”…

Folman did not make this film to prove a point. He did not make it to win accolades for the animation. He had a story that he wanted to narrate which he wanted to take to people across the world. He was not thinking of audiences or jury when he was making the film. He made it the way it best enhanced the story. He was focussed on the task at hand and gave it his best. That is something most of us do not do. We lose track thinking of the grand prize awaiting us at the finishing line. Do not make the film because it is your class lesson, or project, or perhaps your job. Do not do it for the ‘money’ or ‘awards’. Do it for your own sake - because you have a story that deserves to be told in the best possible manner.

I will leave you with the trailer of Waltz with Bashir and a parting thought. There is so much to learn from the experiences of others. Our animation/filmmaking students sometimes suffer because they do not have good teachers at their schools and institutes, but what stops them from learning outside the classroom?

Oh dear! Is that an animated Lalu?

akshata — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:34:34 +0000

Just when I thought that Indian animation had redeemed itself for the atrocious ‘Icy n Spicy’, I received a reminder that we have a long way to go, courtesy - the animated avatar of Lalu Prasad Yadav. A three-member team of enterprising animators from Patna have created a ‘cartoon clip’ based on the Indian Railway Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, and even got his approval for it!

Animated Lalu

I don’t know what their real motivation behind this was but the theme is sure to get them a lot of eye balls. They have already been covered by the Indian press and have been interviewed by television channels in India. I managed to catch a glimpse of the animated clip during one such interview and was horrified by the crassness of the content. The voice-over is pretty accurate no doubt but watching a semi-dressed Lalu in a vest and lungi, carrying a ‘lota’ for obvious reasons and being chased by a cameraman is not my idea of entertainment. Worse still, Lalu’s character then enters a loo and the cameraman focuses the camera inside the loo through the keyhole. Is that supposed to be funny? What on earth are Indian audiences going to be subjected to next?!

In terms of design, the quality is poor - very, very primitive and the animation is limited. The only saving grace is the guy who voices Lalu’s character - he is spot on.

The creator - Pawan

This is supposedly the first clip the team is about to release. They are looking for sponsors/financiers for subsequent episodes. The team members named in the news reports were Pawan - the cartoonist/animator and brain behind this project and Shashi - the voiceover artist who has mimicked Lalu’s voice quite well. You can read the IBNlive report here and watch the TV interview below. Would love to hear from my readers what they feel about this one.

If you are unable to view the above clip, see the original video on the ibnlive website

images courtesy IBNlive.in.com

A Big Thank You

akshata — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:34:57 +0000

Since the time I launched the AAA blog and website just over a year ago, I have tried to keep my readers updated as often as possible with information, announcements and news but lately it has been tough. Being the lone force behind AAA, I have juggled client obligations, work commitments and my updates on the AAA website and blog. When you are a writer, designer, editor, animator, accountant, marketing manager, PR person, event organiser and home-maker all rolled into one, sometimes you slip-up. I offer my loyal readers, friends and well-wishers my sincere apology for the times when I have delayed putting up posts or responding to comments, feedback and emails. Those of you who were unaware before that AAA is a one-woman team, now you do. So I hope you understand and forgive

I would also like to thank all of you who have read my articles and commented, sent feedback, asked questions, given suggestions and encouraged me in any way you could. I have sincerely tried to answer your queries, solve your doubts and share information through my articles. I have also ensured that my write-ups are ALWAYS unbiased and true - if I have praised somebody or something, it is because I truly believe it is praise-worthy. If I have criticized, it is because I have felt strongly about the flaws. All About Animation is neither funded nor sponsored by any individual or organization - it is solely my effort to do my bit to raise awareness about animation in India and encourage our talented animators.

CGTantra Community Honour for Akshata & AllAboutAnimation.com

Having said that, it is really nice to be appreciated by my peers for my efforts. The “Community Honour” conferred on me by CGTantra at their 4th Anniversary event in December 2008 has been a sweet validation of my endeavours and it sure feels good to be acknowledged. Thank you Chand, Abhishek and the entire team at CGTantra.

2009 has begun with a lot of question marks - stalled projects, jobless animators and an overall uncertainty that has beset members of India’s animation community. I will do my best to keep you updated. You will see many new things on the AAA website/blog in 2009. So keep watching

Good bye 2008!

akshata — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:57:03 +0000

What a year it was, for Indian animation and for me personally as well. A roller-coaster year one may call it. Ups and downs, highs and lows. Memorable moments and some, unfortunately, ‘trying-hard-to-forget’ ones. A year that saw the launch of many new animation training institutes and studios, the formation of strategic partnerships, major acquisitions and tie-ups, a couple of announcements about new animated features/series and also the scrapping of highly-publicised, prestigious ones. A year whose first half saw more jobs than people but ended with the equation reversed - layoffs and yet more layoffs!

2008 was a year of a lot of frenetic activity on the industry front.

AnimationXpress.com held a series of AITF (Animation Industry Technology Forum) and IAI (Industry Academia Interface) sessions, announced a print magazine, a quiz competition and new awards of excellence and also ventured into something never done before - Animation tourism. Its my sincere hope that it does not lose its original vision in this juggernaut of diversification.

CGTantra.com took its LIG (Learn, Inspire, Grow) seminars to several cities across the country. It held the first ever (and I must say, mighty successful) CGT Expo in Mumbai, launched many new features on their website and finally ended the year with a bang by celebrating its 4th anniversary by confering “CGT Community Honours” on people from various sections of the Indian animation industry and community.

TASI - The Animation Society of India - organised valuable seminars and workshops all year around - ranging from Animation for those who cannot Draw, Music for Animation, The Making of taare Zameen Par, Preproduction, Acting for Animation and the gem of the year - A Masterclass with the Master - Ram Mohan Sir himself! And how can I not mention TASI’s Anifest India 2008 - the 3 day festival at IIT, Mumbai, that saw a phenomenal turnout of close to 3000 people who attended over 15 workshops and sessions. The icing on TASI’s cake was a neat write-up that appeared in Times Of India in August about the sincere efforts of TASI members to give something back to the Indian animation community. (Don’t take my word for it, I am a committee member of TASI this year too after all. Just ask any one who has attended the TASI sessions and I am sure they will vouch for us)

ASIFA India celebrated the International Animation Day with great gusto across 13 cities in India this year. I attended the one in Mumbai and for me the 2 highlights of the day were the opportunity to interact with Gitanjali Rao and watch clips from her latest film ‘Girgit’ and the screening of the Pixar Documentary which I had been dying to see. (It is now available for everyone to watch - on the Wall-E DVD - and I recommend all aspiring animators to watch it)

The proof of the potential of India’s animation industry lies in the fact that the Annecy Festival chose India as the country of focus. The ever-popular animation festival held every year in the beautiful town of Annecy in France put India, its animators and their animation in the spotlight. This was the year when one could not afford to miss out on the festival if one had anything to do with Indian animation. Unfortunately, I was unable to go.

Of course a lot else happened in the ‘industry’ - mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, splits, break-aways, law-suits, launches and shutdowns, but I will not discuss those here.

Then there was the formation of NAGFO and BAGS. What’s that you ask? NAGFO aka NASSCOM Animation and Gaming Forum is NASSCOM’s endeavour to brign together India’s animation as well as gaming institutes and studios under one umbrella to further their cause, improve standards and benefit everyone within the industry. BAGS is the Board of Animation and Gaming Standards that is emerging from NAGFO that will set guidelines amongst other things for the betterment of the industry.

Industry events that happened this year included FICCI Frames 2008 which was held in Mumbai (which I attended) and NASSCOM Animation and Gaming India 2008, Hyderabad (which I was unable to attend thanks under unfortunate circumstances).

And then there were the films. The Good, the Bad and the downright UGLY!! Enough has been said already about the UGLY aka Icy n Spicy (refer this blog) and I won’t waste anymore webspace writing about it. Gladly noone seems to remember the movie anyway!! Dashavatar and Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang did not do very well at the box office for different reasons. The effort was sincere but did not show through and both did nothing for the Indian animation industry. Everybody waited with bated breath for Roadside Romeo the first Big Banner Bollywood film - helmed by Jugal Hansraj and produced by Yash Raj Films. The creators did push the envelope quite a bit and I have to credit the animators for doing a good job. The tragedy was that this film too failed to excite Indian audiences enough. Partly the fault of the producers who hardly promoted the film and partly the inexperience of the director who is not an animator to begin with. The hype was limited to within the industry and ultimately, neither the voices of Saif and Kareena nor the sincere efforts of the animation team got their due. The film found its audience neither in kids nor in adults. It was wrong to expect Disney/Pixar quality - we pinned our hopes too high. A toddler must first learn to crawl, then walk, then run. Yet, I reaffirm that Roadside Romeo was a giant leap for Indian animation in more ways than one. (I won’t bring up Jumbo because it is not an Indian animated film to begin with and the only Indian connection, the voice-overs, sounded so awful in the trailers itself that I shall give it a miss!)

Whew! That wraps up this lengthy post. I know I might have missed out a couple of things, if so, you are most welcome to add them in the comments below. I will sign off by wishing all of you a very happy, peaceful, successful, fun-filled and ANIMATED 2009!!!

CGTantra’s 4th Anniversary Bash on the 20th of December

akshata — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:18:51 +0000