FICCI Frames ’11: Animation Co-Pro with Int’l markets & emerging opportunities

The session consisting of international industry heavy weights including A. K. Madhavan, A. P. Pargi, Laura Dohrmann and Johnchill Lee amongst others, touched upon the latest trends in global co-production in the animation arena, specially focussing on the Asia Pacific vis-a-vis global productions, hurdles and challenges therein. One issue that was unanimously agreed upon was the need for an increase in investment in the animation sector and directing these funds into R&D and training in India. Animation needs to grow via funding.

Until now most of the co-productions between Indian companies and those abroad have been in the realm of ‘outsourcing’, where Indian animators have helped execute creative content from abroad. Such an arrangement usually takes place as production in India is cheaper and results in no ‘credit’ given to the Indian animators involved. Therefore to build credibility of the Indian animation industry we will have to move beyond Mythological content and give room to other creative content. Yes, the possibility of a co-production where Indian creative content could be developed by animators abroad exists, but it needs working.

The key to a serious international co-production is setting an effective method of working and storytelling. One is to apply the thinking of a filmmaker and not that of an animator, getting the scripts looked at by someone who has nothing to do with animation could be helpful – as eventually its all about storytelling and the screenplays have to be good.

Another way ahead is by reforming the co-production treaties, so that all the parties involved can exploit profits and promote talent. When asked how India fared compared to the biggies like France, China and the US animators, the panel of the opinion that if not better we were at par with them all. The pros of the Indian industry is its ability to embrace new technology promptly, a flexible work culture and delivery of quality.

There’s a lot the Indian animation industry has to learn, especially from Canada. It’s leading worldwide because of the government support and the heavy spends on R&D instead of animation. The tax rebates are an added bonus to the co-ordinated approach their industry follows. The session ended with the panellists answering – “what’s so global about the western world?” They were of the belief that any content must reflect the human experience for a global appeal and that a good story is always global.

No martial law likely in Pakistan: Musharraf

LONDON: Former president General (rtd) Pervez Musharraf on Sunday ruled out the possibility of any imminent military action or martial law in Pakistan under present circumstances.

Talking to media after nomination of office-bearers of All Pakistan Muslim League here, he said the government of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has brought situation under control, adding he was not seeing elections before six months.

Musharraf stressed he would contest elections on public desire, remarking he would garner votes by organizing country’s youth together.

It is a political game on the part of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif to give deadline to the government, he added. TrendPK

We won’t be intimidated by Melbourne crowd: Strauss

MELBOURNE: England will not be intimidated by a Melbourne Cricket Ground packed with a hostile Australian crowd for the fourth Ashes test, captain Andrew Strauss said on Saturday.

The test gets underway on Sunday and officials have talked up the possibility of a record attendance for a cricket ground at the cauldron-like MCG on the first day.

Strauss’s counterpart, Ricky Ponting, took a psychological swipe at England’s youthful side, saying he thought they could find the atmosphere intimidating with the five-test series delicately poised at 1-1.

“I’m sure he does,” Strauss said of Ponting following England’s final training session at the MCG. “I don’t think we will, no. One of the things that’s important is that you’re ready for it and you’re not surprised by it.

New Zealand mine rescue stalled as hopes fade

SOUTH ISLAND: Efforts to rescue 29 men trapped in a New Zealand coal mine stalled for a third day on Monday, with authorities fearing the colliery is a powder keg of explosive gases and relatives praying for a miracle.

The agonizing wait for an all-clear to enter the mine was etched on the faces of rescue officials as they told reporters that teams were now unlikely to be allowed into the mine until Tuesday, four days after an explosion tore through it.

For the first time since the blast on Friday, officials spoke openly about the possibility that men might have died in the explosion, which experts say would have sent a searing fireball through the mine, leaving a smoldering cocktail of toxic gases.

“We are planning for the possible loss of life as a result of what’s occurred underground,” police commander Gary Knowles said, adding the police were trying to

Taliban attack on Afghan post repelled, 30 killed

International forces in Afghanistan Saturday fought off a Taliban attack on a combat post in a remote and mountainous region bordering Pakistan, killing more than 30 insurgents, NATO said.
Insurgents attacked the post from all directions using rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small arms fire, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement. Five ISAF soldiers were injured, it said.
The incident took place at 1.30 am Saturday (2200 GMT Friday) in Bermal district in Paktika province, which borders Pakistan’s lawless North Waziristan tribal region.
The coalition forces called for air weapons team and close-air support during the engagement. A coalition aircraft engaged an insurgent firing position with three precision-guided munitions, it said. The air weapons team also engaged a large number of insurgents near the outpost, it said, adding: Initial operational reporting indicates more than 30 insurgents were killed in the failed attack on the outpost.
The five wounded soldiers continued fighting, it said. None were killed. The proximity of the combat post to the border hints at the possibility the insurgents had crossed from Pakistan, where the Taliban’s leadership council is believed to be based. The insurgency in Afghanistan is now in its 10th year since the Taliban’s regime was overthrown in the US-led invasion in late 2001.
Remote border regions have proven particularly volatile in recent years. NATO said Saturday that two of its soldiers died in separate attacks in the volatile south of Afghanistan, where the insurgency is concentrated. One died in an insurgent attack on Friday, the other in a similar incident on Saturday. The nationalities of the soldiers were not revealed, according to policy.The total number of foreign soldiers died in the war this year reached at 609, as compared to 521 for 2009. NATO and the United States have more than 150,000 troops in Afghanistan, many of them deployed to the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand in a major counter-insurgency push.

UK needs global military force post-Afghan: Fox

LONDON: Speaking to a meeting of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank, Fox said pulling British troops from Afghanistan before 2015 would boost militants everywhere, because only by then would British forces, working with the U.S.-led coalition, have achieved their security aims.

Fox told the gathering in Geneva of military officers and strategists that British defence planners conducting a review of military priorities had to take account of the possibility that its forces might have to intervene again elsewhere in the world.

“We’re going to have a long-term battle against transnational terrorism and it will pop up in a lot of different places over a long period and we are going to have to face up to that,” he said.

One of the lessons of recent British defence history, he added, was that combat troops should not be deployed

Pak, IMF to discuss final round of talks

WASHINGTON : The International Monetary Fund and Pakistan will discuss on Wednesday revision of the existing lending program and the possibility of emergency funding to help the country recover from the worst flooding in its history, an IMF official said Tuesday.

Beyond easing the terms of the nearly $11 billion financing arrangement in place since 2008, the IMF is considering more immediate measures to help Pakistan cope with the ongoing disaster, said Masood Ahmed, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department.

“We already have a program in place and we also have the possibility of providing financing through an emergency instrument for natural disasters, and we’ll be discussing both of those with the visiting delegation,” Ahmed said in an interview with the fund’s online magazine, IMF Survey.

Pakistan’s finance minister, Abdul Hafeez

Imran travels economy class

MUMBAI: Imran Khan is one of the few actors who have no qualms leaving his stardom behind at times.

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Imran travels economy class

Storm Alex makes landfall in Belize

MIAMI: Tropical Storm Alex weakened slightly after it made landfall in Belize, but the storm continued to produce gusting winds and heavy rain, the U.

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Storm Alex makes landfall in Belize

No mid term polls, says Babar Awan

LAHORE: Federal Minister of Law Babar Awan has denied the possibility of mid term elections in Pakistan.

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No mid term polls, says Babar Awan

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