"If one wants to be a singer, one has to learn the 7 notes of music, If one has to be an animator, it is necessary to know and understand all aspects of animation. 3D is good but 2D is the base which will make you an animator. Required skill sets will change as technology changes. But the fundamentals will not change. Do you know how to tell a story? or how to create endearing characters?" addressing an audience comprising mostly of students, academic consultant I S Mathur went all out to dispel notions and misconceptions on what it took to be an animator.

A triple graduate, formerly with the NID, Mathur is currently a consultant with Padmalaya ZICA. Emphasizing the benefits of 'value based education' as against 'need based education', he asked the audience to decide for themselves whether they wanted to be labourers or film makers.

Elaborating his point further, Mathur added, "Animation involves 2 things, skills and concepts. Would you like to become a skill oriented person or a skill and concept oriented person? Do you want to be a technician, an assistant or do you want to become a director, a complete animator? Both are required.

Labeling institutes that claim to teach animation in 3 months as factories that create a labium force, the consultant called upon such institutes to at least be honest and not call themselves educational outfits. "It takes 7 years to become an animator, how can any one claim to teach animation in 3 or 6 months" argued Amateur."Need based education will stay only as long as the need is there, a 3 month course will simply satisfy your employment needs for the moment" he added.

Just a month ago at c/a World, Ram Mahout and others like Ramjet Tony had voiced similar sentiments.

Another point which Amateur touched upon was the low level of drawing skills in the country. Describing the standard of drawing skills in the country as pathetic, he lamented that drawing was neglected in primary as well as secondary education.

"It becomes difficult to grant admission to students when most of them dont have any drawing skills. The time that teachers could use in teaching animation film making is diluted in teaching drawing." commented Mathur.

Mathur concluded his talk asking students to take additional classes in drawing if they were seriously interested in pursuing animation as a career.