ITV

Category: Animation

  • Mayabious Art gets Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2014 Award

    Mayabious Art gets Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2014 Award

    KOLKATA: Mayabious Art, a home-grown animation and digital media company from Kolkata, has been conferred with the fourth Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2014 Award to celebrate the excellence in cinema. 

     

    The Jury Award for ‘Best Ad Film’ was given to the advertisement created for plywood major Sylvan Ply. The award was received by Mayabious Art co-founder and CEO Akhil Bandhu Paul.

     

    More than 1500 film entries from across the globe had taken part and hundreds of filmmakers from India and abroad attended the festival.

     

    Paul after receiving the award said: “West Bengal is rich in creative talent and Mayabious endeavors to keep pace with the market demand and focuses on a mix of technology, knowledge and local skills to turn ideas into reality.”

     

  • DQE signs co-production and licensing deals worth US$48 million at MIPTV

    DQE signs co-production and licensing deals worth US$48 million at MIPTV

    MUMBAI: DQ Entertainment International has concluded a number of TV co-production and licensing deals at MIPTV held in April 2014.

     

    “The gross value of the co-production and licensing deals agreed is approximately US$48 million (Rs 2880 million), of which circa US$12.8 million (Rs 768 million) is revenue expected to be accrued to DQE over the current fiscal year and the next, subject to milestones,” said DQE in a statement published in BSE.

     

    Various TV co-production/service production and licensing and distribution deals were concluded for DQE properties such as: The Jungle Book season 2, The Jungle Book Christmas special, The Jungle Book Safari, Peter Pan season 2, Robin Hood, Lanfeust Quest, Project-Popp and others. “Overall MIPTV ’14 was hugely successful for DQ Entertainment with a large number of deals concluded by the licensing and distribution team for television, home video, VOD, SVOD, music publishing and promotional merchandise,” the statement added.

     

    In particular, a co-production agreement for the second season of Peter Pan has been announced between DQE, ZDF TV Germany, Tele Quebec Canada, DeA Kids, Italy and France Television in partnership with Method animation with a gross budget of US$9.9 million.

     

    DQE’s strategic alliance with Rollman Entertainment USA, signed last year for the co-production, distribution, licensing and merchandising of animated and live action TV series and new media content, has been very productive for the company. Two seasons of the animated TV series NFL Rush Zone and a first season of Iseodo were executed and successfully delivered under this alliance in the last fiscal period. “Additionally, a contract for the co-production of Yonaguni, the CGI TV series with a global budget of US$10 million, has been signed and DQE expects to conclude several more projects in the near future through this partnership with Rollman Entertainment,” the statement said.

     

    7 Dwarfs and Me, due to go into production next month, co-produced by DQE and Method Animation, has signed broadcasting agreements with France Television, ZDF TV Germany and RAI TV Italy. DQE will also be producing a high quality CGI animated TV series, with Zagtoons, USA, tentatively named The POPPS which is expected to go into production by June this year.

     

    DQ Entertainment CEO Tapaas Chakravarti said in a statement, “Response to our productions from global broadcasters has been very encouraging this MIPTV. Several strategic licensing agreements have been concluded and there are several others in the pipeline.”

  • Mayabious to inaugurate 6-7 centres, double headcount in 2014

    Mayabious to inaugurate 6-7 centres, double headcount in 2014

    KOLKATA: With animation-related jobs increasingly outsourced to India, home-grown animation companies are looking to enhance their skills and manpower to meet the growing demand.

     

    One such is Kolkata-based Mayabious Art, an animation, graphic applications and IT software skills company, which plans to inaugurate six to seven centres of the Mayabious Digital Academy apart from doubling its headcount this year.

     

     “The strategy is to become an identity that would be recalled as the best project visualiser in the industry. We plan to come up with six to seven centres pan India,” says Mayabious Art CEO Akhil Bandhu Paul. “We believe that the Indian animation industry is set to clock stunning growth in times to come. Animation encompasses gaming, web designing, creative content, television commercials, games for internet, personal computer and consoles, has a strong need, and wide reach across sectors.”

     

    To produce world-class animation, talent is a prerequisite. Hence, immediate attention needs to be given to creating and developing exceptional animation workers. According to Paul, the Mayabious Digital Academy helps them create their own manpower. “We are a Kolkata-based company with branches in Delhi and Bengaluru. Kolkata has a trend of talented and skilled manpower in the field of art. We have harnessed this talent to train them and cater to the needs of the entire world,” he says. “We at Mayabious Art have explored the opportunities, size and the factors that make the Indian animation market one of the most sought after arenas,” Paul adds about the growth prospects of the industry.

     

     Meanwhile, a media professional quotes a Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ report which says that the animation industry, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 1,100 crore back in 2006, is expected to grow at the rate of 22 per cent to reach Rs 5,400 crore by the end of this year. “At Mayabious Art, we are all geared up to meet the challenges and create and develop world-class professionals and results,” signs off Paul.

  • Animation movies will bring back your childhood memories this summer!

    Animation movies will bring back your childhood memories this summer!

    MUMBAI: India’s premiere Hollywood destination, Star Movies,  is all set to rule the roost with their Animation Domination block. With the commitment to bring the biggest and best of Hollywood to its viewers, Star Movies presents “ Animation Domination” which will take the 1pm slot every Monday to Friday throughout the month of May. The lineup is set to entertain you with movies like The Adventures of Tintin, Toy Story 3, Ratatouille, Ice age: Continental drift , Wreck-it Ralph, Wall-E, The Smurfs, The Princess and the Frog and UP! These movies are perfect spending time this summer during the holidays and in the midst of cricket season.

     

    The Adventures of Tintin – Starring Jamie Bell as Tintin, the intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure, and Daniel Craig as the nefarious Red Rackham.

     

    Toy Story 3 – The movie begins with Andy leaving for college and donating his beloved toys – including Woody and Buzz  to a daycare. While the crew meets new friends, including Ken, they soon grow to hate their new surroundings and plan an escape.

     

    Ratatouille- Remy is currently situated in the sewers directly beneath Gusteau’s elegant restaurant. Soon Remy teams up with a young chef with little talent named Linguini. When Remy’s passion for cooking turns the haughty world of French cuisine upside down, the rat who would be king of the kitchen learns important lessons about life, friends, and family while questioning whether he should pursue his culinary calling or simply go back underground and return to his life as a sewer rat.

     

    Ice age: Continental drift – Scrat’s nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he’s been after since the dawn of time, has world-changing consequences – a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all for Manny, Diego and Sid. In the wake of these upheavals, Sid reunites with his cantankerous Granny, and the herd encounters a ragtag menagerie of seafaring pirates determined to stop them from returning home.

     

    Wreck-it Ralph – Ralph is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix , the “good guy” star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he’s tired of playing the role of a bad guy.  He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero.

     

    Wall-E – The year is 2700, and planet Earth has long been uninhabitable. For hundreds of years, WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) has been taking out the trash, and collecting precious knick-knacks in order to stave off the boredom of his dreary routine. Little does WALL-E realize that he has recently stumbled onto a secret that could save planet Earth, and once again make the ravaged planet safe for all humankind. When highly advanced search robot EVE makes friends with WALL-E and realizes the value of his remarkable discovery, she excitedly races back to let the humans know that there’s hope for their home planet after all.

     

    The Smurfs –  When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, they’re forced through a portal, out of their world and into ours, landing in the middle of New York’s Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

     

    The Princess and the Frog – Set in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century, The Princess and the Frog concerns a poor African-American girl named Tiana who has a knack for cooking, and dreams of opening her own restaurant. When the friend’s family hosts a party for Prince Naveen of Maldonia, Dr. Facilier, an expert in black magic, turns the visiting royal into a frog. The now amphibious Naveenconvinces Tiana that a kiss will reverse the spell, and if she obliges him he’ll provide the money she needs to open her dream eatery. However, their smooch not only fails to turn him back into a human, but transforms Tiana into a frog as well. The duo then sets out to find a voodoo priestess who can set everything right.

     

    UP – Carl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South America. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocks his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home andfinally taking flight. But Carl isn’t alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell.

     

    So get ready to celebrate the innocence in you with Animation Domination as Star Movies brings to you the best of Hollywood, right to your television sets in the comfort of your home.

     

    Let the summers pass by watching your favorite movies at home only on Star Movies!! Watch all your favorite Animation movies Monday to Friday @1pm this May.

  • Unique education programme in animation by veteran animators in Bengaluru

    Unique education programme in animation by veteran animators in Bengaluru

    NEW DELHI: The first-of-its-kind educational initiative in Bengaluru referred to as ‘Train the Trainers’ has been launched by the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI), the largest non-profit association to promote animation in India.

     

    The programme commenced on 21 April but interested candidates will be enrolled during this week as well. The programme is actively supported by Department of IT, BT, S&T of the Government of Karnataka.

     

     The state government through its KAVGC policy 1.0 is aimed at improving the educational infrastructure of the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) industry. In order to improve the quality of the trainers in the AVGC industry, and thereby improving the overall quality of education imparted, TTT programme aims at bringing together national and international trainers to facilitate the training in different modules of various stages of production.

     

     The TTT program, chaired by ABAI secretary Ankur Bhasin, CEO of Bhasinsoft, is envisaged to provide an academically challenging educational experience through effective teaching, research and service, enabling candidates to acquire understanding, knowledge and skills necessary for establishing successful career in teaching and becoming responsible trainers within the animation industry.

     

    “The TTT is an innovation on jump-starting the quality of educational initiative on the digital arts environment. It assesses the pain point of who will impart new media arts learning. It will help plug a major gap in growing a talent that needs tens of thousands of employees over the next 3 to 5 years.” ABAI country head, technicolor India and president Biren Ghose.

     

     The candidates who enroll for this programme stand to gain not only six months of high-quality training but also a chance to work on live projects in a professional studio environment. This will enable the candidates to learn teaching techniques such as creative teaching methodology, class-room management, and all other aspects of AVGC.

     

    “TTT program, in its initial offering, starts with a concentrated batch of 12 candidates per batch to ensure that there is no dilution in the quality of imparted training. A separate Executive TTT course is also offered for working faculties who prefer weekend classes” says Bhasin.

     

    He added, “In my studio, Bhasinsoft, and across the industry it is seen that a large amount of good talent comes from tier 2 and tier 3 hence TTT is also planned in a way to reward trainers in the program with cash incentive for training in these cities.”

     

     Institutes stand to benefit that the candidates will be able bring the exposure and knowledge to impart quality training to students. The teaching methodology, which is a combination of a learner-centred interactive methodology and a project-based teaching, will help bridge the gap between Institute and Industry. A better education quality is bound to improve the students’ placement record, which will further enhance the reputation of Institute.

     

     The programme will be offered in two formats.

     

    1. Standard TTT Program aims to up skill candidates who are looking to enter the AVGC industry as trainers as well as 0 – 6 month of experienced current trainers/ artist in Studio.

      Duration: 6 months (5 Days a week).

     

    2. Executive TTT Program aims to up skill candidates who have 1 or more years working experience in the AVGC industry as trainers.

     Duration: 8 months (1 Week per Month / Weekend Classes).

     

    Guest speakers from renowned studios and industry experts will train the candidates on various disciplines; profound understanding will be given of the fundamentals such as design and aesthetics, storytelling and acting. The programme will have overall technical brush up and up scaling of skills at three stages viz. Pre-production, Production, Post Production; Detailed analysis and activities to understand the industry Pipeline and Work Flow management; Practical work experience at associated Studios / Production houses; Individual project based on specialization and group project for understanding and experiencing team dynamics; and Personal Development through mock lectures and group evaluations.

     

    “Indian AVGC industry is growing at a rapid pace – not only because of larger quantity of Hollywood content being worked on in India but also because of a growing domestic market. The Animation, VFX & Post Production market has grown from Rs 35.3 billion in 2012 to Rs 39.7 billion in 2013 and is expected to add over 40,000 jobs in the coming 3-4 years. For the growth to sustain and further enhance, it is imperative that the quality of students being trained improves which in turn is a result of the quality of trainers imparting the training. Hence, TTT directly addresses the need of the hour.” Ankur emphasized.

  • ‘The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ to premiere on Disney XD

    ‘The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ to premiere on Disney XD

    MUMBAI: Disney XD is adding some high octane action to its programming over the weekend with The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. A new animated series featuring the greatest heroes who take on the unbeatable foes will premiere this Sunday, 20 April at 12:00 pm on the channel.

     

    When the planet is threatened by super villains, time traveling conquerors, alien invaders, mythical beasts or robots bent on the total destruction of humanity and if the forces of evil are so overwhelming that no single hero has the power to save the world, when there is no hope left… the Avengers are assembled!

     

    Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, and Wasp have defeated some of the most dangerous super-villains on the planet. But when the super-villain prison system mysteriously shuts down, chaos is unleashed in the world as every dangerous prisoner escapes at the same time. The world is now faced with an onslaught of super-villains who have revenge on their minds and the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must now band together to protect the planet from the threats that no single Super Hero can face alone. Individually they are strong, but together they are… The Avengers!

     

    This animated series chronicles the Avengers’ inception, beginning the audience on the team’s ‘day one.’ Produced by Marvel Animation, the animated series features 52 episodes targeted at kids 9-14.

     

  • ‘The Simpsons’ to feature as Lego characters for 550th episode

    ‘The Simpsons’ to feature as Lego characters for 550th episode

    MUMBAI: The Fox network’s animated family The Simpsons will soon be getting a plastic makeover on 4 May, as the creators team up with toy manufacturing giant Lego for an entire episode created out of the plastic building blocks, Fox’s consumer products division announced recently.

     

    The episode, entitled Brick Like Me, will see family patriarch Homer Simpson wake up in a Springfield where everyone and everything is made out of Legos, and he must figure his way out before he gets stuck in the plastic world forever.

     

    The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, is the longest-running animated series in the history of US television, making the cartoon family and their catch phrases, such as Homer’s “D’Oh!,” a facet of American pop culture.

     

    Danish company The Lego Group first started producing the plastic construction building blocks in 1949, which have become a popular toy around the world.

     

    The series, which airs on 21st Century Fox’s Fox Television, entered its 25th season last year, and the Lego episode will be its 550th show.

     

    The animation has also been renewed for a 26th season; in which producers have revealed that one longstanding character will die.

     

    Last week’s release of The Lego Movie, featuring superheroes and villains in a world made entirely from Legos, raked in $69.1 million at US and Canadian theaters in its opening weekend. 

  • Q3: Christmas, New Year delays invoicing at DQ Entertainment

    Q3: Christmas, New Year delays invoicing at DQ Entertainment

    BENGALURU: Christmas and New Year holidays resulted in invoicing delays and hence lower revenue for the Tapas Chakravarti-led DQ Entertainment (International) Ltd, (DQE). The company says that though deliveries for some products had been completed before December 31, 2013, approvals from its customers were delayed on account of the holidays, hence invoices have been raised in the fourth quarter. 

     

    The company reported consolidated revenue of Rs 50.85 crore for Q3-2014, 11.5 per cent more than the Rs 45.59 crore in Q3-2013 and 10.1 per cent lower than Rs 56.58 crore in Q2-2014.YTD, revenue in 9M-2014 was down 2.1 per cent to Rs 137.85 crore in Q3-2014 from Rs 140.86 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, DQE reported revenue of Rs 229.05 crore. 

     

    DQE reported loss of Rs 1.24 crore in Q3-2014, against a profit of Rs 8.92 crore in Q3-2013 and a profit of Rs 22.72 crore in Q2-2014. YTD, for the nine month period ended December 31, 2013, DQE reported PAT of Rs 28.11 crore which was a little more than the double the Rs 14.01 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, DQE’s PAT was Rs 37.31 crore. 

     

    Let us look at the other Q3-2014 numbers reported for Q3-2014

     

    Total expense (excluding finance cost) at Rs 38.59 crore in Q3-2014 was 27.7 per cent more than the Rs 27.39 crore in Q3-2013 and 40.9 per cent more than the Rs 26.04 crore in Q2-2014. YTD, Total expense fell 22.5 per cent to Rs 84.89 crore from Rs 109.57 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013 Total expense was Rs 168.83 crore.

     

    The company’s finance cost in Q3-2014 went up by 36.3 per cent to Rs 7.18 crore from Rs 5.27 crore in Q3-2013 and went up by 13.9 per cent from Rs 6.30 crore in Q2-2014. Finance Cost on a YTD basis was up 24.4 per cent to Rs 18.5 crore in Q3-2014 from Rs 14.87 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, DQE paid Rs 20.94 crore towards Finance Cost. 

     

    The company’s Employee expense in Q3-2014 at Rs 18.64 crore was (12.9) per cent lower than the Rs 21.41 crore in Q3-2013 and 14.0 per cent lower than the Rs 19.74 crore in Q2-2014. In 9M-2014, Employee expense was 12.8 per cent down to Rs 58.61 crore from Rs 67.21 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, Employee expense was Rs 87.58 crore. 

     

    Its other expense was up 26.9 per cent in Q3-2014 to Rs 8.26 crore from Rs 6.51 crore in Q3-2013 and was lower by 30.2 per cent from the Rs 11.83 crore in Q2-2014. Other expense was up 50.5 per cent to Rs 26.43 crore in 9M-2014 from Rs 17.57 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, other expense was Rs 25.02 crore. 

     

    The company’s animation segment reported a 11.5 per cent drop in operating revenue in Q3-2014 to Rs 30.11 crore from Rs 34.03 crore in Q3-2013 and was 27.9 per cent lower than the Rs 41.77 crore in Q-2014. YTD, the company’s Animation segment reported operating revenue of Rs 98.18 crore which was 5.8 per cent more than the Rs 92.84 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, this segment reported revenue of Rs 170.09 crore.

     

    Animation segment reported an operating profit of Rs 13.79 crore in Q3-2014, 17.6 per cent lower than the Rs 16.72 crore in Q3-2013 and 46.1 per cent lower than the Rs 25.59 cores in Q2-2014. In 9M-2014, the segment reported operating profit of Rs 50.84 crore which was 31.5 per cent more than the Rs 38.67 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, this segment reported operating profit of Rs 97.52 crore. 

     

    DQE’s other segment – distribution reported revenue of just Rs 0.69 crore in Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs 10.92 crore in Q3-2013 and the Rs 13.62 crore in Q2-2014. YTD, the segment’s operating revenue fell 14.3 per cent to Rs 15.3 crore from Rs 17.84 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, this segment reported revenue of Rs 28.72 crore.  

     

    The segment reported a loss of Rs 3.99 crore for the current quarter as compared to a profit of Rs 7.51 crore in Q3-2013 and Rs 7.6 crore in Q2-2014. Over the nine month period ended December 31, 2013, the segment reported a 63.6 per cent drop in operating profit to Rs 1.75 crore from Rs 4.8 crore in 9M-2013. For FY 2013, Distribution segment reported operating loss of Rs 2.64 crore.

     

    DQE’s reported an unallocated expense of Rs 11.54 crore in Q3-2014, which was 58.3 per cent more than the Rs 7.29 crore in Q3-2013 and almost four times the Rs 2.8 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    The company states that its current order book stands at Rs 410 crore.

     

    Says Chakravarti, “There is a clear upsurge in the economy of North America, however the economic slowdown in Europe still continues. DQE is making all efforts in North America to take benefit of increased demand for TV and movie content in animation, hybrid presentations as well as pure live action. This is evident from our advanced negotiations with production houses in the USA.”

     

    “DQE with its track record of international high quality productions such as ‘Little Prince’, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Jungle Book, Peter Pa, The Penguins of Madagascar, etc., should benefit from this renewed demand. The industry is also witnessing an increase for Visual Effects (VFX) content for animated feature films, live action thrillers & action films and Sci-Fi films from Hollywood, Europe and Japan. This will help DQE take advantage of its capabilities and trusted name for CGI/VFX production in USA and Europe. Our intellectual properties are also gathering momentum worldwide,” added Chakravarti.

     

    Click here for full financial

  • Mr. Men ‘Tickles’ you fashionably this Laughter Day

    Mr. Men ‘Tickles’ you fashionably this Laughter Day

    MUMBAI: Laughter is the music of the soul and who better to celebrate it than with Mr. Tickle on Laughter Day which falls on January 10, 2014. The deal for the Mister Men products have been put together by Dream Theatre Pvt. Ltd., a premier Indian licensing firm with rights to represent some of the most iconic brands in the world like Angry Birds, FIFA, WWE, DreamWorks Animation among others.

    Mr. Tickle is the first book in the Mr.Men series by Roger Hargreaves, an English author and illustrator of children’s books since 1971. The character, Mr. Tickle, is lively and funny with wiggly arms ready to tickle people in authority for humour. In India, Mr. Men is available across apparel for infants, kids, adults and Publishing. The Back to School and Loungewear is slated to launch in February 2014.

    The Mister Men apparel range for kids has a wide variety of clothes in funky colours and patterns. Mr. Tickle with his naughty smile, wiggly hands and funny quotes is the perfect choice for Laughter Day. The Mister Men collection has clothes for both boys and girls. With bright, cheerful colours and tickling quotes, Mr. Tickles is surely going to be a laughing buddy for your little ones and tickle your kids funny bone. Mr. Tickle merchandise for girls and boys is available at leading stores and online portals like Jabong.com, Myntra.com and Flipkart.com with t-shirts ranging from Rs 200 onwards.

     “Mr. Tickle is the funniest and naughtiest of characters, tickling kids’ imagination and is the perfect mascot for Laughter Day. The Mister Men collection will definitely put a smile on kids faces and is available in a enviable range of colours and prints. Mr. Tickle is sure to connect with kids instantly on Laughter day,” says Jiggy George, CEO and Founder, Dream Theatre Pvt. Ltd.  

     

  • Indian animation needs a global outlook

    Indian animation needs a global outlook

    MUMBAI: Among the key issues addressed by the recently concluded FICCI MEBC (Media and Entertainment Business Conclave) (South) in Bengaluru on 29 and 30 October was the state of the animation industry in India and what can be done to improve its lot.

    The second day of the conclave saw a dedicated session titled ‘Emerging trends of Indian IP in animation and their exploitation’ with Turner International India senior director and network head for kids in south Asia Krishna Desai, Graphic India co-founder and CEO Sharad Devarajan, Shemaroo Entertainment director Jai Maroo, Krayon Pictures co-founder Nisith Takia and Greengold Animation founder and MD Rajiv Chilaka and Reliance Animation CEO Ashish Kulkarni as moderator.
    Devarajan began by highlighting the need for a cohesive ecosystem favouring the country’s animation industry.

    “Indian consumers today are used to seeing the best of the world and so, we need to transcend the national market and go to the international market,” he said, stressing the need to create content like that made by Stan Lee or Steven Spielberg. “Multi platform and global is how you have to think of stories today,” he said, pointing out how a version of Mahabharat was launched as 18 days, a re-imaging of the original by Graphic India at the San Diego Comic Con and went straight to Youtube.

    Chilaka made a special reference to Chhota Bheem as a kids’ icon while speaking of Greengold’s huge success in the field of animation. “We have grown from just four to over 300 in 12 years. No one knows which show will work, so we have to just give it a shot. Chhota Bheem started off as just 10 products and now it is available in more than 3000 across 30 country stores. We didn’t realize that it would be a phenomenon but now we are confident about making a movie every year,” he said, pointing out that while IP monetisation was happening, it was equally important to build good infrastructure around it to help harness IP better.

    Maroo said Shemaroo would help in distribution and marketing even though it wasn’t actively involved in the creation of animation. “There are people with great production and artistic capacity for whom we can work on aspects like music, distribution and marketing. The reason why characters like Bal Ganesh and Chhota Bheem work well is because of their sheer stickiness. We should have IP with an Indian soul but an international story. What the west has is sharp screenplay that translates across boundaries. That is what we lack,” he said.

     

    Desai opined there wasn’t enough investment in animation and pointed out the difficulties in creating animated content. “There is less advertising revenue for a kids channel (Turner), so we also have less money to invest in new content,” he said.

    Kulkarni said, “In India, animation is positioned as a kids’ genre,” to which, Devarajan gave an example of the Japanese, who have moved Anime from kids to a sophisticated audience. “Their characters have elasticity and a soul that appeals to various demographics. Why aren’t we creating any Clash of the Titans or Lord of the Rings?” asked Devarajan.

    Chilaka said they needed to come up with interesting ways of promotion to grab eyeballs, citing the example of Raju. “We timed Raju to release three weeks before the football world cup and on TV, we did a premiere during the semi-final,” he said.

    Maroo pointed out that very few screens were available across the country for animated movies, thereby restricting viewership. “This industry is the best when commerce meets creativity,” he said. Takia felt not many people understood the business even if they were superlative on the creative front. “We can call ourselves successful only when we galvanise the creative population,” added Devarajan. Maroo rounded off saying: “The future will be about how many different revenue platforms you build.”