Arena Animation to offer B.Sc. in Multimedia & Animation Program in association with MS University

Trivandrum - May 20, 2009: Arena Animation, the global leader in hi-end Animation & Multimedia Training will now offer a B.Sc. Degree in Multimedia and Animation, in coordination with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MS University) at its centre at Kesavadasapuram.

The course curriculum would include all modules from Arena Animation's flagship program - Arena Animation Academy Specialist Program (AAASP), and four mandatory modules from MS University viz. English Language, an elective 2^nd Language, as listed in the university prospectus and 2 papers of Soft Skills.

Speaking at the Press Conference, Mr. Easo Thampy Mathew, General Manager & Zonal Sales Head, Aptech Limited, said "Multimedia & Animation is one of the fastest growing and high paying career options today. The demand for animators has increased greatly due to fast-paced developments in sectors like high-tech digital media and 3D animation. A university Degree in Multimedia & Animation backed by Arena's expertise and experience of 13 years in disseminating quality training across 15 countries makes it a power packed combination which will enhance the employability of the students manifold, opening up a world of opportunities for them in this sphere."

The newly-launched joint-program will be made available across-the-country at select Arena Animation centres. Arena Animation - Kesavadasapuram Centre is one of these select centres where this program will be offered. This is the first of its kind in Trivandrum.

Arena will follow the SILM (Students Integrated Learning Model) for the training. It will be a three year MSU course, with 120 credits as per University norms. All the examinations will be conducted online facilitated by Aptech Ltd.

About Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU):

Manonmaniam Sundaranar University was established in 1990, as per the Act 31 of 1990 by the Government of Tamil Nadu, as a Teaching-cum-affiliating University. It is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

About eighty thousand students are studying in the various University Departments and the eighty affiliated colleges including two constituent colleges. MSU is one of the pioneer institutions that offers Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS). The courses and research programmes offered by the University have been carefully chosen after considering the contemporary times. The University Departments offer M. Phil and Ph.D Programmes (Full time and Part time) in addition to regular P. G. Programmes.

For further information please visit www.msuniversity.org.in

Mr. Shyamal Das Gupta, Territory Academic Head, South & West, Mr. Vinod Kumar Area Sales Head, Mr. Arunkumar, Chief Executive, Arena Animation Kesavadasapuram participated in the Press Conference.

The making of vodafone zoozoo...

Some out of the basket thought process………………. Facts & Snaps of Vodafone Adv – ZOOZOO character in its making.

“The design of the characters is such that one gets fooled into thinking it is animation,” shrugs Rao, which was indeed the very illusion that had to be created. “In a sense, it is ‘live’ animation!” he quips, referring to the fact that it was all shot live. Prakash Varma, ad filmmaker, Nirvana Films, has directed the commercials, and reveals that the Zoozoos were a big challenge to create. The practical aspects of how they will move, talk, gesticulate and emote were very important. Essentially, costume design and artwork were crucial elements.

“It took me three weeks of pre-production to understand how it will work,” says Varma. There were two fabrics that were considered for the body suits, and one was rejected for it had too many wrinkles and was shiny. The wrinkles would have shown when the characters moved, thereby shattering the illusion of animation. “So we chose the more practical, thicker fabric,” Varma explains.

The production team divided the outfit into two parts: the body and the head. The body part of the outfit was stuffed with foam in some places, while the head was attached separately. To make it look bigger than a human head, a harder material called Perspex was used, which in turn was stuffed with foam (with scope for ventilation).

If one wishes to understand the size of this head, here’s a fact: a human head would typically reach up to the mouth level of this giant Zoozoo head. “We kept the hands and legs thin, which is why we cast women – and occasionally children – wearing the costumes,” says Varma. The thin limbs, contrasted with big bellies and a bulbous head, all add to the illusion that these creatures are ‘smaller’ than humans. Sets were created to suit the size of the Zoozoos.
Cinematically, this ‘size’ was a trick: the creatures look smaller than they actually are on screen, to portray a different world of sorts. For this, the speed of shooting was altered: Nirvana shot it in a high-speed format to make them look the size that they do.
Furthermore, simple sets/backdrops were created and spray painted with neutral Greys – a colour of choice so that attention isn’t diverted from the main characters. For a supposedly ‘outdoor’ shot, even the shadow of a Zoozoo was kept ‘live’ and not done in post production: it was painted in a darker shade of grey on the ground. An even lighting was maintained throughout.
There was virtually no post production work done.
The films were shot by Nirvana in Cape Town, South Africa, with the help of a local production house there, called Platypus. Incidentally, the same combination of people also worked on the ‘Happy to Help’ series last year. When asked whether Cape Town is fast becoming a tourist spot for Vodafone and Nirvana, Varma laughs, saying, “Oh no! It’s just that we are very comfortable with the team there and know what sort of work to expect from them.”
Nagpal adds here that the production cost had to be minimal for unveiling such a large number of commercials. “Otherwise, our production costs would exceed media spends,” he quips

Pixar to open Vancouver studio

VANCOUVER - Pixar Animation, one of the world’s leading computer animators and a multi-Academy Award winning studio, will build a 20,000-square-foot facility in Vancouver to produce its popular short features.

Walt Disney Studios, with whom Pixar merged in 2006, is scouting locations in the city, concentrating on the downtown area. It hopes to have the new studio up and running by this fall.

The studio will hire 75 to 100 people, most of them Canadians, and will make all of Pixar’s three-dimensional, computer-animated short films, which usually run three to five minutes. All Pixar theatrical features will continue to be made at its main studio in Emeryville, Calif., which employs almost 900.

Pixar has grown from a small studio making award-winning computer-generated short animations — Luxo Jr. (1986), the tale of a small desk lamp which, when shown in theatres, got as much buzz as the feature it preceded, and the Oscar-winning Tin Toy (1988) were its first titles — to a large operation which has produced nine major animated features: Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall-E. A 10th feature, Up, will be released on May 29.

The company’s most popular short features include Knick Knack (the story of a snowman stuck in a snow globe), One Man Band (about fiercely competitive street performers), and Presto (a hapless magician frustrated by an unfed rabbit).

The company uses short films as springboards for its feature animations, and that will be the role of the Vancouver studio. A Pixar short takes six to 12 months to produce, and the production team can range anywhere from 20 to 75 people.

Pixar will not be the city’s biggest studio. Rainmaker Entertainment, which houses Rainmaker Animation, has 75,000 square feet at its two buildings, and employs 250 to 400 people, depending on the production cycle.

Arena brings International Animation & Gaming Evangelist to Kochi

Kochi: May 5, 2009: Ian Livingstone world renowned animation and gaming expert, will be in Kochi, to present Perspectives, a seminar on ‘Animation in India: Future & Careers’. Perspectives is a series of nation-wide seminars, organized by Arena Animation, 5 global leader in hi-end animation training.Perspectives will be held in Kochi on 6th May, 2009 at Sree Rama varma Club Hall, D.H. Road, Ernakulum from 11 am to 1 pm. Livingstone has been invited to India to present a series of nation-wide seminars and also to felicitate winners of ‘Golden Cursor Animation Awards,’ which is scheduled on 8th May, 2009 in Mumbai. Ian Livingstone, Co-founder of Games Workshop was awarded with BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards for outstanding contribution to the community and Order of the British Empire, for "Services to the Computer Games Industry" in 2006.

COMING SOON......"the Hounted Village"

Adobe illustrator - Works Of the Week

A short Flash animation.

A Short Animation done by AHAMMED MUAZ using Flash.