The failure of animated films such as Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama to attract audience might have disappointed entrepreneurs who ventured into the segment. People have blamed the failure on the global downturn and only a few have realised that the fault lies somewhere else.
The problem was not with quality or other technological factors. Investors who pinned their hopes on generating local content for global markets did not expect the response it would get in the international markets. “Pictures on mythological themes like Ramayana continue to attract people here. But, they are of little relevance in North America,” said Venkatesh Roddam, Executive Director, VenSat. According to him, the recession has certainly impacted businesses. But it has also helped in the consolidation of the animation sector. The “shake-up” in the industry due to the recession has seen the withering-off of weak companies in the sector, which disappeared either by closing down or by merging into others. Only a few firms with strong fundamentals withstood the test of time.
“Kids in North America are growing up watching Cartoon Network as are those in India,” he told The Hindu .
The multi-billion-dollar industry was continuing to be driven and led by North America as there were a “few successes” from India where companies suffered because of the inadequate knowledge and lack of attention to quality. The euphoria and unrealistic projections surrounding the animation sector, which took centre stage in the past, have changed and a reality-check was taken among stakeholders.
The industry is witnessing a phase where the ability to participate, rather than the traditional way of delivering service at some cost, has become the key. “The I-do-some-work-you-pay-me model has gone as customers and service companies are working together in creating content,” he said. On VenSat's operations, he said the firm had completed a full-length animated motion-picture for a European entertainment group while it successfully developed some complex Visual Effects sequences for Robo, Nagavalli, Mirapakai and other Telugu movies.
