| Artist’s Journey | Sanjay Patel |
| Case Study – Feature – Schirkoa | Ishan Shukla |
| Foley, Sound design | Karan Arjun Singh |
| Panel: Indie film makers – vision, approach, challenges & solutions. | Suresh Eriyat , Upamanyu B , Ishan Shukla , Prasad Ajgaonkar & Vaibhav Kumaresh |
| Case Study – Shorts – The Dawn | Suresh Eriyat |
| Case Study – Episodic Series – Tom & Jerry | Vivek Bolar |
| Case Study – Feature WIP – Heirloom (WIP) | Upamanyu B |
Session date and timings will be updated soon
| Live workshop – Game Character Design | Somneel Saha / Priyam Ghosh Createon Game |
| The Journey of Raji |
Avichal Singh
/
Shruti Ghosh
/ Ian Maude Nodding Heads Games |
| Ask Me Anything (AMA) | What do studios look for in students – Ranbeer Hora , Ninad Chhaya , Somneel Saha , Moderated by Druhin Mukherjee |
| Animating Dreams: A Career path in Game Animation | Onkar Lad – UbiSoft-1 |
| The Essentials Of The Gaming Animation Pipe | Arun Kamath – UbiSoft-2 |
| Metaverse Odyssey – Crafting the future world | Shivam Dhoot – Gamitronics |
| Building Games using UEFN | Manan Shastri – Green Rain |
| Game design for emotional story-telling | Mridul Kashatria / Mala Sen Niku Games |
Session date and timings will be updated soon
| Virtual Production – Augmenting Film making | CV Rao – Annapurna Studios |
| Creature Creation | Harsh Borah – Independent |
| BTS – Mumbai Diaries | Vishwas Savanur – Variate Studio |
| BTS – Leo | Jateen Thakkar – MPC |
| BTS – Ponniyan Selvan | Sanjiv Naik – NYvfx waala studios |
| BTS – RRR (Animal Seq) + Virtual Production | Srinivas Mohan |
Session date and timings will be updated soon
Details coming soon…
Link to Festival Pass+ Details
Sanjay Patel is an illustrator, animator, and director, as well as the creator of Ghee Happy, a collection of books, animation, and paper products that marry his whimsical style and graphic cuteness with the awesome universe of Hindu deities. During his 20-year career at Pixar Animation Studios, he worked on numerous feature films and directed the short film Sanjay’s Super Team, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. Most recently he created an animated preschool show for Netflix called Ghee Happy. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two sons.
His session at AI24
Pixar to Hindu Deities – Discovering your artistic point of view while keeping your day job. Deep Dive into SANJAY’S SUPERTEAM – Development to Production to losing an Oscar Disney to Netflix – Development at Disney to creating Ghee Happy for Youtube
Ishan has been involved in comics, theater, and films since an early age. He discovered animation while pursuing engineering at BITS Pilani. The love for animation films intensified and he dropped out to pursue it as a career. In 2008 he got a diploma in animation from Singapore’s 3dsense Media School and started his career as a CG artist there. He later took a sabbatical and returned to India to work on his first animated short in 2016 that won 33 international awards in more than 120 film festivals. It also won ‘Best in Show’ in SIGGRAPH Asia and ‘Best Animation’ in LA Shorts that qualified the short for the Oscars. Subsequently, he founded his own studio Red Cigarette Media to focus on creating original animated feature films.
In 2023, he directed and wrote a short for Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 – the celebrated Star Wars animated anthology streaming on Disney+. He has just finished his debut animated feature film ‘Schirkoa: in lies we trust’ set to hit festival circuit in 2024. An official Indo-French co-production the film is created entirely in Unreal Engine.
His session at AI24
Ishan will recount his journey, spanning from crafting a short film on a home PC during his spare time to transforming it into a full-length feature. The session’s first part will offer practical insights into scriptwriting, pitching, planning, and collaborating on a large international co-production. Shifting focus in the second part, he will explore real-time animation filmmaking, discussing the technological breakthroughs in game engines that have made this advancement possible. Lastly, he will delve into the challenges and risks associated with long projects, sharing his troubleshooting strategies.
Foley artists reproduce the everyday sounds heard in films, television shows, and video games – noises like footsteps, a sword being drawn from a sheath, or the swishing of clothing as two people walk past each other – that often are missed by microphones during principal shooting, or don’t sync with the picture after scenes are reshot and edited, or need to be created for a film soundtrack. Using an arsenal of props, Foley artists devise and record sound effects that are integrated into a soundtrack during post-production to make a movie, show, or game sound as good as it looks.
Karan is one of the most talented Foley Artists, Sound Engineer, Sound Editor and Sound Designer based in Mumbai, India. He over 30+ tyears experience working for the Indian Film Industry and has more than 3000 films to his credit. Using new age technology in Foley and Sound Design, he promises to make the sound post production easier, smoother and the best.
His session at AI24
He, along with an a associate Foley Artist, will perform live on few video clips.
Suresh Eriyat is a 1997 graduate of the prestigious National Institute of Design. His
journey in the world of animation began when he arrived in Mumbai in search of opportunities to create animated films. In the late 1990s, the landscape for animated storytelling in India was still in its infancy, with Indian companies primarily known for providing backend services to foreign studios. In collaboration with Famous Studios, Suresh established Famous House of Animation in 1999. This pioneering venture marked a turning point in the Indian animation industry, where he produced numerous animated ads, shorts, and music videos, breaking new ground and garnering both national and international recognition. His work redefined how animation was perceived in India.
Suresh’s dream of creating original animation films came closer to realization as he embarked on this journey.
In 2009, he founded Studio Eeksaurus, partnering with his wife Nilima. This studio continues to raise the bar for quality Indian animation content on a global scale. Eeksaurus is also renowned as one of the top advertising film production companies in the country. Suresh’s contributions to animation have been widely acclaimed. He received the first-ever Annecy Cristal for India in 2005 and has won the President of India’s national award for the best animated film in 2016, 2018, and 2021. He has served on the jury panels of prestigious awards and festivals such as Clio, D&AD, Apollo, One Show, LIA, Promax, Adfest, and Krok, among others. Additionally, he has been actively involved in educating students, corporate teams and aspiring filmmakers across India. With a remarkable portfolio of over 500 films and more than 200 national and international awards, Suresh Eriyat is not only an accomplished animation filmmaker but also a trained Carnatic musician and a gifted artist. His interests extend beyond animation into the realms of philosophy, anthropology, and culture, enriching his creative perspective.
His session at AI24
Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes journey into the making of ‘Sri Aurobindo: A New Dawn‘. In this session, delve into the dynamic team collaboration, the visionary directorial approach, and the unique challenges faced in bringing this extraordinary film to life. Discover how every frame of this 28-minute film was meticulously hand-painted, a testament to the dedication and artistry of the team. Learn about the intricate balance between meeting client expectations and staying true to the artistic vision. Gain insights
into the powerful impact of music and sound design in storytelling. This session is a must-attend for event professionals and students alike, offering a rare glimpse into the world of innovative animation film production and creative storytelling.
Upamanyu is an animation director and illustrator based in Kolkata. He’s a founder and partner at Otter Studios. He co-directed ‘Wade’, an animated short film, and is currently working as writer-director on his first animated feature film, ‘Heirloom’.
His session at AI24
Time flies when working on an animated feature. This session will be an open book discussion about the creative processes that have gone behind the project so far (art direction, animation, story, etc), but more importantly, the logistical and mental implications of mounting a project of this nature.
A self-driven and motivated entrepreneur, Prasad Ajgaonkar is the Founder and Managing
Director of iRealities Group, one of the pioneers in producing indigenous animation films and among the best providers in successful disruptive strategies, gamification solutions and humanoid services. Among the most recognized and reputed voices in digital disruption in India, Prasad has given some of the most expensive, most watched and most innovative television serials and films to the digital world in the last 27 years.
His session at AI24
The presentation delves into the personal journey and experiences of Prasad Ajgaonkar an accomplished animation filmmaker, in the creation of renowned animation films.
Director, Vaibhav Studios, Mumbai, Vaibhav is an International Emmy nominated animation film maker and Founder, Director at Vaibhav Studios, Mumbai.
Founded in 2003, the studio has created some of India’s favourite animated content in the field of TV commercials, episodic series and channel promos: the Amaron Battery ad campaign, Chulbuli for Clinic Plus, Buladi’s AIDS awareness campaign for the West Bengal government, the Vodafone Zumis, Simpoo the angry sardaar math teacher on Channel [V] and Lamput the globally acclaimed, International Emmy nominated micro short series for Cartoon Network to name a few. The studio’s maiden animated feature film Return of the Jungle, premiered recently at the IFFI 2023 in Goa.
A Fine Arts graduate, Vaibhav studied animation film making at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He is an active committee member and the Honorary Secretary of The Animation Society of India (TASI) and Founder Director of TASI Animation Association. Vaibhav also teaches animation and is a visiting faculty at various animation and design schools across India.
His session at AI24
Panelist: Indie film makers – vision, approach, challenges & solutions.
An animator by training, Vivek founded AUM Animation Studios (formerly Bluepixels Animation Studios) in 2009. He directed the witty non-dialogue series “ANDY and PIRKI” and recently directed Asia’s first “Tom and Jerry” series produced by AUM.
His session at AI24
Aum Animation Studios reveals the making of ‘Tom and Jerry’ in India: From Script to Screen. Join Vivek Bolar, the director of the series, as he guides us through the enthralling journey of bringing the cherished characters Tom and Jerry to life in India. Explore the process from story and storyboards to the final animation on the screen, delving into the behind-the-scenes narrative of creativity, animation, and the iconic duo’s adaptation tailored for Asian audiences.
A proficient illustrator, painter, sculptor & installation artist with a career sharp as the artist’s pen spanning over fifteen years. He has collaborated with numerous prestigious individuals and organizations during this time. Somneel’s journey as an artist began with his renowned portraits of iconic personalities worldwide, including Saint Teresa, Bill Clinton, Sachin Tendulkar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Maqbul Fida Hussain and Diego Maradona. His work as an Installation artist was recognised by the West Bengal Government as a Maa Durga mural & sculpture made by him was permanently installed in the City of Joy.
Presently Somneel is the owner, co-founder and Studio Head of Createon Games, a digital game art studio intricately involved in the game industry, working on substantial game projects worldwide.
His session at AI24
Live workshop of a Game Character design
Over 10 years of experience in server programming and DevOps handling with a proven track record of working in game industry as backend lead, data analytics engineer, handing technical art in unity game engine and overseeing game liveops.
His session at AI24
Live workshop of a Game Character design
Avichal Singh is a Co-Founder at Nodding Heads Games along with Ian Maude and Shruti Ghosh, where he and the team designed one of India’s first successful premium console and PC titles, Raji: An Ancient Epic. Nodding Heads Games was able to create its own niche in a market flooded by mobile games . With the mandate to put India on the game dev map. To date, Raji is accredited with 32 international accolades, of which nine are wins. These include prestigious events such as E3, The MIX, SXSW, Taipei Game Show, The Games Awards, Pegases and many more. Avichal co-wrote the story of Raji while working as a game designer, level designer and project manager at Nodding Heads Games.
His session at AI24
This session offers an exciting opportunity to learn about the inspiring journey of Nodding Heads Games and their team members as they created Raji. The co-founders will provide insight into their inspirations and objectives, as well as the challenges and hurdles they overcame to create a top-quality premium game in India. They will also discuss how Raji faced funding challenges in its early years. They will also talk about the exclusive release of Raji on Nintendo’s Indie Game World, followed by its global launch on all platforms, including the most recent launch via Netflix on iOS and Android. The co-founders will also share key takeaways from their seven-year journey and discuss the future of Nodding Heads Games and Raji. The session will conclude with a Q&A session, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage with the co-founders and gain further insights into their journey.
Shruti obtained a 1st Class degree in Fine Art from Rabindra Bharati University and has over a decade of game development experience. She is a specialist in hand painting, which is evident in the game’s art style. Shruti has worked on titles such as Burn Out Open World & Dominator and VC Arts – Fantastic Four and served as Art Manager for EA Games India for titles such as Bejeweled Blitz, Monopoly Slots, and Tetris Blitz.
Her session at AI24
This session offers an exciting opportunity to learn about the inspiring journey of Nodding Heads Games and their team members as they created Raji. The co-founders will provide insight into their inspirations and objectives, as well as the challenges and hurdles they overcame to create a top-quality premium game in India. They will also discuss how Raji faced funding challenges in its early years. They will also talk about the exclusive release of Raji on Nintendo’s Indie Game World, followed by its global launch on all platforms, including the most recent launch via Netflix on iOS and Android. The co-founders will also share key takeaways from their seven-year journey and discuss the future of Nodding Heads Games and Raji. The session will conclude with a Q&A session, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage with the co-founders and gain further insights into their journey.
Affectionately known as “Grandpa” within the team, has over two decades of experience in the gaming industry. He started as a junior 3D artist with Stainless Software (creators of Carmageddon) after graduating from the University of Teesside with a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design & Illustration. Ian has worked for well-known companies such as Rockstar, Ubisoft, and Acclaim, becoming a Senior Lead Artist and Art Director. For The Chinese Room, he oversaw the prototype development for “Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture,” which won three Bafta awards. Ian later became a lecturer in video game art and met Shruti Ghosh and Avichal Singh, who later teamed up to create Nodding Heads Games.
His session at AI24
This session offers an exciting opportunity to learn about the inspiring journey of Nodding Heads Games and their team members as they created Raji. The co-founders will provide insight into their inspirations and objectives, as well as the challenges and hurdles they overcame to create a top-quality premium game in India. They will also discuss how Raji faced funding challenges in its early years. They will also talk about the exclusive release of Raji on Nintendo’s Indie Game World, followed by its global launch on all platforms, including the most recent launch via Netflix on iOS and Android. The co-founders will also share key takeaways from their seven-year journey and discuss the future of Nodding Heads Games and Raji.
The session will conclude with a Q&A session, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage with the co-founders and gain further insights into their journey.
GodSpeed Singh, a seasoned veteran in the realm of game development and production. With over a decade of experience steering the ship at GodSpeed Games, I’ve navigated the thrilling waters of the gaming industry, transforming a modest team of two into a powerhouse of over 100 professionals, contributing to over 1000 titles across various platforms. As an expert in sales and business development, I have generated revenue with clients across different countries. I am a confident and dynamic team manager with a track record of providing high-quality deliverables and creating value for organizations through innovative solutions and strong leadership. I like to play Puzzle, Adventure, Real Time Strategy and RPG genres of games.
His session at AI24
Panelist: What do studios look for in students
A serial entrepreneur and an avid gamer Ninad has over 25 years of experience in gaming and interactive media. As co-founder of India’s first gaming company, Indiagames Ltd., he played a vital role in establishing it as a leading global mobile game publisher. Ninad’s ventures over the years have spanned across games, apps, early-edtech, AR, VR, and more.
Currently, he is the Senior Vice President at Reliance Games, overseeing corporate development, strategic alliances, and business expansion, particularly in India and emerging markets through Zapak. Over the years, he has held leadership positions in renowned gaming companies and actively participates in industry associations, speaking at conferences worldwide on gaming, app development, and immersive technologies.
His session at AI24
Panelist: What do studios look for in students
A Games Creator and Co-Founder, CTO, Godspeed Games, Druhin was the first Indian to win a video games BAFTA in the year 2012. Over the years he was also awarded the Asia Pacific 30 Under 30 in 2013. He has worked and interacted with multiple international clients such as GREE , DECA , Sodesco , Assemble etc. Druhin has been balancing making games and mentoring startups. He has also spent 3 years in Auckland, New Zealand as a Senior Lecturer in the Games department at Media Design School. Druhin has even written a games development book in C++ for beginners.
Druhin has also keenly started angel investing in startups and holds Advisory positions in some of them. He also holds a Corporate Advisory position in LPU, to give guidance on curriculum on the AVGC Sector.
His session at AI24
He will orient prospective entrants to opportunities in the AVGC sector is also a Mentor for the portfolio review sessions.
He is a Sr. Animator at Ubisoft India Studios. He started his career in 2011 and worked on various animation projects. After working for 6 years in TV series, commercials and animation film production, he joined the gaming industry in 2017. Onkar has worked on multiple game projects including mobile games and AAA games.
His session at AI24
As technology advances and gaming experiences become more immersive, the demand for skilled animators who can breathe life into virtual worlds has never been greater. This session is designed to provide valuable insights and guidance mainly for the students who are eager to enter into the game animation.
Senior Animator at Ubisoft India, Arun started his career as an intern facial animator at Paprikas Animation Studios, Bangalore (Currently, Technicolor India Pvt Ltd). He pivoted into game animation and has over 15 years of experience in creating animation for video games.
His session at AI24
Creating animations for games involves a comprehensive pipeline that includes several stages from idea to execution. The session would be a good overview of a gaming animation pipeline.
A game developer with a decade in the gaming industry he has developed games for all platforms (TV, PC, Mobile, Web, Arcades and Consoles). A geek who loves to develop games as much as he loves to play them.
His session at AI24
Join us on a transformative journey as we embark on the metaverse odyssey, exploring the future possibilities and impacts on the world. Understand what is the Metaverse and role of individuals and businesses in a bid to crafting the future.
Over the past few years, we have developed and contributed to several animated products for shows, advertisements, music videos, and organisations
His session at AI24
Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) is a groundbreaking tool, revolutionizing the game industry by providing an unprecedented level of creative freedom. Its intuitive interface empowers developers to craft immersive experiences with unparalleled realism, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in game design. UEFN’s robust features and dynamic capabilities are reshaping the industry landscape, fostering innovation and setting new standards for interactive entertainment. This session will explore how UEFN is a game-changer, unlocking a new era of creativity and pushing the limits of virtual worlds.
Experienced programmer and entrepreneur with specialization in web and video game technologies. Created and scaled up web and mobile app products for the media industry in India with millions of daily users. Now at Niku Games, creating story-rich, multi-platform adventure games with the award-winning debut The Palace on the Hill.
His session at AI24
Sen will be talking about his game The Palace on the Hill, a slice-of-life adventure game set in 90s rural India with a coming-of-age tale of ambition, struggle and friendship. The talk will deal with how the game uses game design to tell an emotional story and how it creates an authentic and nostalgic experience of an Indian village with a story of an ordinary kid who wants to follow his dream.
She completed her B.F.A and M.F.A from Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan and started her career as a large-scale textile-artist and educator in the field of art. She always had a love of stories and realised that games are an excellent medium of expression. Therefore she pivoted into game development and has 8 years of experience working on games. She and her partner Mridul started Niku Games with the goal of making story-rich and cultural games. They are currently working on ‘The Palace on the Hill’, a slice-of-life adventure game set in 90s rural India.
Her session at AI24
She will talk about her game The Palace on the Hill, a slice-of-life adventure game set in 90s rural India with a coming-of-age tale of ambition, struggle and friendship. The talk will deal with how the game uses game design to tell an emotional story and how it creates an authentic and nostalgic experience of an Indian village with a story of an ordinary kid who wants to follow his dream.
She will also be presenting a Show & Tell – Career orientation for Gaming
Currently, a Chief Technology Officer at one of the leading Studio’s of India, Annapurna Studios, Mr. CV Rao, is Post-Graduate in Economics from SV University, Tirupati, India. Before taking up the prestigious position of a Post-Production General Manager, CV Rao had started his career as a Graphic Designer in an advertising agency and his interest towards new-age technology made him a Master of complete Post-Production Services and recently added Brain Child of his at the Annapurna Studios is the Virtual Production Stage. He not only manages but also knows the work of each and every department.
To his credit, CV Rao has an international award for editing for one of the short films and is
one of the backbones in delivering, India’s Biggest Movie Baahubali Sequels & RRR in time
with quality and also behind some 500+ movies for post-producHon works.
His session at AI24
The session will have detailed information on virtual production workflow and its shooting
possibilities from start to end along with few case studies from the projects already released in the market, Following with Q&A.
– Pipeline
– Storyboarding
– Previz
– Techviz
– Art and lighting
– Principal cinematography
– Finishing
Harsh is a VES(2022) award winning character, creature and facial (FACS) asset supervisor working in the Film and TV industry. His studio experience includes Lucasfilm Singapore, Framestore, MPC, DNeg, Mill / London and currently Head of Assets at Milk VFX London.
Currently he is supervising creatures for a non-fiction show called Surviving Earth by world renowned director Tim Haines (Walking with Dinosaurs 1999). He is passionate about bringing asset teams together for any character / creature driven shows. He works closely with Modeling, Texturing, Lookdev, Rigging and Animation supervisors to help produce key character design and facial performances.
Career highlights include leading assets team for Disney’s new Lion King, Rocket Raccoon for Guardians of the Galaxy, facial shapes for Gnarlak the goblin in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Avengers Endgame, Fantastic Beasts 2, Wonder Woman 1984 and VES winning CG Albert Einstein for Mill. He is a creature supervisor who is artistically driven whilst being a technical problem solver. He is passionate about teaching and spreading the knowledge he has acquired over the years in VFX.
His session at AI24
He will talk about character creation for films on which he has worked including Rocket Raccoon for Guardians of the Galaxy, Paddington bear, Lion king and few others.
Founder of Variate Studio, Vishwas brings an extensive blend of creative and technical abilities and a thorough understanding of producing the highest quality visual effects for any screen. Big screen feature films , OTT films, episodics and ad-films, this industry veteran in Visual Effects, has incredible wealth of knowledge & experience in the latest in CGI technologies and practical understanding of VFX production planning.
Vishwas has worked as creative head on films like Baahubali2, Kedarnath, Sahoo, Soorarrai Putturu, to name a few. Vishwas received recognition for Best VFX – Filmfare and ITA awards for prestigious project ROCKET BOYS – [Sony Liv] and Indian Academy award for Adhura [Prime video Ott series] in 2023.
His session at AI24
He will present the visual effects magic behind the acclaimed series Mumbai Diaries – Season 02.
VFX Supervisor at MPC, Jateen’s expertise in VFX has been honed over two decades working with major studios in a range of artistic and leadership positions on a plethora of feature films and varied media formats. His portfolio spans content for major Hollywood and Bollywood motion pictures, commercials, streaming platforms, and theme parks.
Having worked as BgPrep, Compositor, Lead Compositor, Compositing Supervisor, Sequence Supervisor, and VFX Supervisor, Jateen has a deep-rooted understanding of the craft and is able to translate this into his role as a leader.
His session at AI24
Leo is a Kollywood blockbuster for which MPC created the stunning CG hyena. The hyena is tamed by the protagonist, played by Vijay, in a seminal scene which sets the stage for the story which unfolds, and the hyena also appears throughout the film. In this session, Jateen will share insights into the process of creating the CG hyena and the seamless interaction between the creature and the environments it is in.
VFX Supervisor at NY VFXWaala studios, Sanjiv is a fine arts graduate from Goa University, whose professional journey in the world of visual effects commenced in 2003 with USL-WOA. Over the years, he has collaborated with prestigious studios and media houses, adding his artistic vision to more than 100 major film productions. His impact extends across borders, with notable mentions in both Hollywood and Bollywood. Notably, his work played a significant role in the success of the Hollywood film “The King’s Speech” and the Bollywood blockbuster “Jagga Jasoos,” the latter earning the prestigious IIFA Award for Best VFX.
The recognition continued with the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards in 2023 with the Best VFX award for his contribution to “Ponniyin Selvan – Part one. His journey has been closely intertwined with NY-VFXWAALA since its inception, where he has evolved professionally and currently holds the position of Senior VFX Supervisor.
His session at AI24
Ponniyin Selvan – VFX BTS – the making of magnum opus right from the script level to the final execution. Understanding the requirement of visual effects from the Director’s point of view. The technical aspect of shooting the film and post-production and integration of live-action to CGI to create realistic imagery.
Srinivas Mohan is an Indian Visual Effects Supervisor with 25 years of experience. He is a member of ‘The Academy’ and has received several awards for his work including four National Film Awards for Best Special Effects. He has worked on a number of notable films, including RRR, 2.0, Baahubali – The Beginning and Endhiran The Robot.
His session at AI24
He will present a behind the scenes look at the visual effects transformation of ‘RRR’
