Animation art to action

Abhay Waghmare is a Creative director at Maya Digital studios is one of the rare artist worked under the guidance of Animation Master Rammohan.

Introduction

Abhay Waghmare is a Creative director at Maya Digital studios and also an artist and painter stepping into paintings world as Painter and preparing to come up with his Painting Exhibitions soon. Before coming up as a Painter identity, he is very successful Artist for Character design, Story boarding and Concept Development. When Animation started in India, Abhay worked under Animation Master Rammohan as a Trainee and got mastery over animation and soon become Animation Director and Directed many Projects in Animation field. 

He worked as Concept Artist and illustrated Children’s books, produced concept ideas at UTV Toon. Later on he turned to 2D animation which gave expression to his childhood fascination for sketches and all types of art in 2 dimensions. Moving further he entered into 3D Animation and started animating for commercials, TV shows, direct to DVD films and finally full length movies. Designated as an Animation Lead within 6 months of his animation career he worked on "Toad Patrol", "Dr. Disaster", "For better or for worse", "Bad Dog" , "Meena", "Kong" etc.

In 2002 designated as Animation Director at UTV Toons he worked on "Untalkative Bunny" 50 episodes as Animation Director / Character Animator. As Animation Director he also made successful transaction form traditional to Computer Animation - As 2D FLASH: - "Buss on maggie (Disney)", "CoconutFread" (Warner Bros.), "El-Tiger" (Nicklodean) CG Animation:- "Higgly Town Heros". As a Creative Director for Fruitless Short Film-Concept, Storyboard, Character Designing. 

He also worked for CG Animation/Character development for "3 Pigs And A Baby" (DVD), "Tortoise Vs Hare" (DVD), "Goldilocks And The 3 Beards" (DVD).

As an Animation Director For Feature Animation Movies  'Space Chimps 2' Vanguard Animation, 'Chubbs Chubbs Save Xmas' Sony Pictures Animation, 'Koochie Koochie Hota Hai' Dharma Productions.   

We had discussions on different topics related to animation and Indian Animation Industry and Working culture in India. Abhay really discussed very crucial points. He told us that numbers of studios are doing outsourcing projects form foreign companies like Disney, Sony Pictures, and DreamWorks etc mean that Indian Artists are really having talent to meet international performance standards. Indian Animation industry is growing very fast and has taken less then a decade meet up international standard. Talking on working culture of Companies, Abhay did not only mention good points like good projects, opportunity to work as an artist and earn wages along with doing what fascinate an artist but he also emphasis on how working culture is affecting artists which is turning them into just a labour who is doing long hour monotonous job resulting very frequent drops, job switching and poor performance. One who wishes to establish him/herself as Animation or allied artist has to learn to handle working pressure, has to be very result oriented and be ready for quick changes and this will only happen when one is well trained and given good guidance to be an animator. Lets find out what Abhay has to tell us in this interview, he is sharing with us number of important aspect as Animator and Animation Director. 
 

Journey from Art to Animation and Animation to Art  

Hi Abhay, Tell us how you landed up in Animation Field?

 

Transition from 2D Artist to 3D Artist? How you updated yourself?

  

How you become an Animation Director?

 

Tell Us Difference between Role of an Animator and Animation Director?


Why Animation medium is becoming so popular? Why directors and producers are choosing this medium for projects?

      

 How important story telling and elements (character/props) are for animation?

     

Share Your Experience of the Most Challenging Project in your career, time and working culture in India. 

   

What kind of correction or performance animator directors want from team or group working under him?

   

What are tips/tricks and suggestions for coming up artists or aspirants in field of animation?

 

How important training is for becoming animator?

 

Today Abhay is not only directing he also does mentoring for Life Drawing Classes for Animators and teaches Animation fundamentals of Art and specialisation  to animation aspirants, rest of his time is passionately dedicate to Drawing and Painting. Abhay like to do Still Drawings and Oil Painting Portraits and Landscapes. His house’s one area is dedicated to his passion for art and you find only one thing all over that’s colours of life representing passion, art experience and calmness. 

 

Article by Smitaa Pande