What Is Virtual Set Design?

Alright, we all watch the new right? And in the news segments there are all these amazing backgrounds behind the reporters and what about the weather reports, we all see them and the graphics for the rain and the clouds and where it is sunny or snowing. Even behind the news reporters there are certain backdrops, we all do know that the background is not really real, right? Well most of the time it is not real. But have you ever wondered where these amazing sets came from?

This art of creating virtual sets is actually a very legitimate profession called virtual set designing. The art of creating such virtual sets is quickly becoming a  very popular art form and artists becoming interested in mastering this section. Even prestigious schools like the AAFT School of Animation and more are offering courses for students who want a career in this profession.

The reality is that in today's time of technology and such advancements, these virtual sets are in high demand. Almost every part of the entertainment sector is looking for trained professionals. From young start- up, that are starting up their channel on popular social media sites, to the more established networks, all are in need of such designers.

A virtual set design is pretty self explanatory, in that it is not a real and solid structure unlike some sets are. A virtual set is something that a designer creates to allow more flexibility and creativity while not having to spend time and money on expensive sets. From movies to news programs to television shows and even people who are just posting video on the internet. Virtual sets are proving to be quite popular with networks and designers.

And it is proving to be a lucrative profession for many people, one can just look up the top 10 Animation Colleges over the world, and virtual set designing can be found everywhere.

How Important Are Drawing Skills For Animation

As an animator, I get am frequently asked by aspiring animators how important it is to have sketching or drawing skills to be successful in the field of animation. Well, yes, if you are into 2G animation, then you it is imperative to have sound drawing skills. If in 3D it is not a mandatory, but yes, sketching out ideas is always of great help.

To begin with, you need to know the 3D animation production procedure. In an animation production studio working for 3D animations, there are distinct departments for pre-production, modeling, texturing, animation, rigging, lighting, rendering, FX animation, compositing, and in the end editing. 

Barring the rendering, editing, and FX animation departments, others are somehow or the other linked to artistic skills like that of drawing and painting. They also need photography from time to time. I graduated from a renowned Animation institute in Delhi; it was there I learnt that there are separate techniques for 2D & 3D animation techniques. And yes, you will need a fair amount of drawing skills if you are a student in any such institutions.
 

Although not knowing how to draw is not a huge barrier in your way of becoming a successful animator, you must know the bare minimum of drawing as it is important for a character animator to know about it. If you happen to land up in one of the top 10 animation colleges in India you are sure to learn the tactics of drawing the facial expressions required for character animation.

Animation, as an industry, is probably the best platform for enthusiasts to exercise their creativity and project their ideas in front of the world. Not knowing how to draw is not a huge drawback. The key to this industry is a fresh, creative and imaginative mind. So go for it!

Want To Become A Web Designer?

Web designing is an interesting field opening a number of career opportunities for talented people. Though work of a web designer mainly involves coding and decoding computer programs, but it is also important that a person has a creative bent of mind so that he can design interesting layouts. Job of a web designer is perfect for those who have an interest in computers and wish to combine their computer skills with creative ideas. If you also have an interest in web designing and are thinking of making a career in this field, it is important to have strong knowledge of the fundamentals of web designing. To learn these fundamentals, the best option is to do a course in web designing.

There are a number of reputed colleges that offer courses in web designing. If you wish to learn web designing, you can join any of these colleges for a web designing course. These animation courses in India are quite popular among youth. It not only helps them learn the basics of of coding, but also various technical skills required to design websites. Technical parts involved in web designing include structuring the website and positioning the links, images, buttons etc on the website. Nowadays, web design software are available in the market which help in designing layouts of web site pages.

If you are planning to do a short term course in web designing, you can join AAFT School of Animation. or arena animation institute. These institutes are known for their excellent infrastructure and faculty. Their placement record is also very good and most of the students manage to gain entry in good companies of the industry. The institutes also conduct events and workshops from time to time to prepare students for the industry. So what are you waiting for? Join now!

Success Of Animation As A Career

A career in animation is one of the most sought after professions in today's time. The animation industry is really lucrative at this point in time. Being a creatively liberal and challenging and engaging career, it is really attracting a lot of youngsters to it. Since one is not limited to just one style of work, a person can

have ample opportunity to diversify and try out different styles of animation and work. And one does not have to be limited to animation either, a person can try out editing, film- making,  script- writing and many other modes of media.

To break into this industry one must have a creative mindset and be good at the fine arts like drawing, painting and creating. After that one can join an animation course to learn in depth the technical processes that go on behind the scenes. And how the work is created and then presented in its final format. India has no shortage of no institutes, where one can learn multiple different styles of animation, experiment and even create something of your own, and specialize too if they so want to do.

There are also multimedia courses that one can take, if one does not want to enter the animation business specifically. It will still have aspects of animation in it, but it will also tackle the other media businesses like print, media, television and film and more.

There is a lot of scope in this field. Animators could debut as directors or writers or editors too. An animator has a lot of room to grow in this industry, since one can work their way upwards. From directing not just animated movies, but also some days getting to direct a live action movie is something that can happen.

There Is More To Animation Than Just Technical Skills

What do you think is the key requirement for becoming a successful animator? Is it mastery over animation skills? And if yes, how does one master the skill? Is it by mastering the tools required to animate? Or is it by mastering the art of storytelling?

I strongly feel that people who take up animation do so for the love of animation as well as possession of some creative instinct. To be able to succeed in their animation career, acquiring and mastering technical skills is not enough. If this were true, any person with sound knowledge of the technical aspects could become a top animator. However, without a strong creative side, it isn’t possible to create successful animations.

Let me explain by citing an example. For a person to be able write impactful content, one needs to have command over the language. That’s the technical aspect. Apart from that, one needs oodles of passion and creativity. One also needs good visualisation skills (especially if it’s fiction) as well as originality of content. In fact, there are chances that a person with greater command over language and a more comprehensive vocabulary is unable to match the level of a person with relatively weaker language skills but more passion, creativity and originality.

While inherent creativity is important, it would be wrong to say that the creative instincts cannot be honed. Just like consistent practice can improve performance in any academic subject like Accountancy, one can polish one’s creative skills like drawing or painting by being consistent.

Pursuing an animation course from one of the top animation schools would definitely better your technical knowledge and skills. However, to become a successful animator, you have to strengthen your creative instincts, which is only possible through persistent efforts. Take admission in the best animation school; but before doing that, work on yourself and your creative horizons. Best of luck!

A Bit About Augmented Reality

Technology is making leaps and bounds each day, not even a month or a week, but everyday something new is discovered, government and private organisations are giving out grants and funding for people willing to spend time trying to invent new things to improve human life.

There are ample ways that technology has contributed to the entertainment of humans. Films, animated or live- action, video games and the internet, the greatest invention for the mankind, which has alternatively opened up many other portals for interactive entrainment and social networking.

The use of graphics in such form of entertainments was very common. Careers like animation, computer graphics and game graphics became quite successful and lucrative for many. There are plenty of institutes that offer animation courses in India, and with extremely good staff and top of the line technology.

Now, after the internet of things, researches and engineers are now coming up with a technology, that will allow one to pull these graphics, out of ones televisions, or computer screen and will merge them into real- world environments. This new technology is called augmented reality, where this technology, blurs the line of what is real and what is computer generated because it enhances our senses, like sight, touch, sound and smell.

Augmented reality is essentially, a live direct or indirect vision of the real world, the physical world, but whose elements are augmented or amplified by computer generated sensory input, like sounds, videos or GPS data. It is a sort of modified or mediated reality by a computer.

This technology is quickly getting picked up by many companies, and it is quickly becoming a good profession, for people looking for an unknown career. It is one the best animation course to take right now, since trained professionals  in this area are in quite high demand.

Join The Best School For Your Animation Course

Does the interesting world of animation excite you? If the answer is yes, then a career in animation would be great for you. Nowadays, more and more students, mostly from art background, are taking animation as a career. It is not only interesting but also offers great salary packages and is counted in top paid professions. If you are planning to take animation as your career, it is important that you take the right education and training required to achieve success in this field. Learning technical skills and creative aspects required in animation will ensure that you have a successful career in animation.

When we talk about animation courses, there are a number of institutes and colleges that offer a range of short term and long term courses in animation. These courses are available in regular as well as distance mode. Students can choose a course as per their interests and preferences. Among various courses offered, 3-D animation courses are very popular among students. These courses include VFX, gaming, multimedia and graphics designing. Joining any of the above will not only enhance your skills but also help you in getting good job opportunities.

If you are planning to take an animation course then joining AAFT animation school will be a good option. AAFT Animation School located in noida, is one of the prestigious animation schools of India. It gives students the right knowledge and experience required to pursue a career in the multimedia industry. Every year thousands of students come here to take degree and diploma courses in animation. The process of application is very easy and one simply needs to fill an online form for registration. For admission, there is a written entrance test followed by personal interview. Those who clear written test as well as the interview are then selected for the course.

Recognize Your True Talent

At times, it happens that we ourselves do not realize the talent we have. We either ignore them, or think that it is not a talent and something very ordinary. I made this mistake for a long time in my life, but realized before it was too late. I used to paint and draw; it was my hobby and I never took it seriously. I thought there are so many around me who could do better than me, so whenever I sketched, I kept them to myself. It was only when my parents noticed my knack of painting; they started to encourage me to take it up in the long run.

I would always remember the day when my dad accidently found out my sketchbook and expressed his wonder about the sketches I had made. To me, they were roughly done and I had no intentions of showing to anyone. But my dad showed it around to my relatives and friends, and much to my surprise, they all loved it! They were just as surprised as I was! I would be forever indebted to my family who soon supported me to take up art as a graduation subject, and I excelled at it, as I loved doing it! By the time I graduated, I was determined to go for animation and I started looking for the best multimedia courses offered in and around my city.

After my graduation I was pretty confident about the career field I wanted to go to. I joined the best. Arena Animation changed my life and gave a direction to my skill, not only I came to know about the intricacies of animation, I mastered the animation techniques, in which my knowledge of art was a bonus! Now I am a distinguished designer and animator and I must say, I am amongst the very few people who can proudly say they love their job! 

3D Animation Is The Next Phase

Animation is one of the most booming industries in the recent times. Also it is not only animation that is being successful, but people from media and corporate and education industries are also demanding different professionals for the many diverse branches of animation.

Yes, there are multiple branches within the profession of animation that not many are aware about. One of them being 3D animation is that quickly gaining speed and becoming a very high in demand job. There are many animation courses in Delhi and other major states in the county that have now started to include 3D animation within their curriculum.

Some of the top animation schools are offering courses relating directly to 3D animation and all its different parts and sections. Many institutes and schools are understanding the increasing value of 3D animation and are determined to include it in their syllabus so that they are not left behind.

Basically, what 3D animation is the same as regular 1 dimensional or 2 dimensional type of animation only there has been a third dimension added to the animation that allows for a far greater and cleaner look to the work. 3D animation also allows for the characters to appear ore human with actual skeleton structures that give them the same jointed look of humans instead of the regular animated characters have of no skeletal structure.

The career path of a 3D animator is extremely bright in today’s time since a lot of different sectors and markets want to get into the latest technology to show their customers that they are with the times. Even the education department and the government too want good, trained professionals to create programs that will get the students or citizen’s attention and be more interactive to them.
There is great scope in this industry so one should not be too late.

Animated Feature Films’ Tryst with the Oscars

The archetypical Gen Y kid –such as I- has grown up on animation. While the likes of Mickey Mouse had been around for a long time, the 1990s were a real brewing ground for animated films and television series. And yet, it was not until 2001 that the ‘Academy Award for Best Animated Feature’ came into contention at the Academy Awards. Surprising, isn’t it? 

 

The Academy’s rationale for the late entry of animated films into the Oscars was that the genre just didn’t offer enough until that point. However, let’s not discredit the Academy for having conferred special Oscars to outstanding animated feature films prior to 2001. These included the likes of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Toy Story. The highlight of the animation industry at the Oscars until 2001 however, was that Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1991), received a nomination for ‘Best Picture’!

But if the 90s held little scope for your dream of winning an Oscar, then the 21st century is yours for the taking! Sign up for Animation Courses In India and enter the wondrous world of global animation… You just might have a shot at an Oscar!

But remember, while the 90s scarcely produced many animated films, the industry is now rapidly growing. Catching an animated flick was a rare occurrence back in the day, but today, they’re filling up the cinemas! Coupled with the technological advancements the world has witnessed since then, the animation industry is a pool of opportunity these days. Creativity, story-telling abilities, skill, technique and an animation mentor are all you need to break into the wonderful world of animation. And who knows, following the likes of Shrek, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Brave, and Frozen, amongst many others –you could perhaps stand the chance to win an Academy Award one day, and bring the tryst with the Oscars right to our motherland!

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING IN ANIMATION

Animation is all about filling life into the character, and while you’re filling life you have to make sure that their actions are perfectly timed. If our favorite Jerry is one microsecond late in jumping over the fence, Tom would catch it, and how dreadful that would be!

The animation institute apart from teaching tools and techniques of animation, puts a lot of focus on the timings of the animated characters. Whether it’s a 25 seconds animated ad or a 3 hours long animated movie, timing is what helps a project tell a story. Here’s a list of some of the methods and tips of how to obtain a perfect timing for a neat performance.

•    Stopwatch: A stopwatch can be very helpful to attain a match. Quite a hard work I know- but the hard work is sure to pay you off!

•    Go slow: There is no scope of mismatch in an animated game or an animated film. The animation studios go as slow as they can to match with the one hundredth part of the second and it surely requires a lot of patience! Move your character slowly to practice the timing. Slow and steady will undoubtedly win the race.

•    Frame by frame: Use multiple frames to denote multiple acts. Do not try to limit your drawings. Instead use as many frames as you can to highlight even the smallest of change in the expression of your character.

•    Trial and error: Timing is a crucial thing to play with. Since it requires personal experimentation to achieve an expertise in timing, keep trying the things out. No matter how many replays does it take, make error and try again. Finally, you will find the acts in sync with the sound and dialogues.

So make your animated ads, films and games and time your characters, because timing is what gives meaning to animation!

MOVIE ANIMATION VS. GAMING ANIMATION

Childhood days were the days of Tom and Jerry and the Popeye Show. Such was the impact of these animated shows that we never used to miss an episode! Animation has been catching attention since a long era and I love the fact how animation has the ability to fill life in a character. Animation tools and techniques are used in movies, games, cartoons and what not!

The use of animation in all the things that we see around is the reason why an animation career is becoming so popular among the people. To a layman, all kinds of animation may look similar. But it is only in the animation schools that you to get know the techniques of animation used is different in different kind of work.

AAFT Animation School prepares students for taking up animation jobs in various industries of entertainment. Let’s look at the differences between an animation used in movies and animation used in gaming.

•    Angle: In movies, the animator animates only the things which are in view of the shot camera. Audiences keep watching the movie at a fixed angle from beginning to end. In games however, the angle keeps changing. The animation in games has to be done really carefully to make it look good from multiple angles.

•    Control: In animated movies, you have no control over what’s going on. You are merely watching it and the story will go on as the animator has made it. In games however, you are the one taking the story forward! Not that you can do whatever you like, but still, the area is quite large for making your character move.

•    Sound: In movies, a planned audio goes on during the course. On the other hand, while making an animated game you have to have multiple sounds in store for every act- such as walking, running and gunning, to sound differently.

But be it an animated movie or an animated game- both offer amazing entertainment to us!

Animation As A Medium Of Education

Imagine you’re an 11-year-old kid, sitting at school and chewing on your pencil, gazing out the window and mindlessly listening to the teacher ranting on about World War II or what have you. Now, imagine you’re the same 11-year-old kid sitting in a classroom where you and your peers are recreating World War II through some stellar animation. Which do you think you’d prefer? Which would grab your attention? Which would invoke that desire to learn and have fun all at the same time?

Surely, your answer is quite obvious –as would be everyone’s! And that’s exactly why a lot of people these days have been advocating the inculcation of animation in the education system. It’ll be like getting an animation course and a history lesson all rolled into one! 

But all fun and games aside, the education system as a whole must come to realise the sheer benefits of animation as medium of education. Let’s take a quick look at how using animation in the classroom can be a highly effective tool of learning.

•    Communication: Whether it’s textual, verbal or visual, creating animation will allow a student to better their communication skills by putting across their ideas, understandings and concepts in a creative fashion.

•    Story telling: You don’t need to go to Animation Institutes In Delhi to learn the art of story telling through animation! Students will be able to form coherent and impelling stories and convey their ideas and philosophies by using exciting and challenging animation tools.

•    Facilitate positive peer interaction: By introducing animation as a medium of education, students will learn to collaborate in creating their works, and also learn presentation skills that will lead to the creation of a classroom environment that will stimulate positive peer interaction.

•    Creativity and logical thinking: Animation, being an art, will allow students to explore their creativity and be innovative, which will lead to not only aesthetic growth but also work on the intellect and cognitive and emotional aspects of their personality through novel approaches at problem solving etc.

•    Artistic qualities will naturally enhance learning in various other content areas –such as history, literature, etc.

ANIMATION YIELDS FASCINATION

Watching movies has always been one of my favorite pastimes and I go out with my friends almost every weekend to watch the latest movie on the big screen. A movie freak like me can watch movies of any language, (yes! even Tollywood, Would need the subtitles though) and any genre be it thriller, rom coms or action. But movies like Gravity and Interstellar have left an unparalleled mark on my mind and has made me want to see them over and over again. Thanks to the 3D animation techniques used in the film that made us feel like we’re actually in space. The movement of engines of the space ship and the falling of meteors were so realistic that it gave us all the scientist experience. While 3D animation techniques are widely used in depicting outer space scenes, some of the movies also use animation to put a lot of life in war scenes. You would feel like the axes and stones are coming to hit you. Movies like these fill us with lot of energy and are lot more fascinating than the general 2D movies. Another movie, Maleficent used a great animation in putting life into exotic creatures living in the forest. It made me feel like I am one of the characters of the forest. War scenes were equally amazing. Animation career is one of the most popular careers among students today, probably because movies like these are such a hit.
 

A lot of Bollywood films also have come a long way in making animation films. Krish3 and ABCD2 are some movies which has used animation in action and dances. Top 10 Animation Colleges in India are offering courses on various animation techniques such as VFX, computer animation and 3D animation encouraging students to make their own animation films.

The Modern-Day Cartoons

We human beings are complex creatures. Instead of valuing the present moment, we either live in the past or dream about the future. Now that I am an adult with all the freedom I had always yearned for, I wish I could go back in time and enjoy the life of a carefree child again. I remember how eagerly I waited for the school to break for summer holidays so that I could watch my favourite cartoons in peace. 

To be honest, the modern-day cartoons do not appeal to me at all. The charm of the cartoons of the days when I was small is incomparable to that of the present day cartoons. ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ was my favourite cartoon and even though Buttercup was my least favourite character, my parents seriously thought that my demeanour resembled hers. Oh please! And that reminds me, my best friend and her twin sister cut a beautiful and delicious Powerpuff Girls’ cake on their birthday a year back. I loved watching cartoons so much that I would not have minded pursuing an animation course if I had even one bit of creativity. That was the allure of the cartoons that my friends and I used to watch.

But the children nowadays do not feel the same way about cartoons the way we did. For them smartphones, tablets, laptops etc. play a far greater role in their daily dose of entertainment. Is it because the world of technology has overshadowed the world of animated cartoons? Or is because the cartoon makers are unable to hold the attention of the kids through cartoons? I am unable to put my finger on the exact reasons that have led to this situation.

Despite all this, a career in animation has gained popularity with the changing times. Animation is not just limited to cartoons and movies; it has become an important part of all major sectors too. Animation plays a significant role in helping students learn better through animated videos.

Coming back to the point, if you ask me to watch my favourite cartoons even at this age, I would gladly do that. For me those are classics which can be watched over and over again. What about you?

The Importance Of Continued Education In Animation

Could you imagine a world where doctors decided to stop learning new revelations about medicine after graduation? That’s potentially lethal, is it not? Perhaps not with the same severity, but the same logic works for the field of animation. Why’s this? Let’s say you pursed an animation course a decade ago, and were on top of your game back then. Now… ‘back then’ being key, here. 

Because what might have been the most modern technology in the realm of animation a decade ago, could very possibly be highly outdated now! You must realise that times are constantly changing. Keeping in mind the momentum with which the animation industry is growing as a result of technological revolutions ever on the rise… It becomes absolutely imperative to stay on top of things.

Learning new technologies, developing new skills, picking up new trends, familiarizing yourself with the latest technologies, understanding new dimensions of animation, and keeping up with the ever-broadening horizon of animation is key to maintaining a successful career in animation. So it’s definitely recommended that if you’re already in the game, then you’ve got to keep up your game! Sign up for new multimedia courses every now and then, learn the new, up and coming tricks of the trade, and you’ll be able to happily bask in your successful animation career.

You’ve got to keep polishing your skills, because what you learnt at an animation course when you started out isn’t going to be the end of it. And you must most definitely be wary of stagnation when it comes to animation! You’ll be able to advance your career and take it in entirely new directions, and up to entirely new dimensions if you engage in some continued education. Develop new speclialisations, take multimedia courses, pick up new skills –the world is your oyster!

How My Parents Tried To Keep Me Away From TV

Each child loves to watch animated cartoons and movies, but when I was small, I was addicted to cartoons. While it was still possible for my parents to keep me away from watching television during weekdays, the mere advice of getting involved in outdoor activities during the weekends sounded preposterous to me. My fascination didn’t seem to subside and I started understanding more about animation. I dreamed of getting admission in one of the top 10 animation colleges in India. I dreamed about the success I would get on making the best animation cartoon. Meanwhile, my parents went all out to keep me away from television. This is what they did:

1.    They told me how my eyes were being adversely affected (which was true) due to my excessive indulgence. Even the idea of me wearing big glasses did not deter me. I guess I was pretty obstinate. 

2.    I loved to (and still love to) dance; hence my parents enrolled me in a dance institution which held classes on the weekends. I absolutely loved to go for my dance classes and never missed even one class unless I was sick.

3.    The best thing they did was introducing me to the world of books. While my father often read out to me, he started asking me to read books myself. While it was a little difficult at first, I finally got the hang of it and derived great joy from books. My newly acquired habit kept me busy and I got to learn so much. My vocabulary improved and I started conversing in English. Now my time was equally divided between books and cartoons.

But unlike me, if you are really serious about pursuing animation in the future, find out more about the best animation course in Delhi. Find out about the eligibility criteria and if you fit the requirements. You could have a bright future in the field of animation if you work the right way!

Japanese Anime –Get Hooked!

Anyone who’s remotely interested in animation would understand me when I say: JAPANESE ANIME IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST! Period.

Okay, well, I can’t really end a whole blog at that, can I? And so I must explain as best I can just why Japanese anime is so darn amazing. For the animation buff, there’s hardly any reason for me to touch upon this matter… but I’m going to do it anyway. Maybe it’ll inspire you to take up some animation course or the other and create something that can (only hope to) parallel the wonder of Japanese anime!

So, what’s so spectacular about this particular line of animation that I’m relentlessly gaga about it?

First of all, Japanese anime takes imagination to a whole other level. You have your regulation animated series and movies and what not, and then you have Japanese anime soaring sky-high in terms of its imaginative quality. Each and every Japanese anime series seems to have such wildly imaginative plots. It’s as though the Japanese had a brain wave of creativity that’s just divine –for lack of a better word. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a little touch of divinity as an animation mentor, helping you make the craziest and best of animation? Well, the Japanese surely seem to!

Secondly, Japanese anime seems to explore themes that people can’t even think of as themes. Japanese anime doesn’t just target children; they go all out and create anime for all sorts of age groups. Thereby exploring a range of themes that often go untouched in the world of animation. The Japanese use anime as a medium for exploring a variety of phenomena not only limited to the real of imagination –but also prevalent in society.

Thirdly, while other animated series might act a constant tease, Japanese anime packs it all in with a punch, getting right to the point, while still keeping the adrenalin rushing and the mystery alive!

So there you have it. A few wonders of Japanese anime. I do hope it’s ignited something in you –maybe you’ll take up an animation course, or maybe you’ll start watching Japanese anime… Either way, I’d have done my job!

Flip Book Animation: Absolute Joy

Do you know what a flip book is? I am sure you do! A flip book is a book containing a series of images that seem to come to life when the pages are flipped with speed. Each picture is a small variation of the previous one and the pages are usually flipped from back to front. This kind of animation is one of the earliest types and was first discovered in the latter half of the 19th century. You would be surprised to know that even though it requires a lot of time, effort and talent, you don’t need to be a student of one of the top 20 animation colleges in India to try it out at home.

Young children find flip book animation extremely alluring. I bought one for my little cousin, and he made me flip the book over at least 20 times in a row. As I said earlier, you don’t need to pursue multimedia courses to do it yourself. I have briefly mentioned the procedure of making your own flip book at home. Read ahead:

1.    Lots of paper

You would need a big stack of thin paper to create the desired illusion. Notebooks, notepads, post-it notes would do. More frames per second would result in a more realistic effect.

2.    Subject

You could take help from the internet, or draw anything that interests you. Since it involves a lot of drawing, it is advised to choose an uncomplicated subject.

3.    Start from the back

Your first drawing should be on the last page, second on the penultimate page, and so on. Try avoiding the use of indelible ink if you are a beginner. Drawing with a pencil leaves scope for changes. The idea of starting from the back and using thin sheets has a reason. You would be able to trace your last drawing through the thin sheet when you start from the back.

4.    Gradual changes

Keep making slight changes to each image. Being able to look through the previous image would help you draw the next one with a small change. Keep repeating the process till you run out of paper.

5.    Adjustments

When you are done, try flipping the book from the back. If you are not content with some images, don’t hesitate to make slight adjustments. But do keep in mind that one adjustment would lead to another. Be very careful!

6.    Try it out

After all adjustments, proudly show the end result to your friends, family, and acquaintances. Best of luck!

INSPIRING WOMEN IN THE FIELD OF ANIMATION

With Top Animation courses in India, animation as a discipline is conquering new heights, we see girls and boys fascinated with this world of animation. But was it the same all through? Absolutely not, Even though animation existed as early as the early 19th C, its popularity reached the mass only by the last 19th C. It was mostly dominated by men like in all cases, but slowly gained momentum among the woman too, at a time when even education was not a woman’s right, let alone a male dominated profession. But still, some brave women paved the way for others. Let’s have a look at them:

•    Lotte Reiniger:

She is regarded as the first woman animator and also the pioneer of the silhouette animation technique. Born in 1899, she even anticipated Walt Disney by ten years in terms of the use of the plane camera technique. “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” by her was the first animated feature films.

•    Lillian Friedman:

Acknowledged as the first woman animator within the studio system, Lillian Friedman drew and animated the characters Popeye and Betty Boop, among others. Lillian made film history when she was promoted to Head Animator at Fleischer Studios in 1933.

•    Eunice Macaulay:

Born in 1923,Her career began when her hand made Christmas card got her a job in Gaumont British Animation in 1948. In her career, she worked on a total of twenty-five short films and received numerous awards, including an Oscar.

•    Faith Hubley:

Born in 1924, she entered Hollywood at the tender age of 18. Faith won Oscars for two of her films and was nominated for another three, and has been honoured at Cannes, London, Venice, and San Francisco film festivals.

•    Elizabeth Case Zwicker:

Among the very first and few women animators in the very early days at Disney, She is a famous name in the industry.

If you too aspire to be one of them, you should probably enrol yourself at the Best i.e Arena animation, who knows you might be the next Walt Disney!

Of Animation: Childhood Through Adulthood

Do you think that animation is just for children? Well, you couldn’t be more wrong (if you do)! If that’s what you think then I challenge you to never again eat cotton candy –isn’t that also just for kids? So you see what I’m getting at? Love for animation is just the same as love for board games and cotton candy and marshmallows –it might begin in your green and salad years, but it’s sure to stick on.

And within reason! Animation isn’t just restricted to that little mouse chap in dungarees or that bottomless duck quacking away… Animation is made for all age groups, just like movies and all things in life, really.

As for me, even before I had the slightest hint of what the word meant, animation became my life. So much so that (once I learnt the word, of course, and conducted some extensive research), I actually decided to attend Animation Institutes In Delhi and make a career in animation for myself. But alas, an understanding of technology seems to be something that just eludes me. So while I unwillingly gave up my dream of being an animator, I’ve stuck on as a loyal fan of animation.

I may have been just 10 years old when I decided animation was to be my life, but now years have passed and I still love animation just as much as I did back then, if not more. So a word of advice to anybody else who likes the idea of an animation career – go for it! Don’t let your weaknesses bring you down before it’s too late, just go apply to some Animation Institutes In Delhi for some animation or multimedia courses, and see your dream through! Isn’t that what animation is all about –the stuff of dreams?

Japanese Anime –A Peephole To A World Beyond Imagination

In the Age of the Internet, we’ve all heard about the sheer popularity of Japanese anime. Perhaps you’re even a raging anime-junkie yourself? Even if you aren’t we’ve all got that one friend (or more, of course) who’s utterly crazy for it –they live and breathe anime. Maybe you even know people so moved by it that they’re attending Animation Institutes In Delhi in the hope of making an animation career for themselves.

So what’s this spell that Japanese anime seems to have over our lovesick (read: anime-sick) friends?

Well, simply put –it’s pure brilliance. Period.

Okay, maybe I should elaborate a bit further. From the 1990s, Japanese anime took the world by storm. My entire generation grew up watching Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z –archetypes of Japanese anime (and perhaps the inspiration for those now enrolled in one animation institute or the other). But that was then, Japanese anime has now come a long way. From ‘Gotta catch ‘em all’ Japanese anime seems to have pretty much caught everything they can.

The thing about this brand of anime that differentiates it from more Western concepts of animation is that the Japanese have somehow managed to think so far outside the box, that the box is a speck of dust on a horizon far, far away.

Japanese anime takes you to a world you couldn’t possibly imagine –beyond your wildest imaginations, that right there, is where Japanese anime thrives. While any animation institute will be able to teach you all the skills and techniques needed to create anime like the Japanese, they will never be able to teach you how to take your imagination to a whole other level –that’s entirely up to your creativity. 

With no inhibitions, Japanese anime toys with just about every theme under the sun. So of course, when Japanese anime offers you a peephole into a world beyond imagination, which sane person wouldn’t get addicted?

The Magic of Animation –Do You Have It?

Let’s face it, living in the highly competitive world that we do, the professional playing field seems the absolute heights of competition. As is true for all profession courses, the monetary investment is quite a big bump on the path to higher education.

The same goes for animation courses. So before you write out that cheque to an animation institute, you should do your homework and understand the scope of the degree, and what it means for your future profession as an animator. You can’t afford to just blindly invest in a future; you need to know your prospects before you do!

So (assuming you’ve done the needful and researched the pros and cons of a degree from Animation Institutes In Delhi/ across India/ abroad), let’s take a quick look at what it takes to be a professional animator, and how to get there.

To begin with, as exciting as a career in animation may seem, it’s definitely no piece of cake. On the contrary, it’s quite a bit of hard work! Long hours, sleepless nights, a fast-paced environment, every-developing technology, and looming deadlines… These are just some of the things you’ll need to live and breathe when you’re in the world of animation! But of course, if you’re passionate, dedicated, and hard set on getting into the field, then it’s yours for the taking!

Once you’ve got a degree from an animation institute, you need to get down to business and make your demo reel. A demo reel exhibits your talents and capabilities when it comes to all facets of animation –so make sure it successfully displays all. When animation agencies are looking for new animators to join the ranks, the first thing they’re going to look at is your demo reel. So be sure to stun them!

You also need to have a good and realistic knowledge of the animation pipeline. Understand the various kinds of positions available in the industry. Knowledge is power so make sure you have all the necessary technical abilities to break into the animation industry.

The art of animation is truly beautiful. Breathing life into the inanimate, is there anything more magical than that? So if you have what it takes, then go make all our worlds a little more magical!

Animated Films - A Late Entrant to the Oscars

So here’s the somewhat unbelievable truth about the Academy Awards and animated films –there wasn't even a permanent category for animated movies till the year 2001! So imagine globally beloved ‘Lion King’ not having won an Oscar for best animation, or even, best film (sure, they won Oscars for music, but that’s just not the same as ‘Best Picture’)! If there had been a category for the best animated film in 1994 –or if animated films could compete with feature films for the Best Film altogether- then Lion King would have definitely bagged both those awards, eh?

But that’s the somewhat unfortunate tale of animated feature films at the Oscars. The Academy was rather hesitant about creating an exclusive award for animated films sooner because they asserted that there just weren't enough productions to compete for an award each year at all. But with the advent of technology and animated films growing not only in popularity but also in number, the Academy had no option but to introduce a brand new category for the Best Animated Feature in the year 2001. And thus in 2001 commenced the short history of animated films at the Oscars.

Yet, the new category of best animated feature did not come without a set of rules and regulations. For instance, the Academy defined an animated feature film as one with a running time of at least 40 minutes in which the characters’ performances are created using frame-by-frame techniques, a significant number of the major characters are animated, and animation absolutely must figure in no less than 75% of the running time. Moreover, they also included a rule that stated that the award would not be presented in a year with less than 8 eligible films in the running.

Now since the year 2001, a series of absolutely stunning films have won the Oscar. With the animation industry growing at a rapid rate, if you've been inspired to enter the field of animation, then there are a number of animation studios and Animation Institutes In Delhi that could offer you the education you need. With no scarcity of animation studios and Animation Institutes In Delhi and across the country, there’s nothing stopping you from living your dream –not even the Academy!

Tim Burton: Animator, Genius

When I think of animators, the first name that pops in my head is Walt Disney. But I’ll just attribute that to the extreme popularity of Disney (well-earned, of course, but when you see the name flashed about everywhere there’s no way your brain doesn't pick up on it and register it better than any other). So, the second name, now that’s more important for me: Tim Burton.

Tim Burton, that crazy and twisted fellow makes some of the best animations of today. A director, producer, writer, animator and artist, he’s an all-rounder when it comes down to it, and the ace in his field. But first let’s give you a little background on his roots. Tim Burton attended the California Institute of the Arts (most renowned for its animation, it did also offer other multimedia courses) where he did an animation course. His talent wasn’t picked up for a while, but when it was, all hell broke loose (quite literally, seeing as his films are more often than not fairly dark and twisted).

His movies like Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have all been big hits. Burton’s animated films take on a dark, gothic, macabre theme that’s got fantasy, quirk, humour and horror all at the same time. That’s what sets him apart. Despite his seemingly off-beat film ventures, he comes out at the forefront of the mainstream as well. Tim Burton’s stop motion pictures creep under your skin, but you’ll love it. Movies like Alice in Wonderland Corpse Bride are the epitome.

So if you're as inspired by Tim Burton as I am much as I am (and are actually able to do something about it if you have the necessary technical and artistic skills, unlike me) then pick an animation course or choose one of many multimedia courses available worldwide, and kick start your animation career. If it’s anything like Tim Burton’s, you’ll be sure to have at least one fan in me!

The Inherent Love of Cartoons

So here's the thing about animation, whether we'd like to admit it or not or even be unaware of it altogether –we love it. I’ll tell you why. We've all grown up watching cartoons, haven’t we? From watching Cartoon Network to all the myriad cartoon channels that followed, every kid of the generation in question spent half their childhood glued to television sets. With the advent of television and its skyrocketing growth, gone were the days of children going out and about playing outdoors all day long! Generation X would understand what I’m talking about, while parents ceaselessly attempted to drag you away from the ‘idiot box’ whilst lecturing you about how back in the day, they were more active and curious about the outside world. Did your world revolve around the 47 inch, or what have you, television screen? Then riddle me this, what was it that you whiled away your childhood with? Easy breezy: cartoons. Ergo, case and point!

And thus grew our unknowing love for animation. Watching Tom ceaselessly attempt to chase and capture Jerry (knowing full well that it was never going to happen) is something I believe everyone cherishes as a fond memory of childhood. Or perhaps Mickey Mouse, who’s been around since times immemorial, so just about everyone has watched it, I’m sure. Say the evolution of Mickey Mouse over the years has inspired you and sparked an interest in animation and creating it; then there a number of excellent animation studios and Animation Institutes In Delhi that you can enroll yourself in and learn the intricate art of animation. With the knowledge and skills you pick up form an education from one of the various Animation Institutes In Delhi, perhaps one day you can hope to have your very own animation studios¸ and give back to the next generation, what you cherished about yours!

Animation and Creativity as a Calling

Computer Graphics and Animation is a promising industry. Animated movies tend to score over the non-animated ones. And it is not only the movies that amass acclaim, but games, themes parks, virtual reality and scientific and medical research that make use of computer graphics and animation are gathering steam.  The extensive use of graphics in design sector including automotive design, consumer products, industrial design and interactive design has only perked up the utility and efficiency of the animation and multimedia courses.

Graphic designers are known for having an attention to detail, design sense, problem solving skills and knowledge of the latest software and hardware pertaining to design and animation. Most design schools start with conceptualization and sketching before jumping onto 2D and 3D software which comes up in the advanced stages. They begin with the good old drawing concepts and then move on to the design fundamentals of colour theory, graphics, typography, scanning, colour correction and printing, says a student of animation course. Character modelling, set modelling, texturing, lighting, animation, visual effects and rendering are some of the other exciting aspects of a design course.

Many D-schools focus on basic education required to learn and unlearn the rest that keeps springing up in the profession. The curriculum and development team from design schools are adept at collecting inputs, interacting with the industry related personnel to keep themselves updated on the current trends and updating the curriculum in parallel to improve upon the employable skills of the students. Group discussions form an essential and an indispensable part of D-schools and they pep up the knowledge by providing all vital creative design inputs, asking students to analyse the concepts and inspire them to engage in innovative activities.

Becoming An Animator

Animation is probably the most sought after career choice today. Sought after-- because the very idea of creating graphics and cartoons is captivating. The work normally involves blowing all the creativity on a set of software tools to conjure visually stimulating graphics that are an immediate eye-catcher. As riveting as the work may sound, hopping into an animator’s shoes might not be that facile a task, says a student of an animation institute.

True, there is a lot of fame and money in the job, yet making a plunge into the untested waters might be risky in case you are simply curious to do something ‘different’ and ‘happening’. Don't blindly chase your curiosity just because a jazzy, shiny advertisement in the newspaper caught your eye. Do yourself a favour and ask a simple question-why would you want to go for animation?  Do your skills cater to the requirements needed an animator's task off?

Once you are done answering, it’s time to reflect upon the next step-the time to contemplate your next move.

Here you go!

Do an in depth research about schools, colleges, universities or animation studios and understand their curriculum, their faculty, their teachers and the kind of work they make their students do. Knowing the job placement rate of the animation studio is equally important.

Animation is a rapidly carving a niche of its own. What used to be done behind the few closed doors within the confines of a shallow establishment has become a thriving industry. You can either work in electronic entertainment (gaming, that is), Broadcast or film industry, or even professional visualizations for that matter.

There is a tremendous demand for 3D animators, character animators and lighting artists and matte painters in the ever expanding industry. If you are serious about the animation profession, go ahead, and embrace it. With a composed and a dedicated approach, there is no possibility that you can go wrong.

Scope and Tips for Animation Artists

With an industriously growing animation industry, there has been registered a constant demand for the skilled professionals from both national and international studios. Animation apart from being a fast-emerging career option has also become a lucrative career path to begin with, says an Indian animation institute.

A vast animation industry, offers several opportunities for animators and the other professionals trained in the field. According to the latest NASSCOM report, the animation industry in India is all set to grow by 22 percent every year.

Several animation studios and institutes are already chock-full with various in-house and outsourced projects from abroad. In these state of affairs, the animation industry in the country is surely going through a talent crunch with an immediate need for such professionals to take over the speedy deliverables.

Since this field is relatively new to the Indian market, it can very well be said that the Indian sector has a lot of latent potential and talent, waiting to be carved and exploited. It is due to this precise reason that there are a lot many institutes both private and government which are up for providing training and expertise in animation, graphics and multimedia while catering to the need of current industry situation.

Having mentioned this wide scope in the industry, here are few tips for the budding animation artists:

Begin with A Strong Foundation in Traditional Art: Before you begin with anything, it is essential to build a strong foundation in traditional art, not because you have to learn it but because this knowledge comes in handy when you have to design poses or in the staging of shots.

Be Critical Towards Your Work: Immerse yourself into your work and sink into each aspect of it that you really like. Go deep in your understanding about the work which you have produced while having a keen learning eye from others, says a leading animation institute.

Keep Creating!: You very well know that there is no limit to the paradigm of creativity. Therefore, constantly push your limits and experience your creativity taking over your consciousness.