CHP 13: The Women Power

CHAPTER 13

THE WOMEN POWER

AND WHY DO WE STRUGGLE?

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”

― MAYA ANGELOU

The world is going through a revolution. A revolution where women are carving their way in the male-dominated society and striving for the position they truly deserve. A revolution where women have realized their significant role in our culture and are willing to give it all for their honor. A revolution where women have already proven their worth and continue to fly high in all aspects of their lives, whether politics, business, or art.

But their journey has never been easy. Even in a progressive society like the USA, they have to earn their way up despite the obvious. And the struggle in developing society has been a lot more critical.

Women have been obtaining unimaginable since the dawn of humanity, no matter how difficult the circumstances are. They have scaled the highest mountain, traversed the boundless ocean, and endured in the severest condition.

But these herculean tasks turned out to be way more manageable than breaking the conventional barriers and changing the ideology of their male counterparts towards women. This is an effective campaign all women, in general, have been battling with, especially in a country like India.

In India, women are constantly looking for a way to switch the sexist mentality of our conservative society and have been marginally successful in their quest for equality. Numerous feminist movements and ideologies have developed over the years and represent different viewpoints and aims.

But the only dilemma is, despite the best of their effort, a large section of our society remains abusive towards women’s role in our community. And suppose women want to establish a new mindset towards them. In that case, they should start concentrating on one of the most blatant and primary factors that generate such discriminative views about womanhood. And that medium is “ANIMATION.”

Cartoons are the first thing most of the kids are exposed to that assist them in shaping their personality and views towards their surroundings.

In recent times, various restrictions and censorship have been imposed on this genre due to its effect on the child’s brain. Psychologists have highlighted the adverse impacts of cartoons on children.

According to their outcomes, kids who watch cartoons 3-4 hours a day are predisposed to violence and other aggressive acts. Moreover, marginalization of cognitive functions, deviation from realities, and expansion of pessimistic behavior might emerge over time. They gain the capability to mimic behavior and events that they come across every day.

So, we can surely say that innocent characters from cartoons may turn into role models that impact a child’s psychological state about our lives, society, and elements associated with it.

And this is a significant concern because we are unable to recognize how most of the cartoons lack a strong female protagonist, and the existing ones are commonly portrayed as backup characters with a cliched storyline of a princess in distress.

Sure, in many shows, they are the brain behind the group who always comes up with the ideas that support the lead hero in its battle against evil. But it’s still holding the conventional ideology on gender roles and stating that kicking and punching are only restricted to men and boys.

I understand that these characters are created with a general doctrine that the primary audiences for animated shows are little boys and won’t like to see a character they can’t relate to and have fun watching.

Although we don’t have the actual data for this common conception, and even for a moment, if we consider it accurate, the idea that boys won’t like to watch female leads taking over the evil and saving the day is utterly absurd.

Because I clearly remember as a kid, we boys used to be equally excited to watch a show of three little girls made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, spending their day kicking and punching villains. And that show was none other than “THE POWERPUFF GIRLS.”

It’s a show that carved its way in between the male-dominated characters like Dextre’s lab, Johny Bravo, Swat Kats, and many more and managed to break the repressive moral code of that time.

And to be honest, from the boy’s point of view, we were absolutely fine with that. I don’t remember anyone making fun of each other for watching a show with girls in the lead and used to discuss its action-packed episodes while proudly owning their T-shirts and punching societal expectations in their face.

The show’s high ratings, popularity, and high demand for merchandise show that if done right, kids do not discriminate against their role models based on gender, religion, or race. They just want to have fun watching their heroes saving the day.

But again, over here, it’s going to be a long time since we will be able to witness an all-female-oriented animated show as I don’t see any steps being taken towards it.

And I am not sure if anyone will be remotely interested in taking that chance. I remember pitching a concept about a fairy to a big animation brand, and I was asked to change the main female character to a male figure.

However, I refused to do so, not only because the storyline demanded the lead hero to be a female as it is a fairy tale. But also because that was the primary concern for me as there is no feminine hero for half the population of this country.

Yes, with so many superheroes and male leads, there is an apparent absence of female figures who can serve the children to understand the essence of equality right from an early age.

If such trends persist, boys and men will continue to view womanhood as a secondary lead who continually needs to be rescued, when the fact is, just like men, women possess the ultimate capability to protect our civilization and take it farther.

And Indian animation desperately needs a symbol of feminism, which has the power to break the norms and generate an advanced, more forward opinion towards all genders, whether it’s female or LGBT groups.

So the time has come to fix the basics and build a solid foundation by teaching the importance of equality to our children, right from inception. The time has come to raise our voices against such behavior and demand equal exposure by all means. And the time has come to make your presence felt by eliminating the perception that only boys-oriented shows can generate revenue in this art form.

If our children grow with a notion that women can save the world as well, this will transcend into a more robust belief system taking our society towards enlightenment.

But any intentions should not be forced on our kids but needs to be developed through a friendly mechanism. And what can be a better medium than animation? THINK ABOUT IT!

(Imp Note: This is one of the reasons behind the struggles of Indian Animation. In my blog series, “The Faults In Our Art! We will explore ten major factors that are keeping Indian animation behind. So I request you to please support my initiative by subscribing to my website by filling out the form below)

December 8, 2021December 8, 2021

CHP12: The Indian Animation Shows And The CopyCats!

CHAPTER 12

THE COPY OF A COPY

AND WHY WE STRUGGLE?

“Good artists copy, Great artists steal.”

― PABLO PICASSO

Let’s get honest here; it’s no more a mystery to us that when art is created, it is usually inspired by something that has already been done. Even the lights of Michelangelo, Van Gough and Walt Disney were influenced by their predecessors and spent their early years recreating the same old work.

No one is spared by the temptation of plagiarism, as many of us don’t want to spend the time, effort, and money required in reinventing the wheel.

And the same goes when it comes to the art of storytelling. Yes, although the style, genre, message in every story we witness seems different at face value. But at the core, they all follow the same basic structure that has been laid down brilliantly by a widely respected philosopher and theologist “Joseph Cambell“ in his book “A hero with thousand faces.”

In this masterwork, Campell illustrates the hero’s journey, how the hero or the protagonist goes from the ordinary world into a region of supernatural powers and out of his comfort zone.

Where he or she encounters fabulous forces, and after a life-altering battle, gains the victory. The hero then comes back from this spiritual adventure as a changed person with the power to bestow boons on the society at large.

This hero’s journey is a pattern you will see even in all the mythologies of the world, and nothing has been changed since the dawn of storytelling due to its soul-satisfying structure that we all crave emotionally and spiritually.

And when it comes to the story structure of Indian Animation shows, it isn’t surprising to see this same rhythm and balance been utilized frequently. But, the main issue with Indian Animation and especially TV shows, isn’t the use of the hero’s journey. Instead, it is following the same style, genre, and message.

Yes, every show looks the same with just a little tweak in the personality of the main characters.

All the popular indian animation shows have this ten-year-old, super-powerful male protagonist assisted by a smart female friend, a fanboy side-kick, and a goofy animal.

And most of the time, these characters are the epitome of perfection and moral values and are usually mature way beyond their current age.

In a typical episode, they will battle the outside forces using their quirks and wits and, more importantly, without making any mistakes or doing something that an average ten-year-old kid will do.

And that’s completely fine at a level because these shows are carrying the responsibilities of grooming the future generation and surely wants to play safe to avoid any complaints from parents.

But the basic formula of all these superheroic shows are so similar that from a viewer’s perspective, it gets dull and monotonous, and it feels like we are watching the same show just with different looking kids.

Yes, If I take the hero of one show and put it in another, nothing will change. And that’s poor storytelling and world-building, and such shows will never be able to impress the mature audiences.

Because the problems and obstacles should be uniquely limited to the characters of the particular world to make the viewer’s switch on your channel and get submerged into your realm.

For example, If I’ll put Batman against Green Goblin, he will fight the antagonist way different than Spiderman will do, or even Superman will do.

the indian animation shows — Pic Courtesy: Google

And that’s precisely the reason we would be excited to witness such a cross over as each of these characters uses their abilities in their own style, rhythm, and pace to tackle the evil in front of them.

Best Indian cartoons — Pic courtesy: Reliance Animation

But if I take Little Singham and put him against any of the villains of Chhota Bheem, I don’t expect any different approach from the protagonist. And even the antagonist need not worry about altering their plans because both the heroes are almost identical in their strength and, of course, no weaknesses. Same goes for Kisna, Arjun the Prince Warrior, and even Motu Patlu followed the same pattern after a point.

But I know what everyone must be wondering; despite being a copy of a copy, our kids are hooked on the Tv screen and adore these characters more than anything.

Well, the reason behind it is because they are not exposed to other things yet and are forced to consume these products with no or limited choices.

One of the main factors most of us who grew up in the 90’s aren’t a big fan of our domestic shows is because we have seen productions that are highly creative and technically strong. Thus we can immediately identify the difference and express our opinions for it.

And this factor isn’t limited to our cartoon shows and kids, in recent times this phenomenon can be seen in movies as well, due to the availability of the better quality product provided by international media through streaming services and theater releases.

We have have been witnessing that a significant number of people have been raising their voices against Bollywood films and asking the creators to raise their standards as well.

Similarly, once our kids explore the different creative shows, they tend to move on like everyone else.

But to be honest, we don’t want the kids to move on. We want them to cherish our local heroes forever in their memories and hearts and look at them as inspiration to deal with the issues and problems life throws at them that are unique according to a person’s circumstances and experiences.

And to do that, we need to give our heroes their unique style, strength, world, and, most importantly, the weaknesses. And to do so, we need to steal from history and learn how the shows that left such an impact on the minds of a generation manages to embrace their identity in the world full of a copy of a copy.

(Imp Note: This is one of the reasons behind the struggles of Indian Animation. In my blog series, “The Faults In Our Art! We will explore multiple factors that are keeping Indian animation behind. So I request you to please support my initiative by subscribing to my website by filling the form below)

November 21, 2021November 21, 2021

CHP 08 THE INDIAN AUDIENCE AND WHY WE STRUGGLE?

CHAPTER 08

THE INDIAN AUDIENCE

AND WHY DO WE STRUGGLE?

“I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.”

― FRANK CAPRA

Walt Disney and Pixar set the measure for 2D and 3D animation. Japan has crossed all the conventional barriers with its anime and is constantly stretching its limits in this form of entertainment.

But when it comes to India, we are still struggling to get the basics right, we are still struggling to understand the true potential of this medium, and most importantly, we are still struggling to embrace the art of animation.

Animation is undoubtedly the most flexible form of film-making with the ability to go beyond the expected and truly justify your imagination without any limitation, boundaries, or complications of physical and technical resources. In short, a perfect medium to explore stories, subject matter, and character development.

But despite its liberty to look beyond conventional film-making, India can still not impress the globe with the quality of our home-grown productions.

Sure it’s easier to jump to the conclusion and blame the budget, creators, and the lack of latest technologies for the condition of our content.

But let’s not point out the obvious today as we really need to look deeper to find one of the most vital faults in our creations. We really need to stop turning our heads and quit pretending as if we don’t see because the real issue is embedded within us.

The faults in our art — People vector created by pch.vector – www.freepik.com

Yes, the animation is often overlooked by Indian audiences as it generally comes with a connotation of childishness.

Unlike in Japan, where anime is such an integral part of their culture, we are still unable to delve deeper into this vast world of cartoons. We are unwilling to explore outside usual Bollywood films and TV shows.

Americans, at one point, had the same thick attitude towards animation. But constant attention and open-mindedness towards the art by a large number of audiences forced the makers to come up with better concepts that can appeal to everyone with a soul and hunger for great stories.

Some time ago, the number one You tuber PewDiePie reacted sarcastically on one of the most popular Indian animated shows and pointed out some technical, creative, and conceptual absurdities that anyone with a basic understanding of this medium can identify.

But what bothered me the most is that he was shocked that we are exposing our kids to such content, which we, as viewers and specifically as parents, should not ignore. But guess what? WE DID IGNORE IT!.

Generally, when someone passes a ridiculous opinion towards our nation and things related to it, we quickly respond and defend ourselves. But this time, nobody came to the rescue. Why? Because he was right to a great extent.

But not wholly correct, sure most of our TV shows look below par and are quantity driven than quality. Still, it does not mean that we don’t have the potential for being amongst the best as we had proven it in the past when one of our films was running the race for being in the academy awards.

Yes, for many, it might come as a surprise that in 2011, a 3d animated film, Alpha and Omega, produced in Mumbai by Crest Animation Studio (a studio I had the privilege to work in), was included in the list of movies eligible for Oscar nominations.

The indian audience — Pic Courtesy: Crest Animation Studios

It’s a film about two young wolves falling in love despite all the odds, but unfortunately didn’t manage to go ahead in the nomination race, and much deserving Toy Story three got the honors that year.

Still, competing and finding a spot between the likes of Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks is an outstanding achievement on its own. And the academy was kind enough to acknowledge the measure of the efforts that went into making this film.

But unfortunately, over here, it was brutally slammed by critics for its dull, predictable plot, unimpressive visuals and was entirely neglected by the audiences as it didn’t manage to bring out the required emotions.

In a nation where even sending a Bollywood masala film as an official entry for Oscars draws so much publicity and reaction from the media and general public, Alpha and Omega failed even to find any space in the page three section of the entertainment industry.

But worse, instead of receiving any praises and attention over here, it managed to do the exact opposite. I remember when one of my colleagues went to see the movie with her family, the man sitting at the ticket- counter advised her not to see it and said it was rubbish and a complete waste of time.

I know it cuts like a knife to hear such words. However, I would still welcome his critical views and, in fact, would encourage everyone to openly share their constructive feedback on this subject because, ultimately, the audiences are the actual alpha and the omega of this art form.

Like any artistic work, the animation is a medium to tell stories to reach people, touch you emotionally, make you forget your life’s dilemmas, and submerge you into this fictional world where everything seems possible.

And without audience support, it won’t be able to re-invent, renovate, and even reject the conventional ideas for the better good.

I know it’s not all dependent on the viewers, but the creators also have specific responsibilities. The creators need to understand the possibilities and potential of their secondary audiences.

In India, we have difficulty understanding the basic fact that the animation is just not limited to kids, but adults are the secondary audiences. When a kid is watching a show or a movie on Tv or theater, parents and guardians are forced to sit through it.

So we need to cater to them and put something in for them as well if we need to fall in that category of family entertainment.

I am often asked to remove a gag or dialogue because kids won’t get it, although I completely agree with that and I have no choice but to follow it, but in my mind, I am always like, that’s not for kids, that’s for the adults forced to watch along with him.

Unless it’s breaking any S&P rules, the producers should not worry about one or two jokes skipping a child’s brain or understanding capacity.

So we really need to find a way to bring a balance to our content. And if not, then we have no choice but to take an extreme step. The surest way to find some audience for animation is by creating mature content like Adult Swim did back in the nineties.

This channel revolutionized the entire cartoon watching experience and even helped to launch the careers of many artists through its interactive formats, spontaneity, and unique experience.

But, this will take some tremendous risk-taking ability, out of box thinking, and open-mindedness towards the potential of animation.

In the end, we can say that if we want to bring a revolution in Indian Animation, we as audiences need to alter our approach towards this art form. And demand a better quality product by raising our voices against the current supply.

And, more importantly, show our support and faith in our highly talented artists and creators. Because we have the potential, we have the talent; we have the passion. All we need is “YOU,” all we need is your attention, and all we need is your love.

Because once you get involved, step by step, little by little, we will be there at the grandest stage of all, AT THE OSCARS!

(Imp Note: This is one of the reasons behind the struggles of Indian Animation. In my blog series, “The Faults In Our Art! We will explore ten major factors that are keeping Indian animation behind. So I request you to please support my initiative by subscribing to my website by filling the form below)

November 17, 2021November 24, 2021

How To Become An Animator in India? In 5-Steps!

How to become an animator in India? That’s a question I often get asked by many aspiring artists who want to pursue animation as a career.

Let’s be honest, in a country where left-brainer jobs like engineering, medicine, law, etc., are given more priority. Most right-brainers used to find it hard to make a career choice that could satisfy their inner urge of self-expression through an artistic medium. And at the same time, have financial satisfaction too.

But in the late nineties, making that choice became a bit easier with the introduction of computer animation. And slowly, this field gained popularity amongst the masses.

And today, being a professional animator is a rewarding career for those who dare to think differently.

But unfortunately, despite the volume of information and resources available today, it is still hard to know the exact procedure we need to pursue animation as a career due to lack of personal guidance and paradox of choices.

But no worries, your search ends here. Through this article, How To Become An Animator in India? I’ll give you a step-by-step guide to help you choose a better route for your animated journey and become a professional animator.

So just relax and scroll through this post, and by the end of it, I hope you will gain something meaningful that could help you get a clearer picture of this medium and your future.

But I’m not going to sugarcoat anything and sell you big dreams as this path is not for everyone and anyone. Yes, behind those bright colors and funny gags go immense groundwork, sweat, and tears that not everyone can endure.

No! I’m not trying to demotivate you even before starting, but just being honest about the level of persistency it takes to survive in this field, which brings us to our first step.

1-Choosing Your Passion:

Carreers in Animation — Pic Courtesy: Designed by vectorpouch / Freepik

Before you even take on any course and pay your parent’s hard-earned money to the institute, be brutally honest with yourself. Ask yourself if animation is truly for you or not.

Because your success and failure will depend on the level of passion you have for it.

Yes, if you have the passion for it and are willing to put in the tremendous amount of sweat and hard work required to master the art of life’s illusion. Then comparatively, it will be smooth sailing for you.

But, if you want to take animation as a career path thinking of it as a 9 to 5 job with a handsome package and don’t have enough passion for the art. Then it will be pretty hard for you to make it big in this industry.

I have met many individuals who feel stuck in the field, despite being skilled artists. As they don’t possess the love for what they do and treat it like any other regular job.

I even know many individuals who gave up when things went a little rough in the industry a few years back. I don’t blame them as everyone acts according to their own circumstances.

In fact, I think it was the best decision of their life. It’s better to move on from things you don’t feel passionate about instead of dragging yourself into it. I don’t say that you won’t be earning decent without passion, well you will, but you won’t find meaning in your work.

So, think it through before following this medium, especially when the fee is so high. And if you are absolutely sure that this is the career you want to pursue at any cost. Then, let’s move on to our next step.

2- Choosing A Good Institute:

How To Become An Animator In India? — Pic Courtesy: Designed by upklyak / Freepik

This one is a bit tricky as there is no reliable data available to determine which institute is better than the other.

And in why career, I have worked with people from all walks of life from various regions, schools, and institutes, right from small local classes to big brands.

Generally, NID is considered the best in the business, along with other big names like Whistling Woods, IIT, or MIT, but most of them do not provide a full curriculum course in 3d Animation.

Plus, getting admission into these elite organizations isn’t easy as the admission process is very competitive, with limited seats that can cause a giant hole in your pocket due to their hefty fee structure.

So, depending upon your budget and circumstances, I’ll suggest you opt for a fairly reputed institute like Arena, Big Aims, Toonz academy with a moderate fee range.

I’m not endorsing anyone, but they have courses that you can pursue along with your full-time graduation in any other stream like science, arts, and commerce.

But if you aren’t interested in traditional academics anymore, then you should join an institute like Toonskool, Amity that provides full-time degree courses.

I know having a graduation degree isn’t that vital in animation, but I’ll suggest everyone kindly try to get a degree too, as it helps to attain a management position later on.

But the vital question is, how do you know which institute is good for you amongst all the clutter of options?

Well, honestly speaking, it’s pretty hard to answer this question for a couple of reasons:

First, with so many institutes claiming to be the best in the business, it can be challenging to say which one is actually stating the fact. Because as I said, there isn’t any core data available to back up these claims.

But my general advice would be to ask for their past records, how many students got placements, and where? If they have alumni working for top studios, then it is a safer bet.

Also, you must speak with the former or existing students and try to know their experience over there.

The second major factor is that animation in India is still struggling at the base level. And we are way behind as compared to US and Japan when it comes to providing training facilities, technology, and most importantly, understanding the aptitude required for learning animation.

But still, things have improved in recent years, and various institutes have made efforts to provide better quality training to students as the demand for animation has increased tremendously in recent times.

So I will suggest you, please do your research correctly before joining any institute.

Another crucial factor you should indeed consider before joining is, try to know the faculties there. Try to understand how passionate they are about animation. How much experience do they have? Ask for a demo lecture. Are they cooperative? Are they understanding, and so on?

Because in the end, apart from your own efforts, the kind of faculty you get is gonna play a huge role in your understanding of animation. A passionate teacher can easily pass their positive vibe to the students and make things exciting no matter how complicated they are. So do your research and make a choice.

And once you know that the institute you wanna join. Then comes the next big hurdle of selecting the right course. This brings us to our next step.

3-Choosing The Right Course:

Animator — Pic Courtesy:
Designed by upklyak / Freepik

If you think choosing an institute is difficult, when until you go for inquiry and look at the list of courses available with them.

For someone naive about this industry, the counselors sitting at the other corner of the table will try their best to sell the costliest course available on the menu.

They will sell you big dreams like earning six figures and working on international films or studios like Pixar and Disney. But, I’ll advise you to not get carried away and fall into such traps.

Sure, these are not impossible dreams and can be achieved. But it’s not as easy as the counselor will make you feel.

So, before you hear their sales tactics, you need to know a few things about this industry.

You see, in this industry, everyone has a specific role to play. When I say animators, these are the people who move things.

Yes, in most cases, an animator will only animate the characters while the other tasks are handled by other people who are specialized in one or two things like background or character designing in 2d animation.

Just like different doctors handle different parts of the body. Similarly, different artists operate different sections of the production departments.

And when it comes to 3d, the list can range from modeling, texturing, rigging, lighting, etc. To be honest, these are the things you’ll get introduced to only when you learn the process along the way.

But my point is, if possible, narrow down your choices to either 2D or 3D animation software if you want to become an animator and do not opt for courses that include complex Graphics, VFX, Editing, Sound Engineering, etc.

Sure, it’s good to know a little about everything, and it surely helps, but please remember, our field has specialized people working on just one thing.

So if possible, know what you want and choose a specific course like animation, modeling, designing, etc., instead of going for everything.

But there is a catch to this method too.

Sometimes we only come to know about something when we are introduced to it. So having a course with a plethora of options can work in favor at times if we try something and start to enjoy it.

So unless you are sure about opting for a specific thing, choosing a course with various software can be helpful.

And when it comes to demand, currently, the need for 2d animators and designers is pretty high in the market. So do your research, know your interest and make a choice.

But to help you narrow down your choices, there are two things you can do.

If you want to be a 2D animator, then learn the art of character design, rigging, and animation in a software like Adobe Animate, Harmony, Toon Boom, etc.

And if you want to be a 3D animator or anything related to it, then learn software like Maya, Max, Blender that are commonly used in the Indian animation industry.

And once you are sorted with these major hurdles like choosing an institute and course, your entire focus should come down to the next step.

4- Making the Showreel:

Yes, making a kick-ass showreel or portfolio should be your entire life’s goal and focus throughout your time in the institute.

It’s not your degree, not your institute’s name, or your faculty’s reputation going to help you get an entry in the studio, but your portfolio.

As an animator, you need to demonstrate scenes, ranging from the basic principles of animation to advance acting skills if you want to work on advanced projects.

Following this method indeed helped me get my dream job and work on an international movie in the first project itself.

So make sure to start your demo-reel with a bouncing ball to a character lifting weight and slowly progress to a couple of shorts of advanced acting.

And once you are done with the all-around demo reel, it’s time to move on to the most crucial step.

5- Applying for the Job:

Well, once you have overcome all the needed hurdles of completing the course and making a showreel.

Then comes the final boss stage that lies between you and your dreams. That is, getting a job that will transform you from a student to a professional animator.

Well, I’ll be honest with you, with limited studios in the market, landing the right job in India is pretty tough in today’s time.

So it’s better if you already know someone working in an animation studio who can refer you to HR and ask them to arrange an interview.

But hey, even if you don’t know someone, there is still hope. In the end, hard work beats everything, and that’s where your kick-ass showreel will come into the picture.

All you need to do is, go to these studio’s websites or job portals, see if there are any vacancy and apply for the same.

And once you do that, try to give a call to HR and gently request them to examine your profile. If they find you and your portfolio suitable then, they will surely arrange a test for you.

Then it’s up to your skills, talent, and capacity to perform at the practical test and interview. Don’t worry; the personal rounds don’t matter that much in our industry. The test is your primary gateway into the studios.

But it doesn’t mean you’ll act overconfident or rude in personal interviews. Always be humble, polite, and grounded. This will give you extra brownie points that could make getting a job easier even if you fail to impress in the practical test.

Conclusion:

So here we go! These are five essential factors you need to become a professional animator in India.

1-Choose Your Passion.

2-Choose The Right Institute.

3-Choose The Right Course.

4-Make A Kick-Ass Demo-Reel.

5-Apply For The Job.

But the vital question is, what if you did everything right but still struggling to land your dream job.

In that case, I totally understand your situation, as even I failed around 21 interviews before getting my first break.

So don’t lose hope and be patient, it’s a competitive field, and you are battling against many talented artists.

That’s why I’ll recommend you to read another article, “Jobs In Indian Animation Industry,” to know about the funny yet dark side of this industry by clicking here.

I hope thought this article, How To Become An Animator in India? I was somewhat able to help you with this article. And, I’ll request you to please subscribe to the website to show support and learn about this wonderful art.

STAY ANIMATED, STAY MOTIVATED!

November 14, 2021June 13, 2024

CHP 07 ROADSIDE ROMEO MOVIE AND WHAT WENT WRONG?

CHAPTER 07

ROADSIDE ROMEO MOVIE

AND WHAT WENT WRONG?

“I think it’s important to have a good hard failure when you’re young. I learned a lot out of that.”

― WALT DISNEY

When Yash Raj Films collaborated with Walt Disney for Roadside Romeo movie, it was hailed as the first film of its kind and was seen as a project that would pave the way for animation films in India and raise the bar for artistry and innovation.

It’s a movie about Romeo, a rich dog who is abandoned by his owners. He then finds himself embroiled in various situations and even ends up falling in love. It’s a romantic comedy, a genre in which both YRF and WD are undisputed champions.

But despite massive brands, big star-cast, a generous budget, and decent animation, Roadside Romeo failed to woo audiences.

So what went wrong with Roadside Romeo movie despite all the technical amenities?

Well, the important factor behind its downfall is that the creators lacked the insight to look beyond the technical and concentrate on one of the most vital components of movie-making i.e., THE CHARACTER ARC AND RELATABILITY.

So what is a character arc?

“It is a transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of time. In other words, the character begins as one sort of person and gradually transforms into a different sort of person in response to changing development in the environment.”

This is where Pixar is great at because every movie they make, they tend to give the protagonist’s emotional journey equal importance as the outer. The character we see at the beginning of a film will be a radically different person by the end of it.

All great artist is aware of this metamorphosis a living being undergoes during an existence, so they always try to incorporate this in their creative work some or the way, whether it’s movies, novels or even in music.

Take, for example, the album “THE WALL” by Pink Floyd.

The songs in the album constitute a rough storyline of incidents in the life of the protagonist, Pink, whose father was killed during the Second World War. Pink is abused and tormented by the people around him. All of these traumas become metaphorical “bricks in the wall.”

The protagonist eventually becomes a rock star, but his relationships shatter due to his controversial lifestyle. As his marriage decays, he finishes building his wall, forming his detachment from human contact.

Hidden behind his wall, Pink sinks into a deep depression. In order to get him to perform, a doctor medicates him. Upon recognizing the horror of what he has done, Pink becomes overwhelmed and wishes for everything around him to cease. Showing human emotion, he is tormented with guilt and places himself on trial, his inner judge ordering him to “tear down the wall,” opening Pink to the outside world.

As the listener, we can clearly see the dramatic shift in Pink’s perception and nature, even through songs and music.

And Roadside Romeo simply failed to understand this basic principle, as from the beginning to end, the protagonist didn’t show any changes in his personality despite changing circumstances.

Even when he is abandoned by his owner and thrown into the world of isolation, or yet when he faces his nemesis to wipe the slate clean.

Also, the makers didn’t give the audience enough reasons to care for the protagonist, even though there was enough time to build it.

For instance, instead of showing his lavish lifestyle as the opening sequence, it would have been great if they would have displayed his struggle to come to terms with his new unfortunate ordeal and give the audience a chance to empathize with him.

But what surprises me about this movie is that it’s created by YRF, a studio responsible for producing one of the greatest romantic Bollywood movies of all time “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.”

Even though the plot is a typical boy meets girl clichéd one, we can plainly see the development in Raj’s character both emotionally and externally. As he transforms from reckless spoilt brat to a mature and responsible person and travels across the oceans all the way from London to India for his love.

And due to this inner and outer transformation, we got involved with him and, in a way, became a part of his journey. His life became our life, his problems became our problems, and his success became our success so as his failures.

Now, that’s good storytelling due to good character arc.

And with Roadside Romeo apart from him being left alone, there was nothing much going with him. As throughout the movie he was shown as an epitome of perfection, who is a great hairstylist, singer, dancer and is good with “bitches” (literally).

In the end, when he does show some emotions to save the bad guy, it comes across forced as his actions clearly lacks the motivation to do so and it was too late for the audience to root for him. But even after that, he goes back to who he was in the beginning of a film, a careless playboy.

The audience doesn’t want to see this, they want to view these characters cope with the human experience through these films, an experience with which audience members can identify.

Observers see a part of their own reality on the big screen through these figures, as we know that nobody is perfect.

This is what makes the characters so relatable and inspirational to the viewer, and that’s one reason why superhero movies are so big amongst us because we see the inner struggle they go through despite gifted with powers beyond human abilities.

Because we see their vulnerability to deal with the change surrounding them, and because we see their lack of control over certain circumstances, “JUST LIKE US.”

So, what are your thoughts on Roadside Romeo movie? Please share your comments below.

Also, through “The Faults In Our Art!” blog series, we will explore the various factors responsible for poor quality of Indian Animation as an art. So I request you to please have a look the section (by licking here) to learn more about this wonderful subject.

November 5, 2021November 6, 2021

CHP SIX HANUMAN MOVIE (2005) AND THE ART OF APPEAL PART TWO

HANUMAN MOVIE

AND THE ART OF APPEAL PART TWO

“Hanuman is like a super superhero. We have tried to go beyond Superman,”

― V.G SAWANT, DIRECTOR OF HANUMAN

So in the previous article, Hanuman Part One, we learned about the first six principles of animation that made Hanuman a movie to remember, right from the squash and stretch to ease and ease out.

Now, let us continue to peek behind the curtain of the animation process and proceed with the seventh and one of the most vital principles that make the animation look so realistic, and that is “THE ARC.”

7-Yes, one thing we will see around us is that most natural moments tend to follow an arched trajectory, and that is also true for animation as it adheres to the laws of physics.

This can be seen in our day to days lives by just observing our limb movements, or by merely following the visual path of a bouncing ball.

An object in motion that moves out of its natural arc for no apparent reason will come across as mechanical, stiff, and erratic rather than smooth, which can work for robotic characters.

But, for the rest, it is essential to respect the principle of arc added with ease in and ease out with a little bit of squash and stretch to make the action look authentic and fluid.

And to add more life in your characters, our eight principle plays a crucial role in it, and that is a secondary action.

8-The job of secondary action is to support the main action, and it helps to add more dimension and personality to your character.

Hanuman’s tail is an excellent example of characterization through this principle as we can see that it can move freely from the rest of his body, and it gives a little insight into his feelings and emotions, which can also be examined through our next principle, and that is “Timing.”

9-Alright, like the art of magic, Timing plays the most crucial part in creating the best illusion that can awe the audiences.

In general, Timing refers to the number of drawings or frames for a given action, which translates to the speed of the action within the scene that gives meaning to the movement.

It is divided into two parts; the first is the physical timing, which is determined by the weight and the mass of an object and gives you the idea of the material of the object.

For example, if you throw a paper ball and a rubber ball, both things will travel at a different speed and reach their destination at a very different time frame.

The next is the theatrical timing, which is behavioral and determined by the performance of a character or object. This can be observed through the way a character moves, which brings out its unique personality that can be pushed further with the help of our tenth principle, that is, Exaggeration.

10-When we hear the word “Exaggeration,” we think of something that has been pushed or amplified to a greater extent. And the principle of exaggeration is exactly what the word stands for, and it is used to increase the amount of impact on the viewer.

Because in animation, the closer you are to a realistic movement or expression, the duller it looks, so in animation, we take a different approach and raise the intensity of broader actions, enhancing the emotions and making the expression look as large as possible for better clarity and entertainment.

You can see the difference between an exaggerated one as compared to a realistic one in the image below to understand what a huge difference this principle can make in the entertainment quotient of animation.

While you can take the creative freedom to push the boundaries of an action or expression, but you still have to respect the limits of our anatomy and stay accurate that can be achieved by our eleventh principle, Solid drawing.

11-The principle of solid drawing means taking into account forms in three-dimensional space or giving them volume and weight as it will give your character a sense of tangibility.

In other words, it is about making sure that your character has a clearly defined body structure consistently without losing its sense of weight, balance, anatomy, shadow, light, etc.

The structure need not have to be completely realistic, but it has to be believable. And it is this believability that is absolutely important to achieve our last principle, the Appeal, the culmination of everything we learned so far.

12- THE ART OF APPEAL

So when you saw the movie Hanuman what was the first thing that instantly pleased you. And I am sure most of the people will say that the Character design of the baby Hanunam was cute beyond measures.

Yes, and that is where the principle of Appeal comes into the picture. It is a technique animators use to make their design stand out.

Although it is very subjective in nature, but one thing is sure that animated characters should be pleasing to look at, and just like live-action actors, they need to have some charisma into them.

And oh boy, the baby Hanuma’s character is a perfect example of it as the audiences we quickly captivated by its attractive design and animation backed by good storytelling and direction.

Hanuman’s entertaining movements and unique style were perfectly complementary to its physical traits like chubby cheeks, big innocent eyes, anatomically accurate body structure. And if you can pull that off all together, then you have a design that is appealing in every sense.

And it’s because of Hanuman’s watchability and attractiveness this movie left a significant impact not only on the animation industry but if you notice, since its release, even live-action series and films depict Hanuman’s character inspired by VG Samant’s version.

You will see the traces of it everywhere, in children’s fancy dress parties, other animated shows, festivals, comic strips, etc.

Such was the influence of Hanuman that left a massive legacy behind it that we are still struggling to replicate in terms of the blockbuster success, quality, and, most importantly, its Appeal.

February 23, 2021February 11, 2022

Why Is Indian Animation Bad?

Why did I start this blog?

Some time ago, I felt the urge to expand my knowledge about Indian Animation and was shocked to see that there is no single book available so far on this topic. So, I decided to write one, titled “Indian Animation and The Faults In Our Art.” But unfortunately, it didn’t get any publishing deal due to the nature of the subject. So instead of going to a self-publishing route, I thought of converting the content into this blog so that it can reach the maximum number of people for free, and I can always keep on updating it with changing times.

Now the vital question? Why did I write my unpublished book in the first place? Well, that’s because, over the years, I have witnessed that Indian Animation has not made enough progress to make a mark in this world.

You see, the animation is undoubtedly the most flexible form of film-making with the ability to go beyond the expected. But when it comes to India, we are still struggling to get the basics right, we are still struggling to understand the true potential of this medium, and most importantly, we are still struggling to embrace the art of animation.

And the most crucial question is, “Why?”

Why countries like the USA, Japan embraced this art and have managed to turn this medium into full-fledged family entertainment. Whereas in India, it is still looked down on as purely a children’s genre and is ignored by almost all adults. But more importantly, why don’t we shy away from investing our time and money into watching International films like Kung-fu Panda, The Incredibles, but won’t even think of walking into the theater to watch domestic Animated movies?. What makes Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli so successful. And what is that we need to adopt from them to grow and prosper in terms of art, style, commerce, and entertainment.

Through this series of articles, we will explore answers to all these questions and debunk the mysteries behind the success of western and Japanese animated films and the struggle behind our industry. With each chapter or article, we will look at some fundamental and deeply rooted faults in Indian content, things that have worked for us, and things that have led to the downward slope of the art of animation.

As an animator, as a writer, and more importantly, as an audience, my intention behind writing this book or blog is to help the budding generation of artists, industry professionals, and everyone interested in the medium to learn from our past, fix our present, and take a leap into the future. And hopefully, together, we can support our beloved art to earn a respectable place in the business of family entertainment.

When you read these articles, read them as if you are reading a book. I have divided the section into three major parts:

-The Past:

Here, we will witness the journey of Indian animation and what worked and did not work for us.

-The Present:

Here, we will analyze the current state of our art and the reasons for its downward curve.

-The Future:

Here, we will discuss the destiny of our art, and I will share some vital bits of advice for budding artists that will help them to thrive in this industry.

Each section has some interesting chapters mentioned below.

THE PAST: And the Story of our Art!

-Chapter One: The Brief History: And the rise and fall of Indian Animation.

In this chapter, we will shed some light on the journey of Indian animation, right from its inception in shadow forms to the silver screen, and learn about the people who contributed towards making this industry what it is today.

-Chapter Two: The Jungle Book: And what makes it the best show ever?

The Jungle Book is undoubtedly the most popular show in the history of Indian Animation. In this chapter, we will learn about its impact on our generation and what made it so successful.

-Chapter Three: Ramayana: And the struggle to release it.

Like the hugely popular Tv show Ramayana, the animated movie brought a revolution in Indian Animation. In this chapter, we will learn about the struggle behind making this movie and the sacrifices the creators of this movie made to release it.

-Chapter Four: Chhota Bheem: And what makes it so big?

Chhota Bheem is another household name, but have you ever wondered what makes it so big? In this chapter, Let’s look into the psychology of Chhota Bheem and reveal the secrets behinds its fame.

-Chapter Five: Hanuman: And the art of the appeal. Part 1.

This movie instantly made an impact on our viewers, and in these chapters, we are going to decode some of the secrets behind its success with the help of animation principles.

-Chapter Six: Hanuman: And the art of the appeal. Part 2.

This chapter will continue to explore fundamental animation principles that will help our readers to know the groundwork it takes to create these beautiful illusions of lives.

-Chapter Seven: Roadside Romeo: And what went wrong?

The stage was set for Roadside Romeo, and it was released with huge expectations, but unfortunately, everything went downhill. So in this chapter, we will explain what the makers of this should have learned from their famous movie DDLJ.

The Present: And the Faults in our Art!

-Chapter Eight: The Audience: What is an art without its audience?

And this chapter will focus on the roles our viewers can play to bring the change we want to see.

-Chapter Nine: The Story.

In the end, it all comes down to a story that can make or break the art. So in this chapter, we will learn about the fundamental issues with our storytelling and what we can do to improve it.

-Chapter Ten: The Sense of humor:

Animation and comedy go hand in hand, but for some reason, our shows seem to be deprived of humor. So let us learn some tricks and tips that could put a smile on our kid’s faces and know the secrets behind the funny business of western animation.

-Chapter Eleven: The Missing Link:

This mysterious ingredient is one major reason our animation lags in many aspects. If we can manage to implement it soon, we will have Indian animation spreading on the global stage.

-Chapter Twelve: The Copy of a Copy:

Another factor why Indian animation doesn’t hold high standards in the eyes of our adult audiences. So in the chapter, let us learn the art of stealing and implementing it wisely without getting caught.

-Chapter Thirteen: The Women Power:

When the whole world is advocating for equal opportunities. But animation still seems to catch up in this department despite the need for women’s participation has been more than ever before. So in this chapter, let us reflect on women’s working conditions in the animation industry and the need for their empowerment.

-Chapter Fourteen: The Budget:

This is one major hurdle keeping our art behind. So let’s have a look at some of the examples and see how much we really spend on animation as compared to Hollywood.

-Chapter Fifteen: The Right Education.

This is where the problems begin. So let us analyze the issue behind it.

The Future: And The Destiny of our Art

-Chapter Sixteen: STAY ANIMATED STAY MOTIVATED.

The Passion.

The Inspiration.

So here we go.

I will update this blog as and when possible, and soon, I will convert it into a free ebook. So do make sure to subscribe by filling the form below for tons of free content and, more importantly, helping our art leave a mark in the world of family entertainment.

February 20, 2021June 13, 2024

CHP TWO: THE JUNGLE BOOK AND WHAT MAKES IT THE BEST SHOW EVER?


	*“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”*― RUDYARD KIPLING, THE JUNGLE BOOK

Adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s book and directed by Fumio Kurokawa, “The Jungle Book” debuted on Indian television in the year 1993. An era hanging on the doldrums of an imbalanced economy, communal violence, and filthy terrorism.

And amid this massive burning cauldron, in the monsoon of July 1993, our houses echoed with a delightful song written by the great Gulzar, the title song of the series “Jungle Jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai.” It was a much-needed escape from the series of depressing events that engulfed our nation at that time. The song brought a sense of optimism and cheerfulness amongst the people, specifically children, during a challenging time in Indian history.

By that time, many great Disney and Warner Bros shows were already running successfully. Still, none of them were able to instantly resonate with us, and profoundly influence a generation like The Jungle Book. It was a show that brought the families together and made Sunday afternoon the best time of the week. Soon Mowgli became a common household name and an integral part of our pop culture.

So what’s it’s about The Jungle Book specifically, that it was able to touch us in such a way that no other show can recreate the magic to date?. What was it about this show that made every child of our generation, wanting to run with the wolves, learn the language of every species, and climb on Bagheera’s back to jump over the cliff despite its secrets and dangers?

Well, It’s easy to guess it on the surface level, as it’s an entertaining show about a wild Indian boy who swings across the forest in his shorts along with his animal friends and their adventures in the wilderness in the midst of fighting the cunning and cruel tiger. For kids, that was more than enough reason to watch it, but on a deeper level, it was a show filled with great philosophical knowledge, values and was no lesser than a self-help book. At its core, it’s a story about growing up, maturing, learning more about the world, finding new friends, and, more importantly, finding yourself.

In other words, it was an excellent metaphor for our lives. Yes, the forest represented the concrete jungle we stay in. The animals represented our friends and families who care for us and protect us. The nemesis waiting in ambush posed the obstacles and problems we face, and the misfit protagonist represented “US,” lost into the unknown striving to survive. Just like Mowgli, we all face issues like growing up, we all feel like an odd one in the pack of wolves, and we all struggle to find our true identity always trying to adjust according to our environment in the vast civilized jungle.

The series did a fantastic job of showcasing the human values through these animals, and with great subtlety, provided various practical solutions for the dilemmas we face in our daily lives. It showed us the importance of finding our true self, and how everyone has some unique talent and skillsets, which we need to figure out to persevere in this world.

At the same time, it taught us the significance of family bonding, the sacrifices we need to make, staying true to our words and commitments, respecting the law, dealing with the loss of loved ones, and overcoming it.

And most importantly, it taught us the virtues of co-operation over pridefulness, by testing our beliefs against other people and finding common ground. It showed us that life is about walking according to the situation and opening ourselves to change.

And it did it without coming across as preachy or forceful. Its beauty was in its delicacy and simplicity wrapped in the innocence of a young mind. Truly, so far, no other show ever managed to achieve this and deeply touch our emotions, like The Jungle Book.

The anime also did a fabulous job of staying sincere to its original source material by staying dark and realistic as compared to the early cotton-candy Disney version. In the 1967 animated film, the story revolved around Shere khan trying to eat the boy, as his animal family tries to convince him to leave the jungle and live in the human village, which he is hesitant to do.

But later, Mowgli’s mind abruptly shifts when he is captivated by a pretty young girl from the village who is coming down by the riverside to fetch water. After noticing Mowgli, she “accidentally” drops her water pot. Mowgli retrieves it for her and follows her into the Man-Village and lives happily ever after.

Although that’s the basic concept of the anime as well and the movie is enormously popular and features a few memorable songs but received a considerable objection from critics and viewers for portraying certain characters in an insensitive way and altering the plot to serve Disney’s family film genres. That does not do any justice to the dramatic and sinister tone of Kipling’s work like the anime did years later.

Fortunately, Disney did realize their mistake and fixed it effectively in its latest live-action flick in 2016. They understood that it’s not about making selfish choices and our connection with our inner desires. It’s about the relationship between nature and mankind, the importance of respecting the natural laws, and how it is possible for us to harmoniously co-exist with nature that the anime displayed so effectively.

But one important factor that both the movie and the anime exposes is the literary trope called the Noble Savage. It embodies the concept of the indigene, an outsider, wild human who has not been “corrupted” by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity’s natural goodness. And it is this sense of innocence and naiveness that makes Mowgli such a relatable character that we all cherish and deeply connect with.

Here is an excellent lesson for Indian animation shows as well. Most of our Tv shows are influenced by Bollywood style structure, where the main protagonist is always invincible and is the epitome of perfection that we will discuss in detail in the upcoming articles.

But the success of The Jungle Book proved that you don’t need unnecessary actions, tacky gags, and larger than life protagonist to make a great show. As there was a show that shared the values of life and made an everlasting impact through an imperfect hero, who struggles like us, commits mistakes like us, learns like us. And most importantly grows like us, making it the greatest show of all time for our generation, at least in our hearts.

February 19, 2021November 18, 2021

CHP ONE: THE HISTORY OF INDIAN ANIMATION

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

― WALT DISNEY.

Before we witnessed the spectacular visual effects of Bahubali before children got hooked on tv sets to watch Chhota Bheem, and even centuries before the dawn of animated films and motion cinema came into existence. Indians have figured out to enjoy the art of storytelling through an ingenious technology of projecting animated pictures on the silver screen called Tholu bommalata.

It is the traditional art of shadow puppetry that originated in the state of Andra Pradesh that enabled people to bring a hundred or more colorful mythological characters to life in the most remote village, all accompanied by virtuoso singing, engaging rhythms, and enchanting sound effects.

Then around the 19th century, during the British era, a Mumbai-based engineer Maadanrao Madhavrao Chitale, painted some events from the life of Srikrishna on slides and showed them to audiences for fun with the help of an invention called Magic Lantern that gave the impression of moving pictures. Fascinated by this new form of illusion, the father and son duo of Mahadev Patwardhan and Vinayak Mahadev Patwardhan saw a business opportunity in it. And took their show to the live audiences with the name Shambarik Kharolika.

And as time progressed, we saw the birth of technological marvels that revolutionized the art of storytelling, the motion picture camera invented by the Lumiere Brothers. This wonder machine opened the floodgates to many storytellers, and we were submerged into the depth of its potentialities.

And soon, the world witnessed its first-ever animated film created by Émile Cohl, who shot thousands of his own drawings. The film mainly consists of a stick man moving about and encountering all manner of morphing objects, such as a wine bottle that transforms into a flower that becomes an elephant.

And later on this side of the world, the pioneer of Indian cinema, Dada Saheb Phalke, created a stop motion movie using matchsticks called ‘Agkadyanchi Mouj’- ‘The Game of Match Sticks’, which is hailed as the beginning of Indian animation.

And since then, we saw the rise of many skilled and enthusiastic filmmakers and animators trying their hands in this art form. Amongst them was ‘The Pea Brothers’ made by Gunamoy Banerjee in 1934, which was the first animated film in India to get a theatrical release. Using the classical hand-drawn animation style, this movie featured the story of five peas popping out and transforming into toys that motivated many aspiring artists to pursue this form of animation.

And later in the same year, Kolkatta-based director Birendranath Sircar pulled out a film called “On a moon night” in just a month. The fascinated thing about this movie was that it was the first time that soundtrack was added into an Animated film that amused the audiences like never before.

Then on the 15th of November 1934, Animator Raghunath K. Kelkar, along with Pune-based Prabhat Film company founded by V. Shantaram, released an animated shot called Jambu kaka at Majestic Cinema in Mumbai.

Jambu Kaka

This shot featured a humanized Jackal that gained immense popularity amongst its viewers and helped Indian animation-grow further. This eventually led to a decade full of innovative and imaginative movies, right from Lafanga Langoor in 1935 by Mohan Bhavani, “Superman Myth” in 1939 by G.K Gokhale, Bakam Bhatt by Kolapur Cinetoons, “Akash Pataal’ by Mandar Malik, and IFI’s “The War that never ends.” And with it ended the long-fought war against the colonial rule, and most of the works were lost somewhere in the pages of history.

But, not all hopes were lost, as the whole country was engulfed in the celebration of newly found independence and a sense of nationality. Gemini Studios of Chennai released a wholly Indian animation film called “Cinema Kadambam,” a series of animated caricatures of famous film stars of the ’40s made by N. Thanu.

And meanwhile, in Mumbai, Animators Gupte and Ghokle were planning to revolutionize the advertising sector and created an animated series called Rangeen Chutkiya, which held its position till 1955.

And next year, in 1956, Indian animation regained its spirit with the arrival of Disney’s Animator Claire Weeks under the Indo-American technical co-operation program. His mission was to expose Indian artists to advanced technological and creative equipment and helped to set-up India’s first-ever animation studio.

And with it, began the production of the first independent animation film called “The Banyan Deer” in the year 1957, inspired by the Jataka tales. Staying true to the intention of the Indo-US relationship, the film also resembled the mixture of Indian and American art styles. The human characters were inspired by the artistic style of Ajanta caves, while the Deer had a close resemblance to Disney’s Bambi.

This film was widely appreciated and tasted great success that helped to launch the careers of some of the best-known artists in the history of Indian Animation.

And with the success of The Banyan deer and many other short-films and shows, the next decade brought the era of experiments, trials, and errors as many bold artists tried various techniques such as time-lapse, cut-out animation, stop-motion, claymation, etc.

Many of these were used as propaganda films to promote the government’s ideology and influence the citizens to adopt a better standard of living. Soon animation began to transform from merely an art to a full-fledged career.

And with it, we saw the rise of great artists like Madhava Kunte, Ramesh Potnis, Bhimsain Khurana, who is best known for his short film Ek Chidiya Anek Chidiya, V.G Sawant, and none other the legendary Ram Mohan hailed as the father of Indian Animation and only Indian animator to receive the prestigious Padma Shri Award by the Government of India.

Ram Mohan, Legendary Animator.

And as these artists were pushing the boundaries of this art form, the technology was also evolving rapidly, and soon, we witness the arrival of computers that quickly became part of the animation industry. This new-found tool helped save a lot of valuable time, sweat, and efforts that go into making a traditionally animated film.

Yes, something as simple as a walk cycle could take as much as eighteen hand-drawn images drawn in a sequence that loop to create an animation of a walking character. The number of drawings can increase or decrease depending upon the character’s personality, timing, phase, and many, along with essential animation principles without which the animation won’t look as good as it seems that we will learn in the upcoming chapters.

But the arrival of new technology like 2D animation and especially 3D animation cut short the output time to half, and our highly skilled and talented artists were quick to adopt this new form of working style.

And with it began a new era and came to the much-needed boom in the market of the Indian animation industry. Soon we saw the rise in demand for our domestic services in the international arena due to our quality work at a much lower price.

And since then, Indian animators have continued to showcase their capabilities around the globe that can be reflected by the number of awards we have won until this time. But sadly, we found ourselves stuck under the influence of Disney style for a longer period and have been on a roller-coaster ride in its history of over a hundred years.

Even though with the rise of many great artists like Ram Mohan, V.G Samant, and the extreme popularity of shows like Chhota Bheem, Little Singham, and movies like Hanuman, Bal Ganesha, Indian animation is still struggling to earn the respect of our local audiences.

But why is that why other countries like Us, Japan, embraced this art and have managed to turn this medium into full-fledged family entertainment, whereas, in India, it is still looked down on as purely children’s genre and is ignored by almost all adults?

But more importantly, why don’t we shy away from investing our time and money into watching International films like Kung-fu Panda, The Incredibles, but won’t even think of walking into the theater to watch domestic Animated movies?. What makes Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli so successful, and what is that we need to adopt from them to grow and prosper in terms of art, style, commerce, and entertainment.

In the upcoming articles, we will explore answers to all these and many more questions and debunk the mysteries behind the success of western and Japanese animated films and the struggle behind our industry. With each article, we will look at some fundamental and deeply rooted faults in it, things that have worked for us, and things that have led to the downward slope of the art of animation.

As an animator, as a writer, and more importantly, as an audience, my intention behind writing this book is to help the new and younger generation of artists and everyone interested in the medium to take learn from our past, fix our present, and take a leap into the future. And hopefully, together, we can support our beloved art to earn a place in the hugely profitable business of family entertainment.