Animation unit eyes overseas alliance

The Academy of Animation Arts & Technology (AAAT) is in talks with some foreign animation institutes for tie-ups.

Ranjini Mukherjee of the Academy said the negotiations was at a preliminary stage and the details were yet to be worked out.

However, it was likely to involve a closer interaction with foreign institutes. Mukherjee said, it made sense to tie-up with foreign institutes as they had the expertise in classical animation. AAAT already has a tie-up with Toon Boom Inc, Canada.

AAAT also planned to become a production house in the near future. Ashish Bharvada of AAAT said the institute aspired to take advantage of the animation boom by producing work for the television and entertainment industry.

AAAT was being offered a number of outsourced projects, which the academy intended to take on as soon as its students were ready.

Mukherjee said, AAAT's long-term ambition was to expand its academic activities by becoming a full-fledged production house that would absorb its own students.

However, Bharvada said, only the AAAT Kolkata would do production work and not Pune, as the talent pool was in the city.

The first batch of students would be graduating in December, this year. At present, AAAT in Kolkata had 16 students. AAAT was established a year ago with the intention of providing foundational and advanced courses in classical animation.

AAAT also offers financial aid in the form of subsidisation of its courses.Fees for the one-year programme was around Rs 55,000.