Jun 05

Most played game online and mobile over the Covid-19 lockdown in India is ‘PUBG’

Posted in: Animation

According to SEMRush study online games like PUBG, Minecraft, Fortnight Battle Royale, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, World of Warcraft, and Clash of Clans have seen increased traction during May – when the country was battling the coronavirus-driven lockdown.

Almost 22 lakh people played PUBG last month making it the most popular game in the country. Second came Minecraft that was played by 8.2 lakh people. About 8.5 lakh people played Fortnite, 1.5 lakh played League of Legends, 1.5 lakh played Counter-Strike, 1.1 lakh people picked World of Warcraft and another 1.1 chose Clash of Clans.

The related searches on games have also seen a sharp spike between January and April. Keywords related to gaming competitions that were most searched include Fortnite World Cup, Counter-Strike, Pokemon World Championships and League of Legends World Championship. Online searches for Mobile Premier League (MPL) saw a 406 per cent rise in the same period.

From January to April 2020, there was a 406 per cent increase in the number of searches on MPL, the study said.

Coming to mobile games, India’s favourites are PUBG Mobile, Subway Surfers, Ludo King, Garena Free Fire, Temple Run, Angry Birds, and Clash of Clans which were searched 10 lakh times, 8.2 lakh, 18 lakh, two lakh, 2.4 lakh, 1.6 lakh, and 1.1 lakh times respectively from January to April this year.

There is no denying that Indians are spending a significant amount of time during the coronavirus-driven lockdown in playing online games.

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Jun 05

Annecy 2020 announces the list of animation veterans for Masterclass and Preview programmes

Posted in: Animation

The first all-online Annecy festival 2020 has revealed noted names from the  international animation community to be joining the previously announced Masterclass, Work-in-Progress and Preview highlights.

All the veterans will speak about the passion that drives them for their craft of art and animation.

The details are as follows – 

> Dean DeBlois, writer-director (How to Train Your Dragon films) will have a conversation with Variety‘s Peter Debruge on 18 June at 5pm (CET), and will be replaying at Annecy Online until 30 June.

> Henry Selick, director and Bruno Coulais, composer, will discuss the role of music in Selick’s filmography and their collaborations on Coraline, as well as their upcoming film Wendell & Wild. This will also be available to view from 15 to 30 June.

> Legendary Disney directors Ron Clements and John Musker of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, The Princess and the Frog, Moana will discuss on – Animation, Careers and Industry on 19 June 19 live at 6pm (CET), following a replay at Annecy Online until 30 June.

Ron Clements and John Musker

> Sexual Violence in Animation by the Blies Brothers. The directors will discuss and analyse the power of animation for addressing the issue of sexual violence.

Presented in 2019, the Blies Brothers’ Zero Impunity is hybrid animation and live recording in a feature film about sexual violence in wartime. Ghostdance, the second part in pre-production, will deal with indigenous femicide in Canada from a fictitious and poetic perspective. The third part, Aimer moins, will be focused on attachment and detachment theories. A film about a blighted and abused childhood, but it is especially a film about the friendship of two friends rehabilitating. Zero Impunity will be available from 15 to 30 June with a live Q&A on 22 June at 2 (CET). Zero Impunity will also be available for viewing on the platform throughout the Festival.

> In Cartoon Network Studios: The Art of Storyboarding, the fans will discover the artists behind some of CNs’ hit series such as Summer Camp Island, The Amazing World of Gumball and Apple & Onion. During this exclusive masterclass, they will share their journeys, learnings and tips for aspiring storyboard artists worldwide from 15 to 30 June. The panelists are:

Mic Graves –The Amazing World of Gumball series director; Elliott From Earth executive producer and series director. 

Julia Pott – Summer Camp Island creator.

Alabaster Pizzo – Summer Camp Island storyboard artist. 

Chuck Klein – Apple & Onion director. 

> Work-in-Progress lineup, a first-look at Baobab Studios’s Baba Yaga — the Asteroid! and Bonfire studio’s latest immersive storytelling experience. Featured speakers will include:

Baobab Studios co-founder Maureen Fan, Baobab Studios co-founder and director Eric Darnell, Baobab Studios co-founder and CTO Larry Cutler, as well as several other key members of the Baobab team such as:

Kane Lee – head of content

Mathias Chelebourg – co-director

Baba Yaga

Ken Fountain – animation supervisor

Glenn Hernandez – production designer

This session will be Available to view from from 15 to 30 June, along with a live Q&A on 22 June at 6pm (CET).

Annecy 2020 is also having a Preview section, where one can catch up on the latest developments in the anticipated animated features:

> Connected – Directed by Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, it’s a comedy about an everyday family’s struggle to relate while technology rises up around the world! Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, from Sony Pictures Animation, the film is distributed by Columbia Pictures / SPA.

Yakari

> Yakari – Directed by Xavier Giacometti and Toby Genkel, the film is produced by Dargaud Media, Wunderwerk GmbH and Belvision, distributed by BAC Films. This film revolves around Yakari, the little Sioux boy who sets out on his own to follow the trail of Little Thunder, a wild, untameable mustang. What follows is a great adventure and way back home.

> La Calesita – Directed by Augusto Schillaci, produced by Reel FX, this film tells the heartfelt story of the beloved Argentinian merry-go-round operators who have dedicated their lives to providing fun and happiness to children and their neighborhoods.

Apart from these, two favourite franchises have been added to the Making Of line-up.

> Chicken Run – 20 years after the release of Chicken Run, Nick Park and Peter Lord look back at the making of this film which changed the history of animation and brought Aardman to a new level. The film was distributed by DreamWorks Animation SKG.

> Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 – The filmmakers who created the next chapter in the Frozen saga, had immense pressure on them, in fact more so when cameras were present to capture the last year of production as the team raced against the clock. 

Frozen 2 filmmakers, including Walt Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer Jennifer Lee and her fellow director Chris Buck, will share insights into the creation of both the film and the documentary series that followed them through the process. 

Jennifer Lee

Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 is a rare and raw look at the creativity, passion and hard work that go into the craft of animation, giving viewers an insight into the world of artists and storytellers as never before.

The first episode will be available to discover in OV with French subtitles from 26 to 28 June. All six episodes of Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 will be streamed on Disney+ on 26 June.

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Jun 05

‘Sesame Street’ spin-off, ‘The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo’, most popular show on HBO Max after launch

Posted in: Animation

The international OTT space is growing everyday with new players, and noted names stepping into the business. HBO Max, from WarnerMedia Entertainment, that launched on 27 May in the US, is the newest entrant.

As Bloomberg reports, the most popular series of the new OTT platform is not Game of Thrones or the animated classic, Looney Tunes as anticipated. Rather it’s the Sesame Street spin-off, The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo.

The report further states that for the first four days after the launch of HBO Max, cartoons topped the list with an “index of demand at 19.4 times higher than the average, owing to that one show.”

In this show, the host Elmo interviews celebrity guests along with his co-host, Cookie Monster. The series consists of 13 episodes.

Apart from that, the streaming service stated that original projects such as Personal life with Anna Kendrick, has also found a place in top-three.

Iconic HBO properties like, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, F.R.I.E.N.D.S and Big Bang Theory, didn’t see high demand. 

Animated shows and films are grabbing eyeballs more presently. The medium though quite popular has been becoming mainstream from the periphery. Earlier, the new animated series from the author of Rick and Morty has become the most popular show on Hulu.

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Jun 05

“We continue to work with our clients and our employees to find the best way through this crisis”: Redefine Global Head Rohan Desai

Posted in: Animation

For decades, VFX like many other industries has been reliant on cramming as many artists as possible in a big office where they can deliver on tight deadlines, beavering away on their computers to create the digital wizardry that transmogrifies the raw footages of your favourite movies and shows into a visual treat.

By this time everybody is aware of how COVID-19 has affected various sectors and industries globally including entertainment. While outdoor entertainments, theatres, cinemas and live-action projects stand still, the animation sector, though affected, is still kicking.

Redefine Global Head Rohan Desai

Previously we covered how the studios across the country like Green Gold Animation, Toonz Animation and Wackytoon Studio, Splash Entertainment have been grappling with this pandemic-induced challenges while producing riveting episodes for kids content. Recently we at AnimationXpress caught up with Rohan Desai who is the global head of Redefine; one of India’s most reputed VFX & Animation Studio to know about their take on the the current crisis and their preparedness quotient to sail through it in the wake of the nation-wide shutdown.

As DNEG’s award-winning global visual effects, animation and stereo conversion business’s offering; ReDefine started its operations in 2019 with the objective of bridging the gap between the East and West, offering creative services like animation and visual effect to expanding international markets such as China and India, as well as other global independent productions.

Here are are the excerpts fo the conversation :-

How is ReDefine coping with the pandemic-induced challenges which have shaken all industries including VFX?

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused untold suffering for people around the world. It has also given rise to big challenges for businesses, creating a period of unprecedented uncertainty and volatility, the long-term consequences of which are very hard to accurately assess. We had to respond quickly to the immediate need to protect our staff, activating our business continuity plan, enabling the technical infrastructure to allow our artists to work from home and working with our clients to ensure that their stringent security requirements were maintained. We quickly enabled over 900 ReDefine staff to work from home, allowing them to be safe with their families whilst continuing to deliver ongoing work.

 

How has the Covid-19 crisis affected your projects?

We continue to deliver the projects that were in our pipeline prior to this crisis, but all companies in our sector are aware that demand has dropped drastically as a result of the shutdown of physical production, with the filming of new material halted for over two months now. That said, ReDefine is in a privileged position as a global business serving clients in multiple territories, including China, India and the West, and we are in discussions about new projects in all of these markets. The fact that we also deliver both VFX and animation services is also helpful, and in fact our first animated feature film – 100% Wolf – was recently released during lockdown on premium VOD services in Australia, with further releases planned in other territories in the coming months.

Since you represent both VFX and Animation sector, could you tell us about the work from home pipelines?

Artists in India don’t always have access to adequate work from home infrastructure in their homes, which brings its own challenges, but our technology team has done an outstanding job in enabling our artists to work from home in an incredibly short space of time. In terms of process it has been remarkably smooth, with artists controlling their ReDefine workstations virtually from home. The biggest challenges have been in finishing shots, which relies on reviews on cinema screens and colour calibrated monitors – but we have put in place workarounds for those issues.

Redefine recently finished 100 % Wolf

What are the projects you are currently working on?

Bharamastra, Kung Fury 2 , Rock Dog 2 , Sweet Girl and many more.

How do you ensure data protection given the fact that employees have to work from home on confidential footages?

We have had to adapt and apply industry standard security measures to protect all confidential footage in motion and that’s being accessed. The remote access technology we use ensures that data doesn’t actually leave our premises, and this provides us with assurances that confidentiality is maintained at all times.

Maharashtra Government recently sought an action plan with regards to the resumption of VFX and other post production services as well as film shooting (as in permissions to go to the studio and work) What are your thoughts on that?

Our main concern is the wellbeing of our staff. We ensure we follow protocols, precautions and guidelines at all times. Safety is the most important thing. I must also underline that, at moments such as these, panic and misinformation are the worst counsels. When it is safe to do so, we will work with our staff to begin the transition back into our offices. Until then, we continue to deliver our projects effectively with our remote working solution.

“Adapting to the new norm, providing notes and feedback virtually, but most importantly securely, has been the key agenda for our seniors, as well as use of colour calibrated monitors and high bandwidth connections to review and approve final shots.”

Any monetary challenges you faced considering the fact that the live film shooting has been stalled?

New productions and shoots came to a standstill with the lockdown and there is an absolutely essential need to feed the content creation pipeline with new projects, which have not been forthcoming recently. This will have an effect on all companies in the content creation industry, and every business is facing financial pressures. We continue to work with our clients and our employees to find the best way through this crisis.

Could you throw some light on how your studio is managing co-ordination given the fact that VFX or animation work needs revisions and re-checking by supervisors and feedback on the completed tasks?

Regular meetings and communications are conducted through Zoom and other video conferencing platforms to ensure the efficient coordination of projects and teams. Adapting to the new norm, providing notes and feedback virtually, but most importantly securely, has been the key agenda for our seniors, as well as use of colour calibrated monitors and high bandwidth connections to review and approve final shots.

What are the larger implications of this pandemic with respect to the VFX and Animation industry?

As in every period of adversity, market changes that bring risks, can also create new business opportunities and drive innovation. Digital media & home entertainment are seeing an uplift in revenues, as an increasing number of consumers opt for solutions that allow them to continue to enjoy movies from the comfort of their homes, and the innovation that has allowed our teams to work effectively from home may have future ramifications in terms of how we work as an industry. Only time will tell.

 

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Jun 05

The race diversity in video games and how brands are showing support

Posted in: Animation

” We may have a different  religion, different language, different coloured skin, but we all belong to one human race.” -Kofi Annan

Needless to say that, video games offer opportunities for players to explore, practice, and re-enforce cultural and social identities. There are lot of things which are predominantly created and played by one racial group that can unintentionally perpetuate racial stereo-types and thus limited choices reflected to preconceived notions of racial bias.

While the world is battling to COVID-19 together, another darker side of the society has popped up. A viral video has shown cops pinning down and found responsible for George Floyd death (caught on camera), the grassroots activism spoke to a long-standing link between police violence against African Americans and environmental justice. Sooner various autopsy reports told Floyd’s death as a homicide caused by cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression. The world condemned and started speaking up for  ‘Justice for Floyd’ which further escalated and reflected as the racial conflict of colour ‘Black Lives Matter’ since many believe Floyd is not the only one who faced racial violence and societal injustice.

Soon after many hoisted in support of racial injustice irrespective of the diversity  of colour, race, and more. The gaming sector unites in support of ‘Black Life Matters’ and has expressed their thought all over the internet.

Gaming companies in support of the movement
After protests erupted in cities all over the United States in response to the police killing of George Floyd, a large number of studios and other game companies have stepped forward in support of  ‘Black Lives Matter’ and other organisations like the NAACP and Color of Change. Companies from all corners of the industry have made contributions while encouraging others to do the same.

  • Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online are temporarily being shut down on Thursday to support the Black Lives Matter movement and in memory of George Floyd’s death, Rockstar Games announced this week. The online extensions of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 will be taken offline from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Rockstar Games said.
  • Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox, who have made a rare show of uniting online on the issue of long overdue racial justice. Sony to delay its PlayStation 5 reveal event from 4June to an undisclosed later date. Depending on the protests’ course and duration, Microsoft may also ultimately push back some of its own Xbox Series X announcements to avoid stealing any of the Black Lives Matter movement’s spotlight and looking insensitive to players.
  • Epic Games has postponed Chapter 2 Season 3 of Fortnite once again, this time in light of the ongoing nationwide protests in the US. The live event The Device will be delayed to Monday, 15June, and the Season 3 launch delayed to Wednesday, 17June. Epic posted heartfelt letter on their official blog post addressing the Fortnite community: “Recent events are a heavy reminder of ongoing injustices in society, from the denial of basic human rights to the impact of racism both overt and subtle against people of color. We’re acutely aware of the pain our friends, families, team members, players, and communities are experiencing.We believe in equality and justice, diversity and inclusion, and that these fundamentals are above politics.The team is eager to move Fortnite forward, but we need to balance the Season 3 launch with time for the team to focus on themselves, their families, and their communities.”
  • Pokemon Go developer Niantic is donating proceeds from Pokemon Go Fest 2020 ticket sales, committing to a minimum of $5 million, to “Black gaming and AR creators that can live on the Niantic platform” and “US nonprofit organisations that are helping local communities rebuild.” It is also donating $100,000 to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute while also matching employee donations up to another $50,00.
  • EA is donating $1 million to the Equal Justice Initiative, the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, and other organizations in the future. It is also double matching any funds people donate through their YourCause program during the month of June.
  • Ubisoft is making a $100,000 contribution to the NAACP and Black Lives Matter while encouraging others to donate.
  • Activision has pushed back the launches of two major seasonal updates for the Call of Duty Season 4 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone and Season 7 of Call of Duty: Mobile have been delayed in the wake of the movement

 

  • Humble Bundle has announced a $1 million fund with the sole purpose to help develop games made by black developers. This announcement was made yesterday during Blackout Tuesday, which was a movement designed to highlight and support black creators in all fields. Black creators in film, TV, art, video games, and more were all included in the movement yesterday. Humble Bundle also asked its users to support the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or Race Forward, as these organizations currently can’t be picked as supportable charities through Humble Bundle purchases.
  • Bossa Studios, the developer of the Surgeon Simulator series, is also donating $100 for every employee and matching individual employee donations made to Black Lives Matter.
  • Twitch can be termed as a rather white platform, with 2018 data showing that 71.5 per cent of streamers and viewers identify as white. Historically, Twitch has struggled on race-related issues, as exemplified by the platform’s problems with racist emotes over the years. Amazon owned Twitch also steps out  in support to the movement

 

  • Nintendo of America also decided to publish a statement regarding the Black Lives Matter campaign on racial equality
  • Fusebox Games, the developer of Love Island, donated all of its profits made Wednesday, 2June, to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, a U.K. charity that helps disadvantaged youth.
  • io is creating a pay-what-you-want Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. When users make a minimum $5 purchase, the funds will be split between the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and ActBlue’s Community Bail Fund. This bundle will be available from 5 to 15 June. The developer of Journey, that game company, is making a $20,000 donation to Black Lives Matter and the NAACP.
  • Games Done Quick has also made a $2,500 donation to Lake Street Council’s “We Love Lake Street,” which is a project supporting the rebuilding of small businesses and nonprofits on Lake Street in Minneapolis. They have also pledged that all the revenue made by Twitch subscriptions and bit donations during the month of June will be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
  • Square Enix has pledged $250,000 to support Black Lives Matter and other charities including Showing Up for Racial Justice, the Antiracist Research and Policy Center, Equal Justice Initiative, and Colorlines, and has also promised to match individual employee donations. The Evolution Championship Series, or EVO, has likewise donated $7,500 each to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the We Love Lake Street project.


There are mixed results on the demographics of people who play video games. While one study mentions that African American and Hispanic children make up the majority of video game players, a study by Pew Research Center finds that 73.9 per cent of white children play video games compared to 26.1 per cent of non-white children. No matter what is today’s reality gaming industry has always shown the racial diversity through its  content or characters.

The idea of portraying different races is not something entirely new in the history of video games. Early games, including some MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, featured multiple playable (fictional) races that the player could choose from at the beginning of the game. Here are our few picks of games and character’s which some or the other way portrayed the diversity of race:

Games

Afro Samurai: Afro Samurai is an action video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, loosely based on the manga and anime series of the same name. It was announced in the February 2008 issue of Play magazine and released on 27 January 2009. The game was developed by Namco Bandai Games and in North America, it was the first (and would end up being the only) game published under their western label, Surge.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a third-person shooter video game developed by Swordfish Studios and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It serves as the sequel to 50 Cent: Bulletproof, and was released in February 2009. The game centers around a fictional 50 Cent and G-Unit’s concert, set in an unspecified location in Middle East. After the reward payment goes wrong, the group tries to retrieve the stolen skull back from the terrorists.

Rumble Roses XX: Rumble Roses XX is a female professional wrestling fighting game developed by Konami for the Xbox 360 as the sequel to the 2004 PlayStation 2 game Rumble Roses. The game was released by Konami in 2006. On September  2018, Larry Hryb announced that Rumble Roses XX would be playable on Xbox One via backwards compatibility. With the exception of a simple street fighting mode, the bulk of the gameplay focuses on matches which take place in various locales. Matches can be between individual wrestlers, between tag teams of two wrestlers each, or between a wrestler and a team.



Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the followup to the 2002 game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It was released in October 2004 for PlayStation 2, and in June 2005 for both Microsoft Windows and Xbox. The game, set within an open world environment that players can explore and interact with at their leisure, focuses on the story of former gangster Carl “CJ” Johnson, who is brought back home by the death of his mother, only to become involved in a long journey that sees him exploring the fictional U.S. state of San Andreas, which is heavily based on California and Nevada. The game features references to many real-life elements of the world, such as its cities, regions, and landmarks, with its plot heavily based on several real-life events in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, including the rivalry between real-life street gangs, the 1980s-early 1990s crack epidemic, the LAPD Rampart scandal, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Unlike its predecessor, San Andreas brought with it new elements of gameplay that would be later incorporated in future titles, including RPG-style mechanics, customization options with both clothing and vehicle appearances, a vast array of activities and mini-games, and the inclusion of gambling games.

Watch Dogs 2: Watch Dogs 2 is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the sequel to 2014’s Watch Dogs and was released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. Set within a fictionalized version of the San Francisco Bay Area, the game is played from a third-person perspective and its open world is navigated on-foot or by vehicle. Players control Marcus Holloway, a hacker who works with the hacking group DedSec to take down the city’s advanced surveillance system known as ctOS. There are multiple ways to complete missions, and each successful assignment increases the follower count of DedSec. Cooperative multiplayer allows for competitive one-on-one combat and connecting with other players to neutralize a player who is causing havoc.

In-game heroes of Afro origin

Bangalore, aka Anita Williams, from Apex Legends is a soldier, she is known for playing mind games with the smokescreen to running laps around enemies before bombarding them from space, Bangalore is a formidable opponent and a great choice for the Apex games.Also Ajay Che, better known as Lifeline, is a combat medic, and a support Legend who’s easily one of the MVPs of the Apex games. Her kit has been one of the most useful (not to mention coolest) loadouts in the game: sporting a shielded and shortened revive time, a mobile healing drone, and a whole lot of charisma.

Elena from Street Fighters stands out as she’s the only character that utilises the unique Afro-Brazilian dance-fighting style of Capoeira to clobber her opponents, and it’s built around exclusively using kicks, acrobatics, and healing. It’s a super cool style, a graceful kinetic performance that requires both intense physicality and rhythmic skill to master.

Sgt. Avery Johnson from Halo is the ultimate hype man, the king of inspirational speeches. With just a few words, he can get anyone pumped up to blast some aliens and save planet Earth. Throughout the series, he’s been a bastion of wisdom, grit and perseverance — and inspired others to that same standard.

Lola from Afterparty is a sharp-witted smartypants in overalls who doesn’t have time for anyone’s BS. Before she ended up down below she was an activist fighting for good in the world, and her passion carries over into the Underworld.

Grace Walker from Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is one of the few survivors of the nuclear attack on New York’s few survivors of an atom bomb attack, Grace’s role as a tough-as-nails Resistance leader is one that requires a delicate balance of camaraderie and no-nonsense hardass-ed-ness, a combination absolutely nailed by voice actress Deborah Wilson’s impassioned performance.

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Jun 05

Print or digital: The comics dilemma!

Posted in: Animation

Digitisation is surely the future, but does it apply to comics too? Can digital apps bring you the same joy a paper copy gives? The answer is maybe yes or a no! But the current pandemic lockdown seems to have proved to be a blessing for the comic artists across the globe and especially in India.

The comic industry has seen a boom in the readership in the past few months. Be it increase in the subscribers, readers, app users or even followers on social media, the industry has definitely grown. People are indoors, with ample time in hand and access to digital media.

Brands like Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) are playing a huge role in reaching out to a large number of readers, kids and adults alike. With the closure of printing press for a certain time, ACK engaged the readers with  interesting activities on social media, like regular comic workshops, podcasts,Instagram live sessions and other such digital activities. ACK president and COO Preeti Vyas said, “The traffic of readers on the app and social media has gone up tremendously. We were not prepared for the same. The rating on the app also increased eventually. This development took place over the last two months which may have otherwise taken four to five years.”

Stating the fact that people are enjoying digital medium to access comics, Vyas also feels that print media won’t die, even though there is recent growth in e-books sales. “The charm of carrying a book in hand is something else,” Vyas added.

Kross Komics India representative Siddharth Raikar who is a huge comic fan himself thinks digital comics are the future as they can be read on the go. Webcomics which is Kross Komics’ focus, is loved and appreciated by all. The company is currently running contests for comic creators as they want to have a proper ecosystem with professional artists. “Social media is a platform to showcase your talent and creativity. But Kross Komics will help you publish that comic,” Raikar mentioned.

While some publishers like Abhijeet Kini or Diamond Comics are ready to put out their comics issues digitally, some refrain from doing so, considering the piracy issues. Vyas, who is fine with the use of digital media for other numerous activities, is not of the opinion to bring out a PDF book version, as the files are circulated amongst people, which is illegal and unethical.

Fenil Comics founder Fenil Sherdiwala mentioned that the lockdown has affected almost 50 per cent of their book sales, but digital media definitely added to their new readers who have already ordered books they want post lockdown. “The publication house had an app some years ago, which only ruined the business as there was huge piracy of the books”, said Sherdiwala. Fenil Comics is providing readers with their favourite comics through online sales, as the shipping has resumed.

This maybe the viewpoint of many publishers and comic artists, but the readers too have a say. An avid book reader of around 21 years feels that digital format misses the charm of a physical book copy. “There is comfort in the smell and feel of a physical book. Reading a digital book feels like a task instead of pleasure,” she added.

Ayaan, aged 14, being an environmentalist thinks, going digital equates to saving trees and thus conserves the environment. Also, digital format offers accessibility and variety at the same time. Also, it is cheaper than buying a hard copy. Many young readers find digital comics a boon as there is no storage issue and you can carry thousands of books in just one device.

Personally, I find both the mediums are a way of telling stories and reaching out to people. But, I will always be biased towards a physical comic book copy. Still remembering the happiness, when I received a few Tinkle copies directly from Tinkle editor-in-chief Rajani Thindiath as a loving gift, which a digital format may not have been able to do. Printed books will always be the first love, no matter how digitally processed we all become. A physical book copy’s charm cannot be replaced. Not for me at least!

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Jun 05

Whopping growth expected in Animation and VFX market and tools by 2025-2026: Reports

Posted in: Animation

Animation and VFX have seen exponential growth in the past few years. As the world battled with the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown that followed, shooting for live-action projects were stalled whereas animation was still kicking.  

The mediums have seen a rise becoming mainstream from the periphery. Recently a market research report, ‘Animation and VFX Tools Market Size 2020’ by Market Study Report, LLC suggested that the market size for both the sectors will see overwhelming growth by 2025. 

The research took into consideration Market Size, Segment by Applications (media, entertainment and Gaming), by Type (animated videos, character animation, sequence images and Visual Effects using computer graphics), regional outlook opportunity, market demand, latest trends, Animation and VFX Tools Industry Share and Revenue by manufacturers and leading companies.

The Top leading players in the Animation and VFX tools market across the globe are : Adobe system, Autodesk, Corel Corp, Toon Boom Animation and Side Effects Software.

Geographically regions like North America, South America, Europe, China, Japan, India, The Middle East, Africa and others are the notable markets which offer segment research, export status, import status and production volume. The report extends on including details regarding the supply and demand analysis, involvement by significant market players and market share growth of the business.

India has seen a massive growth in the animation industry over the last few years with leading animation studios, independent players as well as indie professionals making their presence felt. Hence they utilise and work on the aforementioned software producing volumes. 

Animation and VFX sector in India grew by 17.40 per cent between 2018-2021 as per the latest FICCI EY report. And there’s no signs of that curve flattening. 

Mordor Intelligence Report too in its report, GLOBAL ANIMATION AND VFX MARKET, claims that the Animation and VFX Market is expected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of over 9 per cent during 2020 to 2025. The demand for animation and VFX has expanded with the increase in the emergence of the media sector gearing up significantly in the sphere of the multimedia ecosystem.

The 3D animation market is clearly growing by leaps and bounds and is expected to grow to USD 21,050.0 million by 2022, at a CAGR of 11.9 per cent. Increasing adoption of visual effects (VFX) in the entertainment industry is one of the crucial factors impacting the 3D animation market. VFX is majorly preferred by animators, game developers, and moviemakers in the scenario where they technically want to depict something that cannot be shot in a live environment.

There has been a general upward trend in production value or budgets. This is primarily due to broader international distribution in part to digital theatres. Writers and directors are now more open to embracing scripts requiring VFX. Production companies hence increasingly pursuing more ambitious products that can only be fulfilled with the use of VFX and streamline platforms, have also broadened the genres of content being published.

Animation finds application significantly across the entertainment, education, design, gaming, and related industry, which is categorised into 2D traditional animation through manually processing by hand and 3D-digital animation using various software applications, whereas visual effects includes processes by which imagery can be created without actual shooting and are used to enhance a live footage to exhibit sequences which would be impossible or not feasible to shoot live.

Animation entertainment includes the TV-broadcast of animated cartoon series through 2D cell animation (using 2D bitmap or vector graphics), 3D CGI animation, or 3D motion capture animation that can be accessed by the help of mobiles, software applications, movie visual effects, visual communication, and advertising.

APAC is the fastest growing market overall as well as the 3D animation market. The major vendors in the 3D Animation market apart from the ones mentioned before are AutoDesSys (U.S.),Maxon Computer (Germany), NewTek. (U.S.), NVIDIA Corporation (U.S.) and Pixologic.

Source: Mordor Intelligence

The APAC region has highly emphasised on the formalisation of professional services across the animation and VFX to support the ever-growing media and entertainment industry. Countries such as New Zealand, Singapore and others have emerged as a hub for animation and VFX artists, as these countries have an ecosystem for animation and VFX schools that offer advanced education in various streams.

India too has emerged as the dark horse with several international collaborations happening. Region wise, India falls under the high growth zones in the expansion and growth of the animation and VFX industry.

As the world slowly comes to terms with the pandemic, there’s hope for a better future. And as the Indian industry veterans put it, the animation and VFX industry is only going to boom.

Source: Mordor Intelligence

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Jun 04

Disney veteran David Levine to quit after 16 years with the company

Posted in: Animation

Disney’s VP of kids programming for the UK, Europe and Africa David Levine is leaving Disney at the end of June after 16 years. Based in London, Levine has been tasked with progressively senior roles out of the office, including GM of Disney Channel UK and Ireland, and VP programming, production and strategy, before assuming his most recent position in 2019.

Prior to his move to the UK, Levine worked out of the Burbank office in several different roles, including general manager for Disney XD Worldwide. Levine also took on several social causes while at Disney and was the founding executive sponsor of Disney Channel UK and Ireland’s Pride business resources group, helping organise its first events in London, Dublin and Munich.

Throughout his time at Disney, Levine led major programming launches for Hannah Montana, Phineas and Ferb and the High School Musical franchise. More recently he developed Evermoor, First Class Chefs, The Lodge and 101 Dalmatian Street. In this last year he has been a part of the Disney+ launch in Europe.

Before joining Disney in 2004, Levine served as VP of business affairs and development at Ragdoll USA, where he oversaw all legal matters and North American television sales.

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Jun 04

Reliance Jio coming up with a Disney+Hotstar annual VIP plan

Posted in: Animation

With the OTT sector booming with every passing day in India, telcos have partnered with streaming platforms to offer complimentary subscription plans at best possible prices so that they can enjoy undisrupted and seamless content consumption. 

The new entrant in this business following Vodafone Idea, Airtel, and BSNL, is Reliance Jio. As PriceBaba.com reports, both the MyJio app and the official Jio website have announced to be arriving soon with annual VIP subscriptions for Disney+Hotstar. 

However, Jio is yet to unveil further details regarding the upcoming subscription plan, such as which recharge pack is this plan applicable on, or how will it benefit its users. As per the poster, the announcement may arrive anytime soon.

In April, Airtel launched a Rs 401 prepaid data pack, offering a free VIP subscription to Disney+Hotstar to its users. The annual VIP membership is worth Rs 399, and for Rs 401, the pack has a value for money offering from the telco. Users also get 3GB of data per day for 28 days along with an annual subscription. However, the Rs 401 data pack can be availed by any user only once a year (360 days to be exact) to avoid exploitation of the subscription.

Disney+ debuted in India through Hotstar on 3 April 2020.

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Jun 04

What is going on with Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company?

Posted in: Animation

The global video game industry is thriving, despite the widespread economic disruption caused by the coronavirus. With the practice of social distancing reducing consumer and business activity to a minimum, gaming offers an engaging distraction for people at home looking for social interaction, and initial data shows huge growth in playing time and sales since the lockdowns began.Taking the advantage of gaming preferences video game and esports are going bullish over partnerships and investments as they consider this time as the time for expansion and to create an ecosystem which will able to process even in the worst scene. Since employees are the biggest assets for of a company and safety is key even in the worst scene Simplicity Esports and Gaming company, who owns and manages multiple esports teams, hosts online tournaments and holds franchisees of esports gaming centers, has announced that it has secured a relationship with Ecolab to provide its more than 30 franchisees and over 40 locations a steady supply of cleaning and sanitising products, that are needed to keep their esports gaming centers and customers safe.
The products include hand sanitizer and dispensers, hand soap, disinfectant spray, masks, and touch-free thermometers.

Simplicity Esports CEO Jed Kaplan, stated, “As our esports gaming centers continue to reopen across the country, we wanted to have a proven solution for maintaining proper cleanliness and hygiene for the safety of our staff and customers. Our franchisees are focused on maintaining clean and safe environments in their gaming centers, while also observing social distance guidelines. We want our database of over 400,000 customers to know that we take COVID-19 and their safety seriously. When they come to one of our centers to enjoy a day of gaming or purchase gaming merchandise, they will know the location has been cleaned with high grade products from Ecolab, a leader in the space.”

Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company(WINR) are up 43per cent despite no company-related news to drive the stock higher. WINR is currently up $2.01, up $0.61 or 43.57 per cent, on the Nasdaq. The shares have been maintaining its upward momentum it gained in the last week of May.

They also announced earlier it has signed numerous staff and players to its subsidiary Flamengo Esports team. The team will be competing in the Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (BCLoL Brazil), the top tier league in Brazil. New signings include Younghoon “Bvoy” Joo from Florida-based Misfits Gaming and Brazilian Top Laner, Felipe “Bankai” Boal from KaBuM! E-Sports.

In addition to that Simplicity, Esports and Gaming Company will begin offering play at home online tournaments in Brazil in June. Earlier this year, Simplicity Esports began offering online tournaments in the U.S. to its database of over 400,000 customers from its esports gaming centers. Capacity for the online tournaments in the U.S. had to be increased multiple times to accommodate an unexpectedly high number of registrations.

The schedule of online tournaments in Brazil will not conflict with the upcoming split for Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (“CBLoL Brazil”), the League of Legendstop tier professional league in Brazil. Flamengo Esports returns to weekly CBLoL Brazil competition in June as one of the favorites to win the CBLoL Brazil championship and compete in the League of Legends World Finals.

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