MUMBAI: Over the years Disney and Pixar have been coming out with a number of 3D animation projects the latest being Finding Nemo. Seems like India is gearing up to offer some competition.

Crest Communications, one of the leaders in 3D animation in India, claims that it has lined up the next big thing in television animation - a show set entirely under water.
 
 
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Crest Comunications' international business head A K Madhavan says, "The television series has been made for the US market. This is the first time television has seen animation of this high calibre. It is certainly comparable to the marvellous work that Pixar did on Finding Nemo in terms of the quality of animation."

Exuding confidence, Madhavan states that India was ready to do a sequel to Finding Nemo. The new show deals with a few submarines and the different acquatic animals that live in the area. It is a pre-school series. When asked what was so special about the endeavour, Madhavan offers, "Animation on water is very difficult to create and render. It calls for huge computing power. The lighting effect underwater is very complex to create on the computer. This is yet another example of us setting benchmarks for television."

"The cost of each half hour episode is in excess of $ 2 million. The coral reefs, the lifelike fish that are able to emote realistically were all created right here in Mumbai." The first episode had 15 people working on it and took around a month to complete. However Madhavan added that as production continues the speed increases. The initial episode always takes the longest to produce.

Dwelling on the main challenges facing the growth of 3D animation in India, Madhvan says, "Primarily there is a shortage of skilled people. There are not enough skill sets available. I need 300 animators in the next one year. The talent pool does not exist. Another challenge will be to train and motivate them by giving them exciting projects to work on. The technical side is there. In terms of the infrastructure like delivery platforms India is ready."

Will this local animation company offer tough competition to the big boys in the West? Watch this space for more.