After the screening of two short films - one of 15 minutes duration and another of just five minutes — was over and the lights in the preview theatre came on, people let out a deep sigh — one of amazement as they shook their heads in disbelief.
That was the effect that the screening of Broken Wings and Swan Cake had on the audience.
And then the applause for Nikitha Mannam, daughter of doctor Gopichand Mannam.
Producer, director
The 24-year-old was involved as producer and director of both the films together with a friend Amos Sussigan, with Ayyappa Veer from Hyderabad and his team providing the VFX (visual effects) support.
Just a week ago, Ms. Nikitha completed her bachelors programme in fine arts (animation and film-making) and has returned to her home - the City of Pearls, to showcase her products to an appreciative audience at the Prasad’s Preview Theatre here.
Live action
Ask her to sum up as what she had to say and she quips, “My point was to how people that animation is not just cartoons. They can tell stories as effectively, just regular live action films.”
Broken Wings is about two friends who are shown as kids and as adults later, the message being friends need to stay through thick and thin and help each other.
Swan Cake is about a bubbly, chubby French, who works in the family bakery but who secretly nurses the desire to become a ballerina. “We did all the compositing ourselves with help on the more technical aspects of VFX. I am happy at the response generated by the films,” she told The Hindu .
