Bangalore is likely to become a hub of world-class animation film creation following media and entertainment sector technology. The service provider Thomson announced on Friday that its Technicolor Services division had formed a strategic alliance with DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.
The alliance leverages Thomson’s recent investment in Paprikaas Animation Studios, a leading animation and game content provider in Bangalore. Paprikaas Animation Studios offers creative, technical and production capabilities to design and produce computer-generated animation for feature films, television programming, commercials and video games, with a strong focus on digital 3D content.
As part of the alliance and in collaboration with Thomson's Technicolor Services division, DreamWorks Animation will assist Technicolor in recruitment, training and development of top-tier animation talent to the Paprikaas facility in India.
The Paprikaas team's work on “FARMkids”, an animated children’s series, recently won a “Best TV Series” award at the Australian Effects and Animation Festival in Sydney.
Paprikaas' operations have recently relocated to Thomson's new 100,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art digital content production facility in Bangalore.
Expanded facility
The expanded animation facility, which opened this summer, boasts impressive size and modern capabilities. The first of its kind in Asia, the facility will serve as Thomson’s post-production center of excellence in India.
“We are honoured to combine our capabilities with those of DreamWorks Animation, a recognised leader in its space, and we are committed to creating a centre of animation excellence with DreamWorks in India,” Thomson chairman and CEO Frank E Dangeard said in a statement.
“This strategic alliance is an important step for Thomson (as) animation represents a significant opportunity for us to expand our content services offering into the media and entertainment industries,” he said.
The announcement further reinforces Thomson's commitment and strategy to provide, through its Technicolor Services division, worldwide animation services for the feature film, television animation and video game industries, the company said.
“Strengthening Paprikaas Animation Studios' creative, technical and computer animation capabilities will provide Technicolor with additional resources and capacity to meet the growing demand for high-end 3D digital animation,” it said.
Demand up
The growth of the animation feature film market has spurred demand for animation design outsourcing. According to NASSCOM, the global animation development market is expected to grow nine per cent yearly through 2009, to become a $26-billion market.
NASSCOM projects that in India, the animation development market will grow 34 per cent yearly through 2009, to become a $950-million market.
  Meanwhile, the number of animated feature films released annually has grown from only one, in the 1995-97 timeframe, to 20, in the 2004-2006 timeframe.