So there is a big and growing market for special effects. One estimate puts the `special effects market' in India at around 5 per cent of the total movie market of Rs 15,000-odd crore. Which works out to about Rs 750 crore.

While this is happening on one side, there is a growing global market for 3D animated films. India is one of the few countries that has the capability to produce 3D animated movies. The Chennai-based Pentamedia Graphics has produced the most number of 3D animated movies in the world — six — and a few more are under production. One of the company's movies, the $6-million Buddha, is slated for release in Singapore on July 23.

India can also produce animated movies much faster (in under two years, whereas Hollywood takes five years to make a movie like Shrek) and cheaper (Buddha took only $6 million.) US movies cost several times as much). Indian companies such as Pentamedia Graphics and Toonz Animation of Thiruvananthapuram have earned international recognition. Pentamedia, for one, has been making movies both on contract and for itself. Incidentally, the company is close to releasing Gulliver's Travels and the pre-production work for Sindbad-II is just over. Toonz Animation India has bagged a contract from an Italian company (name not disclosed as per confidentiality covenants), which, according to the company's Chief Executive Officer, P. Jayakumar, will be a blend of 2D and 3D animation. The company is also producing another 2D/3D combo series called Twin Princes for a Korean client.

Add to this the increasing demand from the advertisement industry, and the engineering industry, and you will get the picture of the emerging market for 3D animation.

Thus, in 3D animation graphics we have a potential to service the whole world. But there is one problem — shortage of trained hands. "At present, 3D animation is a $60-billion industry, growing at a very high pace. In India, by the year 2005, approximately 2,20,000 experts will be required in the field of 3D Animation," says Indore-based Effects Multimedia.

Says Jayakumar of Toonz Animation: "There is a huge demand for trained 3D specialists in our industry. As the marketplace is constantly fluctuating, it would be foolhardy to venture any figure. However, even a figure like three lakh vacancies would be a conservative estimate."

Sensing the potential in training, many companies have started training divisions. Pentamedia Graphics is now restarting its training division with an eight-week course in 3D animation. Toonz Animation started its 3D Academy in February and the first batch of 25 students will complete their training in August. So does Effects Multimedia, with its `Discover Maya' programme.

Industry experts are unanimous on the point that the training facilities are not enough. Riyaz Babu says that while there could be any number of training providers, quality trainers could not be more than 20. They produce, at best, about 1,500 trained hands each year, a far cry from what is required.

"The demand is high and rising. There are some training providers like Maya Entertainment Ltd, Workstation, SAE, Arena Multimedia and Image, which have a good profile. But a majority of the training providers in the country are `tutorials' — they devote proportionately less class time for practicals and virtually no time for live projects," says Jayakumar.

Riyaz, who has a decade's experience in the industry, calls for Indian universities to tie up with counterparts abroad (particularly Canada and the US) for providing training.

Jayakumar sums up the situation: "There is still paucity of talent in the burgeoning 3D sector. A concerted effort to pump in more skilled professionals needs to be made, or else we will miss the bus on this great opportunity."

ramesh@thehindu.co.in

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