Computer Graphics World

Visual Effects on the Rise After the initial focus on animation, the visual eff ects industry is now developing rapidly. Its output could one day eclipse animated production because of the perva- siveness of visual eff ects in fi lms of all types, which increasingly includes Bollywood re- leases. A sign of the times is the fi rst educa- tional facility in India focusing only on vi- sual eff ects, aptly named "fx school," which is opening in Mumbai later this year. One of the early VFX leaders is the small Pune studio, Anibrain, whose work on Ang Lee's fi lm Lust Caution won awards and ac- claim at the Venice Film Festival. Anibrain founder Jesh Krishna Murthy spent many years working abroad in the US, Canada, and the UK before opening his Pune facil- ity. Another prominent visual eff ects house is Red Chillies, founded by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, which most recently swept India fi lm awards programs for Best Visual Eff ects with the movie Om Shanti Om. As in Hollywood and elsewhere, the move- ment includes world-class boutique facili- ties as well as ones with large international operations. Primefocus, based in Mumbai, has studios worldwide, including the op- erations of Frantic Films in its quiver. A solid infrastructure is rising up to sup- port the Indian animation and VFX indus- tries, including trade shows and outreach eff orts aimed at young artists. CGTantra, an industry association led by RK Chand, provides a voice and venue for all artists and technologists. e CGExpo event, held each May, which Chand likens to India's version of SIGGRAPH, attracted more than 10,000 attendees to its inaugu- ral event last year. Rhythm & Hues Studios, celebrating its seventh year in India, regularly hosts CG Meet-Ups in Mumbai and Hyderabad to discuss topics such as modeling, sculpting, rendering, art history, animation, and skills needed to advance in the industry. Other ac- tive community groups include Asifa, Tasi, Abai, Women in Animation, and Toon Club, and there are ongoing eff orts to glo- balize and work with ACM SIGGRAPH. Looking ahead, the ecosystem that has been built for India's fi lm industry sup- ports professional fi lmmakers and artists as well as students. Despite setbacks, such as the current economic downturn and the tragic terrorist attack in Mumbai, the industry continues to expand. Studios are not only working on feature fi lms, they are also producing domestic Indian-themed content, winning rave reviews. A skilled local labor force is emerging, and this will grow steadily as new schools and training centers open around the country this year. Digital Bollywood is becoming a reality. I'm grateful to have had a front-row seat to witness the unleashing of a major new cre- ative force benefi tting the animation and VFX communities worldwide with fresh energy, skills, and ideas. ■ Laura Dohrmann is the business development and marketing manager for Nvidia's Digital Film Group. May 2009 39 Animation•VFX ■ ■ ■ ■

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