Cosmos Maya's Ketan Mehta tells us why animation in India is a career to kill for

Be it movies, cartoon series or advertisements, animation has certainly become commonplace. With the level of expression, it allows unlike other mediums, it’s no wonder it has become a major trend across the world with a huge scope for job opportunities. In 1996, Cosmos-Maya pioneered the art and technology of Animation and Visual Effects in India.

Over the last 20 years, the company has delivered award-winning animated content, VFX work and game cinematics for global leaders like BBC, Disney, Google, EA among others and its works have fetched several awards at BAFTA, IFTA and Pulcinella to name a few. Founded by internationally acclaimed Indian filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi, the company primarily focuses on creating projects in the kids’ animation space and is presently working on multiple Indian animation TV series. Ketan Mehta tells us all you need to know about a career in the animation industry. Excerpts:

Would you say the animation industry has good scope in the coming years and why?

The west-dominated animation industry has now taken off in India. There’s a huge potential for the growth of the animation in India as we have a pool of talent to present good content for the audience.

Nowadays, animation and special effects have a great demand for television, movies and in the advertising industry. It has a massive career scope for those who want to bring their imagination to life and for those who love telling fascinating stories

Ketan Mehta, Founder, Cosmos Maya

What are the courses that students should opt for to pursue animation?

There is a plethora of courses for aspiring animators. Degrees that one can look out for are a BA, BSc, BDes, BMM or a diploma in Animation along with Graphic Designing and Web Design. Professional courses in illustration, 3D programming, computer graphics, video effects (VFX), and video editing are additional specialisations that candidates should consider. 

What are some of your top 4 picks for best institutions in India that offer these courses? 

VIT University (Vellore), National Institute of Design (Bengaluru), Amity University (Mumbai) and Symbiosis Institute of Design (Pune).

What are some of the job roles within the industry?

Some of the jobs that the animation sector has to offer are: 

- Storyboard Artist

- Modeler

- 2D animator and 3D animator

- Rigging Artist

- Compositors

- Lighting artist

Reach Out: cosmos-maya.com