The Animation Masters Summit (AMS) 2023 witnessed two days complete with sessions from veterans in the animation, visual effects and gaming industry. From films to VFX to voice acting, audience got a chance to attend a variety of sessions.
Organised by Kerala-based animation studio Toonz Media Group, AMS takes forward “the studio’s unwavering commitment to put India on the global map of animation and nurture the artistic and creative community in the region,” said Toonz CEO P Jayakumar. With this year’s theme as “Re-imagining entertainment – now and beyond,” the summit has remained loyal to celebrating artistry.
At AMS 2023, Framestore India MD Akhauri Sinha took a session “From concept to completion: The role of VFX in storytelling.” In the session, Sinha explained that VFX should be part of the filmmaking process, right from ideation. He explained how his studio put immense amount of hard work to build the world shown in the 2022 film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. About AMS 2023, he said, “It was my first time here and it was very good to meet the fellow masters. What amazed me was the breadth of experience and diversity all the masters had to bring out, from all the facets of filmmaking.”
Film director Damian Perea talk on “Why No, Now Yes” inspired the audience to embrace new possibilities. He said, “I loved it at Animation Masters Summit. The audience is so respectful; they don’t talk while the session is on, they listen. The audience was so diverse – there were people of all ages. I love the idea of a master talking and the others listening, keeping an open heart, and with humility. That makes me even more energetic. This summit represents the idea of giving back – what you know and what you get – to the next generation and inspiring them. I think this is the best we can do in our life is inspire people. AMS is an amazing initiative because it is giving back to the people.”
Veteran voice artiste Darrpan Mehta’s session enlightened attendees as well as artists on the art of voice acting, the challenges and perks of the skill, and the demand for the skill in the M&E industry. “Voice acting is not just about the voice, it is about so much more,” Mehta stated. “Voice acting is a game of the mind.” Having a good voice does not qualify as a talent; one needs sufficient language skills and needs to know how to use the correct tone, he explained.
Mehta shared his experience at AMS 2023: “The Animation Masters Summit was an amazing conference experience where I thoroughly enjoyed sharing insights about the craft of voice acting! The event was beautifully organised and the hospitality of the hosts, the Toonz Media Group, was unparalleled.”
FTII executive head CFOL Milind Damle took an informative session on “Back to Basics’ technological advancement: The U-Turn of Entertainment.” On Animation Masters Summit 2023, he said: “This was the first time I came to know about AMS and was given the opportunity to share my thoughts. The experience was fantastic. I would like to thank the Toonz team for meticulously planning everything.”
In an enlightening session, creator and storyteller Siddharth Maskeri spoke about storytelling and life. At one point in life, “self-worth became my net worth and that was the biggest crisis of my life,” he shared. And he eventually followed his call of spreading happiness through storytelling. He explained that having limitations in your day-to-day life was alright, because we need limitations to have an inspiring story.
On his experience at AMS 2023, he said, “The entire Toonz family under the direction of Animation Masters Summit 2023 director Anish Kutty has given me and all of us love and special attention. Anish’s energy has not only inspired me but it has also radiated my entire family. The Toonz team made me feel like family and not like a master.”
Gamitronics CEO Rajat Ojha spoke about what games are and why people play them. “People don’t play games because they are immersive,” Ojha said. “Games give people the opportunity to be the hero.” On his time at AMS 2023, he said, “It was such an honour to be here! Amazing and engaging audience, awesome organisation of the event and humbling hospitality. It was a very memorable event. Congratulations Toonz Media Group and Toonz Academy for the wonderful event.”
Visual development artist and production designer Rupali Gatti showcased the vast amount of work she had done for the films Baahubali: The Beginning, Manto, Laal Kaptaan, Bombay Rose and Leila. She shared her journey in the industry and her insights on the skills required for visual development. “It was an absolute honour to be a part of AMS 2023 and share the stage with the masters,” Gatti said. “The experience at AMS will always be very special to me. It was a very well organised event and the hospitality of Toonz Media Group was exceptional! Listening to the insights given by the masters was inspiring and the spirit in the audience made this event possible! The awareness of visual development/ideation process is much needed and important now as the visual industry builds here in India. I can’t thank Toonz Media Group enough for giving me the opportunity to present my work at AMS.”
She added, “It is a fantastic initiative by Toonz, holding an event at this scale. It is opening many doors for the beginners, students on various learning platforms through this event. They are giving back to the people!”
The summit, co-sponsored by innovative software solutions provider Toon Boom, honoured the late Bill Dennis, one of the founders of Toonz and the architect behind the Animation Masters Summit with the ‘Legend of the Indian Animation’ award posthumously.
Animation Masters Summit was held at Park Centre in Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram on 12 and 13 May. The event made a comeback as an in-person event this year as the last three editions were held online due to pandemic-related restrictions.