Link to Arena Animation Academy, Sec 17, Chandigarh website
Students checking out the State of the Art VFX Equiment
Arena Chandigarh Students check out State-of-the-Art VFX (Visual Effects) Equipment on their campus following “Learn The Secrets of becoming a VFX Pro!!” a Seminar by VFX Artist, and Specialist Aayush Chopra (Masters Degree in VFX from Bournemoth Universty, UK).
They were able to see and handle the high-end Video Stablizer one of it’s kind in North India (not even available with professional studios in North India). Only select studios across India have this equipment have this kind of equipment. Hence even most vfx professionals in India have not seen one!
The saw the imported Green Screen, Softbox lights with the highest possible illumination. They also saw the full body suits used in motion capture, follow focus, as well as the ubiquitious clap.
State-of-the-art VFX Equipment at VirtualSoft Studio
Learn the Secrets of becoming a VFX Pro!!
“Learn The Secrets of becoming a VFX Pro!!” A Seminar was held today at Arena Animation Academy, Sec 17, Chandigarh, by VFX Artist, and Specialist Aayush Chopra (Masters Degree in VFX from Bournemoth Universty, UK), on the path to becoming a VFX Professional and the learnings required to become one. Being privy to the latest happenings internationally, Aayush was in an excellent position to share the secrets of the professionals.
He demonstrated the entire VFX Pipeline to the hall chock-a-block eager students. Going through the pipeline step by step he uncovered each step and the various measures taken at each step to ensure that reality of the scene is not compromised. He also dwelled on the major savings in cost by the intelligent use of VFX quelling the myth that VFX is a costly option. In fact he showed why it is cheap to opt for VFX than go for a live constructed scene.
Trained in the Art of VFX by eminent VFX artists from the world over during his Masters at Bournemoth University, UK, Aayush shared various tips given by the experts to avoid costly equipment and the way simple utility items could achieve the same end result.
Arena Chandigarh also later demostrated state-of-the-art VFX Equipment directly imported from UK by their Studio VirtualSoft.
Learn The Secrets of becoming a VFX Pro!!!
various tips given by the experts to avoid costly equipment and the way simple utility items could achieve the same end result.
The Afternoon of 16 Dec 2012, was a very much awaited affair. Alongwith the GO48! Results, the annual cultural event – THE FOUNDERS DAY was also celebrated for the 17th time in the history of the Chandigarh Campus
check out the News Video below:
17th CHANDIGARH ARENA FOUNDERS DAY 2012
And the GO48! Final Winners were:
GO48! Graphics – Raship Trikha
GO48! Warpaint – Priyanka
GO48! Live – Gurwinder Singh, Sarbjit Singh
GO48! Mesh – Amandeep Singh Kang
GO48! Anim8 – Anjali Mishra
And the Cultural Final Winners were:
Dance (Male) –
Dance (Female) – Anjali Mishra
Best Performance – Varun Kaushik
Best Song Performance – Nitin Doda
A video report on the Grand Finale of the 48 hour GO48! Awards held on 16 Dec 2012. Raship, Gunjan, Heera, Sandipan and Garima qualified for GO48! ART finals and Amandeep, Pawan, Ravinder, Gurpreet and Siddharth qualified for GO48! MESH Finals on sunday, 16 December 2012. The stage was Buzz with excitement as a live band played all along adding music to the tension. Surrounded by ‘beaten’ competitors the FINAL FIVE began their conquest on stage. The din created the pressure of a match being played at a stadium.
check out the News Video below:
GO48! GRAND FINALE
And the Final Winners were:
GO48! Graphics – Raship Trikha
GO48! Warpaint – Priyanka
GO48! Live – Gurwinder Singh, Sarbjit Singh
GO48! Mesh – Amandeep Singh Kang
GO48! Anim8 – Anjali Mishra
A workshop was held on Game Designing for Degree students at Arena Chandigarh. Spread over 5 days, it started with familiarization with game genres and game devices/ mediums. From there it went on to familiarize the students with various game designers in the world including the famous Shigeru Miyamoto (designer of mario brothers), Will Wright (designer of simulators games including Simcity) Scott Rogers (designer of PacMan Worlds and God of War), Josh Sawyer (Rollercoaster Tycoon) and Satoshi Tajiri (designer of Pokemon) , Sid Meyer (Civilization, Railroad Tycoon) , Jordan Mechner (Prince of Persia), Toru Iwatani (Pacman), Jaakko Iisalo (Angry Birds). Thereafter the students were given game design pipeline and taken through one game design in a children’s park for a fun location. They produced the game in given 4 hours and demostrated the same to others.
Thereafter an a Game Design Project followed, which took 2 days to make. Therein the students had to design a Board based game with a unique strategy. It was not to match any existing game. Some of the final submissions were very creative and showed potential for commercialization.
The Workshop conductee was Vineet Raj Kapoor, himself a Game Industry Specialist. He is presently working on a card game “POW” (Prisoners of War) and is in talks with leading game distributors/ publishers for the release of this game. This game is designed by Vineet and is aimed at 8-15 year old boys. He has plans to bring out a girls version soon thereafter. His studio is also engaged by a UK company in a Joint Venture to publish a 3D Game quite soon. Slated to release in 2012 sometime, it is at various stages of development on Models, Level Design and Programming. Promo videos would be shot in India.
From Model to Model Sheet
Be it classical animation, storyboarding or comic book art, there is one inevitable jump without which these careers can never start. Yes it is a jump from “Model” to the “Model Sheet.”
Every art is in some way reflection of reality. There is no doubt we will have to start learning from reality. Spending lot of time with the model is the only way to gather well needed knowledge of gestures, form and anatomy.
An illustrator, pre-production artist or animation artist would need to draw lots of gestures, forms and anatomies, believably realistic or designed on reality, incidentally without any model in front of them. What they would have in front is just a “Model Sheet”.
Some students find this jump just too difficult. They would draw whatever is in front, but when it comes to the need to draw from model sheet, their faculties fail.
Right kind of training can take the student through this transition very smoothly. Joining the art teaching techniques of Masters – Kimon Nicolaides, Walt Stanchfield and Shamus Kulhaine has given us sure shot formula to this.
a) First of all if your way of drawing is “natural way to draw” as recommended by Nicolaides, half the battle is won. Because with this way, you are not copying from the model, you are “creating” from the model.
This is the biggest trick. The students who have the habit of copying all lines from the model in front have the toughest time making this jump.
You should practice this natural way to draw. You never copy superficial lines, you experience the model in front, its gesture, its contour, weight and form and then react to all these on paper. Its just a wonderful experience.
You can learn this by doing 16 schedules of Kimon Nicolaides.
Following is one of my old exercise. Putting here not to impress but to illustrate the exercise. This is a study and not meant for showcasing.
b) With the above done, you are already in a habit of first getting the gesture clear in mind and on paper within a minute and then putting form on it. This is what it needs when drawing from Model Sheet.
Now you should include the exercises taught by Walt Stanchfield at the Disney Studios every Tuesday and Wednesday night. Sit in front of the model and also keep the model sheet of your character in your vision. Now pick the gesture (or the story, as in Stanchfield’s language) from the model but apply it to your own character. This will be bit difficult at the beginning. But for those who have practiced structural imagination exercise of Nicolaides it will come naturally. Give yourself atleast 1 hour for each attempt.
Follow Nicolaides workflow only, first report gesture on paper, then convert it into extended gesture using structrual imagination by keep looking at model sheet.
Spend atleast 20 hours in total with one character, that mean, 10 sitting of 1 hour.
MODEL SHEET given by Shamus Kulhaine
Again putting some examples of these exercises done by me sometimes ago. They may not be perfect but illustrates the exercise. Here expressive poses for animated movies have been taken instead of the acting model.
c) When you have developed enough familarity with the character. Convert the above exercise into gesture exercise. Do the above, but now do it in the spirit of gestures only. Give yourself not more than 5 minutes for the above exercise. This was quite prevelant in Stanchfield’s class.
d) Once you have done the above exercises, you are almost ready for outpouring of gestures totally out of your imagination for your character as done by Shamus Kulhaine. That also with no model in front, just the Model Sheet.
This is ecstatic experience. Just convert the half hour regular gesture study from model to this exercise. Keep the model sheet in front. Imagine your character in a particular situation and start putting down the gestures on paper, each one in less than 60 seconds. This will open up the huge bank of imagination and would produce so unique and fresh gestures for your character you could never think of.
Later you can convert any or all interesting gestures into finished drawing by converting to extended gesture using structural imagination. Then clean it up by the sensation of contours.
ANIMATION
Whenever Stanchfield mentions about acting in animation, he would talk about getting sensitive to the gesture.
By this he means to be able to first see and feel the motivation behind the pose.
Nicolaides calls it the inner impulse behind the pose and provides excellent exercises to make you capable of touching the gesture (inner impulse) and then develop the pose/s onto it.
Some frames from Brave –
ACTING
In the world’s most popular acting methodologies developed by Stanislavsky, the key teaching is to be able to generate the inner motivation (current) in reality by the actor on stage (using methods like affective memory), same or similar to the one needed by the character being played on stage.
“..in our art you must live the part every moment that you are playing it, and every time.” – Stanislavsky
Some frames from Black Swan-
COMPARING TWO
ACTING is asking you to generate that motivation (current) in reality and let your mind and body respond to it on stage. ANIMATION is asking you to be sensitive to the gesture so you are able to touch and be one with the inner motivation of the animated character, so you are able to create series of gestures most apt for those inner impulses.
Good ACTORS are able to portray very subtle and intricate inner motivation. In ANIMATION it takes lot of effort and is bit difficult to achieve this intricacy.
In ACTING, good actors are able to create intense and pure inner motivation (current), matching the character at that moment of story, BUT its very difficult to keep out trace of mannerism of the actor himself. Same character played by two renowned good actors, one can make out which actor is playing it, even if the face and voice is modulated.
In ANIMATION, since the person is not using his own body, its bit easy to keep one’s mannerism out while generating gestures matching the inner impulses of the established character at that moment of story.
CONCLUDING
One thing stands large that in both the artforms, its not the outer look and form that is prime, its the inner impulse, motivation, current that communicates, tells the story.
Without this prime factor any system or artform can become “..theatrical claptrap..” – Stanislavsky
This is what happened to the Delsarte system of expression.
“it led others into stereotyped and melodramatic gesticulation, devoid of the very heart that Delsarte had sought to restore.”, Wangh
Whole collection of Walt Stanchfield (Drawn to Life) is preaching on making each single frame/drawing “living”. If that achieved, chances of the sequence of frames being live is just a matter of some animation techniques.
For a moment just visualise a situation. You enter a waiting area (outside a science lab lets say). You see two persons sitting, one on left and other on right. The person on left actually is a dead body, but some technical arrangements (as an experiment) have been made so that a controlling person in other room is able to move all its limbs using some invisible rig and is also able to move its face skin. The person on the right is a real living person.
Now you enter the room. You see on your left. And that “person” moves with all its body, waves hand, a smile is pulled on the face to connect to you. Just visualise how much you will get connected to that.
Then you turn right. And there is a real person sitting. He just glances towards you, with a smile greets you, just a slight shake of his head. You immediately connect to him, become aware of him, respond back, empathise with him. You may go and sit with him and start a talk or enquire something. Because you know he is living, without much movement. And you didn’t connect to the first one, because you know that is not living even with so much of movement
This is the reality of good and bad animation. Animation is just meant to make a character “living” so the audience connect to him, may empathise with him.
I see lots of animations by students who have not actually learnt animation. There is so much of movement and no life.
Just look at these frames here. Don’t you feel that the character is living just by looking at a single frame. You feel the emotions inside the character, impulse behind each gesture, a living heart in each one.
You can find many examples where even after watching the character moving a lot, a lot for 1 minute, you are sure that he is not living, its a deadbody.
Just take care that we are animating and not moving dead bodies!!
GAME DESIGN WORKSHOP
What is the field of Game design and Development all about? What are its applications/Uses?
Game Design and Development is a field for highly creative and passionate people. Those who enjoy the development of a dream without knowing how people will respond to it. It is quite like film making with the difference that the audience here (the player) is going to interact with this dream and the response would be more direct than a film goer. And since unlike films gaming is not a one time experience that one can forget about. It is about buying into your vision, so it takes much more involvement.
Applications are:
• Education/ Infotainment (elearning)
• Learning (e.g. scrabble)
• Entertainment (popular console and arcade games)
• Franchise module (big movie franchises include games)
• Training (on use of machines e.g. airplane pilot)
• Simulation (e.g. disaster response)
• Therapy (for psychiatry patients)
• Experience (4D/ 5D setups worldwide)
• Visualization (for expensive operations e.g. military response or space satellite)
Why should students opt for Game Design and Development as their career option?
The answer is same as above. Let me state very clearly, “All creative careers are about passion and involvement. It is just not about rewards.” So only those who are risk takers would opt for it. People who don’t care if they have to try 50 times to get it right, they would go ahead and wait for the 51st time to come. So, usually all creative people bloom late.
What are the growth prospects in this industry?
Gaming is a new industry in India, and the prospects are good in terms of being able to work on games being made elsewhere. About our own IPs we’re at the moment quite far from adequate. So barring a title here and there it’s going to be outsourced or collaborated games for the next few years.
How has the sector fared in the past one year?
The sector is growing at a rate of 30% (as per 2012). However, industryestimates show that this would grow by an average of 38% over the next 4 years. And funny is that these figure don’t even include internet gaming, which is the biggest growth driver.
| 2011 | 2016 | ||||
|
INR |
$ |
INR |
$ |
Growth |
|
|
Console |
7.15b |
142.5m |
26b |
517m |
38% |
|
Mobile |
4.3b |
86m |
17b |
340m |
41% |
|
PC |
381m |
8m |
870m |
17m |
18% |
|
Settop Box |
350m |
7m |
1b |
20m |
25% |
|
Total |
13b |
259m |
46b |
917m |
38% |
(chart prepared as per various sources including FICCI-KPMG report and NASSCOM report)
What is the pay-scale? (Bottom up) – initial stage, after 5 years, after 10 years etc
Ha! Payscale. It’s funny how the pay scale becomes important even before a sector takes shape. Well it’s fuzzy right now with starts ranging from 8-25K per month depending on the artists/ programmer’s background.
What are the skills/aptitude required for the job?
Best is if you’ve designed games before getting into learning gaming. If you’ve not tried to rewrite rules for every game you play (be it cricket or anything) then you’re not a game designer at heart. However, gaming does require good programmers and designers who may not be game level designers so then one can concentrate on these areas. Usually game designer are either good sportspersons or avid card player (or even both). They are competitive at every game they play.
If you have the analytical ability shrouded in your creative aptitude, you could be a ambi-brain person who can design games and other complex systems since your brain can process numbers and images with equal ease. Game Designing is one of the toughest tasks in the world. Marriage is one of the best games designed 
How can one become a Game designer/developer ? (What to do after Class12 in order to become a Game designer/developer)
To become a Game Designer, you must get a good knowledge of 3D software as well as preproduction. Usually in Games the environment is created in 3DSMax and Character animations in Maya, Only the models are made with less polygons and more textures. So choose a program that teaches you these software. It would not matter whether the programme is called game design programme or not. Rest, to become a level designer you must have a passion for game design. Also you must have passion for playing all kinds of games including card games, dice games, sports etc. The 3rd option is Game Design (it’s different from Game Designer), where you design the game itself, i.e. what happens on each level, and how things go about as well as the base story of the game. It is a stage that you reach due to your vast knowledge and passion and even exceptional technical skills cannot help you reach. This is usually the story designer.
What are the pros and cons of the job?
High risk job where you can remain anonymous all your life, or get instant glory. Usually recommended only for those who are braveheart. Pro is that you get to be in the centre of action all your life. No 2 days in your life are ever going to be the same!
Can you name some of the best/good institutes in India/Abroad to study Game design from?
• Gobelins, France
• Vanarts, Canada
• DSK Superinfocomm
• Arena Animation Chandigarh (GAD)
How to enter the field (what courses to pursue at the UG,PG and Diploma level)
Check with the above institutes on what they offer and also look at where you want to go. Then depending on that choose a course in Design, Programming or Game Designing.
What are the job prospects?
Read all other answers and you’ll know.
What are the main entrance exams, if any, to prepare for?
Not yet. We’re not there yet, where we have a queue and we need a gate. Right now, the games are wide open for the first few Indian companies to take shape.
game design projects
game design projects
game design testing
WAVERYDER CONCEPT ARTWORK 1
WAVERYDER CONCEPT ARTWORK 2
WAVERYDER CONCEPT ARTWORK 3
WAVERYDER CONCEPT ARTWORK 4
We face lot of students and aspirants lost in the question of 2D animation, 3D animation, Classical animation, their difference, their necessity etc etc.
I feel like stating that broadly speaking for students there are only two types of animations – Classical animation and CG animation (keeping stop motion, clay mation, mixed media aside for the moment).
We can say that all animation is actually one type of skill. One who is animator in one medium will be animator in another. But there is a reason why above two categories still seems to exist strongly.
Classical animation as we all know is the animation done on paper or digital paper, drawing each needed frame. How much hold you give to a drawing or how much you reuse the drawing makes it full animation or limited animation.
http://youtu.be/gxVl87lU0Qo
CG animation is one where any tool/software lends help in providing a digital puppet (it can be 2D flash puppet or 3D puppet/rig). An animator is needed to manipulate this puppet on each frame and don’t have to create from scratch.
SHEIKH CHILLI PROMO
Although so many softwares and platforms exist within CG animation, but switching between them is no big deal. Skill gained in one medium can easily be used in the other. But when it comes to Classical animation, one needs a very serious skill and artform i.e. to be able to draw from scratch a new pose that too on model – physically and mentally. The drawing should match the model sheet, its physicality and mentality. This needs a very planned and rigorous training.
Is Classical animation necessary for CG animation? Well the question is very similar to whether training of Classical Singing is necessary for singing bollywood songs. Chances of making a mark in singing has been high with classical singing training, but there some singers who thrived without any classical animation training.
One as a student would not like to leave anything to chance unless he has no option.
I heard Sonu Nigam saying in an interview that his singing (in bollywood songs) has improved a lot in recent years as well due to long Riyaaz he is doing. Classical animation is very close to that .
What is Comic Design? What are its applications/Uses?
Comic design is very useful in
• Visual Storytelling of ancient, historic or folk tales
• Test bed of new characters in the market
• Important visual communication tool for all marketers
• Dissemination of public information (e.g. traffic rules)
• As a step towards creating movies (i.e. storyboarding)
• Tool for direct engagement of children and teenagers
Why should students opt for Comic Design as their career option?
Students who love creating characters and scenes could opt for Comic Design as their possible careers. This would be one of the most satisfying options available to them.
What are the growth prospects in this industry?
Initial salaries could be nice though growths may not be much due to present lack of avenues. Very few comics get made out of india and outsourcing is rare.
How has the sector fared in the past one year?
Not much data is available for this sector yet.
What is the pay-scale? (Bottom up) – Initial stage, after 5 years, after 10 years etc
Starting pays could be nice, about 12-25K per month though prospects for growth may not be that high except for a few select artists.
What are the skills/aptitude required for the job?
A person who is highly imaginative and has very good sketching skills. A deep study in anatomy, perspectives, gestures, and posing is required. A knowledge of camera angles is also very handy too.
How can one become a Comic Designer? (What to do after Class12 in order to become a Comic designer)
Take up a good course in sketching, maybe alongside animation (especially 2D)
What are the pros and cons of the job?
Singly this would be a tough line to pursue, since standalone comic artists may not be in a huge demand. Do be ready to work as a graphic designer, web designer etc too. Some smart artists club it with 2D/ 3D animation. Highly satisfying to see your work in print. Nothing beats the high.
Can you name some of the best/good institutes in India/Abroad to study Comic Design from?
There are many design institutes but one must ensure that they are getting into the right course. One can get into NID/ Shantiniketan or JJ, but they are not actually equipped to train a good comic artist yet. Very few schools in India are equipped to train to the level required, and I am proud to be associated with one such school (Arena Chandigarh) which follows an international methodology for Sketching Training that ensures that every trainee is able to make a reasonably good portrait within a few weeks. Thereafter they must go for gesture study and finally progress to comics. It is a misnomer that anyone with good sketching can do this. A deep study of anatomy and perspectives is required. And only some select people graduate to creating characters.
How to enter the field (what courses to pursue at the UG, PG and Diploma level)
Best is to take Sketching alongside animation since both are highly related. This opens the field for you to many more fields, especially as a storyboarder. Do a good sketching course alongside animation (2D or 3D) as mentioned above.
What are the job prospects?
Jobs as a standalone artist are few and people may land up as newspaper cartoonists or animators. Thereafter growth is steady.
What are the main entrance exams, if any, to prepare for?
Not many except for NID, Shantiniketan, JJ etc. Others not yet.
It is a common notion in people that contrary to other skills, drawing is an inborn talent and one who doesnt have can never have.
Having experience of more than 16 years in creative education at Arena Sector 17, Chandigarh, we have met countless who would say that “we dont know drawing”, does that matter? It is visible that in their minds the notion is same, if you dont know drawing, you can never know it. The landmark research on Right brain mode/ creative mode has turned the table totally. The latest workshop at Arena Chandigarh 17 clearly proved the magic of this methodogy with its fool proof results. A training of 40 hours, that means 5 days, 8 hours each day can make this possible with any individual above age of 10, whatever be the background.
The underlying theory behind this magical workshop is a mix of art and psychology. The trick is to make an individual switch to Right Brain mode of thinking, and presto! he/she can straight away start drawing without any training. This is possible since the Right Brain already knows how to draw. This workshop provides techniques to switch to that mode.
Following are the before
Sandeep Before Workshop
Sandeep End of Workshop
Deesha Before Workshop
Deesha End of Workshop
Arika Before Workshop
Arika End of Workshop
Amandeep Before Workshop
Amandeep End of Workshop
Very often I have recommended my students to create single panel cartoon strip. It is a “net practice” for Animation Film Making.
Seems awkward?
Animation Film making involves lots of stages/skills as we all know. Starting with script writing, screeplay writing, storyboarding, character designing, film designing/styling, rough animation, cleanups …. and for 3D, there is modeling, rigging, 3D character animation etc etc..
Practice is a shorter/sample version of a performance that can be repeated regularly to hone the skill so when you come to real performance you outperform yourself.
Student may want to stick to one of the skill and would like to keep practicing that. For e.g.
- exercise for script writing – regularly coin a short script for 30 sec ad of whatever product strikes you on TV or newspaper.
- exercise for storyboard artist – produce Story point panels of short stories of master story writers of the world weekly.
- exercise for character designer – convert some of your daily gestures into character design by implementing your opinions into it, will take around .5 hour.
- exercise for classical animator – doing gestures regularly, creating 1 3-4 sec animation rough weekly,
- exercise for 3D character animation – creating 2 3D gestures daily, or 3-4 sec small animation clip weekly,
- exercise for 3D modeling – keeping a lump of clay on your table and sculpt a new face daily or weekly, or model one face or figure weekly or monthly
so on…
But if somebody wants to practice animation film making, from start to end, what could be short version of it that could be repeated on regular basis that hones skills of story telling through film.
Yes, that happens to be cartooning.
If we look at one frame here –
Isn’t there script in it? Screenplay is also in it – A Dialogue. One frame Thumbnail/Storyboard is there. And Notice character design is also in it. We can identify the personality of each character. And there is single keyframe also for both characters. Then there is cleanup, BG/layout design and also film design/styling (we can makeout that this is RK laxman’s panel and this is Mario Miranda’s by just having a look).
So if you create a new cartoon panel, you actually go through the whole process in a shorter form.
If you want to pratice Film Making, no doubt making complete films is not replaceable, but Cartooning is an excellent net practice.
