One of the things that movies have originated from is - story telling. Movies are by nature supposed to be a better form of storytelling, in comparison to a simple narration or a story read off a book. Thus it can be said - movies started off being all about telling stories, though is it the same even today?
Do stories really matter in movies anymore? The fact that fans flock to theatres to watch movies on the basis of the star-cast and not its synopsis makes the answer very clear, doesn't it? Especially in Bollywood, if most movie plots are not lift-offs from a Hollywood movie, then even if the story is good - the plot will be riddled with pointless scenes merely to increase commercial value. In fact sometimes it’s surprising to see the animated movies coming up mentally stimulating plots for their movies.
The general argument however is that movies are for entertainment, so if the audience is entertained, nothing else matters. The biggest problem with this argument is that most successful genres have been created only when people have dared to take a risk and tried to offer a new experience to the audience. I mean imagine, what would have happened if George Lucas said - "I don't think I should do Star Wars, its risky and the losses will be great if it flops."
Due to the fact that decades upon decades upon decades of movies have been made and watched, most stories of movies being released are so predictable it’s as-though movie-makers are taking movie watchers for granted in their relationship, conveniently falling into routine and similar plot patterns. It’s become rare for a movie that really gets the audience thinking or leaves them stunned completely caught off guard with plot-twisters.
A revolution is required in movie-industries to refresh the mind-states of film-makers, and awaken them from thinking that successful movies are all about big-budgets, amazing visual effects, famous actors and creative camera angles. Whilst all those are required, without a good story to back it up, all those aspects just seem like really shiny car parts not assembled.
Movie-making is after-all a form of expression first, while - success, stardom, public demand/approval etc. are another story altogether, not the same.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Do movies come with a story matter anymore?
Friday, August 19, 2011
Whistling Woods International promotes the oft underrated art of documentary film-making
~Unveiling of two documentary styled videos for the ‘Songs of Protest’ album by Susmit Sen, Sumangala Damodaran and WWI students~
Whistling Woods International, the film and media institute held a thematic session titled ‘I & Eye’ as a prelude to its new documentary course. The programme was a culmination of roadshows that commenced on August 5th in Chennai, followed by informative sessions on documentaries at Delhi and Kolkata. Held on the campus of Whistling Woods International, some of the most prominent names in documentary filmmaking like Bishakha Dutta, Paromita Vora, Anil Zankar and Samar Khan were present. The session was moderated by Ravi Gupta – the Dean of WWI and CEO of Mukta Arts.
This grand session began with the unveiling of the two documentary style videos that will act as an addendum to the ‘Songs of Protest’ album – the work of Susmit Sen (Founder & Lead Guitarist, Indian Ocean) and Sumangala Damodaran (granddaughter of former communist leader and Kerala chief minister EMS Namboodiripad). The Songs of Protest album consists of 9 songs sung in various Indian languages and has been collated from the pre independence era. Created by the students of Whistling Woods (Rahul Badwelkar, Raghu Naik, Kavya Sharma, Abhiraj Rawale and Shara Sethna), the documentary style videos will lend to an online viral campaign that hopes to inspire people to get up and ‘act’. One of the 2 videos created, has been inspired by Anna Hazare and is based on corruption and the collective conscience of a society. The other video focuses on the lack of drinking water in the country. Keeping in sync with the current issues, these songs and supporting videos invoke the spirit of patriotism and hark back to the pre-independence days.
As the unveiling was underway, Susmit Sen said, “The glow of our independence, 64 years back has been gradually relegated to the back of our memories. Beneath the layers of amnesia, can be found a legacy from the years when people were alive enough to want to live and breathe free. We wanted people to re- live those days, re- breathe them. And the students have interpreted it in a unique way.” Kavya Sharma, a Cinematography students at Whistling Wood Student and an enthusiastic Rock-climber when off campus feels”Through the songs of protest not only did we become aware, we were enlightened; it gave us something definite to work on, something solid.”
The unveiling was followed by the Big Debate underlining the dilemna that beguiles many a behind Documentary filmmaker: How Real is Real? The panelists for this debate were Paromita Vora, filmmaker, writer, teacher and curator, working with fiction & non-fiction, Bishakha Dutta, Indian journalist and film-maker, best known for her work documenting the role of women in different aspects of Indian society and Samar Khan, filmmaker, head-TV division-Red Chillies. The debate began with a loaded discussion on the art of documentary film making, and how it mirrors life. Bishakha Dutta quoted, “Documentary films are life as it is, that is, life filmed surreptitiously. They present montages of current and archival times, explore and are composed on various event and subjects.” Adding to it, Paromita said, “This is an art of exploration. You state stories buried deep down in memories and vocalizes the voiceless. An audience therefore finds it to be a more credible source of information.” The debate unearthed the various layers of a documentary film. The session gave the students a chance to understand what holds true and how to create the truth.
Subhash Ghai – Chairman, Whistling Woods International, Mumbai speaking on the grand finale said, “We at Whistling woods International through ‘I&EYE’ are widening the scope of documentary film-making in India and creating more awareness amongst the masses. These seminars across the city were with a purpose; to give students an overview on the industry prospect. I feel proud to know that the videos shot by WWI students for two songs from the ‘Songs of Protest’ album, have been unveiled today. It will hopefully inspire other students who want to specialize in the art form to draw inspiration from reality whilst adopting the visual elements and poetic aesthetics of cinematic storytelling without loosing out on their unique point of view.”
The event began in high spirits and ended on an even higher note. The energy was contagious and electrifying as this rich and rare art was acknowledged and applauded.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in his native United Kingdom in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood.
He was known to his audiences as the 'Master of Suspense' and what Hitchcock mastered was not only the art of making films but also the task of taming his own raging imagination.
Director of Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds and The 39 steps, Hitchcock told his stories through intelligent plots, witty dialogues and a spoonful of mystery and murder. In doing so, he inspired a new generation of filmmakers and revolutionized the thriller genre, making him a legend around the world.
He was known to his audiences as the 'Master of Suspense' and what Hitchcock mastered was not only the art of making films but also the task of taming his own raging imagination.
Director of Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds and The 39 steps, Hitchcock told his stories through intelligent plots, witty dialogues and a spoonful of mystery and murder. In doing so, he inspired a new generation of filmmakers and revolutionized the thriller genre, making him a legend around the world.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Citizen Kane (1941)
The fresh, sophisticated, and classic masterpiece, Citizen Kane (1941), is probably the world's most famous and highly-rated film, with its many remarkable scenes and performances, cinematic and narrative techniques and experimental innovations that all of us are aware of. Its director, star, and producer were all the same genius individual - Orson Welles and with Gregg Toland as his talented cinematographer.
The film, budgeted at $800,000, received unanimous critical praise even at the time of its release, although it was not a commercial until it was re-released after World War II, found well-deserved (but delayed) recognition in Europe, and then played on television.
The film engendered controversy before it premiered in New York City on May 1, 1941, because it appeared to fictionalize and caricaturize certain events and individuals in the life of William Randolph Hearst - a powerful newspaper magnate and publisher. The film was accused of drawing remarkable, unflattering, and uncomplimentary parallels (especially in regards to the Susan Alexander Kane character) to real-life. The notorious battle was detailed in Thomas Lennon's and Michael Epstein's Oscar-nominated documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996).
The film, budgeted at $800,000, received unanimous critical praise even at the time of its release, although it was not a commercial until it was re-released after World War II, found well-deserved (but delayed) recognition in Europe, and then played on television.
The film engendered controversy before it premiered in New York City on May 1, 1941, because it appeared to fictionalize and caricaturize certain events and individuals in the life of William Randolph Hearst - a powerful newspaper magnate and publisher. The film was accused of drawing remarkable, unflattering, and uncomplimentary parallels (especially in regards to the Susan Alexander Kane character) to real-life. The notorious battle was detailed in Thomas Lennon's and Michael Epstein's Oscar-nominated documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996).
Prem Sanyas - A tale about the origin of the Buddha
‘Prem Sanyas’ is a tale from India about the origin of the Buddha that came out late back in 1925. It depicts the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, portrayed by Himansu Rai, who journeys from privilege and seclusion to awareness of the inevitability of life's suffering, renouncing his kingdom to seek enlightenment.
The silent film beautifully portrays the situation. It begins with a travelogue of exotic India: the Jamma Masjid in Delhi, Benares, Calcutta, Bombay, snake charmers, and scenes with firangi tourists shopping and watching a poor bear “dance” for them. The sightseeing gradually takes the tourists to the temple in Gaya where Buddha attained enlightenment after meditating under the Bodhi tree for forty days and forty nights.
The silent film beautifully portrays the situation. It begins with a travelogue of exotic India: the Jamma Masjid in Delhi, Benares, Calcutta, Bombay, snake charmers, and scenes with firangi tourists shopping and watching a poor bear “dance” for them. The sightseeing gradually takes the tourists to the temple in Gaya where Buddha attained enlightenment after meditating under the Bodhi tree for forty days and forty nights.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Zeitgeist: The Movie – An eye opener
Zeitgeist: The Movie is a 2007 documentary film by Peter Joseph. Typically, The Zeitgeist is a Movement which is described on its website as “a grass-roots campaign to unify the world through a common ideology based on the fundamentals of life and nature.”
The “documentary,” called Zeitgeist: the Movie, exploded into the Internet-video world in 2007, and has garnered some 200 million views to date. Divided into three parts, each one with a separate focus, the film uses a mixture of truth and dubious “facts” to reach some astounding conclusions.
From claims like Jesus Christ did not exist, referring to Christianity as the “fraud of the age” to proving that the September 11 attack on Unites States of America were orchestrated by elements of the U.S. government at the behest of the international elite.
Have you seen it yet?
PATHER PANCHALI, one of those rare films that won the heart of both audience & critics!
Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road) (1955) is a Bengali classic directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of the Indian state of West Bengal. Based on the Bengali novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, the film was the debut for director Satyajit Ray.
Pather Panchali was both a critical and a popular success. Influenced by Italian neo-realism, Satyajit Ray developed his own style of lyrical realism in this film. It was the first Indian film to attract major international attention, by winning "Best Human Document" at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival.
‘Pather Panchali’ is today considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Pather Panchali was both a critical and a popular success. Influenced by Italian neo-realism, Satyajit Ray developed his own style of lyrical realism in this film. It was the first Indian film to attract major international attention, by winning "Best Human Document" at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival.
‘Pather Panchali’ is today considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
NARGIS: THE LEGENDARY ACTRESS!
Nargis definitely was one of the gifted actresses of Hindi cinema. She was introduced into the world of cinema by her mother Jaddanbai, who was a classical singer and courtesan, to stop her from becoming a courtesan too.
She has acted in several critically acclaimed films with the celebrated actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar. A few of those films are Deedar, Barsaat, Awaara and Andaz. Mother India stands out as her best movie in her career, which span through the ’40s to ’60s. For this film, she received the best actress award in Filmfare awards.
Meet India’s first female film director!
Fatima Begum directed ‘Bulbul-e-Paristan’, the first Indian film to be ever by directed a woman. The movie was a big-budget fantasy film with special effects set in a Parastan or fairyland. Meet Fatima Begum, India’s first female film director.
Fatima began her career on the Urdu stage and debuted in the silent film, ‘Veer Abhimanyu’ that came out in 1922. In 1926, she came up with Fatima Films which later came to be known as Victoria-Fatima Films in 1928. She was an actress at Kohinoor Studios and Imperial Studios, while writing, directing, producing, and acting in her own films at Fatima Films.
Fatima continued acting till her last film in 1938, ‘Duniya Kya Hai?’. She died at the age of ninety-one but her legacy was carried on by her legendary actress of a daughter, Zubeida, who besides being a silent film star, acted in India's first ever talkie, ‘Alam Ara’.
Fatima began her career on the Urdu stage and debuted in the silent film, ‘Veer Abhimanyu’ that came out in 1922. In 1926, she came up with Fatima Films which later came to be known as Victoria-Fatima Films in 1928. She was an actress at Kohinoor Studios and Imperial Studios, while writing, directing, producing, and acting in her own films at Fatima Films.
Fatima continued acting till her last film in 1938, ‘Duniya Kya Hai?’. She died at the age of ninety-one but her legacy was carried on by her legendary actress of a daughter, Zubeida, who besides being a silent film star, acted in India's first ever talkie, ‘Alam Ara’.
Meet India’s first female film director!
Fatima Begum directed ‘Bulbul-e-Paristan’, the first Indian film to be ever by directed a woman. The movie was a big-budget fantasy film with special effects set in a Parastan or fairyland. Meet Fatima Begum, India’s first female film director.
Fatima began her career on the Urdu stage and debuted in the silent film, ‘Veer Abhimanyu’ that came out in 1922. In 1926, she came up with Fatima Films which later came to be known as Victoria-Fatima Films in 1928. She was an actress at Kohinoor Studios and Imperial Studios, while writing, directing, producing, and acting in her own films at Fatima Films.
Fatima continued acting till her last film in 1938, ‘Duniya Kya Hai?’. She died at the age of ninety-one but her legacy was carried on by her legendary actress of a daughter, Zubeida, who besides being a silent film star, acted in India's first ever talkie, ‘Alam Ara’.
Fatima began her career on the Urdu stage and debuted in the silent film, ‘Veer Abhimanyu’ that came out in 1922. In 1926, she came up with Fatima Films which later came to be known as Victoria-Fatima Films in 1928. She was an actress at Kohinoor Studios and Imperial Studios, while writing, directing, producing, and acting in her own films at Fatima Films.
Fatima continued acting till her last film in 1938, ‘Duniya Kya Hai?’. She died at the age of ninety-one but her legacy was carried on by her legendary actress of a daughter, Zubeida, who besides being a silent film star, acted in India's first ever talkie, ‘Alam Ara’.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Master Class with David Freeman - Schedule
Hey guys check out the Schedule for the Master Class “Beyond Structure” by David Freeman
Schedule for both days is as below:
Day 1 – March 26th 2011
Create Riveting, 3-Dimensional Characters
* 10 techniques for crafting unique, psychologically complex characters
* 28 kinds of character growth for your hero
* 32 ways to make lead characters likable without making them bland
* Create characters who aren't copies of those in movies or books
* 35 types of quirks and eccentricities for a character
* 20 techniques for giving a character depth
* 11 ways to show character development in stages
* Techniques to create interesting villains
Write Luminous Dialogue
* How to give each character their own distinctive "voice"
* 5 ways to capture a character's dimensionality in dialogue
* 14 techniques for written dialogue to capture the sound of speech
* 4 ways to inject depth or 'subtext' into dialogue
Advanced Dialogue Techniques
* The Ultimate Dialogue Challenge:
6 techniques for revealing ambivalence in dialogue.
Day 2 - March 27th 2011
Invent Great Premises
* 8 techniques for coming up with fresh story ideas
* 11 ways of modifying ideas to develop radically alternative story-lines.
Develop these premises into Imaginative Plots
* 46 types of plot twists
* 28 possible objectives for your hero
* Techniques for using character's emotional growth to shape the plot
* Techniques for using the plot to shape character emotional growth
* 8 additional ways to relate character's growth to the plot
* The most efficient way to brainstorm a story from beginning to end.
Create Memorable Scenes
* "Scene Sculpting" -- 25 ways to make scenes interesting and emotionally layered.
The Marketplace
* The stories Hollywood likes & dislikes in film, cable and network movies-of-the-week.
* Learn the art of pitching from classroom demonstrations.
For enquiries email shortcourseunit@whistlingwoods.net or call +91 22 30916002 / +91 22 30916003 / +91 22 30916000.
Last day for registration is March 18, 2011 at Whistling Woods International.
Schedule for both days is as below:
Day 1 – March 26th 2011
Create Riveting, 3-Dimensional Characters
* 10 techniques for crafting unique, psychologically complex characters
* 28 kinds of character growth for your hero
* 32 ways to make lead characters likable without making them bland
* Create characters who aren't copies of those in movies or books
* 35 types of quirks and eccentricities for a character
* 20 techniques for giving a character depth
* 11 ways to show character development in stages
* Techniques to create interesting villains
Write Luminous Dialogue
* How to give each character their own distinctive "voice"
* 5 ways to capture a character's dimensionality in dialogue
* 14 techniques for written dialogue to capture the sound of speech
* 4 ways to inject depth or 'subtext' into dialogue
Advanced Dialogue Techniques
* The Ultimate Dialogue Challenge:
6 techniques for revealing ambivalence in dialogue.
Day 2 - March 27th 2011
Invent Great Premises
* 8 techniques for coming up with fresh story ideas
* 11 ways of modifying ideas to develop radically alternative story-lines.
Develop these premises into Imaginative Plots
* 46 types of plot twists
* 28 possible objectives for your hero
* Techniques for using character's emotional growth to shape the plot
* Techniques for using the plot to shape character emotional growth
* 8 additional ways to relate character's growth to the plot
* The most efficient way to brainstorm a story from beginning to end.
Create Memorable Scenes
* "Scene Sculpting" -- 25 ways to make scenes interesting and emotionally layered.
The Marketplace
* The stories Hollywood likes & dislikes in film, cable and network movies-of-the-week.
* Learn the art of pitching from classroom demonstrations.
For enquiries email shortcourseunit@whistlingwoods.net or call +91 22 30916002 / +91 22 30916003 / +91 22 30916000.
Last day for registration is March 18, 2011 at Whistling Woods International.
Screenwriting and development Master Class in Los Angeles, New York and London comes to Mumbai –“Beyond Structure“ by David Freeman
David doesn’t teach formulas. Instead, he offers over 200 specific techniques to make your characters, dialogue, plots and scenes both unforgettable and emotionally rich. Many top writers, directors, and important Hollywood and British film and television executives have studied with him.
What’s your preference –– Bollywood Films? Smaller, more personal works? Animation? American style films? Television series? Or are you just starting out?
For all of these, this class will change the way you write, direct, develop, or act in films or television.
David Freeman is a screenwriter who has sold scripts to numerous Hollywood studios, and he’s an international screenwriting and development teacher. He attracts large audiences wherever he speaks. Last year he conducted workshops in over 10 countries!
Here’s the reason David’s classes are so popular:
Many top writers, directors, and important Hollywood and British film and television executives have studied with him. To get an idea of what David means by “writing and development techniques,” look under “Articles” on the Navigation Bar on the left side of the page, and read any of the articles.
A good one to start off with is “How to Write an Unforgettable Scene”. David teaches with clarity, passion, warmth, and humor. He works hard to make sure you master all the techniques he’ll be presenting.
Venue: Pelicula Auditorium at Whistling Woods International.
Address: Film City Complex, Goregaon (East), Mumbai 400065.
Dates: Sat. & Sun., March 26th & 27th.2011
Time: 9:30am – 7:30pm both days
Price: 4,995 rupees (Just 1/4th the price of the class when it’s held in Los Angeles or London!) [Price includes lunch.]
For enquiries email shortcourseunit@whistlingwoods.net or call +91 22 30916002/ +91 22 30916003/ +91 22 30916000.
Last day for registration March 18,2011 at Whistling Woods International.
What’s your preference –– Bollywood Films? Smaller, more personal works? Animation? American style films? Television series? Or are you just starting out?
For all of these, this class will change the way you write, direct, develop, or act in films or television.
David Freeman is a screenwriter who has sold scripts to numerous Hollywood studios, and he’s an international screenwriting and development teacher. He attracts large audiences wherever he speaks. Last year he conducted workshops in over 10 countries!
Here’s the reason David’s classes are so popular:
Many top writers, directors, and important Hollywood and British film and television executives have studied with him. To get an idea of what David means by “writing and development techniques,” look under “Articles” on the Navigation Bar on the left side of the page, and read any of the articles.
A good one to start off with is “How to Write an Unforgettable Scene”. David teaches with clarity, passion, warmth, and humor. He works hard to make sure you master all the techniques he’ll be presenting.
Venue: Pelicula Auditorium at Whistling Woods International.
Address: Film City Complex, Goregaon (East), Mumbai 400065.
Dates: Sat. & Sun., March 26th & 27th.2011
Time: 9:30am – 7:30pm both days
Price: 4,995 rupees (Just 1/4th the price of the class when it’s held in Los Angeles or London!) [Price includes lunch.]
For enquiries email shortcourseunit@whistlingwoods.net or call +91 22 30916002/ +91 22 30916003/ +91 22 30916000.
Last day for registration March 18,2011 at Whistling Woods International.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Why people love to watch films?
[caption id="attachment_404" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="A movie still from Academy Award Winning movie (1989) 'Cinema Paradiso'"]
[/caption]
The answer is beautifully summarized by Academy Award winner actor Jack Nicholson, in one of his speech during Oscar award ceremony, “… they entertain us; they offer hopes (and) give traumas; they take us places, we never been, just even for few moments; they can take us away, when we want to get away; Movies inspire us; they challenge us and despite our differences, they are (the) common link to humanity, in all of us.”
Do you agree?
[/caption]The answer is beautifully summarized by Academy Award winner actor Jack Nicholson, in one of his speech during Oscar award ceremony, “… they entertain us; they offer hopes (and) give traumas; they take us places, we never been, just even for few moments; they can take us away, when we want to get away; Movies inspire us; they challenge us and despite our differences, they are (the) common link to humanity, in all of us.”
Do you agree?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sadhana: The Evergreen Bollywood Diva
The enigmatic Sadhana left an indelible mark on Bollywood of the 60s and 70s. The actress popularized the fringe, which came to be known as the Sadhana Cut.
Sadhana: The Evergreen Bollywood Diva
The enigmatic Sadhana left an indelible mark on Bollywood of the 60s and 70s. The actress popularized the fringe, which came to be known as the Sadhana Cut.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Asia’s most high tech HD & 3D filmmaking facility @ WWI
Sony Media Technology Centre (SMTC), a centre of excellence established by Sony Corporation (Sony) in association with Whistling Woods International (WWI) was inaugurated by Sir Howard Stringer (Chairman, CEO & President, Sony Corporation) and Mr. Subhash Ghai (Chairman, Whistling Woods International) today.
Sony has collaborated with WWI, which is a leader in the media and entertainment education sector to establish the facility at the Mumbai campus of WWI. India’s motion picture industry is flourishing with over 1,000 annual releases, which is the highest in the world. However, while movies have widely become the accepted form of entertainment, most Indian movies are still produced using celluloid. Through SMTC, Sony will provide its expertise in High Definition (HD) and 3D film and broadcast technologies as well as focus on the proliferation and development of these technologies in India’s entertainment industry.
Sony is targeting sales of more than 1 trillion yen (approximately $12 billion) from 3D-related product businesses by the end of fiscal year 2012 (ended March 31, 2013) including consumer and professional products and game. The 3D market is expected to expand rapidly and the creation of optimum, high-quality 3D content is essential to this growth. Sony will strongly support the creation of an environment that facilitates such ‘good’ 3D production, continuing an effort launched a year ago with the opening of its first Sony 3D Technology Center in Los Angeles where more than 1,000 industry professionals have visited and trained to-date.
Sony has installed top-of-the-line HD and 3D content creation and digital cinema projection equipment in WWI. In addition, it will provide its knowhow in HD content creation from acquisition to post-production of content. It will also teach the entire pipeline of 3D filmmaking and methodology and provide training for high quality 3D content creation.
Speaking at the conference, Sir Howard Stringer said, “We are delighted to be able to share Sony’s unparalleled expertise in 3D content creation with aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals from across the vibrant Indian film and broadcasting community. The Sony Media Technology Center will provide a forum for us to offer our latest High Definition & 3D technologies, products and knowhow and contribute to the further growth and development of the Indian entertainment industry.”
Elaborating further on this unique initiative, Mr. Subhash Ghai added, “Right from its inception, Whistling Woods has been a place for exchange of ideas and experiences between practicing filmmakers and students. The Sony Media Technology Center is an effort in continuing the same line of thought where, the best of new technology and filmmaking tools in the fields of High Definition and 3D filmmaking are available to both the student as well as the film professional. Both are most welcome to use the facilities, attend the training workshops and courses we will run and familiarize them with the technology of the future, and thereby strengthen the film industry and further the art of film-making.”
Through the SMTC, Sony and WWI aim to develop and enhance India’s entertainment industry by popularizing HD and 3D content creation.
Sony has collaborated with WWI, which is a leader in the media and entertainment education sector to establish the facility at the Mumbai campus of WWI. India’s motion picture industry is flourishing with over 1,000 annual releases, which is the highest in the world. However, while movies have widely become the accepted form of entertainment, most Indian movies are still produced using celluloid. Through SMTC, Sony will provide its expertise in High Definition (HD) and 3D film and broadcast technologies as well as focus on the proliferation and development of these technologies in India’s entertainment industry.
Sony is targeting sales of more than 1 trillion yen (approximately $12 billion) from 3D-related product businesses by the end of fiscal year 2012 (ended March 31, 2013) including consumer and professional products and game. The 3D market is expected to expand rapidly and the creation of optimum, high-quality 3D content is essential to this growth. Sony will strongly support the creation of an environment that facilitates such ‘good’ 3D production, continuing an effort launched a year ago with the opening of its first Sony 3D Technology Center in Los Angeles where more than 1,000 industry professionals have visited and trained to-date.
Sony has installed top-of-the-line HD and 3D content creation and digital cinema projection equipment in WWI. In addition, it will provide its knowhow in HD content creation from acquisition to post-production of content. It will also teach the entire pipeline of 3D filmmaking and methodology and provide training for high quality 3D content creation.
Speaking at the conference, Sir Howard Stringer said, “We are delighted to be able to share Sony’s unparalleled expertise in 3D content creation with aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals from across the vibrant Indian film and broadcasting community. The Sony Media Technology Center will provide a forum for us to offer our latest High Definition & 3D technologies, products and knowhow and contribute to the further growth and development of the Indian entertainment industry.”
Elaborating further on this unique initiative, Mr. Subhash Ghai added, “Right from its inception, Whistling Woods has been a place for exchange of ideas and experiences between practicing filmmakers and students. The Sony Media Technology Center is an effort in continuing the same line of thought where, the best of new technology and filmmaking tools in the fields of High Definition and 3D filmmaking are available to both the student as well as the film professional. Both are most welcome to use the facilities, attend the training workshops and courses we will run and familiarize them with the technology of the future, and thereby strengthen the film industry and further the art of film-making.”
Through the SMTC, Sony and WWI aim to develop and enhance India’s entertainment industry by popularizing HD and 3D content creation.
Asia’s most high tech HD & 3D filmmaking facility @ WWI
Sony Media Technology Centre (SMTC), a centre of excellence established by Sony Corporation (Sony) in association with Whistling Woods International (WWI) was inaugurated by Sir Howard Stringer (Chairman, CEO & President, Sony Corporation) and Mr. Subhash Ghai (Chairman, Whistling Woods International) today.
Sony has collaborated with WWI, which is a leader in the media and entertainment education sector to establish the facility at the Mumbai campus of WWI. India’s motion picture industry is flourishing with over 1,000 annual releases, which is the highest in the world. However, while movies have widely become the accepted form of entertainment, most Indian movies are still produced using celluloid. Through SMTC, Sony will provide its expertise in High Definition (HD) and 3D film and broadcast technologies as well as focus on the proliferation and development of these technologies in India’s entertainment industry.
Sony is targeting sales of more than 1 trillion yen (approximately $12 billion) from 3D-related product businesses by the end of fiscal year 2012 (ended March 31, 2013) including consumer and professional products and game. The 3D market is expected to expand rapidly and the creation of optimum, high-quality 3D content is essential to this growth. Sony will strongly support the creation of an environment that facilitates such ‘good’ 3D production, continuing an effort launched a year ago with the opening of its first Sony 3D Technology Center in Los Angeles where more than 1,000 industry professionals have visited and trained to-date.
Sony has installed top-of-the-line HD and 3D content creation and digital cinema projection equipment in WWI. In addition, it will provide its knowhow in HD content creation from acquisition to post-production of content. It will also teach the entire pipeline of 3D filmmaking and methodology and provide training for high quality 3D content creation.
Speaking at the conference, Sir Howard Stringer said, “We are delighted to be able to share Sony’s unparalleled expertise in 3D content creation with aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals from across the vibrant Indian film and broadcasting community. The Sony Media Technology Center will provide a forum for us to offer our latest High Definition & 3D technologies, products and knowhow and contribute to the further growth and development of the Indian entertainment industry.”
Elaborating further on this unique initiative, Mr. Subhash Ghai added, “Right from its inception, Whistling Woods has been a place for exchange of ideas and experiences between practicing filmmakers and students. The Sony Media Technology Center is an effort in continuing the same line of thought where, the best of new technology and filmmaking tools in the fields of High Definition and 3D filmmaking are available to both the student as well as the film professional. Both are most welcome to use the facilities, attend the training workshops and courses we will run and familiarize them with the technology of the future, and thereby strengthen the film industry and further the art of film-making.”
Through the SMTC, Sony and WWI aim to develop and enhance India’s entertainment industry by popularizing HD and 3D content creation.
Sony has collaborated with WWI, which is a leader in the media and entertainment education sector to establish the facility at the Mumbai campus of WWI. India’s motion picture industry is flourishing with over 1,000 annual releases, which is the highest in the world. However, while movies have widely become the accepted form of entertainment, most Indian movies are still produced using celluloid. Through SMTC, Sony will provide its expertise in High Definition (HD) and 3D film and broadcast technologies as well as focus on the proliferation and development of these technologies in India’s entertainment industry.
Sony is targeting sales of more than 1 trillion yen (approximately $12 billion) from 3D-related product businesses by the end of fiscal year 2012 (ended March 31, 2013) including consumer and professional products and game. The 3D market is expected to expand rapidly and the creation of optimum, high-quality 3D content is essential to this growth. Sony will strongly support the creation of an environment that facilitates such ‘good’ 3D production, continuing an effort launched a year ago with the opening of its first Sony 3D Technology Center in Los Angeles where more than 1,000 industry professionals have visited and trained to-date.
Sony has installed top-of-the-line HD and 3D content creation and digital cinema projection equipment in WWI. In addition, it will provide its knowhow in HD content creation from acquisition to post-production of content. It will also teach the entire pipeline of 3D filmmaking and methodology and provide training for high quality 3D content creation.
Speaking at the conference, Sir Howard Stringer said, “We are delighted to be able to share Sony’s unparalleled expertise in 3D content creation with aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals from across the vibrant Indian film and broadcasting community. The Sony Media Technology Center will provide a forum for us to offer our latest High Definition & 3D technologies, products and knowhow and contribute to the further growth and development of the Indian entertainment industry.”
Elaborating further on this unique initiative, Mr. Subhash Ghai added, “Right from its inception, Whistling Woods has been a place for exchange of ideas and experiences between practicing filmmakers and students. The Sony Media Technology Center is an effort in continuing the same line of thought where, the best of new technology and filmmaking tools in the fields of High Definition and 3D filmmaking are available to both the student as well as the film professional. Both are most welcome to use the facilities, attend the training workshops and courses we will run and familiarize them with the technology of the future, and thereby strengthen the film industry and further the art of film-making.”
Through the SMTC, Sony and WWI aim to develop and enhance India’s entertainment industry by popularizing HD and 3D content creation.
Mirza Ghalib (1954)
Mirza Ghalib (1954) is a Hindi / Urdu film, directed by Sohrab Modi. Based on the life of well known poet Mirza Ghalib, the film starred Bharat Bhushan in the title role and was critically acclaimed.
Interestingly enough, there are a number of incidents in the film that actually occurred in Mirza Ghalib’s life. He was, as shown in the mushaira, a rival of Zauq’s; his wife was a pious lady who stuck with him despite his philandering and the fact that he never had a steady income.
Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah bestowed many honours on Ghalib, naming him Dabeer-ul-mulk and Najm-ud-Daulah, in effect the poet laureate of the Mughal court.
The film is stark in it’s portrayal of his ultimate imprisonment and decline.
Interestingly enough, there are a number of incidents in the film that actually occurred in Mirza Ghalib’s life. He was, as shown in the mushaira, a rival of Zauq’s; his wife was a pious lady who stuck with him despite his philandering and the fact that he never had a steady income.
Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah bestowed many honours on Ghalib, naming him Dabeer-ul-mulk and Najm-ud-Daulah, in effect the poet laureate of the Mughal court.
The film is stark in it’s portrayal of his ultimate imprisonment and decline.
Mirza Ghalib (1954)
Mirza Ghalib (1954) is a Hindi / Urdu film, directed by Sohrab Modi. Based on the life of well known poet Mirza Ghalib, the film starred Bharat Bhushan in the title role and was critically acclaimed.
Interestingly enough, there are a number of incidents in the film that actually occurred in Mirza Ghalib’s life. He was, as shown in the mushaira, a rival of Zauq’s; his wife was a pious lady who stuck with him despite his philandering and the fact that he never had a steady income.
Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah bestowed many honours on Ghalib, naming him Dabeer-ul-mulk and Najm-ud-Daulah, in effect the poet laureate of the Mughal court.
The film is stark in it’s portrayal of his ultimate imprisonment and decline.
Interestingly enough, there are a number of incidents in the film that actually occurred in Mirza Ghalib’s life. He was, as shown in the mushaira, a rival of Zauq’s; his wife was a pious lady who stuck with him despite his philandering and the fact that he never had a steady income.
Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah bestowed many honours on Ghalib, naming him Dabeer-ul-mulk and Najm-ud-Daulah, in effect the poet laureate of the Mughal court.
The film is stark in it’s portrayal of his ultimate imprisonment and decline.
Excerpts from a 2009 video interview with the father of Indian comics, Uncle Pai, shot for a documentary on Indian comics history
In 2009, I visited Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) and Tinkle founder Anant Pai in his Mumbai home, armed with a camera and copies of old ACK comics. We shot over 2 hours of footage, covering 40 years of Indian comics history with Pai. The interview was part of a documentary, Chitrakatha, that I’m hoping to release this year.
Pai died last week at the age of 81, a week after being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at India’s first Comic Con in New Delhi. In the 2009 footage, he talks about the inspiration for his iconic characters, the difficulties of comic book production and the persistence of a school principal in Guwahati.
Edited excerpts from the interview, translated from Hindi:
On the origins of Indrajal comics
You’ll be surprised to know that Indrajal Comics was started just as a way of keeping a few Times of India printing machines busy. My boss, P.K. Roy, called me one day and said, “We can get the rights to print Superman here. Should we?” I did a small survey, some 60 people responded, and I found that their favourite comic book hero was Phantom. Why? Because it was already being printed here in a few newspapers and magazines. So we got the rights to Phantom and Indrajal Comics was started.
But I did not believe that we should force-feed popular content from the West to children here, so I requested Mr Roy to reserve 16 pages of the 32-page issue for original content. Imported comics are all fine, but if we want art to hold up a mirror to our own society, then these comics must be drawn and written in India by Indians.
On his early creations
As part of this, I created a series called Around the World with Kunju Pillay. The protagonist, Kunju Pillay, takes off on an adventurous world tour, while explaining factoids and imparting general knowledge along the way. But writing this was difficult. Researching all the countries in the world, in those days, was next to impossible. We’d originally planned for him to take a circuitous route through West Asia and finally reach Egypt, but we couldn’t find enough material for this. So we changed the plot—Kunju’s journey develops a snag, and he ends up straight in Egypt, a country we had plenty of material for. I even took drafts of the Kunju Pillay story to all the foreign consulates, hoping they’d be willing to help us with information. Making comics was hard work.
On the difficulties of making comics
We had trouble getting full-time illustrators and artists. So we relied on art college students and ad agency interns to help us out. I used to take my scripts to them, and watch as they drew.
On naming Amar Chitra Katha
When we were searching for a name, we got a lot of ideas from people we met. I was having lunch with B.R. Bhagwat, who co-wrote the Mahabharata ACK series, and I was telling him I couldn’t decide on a name. Bhagwat told me, “What’s so difficult about a name? Just call it ‘Classics Illustrated’!” And just like that, the name Amar Chitra Katha came into my head.
We called it Amar Chitra Katha also because the “picture story” is an ancient form of storytelling. Some of the earliest stories from the prehistoric era were recorded in pictures—tales of exciting hunts and discovery. I believe that we can instil good values in children through stories, show them a good path. If these stories are illustrated, then there’s nothing better. That was our thought.
The name became so popular that we had to come out with an advertisement that told children how to differentiate between original Amar Chitra Katha and duplicate chitrakathas.
On Tinkle and its characters
In 1978, I was in Delhi to release an ACK title on the life of Bengal revolutionary Bagha Jatin. The guest of honour at the launch was education minister Prakash Chandra Chunder. He told me that all the talk of universal education was not true. Many children didn’t even reach primary school, and a large majority of those who did were not engaged enough. So I was thinking of ways to make education more entertaining, getting students interested, when I remembered Ramu and Shamu, characters I’d created for Rang Rekha features (a comics syndication agency I founded in 1969).
In it, I used to poke fun at India’s education system, but I felt that we could now use characters and comics like this to educate. That’s how Tinkle was born.
My wife used to feed the crows from the kitchen window, and she even had a favourite crow among the ones that fought for the food. That’s where I got the idea for Kaalia the crow.
On being called “Uncle Pai”
Children called me “Uncle Pai”, and that became the name I was known by throughout the country. I was in Guwahati one time, and I passed a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Maligaon. I thought I’d just roam around the school. The principal, however, stopped me, arranged for a stage and microphone, and said, “Unless you meet and interact with the children, I’m not letting you go.”
Delhi used to have a book fair once a year, and I used to stay at the sports club right in front of the fair grounds. I was waiting there once to cross the road when a lawyer, with his family, passed by. The second he saw me, he lifted his seven-year old son, pointed at me and said, “Ambar, dekho ye hain tumhare Uncle Pai (Ambar, look, your Uncle Pai).”
Alok Sharma is a Mumbai-based film-maker.
Source: Livemint
Pai died last week at the age of 81, a week after being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at India’s first Comic Con in New Delhi. In the 2009 footage, he talks about the inspiration for his iconic characters, the difficulties of comic book production and the persistence of a school principal in Guwahati.
Edited excerpts from the interview, translated from Hindi:
On the origins of Indrajal comics
You’ll be surprised to know that Indrajal Comics was started just as a way of keeping a few Times of India printing machines busy. My boss, P.K. Roy, called me one day and said, “We can get the rights to print Superman here. Should we?” I did a small survey, some 60 people responded, and I found that their favourite comic book hero was Phantom. Why? Because it was already being printed here in a few newspapers and magazines. So we got the rights to Phantom and Indrajal Comics was started.
But I did not believe that we should force-feed popular content from the West to children here, so I requested Mr Roy to reserve 16 pages of the 32-page issue for original content. Imported comics are all fine, but if we want art to hold up a mirror to our own society, then these comics must be drawn and written in India by Indians.
On his early creations
As part of this, I created a series called Around the World with Kunju Pillay. The protagonist, Kunju Pillay, takes off on an adventurous world tour, while explaining factoids and imparting general knowledge along the way. But writing this was difficult. Researching all the countries in the world, in those days, was next to impossible. We’d originally planned for him to take a circuitous route through West Asia and finally reach Egypt, but we couldn’t find enough material for this. So we changed the plot—Kunju’s journey develops a snag, and he ends up straight in Egypt, a country we had plenty of material for. I even took drafts of the Kunju Pillay story to all the foreign consulates, hoping they’d be willing to help us with information. Making comics was hard work.
On the difficulties of making comics
We had trouble getting full-time illustrators and artists. So we relied on art college students and ad agency interns to help us out. I used to take my scripts to them, and watch as they drew.
On naming Amar Chitra Katha
When we were searching for a name, we got a lot of ideas from people we met. I was having lunch with B.R. Bhagwat, who co-wrote the Mahabharata ACK series, and I was telling him I couldn’t decide on a name. Bhagwat told me, “What’s so difficult about a name? Just call it ‘Classics Illustrated’!” And just like that, the name Amar Chitra Katha came into my head.
We called it Amar Chitra Katha also because the “picture story” is an ancient form of storytelling. Some of the earliest stories from the prehistoric era were recorded in pictures—tales of exciting hunts and discovery. I believe that we can instil good values in children through stories, show them a good path. If these stories are illustrated, then there’s nothing better. That was our thought.
The name became so popular that we had to come out with an advertisement that told children how to differentiate between original Amar Chitra Katha and duplicate chitrakathas.
On Tinkle and its characters
In 1978, I was in Delhi to release an ACK title on the life of Bengal revolutionary Bagha Jatin. The guest of honour at the launch was education minister Prakash Chandra Chunder. He told me that all the talk of universal education was not true. Many children didn’t even reach primary school, and a large majority of those who did were not engaged enough. So I was thinking of ways to make education more entertaining, getting students interested, when I remembered Ramu and Shamu, characters I’d created for Rang Rekha features (a comics syndication agency I founded in 1969).
In it, I used to poke fun at India’s education system, but I felt that we could now use characters and comics like this to educate. That’s how Tinkle was born.
My wife used to feed the crows from the kitchen window, and she even had a favourite crow among the ones that fought for the food. That’s where I got the idea for Kaalia the crow.
On being called “Uncle Pai”
Children called me “Uncle Pai”, and that became the name I was known by throughout the country. I was in Guwahati one time, and I passed a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Maligaon. I thought I’d just roam around the school. The principal, however, stopped me, arranged for a stage and microphone, and said, “Unless you meet and interact with the children, I’m not letting you go.”
Delhi used to have a book fair once a year, and I used to stay at the sports club right in front of the fair grounds. I was waiting there once to cross the road when a lawyer, with his family, passed by. The second he saw me, he lifted his seven-year old son, pointed at me and said, “Ambar, dekho ye hain tumhare Uncle Pai (Ambar, look, your Uncle Pai).”
Alok Sharma is a Mumbai-based film-maker.
Source: Livemint
Excerpts from a 2009 video interview with the father of Indian comics, Uncle Pai, shot for a documentary on Indian comics history
In 2009, I visited Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) and Tinkle founder Anant Pai in his Mumbai home, armed with a camera and copies of old ACK comics. We shot over 2 hours of footage, covering 40 years of Indian comics history with Pai. The interview was part of a documentary, Chitrakatha, that I’m hoping to release this year.
Pai died last week at the age of 81, a week after being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at India’s first Comic Con in New Delhi. In the 2009 footage, he talks about the inspiration for his iconic characters, the difficulties of comic book production and the persistence of a school principal in Guwahati.
Edited excerpts from the interview, translated from Hindi:
On the origins of Indrajal comics
You’ll be surprised to know that Indrajal Comics was started just as a way of keeping a few Times of India printing machines busy. My boss, P.K. Roy, called me one day and said, “We can get the rights to print Superman here. Should we?” I did a small survey, some 60 people responded, and I found that their favourite comic book hero was Phantom. Why? Because it was already being printed here in a few newspapers and magazines. So we got the rights to Phantom and Indrajal Comics was started.
But I did not believe that we should force-feed popular content from the West to children here, so I requested Mr Roy to reserve 16 pages of the 32-page issue for original content. Imported comics are all fine, but if we want art to hold up a mirror to our own society, then these comics must be drawn and written in India by Indians.
On his early creations
As part of this, I created a series called Around the World with Kunju Pillay. The protagonist, Kunju Pillay, takes off on an adventurous world tour, while explaining factoids and imparting general knowledge along the way. But writing this was difficult. Researching all the countries in the world, in those days, was next to impossible. We’d originally planned for him to take a circuitous route through West Asia and finally reach Egypt, but we couldn’t find enough material for this. So we changed the plot—Kunju’s journey develops a snag, and he ends up straight in Egypt, a country we had plenty of material for. I even took drafts of the Kunju Pillay story to all the foreign consulates, hoping they’d be willing to help us with information. Making comics was hard work.
On the difficulties of making comics
We had trouble getting full-time illustrators and artists. So we relied on art college students and ad agency interns to help us out. I used to take my scripts to them, and watch as they drew.
On naming Amar Chitra Katha
When we were searching for a name, we got a lot of ideas from people we met. I was having lunch with B.R. Bhagwat, who co-wrote the Mahabharata ACK series, and I was telling him I couldn’t decide on a name. Bhagwat told me, “What’s so difficult about a name? Just call it ‘Classics Illustrated’!” And just like that, the name Amar Chitra Katha came into my head.
We called it Amar Chitra Katha also because the “picture story” is an ancient form of storytelling. Some of the earliest stories from the prehistoric era were recorded in pictures—tales of exciting hunts and discovery. I believe that we can instil good values in children through stories, show them a good path. If these stories are illustrated, then there’s nothing better. That was our thought.
The name became so popular that we had to come out with an advertisement that told children how to differentiate between original Amar Chitra Katha and duplicate chitrakathas.
On Tinkle and its characters
In 1978, I was in Delhi to release an ACK title on the life of Bengal revolutionary Bagha Jatin. The guest of honour at the launch was education minister Prakash Chandra Chunder. He told me that all the talk of universal education was not true. Many children didn’t even reach primary school, and a large majority of those who did were not engaged enough. So I was thinking of ways to make education more entertaining, getting students interested, when I remembered Ramu and Shamu, characters I’d created for Rang Rekha features (a comics syndication agency I founded in 1969).
In it, I used to poke fun at India’s education system, but I felt that we could now use characters and comics like this to educate. That’s how Tinkle was born.
My wife used to feed the crows from the kitchen window, and she even had a favourite crow among the ones that fought for the food. That’s where I got the idea for Kaalia the crow.
On being called “Uncle Pai”
Children called me “Uncle Pai”, and that became the name I was known by throughout the country. I was in Guwahati one time, and I passed a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Maligaon. I thought I’d just roam around the school. The principal, however, stopped me, arranged for a stage and microphone, and said, “Unless you meet and interact with the children, I’m not letting you go.”
Delhi used to have a book fair once a year, and I used to stay at the sports club right in front of the fair grounds. I was waiting there once to cross the road when a lawyer, with his family, passed by. The second he saw me, he lifted his seven-year old son, pointed at me and said, “Ambar, dekho ye hain tumhare Uncle Pai (Ambar, look, your Uncle Pai).”
Alok Sharma is a Mumbai-based film-maker.
Source: Livemint
Pai died last week at the age of 81, a week after being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at India’s first Comic Con in New Delhi. In the 2009 footage, he talks about the inspiration for his iconic characters, the difficulties of comic book production and the persistence of a school principal in Guwahati.
Edited excerpts from the interview, translated from Hindi:
On the origins of Indrajal comics
You’ll be surprised to know that Indrajal Comics was started just as a way of keeping a few Times of India printing machines busy. My boss, P.K. Roy, called me one day and said, “We can get the rights to print Superman here. Should we?” I did a small survey, some 60 people responded, and I found that their favourite comic book hero was Phantom. Why? Because it was already being printed here in a few newspapers and magazines. So we got the rights to Phantom and Indrajal Comics was started.
But I did not believe that we should force-feed popular content from the West to children here, so I requested Mr Roy to reserve 16 pages of the 32-page issue for original content. Imported comics are all fine, but if we want art to hold up a mirror to our own society, then these comics must be drawn and written in India by Indians.
On his early creations
As part of this, I created a series called Around the World with Kunju Pillay. The protagonist, Kunju Pillay, takes off on an adventurous world tour, while explaining factoids and imparting general knowledge along the way. But writing this was difficult. Researching all the countries in the world, in those days, was next to impossible. We’d originally planned for him to take a circuitous route through West Asia and finally reach Egypt, but we couldn’t find enough material for this. So we changed the plot—Kunju’s journey develops a snag, and he ends up straight in Egypt, a country we had plenty of material for. I even took drafts of the Kunju Pillay story to all the foreign consulates, hoping they’d be willing to help us with information. Making comics was hard work.
On the difficulties of making comics
We had trouble getting full-time illustrators and artists. So we relied on art college students and ad agency interns to help us out. I used to take my scripts to them, and watch as they drew.
On naming Amar Chitra Katha
When we were searching for a name, we got a lot of ideas from people we met. I was having lunch with B.R. Bhagwat, who co-wrote the Mahabharata ACK series, and I was telling him I couldn’t decide on a name. Bhagwat told me, “What’s so difficult about a name? Just call it ‘Classics Illustrated’!” And just like that, the name Amar Chitra Katha came into my head.
We called it Amar Chitra Katha also because the “picture story” is an ancient form of storytelling. Some of the earliest stories from the prehistoric era were recorded in pictures—tales of exciting hunts and discovery. I believe that we can instil good values in children through stories, show them a good path. If these stories are illustrated, then there’s nothing better. That was our thought.
The name became so popular that we had to come out with an advertisement that told children how to differentiate between original Amar Chitra Katha and duplicate chitrakathas.
On Tinkle and its characters
In 1978, I was in Delhi to release an ACK title on the life of Bengal revolutionary Bagha Jatin. The guest of honour at the launch was education minister Prakash Chandra Chunder. He told me that all the talk of universal education was not true. Many children didn’t even reach primary school, and a large majority of those who did were not engaged enough. So I was thinking of ways to make education more entertaining, getting students interested, when I remembered Ramu and Shamu, characters I’d created for Rang Rekha features (a comics syndication agency I founded in 1969).
In it, I used to poke fun at India’s education system, but I felt that we could now use characters and comics like this to educate. That’s how Tinkle was born.
My wife used to feed the crows from the kitchen window, and she even had a favourite crow among the ones that fought for the food. That’s where I got the idea for Kaalia the crow.
On being called “Uncle Pai”
Children called me “Uncle Pai”, and that became the name I was known by throughout the country. I was in Guwahati one time, and I passed a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Maligaon. I thought I’d just roam around the school. The principal, however, stopped me, arranged for a stage and microphone, and said, “Unless you meet and interact with the children, I’m not letting you go.”
Delhi used to have a book fair once a year, and I used to stay at the sports club right in front of the fair grounds. I was waiting there once to cross the road when a lawyer, with his family, passed by. The second he saw me, he lifted his seven-year old son, pointed at me and said, “Ambar, dekho ye hain tumhare Uncle Pai (Ambar, look, your Uncle Pai).”
Alok Sharma is a Mumbai-based film-maker.
Source: Livemint
Vinay, Ranvir to dub for 3D Hollywood film
Actor Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey are set to lend their voices to upcoming 3D animation film "RIO".
Directed by Carlos Saldanha of "Ice Age" fame, the Hollywood film is set in the city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforests of Brazil. It revolves around Blu, a rare macaw, who thinks he is the last of his kind.
When Blu discovers a female bird of his kind he leaves the comfort of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio.
Bollywood's favourite comical pair Ranvir and Vinay will be dubbing for the characters Nico and Pedro, Blu's friends.
Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan had lent his voice to animation film "The Incredibles".
Source: Times of India
Directed by Carlos Saldanha of "Ice Age" fame, the Hollywood film is set in the city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforests of Brazil. It revolves around Blu, a rare macaw, who thinks he is the last of his kind.
When Blu discovers a female bird of his kind he leaves the comfort of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio.
Bollywood's favourite comical pair Ranvir and Vinay will be dubbing for the characters Nico and Pedro, Blu's friends.
Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan had lent his voice to animation film "The Incredibles".
Source: Times of India
Vinay, Ranvir to dub for 3D Hollywood film
Actor Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey are set to lend their voices to upcoming 3D animation film "RIO".
Directed by Carlos Saldanha of "Ice Age" fame, the Hollywood film is set in the city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforests of Brazil. It revolves around Blu, a rare macaw, who thinks he is the last of his kind.
When Blu discovers a female bird of his kind he leaves the comfort of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio.
Bollywood's favourite comical pair Ranvir and Vinay will be dubbing for the characters Nico and Pedro, Blu's friends.
Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan had lent his voice to animation film "The Incredibles".
Source: Times of India
Directed by Carlos Saldanha of "Ice Age" fame, the Hollywood film is set in the city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforests of Brazil. It revolves around Blu, a rare macaw, who thinks he is the last of his kind.
When Blu discovers a female bird of his kind he leaves the comfort of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio.
Bollywood's favourite comical pair Ranvir and Vinay will be dubbing for the characters Nico and Pedro, Blu's friends.
Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan had lent his voice to animation film "The Incredibles".
Source: Times of India
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Stars in Rewind: Christian Bale
You don't just wake up one morning, put on a tux, drive to the Kodak Theater and waltz up on stage to receive your little golden Oscar statuette without a long history of bit parts, embarrassing roles and forgotten work littering your past. Would Christian Bale prefer that we forget some of the early building blocks that have led him to the current station in life? Probably. However, his status as Academy Award-winning thespians will surely cushion the blow of us taking a tour of his earliest work.
Batman himself, Christian Bale, now an Oscar winner for his work in 'The Fighter.' For a lot of movie fans, Bale seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the late '90s and early '00s with incredible work in films like 'Velvet Goldmine' and 'American Psycho,' but his career stretches back much further than that.
Before his breakthrough performance in Steven Spielberg's 'Empire of the Sun,' a 12-year-old Bale had a supporting turn in the TV miniseries 'Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna' as Alexei Nikolaevich, the only son of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, who was killed alongside the rest of his family during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Alexei was a hemophiliac, proving that Bale's attraction to strained, sickly and incredibly thin characters has a very early origin.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2CzX-uEHzk&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Source: Moviefone
Batman himself, Christian Bale, now an Oscar winner for his work in 'The Fighter.' For a lot of movie fans, Bale seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the late '90s and early '00s with incredible work in films like 'Velvet Goldmine' and 'American Psycho,' but his career stretches back much further than that.
Before his breakthrough performance in Steven Spielberg's 'Empire of the Sun,' a 12-year-old Bale had a supporting turn in the TV miniseries 'Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna' as Alexei Nikolaevich, the only son of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, who was killed alongside the rest of his family during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Alexei was a hemophiliac, proving that Bale's attraction to strained, sickly and incredibly thin characters has a very early origin.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2CzX-uEHzk&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Source: Moviefone
Stars in Rewind: Christian Bale
You don't just wake up one morning, put on a tux, drive to the Kodak Theater and waltz up on stage to receive your little golden Oscar statuette without a long history of bit parts, embarrassing roles and forgotten work littering your past. Would Christian Bale prefer that we forget some of the early building blocks that have led him to the current station in life? Probably. However, his status as Academy Award-winning thespians will surely cushion the blow of us taking a tour of his earliest work.
Batman himself, Christian Bale, now an Oscar winner for his work in 'The Fighter.' For a lot of movie fans, Bale seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the late '90s and early '00s with incredible work in films like 'Velvet Goldmine' and 'American Psycho,' but his career stretches back much further than that.
Before his breakthrough performance in Steven Spielberg's 'Empire of the Sun,' a 12-year-old Bale had a supporting turn in the TV miniseries 'Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna' as Alexei Nikolaevich, the only son of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, who was killed alongside the rest of his family during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Alexei was a hemophiliac, proving that Bale's attraction to strained, sickly and incredibly thin characters has a very early origin.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2CzX-uEHzk&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Source: Moviefone
Batman himself, Christian Bale, now an Oscar winner for his work in 'The Fighter.' For a lot of movie fans, Bale seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the late '90s and early '00s with incredible work in films like 'Velvet Goldmine' and 'American Psycho,' but his career stretches back much further than that.
Before his breakthrough performance in Steven Spielberg's 'Empire of the Sun,' a 12-year-old Bale had a supporting turn in the TV miniseries 'Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna' as Alexei Nikolaevich, the only son of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, who was killed alongside the rest of his family during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Alexei was a hemophiliac, proving that Bale's attraction to strained, sickly and incredibly thin characters has a very early origin.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2CzX-uEHzk&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Source: Moviefone
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
“Don’t shy away from clichés, the power of clichés demands new inventions and it really works!” is Habib Faisal’s advice to Whistling Woods students
Mr. Habib Faisal, Director of the critically-acclaimed ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ and writer of Bollywoods’s latest blockbuster ‘Band Baaja Baraat’ visited Whistling Woods International (WWI) recently to share his experiences and inspirations with an ecstatic bunch of students. He was thrilled to interact with the enthusiastic students, who were equally enamored by the enthralling film-maker.
Habib started his career as a cameraman with NDTV. An immensely qualified director armed with two Masters Degrees from renowned universities, he not only has an unique eye for detail, evident in ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ but also has proved that film-making is not only an art. According to him, it is about being able to relate reel-life characters and real-life characters with a never-ending passion for film-making.
He shared that his real-life incidents inspired him for ‘Do Dooni Chaar’, a middle-class family’s journey from a 2-wheeler to a 4-wheeler. Speaking about the movie and its casting, Habib said, “Your film has to be watched - there has to be an audience for it. I didn’t know who would be cast as the father and the mother. I could have cast two National School of Drama students but I wanted the characters to be real, therefore I chose Mr. Rishi Kapoor and Ms. Neetu Singh in the respective roles. Mr. Rishi Kapoor reminds me of my father and after I finished writing the script, I knew that only he could play the role to perfection. Ms. Neetu Singh was the most natural choice as she slipped into the character effortlessly and they both complimented each other beautifully.”
He regaled the students with his witty comments and narrated stories of how he and his family stayed in a one-bedroom kitchen flat and how all the day-to-day incidents of his life helped shape the four characters of ‘Do Dooni Chaar’. He explained the opening scene of the movie where the family is shown fighting, which could easily be related to middle-class family settings where everybody is fighting for personal space along with their personal dilemmas. He also stressed upon the fact that every movie has to have two climaxes. The movie should be accessible and the audience should enjoy it. “I don’t shy away from the fact that I am a mainstream person,” he added.
On being asked if ‘Band Baaja Baraat’ was a commercial film, he said, “Band Baaja Baraat was a commercial and very clichéd film. I wanted to take a clichéd idea and improvise on it. The power of a cliché is that it helps in accessibility. All of us like to see what happens in our lives transformed onto the screen, the movie was a typical movie which everybody would relate to at some point or another. I didn’t want to turn it into a spoof. But I had a ball with all the characters. It was totally exciting and a lot of fun.”
Upon being asked whether professional training helps future film-makers, he replied, “I totally value this training and having personally gone through it, I would recommend it to all film students. As a viewer, you are in total awe but as a film-maker it helps in demystifying the whole process and understanding finer nuances of film-making, which then helps the student as a film-maker to collaborate really well with other film-makers.”
At the end of the session, Habib said that he was happy to be invited to the institute and that he was very impressed by the students. He said “When I came to WWI, I instantly felt envious! The campus is magnanimous and spacious. This institute offers everything under one roof and it is the best place to learn. The kind of education and guidance WWI provides is remarkably outstanding. Apart from all aspects of film-making, it also teaches students the business aspects by offering an MBA degree. Any film student couldn’t ask for more.” He signed off by wishing them all the best for their future endeavours.
Habib started his career as a cameraman with NDTV. An immensely qualified director armed with two Masters Degrees from renowned universities, he not only has an unique eye for detail, evident in ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ but also has proved that film-making is not only an art. According to him, it is about being able to relate reel-life characters and real-life characters with a never-ending passion for film-making.
He shared that his real-life incidents inspired him for ‘Do Dooni Chaar’, a middle-class family’s journey from a 2-wheeler to a 4-wheeler. Speaking about the movie and its casting, Habib said, “Your film has to be watched - there has to be an audience for it. I didn’t know who would be cast as the father and the mother. I could have cast two National School of Drama students but I wanted the characters to be real, therefore I chose Mr. Rishi Kapoor and Ms. Neetu Singh in the respective roles. Mr. Rishi Kapoor reminds me of my father and after I finished writing the script, I knew that only he could play the role to perfection. Ms. Neetu Singh was the most natural choice as she slipped into the character effortlessly and they both complimented each other beautifully.”
He regaled the students with his witty comments and narrated stories of how he and his family stayed in a one-bedroom kitchen flat and how all the day-to-day incidents of his life helped shape the four characters of ‘Do Dooni Chaar’. He explained the opening scene of the movie where the family is shown fighting, which could easily be related to middle-class family settings where everybody is fighting for personal space along with their personal dilemmas. He also stressed upon the fact that every movie has to have two climaxes. The movie should be accessible and the audience should enjoy it. “I don’t shy away from the fact that I am a mainstream person,” he added.
On being asked if ‘Band Baaja Baraat’ was a commercial film, he said, “Band Baaja Baraat was a commercial and very clichéd film. I wanted to take a clichéd idea and improvise on it. The power of a cliché is that it helps in accessibility. All of us like to see what happens in our lives transformed onto the screen, the movie was a typical movie which everybody would relate to at some point or another. I didn’t want to turn it into a spoof. But I had a ball with all the characters. It was totally exciting and a lot of fun.”
Upon being asked whether professional training helps future film-makers, he replied, “I totally value this training and having personally gone through it, I would recommend it to all film students. As a viewer, you are in total awe but as a film-maker it helps in demystifying the whole process and understanding finer nuances of film-making, which then helps the student as a film-maker to collaborate really well with other film-makers.”
At the end of the session, Habib said that he was happy to be invited to the institute and that he was very impressed by the students. He said “When I came to WWI, I instantly felt envious! The campus is magnanimous and spacious. This institute offers everything under one roof and it is the best place to learn. The kind of education and guidance WWI provides is remarkably outstanding. Apart from all aspects of film-making, it also teaches students the business aspects by offering an MBA degree. Any film student couldn’t ask for more.” He signed off by wishing them all the best for their future endeavours.
“Don’t shy away from clichés, the power of clichés demands new inventions and it really works!” is Habib Faisal’s advice to Whistling Woods students
Mr. Habib Faisal, Director of the critically-acclaimed ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ and writer of Bollywoods’s latest blockbuster ‘Band Baaja Baraat’ visited Whistling Woods International (WWI) recently to share his experiences and inspirations with an ecstatic bunch of students. He was thrilled to interact with the enthusiastic students, who were equally enamored by the enthralling film-maker.
Habib started his career as a cameraman with NDTV. An immensely qualified director armed with two Masters Degrees from renowned universities, he not only has an unique eye for detail, evident in ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ but also has proved that film-making is not only an art. According to him, it is about being able to relate reel-life characters and real-life characters with a never-ending passion for film-making.
He shared that his real-life incidents inspired him for ‘Do Dooni Chaar’, a middle-class family’s journey from a 2-wheeler to a 4-wheeler. Speaking about the movie and its casting, Habib said, “Your film has to be watched - there has to be an audience for it. I didn’t know who would be cast as the father and the mother. I could have cast two National School of Drama students but I wanted the characters to be real, therefore I chose Mr. Rishi Kapoor and Ms. Neetu Singh in the respective roles. Mr. Rishi Kapoor reminds me of my father and after I finished writing the script, I knew that only he could play the role to perfection. Ms. Neetu Singh was the most natural choice as she slipped into the character effortlessly and they both complimented each other beautifully.”
He regaled the students with his witty comments and narrated stories of how he and his family stayed in a one-bedroom kitchen flat and how all the day-to-day incidents of his life helped shape the four characters of ‘Do Dooni Chaar’. He explained the opening scene of the movie where the family is shown fighting, which could easily be related to middle-class family settings where everybody is fighting for personal space along with their personal dilemmas. He also stressed upon the fact that every movie has to have two climaxes. The movie should be accessible and the audience should enjoy it. “I don’t shy away from the fact that I am a mainstream person,” he added.
On being asked if ‘Band Baaja Baraat’ was a commercial film, he said, “Band Baaja Baraat was a commercial and very clichéd film. I wanted to take a clichéd idea and improvise on it. The power of a cliché is that it helps in accessibility. All of us like to see what happens in our lives transformed onto the screen, the movie was a typical movie which everybody would relate to at some point or another. I didn’t want to turn it into a spoof. But I had a ball with all the characters. It was totally exciting and a lot of fun.”
Upon being asked whether professional training helps future film-makers, he replied, “I totally value this training and having personally gone through it, I would recommend it to all film students. As a viewer, you are in total awe but as a film-maker it helps in demystifying the whole process and understanding finer nuances of film-making, which then helps the student as a film-maker to collaborate really well with other film-makers.”
At the end of the session, Habib said that he was happy to be invited to the institute and that he was very impressed by the students. He said “When I came to WWI, I instantly felt envious! The campus is magnanimous and spacious. This institute offers everything under one roof and it is the best place to learn. The kind of education and guidance WWI provides is remarkably outstanding. Apart from all aspects of film-making, it also teaches students the business aspects by offering an MBA degree. Any film student couldn’t ask for more.” He signed off by wishing them all the best for their future endeavours.
Habib started his career as a cameraman with NDTV. An immensely qualified director armed with two Masters Degrees from renowned universities, he not only has an unique eye for detail, evident in ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ but also has proved that film-making is not only an art. According to him, it is about being able to relate reel-life characters and real-life characters with a never-ending passion for film-making.
He shared that his real-life incidents inspired him for ‘Do Dooni Chaar’, a middle-class family’s journey from a 2-wheeler to a 4-wheeler. Speaking about the movie and its casting, Habib said, “Your film has to be watched - there has to be an audience for it. I didn’t know who would be cast as the father and the mother. I could have cast two National School of Drama students but I wanted the characters to be real, therefore I chose Mr. Rishi Kapoor and Ms. Neetu Singh in the respective roles. Mr. Rishi Kapoor reminds me of my father and after I finished writing the script, I knew that only he could play the role to perfection. Ms. Neetu Singh was the most natural choice as she slipped into the character effortlessly and they both complimented each other beautifully.”
He regaled the students with his witty comments and narrated stories of how he and his family stayed in a one-bedroom kitchen flat and how all the day-to-day incidents of his life helped shape the four characters of ‘Do Dooni Chaar’. He explained the opening scene of the movie where the family is shown fighting, which could easily be related to middle-class family settings where everybody is fighting for personal space along with their personal dilemmas. He also stressed upon the fact that every movie has to have two climaxes. The movie should be accessible and the audience should enjoy it. “I don’t shy away from the fact that I am a mainstream person,” he added.
On being asked if ‘Band Baaja Baraat’ was a commercial film, he said, “Band Baaja Baraat was a commercial and very clichéd film. I wanted to take a clichéd idea and improvise on it. The power of a cliché is that it helps in accessibility. All of us like to see what happens in our lives transformed onto the screen, the movie was a typical movie which everybody would relate to at some point or another. I didn’t want to turn it into a spoof. But I had a ball with all the characters. It was totally exciting and a lot of fun.”
Upon being asked whether professional training helps future film-makers, he replied, “I totally value this training and having personally gone through it, I would recommend it to all film students. As a viewer, you are in total awe but as a film-maker it helps in demystifying the whole process and understanding finer nuances of film-making, which then helps the student as a film-maker to collaborate really well with other film-makers.”
At the end of the session, Habib said that he was happy to be invited to the institute and that he was very impressed by the students. He said “When I came to WWI, I instantly felt envious! The campus is magnanimous and spacious. This institute offers everything under one roof and it is the best place to learn. The kind of education and guidance WWI provides is remarkably outstanding. Apart from all aspects of film-making, it also teaches students the business aspects by offering an MBA degree. Any film student couldn’t ask for more.” He signed off by wishing them all the best for their future endeavours.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Making of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
Kishore Kumar apparently made 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' hoping it would flop. He wanted to show losses in his income and avoid paying a huge income tax to the authorities.
So he made two films ‘Lookochuri’ in Bengali and ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ in Hindi…. and waited eagerly for them to collapse!
But the talent of the star cast, great music and fate conspired to make them both raging successes!
So he made two films ‘Lookochuri’ in Bengali and ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ in Hindi…. and waited eagerly for them to collapse!
But the talent of the star cast, great music and fate conspired to make them both raging successes!
The Making of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
Kishore Kumar apparently made 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' hoping it would flop. He wanted to show losses in his income and avoid paying a huge income tax to the authorities.
So he made two films ‘Lookochuri’ in Bengali and ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ in Hindi…. and waited eagerly for them to collapse!
But the talent of the star cast, great music and fate conspired to make them both raging successes!
So he made two films ‘Lookochuri’ in Bengali and ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ in Hindi…. and waited eagerly for them to collapse!
But the talent of the star cast, great music and fate conspired to make them both raging successes!
The Making of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
Kishore Kumar apparently made 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' hoping it would flop. He wanted to show losses in his income and avoid paying a huge income tax to the authorities.
So he made two films ‘Lookochuri’ in Bengali and ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ in Hindi…. and waited eagerly for them to collapse!
But the talent of the star cast, great music and fate conspired to make them both raging successes!
So he made two films ‘Lookochuri’ in Bengali and ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ in Hindi…. and waited eagerly for them to collapse!
But the talent of the star cast, great music and fate conspired to make them both raging successes!
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Reinvention of Maya: Exclusive interview with Super Stalwarts Subhash Ghai & Ketan Mehta
The announcement has just been made, but when companies led by two of the country‘s finest film directors, team up for an Animation Studio, the expectations are rocket sky high! In an exclusive interview with AnimationXpress.com Co Founder Anand Gurnani, the super stalwarts and legendary Subhash Ghai & Ketan Mehta spoke of their vision for Maya and their plan to create one of the world‘s best animation, vfx studios.
Ketan Ji, It‘s been a long journey for Maya right since the days of Captain Vyom, to Ramayana to the new collaboration with Mukta and the creation of a fresh new entity. We‘d like to know what the strategy was back then and what is it now?
KETAN MEHTA: Maya was a pioneer of computer animation and visual effects in India. It was created with the purpose of providing the new technology tools for filmmakers in India. At that time animation and visual effects were in their infancy and we had to make a beginning to introduce this new creative technology in India.
Over the years Maya has grown many fold, it has done high quality animation outsourced work for reputed international clients, it has created film and TV IPRs and provided Animation and visual effects content for Indian and international films. It has acquired skills to compete in the international market and a reputation for high quality work.
Now it is time to go to the next level, expand activities, bring in the latest technology, attract the best talent and turn Maya into one of the finest animation and visual effects studios in the world.
Ketanji & Subhashji, we‘d love to have your comments on the partnership? Also, Is the new studio going to be more focused on Services or will it focus on creating a slate of feature films?
KETAN MEHTA: Mukta Arts is one of the most reputed film production and distribution houses in India. Mr. Subhash Ghai apart from being one of the most successful Indian filmmakers of all time is also a visionary who pioneered the corporatization of the film industry. His contribution in the field of Cinema education is also path breaking with high quality cinema training institute like Whistling woods. The strategic partnership with Mukta provides Maya the platform to leap to the next level and become a major player in this field.
SUBHASH GHAI: As of 2010, the Mukta Arts Group was present in almost all verticals of the Motion Picture Industry. Right from High School education in Media Studies (Whistling Woods is designing the curriculum for the Media Studies elective for the 11th & 12th standard of the CBSE board) to Exhibition (our own chain of multiplexes - Mukta Cinemas - commences April 2011), we are present in all verticals of the Motion Picture industry. The only piece that was missing was Animation & VFX. Internally, over the recent past, we have been seriously considering a foray into Animation & VFX and have been discussing with several professionals / organizations in this industry and strategizing which is the best approach - should we setup a production facility of our own or should we invest in one, and we chose the latter.Mr Ketan Mehta is a highly artistic & creative filmmaker and has also proven to be a visionary when, almost a decade ago, he realized the potential of Animation & VFX as a key component of filmmaking and forayed in the same.
KETAN MEHTA: Maya plans to strike a fine balance between doing international outsourced animation and VFX work for Indian and International clients as well as develop its own projects both animated films as well as films mixing live action and visual effects and create a slate of high quality IPRs.
SUBHASH GHAI: We are looking at the new studio having 4 primary business lines - Original IP creation, outsourced Animation & VFX work for international projects, international co-productions & 2D to 3D conversion. We are confident that this partnership of Mukta Arts‘ tradition of path breaking cinema and Maya‘s potential of success in the fields of Animation & VFX will bear fruit, sooner rather than later.
Having Frank Foster as Senior Director and COO is certainly a great start to the fresh entity...and makes us anticipate lots of Hollywood projects coming in as well...?
KETAN MEHTA: Frank Foster was the pioneer of Computer Animation and Visual Effects in Hollywood. He has years of experience in running studios not only in USA but also in China. He brings with him all this international experience and contacts in order to achieve the best international standards and business practices to Maya.
You are expanding the studio in 3 locations? What kind of team strength are you targeting? Will each of the facilities cater to different markets or be focused on servicing different geographies? Will the studio have any kind of integration with the Whistling Woods School of Animation?
KETAN MEHTA: Currently we are relocating the Mumbai studio to a much larger facility at Mukta House at Film City, Goregaon, which will primarily focus on animation and Visual effects for films and Television for Indian as well as International clients and creation of our original IPR.
Another studio at Goa will primarily cater to the international outsourced service work. Another major vertical we are developing is conversion of 2D films to 3D.
Maya has been involved with computer animation training for a long time. So the synergies with Whistling woods are obvious. To begin with we will conduct workshops and training programs for film students and also initiate an apprenticeship program at the studio for the students of Whistling woods.
SUBHASH GHAI: The Whistling Woods animation program has proven to be highly successful over the past 4 yrs in creating employable animation professionals, with all the 70+ alumni being gainfully employed. Now that the WWI School of Animation has expanded into VFX as well, with the first batch commencing in Jan 2011, we look at the Maya partnership as a large boost to the education we are trying to provide.
With Ketan & Frank Foster, both being high regarded professionals in the fields of Animation & VFX and Maya having had a history of Animation education, the synergies will definitely be there. Both Ketan & Frank have already conveyed their availability to teach students & take workshops, which we are thrilled about. We are also working out the modalities of an apprenticeship program for students who graduate the WWI Animation & VFX courses.
Subhashji as per your vision, was an animation studio always part of your plan or is this more of a dynamic development?
SUBHASH GHAI: In the early 1980s, Mukta Arts was formed as a film production house - relying on transparency and great quality entertainment. Over the years, Mukta Arts has consistently taken new steps and broken new ground, leading the corporatisation of the industry. When Mukta Arts went public in 2000, the only film production house at the time to go public, we laid out strategies for the next decade. Since 2000, Mukta Arts has built business models in Film education (Whistling Woods International), Programming & Distribution (Mukta Movie Distributors), Exhibition (‘Mukta Cinemas‘ chain of multiplexes open in April 2011) and now in the Animation & VFX industry through Maya Digital Studios.
Animation and VFX have been on our radar for the past couple of years and we have been exploring the right entry point into this sunrise industry. So, while investment in Maya, has been a matter of timing, we have been considering this industry for a while.
Ketanji, you have certainly stood by the discipline and medium of animation and visual effects. We‘d like to know from you about your passion for animation and VFX?
KETAN MEHTA: The genesis of Maya was out of deep creative despair. In early 1990s I was doing a film called ‘Maya Memsaab‘ with Deepa Sahi and Shahrukh Khan. There was one visual effects shot in the film where Maya drinks a magic potion, bursts into light and disappears. At that time we didn‘t have the basic necessary technology to do even this simple shot. We filmed it over 10 times, I even went to Hong Kong to do the visual effect but could not get the effect we wanted.
I felt ashamed that in spite of claiming to be the largest film industry in the world we were so technologically backward.
Around the same time digital technology was emerging in the field of animation and visual effects. So we decided to take the plunge and bring in this new technology to India and it has been a wonderful journey of continuous discovery.
I believe that digital technology is dramatically changing the way we produce, distribute and consume cinema. It is going to drive the future of not only entertainment industry but education and communication as well.
Subhashji, what according to you, needs to be done to bring distribution and trade circles to have more belief in the potential of animation?
SUBHASH GHAI: Firstly let me talk about VFX. The visual effects industry, is by essence a secondary services industry. While ‘visual effects‘ can never be the reason that films are made, and it should never be, the availability of high quality VFX artists & techniques in India is able to allow filmmakers to visualize stories that otherwise would not have been possible and push the quality of filmmaking to a different high.
As far as Animated filmmaking goes, I have always considered it as just another, albeit a little more expensive method, of telling stories. While it is relatively expensive, it is also equally expansive, allowing us to imagine & tell stories that we could never do in live action filmmaking.
That said, Animated films in India, unlike the US, are only a decade old. While we have had some brilliant work done in the last century by Bhimsainji & RamMohanji, as an industry or a filmmaking tool, it has emerged only in the last decade. It has yet to break into the mainstream Indian film-goers mindspace and create a platform on par with live action films. My belief is that this will happen soon and when it does, we have to be ready with the content (writing), vision (direction) and technical excellence to capitalize on it.
We have to use Distribution as a strong tool to send out our content to the world. We have to stop taking the easy way out and selling all rights en-mass. We have to break up these rights into multiple sub-rights and go out to the film / tv markets around the world and monetise them. This is how distributors will create value, even if the story is inherently Indian. If we are able to write & create a story that appeals globally, then the sky is the limit.
The other advantage India has is that we are somewhat cost effective vis-a-vis some of the western countries, while being able to deliver comparable quality. We should use this asset, our technical excellence and enter co-productions while continuing to develop our storylines. All it needs is one Indian story to appeal globally and the snowball effect will push the Indian Animation industry to the forefront.
Any parting comments you would like to share with the readers of AnimationXpress.com?
KETAN MEHTA: Technology now is liberating creativity like never before. Now we can create what ever we imagine. The future is extremely exciting.
SUBHASH GHAI: I am confident that, sooner rather than later, we, at Maya, will be able to create globally appealing stories, have them executed by the best creative & technical talent in India, have the ability to import talent as needed and create a self sustaining ecosystem of animated motion pictures in India and take it out to the world.
Source: AnimationXpress
Ketan Ji, It‘s been a long journey for Maya right since the days of Captain Vyom, to Ramayana to the new collaboration with Mukta and the creation of a fresh new entity. We‘d like to know what the strategy was back then and what is it now?
KETAN MEHTA: Maya was a pioneer of computer animation and visual effects in India. It was created with the purpose of providing the new technology tools for filmmakers in India. At that time animation and visual effects were in their infancy and we had to make a beginning to introduce this new creative technology in India.
Over the years Maya has grown many fold, it has done high quality animation outsourced work for reputed international clients, it has created film and TV IPRs and provided Animation and visual effects content for Indian and international films. It has acquired skills to compete in the international market and a reputation for high quality work.
Now it is time to go to the next level, expand activities, bring in the latest technology, attract the best talent and turn Maya into one of the finest animation and visual effects studios in the world.
Ketanji & Subhashji, we‘d love to have your comments on the partnership? Also, Is the new studio going to be more focused on Services or will it focus on creating a slate of feature films?
KETAN MEHTA: Mukta Arts is one of the most reputed film production and distribution houses in India. Mr. Subhash Ghai apart from being one of the most successful Indian filmmakers of all time is also a visionary who pioneered the corporatization of the film industry. His contribution in the field of Cinema education is also path breaking with high quality cinema training institute like Whistling woods. The strategic partnership with Mukta provides Maya the platform to leap to the next level and become a major player in this field.
SUBHASH GHAI: As of 2010, the Mukta Arts Group was present in almost all verticals of the Motion Picture Industry. Right from High School education in Media Studies (Whistling Woods is designing the curriculum for the Media Studies elective for the 11th & 12th standard of the CBSE board) to Exhibition (our own chain of multiplexes - Mukta Cinemas - commences April 2011), we are present in all verticals of the Motion Picture industry. The only piece that was missing was Animation & VFX. Internally, over the recent past, we have been seriously considering a foray into Animation & VFX and have been discussing with several professionals / organizations in this industry and strategizing which is the best approach - should we setup a production facility of our own or should we invest in one, and we chose the latter.Mr Ketan Mehta is a highly artistic & creative filmmaker and has also proven to be a visionary when, almost a decade ago, he realized the potential of Animation & VFX as a key component of filmmaking and forayed in the same.
KETAN MEHTA: Maya plans to strike a fine balance between doing international outsourced animation and VFX work for Indian and International clients as well as develop its own projects both animated films as well as films mixing live action and visual effects and create a slate of high quality IPRs.
SUBHASH GHAI: We are looking at the new studio having 4 primary business lines - Original IP creation, outsourced Animation & VFX work for international projects, international co-productions & 2D to 3D conversion. We are confident that this partnership of Mukta Arts‘ tradition of path breaking cinema and Maya‘s potential of success in the fields of Animation & VFX will bear fruit, sooner rather than later.
Having Frank Foster as Senior Director and COO is certainly a great start to the fresh entity...and makes us anticipate lots of Hollywood projects coming in as well...?
KETAN MEHTA: Frank Foster was the pioneer of Computer Animation and Visual Effects in Hollywood. He has years of experience in running studios not only in USA but also in China. He brings with him all this international experience and contacts in order to achieve the best international standards and business practices to Maya.
You are expanding the studio in 3 locations? What kind of team strength are you targeting? Will each of the facilities cater to different markets or be focused on servicing different geographies? Will the studio have any kind of integration with the Whistling Woods School of Animation?
KETAN MEHTA: Currently we are relocating the Mumbai studio to a much larger facility at Mukta House at Film City, Goregaon, which will primarily focus on animation and Visual effects for films and Television for Indian as well as International clients and creation of our original IPR.
Another studio at Goa will primarily cater to the international outsourced service work. Another major vertical we are developing is conversion of 2D films to 3D.
Maya has been involved with computer animation training for a long time. So the synergies with Whistling woods are obvious. To begin with we will conduct workshops and training programs for film students and also initiate an apprenticeship program at the studio for the students of Whistling woods.
SUBHASH GHAI: The Whistling Woods animation program has proven to be highly successful over the past 4 yrs in creating employable animation professionals, with all the 70+ alumni being gainfully employed. Now that the WWI School of Animation has expanded into VFX as well, with the first batch commencing in Jan 2011, we look at the Maya partnership as a large boost to the education we are trying to provide.
With Ketan & Frank Foster, both being high regarded professionals in the fields of Animation & VFX and Maya having had a history of Animation education, the synergies will definitely be there. Both Ketan & Frank have already conveyed their availability to teach students & take workshops, which we are thrilled about. We are also working out the modalities of an apprenticeship program for students who graduate the WWI Animation & VFX courses.
Subhashji as per your vision, was an animation studio always part of your plan or is this more of a dynamic development?
SUBHASH GHAI: In the early 1980s, Mukta Arts was formed as a film production house - relying on transparency and great quality entertainment. Over the years, Mukta Arts has consistently taken new steps and broken new ground, leading the corporatisation of the industry. When Mukta Arts went public in 2000, the only film production house at the time to go public, we laid out strategies for the next decade. Since 2000, Mukta Arts has built business models in Film education (Whistling Woods International), Programming & Distribution (Mukta Movie Distributors), Exhibition (‘Mukta Cinemas‘ chain of multiplexes open in April 2011) and now in the Animation & VFX industry through Maya Digital Studios.
Animation and VFX have been on our radar for the past couple of years and we have been exploring the right entry point into this sunrise industry. So, while investment in Maya, has been a matter of timing, we have been considering this industry for a while.
Ketanji, you have certainly stood by the discipline and medium of animation and visual effects. We‘d like to know from you about your passion for animation and VFX?
KETAN MEHTA: The genesis of Maya was out of deep creative despair. In early 1990s I was doing a film called ‘Maya Memsaab‘ with Deepa Sahi and Shahrukh Khan. There was one visual effects shot in the film where Maya drinks a magic potion, bursts into light and disappears. At that time we didn‘t have the basic necessary technology to do even this simple shot. We filmed it over 10 times, I even went to Hong Kong to do the visual effect but could not get the effect we wanted.
I felt ashamed that in spite of claiming to be the largest film industry in the world we were so technologically backward.
Around the same time digital technology was emerging in the field of animation and visual effects. So we decided to take the plunge and bring in this new technology to India and it has been a wonderful journey of continuous discovery.
I believe that digital technology is dramatically changing the way we produce, distribute and consume cinema. It is going to drive the future of not only entertainment industry but education and communication as well.
Subhashji, what according to you, needs to be done to bring distribution and trade circles to have more belief in the potential of animation?
SUBHASH GHAI: Firstly let me talk about VFX. The visual effects industry, is by essence a secondary services industry. While ‘visual effects‘ can never be the reason that films are made, and it should never be, the availability of high quality VFX artists & techniques in India is able to allow filmmakers to visualize stories that otherwise would not have been possible and push the quality of filmmaking to a different high.
As far as Animated filmmaking goes, I have always considered it as just another, albeit a little more expensive method, of telling stories. While it is relatively expensive, it is also equally expansive, allowing us to imagine & tell stories that we could never do in live action filmmaking.
That said, Animated films in India, unlike the US, are only a decade old. While we have had some brilliant work done in the last century by Bhimsainji & RamMohanji, as an industry or a filmmaking tool, it has emerged only in the last decade. It has yet to break into the mainstream Indian film-goers mindspace and create a platform on par with live action films. My belief is that this will happen soon and when it does, we have to be ready with the content (writing), vision (direction) and technical excellence to capitalize on it.
We have to use Distribution as a strong tool to send out our content to the world. We have to stop taking the easy way out and selling all rights en-mass. We have to break up these rights into multiple sub-rights and go out to the film / tv markets around the world and monetise them. This is how distributors will create value, even if the story is inherently Indian. If we are able to write & create a story that appeals globally, then the sky is the limit.
The other advantage India has is that we are somewhat cost effective vis-a-vis some of the western countries, while being able to deliver comparable quality. We should use this asset, our technical excellence and enter co-productions while continuing to develop our storylines. All it needs is one Indian story to appeal globally and the snowball effect will push the Indian Animation industry to the forefront.
Any parting comments you would like to share with the readers of AnimationXpress.com?
KETAN MEHTA: Technology now is liberating creativity like never before. Now we can create what ever we imagine. The future is extremely exciting.
SUBHASH GHAI: I am confident that, sooner rather than later, we, at Maya, will be able to create globally appealing stories, have them executed by the best creative & technical talent in India, have the ability to import talent as needed and create a self sustaining ecosystem of animated motion pictures in India and take it out to the world.
Source: AnimationXpress
The Reinvention of Maya: Exclusive interview with Super Stalwarts Subhash Ghai & Ketan Mehta
The announcement has just been made, but when companies led by two of the country‘s finest film directors, team up for an Animation Studio, the expectations are rocket sky high! In an exclusive interview with AnimationXpress.com Co Founder Anand Gurnani, the super stalwarts and legendary Subhash Ghai & Ketan Mehta spoke of their vision for Maya and their plan to create one of the world‘s best animation, vfx studios.
Ketan Ji, It‘s been a long journey for Maya right since the days of Captain Vyom, to Ramayana to the new collaboration with Mukta and the creation of a fresh new entity. We‘d like to know what the strategy was back then and what is it now?
KETAN MEHTA: Maya was a pioneer of computer animation and visual effects in India. It was created with the purpose of providing the new technology tools for filmmakers in India. At that time animation and visual effects were in their infancy and we had to make a beginning to introduce this new creative technology in India.
Over the years Maya has grown many fold, it has done high quality animation outsourced work for reputed international clients, it has created film and TV IPRs and provided Animation and visual effects content for Indian and international films. It has acquired skills to compete in the international market and a reputation for high quality work.
Now it is time to go to the next level, expand activities, bring in the latest technology, attract the best talent and turn Maya into one of the finest animation and visual effects studios in the world.
Ketanji & Subhashji, we‘d love to have your comments on the partnership? Also, Is the new studio going to be more focused on Services or will it focus on creating a slate of feature films?
KETAN MEHTA: Mukta Arts is one of the most reputed film production and distribution houses in India. Mr. Subhash Ghai apart from being one of the most successful Indian filmmakers of all time is also a visionary who pioneered the corporatization of the film industry. His contribution in the field of Cinema education is also path breaking with high quality cinema training institute like Whistling woods. The strategic partnership with Mukta provides Maya the platform to leap to the next level and become a major player in this field.
SUBHASH GHAI: As of 2010, the Mukta Arts Group was present in almost all verticals of the Motion Picture Industry. Right from High School education in Media Studies (Whistling Woods is designing the curriculum for the Media Studies elective for the 11th & 12th standard of the CBSE board) to Exhibition (our own chain of multiplexes - Mukta Cinemas - commences April 2011), we are present in all verticals of the Motion Picture industry. The only piece that was missing was Animation & VFX. Internally, over the recent past, we have been seriously considering a foray into Animation & VFX and have been discussing with several professionals / organizations in this industry and strategizing which is the best approach - should we setup a production facility of our own or should we invest in one, and we chose the latter.Mr Ketan Mehta is a highly artistic & creative filmmaker and has also proven to be a visionary when, almost a decade ago, he realized the potential of Animation & VFX as a key component of filmmaking and forayed in the same.
KETAN MEHTA: Maya plans to strike a fine balance between doing international outsourced animation and VFX work for Indian and International clients as well as develop its own projects both animated films as well as films mixing live action and visual effects and create a slate of high quality IPRs.
SUBHASH GHAI: We are looking at the new studio having 4 primary business lines - Original IP creation, outsourced Animation & VFX work for international projects, international co-productions & 2D to 3D conversion. We are confident that this partnership of Mukta Arts‘ tradition of path breaking cinema and Maya‘s potential of success in the fields of Animation & VFX will bear fruit, sooner rather than later.
Having Frank Foster as Senior Director and COO is certainly a great start to the fresh entity...and makes us anticipate lots of Hollywood projects coming in as well...?
KETAN MEHTA: Frank Foster was the pioneer of Computer Animation and Visual Effects in Hollywood. He has years of experience in running studios not only in USA but also in China. He brings with him all this international experience and contacts in order to achieve the best international standards and business practices to Maya.
You are expanding the studio in 3 locations? What kind of team strength are you targeting? Will each of the facilities cater to different markets or be focused on servicing different geographies? Will the studio have any kind of integration with the Whistling Woods School of Animation?
KETAN MEHTA: Currently we are relocating the Mumbai studio to a much larger facility at Mukta House at Film City, Goregaon, which will primarily focus on animation and Visual effects for films and Television for Indian as well as International clients and creation of our original IPR.
Another studio at Goa will primarily cater to the international outsourced service work. Another major vertical we are developing is conversion of 2D films to 3D.
Maya has been involved with computer animation training for a long time. So the synergies with Whistling woods are obvious. To begin with we will conduct workshops and training programs for film students and also initiate an apprenticeship program at the studio for the students of Whistling woods.
SUBHASH GHAI: The Whistling Woods animation program has proven to be highly successful over the past 4 yrs in creating employable animation professionals, with all the 70+ alumni being gainfully employed. Now that the WWI School of Animation has expanded into VFX as well, with the first batch commencing in Jan 2011, we look at the Maya partnership as a large boost to the education we are trying to provide.
With Ketan & Frank Foster, both being high regarded professionals in the fields of Animation & VFX and Maya having had a history of Animation education, the synergies will definitely be there. Both Ketan & Frank have already conveyed their availability to teach students & take workshops, which we are thrilled about. We are also working out the modalities of an apprenticeship program for students who graduate the WWI Animation & VFX courses.
Subhashji as per your vision, was an animation studio always part of your plan or is this more of a dynamic development?
SUBHASH GHAI: In the early 1980s, Mukta Arts was formed as a film production house - relying on transparency and great quality entertainment. Over the years, Mukta Arts has consistently taken new steps and broken new ground, leading the corporatisation of the industry. When Mukta Arts went public in 2000, the only film production house at the time to go public, we laid out strategies for the next decade. Since 2000, Mukta Arts has built business models in Film education (Whistling Woods International), Programming & Distribution (Mukta Movie Distributors), Exhibition (‘Mukta Cinemas‘ chain of multiplexes open in April 2011) and now in the Animation & VFX industry through Maya Digital Studios.
Animation and VFX have been on our radar for the past couple of years and we have been exploring the right entry point into this sunrise industry. So, while investment in Maya, has been a matter of timing, we have been considering this industry for a while.
Ketanji, you have certainly stood by the discipline and medium of animation and visual effects. We‘d like to know from you about your passion for animation and VFX?
KETAN MEHTA: The genesis of Maya was out of deep creative despair. In early 1990s I was doing a film called ‘Maya Memsaab‘ with Deepa Sahi and Shahrukh Khan. There was one visual effects shot in the film where Maya drinks a magic potion, bursts into light and disappears. At that time we didn‘t have the basic necessary technology to do even this simple shot. We filmed it over 10 times, I even went to Hong Kong to do the visual effect but could not get the effect we wanted.
I felt ashamed that in spite of claiming to be the largest film industry in the world we were so technologically backward.
Around the same time digital technology was emerging in the field of animation and visual effects. So we decided to take the plunge and bring in this new technology to India and it has been a wonderful journey of continuous discovery.
I believe that digital technology is dramatically changing the way we produce, distribute and consume cinema. It is going to drive the future of not only entertainment industry but education and communication as well.
Subhashji, what according to you, needs to be done to bring distribution and trade circles to have more belief in the potential of animation?
SUBHASH GHAI: Firstly let me talk about VFX. The visual effects industry, is by essence a secondary services industry. While ‘visual effects‘ can never be the reason that films are made, and it should never be, the availability of high quality VFX artists & techniques in India is able to allow filmmakers to visualize stories that otherwise would not have been possible and push the quality of filmmaking to a different high.
As far as Animated filmmaking goes, I have always considered it as just another, albeit a little more expensive method, of telling stories. While it is relatively expensive, it is also equally expansive, allowing us to imagine & tell stories that we could never do in live action filmmaking.
That said, Animated films in India, unlike the US, are only a decade old. While we have had some brilliant work done in the last century by Bhimsainji & RamMohanji, as an industry or a filmmaking tool, it has emerged only in the last decade. It has yet to break into the mainstream Indian film-goers mindspace and create a platform on par with live action films. My belief is that this will happen soon and when it does, we have to be ready with the content (writing), vision (direction) and technical excellence to capitalize on it.
We have to use Distribution as a strong tool to send out our content to the world. We have to stop taking the easy way out and selling all rights en-mass. We have to break up these rights into multiple sub-rights and go out to the film / tv markets around the world and monetise them. This is how distributors will create value, even if the story is inherently Indian. If we are able to write & create a story that appeals globally, then the sky is the limit.
The other advantage India has is that we are somewhat cost effective vis-a-vis some of the western countries, while being able to deliver comparable quality. We should use this asset, our technical excellence and enter co-productions while continuing to develop our storylines. All it needs is one Indian story to appeal globally and the snowball effect will push the Indian Animation industry to the forefront.
Any parting comments you would like to share with the readers of AnimationXpress.com?
KETAN MEHTA: Technology now is liberating creativity like never before. Now we can create what ever we imagine. The future is extremely exciting.
SUBHASH GHAI: I am confident that, sooner rather than later, we, at Maya, will be able to create globally appealing stories, have them executed by the best creative & technical talent in India, have the ability to import talent as needed and create a self sustaining ecosystem of animated motion pictures in India and take it out to the world.
Source: AnimationXpress
Ketan Ji, It‘s been a long journey for Maya right since the days of Captain Vyom, to Ramayana to the new collaboration with Mukta and the creation of a fresh new entity. We‘d like to know what the strategy was back then and what is it now?
KETAN MEHTA: Maya was a pioneer of computer animation and visual effects in India. It was created with the purpose of providing the new technology tools for filmmakers in India. At that time animation and visual effects were in their infancy and we had to make a beginning to introduce this new creative technology in India.
Over the years Maya has grown many fold, it has done high quality animation outsourced work for reputed international clients, it has created film and TV IPRs and provided Animation and visual effects content for Indian and international films. It has acquired skills to compete in the international market and a reputation for high quality work.
Now it is time to go to the next level, expand activities, bring in the latest technology, attract the best talent and turn Maya into one of the finest animation and visual effects studios in the world.
Ketanji & Subhashji, we‘d love to have your comments on the partnership? Also, Is the new studio going to be more focused on Services or will it focus on creating a slate of feature films?
KETAN MEHTA: Mukta Arts is one of the most reputed film production and distribution houses in India. Mr. Subhash Ghai apart from being one of the most successful Indian filmmakers of all time is also a visionary who pioneered the corporatization of the film industry. His contribution in the field of Cinema education is also path breaking with high quality cinema training institute like Whistling woods. The strategic partnership with Mukta provides Maya the platform to leap to the next level and become a major player in this field.
SUBHASH GHAI: As of 2010, the Mukta Arts Group was present in almost all verticals of the Motion Picture Industry. Right from High School education in Media Studies (Whistling Woods is designing the curriculum for the Media Studies elective for the 11th & 12th standard of the CBSE board) to Exhibition (our own chain of multiplexes - Mukta Cinemas - commences April 2011), we are present in all verticals of the Motion Picture industry. The only piece that was missing was Animation & VFX. Internally, over the recent past, we have been seriously considering a foray into Animation & VFX and have been discussing with several professionals / organizations in this industry and strategizing which is the best approach - should we setup a production facility of our own or should we invest in one, and we chose the latter.Mr Ketan Mehta is a highly artistic & creative filmmaker and has also proven to be a visionary when, almost a decade ago, he realized the potential of Animation & VFX as a key component of filmmaking and forayed in the same.
KETAN MEHTA: Maya plans to strike a fine balance between doing international outsourced animation and VFX work for Indian and International clients as well as develop its own projects both animated films as well as films mixing live action and visual effects and create a slate of high quality IPRs.
SUBHASH GHAI: We are looking at the new studio having 4 primary business lines - Original IP creation, outsourced Animation & VFX work for international projects, international co-productions & 2D to 3D conversion. We are confident that this partnership of Mukta Arts‘ tradition of path breaking cinema and Maya‘s potential of success in the fields of Animation & VFX will bear fruit, sooner rather than later.
Having Frank Foster as Senior Director and COO is certainly a great start to the fresh entity...and makes us anticipate lots of Hollywood projects coming in as well...?
KETAN MEHTA: Frank Foster was the pioneer of Computer Animation and Visual Effects in Hollywood. He has years of experience in running studios not only in USA but also in China. He brings with him all this international experience and contacts in order to achieve the best international standards and business practices to Maya.
You are expanding the studio in 3 locations? What kind of team strength are you targeting? Will each of the facilities cater to different markets or be focused on servicing different geographies? Will the studio have any kind of integration with the Whistling Woods School of Animation?
KETAN MEHTA: Currently we are relocating the Mumbai studio to a much larger facility at Mukta House at Film City, Goregaon, which will primarily focus on animation and Visual effects for films and Television for Indian as well as International clients and creation of our original IPR.
Another studio at Goa will primarily cater to the international outsourced service work. Another major vertical we are developing is conversion of 2D films to 3D.
Maya has been involved with computer animation training for a long time. So the synergies with Whistling woods are obvious. To begin with we will conduct workshops and training programs for film students and also initiate an apprenticeship program at the studio for the students of Whistling woods.
SUBHASH GHAI: The Whistling Woods animation program has proven to be highly successful over the past 4 yrs in creating employable animation professionals, with all the 70+ alumni being gainfully employed. Now that the WWI School of Animation has expanded into VFX as well, with the first batch commencing in Jan 2011, we look at the Maya partnership as a large boost to the education we are trying to provide.
With Ketan & Frank Foster, both being high regarded professionals in the fields of Animation & VFX and Maya having had a history of Animation education, the synergies will definitely be there. Both Ketan & Frank have already conveyed their availability to teach students & take workshops, which we are thrilled about. We are also working out the modalities of an apprenticeship program for students who graduate the WWI Animation & VFX courses.
Subhashji as per your vision, was an animation studio always part of your plan or is this more of a dynamic development?
SUBHASH GHAI: In the early 1980s, Mukta Arts was formed as a film production house - relying on transparency and great quality entertainment. Over the years, Mukta Arts has consistently taken new steps and broken new ground, leading the corporatisation of the industry. When Mukta Arts went public in 2000, the only film production house at the time to go public, we laid out strategies for the next decade. Since 2000, Mukta Arts has built business models in Film education (Whistling Woods International), Programming & Distribution (Mukta Movie Distributors), Exhibition (‘Mukta Cinemas‘ chain of multiplexes open in April 2011) and now in the Animation & VFX industry through Maya Digital Studios.
Animation and VFX have been on our radar for the past couple of years and we have been exploring the right entry point into this sunrise industry. So, while investment in Maya, has been a matter of timing, we have been considering this industry for a while.
Ketanji, you have certainly stood by the discipline and medium of animation and visual effects. We‘d like to know from you about your passion for animation and VFX?
KETAN MEHTA: The genesis of Maya was out of deep creative despair. In early 1990s I was doing a film called ‘Maya Memsaab‘ with Deepa Sahi and Shahrukh Khan. There was one visual effects shot in the film where Maya drinks a magic potion, bursts into light and disappears. At that time we didn‘t have the basic necessary technology to do even this simple shot. We filmed it over 10 times, I even went to Hong Kong to do the visual effect but could not get the effect we wanted.
I felt ashamed that in spite of claiming to be the largest film industry in the world we were so technologically backward.
Around the same time digital technology was emerging in the field of animation and visual effects. So we decided to take the plunge and bring in this new technology to India and it has been a wonderful journey of continuous discovery.
I believe that digital technology is dramatically changing the way we produce, distribute and consume cinema. It is going to drive the future of not only entertainment industry but education and communication as well.
Subhashji, what according to you, needs to be done to bring distribution and trade circles to have more belief in the potential of animation?
SUBHASH GHAI: Firstly let me talk about VFX. The visual effects industry, is by essence a secondary services industry. While ‘visual effects‘ can never be the reason that films are made, and it should never be, the availability of high quality VFX artists & techniques in India is able to allow filmmakers to visualize stories that otherwise would not have been possible and push the quality of filmmaking to a different high.
As far as Animated filmmaking goes, I have always considered it as just another, albeit a little more expensive method, of telling stories. While it is relatively expensive, it is also equally expansive, allowing us to imagine & tell stories that we could never do in live action filmmaking.
That said, Animated films in India, unlike the US, are only a decade old. While we have had some brilliant work done in the last century by Bhimsainji & RamMohanji, as an industry or a filmmaking tool, it has emerged only in the last decade. It has yet to break into the mainstream Indian film-goers mindspace and create a platform on par with live action films. My belief is that this will happen soon and when it does, we have to be ready with the content (writing), vision (direction) and technical excellence to capitalize on it.
We have to use Distribution as a strong tool to send out our content to the world. We have to stop taking the easy way out and selling all rights en-mass. We have to break up these rights into multiple sub-rights and go out to the film / tv markets around the world and monetise them. This is how distributors will create value, even if the story is inherently Indian. If we are able to write & create a story that appeals globally, then the sky is the limit.
The other advantage India has is that we are somewhat cost effective vis-a-vis some of the western countries, while being able to deliver comparable quality. We should use this asset, our technical excellence and enter co-productions while continuing to develop our storylines. All it needs is one Indian story to appeal globally and the snowball effect will push the Indian Animation industry to the forefront.
Any parting comments you would like to share with the readers of AnimationXpress.com?
KETAN MEHTA: Technology now is liberating creativity like never before. Now we can create what ever we imagine. The future is extremely exciting.
SUBHASH GHAI: I am confident that, sooner rather than later, we, at Maya, will be able to create globally appealing stories, have them executed by the best creative & technical talent in India, have the ability to import talent as needed and create a self sustaining ecosystem of animated motion pictures in India and take it out to the world.
Source: AnimationXpress
The Reinvention of Maya: Exclusive interview with Super Stalwarts Subhash Ghai & Ketan Mehta
The announcement has just been made, but when companies led by two of the country‘s finest film directors, team up for an Animation Studio, the expectations are rocket sky high! In an exclusive interview with AnimationXpress.com Co Founder Anand Gurnani, the super stalwarts and legendary Subhash Ghai & Ketan Mehta spoke of their vision for Maya and their plan to create one of the world‘s best animation, vfx studios.
Ketan Ji, It‘s been a long journey for Maya right since the days of Captain Vyom, to Ramayana to the new collaboration with Mukta and the creation of a fresh new entity. We‘d like to know what the strategy was back then and what is it now?
KETAN MEHTA: Maya was a pioneer of computer animation and visual effects in India. It was created with the purpose of providing the new technology tools for filmmakers in India. At that time animation and visual effects were in their infancy and we had to make a beginning to introduce this new creative technology in India.
Over the years Maya has grown many fold, it has done high quality animation outsourced work for reputed international clients, it has created film and TV IPRs and provided Animation and visual effects content for Indian and international films. It has acquired skills to compete in the international market and a reputation for high quality work.
Now it is time to go to the next level, expand activities, bring in the latest technology, attract the best talent and turn Maya into one of the finest animation and visual effects studios in the world.
Ketanji & Subhashji, we‘d love to have your comments on the partnership? Also, Is the new studio going to be more focused on Services or will it focus on creating a slate of feature films?
KETAN MEHTA: Mukta Arts is one of the most reputed film production and distribution houses in India. Mr. Subhash Ghai apart from being one of the most successful Indian filmmakers of all time is also a visionary who pioneered the corporatization of the film industry. His contribution in the field of Cinema education is also path breaking with high quality cinema training institute like Whistling woods. The strategic partnership with Mukta provides Maya the platform to leap to the next level and become a major player in this field.
SUBHASH GHAI: As of 2010, the Mukta Arts Group was present in almost all verticals of the Motion Picture Industry. Right from High School education in Media Studies (Whistling Woods is designing the curriculum for the Media Studies elective for the 11th & 12th standard of the CBSE board) to Exhibition (our own chain of multiplexes - Mukta Cinemas - commences April 2011), we are present in all verticals of the Motion Picture industry. The only piece that was missing was Animation & VFX. Internally, over the recent past, we have been seriously considering a foray into Animation & VFX and have been discussing with several professionals / organizations in this industry and strategizing which is the best approach - should we setup a production facility of our own or should we invest in one, and we chose the latter.Mr Ketan Mehta is a highly artistic & creative filmmaker and has also proven to be a visionary when, almost a decade ago, he realized the potential of Animation & VFX as a key component of filmmaking and forayed in the same.
KETAN MEHTA: Maya plans to strike a fine balance between doing international outsourced animation and VFX work for Indian and International clients as well as develop its own projects both animated films as well as films mixing live action and visual effects and create a slate of high quality IPRs.
SUBHASH GHAI: We are looking at the new studio having 4 primary business lines - Original IP creation, outsourced Animation & VFX work for international projects, international co-productions & 2D to 3D conversion. We are confident that this partnership of Mukta Arts‘ tradition of path breaking cinema and Maya‘s potential of success in the fields of Animation & VFX will bear fruit, sooner rather than later.
Having Frank Foster as Senior Director and COO is certainly a great start to the fresh entity...and makes us anticipate lots of Hollywood projects coming in as well...?
KETAN MEHTA: Frank Foster was the pioneer of Computer Animation and Visual Effects in Hollywood. He has years of experience in running studios not only in USA but also in China. He brings with him all this international experience and contacts in order to achieve the best international standards and business practices to Maya.
You are expanding the studio in 3 locations? What kind of team strength are you targeting? Will each of the facilities cater to different markets or be focused on servicing different geographies? Will the studio have any kind of integration with the Whistling Woods School of Animation?
KETAN MEHTA: Currently we are relocating the Mumbai studio to a much larger facility at Mukta House at Film City, Goregaon, which will primarily focus on animation and Visual effects for films and Television for Indian as well as International clients and creation of our original IPR.
Another studio at Goa will primarily cater to the international outsourced service work. Another major vertical we are developing is conversion of 2D films to 3D.
Maya has been involved with computer animation training for a long time. So the synergies with Whistling woods are obvious. To begin with we will conduct workshops and training programs for film students and also initiate an apprenticeship program at the studio for the students of Whistling woods.
SUBHASH GHAI: The Whistling Woods animation program has proven to be highly successful over the past 4 yrs in creating employable animation professionals, with all the 70+ alumni being gainfully employed. Now that the WWI School of Animation has expanded into VFX as well, with the first batch commencing in Jan 2011, we look at the Maya partnership as a large boost to the education we are trying to provide.
With Ketan & Frank Foster, both being high regarded professionals in the fields of Animation & VFX and Maya having had a history of Animation education, the synergies will definitely be there. Both Ketan & Frank have already conveyed their availability to teach students & take workshops, which we are thrilled about. We are also working out the modalities of an apprenticeship program for students who graduate the WWI Animation & VFX courses.
Subhashji as per your vision, was an animation studio always part of your plan or is this more of a dynamic development?
SUBHASH GHAI: In the early 1980s, Mukta Arts was formed as a film production house - relying on transparency and great quality entertainment. Over the years, Mukta Arts has consistently taken new steps and broken new ground, leading the corporatisation of the industry. When Mukta Arts went public in 2000, the only film production house at the time to go public, we laid out strategies for the next decade. Since 2000, Mukta Arts has built business models in Film education (Whistling Woods International), Programming & Distribution (Mukta Movie Distributors), Exhibition (‘Mukta Cinemas‘ chain of multiplexes open in April 2011) and now in the Animation & VFX industry through Maya Digital Studios.
Animation and VFX have been on our radar for the past couple of years and we have been exploring the right entry point into this sunrise industry. So, while investment in Maya, has been a matter of timing, we have been considering this industry for a while.
Ketanji, you have certainly stood by the discipline and medium of animation and visual effects. We‘d like to know from you about your passion for animation and VFX?
KETAN MEHTA: The genesis of Maya was out of deep creative despair. In early 1990s I was doing a film called ‘Maya Memsaab‘ with Deepa Sahi and Shahrukh Khan. There was one visual effects shot in the film where Maya drinks a magic potion, bursts into light and disappears. At that time we didn‘t have the basic necessary technology to do even this simple shot. We filmed it over 10 times, I even went to Hong Kong to do the visual effect but could not get the effect we wanted.
I felt ashamed that in spite of claiming to be the largest film industry in the world we were so technologically backward.
Around the same time digital technology was emerging in the field of animation and visual effects. So we decided to take the plunge and bring in this new technology to India and it has been a wonderful journey of continuous discovery.
I believe that digital technology is dramatically changing the way we produce, distribute and consume cinema. It is going to drive the future of not only entertainment industry but education and communication as well.
Subhashji, what according to you, needs to be done to bring distribution and trade circles to have more belief in the potential of animation?
SUBHASH GHAI: Firstly let me talk about VFX. The visual effects industry, is by essence a secondary services industry. While ‘visual effects‘ can never be the reason that films are made, and it should never be, the availability of high quality VFX artists & techniques in India is able to allow filmmakers to visualize stories that otherwise would not have been possible and push the quality of filmmaking to a different high.
As far as Animated filmmaking goes, I have always considered it as just another, albeit a little more expensive method, of telling stories. While it is relatively expensive, it is also equally expansive, allowing us to imagine & tell stories that we could never do in live action filmmaking.
That said, Animated films in India, unlike the US, are only a decade old. While we have had some brilliant work done in the last century by Bhimsainji & RamMohanji, as an industry or a filmmaking tool, it has emerged only in the last decade. It has yet to break into the mainstream Indian film-goers mindspace and create a platform on par with live action films. My belief is that this will happen soon and when it does, we have to be ready with the content (writing), vision (direction) and technical excellence to capitalize on it.
We have to use Distribution as a strong tool to send out our content to the world. We have to stop taking the easy way out and selling all rights en-mass. We have to break up these rights into multiple sub-rights and go out to the film / tv markets around the world and monetise them. This is how distributors will create value, even if the story is inherently Indian. If we are able to write & create a story that appeals globally, then the sky is the limit.
The other advantage India has is that we are somewhat cost effective vis-a-vis some of the western countries, while being able to deliver comparable quality. We should use this asset, our technical excellence and enter co-productions while continuing to develop our storylines. All it needs is one Indian story to appeal globally and the snowball effect will push the Indian Animation industry to the forefront.
Any parting comments you would like to share with the readers of AnimationXpress.com?
KETAN MEHTA: Technology now is liberating creativity like never before. Now we can create what ever we imagine. The future is extremely exciting.
SUBHASH GHAI: I am confident that, sooner rather than later, we, at Maya, will be able to create globally appealing stories, have them executed by the best creative & technical talent in India, have the ability to import talent as needed and create a self sustaining ecosystem of animated motion pictures in India and take it out to the world.
Source: AnimationXpress
Ketan Ji, It‘s been a long journey for Maya right since the days of Captain Vyom, to Ramayana to the new collaboration with Mukta and the creation of a fresh new entity. We‘d like to know what the strategy was back then and what is it now?
KETAN MEHTA: Maya was a pioneer of computer animation and visual effects in India. It was created with the purpose of providing the new technology tools for filmmakers in India. At that time animation and visual effects were in their infancy and we had to make a beginning to introduce this new creative technology in India.
Over the years Maya has grown many fold, it has done high quality animation outsourced work for reputed international clients, it has created film and TV IPRs and provided Animation and visual effects content for Indian and international films. It has acquired skills to compete in the international market and a reputation for high quality work.
Now it is time to go to the next level, expand activities, bring in the latest technology, attract the best talent and turn Maya into one of the finest animation and visual effects studios in the world.
Ketanji & Subhashji, we‘d love to have your comments on the partnership? Also, Is the new studio going to be more focused on Services or will it focus on creating a slate of feature films?
KETAN MEHTA: Mukta Arts is one of the most reputed film production and distribution houses in India. Mr. Subhash Ghai apart from being one of the most successful Indian filmmakers of all time is also a visionary who pioneered the corporatization of the film industry. His contribution in the field of Cinema education is also path breaking with high quality cinema training institute like Whistling woods. The strategic partnership with Mukta provides Maya the platform to leap to the next level and become a major player in this field.
SUBHASH GHAI: As of 2010, the Mukta Arts Group was present in almost all verticals of the Motion Picture Industry. Right from High School education in Media Studies (Whistling Woods is designing the curriculum for the Media Studies elective for the 11th & 12th standard of the CBSE board) to Exhibition (our own chain of multiplexes - Mukta Cinemas - commences April 2011), we are present in all verticals of the Motion Picture industry. The only piece that was missing was Animation & VFX. Internally, over the recent past, we have been seriously considering a foray into Animation & VFX and have been discussing with several professionals / organizations in this industry and strategizing which is the best approach - should we setup a production facility of our own or should we invest in one, and we chose the latter.Mr Ketan Mehta is a highly artistic & creative filmmaker and has also proven to be a visionary when, almost a decade ago, he realized the potential of Animation & VFX as a key component of filmmaking and forayed in the same.
KETAN MEHTA: Maya plans to strike a fine balance between doing international outsourced animation and VFX work for Indian and International clients as well as develop its own projects both animated films as well as films mixing live action and visual effects and create a slate of high quality IPRs.
SUBHASH GHAI: We are looking at the new studio having 4 primary business lines - Original IP creation, outsourced Animation & VFX work for international projects, international co-productions & 2D to 3D conversion. We are confident that this partnership of Mukta Arts‘ tradition of path breaking cinema and Maya‘s potential of success in the fields of Animation & VFX will bear fruit, sooner rather than later.
Having Frank Foster as Senior Director and COO is certainly a great start to the fresh entity...and makes us anticipate lots of Hollywood projects coming in as well...?
KETAN MEHTA: Frank Foster was the pioneer of Computer Animation and Visual Effects in Hollywood. He has years of experience in running studios not only in USA but also in China. He brings with him all this international experience and contacts in order to achieve the best international standards and business practices to Maya.
You are expanding the studio in 3 locations? What kind of team strength are you targeting? Will each of the facilities cater to different markets or be focused on servicing different geographies? Will the studio have any kind of integration with the Whistling Woods School of Animation?
KETAN MEHTA: Currently we are relocating the Mumbai studio to a much larger facility at Mukta House at Film City, Goregaon, which will primarily focus on animation and Visual effects for films and Television for Indian as well as International clients and creation of our original IPR.
Another studio at Goa will primarily cater to the international outsourced service work. Another major vertical we are developing is conversion of 2D films to 3D.
Maya has been involved with computer animation training for a long time. So the synergies with Whistling woods are obvious. To begin with we will conduct workshops and training programs for film students and also initiate an apprenticeship program at the studio for the students of Whistling woods.
SUBHASH GHAI: The Whistling Woods animation program has proven to be highly successful over the past 4 yrs in creating employable animation professionals, with all the 70+ alumni being gainfully employed. Now that the WWI School of Animation has expanded into VFX as well, with the first batch commencing in Jan 2011, we look at the Maya partnership as a large boost to the education we are trying to provide.
With Ketan & Frank Foster, both being high regarded professionals in the fields of Animation & VFX and Maya having had a history of Animation education, the synergies will definitely be there. Both Ketan & Frank have already conveyed their availability to teach students & take workshops, which we are thrilled about. We are also working out the modalities of an apprenticeship program for students who graduate the WWI Animation & VFX courses.
Subhashji as per your vision, was an animation studio always part of your plan or is this more of a dynamic development?
SUBHASH GHAI: In the early 1980s, Mukta Arts was formed as a film production house - relying on transparency and great quality entertainment. Over the years, Mukta Arts has consistently taken new steps and broken new ground, leading the corporatisation of the industry. When Mukta Arts went public in 2000, the only film production house at the time to go public, we laid out strategies for the next decade. Since 2000, Mukta Arts has built business models in Film education (Whistling Woods International), Programming & Distribution (Mukta Movie Distributors), Exhibition (‘Mukta Cinemas‘ chain of multiplexes open in April 2011) and now in the Animation & VFX industry through Maya Digital Studios.
Animation and VFX have been on our radar for the past couple of years and we have been exploring the right entry point into this sunrise industry. So, while investment in Maya, has been a matter of timing, we have been considering this industry for a while.
Ketanji, you have certainly stood by the discipline and medium of animation and visual effects. We‘d like to know from you about your passion for animation and VFX?
KETAN MEHTA: The genesis of Maya was out of deep creative despair. In early 1990s I was doing a film called ‘Maya Memsaab‘ with Deepa Sahi and Shahrukh Khan. There was one visual effects shot in the film where Maya drinks a magic potion, bursts into light and disappears. At that time we didn‘t have the basic necessary technology to do even this simple shot. We filmed it over 10 times, I even went to Hong Kong to do the visual effect but could not get the effect we wanted.
I felt ashamed that in spite of claiming to be the largest film industry in the world we were so technologically backward.
Around the same time digital technology was emerging in the field of animation and visual effects. So we decided to take the plunge and bring in this new technology to India and it has been a wonderful journey of continuous discovery.
I believe that digital technology is dramatically changing the way we produce, distribute and consume cinema. It is going to drive the future of not only entertainment industry but education and communication as well.
Subhashji, what according to you, needs to be done to bring distribution and trade circles to have more belief in the potential of animation?
SUBHASH GHAI: Firstly let me talk about VFX. The visual effects industry, is by essence a secondary services industry. While ‘visual effects‘ can never be the reason that films are made, and it should never be, the availability of high quality VFX artists & techniques in India is able to allow filmmakers to visualize stories that otherwise would not have been possible and push the quality of filmmaking to a different high.
As far as Animated filmmaking goes, I have always considered it as just another, albeit a little more expensive method, of telling stories. While it is relatively expensive, it is also equally expansive, allowing us to imagine & tell stories that we could never do in live action filmmaking.
That said, Animated films in India, unlike the US, are only a decade old. While we have had some brilliant work done in the last century by Bhimsainji & RamMohanji, as an industry or a filmmaking tool, it has emerged only in the last decade. It has yet to break into the mainstream Indian film-goers mindspace and create a platform on par with live action films. My belief is that this will happen soon and when it does, we have to be ready with the content (writing), vision (direction) and technical excellence to capitalize on it.
We have to use Distribution as a strong tool to send out our content to the world. We have to stop taking the easy way out and selling all rights en-mass. We have to break up these rights into multiple sub-rights and go out to the film / tv markets around the world and monetise them. This is how distributors will create value, even if the story is inherently Indian. If we are able to write & create a story that appeals globally, then the sky is the limit.
The other advantage India has is that we are somewhat cost effective vis-a-vis some of the western countries, while being able to deliver comparable quality. We should use this asset, our technical excellence and enter co-productions while continuing to develop our storylines. All it needs is one Indian story to appeal globally and the snowball effect will push the Indian Animation industry to the forefront.
Any parting comments you would like to share with the readers of AnimationXpress.com?
KETAN MEHTA: Technology now is liberating creativity like never before. Now we can create what ever we imagine. The future is extremely exciting.
SUBHASH GHAI: I am confident that, sooner rather than later, we, at Maya, will be able to create globally appealing stories, have them executed by the best creative & technical talent in India, have the ability to import talent as needed and create a self sustaining ecosystem of animated motion pictures in India and take it out to the world.
Source: AnimationXpress
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