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Tag: indian animation industry

  • GUEST COLUMN: six trends the Indian animation industry is witnessing in 2022

    GUEST COLUMN: six trends the Indian animation industry is witnessing in 2022

    Mumbai: The Indian animation industry has witnessed a considerable amount of growth in the past couple of years. As the pandemic forced people to stay at home, this increased the need for new content and the animation industry stepped up and delivered some amazing content. According to a report published by FICCI, India’s animation industry has grown by 24 per cent and is expected to reach Rs 180 billion in two years’ time.

    Apart from the lockdown, the positive growth pattern can be attributed to the exponential penetration of the internet which allowed people to seamlessly view content on various streaming platforms. Though this is a positive sign for the industry, the high demand for engaging and quality visual experience means animation studios have to constantly strive for fresh ideas and trends that they can showcase to their audience.

    Here are the six emerging trends in the animation industry:

    Use of restricted color palette: Animators in recent times have started using only a few primary colors instead of a large palette of colors. This gives the animation a simple yet elegant look which is appealing. Though it is challenging for the animator to use a restricted color palate the final outcome often shines out and makes the entire process worthwhile. The use of such a color palette is an extremely popular illustration style on digital platforms.

    Simple characters: Schematic and cubical characters will be one of the 2D animation trends. Creating these characters will be easier and will be more attractive than realistic ones for kids. But for Indian viewers, we should add a dress codes related to Indian states.

    Use of 3D animations: 3D animation helps to add realism to any animation. The more complex a 3D animation becomes, the more it aims for simplicity in shapes and colors. In 2022 the 3D trend is focused on round shapes with vivid contrasting colors. The end result is beautiful to look at, is creative and provides a sense of nostalgia for many as it is reminiscent of the 2D animations.  

    Merging of 2D and 3D styles: Using both 2D and 3D animations is one of the most in-demand animation trends that has witnessed a comeback. Animators are using a mix of 2D and 3D styles to create hybrid types of animation videos that are well received and liked by viewers. The best example of using such kind of animation is by incorporating both styles and also inserting 2D over layers containing movements. This technique is used in both small-scale as well as large projects.

    Use of virtual reality in animation: With the advent of high-speed internet, technologies like AR and VR are in high demand and have evolved into a major tool to create quality animations.  This produces more realistic animations that are loved by both children and adults. It can be used in educational programmes and the media all around the world.

    Outline animation: Modern and fun

    Outline animation is a style that provides innumerable possibilities. From classy animations to creating fun and goofy, outline animations is the go-to style for many animators. The biggest factor for the popularity of outline animation is that it is simple with endless possibilities. This allows for imaginations to go wild. Outline animation has become a trend as it allows animators to create a diverse range of styles.

    To sum it up, 2022 is a year of incorporating new beginnings and focusing on the positive aspects of the past. The animation industry is also witnessing such trends. Some old ideas have come again and some new trends have taken center stage.  With such exciting things happening in the industry, India is not far behind the global animation industry.

    (About Author: Hansa Mondal is the COO of Ssoftoons)

  • “The indian animation industry has lost a true legend”: industry mourns the death of Arnab Chaudhuri

    “The indian animation industry has lost a true legend”: industry mourns the death of Arnab Chaudhuri

    Artist, director and industry veteran Arnab Chaudhuri passed away on 25 December in Kolkata. He was noted in the animation industry for his feature film with UTV in 2012 titled Arjun: The Warrior Prince.

    As soon as the news came, the industry started mourning the death of a fellow colleague.

    Says Punnaryug Artvision founder Ashish Kulkarni, “Arnab Choudhury was such a gentle man. The Indian animation industry has lost a true legend. What an animation direction in  “Arjun: The Warrior Prince” animated movie. We were just together at Kochi Design Week 10 days ago. We were on a panel  discussion which I had an opportunity to moderate. Just difficult to even imagine that 10 to 12 days ago he was perfectly fine and was  moving around with a camera taking pictures. We had lunch and breakfast together and discussed a lot of great initiatives for AVGC sector. He even jokingly asked me what is the full form of AVGC. Such a humble, highly respected and creative person, who brought pride to India in many ways by creating world class animation. I am finding it extremely difficult to even believe that Arnab is not with us anymore. May is soul rest in peace. He will always be remembered for his creativity, attitude and pleasant personality.”

    With more than two decades of experience in the fields of television, animation and creative design, Chaudhuri had worked with major organisations like Turner, Walt Disney and Channel V.

    “This is really shocking, I still can’t believe it. I knew Arnab so well – such a decent, gracious person, so hardworking and so passionate about animation. This truly is a great loss. He had many more wonderful films yet to make – most unfortunate that we will never see those. I will miss him.” said Paperboat Animation co-founder and chairman Soumitra Ranade.

    Toonz Media CEO P. Jayakumar also reminisced on how he met Chaudhuri just a week back at Kochi Design Summit, where he was the keynote speaker, and how he was one of the well wishers of the studio and the industry. He also said that the Arjun director had collaborated with them on various projects and even gave numerous masterclasses to their artists. “This is a severe loss to the industry. It is very shocking” concludes Jayakumar.

    Expressing his heartfelt grief over the loss, Technicolor India head Biren Ghose mournfully shared: “I was extremely sorry to hear about the loss of the very talented Director Arnab Chaudhuri. He was a valued and amazingly talented member of the animation and film fraternity in India. Only the good die young. He took great pains to change the “local animation” paradigm having labored over a full-length animated feature at a time when there were hardly any local projects of that size and scale. The film is “Arjun”. This brilliant passion project set a new bar in our country. The manner in which he went about preparing and pre visualizing every aspect of the “look and feel” and “art direction” in this genre was pioneering.”

    Speaking about how he felt at the screening of Chaudhari’s movie in Annecy, he added, “It was a very proud moment for me to attend the screening of this movie in Annecy – “The Mecca for animation competitions” and I recall that the global audience truly appreciated and applauded his work. I will never forget the pride we all felt as Indian compatriots at the standing applause the film received. I hope he will rest in peace and I know that he will set about working on his next story and delight all those even in the world beyond….one day we will all get to see that as well. In sorrow for his loss, in happiness that we knew him and in appreciation for his legacy in storytelling. A heartfelt salute.”

    Even noted independent artists from the industry shared their thoughts, “I met him for the first time two weeks ago after hearing about him for decades …and we spent hours talking about art, stories and philosophy, and we spoke about our future projects and life goals with such excitement. Such a gem of an experience . He will be greatly missed.” said Vaanarsena Studios senapati Vivek Ram.

    The loss of a veteran from the country’s animation industry will surely be felt throughout.

    “A sad moment in Indian animation today. I met Arnab when he was heading Disney channel. His film Arjun was one of the first few animation films in India that actually didn’t target only kids. His efforts n the style of work will always be admired by coming generations for sure. Rest in peace”. shares Vaibhav More Films founder Vaibhav More.