In the recent past 2D style of animation has once again come to the forefront, not just globally but in the Indian sub-continent as well. With major players like Green Gold Animation, Toonz Animation and Maya Digital Studios already in the mix, it has also seen younger and fresher studios like HopMotion Animation taking baby steps in this two dimensional style of work in a 3D cluttered environment.
Now, news is that HopMotion Animation, led by Anish Patel, has found a strong ally in the Ottawa, Canada based animation studio, One World Animation led by AJ Cote. The two are currently collaborating on a major project out of France and plans are afoot to create a lot more original IPs and engaging content.
Speaking on the collaboration HopMotion Animation founder Anish Patel says: “The idea is to really do some ground breaking work, but by keeping things simple. We have the right talent pool and the skill set to pull off these projects, while keeping a check on budgets and time and that is the secret to the success of our studio.”
One World Animation president AJ Cote and HopMotion COO Neel Lukkani have an eight year old history working together and bringing productions to life while pushing the limits of Toon Boom’s Harmony software. AJ’s history with Toon Boom goes back to 2003 when it was being beta tested at Mercury Filmworks. It has since become the premier 2D animation software used by all major animation producers.
“One World Animation is a culmination of my years of experience spanning the globe working within the animation industry. It was born out of necessity as I had developed relationships with many global studios looking to break into the mainstream service work that can be very profitable,” revealed AJ over an e-mail chat to AnimationXpress.com.
AJ has held almost every position possible in 2D animation production and even worked as a worldwide trainer for Toon Boom Animation. Combined with the creative drive of Anish Patel and the strong background and understanding of the space that AJ brings to the table, this partnership has over 20 years of combined experience in animation and thus the ability to be a major player in the world of animation.
Commenting on the association with HopMotion Animation, AJ exults: “With HopMotion I have an already established relationship. We worked together in the past and have thrived by learning so much from each other. Over the years, though far apart, we have continued our partnership. Since joining forces with HopMotion with Neel at the helm, we have been working hard and I have been seeing amazing results because of their hard work. We will continue to garner interest in our services because of this synergy.”
This also won’t be the first time that AJ is having a tryst with an Indian animation studio, “I lived and worked for a studio in India for over a year, and I’ve also been on training missions there in the past. There is abundance of talent and hard working artists in the country; with the proper guidance I’ve seen great things come out of there and I believe that there is a lot more to come. I believe at one point it grew too fast and it has suffered a little, but studios like HopMotion have risen to the top with the proper ownership and mentors. I’m excited to be working with a world class organisation like this,” AJ informs.
One World Animation and HopMotion Animation are utilising both strategic locations in North America and Asia, to access major talent for their studios.
AJ believes that the only way to success is to have a production pipeline that can use resources worldwide and create a seamless production that operates almost 24 hours a day using the global resources at one’s fingertips. “We can always take contracts from anywhere without fear of delays in production due to timezone differences. With HopMotion leading the way in an opposing time zone, I can trust everything is under control even while I sleep,” he ends.
Things are certainly looking up for the Indian animation industry with such collaborations coming about, and with the recent theatrical success of Harry Baweja’s ‘Chaar Shaibzaade’, watch out for this powerhouse of animation in the very near future.
