Character Design Workshop for animation and VFX degree program students of Creative Multimedia

HYDERABAD, MAY 06, 2019 - Creative Multimedia College of Fine Arts (CMCFA), Hyderabad organized an exclusive, day-long, participative workshop on character design for its B.A. Visual Art (Animation & VFX) and B.A. Visual Arts (Applied Art) program first year students on 2nd May, 2019.

Reputed Artist Aditya N Chari conducted the workshop for CMCFA students. Aditya is an accomplished artist and a specialist in character design, comic illustrations, caricatures and paintings. He enjoys 18+ years of professional experience having worked as Graphic Designer, Visualizer, BG/Layout/Pre-Production Artist Animator Concept Lead and Character Designer on a range of freelance assignments and at top companies such as Lintas, Leo Burnett, Grey Worldwide, McKann Ericsson, Ogilvy & Mather, Reliance Infocomm, Prana Studios, Forbes, MTV, Virgin Comics, Hungama.com, Aurobindo Society and ISCKON to name a few.

Aditya is also a respected author, having illustrated and written three books on figure drawing. He enjoys rich experience as a concept artist/ character sketch artist for films such as Bahubali (Bhallala Deva character). His portrait demonstrations, one man shows (exhibitions) and group exhibitions are very popular. Aditya is also a sought-after mentor. He taught character design and figure drawing at the Goa Animation Art School. He is now with Gurukul School of Design where he teaches design fundamentals. He also delivers guest lectures regularly.

Aditya’s workshop was a unique privilege for students as they got to learn the art of character design from a top-notch veteran with high quality art experience spanning close to two decades. In the course of the workshop, Aditya touched every aspect of character design and dished out valuable tips on professional character design.

The day-long workshop which kicked off at 8 in the morning was divided into three sessions and was completed by four in the evening. CMCFA students participated actively in the workshop which offered many takeaways. Students gained many skills: step by step, hands-on methods to draw; using a reference to improve drawing skills, developing a character from rough sketches, developing concepts, line & stroke techniques and building the versatility and essential skills vital to creating a fully illustrated character.

The workshop was conducted on the 6th of May, 2019 which happens to be the 98th birth anniversary of Satyajit Ray, one of the finest directors India had produced. CMCFA dedicated the workshop to the legendary film maker as a mark of respect to him.

CMCFA conducted the workshop as part of its multiple initiatives aimed at Enhancing Employability™ and encouraging students to build a solid foundation in drawing, a prized skill that leading recruiters prioritize during job interviews. This passion for producing highly trained animation artists is a distinguishing feature of CMCFA which has been delivering outstanding placement results every year. CMCFA students enjoy benchmarking training and high quality placements at top MNCs, making it the most preferred career launch pad for budding animation and VFX artists.

CMCFA offers the in-demand 3-year B.A. Visual Arts (Animation & VFX) and B.A. (Applied Art) Degree programs in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNA&FAU). Students enrolled for these programs are awarded a Degree by the University: a passport to the global media and entertainment job market. CMCFA is part of the prestigious Creative Multimedia Group which has shaped over 26,000 successful digital media careers in the past 25 years.

Students of Creative Multimedia College of Fine Arts (CMCFA) stage a cracking art show.

HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 - Creative Multimedia Group, the premier destination for creative arts education in India put up an impressive art show titled ‘THE WALT DISNEY RETROSPECTIVE’ at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad on the 21st of January, 2019. This is an annual event organized by CMCFA with different themes each year. The 2019 edition of the event turned out to be truly special. At CMCFA, the emphasis on inspiring students to develop fine drawing skills and build a strong foundation in art. And the art show provides a great opportunity for budding talent to hone their art skills and also to get noticed by the industry, especially prospective recruiters.

First year students of CMCFA, Dilsukhnagar organized the event to mark the 117th birth anniversary of Walt Elias Disney - the pioneer of animation and founder of Disney Studios, the most admired entertainment enterprise in the world. Mr. Alan Phillips, the President of VanArts (Vancouver Institute of Media Art), Vancouver - Canada participated in the event as Chief Guest and showered praise on CMCFA students saying that Walt Disney would be very proud of the students who displayed remarkable art skills.

The walls of Ravindra Bharathi’s art gallery were speckled with 114 creative portraits of Walt Disney. Students of CMCFA worked on traditional media and styles whilst also experimenting with new innovative media - plaster of paris on cardboard, graphite dust on ivory sheet, glitter on paper, colour engraving on foil, nails and wool on wood, coffee on paper, pencil on corrugated board, etching on mirror, paper collage and mixed media on glass and paper.

Students also played with mixed media as well as conventional media to add variety to the art show. The portraits were also created using poster colour on paper, crayons on mount board, colour pencil on ivory sheet, acrylic on paper, soft pastel on paper, charcoal pencil on paper, watercolour on paper, oil on canvas and sketch pen on paper. It was a special art show in honour of a very special man who transformed the world of entertainment with his uncommon passion and grit.

In a chat with the press on the sidelines of the art show, Mr. Alan Phillips averred: “I’m both delighted and proud to know that students are capable of such extraordinary work. It’s very inspiring. They’ve explored a range of media which speaks volumes about their passion. What’s more, students have succeeded remarkably well in capturing the essence of Walt Disney. I’m sure Disney would have been very proud of the students of CMCFA.”

“Walt Disney was very sanguine about life in general and showed a can-do attitude which possibly explains why he was so immensely successful. He built a vast entertainment empire comprising studios and theme parks. From Cartoon Films to Television and Movies, he created some of the finest entertainment that the world has ever experienced till date. His infused a very inspiring work culture in Disney popularly known as ‘plussing’, which inspired people to “do more and do better”. I think, ‘plussing’ must be adopted by students a well. It will help them greatly in their careers.”

Post the press meet, Alan had this chat with students: “I’m sure that all of you are very proud of your work. Many congratulations and wish you best of luck in your careers. You are fortunate to be at Creative Multimedia which is so passionate about animation training. I wish to thank the CEO of CMCFA Mr. Rajasekhar Buggaveeti for inviting me to inaugurate this wonderful art show.”

While the art shows are aimed at helping students build a strong foundation in drawing, CMCFA also organizes a range of other programs such as master sessions and workshops to add value to the learning experience and equip students with competitive edge in their careers.

CMCFA is the preferred seat of learning for fine arts degree programs in India. CMCFA offers the popular BFA (Animation) Degree Program in affiliation with JNAFAU (Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University) Hyderabad. At CMCFA, the emphasis is on Enhancing Employability™ through benchmark training and placements.

“The Walt Disney Retrospective”.
An art exhibition reminiscing the Animation world’s biggest star.

HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 20, 2019 - Walt Disney has been a shining inspiration for millions of artists, movie goers, wannabe entrepreneurs and others across the globe. As an entrepreneur, he built a global entertainment empire which includes the eponymous ‘Disney World’ and ‘Walt Disney Studios’. As an animation artist, he is the creative force behind what is arguably the most memorable cartoon character the world has ever seen - Mickey Mouse. As a producer, he made scores of animation films which have raised the benchmarks for animation and have been regaling the entertainment world for close to a century now.

He was also an influential voice actor during the initial years of his career. Some of his peerless achievements include 22 Academy Awards (59 nominations), many honorary degree from such Ivy League academic institutions as Harvard and Yale. A measure of the popularity and respect that Walt Disney commanded can be gauged from the fact that the Government of the United States of America released a special postal stamp in his honour. Also, a small planet ‘4017 Disneya’ has been named after him. Walt Elias Disney remains the most influential entertainer and animation star the world has ever seen.

In tribute to Walt Disney and his extraordinary achievements, students of Creative Multimedia College of Fine Arts (CMCFA), Dilsukhnagar conducted an art exhibition featuring true-to-life portraits of the legend. Titled ‘THE WALT DISNEY RETROSPECTIVE’, the 4-day exhibition from 05 - 09 February 2019 was held at Nehru Art Gallery, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture & Fine Arts University (JNAFAU), Hyderabad.

The walls of Nehru Art Gallery sported 114 dazzling portraits crated by animation students of CMCFA. Visitors to the gallery had many words of praise for the students who displayed artistic finesse and created extraordinary works of art. Innovating the game, students played with a variety of tools and media: coffee dust on paper, colour engraving on foil, pencil on corrugated board, graphite dust on ivory sheet, etching on a mirror, glitter on paper and paper collage, nails and yarn on wood, plaster of paris on cardboard and mixed media on glass.

Students also worked with mixed media and conventional tools: oil on canvas, acrylic on paper, soft pastel on paper, poster colour on paper, colour pencil on ivory sheet, crayons on mount board, sketch pen on paper, watercolour on paper and charcoal on paper to create beautiful portraits. Walt Elias Disney would have been very proud of the students of CMCFA who exhibited such excellent drawing skills.

Kilaru Praveen - VFX pro and Head of Production at Digital Domain attended the art exhibition as the Chief Guest. He spent a great amount of time going around the gallery and observing the exhibits. He spoke to each student individually to understand their creative ideas and thought process behind the artworks. He was amazed at the high standards of art and congratulated all the students.

Speaking to media, he said: “I’m happy to see such wonderful talent. All the exhibits are terrific and these well-trained students of CMCFA have a great future. With strong foundational drawing skills, students can expect rewarding job offers from top recruiters. With colleges like CMCFA churning out such highly-trained talent, the industry will be delighted as there is a dearth of competent talent. I wish to congratulate Rajasekhar Buggaveeti CEO of Creative Multimedia College for his commitment to Enhancing Employability™, and enabling a steady stream of trained talent which is very helpful for many studios like us who are constantly seeking good talent.”

Praveen commended students for their excellent work and encouraged them to continue working harder to move closer to career goals and influence the craft of animation. He advised students to focus on building good communication and presentation skills which are vital in the real world scenario where one needs to sell an idea/work of art by articulating the creative process and the genesis of/inspiration behind the work. Sharing from his rich experiences, he told students that, in the VFX sector, passion is more important than money and one must be prepared to put in great efforts. He also invited animation and visual effects students of CMCFA to visit Digital Domain.

Digital Domain is a major player in the VFX space and has bagged 100+ major awards including Cannes Lions, BAFTA, and Clios apart from Academy Awards for the films ‘Titanic’, ‘What Dreams May Come’, and ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. The studio also won an Academy nomination in the VFX category for its recent work in the film ‘Avengers - Infinity War’. Other important guests who graced the event and congratulated CMCFA students included Professor Dr. N. Kavita Daryani Rao, VC - JNAFAU, Mr. Vikas, Principal - JNAFAU and Shankar Pamarthy, artist, caricaturist and cartoonist and winner of many popular international and national awards including the Grand Prix World Press Cartoon Award.

Addressing the media, Mr. Raja Sekhar Buggaveeti, CEO of Creative Multimedia Group said: “CMCFA organizes art exhibitions every year with the motto ‘Education with a purpose - Art for a cause’. These annual exhibitions are integral to CMCFA’s various initiatives to encourage students build a robust foundation in drawing while helping promote a social cause. Our earlier art exhibition ‘Mahanati’ was a fantastic success and the money earned from sale of exhibits at the art gallery was donated for flood relief work in Kerala.”

CMCFA is the preferred destination for creative arts education in India. The college offers up-to-date, industry-focused courses aimed at preparing students for work. With the emphasis on ‘Enhancing Employability™, CMCFA produces highly trained professionals and delivers the best placements in the industry. CMCFA is a constituent of Creative Multimedia Group which owns and operates India’s largest Digital Media Academy. In the past 25 years, Creative Multimedia Group has trained over 26,000 students.

International Animation Day (IAD) celebrations: Creative Multimedia College of Fine Arts (CMCFA) students honoured with prestigious Pixellence Awards.

HYDERABAD, NOVEMBER 06, 2018 - CMCFA, India’s premier college for creative arts celebrated ‘International Animation Day’ on the 28th of October, 2018 at the famed Ravindra Bharathi Auditorium in Hyderabad. Veterans of the Digital Media and Entertainment industry participated in the event to share their experiences with students and honour outstanding Animation talent with the prestigious Pixellence Awards.

For over 15 years now, CMCFA has been celebrating IAD with great fanfare. The idea is to help promote Animation and drive growth of the digital media and entertainment industry in India, especially the Animation sector which recruits scores of freshers every year.

Every year, IAD attracts key players of the industry who patronize this this landmark event with the aim of enabling a brighter future for the collective good of the industry. CMCFA has been organizing this event to bring its students closer to the animation industry and also to recognize and reward outstanding talent across creative arts disciplines including Animation, VFX, Gaming, Graphic Design and Web/UI/UX Design.

Creative Multimedia CEO Rajasekhar Buggaveeti extended a warm welcome to the gathering and delivered the inaugural address. Renewing Creative Multimedia’s commitment to Enhancing Employability™ , he said that the Group affords the finest infrastructure, training and placements in the industry and will continue to maintain the high standards that have made it the preferred destination for creative arts education in India. He urged students to take advantage of the unique training privileges that Creative Multimedia offered and wished them great success.

The 2018 edition of IAD attracted some of the biggest names in the Animation, VFX, Gaming and Design industries. This invitee list included prominent names such as Suresh Eriyat, the promoter of Studio Eeksaurus and the animation pro who created the hugely popular Clay Animation TVC (Television commercial) for Amaron Batteries, Peter Draper, the co-founder of Makuta VFX, the studio which created the VFX for the smash hit ‘Bahubali, and Mr. Rajat Ojha, Promoter of Gamitronics. Mr. Rajiv Chilaka - CEO of Green Gold Animation who was invited but was unable to make it to the event, offered his best wishes to Creative Multimedia students through a pre-recorded AV.

Studio Eksaurus Founder and Animation veteran Suresh Eriyat engages students with a master session Suresh Eriyat, the founder of the popular Animation outfit “Studio Eeksaurus” and one of India’s most celebrated Animation professionals was the chief guest of the IAD celebrations. Revisiting his younger days about two decades back when he had just commenced his career, he recalled that Animation was an emerging sector in India at that time, and despite his childhood passion for the craft and urge to produce Animation films, he was unable to do much as there was little demand.

Suresh treated students to his best Animation works including the TVCs he created for Sulekha.com and B4U Movies and the iconic Clay Animation promos for MTV and Amaron Batteries. Dwelling on professional best practices and bringing insights from his previous works, he encouraged students to always give the best shot, saying: “I’m a story teller first and I have continuously tried to do my best with every project. All of you are young Animation artists with a bright future ahead. You must build a strong foundation, explore every style/medium, especially stop motion animation and clay animation which are now being neglected. Acquaint yourself with these primary styles even as you train on advanced animation software. It’s important to be well-rounded and to fortify your skills. As the future of the animation industry, I advise you focus on building comprehensive skills and driving innovation. It’s only then that you can push the boundaries and create world-class animation.”

Suresh also presented two live-action films he made for chocolate brands LuvIt and Kit Kat. Post the presentation, he gave a breakdown of the full post-production process for both the films. He took students through the behind-the-scenes footage to elucidate the process of sketching, shortlisting ideas, set construction, lighting set-up, and wire work which were used to control the props and characters and enable the shoot.

The highlight of his presentation was a captivating twelve-minute Claymation short film which he said was in the making for 8 years now. He used this as an example to drive home the point that it takes extraordinary efforts and a great deal of time to create just one second of high quality animation footage. His presentation made for a detailed, shot-by-shot, break-up of the pre-production to production and post-production on a granular level including the animatronics, production + prop design, the puppet mock-ups and their different proportions for interior and exterior shots respectively, the references, design of miniature set, lighting (manual) and the animation. It was truly an enlightening master session loaded with valuable practical insights for students.

Post the presentation, Suresh invited students to a Q&A session and responded to a volley of questions on his the Claymation process of the film and also his career journey.

Rajat Ojha introduces students to exciting opportunities in gaming.
Rajat Ojha, the Chief Executive Office of popular gaming studio “Gamitronics” and an immensely successful gaming industry veteran joined the IAD celebrations as a special guest. He had an interactive session with students, shared his career experiences and offered gave student vital tips on building a strong career in the industry.

His presentation on ‘Animation in Games and Career Opportunities’ introduced students to new and exciting job opportunities. Discussing the potential of the gaming industry, he exclaimed: “Gaming is the largest vertical in the Digital Media and Entertainment industry with over 200 rewarding career opportunities. The Indian Gaming industry with about 450 studios is valued at roughly INR 2000 crores, ranked 3rd globally in install rankings and is expected to add 60,000 jobs in India in the next five years with a growth rate (projected) of 16%. Being a virtually recession-free and high-growth industry with a widening demand-supply talent gap, there is no better time than now to pursue a career in gaming.”

Post the presentation, Rajat screened the showreel of Gamitronics, featuring popular games MSG4, God of War, HeavyRain and Uncharted4. Alongside the showreel, Rajat delivered an engaging master class on gaming production with brief illustrative modules on game design techniques, animation types + process levels, in-game cinematics, and advanced tools including Euforia and Motion Capture now being employed by studios to build virtual skeleton and muscles for game characters. Rajat dwelt on key software skills including Wwise Unity, 3D Studio Max, ZBrush and Photoshop and also advised students to focus on body mechanics and timing which are critical to achieving good results.

Rajat spoke at length on job opportunities in gaming and advised students to explore every possible channel/platform from industry events to job portals, industry focus groups and other forums and other conventional routes to maximize job success.

Pete Draper engages VFX students of Creative Multimedia
Pete Draper, co-founder of Makuta VFX and a highly experienced CGI veteran with many popular VFX-related publications/tutorials to his credit was invited to IAD celebrations as a special guest. His studio Makuta VFX is the force behind the CG of the hugely successful film Bahubali. Pete Draper graced the IAD celebrations as a special guest.

Pete screened his best CG projects using a short showreel and enlightened students on different, project-critical tools/effects including real time systems, shading, GI walkthroughs, mapping filters, lighting, and explosions. Bringing to the table, valuable experience from his career journey spanning 25 years, he stressed on the importance of constantly self-evaluation to improve skills, and said that one’s your ability to create is inversely proportional to the ability to assess.”

Pete also enlightened students on ways to prepare for a VFX career. He responded to a range of FAQs: How to break in to the industry?, How to stay distinctive?, What are the important skills to succeed in VFX? and more. Elaborating on the importance of the showreel, he offered thoughtful ideas on creating a great showreel. Stating that success is a journey which doesn’t happen overnight, Pete said that it takes time to succeed, and offered his formula for success: Practice> Experiment> Fail> Practice> Repeat.

The celebrations peaked with the Chief Guest Suresh Eriyat, Special Guest Rajat Ojha and Creative Multimedia CEO Raja Sekhar giving away the coveted Pixellence Awards for excellence in Digital Media Art. Prior to the event, many students submitted entries in different categories - Animation, Visual Effects, Web and Graphics. The entries were judged on four parameters - Theme, Design, Work Quality and Presentation standards.

Raja Sekhar Buggaveeti CEO of Creative Multimedia congratulated all the winners. He also thanked the chief guest, guest of honour and special invitees for gracing the event. In a chat with the media, he stated that Animation is a great career pathway for those passionate abort art and said that there is 70 to 80% failure rate in fresh Engineering graduates today. Students are exploring better options and Animation offers excellent career growth prospects.

Captivating art show by Animation program students of Creative Multimedia College of Fine Arts (CMCFA), Hyderabad.

CMCFA, one of India’s most sought-after destinations for creative arts education conducted a 3-day Art Show from 31 May to 02 June 2018 in Hyderabad. The art show titled ‘Mahanati - The Retrospective’ is a befitting tribute to South India’s first female super star ‘Savitri’ and her biopic ‘Mahanati’ which opened to an overwhelming response at theaters across the globe in May 2018.

Mr. Nag Ashwin, the director of the film ‘Mahanati’ was invited to the event as the Chief Guest. Film producer Ms. Priyanka Dutt graced the event as a special guest of honour. Mr. S.N. Vikas, the Director of Academics & Planning of (JNAFAU) was also invited to the event as a special guest.

The art show is an annual event of CMCFA aimed at helping students hone their drawing skills which are foundational to creative arts. The show also gives CMCFA students a platform to demonstrate their skills and be noticed by the industry, especially prospective recruiters who are invited to the event every year.

Each year, students choose a specific theme for the art show and add purpose to the initiative by embracing a noble cause. This year, following the spectacular success of the Telugu film Mahanati, a biopic on yesteryear superstar Savitri, Creative Multimedia students thought it apt to dedicate this year’s edition of Creative Multimedia’s annual art show to her.

The first year Animation program students of CMFCA created over 70 photorealistic portraits of ‘Mahanati Savitri’. The creative skills of students were on full display at the art gallery as they explored both contemporary and traditional art forms including post-impressionism style drawings inspired by the most influential figure of western art ‘Vincent Van Gogh’. The exhibits were high on variety and style with such interesting works as collage work, paper-quilling work, chalk work, bindi-work, 3D relief work (thermo cool carving), crushed foil with glass painting overlay, ink sketch, abstract art and photorealistic paintings.

It was indeed touching that students decided to pay respects to Savitri garu and add to the film Mahanati’s effort in perpetuating her legacy by dedicating the art show to her. The portraits created by students were displayed and put for sale at the gallery. The sale proceeds went towards relief work for victims of flood-ravaged Kerala.

Impressive Art show by BFA Animation students of Creative Multimedia College of Fine Arts (CMCFA).

HYDERABAD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 - Animation students of India’s premier Fine Arts College - CMCFA paid glowing tributes to martial arts legend Bruce Lee with a unique art show on the occasion of his 76th birth anniversary.

The art show was held at the Nehru Art Gallery at Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU), Masab Tank, Hyderabad on Sunday, the 27th of November, 2016. The show was inaugurated by Taekwondo and Guinness world record holder Mr. M. Jayanth Reddy, who is an ardent admirer of Bruce Lee.

Seniors from the industry and academia who graced the art show as special guests included Mr. K.K. Senthil Kumar - cinematographer, Mr. S. Pradeep Kumar - Director of Academics & Planning at JNAFAU and Mr. S.N. Vikas - Principal, JNAFAU College of Fine Arts.

Students pursuing their 1st year BFA Animation Arts Program at CMCFA, Dilsukhnagar created a medley of true-to-life paintings and sketches apart from stunning abstract depictions of Bruce Lee using a variety of media including paper, wood, charcoal, glitter, fabric, metal nails and more. The exhibits demonstrated the creative range and art skills of students.

The Chief Guest of the day Mr. Jayanth Reddy who is a Taekwondo Grandmaster inaugurated the gallery and keenly observed each exhibit created by students. He had many words of praise for them saying: it’s simply incredible to see such well-rounded talent. I’m particularly happy to note that BFA Fine Arts students are able to produce such high quality art in their very first year of training. Credit certainly goes to CMCFA in part for the training excellence.

Mr. Jayanth Reddy is a huge fan of Bruce Lee. Inspired by the martial arts legend after watching his first film, Mr. Jayanth took up martial arts and became a globe-trotter, travelling to over 100 countries to participate in different martial arts competitions. He has over 46 world records to his name and ascribes his success to Bruce Lee who inspired the world with his philosophies which propagate martial arts as not merely a physical skill but also a mental skill.

Star cinematographer Mr. K.K. Senthil Kumar who worked on such popular films as Magadheera and Bahubali graced the art show as the guest of honour. He appreciated Creative Multimedia for the initiative and commended students on their exemplary drawing skills. Getting nostalgic about the legend, Senthil said that Bruce Lee not only revolutionized martial arts, he also inspired the world of cinema with his uncommon talent and resilience.

Mr. Pradeep Kumar - Director of Academics & Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University graced the art show as a special invitee and congratulated students. He said that the exhibits were truly remarkable and a fitting tribute to Bruce Lee who introduced the world to new techniques of mind and body control through his unique brand of martial arts.

The Principal of JNAFAU, Mr. S.N. Vikas also graced the art show as a special guest. Impressed with the portraits on display at the Nehru Art Gallery, he addressed the budding artists of CMCFA and said that they have a bright future.

Mr. Rajasekhar Buggaveeti, CEO of Creative Multimedia Group thanked the guests for gracing the event and encouraging the students. He said that CMCFA is committed to Enhancing Employability™ and producing highly trained artists through benchmark training and a raft of career-enabling value-additions such as these art shows.