Why Data Security is the Primary Concern in the VFX Industry

The Indian VFX & Animation industry is growing from strength the strength with every passing year. One of the global hotspots where all kinds of projects (including those by the mightiest of Hollywood studios to nascent Indie filmmakers) get outsourced for their VFX needs, it is no exaggeration to say that India is a global player in the VFX arena.

The statistics are ready and present to back up this claim, with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Ernst & Young’s 2018 report on India’s Media & Entertainment Industry shining some light on the state of India’s VFX market. Here are some interesting excerpts from the report:

• The animation and VFX Industry grew by 23% in 2017 to reach a value of Rs. 67 billion.
• VFX accounted for nearly half that valuation, with a Rs. 31.3 billion tag.
• The industry is expected to grow to Rs. 113.6 billion by 2020, VFX is expected to continue contributing strongly with a 2020 valuation of Rs. 63.5 billion.
• The VFX industry is expected to hire 2,500 to 3,000 personnel in 2018.
• India is in the reckoning as an offshoring destination for global VFX demands. While India’s share of the worldwide market is less than 1%, it is expected to grow shortly.
• The Indian VFX and animation industry generates 70-80% of revenue from international projects. Projects from the US, UK, France, Italy, and Spain largely make up the work outsourced to India.
• India’s relatively lower cost, ability to scale, FDIs offered by state governments, and proficiency in the English language are some of the reasons behind its preference as a place to outsource Animation & VFX projects.

This popularity of the VFX industry isn’t just restricted to studies like these, though. There are some massive films that you will definitely have heard of, where a team from India has contributed to its creation through Animation & VFX work.

A rundown of blockbusters that owe their VFX magic to Indian studios

The success of the following films, in part, can be attributed to the visual effects that were brought to life by studios based in India:

• Avatar
• Twilight: New Moon
• Spiderman: Homecoming
• Beauty and the Beast
• Avengers
• Deadpool

At Toolbox Studio, we have made positive VFX contributions to a number of big projects like Maleficent, Pixels, San Andreas, 300: Rise of an Empire, Hunger Games, Insurgent and more. While all of this is positive news indeed, there is still one important consideration that often goes unheeded by studios in India – the importance of VFX Cybersecurity. Since these productions are multimillion-dollar ventures with so much riding on success, any breach in security can be catastrophic. From piracy to early releases, such security discrepancies can lead to financial loss and major issues. However, there are two easy ways to ensure that your data will not be compromised by the VFX studio you outsource your content to.

So, if you want safe and secure data, you first need to ensure that you work with an ISO-certified VFX studio. Specifically, an ISO:27001 certification. ISO 27001 is part of the ISO/IEC 27000 family of international information security management system standards. ISO:27001 was published in 2013 and outlines the requirements for information technology security techniques. This certification for this standard, which we are proud to have acquired here at Toolbox, ensures that you are dealing with a data-secured VFX studio.

The second thing to quiz your potential outsourced studio partner is whether or not the VFX studio is following MPAA guidelines. The importance of MPAA guidelines in the VFX industry cannot be understated. These guidelines have been laid out by the Motion Pictures Association of America, and go through a very thorough set of best practices that studios should follow for enhanced data security. IF a VFX studio is adhering to MPAA guidelines, its cybersecurity measures will be that much more difficult to breach.

At Toolbox Studio, we don’t just offer high-quality animation and VFX services based out of a state-of-the-art studio, but also give our clients and international partners the peace of mind that comes with a secure working environment. Being an ISO-certified VFX studio that also adheres to MPAA guidelines, we ensure that when you work with us, your project’s data is in one of the top studios in the country, both in terms of quality and safety.

If you want to jump on the bandwagon of VFX projects outsourced to India, contact us now!

Anoop Chaphekar

Last updated: October 4, 2024

A Fine Arts Graduate, Anoop brings 20+ yrs experience in the VFX and Animation industry. He brings his expertise in Animation-VFX for Television Commercials to Visual Effects for feature films, TV and Web series.