Thomson to piggyback on Paprikaas

The technicolour services division of Thomson, a provider of technology, services and systems for media and entertainment sector, will set up a dedicated studio at Paprikaas in Bangalore, post its strategic alliance with DreamWorks Animation to develop animation capabilities in India. Recently, Thomson invested in Paprikaas, through its Technicolor business.

According to the company, it is committed to building a world-class animation studio on the potential of the existing creative and technical talent base in India, with the assistance of DreamWorks Animation. DreamWorks will help in building the technology and infrastructure, recruitment, training and on-site creative supervision.

Paprikaas will recruit over 300 people in the next 12-18 months for developing the animation capabilities. A part of the team will be dedicated for the DreamWorks projects and the rest will be inducted into Paprikaas, the company said in a statement. This will take Paprikaas' headcount in India to over 500.

"India has a plethora of talented artists with creative skills and technical knowledge and Paprikaas will be the ideal environment to hone those skills. We have already begun the recruitment process for professionals with experience for senior positions. We are excited to be part of this 'dream team' and in getting an opportunity to be part of DreamWorks forthcoming productions," said Nandish Domlur, CEO. Paprikaas.

With this alliance, Paprikaas and Technicolor aligns itself to focus on four areas including Paprikaas Animation, DreamWorks Animation dedicated unit, Paprikaas Interactive working on video games and Paprikaas VFX for Moving Picture Company, London.

DreamWorks, a leading animation company known for blockbusters like Shrek, Madagascar, Over the Hedge & The Bee. In the dedicated studio, DreamWorks will work closely with Paprikaas and Technicolor to create an animation centre of excellence.