The world’s most iconic animated characters such as King Julian, Boss Baby, Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda from DreamWorks; Mickey Mouse, Balu the Bear, Sher Khan and Mowgli from Walt Disney, and the world’s most spectacular soccer players in EA’s FIFA game, have a strong Bengaluru connection. A substantial portion of the CG animation and VFX for all of the above is the work of Technicolor’s India artists located in its state-of-the-art studio in Bengaluru.
“Technicolor India is unparalleled in innovation and creativity in the animation and VFX field, our studio is a creative hotspot”, says Biren Ghose, Country Head, who is an exuberant personification of the company’s passion for creativity and excellence. Ghose, who has emerged as an industry leader in Indian government policy formulation and advancing the cause of digital arts education, points out that the Animation, Visual Effects [VFX] and the sunrise creative industries are representative of the ‘new age’ extending the city’s startup and innovation ecosystem. Technicolor has been a “lighthouse”, demonstrating the powerful connect between creativity and technology in the emerging digital media landscape. The company’s success has shifted the centre of gravity for this industry, making Bengaluru its new epicentre. It has sought to make the city a global, rather than a local, leader.
Our goal is to continue to make Indian talent capable of executing the world’s most coveted productions, inventing new echelons of entertainment experiences and continuing to be the 1st choice for the world-leading content creators and to earn the awards and accolades, as in the past decade.
– Biren Ghose, Country Head – Technicolor India
Technicolor, a 102-year-old Hollywood company, is the world’s most prolific producer of animation for high-end episodic TV and live-action VFX with brands like MPC, Mr.X & Mill Film. It’s the ‘room next door’ for major animation studios, for whom it co-creates mega projects. Present in Bengaluru, India for the past 10 years, it has become a primary hub for the creation of premium animation for movies, television, and the games industry, with over 3500 highly skilled creative artists and technicians. Led by Indian talent, the studio has won 7 Emmy Awards in Animation in the past 8 years; from 2016-19, the company has been a part of three Oscar winners, two BAFTA winners, and one Emmy winner. Seven of its projects won the Lion at Cannes in 2017-18.
In the CG world, character performance is critical and the fact that Technicolor’s India artists have worked on the world’s most iconic characters is testimony to their artistry. By working collaboratively with the world’s leading creatives, the company pushes the boundaries of innovation. Its team of over 500 core engineers ensures that they stay at the leading edge of their artform by inventing new paradigms. Ghose also wants to ensure that women play a bigger role in the industry; while 50-60% of students who study animation are women, at a studio level, both locally and globally, there are hardly 3-5% women in animation/VFX. Technicolor India has increased the presence of women in its team (comprising 650 women) to more than 11%, a testimony to its ‘pink think’. Above all, Ghose is satisfied that, “In a world that is constantly stretched and stressed by change, we bring happiness, love and laughter.”
