But in terms of formal training institutes, how have they evolved?
Where there was once nothing in terms of formal training, today there are many small institutions that have mushroomed. Unfortunately, most of them concentrate on software programmes, like Maya, Softmage, Flash, etc. There are not many that teach animation as an art form. Right now, I'd say the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, which has an Animation Design programme, is at the top.
With the Graphiti School of Animation, which we recently started, we've taken it a step further. We do teach software, but the emphasis is on the basics of animation, looking at animation as an art form, etc. We realised that studios don't want students to have only general knowledge; they want someone with knowledge of a specific aspect of animation. Otherwise, they'll have to train the newcomer. Therefore, we have them specialise in school so they are ready the day they step out the door.
Ours is a one-year programme. After a five-month foundation course, which gives them an overall view of animation production and what it's about, we move them to a specialised area. Those are:
Modeller
Rigger
Texture artist
Animator
Lighting artists
Compositor
Of course, each is a component of the production pipeline, so students are ready to work the day they leave. After the one-year course, students have to produce a short film, just one or two minutes, but it has to be done under the conditions of a professional studio.
What about career options?
The general salary for someone just finishing school would be around 10,000-12,000 per month. And placement is quite good as well. For instance, of the 60 students in our most recent batch at Graphiti School of Animation, 58 found work, and the other two dropped out before completing the course. Graphiti Studios took 16 or so, and the rest found other studios.
There were quite a lot of job offers. We even had a campus selection, where different studios came to meet the studios. This year, actually, has been a little slow. Some studios have laid people off and so there are a lot of experienced people in the market looking for jobs, which has affected the selection of new entrants. But it's still a growing industry.
In terms of further career options, if one is talented and hard-working one could become a group leader after a short while, which earns abour Rs 50,000-60,000 per month. From there, you shoot for the Animation Director position, which depending on the studio, can fetch you between Rs 100,000 and Rs 200,000 per month.
Image: Students at the Graphiti School of Animation are taught the basics and the various tools of animation
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