Picasso Digital Media announces its plans in Animation Education and Production

Plans to set up two state-of-the-art Animation Colleges, one each at Delhi and Hyderabad in
collaboration with Centennial College

Hyderabad, June' 05:The Delhi based start up company Picasso Digital Media Pvt Ltd has entered with a bang into Animation Education and Production.A company promoted by the globally operational Maharishi Group and Rayudu Vision Media Ltd, Picasso Digital Media Pvt Ltd was formally launched nationally here in Hyderabad recenly and made an announcement that it
would set up two state of the art Animation Campuses and production centres, one each, at New Delhi and Hyderabad. These would be set up in Collaboration with one of the most reputed and oldest colleges of Canada, Centennial College. The college is one of the internationally acclaimed and reputed for the works of its students for films like Lord of the Rings, Shark
Tale, Stuart Little and whose students work for companies like Dream Works, Alias Inc and Nelvana.

Disclosing this addressing a press conference here in city Mr. ABRP Reddy the Founder and Managing Director of Picasso Digital Media Pvt. Ltd informed that the total investments envisaged in the project in the next 5 years is about US $ 9m and expect to reach a turnover of US $ 15m by the end of 2010. The company would primarily focus on Animation Education and Production. It’s mission is to position India as the leader in the global animation by developing world-class animation professionals and content. Towards this end Picasso has already entered a strategic alliance with Centennial College in order to bring the best of International Animation Education to India. The facilities at Hyderabad and New Delhi will house production services making use of the students passing out and other experienced animation professionals.

During the 1st phase, the company will focus on in-house requirements from its business associates and outsourcing production contracts from outside clients. Maharishi Group and Rayudu Vision Media are planning to foray into setting up of TV Channel and enter into post production jobs. Maharishi Group has already has five TV Channels being telecast from Holland catering
to Education, Health and Devotional and Spiritual Programs for the International audience. It is
already in the process of producing Vedic Health Programs with extensive animation. These companies will now use in-house resources from Picasso.

In the next phase, Picasso will focus on developing on its intellectual property. 50% of its manpower requirement would be sourced within from the organization which comprises of the passouts of the college. The company is also expects to bid for international projects.

The services of Picasso Digital Media include Pre and Post Production, Advanced Editing, VFX Production,Original Content Development, Traditional 2D Animation Services, CGI Services and Hybrid 2D / 3D Animation Services. The company’s expertise is in software includes Alias Maya, Discrete 3Ds Max, Adobe Photoshop, Apple Shake, Apple FCP, Discreet Combustion, US Animation and Toon Boom.

On education front soon it would announce two different durations of curriculum, one for experience animators and the other for fresh students. World Class Animation Education need not be distant dream any longer. Soon fine arts students in Hyderabad and New Delhi will have best of the Animation education in the world. The Internationally acclaimed faculty and programs from Centennial College, Canada will be made available locally. There will be a 8 to 15 month Certificates / Diploma programs viz “Digital Animation ”, “Integrated Design & Digital Animation”, while the while former is targeted at the experienced professionals and the latter is for novices. Students upon completion of their diploma programs will be absorbed based on their talent and skill. They will also be free to set out themselves into the industry on their own.

These two animation campuses together will have facilities to churn out 1000 animators yearly by the end of 2006. The impetus would be given to produce creative thinkers with relevant production training--not software technicians. The state of the art colleges hope to offer its students an experience like no other institutes offer. It will have hi-end Intel workstations, Apple workstations, 3D projectors and lot more for ensuring a high-end learning environment, informed Mr. Reddy.

Adding further Mr. Reddy informed that though there are about 10,000 animators in India, only about 3000 to 4000 are suitable for handling high-end Animation work. Indian private Animation industry produces about 1000 to 1500 people per year. Most of these are in need of additional training in the studios after being employed. Skilled manpower shortage has become more especially when 50 to 60 studios are coming up or on their way in the last couple of years, informed Mr.Reddy. We need animators who are good at high end animation. As the high end Animation work in 3D can fetch a billing rate of US $ 12,000 per minute compared to 2D Animation in the range of US S 2000 to 5000 per minute and 3D works at US $ 5000 to 6000 per minute. To move up the value chain, we need to look at the high end animators and their work.

Speaking about Centennial College, Canada Ms. Marina Lawrence, Manager Customer Services, International Education said, the college with a overall strength of approximately 65,000 is one of the oldest colleges in Canada. Our students are known for their works which is evident from the fact that they soon after completion of their animation education worked on film projects such as Lord of the Rings, Shark Tale,Stuart Little etc. Our students found placements in
some of the best studios of the world viz Dream Works,Aliax Inc. and Nelvana, she informed.

Mr. ABRP Reddy, an andhrite, initially worked with NIIT in Hyderabad for about 12 years and later moved on to work in the same and different companies in different positions in UK, Europe, Middle East. He brings together with him 17 years of rich experience in IT industry. While serving various companies he made quite a few pioneering contributions to IT education sector, which helped not only the companies served by Mr. Reddy to grow, but also the IT training industry as a whole. During the last so many years, he held positions like Chief Operating Officer, NIIT Middle East, Head of Education of NIIT Europe, Chief Operating Officer of IIS Infotech(now Xanasa India ).After serving as CEO of Singapore based Savant India Institute of Technology, Mr. ABRP Reddy founded Picasso Digital Media Pvt. Ltd. with a mission to position India as the leader in the global animation map by creating world-class animation professionals and content.

Reachout's News Bureau
-June' 2005

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