VCL’s expertise in two- and three-dimensional animation, special effects and game development has won it business and plaudits from customers in India as well as abroad. From feature films to television commercials, the company is working with some of the biggest names in the business while leading the charge of an Indian animation industry that is now finding its place in the global sun.

In this interview with Shobha Ramswamy, K. Chandrashekar, who heads VCL, shares some of the high points of the division and its plans for the future.

This division was started over two years ago with the goal of becoming a world-class studio in animation and visual effects, addressing the domestic as well as international market. Unlike most start-ups, we spent a lot of time and effort in researching and understanding the demands of the local and global markets.

VCL has a strong technical foundation and product design capabilities. We have already made inroads into the gaming arena, providing both graphics and programming. This requires high software skills. Our long-standing association with Alias, as co-developers and system integrators, has given us an in-depth understanding of programming tools; that’s what provides us an edge.

Currently we are leveraging our unique mix of creative and specialised skills in three-dimensional computer graphics, animation and visual effects to offer pre-production, production and post-production services. VCL caters to the advertising, film and television, and gaming industries across the world. Initially we are into providing only services, but as we gain expertise and knowledge we will be offering more. Our long-term vision is to produce and distribute content.

Versatility in handling diverse styles of animation and the ability to provide quality, cost-effective and on-time services through a single window remains a key strength at VCL.

Will animation be the next outsourcing wave to hit India?
Almost 10 years ago, when two-dimensional animation films such as Lion King got too expensive to be made in the West, Hollywood studios started outsourcing this work to South-East Asian countries. The quality of the work remained constant, but the costs got reduced substantially. South Korea, one of many beneficiaries of this development, has a large number of animation outfits, some that have more than 1,000 people.

The scenario is now being repeated with three-dimensional films. Monsters Inc cost more than $90 million to make. Naturally, Hollywood studios are looking to outsource this animation work and, thanks to the success of our software industry, India is being seriously considered. Since last year we have been approaching many studios and conducting test runs with them. The feedback we have got on the quality of our work has been fantastic.

The research and development work we did for the Oscars last year has, I believe, put us in a different league altogether. We are one of the few organised players in India and our strengths are our people — the best animation artists and graphic software developers in the country — our structured processes, which focus on delivering high quality output on time and within budgets, and the financial resources to sustain long production cycles. The Tata lineage also plays an important role.

How are you faring in the Indian market?
Visual effects are fast gaining popularity among our film fraternity. In Bollywood this increase in awareness has meant longer, more complex and more sophisticated ‘effects’ shots. We have done some excellent work for Hindi, Tamil and Kannada films.

In the new Shah Rukh Khan movie, Swades, we added depth to several natural phenomena sequences (night skies, stars, moon and clouds), did three-dimensional modelling and compositing, and also executed all the theatrical teasers and trailers. Though the visual effects were understated, it was extremely involving. Subtle effects are far more complicated to work on since one strives to achieve effortless normalcy as compared with in-your-face effects.

Similarly, the challenge with Kal Ho Na Ho was in creating special effects that go beyond the conventional treatment used in tricks, stunts and action sequences. There are 40 minutes of effects in the film and the challenge was to make the special effects as subtle as possible, so much so that the audience does not ‘feel’ the effects. The effects are not felt visibly; they are used to enhance storytelling in an effective manner.

Our other movie credits include Agni Pankh, Shyam Benegal’s Netaji, and Shankar’s Boys and Fun2sh.

How long does it take to complete a typical project?
Our Bangalore office handles most of the three-dimensional animation work and our Mumbai office offers VFX services. It takes about 150 professionals to produce 22 minutes of animation every month — that is the scale of our work. Kal Ho Na Ho took about three months to complete. One of the key goals from our side is to set realistic deadlines.

Apart from creative inputs, our VFX supervisors get involved right from the scripting stage, bringing in tremendous value by ensuring that wastage and unnecessary work does not get carried into the post-production process. Our VFX supervisors ensure the smooth execution of the effects, thus cutting down on our clients’ costs.

What are the biggest challenges in this field?
Each project has its own set of problems and challenges. Shyam Benegal’s Netaji required us to design a submarine; this called for a lot of research and plenty of sketches before we settled on the final look. The biggest challenge, though, lies in finding quality animators; they are critical to this manpower-intensive industry. There is a dearth of good talent and this tells; experienced animators are the lifeblood of the industry.

What are the future plans for this division?
Our research and development team is constantly working on interesting technologies that have potential value for our industry. We have also started doing ‘animatics’, where animated storyboards are used before the actual production of an advertising commercial. This means that, before moving into the production stage, agencies can actually research and receive feedback on their proposed commercials. This money-saving option is increasingly being adopted by agencies.

We intend to move up the value chain in each of the markets we are addressing. For example, at the moment we have positioned ourselves as a services-only house and do not co-develop content. As we go along we will move up the value chain and start co-producing and also producing content. We will also start designing rather than merely executing. Distribution of content is another future interest for VCL. The broad idea is be among the best in the world.

Uploaded on January 5, 2005