Bangalore, considered as the IT hub of India, is now gaining a new recognition as there is more than just IT in Bangalore. The Animation, VFX, Gaming and Comic Industry (AVGC) has expanded its horizons and achieved commendable heights leading to making Bangalore the AVGC hub of India. And this is quite justified as there is a mix of everything in Bangalore – a large number of Animation, VFX and Gaming studios, schools and institutes of the same and a bunch of startups in these verticals that are growing day by day.
And to promote this creative industry, ABAI, a non-profit association, has been catering to AVGC since 2006 in order to expand the face of this industry. In this effort, ABAI has organised a panel discussion at the Bangalore ITE.biz tomorrow 10 December 2015 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at The Lalit Ashok, Bangalore.
“We aim to place Bangalore on the world map in terms of AVGC. We want to show the world how rich Bangalore is in this space and how it is expanding its tentacles to drive more attraction,” claims BS Srinivas who functions as the Joint Secretary of ABAI along with a committee of renowned members who have taken this initiative to encourage talent. The discussion will witness panelists who are a prominent face of the AVGC industry including: Shailesh Daxini – Country Manager, Zynga; Damien DeFroberville – General Manager, DreamWorks Animation India; Jai Natrajan – Senior Advisor Business Strategy, Xentrix Studios; Maltesh Mattenavar – Asset Supervisor, Rockstar Games; VS Manjula, IAS, Principal Secretary, Dept. of IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka. The discussion will be moderated by Adi Shayan, Studio manager of DreamWorks Animation India & Secretary of ABAI.
It will be a two way discussion allowing the audience to question the panelists and demand answers. Also, each panelist will display a showreel and explain in short about their projects. However, the overall discussion will revolve around the past, current and future of AVGC industry in Bangalore.
As the Bangalore ITE.biz caters to both young and experienced individuals, this panel discussion is targeting around 500 people across backgrounds. ABAI has invited both delegates and industry personnel for this discussion along with start ups and young entrepreneurs. As a follow up to this discussion, ABAI has its own initiatives like Train The Trainer (TTT) and Digitalisation of Arts Colleges, where students can be involved with these high end studios after clearing a process of entrance exam and selection.
This is an effort ‘of Bangalore, by Bangalore, and for Bangalore’ as per ABAI and there is no intention of propagating any particular studio but AVGC entirely. This discussion will also serve as a direct bridge between the masters of the industry and the budding minds who will revolutionise the industry in the coming future. Also, the students will get a chance to interact and enquire about the actual work that happens right from story boarding to delivering the final project in these studios.
The government of Karnataka directly supports ABAI in their initiatives to promote the growth of this creative industry and also to attract business activities in this sector. As Bangalore is phenomenal in gaming due to the advancement in the IT sector, this discussion will be a boon to young game developers. In short, this panel discussion is a window to an arena of AVGC in Bangalore, which is no longer just an IT hub!