India’s animation industry has immense potential to grow and it is estimated to grow to USD 2.9 billion by 2015 from the present USD 1.8 billion, according to NASSCOM.
With this growth in demand, it is very important to supply the same quality and quantity of professionals to the industry. There are about 300+ animation and 40+ VFX companies in India and the numbers are growing.
But the question is: Are we really building talent to meet industry standards?
Here are some points which will help you understand where you stand and what you still need to achieve:
Money v/s Passion:
Though we all work with the intention of earning money, before getting into this field, please figure out your passion quotient. Do not let the opportunities decide what you want/ need to do; let your internal passion and talent decide what you will do in this industry.
Timeframe:
If you are in this industry because you think this is the shortest route to a career, then you are starting off on the wrong foot. Like any other industry, you will have to be patient and perform consistently for 6-8 years before making your mark in this field. There is no shortcut.
Specialization:
10-15 years ago, there was no specialization – everyone was a generalist. There was nothing like the TV shows, DVD or CGI Features which require a focused timeline of 1 to 3 years at a stretch. Today, most animation and VFX companies are committing to international clients with tight deadlines and promising international quality. In order to achieve this, the companies are getting structured and hiring specialized artists for specialized functions, so there is hardly any space for a generalist in a bigger organization. On a personal note, though, being a generalist is an extremely strong point for an individual. As a fresher, you should be clear as to what it is that you wish to do as your primary job profile. There are wide options for various short term animation software courses in India that you can go for. Once you have proved yourself in a particular stream of work and created some credibility, propose your capability and interest to work on other streams of work too.
Choose – not get chosen:
Do not decide your career path based on some major requirements currently in the industry. Once you have identified your core competency, do see that you do enough research about current benchmarks of different companies for that particular stream of work. Figure out where is it that you would want to associate yourself. Create a portfolio based on this which can create an impact.
Long-term goals:
Please understand that like any other industry, animation and VFX too take a few years for one to establish himself/ herself. Do not get excited or disappointed with initial challenges. There is no failure till you accept them as failures.
Someone who is interested in working for a studio, should love and understand what animation is all about, and be ready to follow certain guidelines – both artistic and technical. Apart from all the theoretical and practical knowledge that you can gain from a MAAC training institute, it is very important that you have the ability to put all that have learnt into practice and yet be open to a continuous learning cycle throughout your career.
In addition to this, you have to be very determined and passionate about your work to make it big in the visual entertainment field. This will help you make a mark in whatever industry you choose to make a career in!
