Animation and VFX…what’s trending?

What would a movie like Avatar be without animation and VFX? Absolutely nothing. It is the magic of animation and VFX that makes the impossible…virtually possible! Though the Indian Animation and VFX industry is still nascent, it is estimated to grow at a whopping 30% annually for the next three years, resulting in a $15 billion industry.

Animation vfx trends in India

While the focus always has been more on animation, VFX too is growing by leaps and bounds. There has been a significant increase in the amount of VFX used in movies as well as in television shows. Usage of VFX saves a considerable amount of money for the producers. Creating sets, especially for mythological shows is a costly affair and VFX helps in reducing these costs by around 60-70%. No wonder that the Indian producers are relying more on VFX nowadays.

The animation and VFX industry has transformed and emerged as one of the most sought-after professions, as well as the dire need of the media industry. And the transformation doesn’t stop here. The animation industry growth in India keeps upgrading itself with the latest technology, tools, software…and keeps producing wonders after wonders.  Here’s a glance at what’s trending…

The Bengal Tiger in the movie ‘The life of Pie’ is a perfect example of the combined magic of technological advances and natural talent. The animators marvelously created a tiger that seemed so real, it seemed hard to believe that they need not stage a real tiger for the shoot.

Motion Capture Technique is the latest and has already created a lot of buzz. James Cameron’s Avatar successfully used this technique coupled with CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) which set a trend in the film making industry. In this technique, the actors wear skin-tight suits with markers attached to them which reflect beams of infrared light and are sent to a special camera system. The movements are then captured and are then transferred to a virtual character. If you wish to have a sneak peek  into the animation techniques used in Avatar, here’s the link.

Rajnikant’s upcoming movie Kochadaiyyan has made use of motion capture technology and is one of the most awaited films. It would be interesting to see how this Indian movie fairs in comparison with Avatar.

Many would opine that the Indian Animation Industry is not up to the mark when it comes to the comparison with Hollywood animation movies. But did you know, major animation studios and producers from all over the world are turning to India to outsource their projects? India is considered to be cost effective, and more importantly,   India is believed to provide world-class animation.

The Lion King, Finding Nemo are a few of Hollywood films with Indian expertise. So why are Indian films.

Watch out for the Indian animation industry. It’s all set to capture your imaginations and set a new high!

Chandan Sirish

Last updated: October 4, 2024

Chandan has 14 years of experience in the field of Animation & VFX with an MBA in Education Administration from Symbiosis and a B.Sc. in Animation from Bharathidasan University. He has worked as a Rigging Artist, 3D Generalist and Academic Head with Cavalier Animation, Creo Valley School of Film, Aavishkaran Academy and Garden City University.