Creativity now has a new address and it's settled amidst the serene Raheja Estate in Goregaon, a Mumbai suburb. It is madness all right, but there is a method by which the passionate bunch of people are giving life to a character. Vaibhav Kumaresh and his team of designers are running against time to complete their latest assignment, an animation packaging for the brand launch of UTV's children and youth channel Hungama TV.

A Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mysore University, Kumaresh went on to pursue a three-year diploma in animation from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.

Regarding his best known creation, Kumaresh has not only conceptualised and designed the Channel [V] mascot - Professor Sodhi aka Simpoo - he is also responsible for Simpoo's voiceover.

Kumaresh's repertoire includes the clay animated Poga, a series created for MTV which spoofs alternative healing therapies in vogue, and the Amaron ad featuring the clay figures of a hare and a tortoise. Clay animation and two-dimensional animations are Kumaresh's specialty.

Having quit Famous Studio where he cut his teeth almost a year ago, Kumaresh has now set up shop on his own as Vaibhav Studio. His co-production animation film titled Friend for the Children Film Society of India alongwith Narayan Shi is ready for release.

Indiantelevision.com's Anand Gurnani and Trupti Ghag met the animator to know more about his craft.

As a nation, we aren't perhaps very clued in as to what is animation. What according to you is the essential difference between animation and cartooning?
Cartoon, probably, was a term given to 2D drawings. Even the films that were created were known as cartoon films. It is a generic term- an adjective- being used for a funny creature. Even if you see a slightly wonky person, you call him a cartoon character. Primarily, the term Cartoon was used for the static, hand-drawn characters but even after they became animated films they were known as cartoon films. But animation is lot a more than that. We at India have not been exposed to animation as a medium.

Are lay people aware and educated as to what is animation? Are viewers as consumers aware of the industry?
As a profession, animation is very new and a very specialised subject. And there is certainly less awareness. It is a hobby that has become a profession. Not every one has that make-up for a studious engineer, scientist or doctor.

But I guess, the work put in to become an ace animator must be as much as you would to become an engineer?
We take care of entertainment biz. While doctors try to help people live healthier, we also give life to characters (laughs). But yes, the awareness is definitely building up.

When I was finishing my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Mysore, I did not have a clue about animation as a career. I had taken up applied ads and I my destination was ad agencies, working on advertising campaigns. But when I heard about National Institute of Design's (NID) course in animation, I knew it was where I wanted to be. I obviously had interest in the drawing, but unlike others my drawings were never still paintings that told a story. I always used multiple images to narrating the flow of a story - a storyboard kind imagery.

What is an essential requisite to become an animator?
It is not enough that you learn technical know-hows of animation and have an aptitude for art. As an animator, you have to create a character. It is all in your imagination. At NID a student is expected to make a film all by himself. The institute helps you to become a complete filmmaker.

What was your first project for industry?
It was my third film, for my final diploma project. My client was an NGO called Action Aid India - it works in rural India. Their company Practice sponsored my diploma project. I made a seven-minute film for them, which they use in their workshops.

How did your stint with Famous begin?
When I was finishing my diploma project, my senior Suresh, who was already with Famous, suggested I join him. The studio was then in process of being set up. So I would have been a part of the inception team, which was quite a big thing and I agreed.

While we were working on original content, we needed some fillers to support us financially. We had friends at Channel [V] and MTV and we decided to pitch ideas to the music channels. Cyrus was looking out for someone to execute his Poga idea, and we fit in the picture. But Poga wasn't really our first experience with claymation. Even before Poga, we had designed a Kathakali dancer for [V]. After that followed a series of ads like Amaron Batteries, Nissin Top Ramen.

Television is a slick and sophisticated medium? How do then crude characters like Poga, Kathakali dancers become so popular?
I think the story is more important than anything else. The characters should be able to take the story forward, keep the audience enthused. The slick production is not the first criteria. Of course, it will come down to production quality later on. But as long as the audience is kept engaged and the basics of filmmaking are strong its ok. For example, Lion King is as interesting as Shrek. That is despite Lion King being hand drawn and Shrek being a computer generated animation. Our Kathakali model was a very crude thermocal model but yet he could emote and entertain.