'Indian animation needs to change'

In an interview to Naomi Canton, Pioneering Hollywood visual effects expert Charles Darby provided a critical view of the Indian animation industry.

Darby has credits for The Matrix, the Titanic and Harry Potter films, is co-founder of EyeQube Studios in Mumbai, which has teamed up with Eros International, a distributor and producer of Indian films, to make visual effects for Bollywood films and international productions.

Where does India fit in the global animation scene?
India has a huge and ever expanding animation industry, however much of the work looks the same, lacking any particular style. Quality is also fairly low-end currently. India has thus concentrated on quantity over quality and when compared to high-end standards globally it's lacking.

Are your critical thoughts equally aimed at Mumbai as well?
Yes, India and Mumbai offer the same advantages and suffer from the same disadvantages.

Is India doing the low- or high-end work of the animation value chain?
It focuses on sheer numbers and can offer really aggressive pricing. I, however, see value stemming from both price and how creative the work is.

Why is work being outsourced to India in the first place?
Price. No other reason. That needs to change if the industry is to continue to grow.

Is the work being carried out here in Mumbai up to scratch or are Western clients not happy with it? Is it as good as what is produced in Hollywood?
No. I'm afraid the international VFX, or visual effects, community does not take the work here too seriously. They have seen no proof of real quality or creative thinking. What they are interested in is how to take advantage of India and the cost of production here. They know India represents an amazing opportunity to save money, but there are enough horror stories out there to make them very cautious.

Can you give an example?
I will not mention names or specifics, but the problems occur when a creative company in the West ends up doing business with a more procedure-based company here in India. The two have a hard time understanding each other and the attention to detail often falls short.
The question 'when is the shot 100 per cent done?' comes into question. The Western company will often want to keep pushing the shot, but the Indian company will often be happy at 70 to 80 per cent because in their eyes it's at 100 per cent.

What would Mumbai studios specifically need to do to raise the quality of their work?
Training, high-end experience on quality films and a more creative approach to the work. A 'less is more' approach, if you will.

Have you been a Western client outsourcing work here?
I have colleagues who have outsourced work to India on occasion.

What are the key challenges the Indian animation scene faces?
Quality is the key. Breaking away from an IT view, and understanding the reason why we call our staff artists and not technicians.

Does it face a threat from other Asian nations or will Western clients still commission production work in India in the future because the quality is better and the experience is there?
There is always someone, somewhere, who can beat you on price if they so desire, and India is not so cheap that it does not need to worry about such things. Costs in India continue to rise as VFX staff demand more money, and yet the quality is not leaping at the same speed. That equation is not a good one, so the industry needs to control that.

Could more pre-production be done in India?
There is very little pre-production done, which is madness. We at EyeQube are building a whole department for this, including production designing. Great VFX work is often born at this stage rather than later on in post.

Where does the future of animation in Mumbai lie in your view?
I think a few really big companies will start to push the envelope and quality will begin to show. They will work on domestic films with good budgets and international productions. Many of the other animation and VFX companies will fight it out for lesser work and ever tighter budgets, which will be an uncomfortable place to be in financially and artistically.

What are the hard and soft skills needed to enter the animation profession and climb the career ladder successfully?
I have always said it's better to be creative and learn the software or hardware than the other way around. Once on the ladder, the ability to come up with ideas and solutions is always worth it's weight in gold. Also, remember to study film and learn it's visual vocabulary.

Does an Indian animator have global opportunities? Can he or she look for work overseas once qualified? How easy is that?
Of course, but only if they are good. It takes a lot to bring people over to the U.S., and the better you are, the more likely it's an option.

What is the difference between animation and visual effects?
India seems to get itself somewhat confused with the two, but I always differentiate them by VFX being at the service of live action footage, matching it and adding to it seamlessly. Animation is a stand-alone art form, which can decide it's own style, independent of any live action.

News Source : Samachar