FAQ
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Q. What is Animation ? |
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The definition for Animation in the Dictionary is: "To Give Life". But on a generic term Animation can be defined as the art of movement. Animation is a skilled Craft which is a combination of one’s knowledge of Art, Aesthetics & Design. |
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Q: Do I require drawing skills? |
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It is not compulsory. Animation is not an art of drawing, but an art of movement that has to be drawn. Having drawing skills or an artistic background is extremely helpful but not absolutely required. There is however another school of thought that believes that only those that can express their thought via drawings can become good animators. This thinking stems from the undisputable fact that it’s easier sometimes to draw and show rather than talk and explain! |
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Q: I do not have any creative streak/genes in me. Is animation suitable for me? |
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Everybody has creative instincts; they just need to be encouraged, nurtured and taught. Agreed that ‘creativity’ is nature’s gift, some are more gifted others, but it is hard to believe that an average individual does not have any creative streak whatsoever. It is more likely that it may not have yet been realized and/or recognized.
Animation is a craft practiced by skilled people, and skills as we know can be acquired. |
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Q: Isn’t animation just for kids? |
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Animation is just ‘kids stuff’ that is not created by kids but you can say children are the primary audience but things have changed in recent time. Today it is a major industry with a wide spectrum of Audience and a serious career choice for thousands of artists. The global animation industry, which covers TV, games, mobile, films etc. is worth billions in dollars. Animation may be for kids but it is not ‘only by kids’.
This industry is making rapid strides in India with the ever increasing availability of creatively satisfying and lucrative career options. |
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Q: What forms of animation can be pursued in India? |
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Indian companies are active in 2D animation, 3D animation, as well as stop–motion animation such as clay animation. One could research on the internet to get more information on animation . |
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Q: How can I learn animation? |
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Firstly we have to distinguish between animation training and animation education. While the former can be acquired in a short period of time, the latter needs a lifetime.
At JBC Academy we offer a one year Diploma in Maya, two years Diploma in Animation Design, three years B.Sc in Animation and two years Diploma in Animation Management. The Course is for people who are interested in entering the fast growing 3d production industry as a specialist. The course develops industry ready professionals with its Focused and Quality driven methodology. |
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Q: What are the specializations one can pursue? |
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Although animation refers to the actual art of movement, the term is broadly used to describe all activities that go into creating an animation and hence we refer to all artists as ‘animators’.
In reality there are several functional areas of specialization, which follow the general flow of filmmaking. Regardless of the medium or dimension (2D/3D), the following specializations can be pursued:
* Pre-production: which refers to the design and preparation aspects of a project where character and art design, script planning, and storyboarding (drawing individual panels of every scene and designing the camera angles and timing) are carried out.
* Modeling: creation of the actual assets to be used in the project, including characters, sets and props.
* Technical Animation: creating the technical aspects of the assets to be used for animation, such as motion rigs and motion libraries.
* Performance Animation: adding motion to the created assets, whether characters which move and talk, or vehicles and spaceships, or objects which have to open/close/move.
* Effects: creation of complex visual phenomena like explosions, smoke, water, fire, rain, etc. through simulations or advanced tools.
* Lighting and Rendering: creation of the “set lighting” look in a manner similar to films, and generating the final images through complex software calculations.
* Compositing: creation of the final composite image by assembling all the components such as animated character layers, effects layers, background layers and adjustments layers. Color correction and tonal balancing of the entire sequence.
* Editing: aesthetically cutting together desirable bits of footage to create a cohesive flow for the final narrative.
* Art direction/ production design: Designing the environment, the mood, and the color palettes of a film.
* Sound design: The art of designing sound for animation films. A lot of specially created sounds are used for effects. A keen ear and sense of timing is essential for this.
Production Control: A relatively new and emerging area of specialization. Production managers plan, schedule and monitor an entire production. They are the eyes and ears that enable scheduled deliveries to clients and are a very important part of any animation team. |
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Q: I am currently in another field. Is it worth switching over? |
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Several career options in India are booming. It is often confusing as to which one to choose. The animation industry has a certain charm as it is a creative enterprise and also rapidly growing. It is a skilled labor which cannot be done by just anyone. Salary prospects are superior to BPO and rapidly catching up with the IT industry.
At the same time animation as a profession is meaningless if you cannot feel a real passion for the work and the medium. One has to be prepared to work in a variety of roles and styles. Sometimes the hours can be long since the capacity for improvement is endless. People from other technical or creative backgrounds can be extremely useful when they switch to animation. Good leadership, planning and communication abilities can open up great prospects in management, client servicing and production control as the industry requires such talent in large numbers.
Scientists, hotel management professionals, engineers, architects, commerce graduates, biologists, and even professionals from print media have successfully switched over to animation. |
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Q :Do you Provide Any Placement Assistance? |
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The animation industry is somewhat unique since the work is extremely visual in nature. The majority of entry-level hiring is done on the basis of your “demo reel” which is a 1-5 minute film of your best work edited together. If you have drawing or fine-art skills then a traditional art portfolio also goes a very long way in getting the attention of studios. There are many online sites on how to make a good demo reel. Our Team will guide and help in the preparation of this vital portfolio. |
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Q: What are the current salaries in the animation industry? |
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As with most industries you have to start at the entry level with a basic skill set and then the salary rises rapidly as does your experience. International studios on an average pay more than domestic ones and the salaries vary by location. Mumbai is currently at the top end of the table. Without a formal salary survey, TASI estimates that a skilled animation director with 6-10 years of experience can earn between INR100,000 - INR300,000 p.m., an entry level artist can draw between INR5000 - INR15,000 p.m. depending on the city and of course the quality of the demo reel. Senior artists and team leads can command between INR 30,000 - INR 75,000 per month.
The industry has a huge crunch for talent which translates into rapid rise in salary. It is not uncommon for your salary to double every 2-3 years. There is also a great flexibility of being able to do freelance work. Talented students can start freelance work even before completing their courses.
It is important to remember that animation is first an art-form and because this art-form became so popular it soon became a profession and then a business. Have fun with the art-form and the business will follow you for sure. The more fun you have, more the business! |
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Q: How is the animation market in India? |
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The market or any industry is as good or bad as the people that are in it. Tomorrow you will be in it. If you are talented, you can help mould the animation industry as you wish. But to excel, it is important to concentrate on and enjoy education, enjoy every project / every assignment and putting in more than 100%. |
