Companies like Crest and DQE focus on the global industry.
With every passing year, animated movies seem to hit a new record with commercial and critical success. At present, the global film industry is buzzing around 3D and Indian animation studios are riding on this 3D wave.
This year, Crest Animation Studios’ Alpha and Omega – 3D stereoscopic animated film – has been shortlisted for Oscar nominations. Of the 15 films selected, only three will make it for final nominations, but A K Madhavan, CEO of the company, is not resting on his laurels yet.
Crest has become the first studio outside the US to have entered into a deal of three feature films with Lionsgate. The two have announced the co-production of the next film in this genre, Norm Of The North, that will be distributed by Lionsgate in North America. Crest also has collaboration with Malaysia-based KRU Studios to co-produce its 3D animated feature film Ribbit.
The shift to 3D animation/stereoscopic from 2D animated films has not happened suddenly. However, most of the work that Indian firms are doing in the 3D animation space continues to be for global markets.
Hyderabad-based DQ Entertainment (DQE) is another example. DQE started using 3D animation in 2004 with Mickey Mouse Club House for Walt Disney. It is running for the fourth season. “About 90 per cent of our production is in 3D for all major production houses, broadcasters and distributors worldwide,” said Tapaas Chakravarti, chairman & chief executive officer of DQE Entertainment.
DQE, which plans to add 1,000 people to work on its 3D films, is giving finishing touches to an animated 3D stereoscopic feature film, Prodigies, for Warner Bros and Fidelity Films of France that is scheduled to release worldwide next year. “We are also in the process of signing contracts for three more high-value 3D stereoscopic movies,” said Chakravarti.
However, Indian firms are not eyeing the domestic market as yet. “There is no consumption of Indian animation in the domestic market and hence studios and firms continue to look out. Every animation firm in India while focusing on creating their own IP, are also looking oversees for quality work,” said Pankaj Khandpur, creative director, Tata Elxsi.
The other issue in the domestic market is the inability to back big-budget animated movies. Khandpur feels producers are not confident of investing in projects that exceed Rs 5 crore in India. “For some reason this is a safe zone as they can recover the money. But a good animation movie will need a similar budget,” he said. Khandpur will know, as Tata Elxsi was the firm that worked on India’s first animated movie Roadside Romeo.
At present Tata Elxsi is working on two animated 3D stereoscopic projects. “We completed our first 3D stereoscopic work in January and since then we have seen a trend wherein, every project involves a 3D element.”
But there are others who are backing the Indian 3D space. Amitabh Bachchan’s AB Corporation has tied up with media entertainment major Toonz India to produce a full-length animated film. While Bachchan will lend his voice to the animation film, it will be directed by Priyadarshan. The film is reportedly being made for Rs 20 crore.
Ashish Kulkarni, CEO, Big Animation takes immense pride in the company’s maiden 3D animated series Little Krishna that was acquired by TV channel Nick in 2009. “Little Krishna garnered highest TRP among kid’s programmes in the country,” he said.
The TV series has also added partners like Evergreen Entertainment, one of the biggest international distributors, for its global distribution rights.
Pune-based Big Animation and Accel Animation Studios, a division of Accel Transmatic, will co-produce the popular TV superhero character Shaktimaan in animation. Big Animation has another 3D property titled Mr D in the pipeline but Kulkarni refused to draw any favourites between 3D and 2D animation films. “We are in the business of storytelling and filmmaking, where the key ingredient is creativity. Whether the medium is 2D or 3D doesn’t matter. We are entertainers and have to learn it on the by, set up self-sustaining units and then scale it up from there,” he said.
But Chakravarti of DQE seems to favour stereoscopic 3D for his company’s future. “DQE’s focus is primarily on 3D stereoscopic, which is the latest version of 3D, very similar to the big movies like Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3 and Avatar,” he said.
DQE’s production pipeline boasts of 3D stereoscopic projects like Iron Man (season 2) with Marvel Comics, Casper — The Friendly Ghost (season 2) with US-based Classic Media, Twisted Whiskers, Jungle Book, which is DQE’s own property, New Adventures of Peter Pan, Lassie (high-definition TV).
The Indian animation industry is estimated to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 22 per cent to reach $1 billion by 2012. So far, Indian animation industry has lived up to the expectations.
