Animators make hay as job prospects soar

GUWAHATI: The animation industry in the city has vastly benefitted with several media houses and web designing firms setting up shop in Guwahati. As the city’s economy and demography changes with the availability of more job opportunities, the demand for talented professional animators too has been growing.
Around 60 young animators and designers showcased their digital works — including illustrations, vector art, digital painting, photography, sketches and short films — in an exhibition at the State Art Gallery at Rabindra Bhawan.Organised by a city-based animation institute, the event which concluded on Wednesday displayed 74 exhibits and three short and live action films shot and made by the students.
The exhibition also showcased 3D manifestation of created images as well. Vibrant and energetic, the works, some of them based on pop-culture characters. “Digital art can be defined as the usage of digital tools to produce images through an external device — like pen tablet — that give artists to draw free-hand,” said Bhaskar Jyoti Das, a student.
Lakshmi B Kashyap, an animation teacher, said: “Animation is now much more feasible profession in the city when compared to the situation some years, when there were few firms that used animation to enhance their projects. But with the increase in number architecture firms and media outlets over the past few years, the demand for animators has increased. It was seen that few years ago students pursuing animation used to go to Bangalore, Mumbai and other places for better opportunities, but this trend is lowly changing.”
Other students said: “Usually we think of a topic and set a degree through which we try to conceptualise it. We make a sketch and then set to put in the different contours, shapes, contrasts and colours. We are greatly inspired by Hollywood films and our teachers. ”