| Let
us now take a brief look at the manpower profile. We will
limit this to the entertainment and more specifically to the
arena of episodic and long format animation work.
Four
broad categories
1. Pre-Production
2. Production
3. Post Production
4. Administrative
Pre-Production
This
consists of the creative team. Prominent members of this
group include Creative directors, art directors, character
and art designers, research executives, script writers,
prop designers, color key artists, storyboard artists, pre-viz,
sound breakdown engineers, technical directors, production
directors, senior animators, chiefs of computer graphics,
model animation and camera, music directors and studio managers.
More people may be involved in this process depending on
specific needs.
Production
This
consists of the hands-on team. Members that are added to
the pre-production team include Junior animators, assistant
key animators, cleanup artists, breakdown artists, in-betweeners,
line testing assistants, production controllers, graphic
designers, render and transfer assistants, model animators,
model makers, mould makers, senior and junior programmers,
ink and paint artists, compositors, checkers, scanning assistants,
visual effects directors, background artists, set creators,
computer model makers, riggers, computer animators, computer
imaging directors, light-men, assistant cameramen, trainees,
helpers etc. Almost every one involved in the actual creation
of the project is part of this team.
Post
Production
Post-production
consists of all activities that take place after the product
comes through the production department. This includes music
recording, editing, addition of extra special effects, conversion
to various delivery formats and specifications. Certain
key personnel are required for this category.
Creative
directors, music directors and their assistants, off-line
and on-line editors and their assistants, machine operators
and scheduling executives to aid the studio managers and
effects directors. Other people from the pre-production
or production departments may be recruited if required.
Be
it setting up his own animation and sfx studio in 1995
or providing insights and project reports to help re
structure organisations and animation training schools,
independent animation producer and TASI India founding
member/spokesman Ranjit Singh's 15 yr old stint
in the animation Industry is marked with many highlights.
In 2001, Ranjit resigned from the company he founded
and has since been working as an independent animation
producer, director and consultant. He is currently writing
the first of a series of books on animation for beginners.
An animator and modeler himself, Ranjit is very passionate
about animation. He wants the new breed of animators
to avoid the struggle of his formative years and in
this endeavor he is forever available for advice to
students and animators alike. He can be reached at phanspal@vsnl.net
Back to top |
Administrative
This
team consists of the suits that run the studio. From the
chief executive to the managers, all administrative staff
falls under this category. It would be interesting to note
here that running an animation studio is quite a different
experience from running a similar facility with a few hundred
people. Creative arts require a knowledgeable head of operations
and a flexible financial officer. Artists cannot be treated
like mill workers if high standards have to be maintained.
A
very personal hands-on approach is required of all senior
executives who may be, more often than not, required to
chip into the production process.
The
easiest way to alienate a large workforce is to have a top-down
management approach when the best-worked models are horizontal
hierarchies. It is therefore imperative that the senior
executives be people who are from the industry and understand
its workings.
End
of Part 4
Part
5 of the series entitled 'Emerging Trends' shall appear
in the next issue of Animation Express.
Read
Part 1
Read
Part 2
Read
Part 3
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