Career Opportunities in Animation and Gaming
A LOW LEVEL of awareness coupled with a scarcity of skilled professionals is restricting the growth of animation and gaming in India – an industry that is expected to rake in Rs 3,900 crore by 2013, recording a compound annual growth rate of 17.8 per cent. Some reports even indicate that the industry has notched up an over 200 per cent increase in revenues in the past six months.
The sector has immense potential, says Vikas Tomar, chief operating officer of the Academy of Animation & Gaming (AAG), an institute that offers courses in animation and gaming.
With the two Industries booming exponentially, the worldwide animation industry is estimated to reach $ 80 billion (Rs 380,800 crore) by 2010, and gaming will $ 42 billion (Rs 199,920 crore) by the same year.
But India’s share in both industries is lagging behind. It has less to do with demand not keeping up with the supply, and more with the quality of skilled professionals. “ My work has taken me to many places around the world,” Tomar says. “ But I have seen that in India and China the quality of work is quite low.” The problem is that most young people are not aware of the career opportunities in animation and gaming.
Tomar’s father, who’s an IIT alumnus, for instance, was hesitant at first when Tomar showed an interest in pursuing a career in animation. “ He wanted me to opt for conventional careers such as medicine, engineering or the civil services,” he recalls. “ It’s the same story in most middle- class families.” Some young people also cite the ‘ high’ cost of pursuing an animation course as a deterrent for taking up this career.
Tomar cleared the air on this issue as well. “ A student who wants to become a doctor takes up to 10 years for his medical education, spending about Rs 3 lakh a year on an average. An animation course in delhi will cost just a fraction of that, about Rs 4 lakh in three years,” he said.
A doctor can expect to earn about Rs 45,000 at an institution such as AIIMS only after getting an MD, but for animators, there’s good money to be made, especially if they are talented.
For starters, students can attend a short- term course or a long- term programme depending on their career goals. AAG, for instance, has a spectrum of academic programmes for all kinds of career seekers aspirants, from certificate courses to degree programmes ( B. Sc. in Animation from Karnataka State Open University).
AAG also offers courses in association with the University of Teesside, Middleborough (UK), whose animation programme is rated as one of the top 20 in the world. Students also have the option of pursuing a BA (Hons) in Animation, along with a B. Sc. in Game Programming, offered by Teesside.
With animation and gaming becoming a combined force to reckon with, they have ceased to be mere fun and games.
CAREER TRACKS IN ANIMATION & GAMING
After successfully completing an animation course, students can get jobs as graphic designers, web designers, 2D/ 3D animators, 2D/ 3D designers, audio- visual (AV) editors, technical trainers, 3D modelers, multimedia programmers, compositors, visualisers, content developers, and pre- and postproduction executives.
The career avenues that one can explore are production houses, advertising films, television serials, medical institutes and aeronautical science facilities, apart from animation studios and gaming companies.
A junior animator usually starts with Rs 10,000 per month, but can expect great salary jumps over the years. The qualities expected from a good animator are hard work, dedication and creative vision. Contrary to popular belief, you need not be from a Science background and you can opt for an animation course right after Class XII.
