The Hindu Business Line : Evolving, frame by frame

The market for computer animated movies is still at a nascent stage in a nation hooked to star-studded live action films. But it is growing, slowly..

Not many would be unfamiliar with the heroic adventures of Stuart, a rat and the youngest member of the Little family who drew the young and the old alike to the cinemas. Or, could one forget Remy, another rat gifted with a keen sense of smell and taste, who goes on to become nothing less than the finest chef in France?

Probably not, for animation movies such as Stuart Little or Ratatouille have been crowd pullers even in India, at least in the urban pockets. But as industry experts would tell you, the market for computer animated movies is still at a nascent stage in a nation hooked to star-studded live action films.

As a result, the sector has not grown in India, a country that boasts of one of the largest film industries in the world, in addition to several smaller regional ones.

Issues of original content, skills

Animation studios in the country largely cater to western clients and work on packages that are outsourced to India rather than creating original content for the domestic audience. Industry players say this has been a deterrent for Indian companies in mastering pre-production and post-production skills such as characterisation, script writing, voice, etc, which are essential for making a film.

In recent years, however, there is more interest in creating content for a domestic audience, which has been conceptualised and developed in India.

Indeed, the industry is at a crossroad, at a point of transition, where more and more people are moving into the realm of creating original content. And a section of the industry believes India is no less capable when it comes to pre-production and post-production skills. It believes if more and more quality films are made, a market for such content will naturally be created.

Tata Elxsi of the Roadside Romeo (an animated film released last year) fame, which is working on Arjun, its second film, believes the required skill sets are very much present in India. “The only challenge is if the subject matter is esoteric to us,” says Pankaj Khandpur, Creative Director, Tata Elxsi Ltd -Visual Computing Labs. The company’s business is a mix of outsourced packages and content for the domestic market.

If a film is set in the US, it is easier for them to do the pre-production and the post-production because Indians are not as conversant with the US culture, says Khandpur. “We are less familiar with their clothes, attitude and body language. If the subject is Indian or more global, then there is no challenge,” he added. Tata Elxsi is working on its third film, which is in its pre-production stage.

Biren Ghose of animation company Kahani World says the scope of work in international projects is very different when compared with something that is being developed here from scratch. “In international projects we only do a part of the work. It is planned overseas and executed here.” That does not help an artist to make a full film that includes working on dialogues, script and development of the character, he adds.

Indian companies do not have much experience in making animation movies as it is still early days, says Ghose. “Can we do it with excellence? Not totally. We can, as soon as we have more experience. When will that be? It may be with 50 or 100 movies. I do not know,” he says.

Market in the making

While agreeing that people would rather watch a live action movie, Khandpur says the market for computer animated movies is getting better every year. There is greater acceptance, but it is still not equivalent to a live action movie. “In three to four years there will be a viable market. If one film is a huge success, then the market is created. In every film there is a learning - what stories to work on, how to market the films, how to write the script,” he says.

A mix of various factors, which range between the Indian audience not being familiar with the medium, to the high costs involved in making an animation film, has worked against the medium in the country. The low quality of some of the productions could also have kept the audience at bay.

“In India, animation is equated with cartoons and associated with children. It is not a family or adult medium,” says Khandpur.

Ghose attributes it to the Indian taste for realistic art form. “We are very realistic. Our art forms are very realistic. Animation, on the other hand, pushes the boundary of what a camera cannot do in a live situation. It is obscure and abstract,” he says.

Cost, a big issue

A.K. Madhavan, CEO, Crest Animation Studios Ltd, says the cost of producing an animation movie is a big issue in itself. “The cost of production is prohibitive compared to a live action movie,” he says. Also, the Indian audience has not reached a level of maturity, according to Madhavan. “Associated with animation movies is merchandise, toys and publication. The Indian audience is not mature to support this growth,” he adds.

Madhavan says it is important to grow the domestic business, although business from overseas clients will continue. Maturity will certainly come with persistent quality delivery: audience fed with constant quality product will develop a taste, he says. “The market will change, it is a question of time,” he adds.

Crest has plans of making a movie for the Indian audience. “We have plans. We will be announcing in the next couple of months. It will not be in the mythological space,” Madhavan says, without giving further details. The skill sets required are present in India, he adds.

Kartik G, Chief Marketing Officer of Ocher Studios, says the market for such films might be there but probably the wrong kind of movies is being made. The story line has to be very different to make it interesting, he feels.

Ocher Studios is making an animation movie that will feature Rajnikanth as a mythological larger-than-life hero. It is being directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth, the superstar’s daughter.

He says some of the western animations movies are very popular, and there is no particular reason why Indian movies should not do well. “We will have to give them the right content,” he says. The audience is used to high quality western productions, and if the quality of Indian movies is not up to the mark, they will not be successful. Also, the content will have to be more global, so that Indian films can be released worldwide. It cannot be limited to India alone, says Kartik.

Future clicks

So what does the future hold for the industry?

A lot would depend on choosing the right theme and hiring good talent, points out Ghose. It would serve a good purpose to seek foreign collaboration, get a technology partner. “International artists can advise our talent: we can learn techniques and short cuts from them; learn how to make the movies more attractive,” he stresses.

Kartik says the animation training centres will have to provide better training if they want to nurture better talent. “In many of these institutions, just the software is taught. But that is not enough,” he says.

According to Khandpur, the way forward is to make the films create the market. When there is a viable business, then there will be more movies. “Do both and one leads to the other,” he adds.

shamik@thehindu.co.in

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