The 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) launched its animation and VFX pipeline workshop, led by Rahul Babu Kannikkara, a senior animator at Warner Brothers. This five-day program which began on 16 June 2024 was organised by and was held at National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Mumbai.
A total of 23 animators from various parts of India and abroad are participating in this workshop, which offers an opportunity to delve into the world of animation, movies, series and gaming. The workshop attracted participants from 16 to 55 years of age.
Kannikkara, who is known for his work on Batman and Wonder Woman, guided participants through practical knowledge and industry acumen, helping them craft their own animation clips and understand the nuances of movie and gaming animation pipelines. The Montreal-based animator said that the workshop serves as a foundational course that ignites interest in animation among beginners.
At the end of the workshop, participants will be encouraged to create a 10 to 15-second animation video.
“Though most of the students are beginners in animation, their response has been very positive, and they are catching up quickly,” said Kannikkara. “The main purpose is to get the students comfortable with Blender software and provide them with basic information about the animation industry worldwide. By the end of the course, students will also gain experience with VFX and gaming pipelines.” Career guidance will also be provided to participants, helping them find animation-related job opportunities both in India and abroad.
The workshop aims to equip participants with the skills needed to thrive in the field. Maxine Jardiner, an aspiring animator from Australia participating in the workshop, shared that she is learning basics like making characters scroll and jump and placing character parts in the right positions. “We are also learning about the backend of keyframes. MIFF has been a great experience for meeting new people and watching interesting films. I really enjoyed the panel discussions—they are engaging and offer insights into different filmmakers and the importance of documenting and sharing diverse stories. I look forward to seeing more movies,” Jardiner said.
Jose Paul, a freelancer and retired polymer technologist, registered for this course to upskill himself and learn about animation. He believes it will aid his professional development. “There is a lot of scope for animators here. The basic idea of this course is to spark interest in animation so that more people will consider a career in this emerging field,” he said.
The workshop will conclude on 20 June, 2024.
MIFF is taking place from 15 June to 21 June at NFDC in Mumbai.