Animation India would open an animation school for training and would deploy the internationally trained and experienced manpower as its disposal for training activities, in a bid to meet the acute shortfall of trained personnel in India even as the animation industry grows at a rapid pace.

  Bill Dennis, President and CEO, Toonz said, "Toonz Animation School, providing fully intensive training of international standard by a faculty of expatriates, would be launched beginning the mid of May 2003." He added that those who enroll for the Toonz program would also be provided with an opportunity to work in real animation on international projects as a part of the course content. They would also have the unique opportunity to learn and work in development and pre-production.

  " The program will provide job opportunities to many. Currently, there is a server gap between the demand and supply of trained personnel in animation segment in India as the animation industry is growing very fast. The avenues available for training to match this growth are limited. That's why we have decided to enter the scene and open a channel that will provide trained talents on a continuous basis to the industry," Dennis explained.

  Only a limited number of seats are available for all the three courses. Eligibility for the course is formal training in art and design and/or a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. The selection process consists of a candidate portfolio review and admission tests. The trust would be on drafting skills and the understanding of posing, staging and movement in the Animation course and hence, the portfolio should include quick action sketches of humans or animals, which show the potential for movement. The focus would be on designing of sets in Layout course and the portfolio should include layout drawings demonstrating composition, lighting and staging abilities.

  Toonz Animation has also entered in to a tie-up with a financial institution to provide support to the students intending to join the course. Students who excel in the course would be provided placement in Toonz Animation's studios in Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai.

Toonz Animation School's programs in three areas:

(a)Animation-six-month course (four months basic training and two months on-the-job training)
(b) Layout-six-month course (four months basic training and two months on-the-job training)
(c) In-between/Clean up-four-month course (two-month basic training and two month on-the-job training).

Courtesy:The DQ Week