It is not often that a mid-budget Tamil film is appreciated for its visual effects. Jayam Ravi-starrer Tik Tik Tik , which has been dubbed the first Indian space film, has received a unanimous thumbs-up for delivering high-quality computer-generated imagery and visual effects — all in just five months.
It was made possible by Ajax Media Tech: one of the many visual effects companies in India jostling for attention in a crowded space.
Until now, the visual effects industry in India has grown largely on overseas work. But, more and more filmmakers, and not just those working on big banners, are looking at leveraging a home-grown industry that can produce quality work. Yet, pricing remains a thorny issue in the film world where star salaries often dominate budgets.
Winning the contract
When the makers of Tik Tik Tik spoke to Ajax Media Tech about producing the CGI, believed to be around 90 minutes long, its CEO J. Muthurajan had to make a crucial call: quote a competitive price, yet deliver top-quality effects.
“We wanted to ensure that we do the entire film. Full marks to the management for taking this decision. Around 200 people worked on the project,” said S. M. Ramanathan, chief manager, Sales & Operations.
“I was personally there during the shooting to ensure we were on track. We were aware that the movie would be compared to international films such as Gravity and Interstellar . So, we didn’t want to create something that is bad,” said V. Arunraj, VFX supervisor, Ajax Media Tech.
Speaking about how they had to gain the trust of the makers at every turn, Mr. Arunraj said, “We created the visual effects and released the teaser in a week in August 2017. That is when the director became confident that we would deliver.”
Slashing prices
While the decision seems to have paid off for the company, senior visual effects artistes working in major big budget productions are unhappy with its decision to cut down on costs as it would further slash prices.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a visual effects artiste well-known for his work in many south Indian blockbusters said Tamil film producers already think that it doesn’t cost much to produce visual effects. “This is going to collectively reduce prices in the industry. Computer Graphics (CG) cost money. The equipment is expensive and the cost of using skilled artistes is high. Slashing prices will only strengthen the perception that creating visual effects in films is cheap. Plus, we are always in competition with freelancers, who freely use pirated content,” the VFX artiste notes.
“They will never lower the salary of a hero or a filmmaker. But, when it comes to visual effects, which is about 20-30 minutes in every film, they slash prices,” he adds.
Producer G. Dhananjayan said pricing would always be a problem.
“In Tamil Nadu, we are not always making films like Baahubali or Enthiran . Much of the CG work is about supplementing the action scenes and so on. Therefore, in a live action film, producers might not have so much money to allocate for VFX.”
Quality pays
Working with top-notch, famous visual effects companies has its own advantages. Anand Shankar’s film Iru Mugan , starring actor Vikram in a double role, roped in an international company, Weta Workshop, known for its work in Lord Of The Rings .
“Both the producer and the director need a deep knowledge of the various aspects of visual effects and CG. Then, it becomes easier to decide how much money should be spent and where,” said Mr. Shankar.
He said that it is important to do thorough research before deciding on a company.
“Going to a premium, well-known company has its own advantages. It could serve as a marketing tool as well,” he added.
