How to Increase Business Productivity with Data Digitization

Digitization is the process of converting information into a computer-readable digital format which is easily understood by the computer. This is done by converting information into bits. The outcome is usually in the form of a representative image, sound, document or signal (usually an analogue signal). A series of numbers are generated that describe a discrete set of its points or samples. Digitized data is in the form of binary digits facilitating computer processing and other operations.

Digital transformation through digitization helps in re-imagining the business by catering to business needs and requirements. Digitization uses digital technologies to create new or modified business processes, culture and customer experiences. It goes beyond traditional roles like customer service, marketing, and sales. As the transition is done from design boards to spreadsheets to smart applications for business management, there is a chance of re-imagining the business and engaging with customers digitally. Nurturing the 21st-century business on stickies & accounting ledgers just is not feasible and sustainable.

STEAM Education: Restructuring the Indian Education System

A need of the hour, STEAM education is known to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics collectively. It helps students to become innovators from just being users of technology. As a robust system of education, STEAM education promotes creative, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. STEAM education has significantly gained popularity over the last few years as India is one of the countries which produces the highest number of scientists and engineers. According to a survey report, 80% of the jobs created in the next decade will require some form of mathematics and science skills

The exam-based education model in India has acted as a barrier to students who have quality talent when it comes to being innovative, problem-solving and creative solutions. According to a survey report, children develop an interest in STEAM education at an average age of eight. This might be due to the fact that they feel fascinated by technology, gadgets and gizmos. Since the transition from being a user of technology to an innovator is a very slow process, schools should be funded and boosted with the tools to include STEAM education in the curriculum and bring it to life in the classroom.

Creating a Billion-Dollar Intellectual Property (I.P) in Animation

India has emerged as one of the largest and the most diversified content producers in the world. The Indian animation industry has embraced diversity and innovation for creating a billion-dollar I.P. The animation industry is witnessing technological changes across content generation wherein the emergence of different platforms followed by marketing and distribution has played a big role in expanding the reach of the industry. While Indian films and television channels were always accessible across about 130 countries; the advent of globally distributed OTT platforms are sure to be the game-changer for India.

Globally, the Animation and Visual Effects (VFX) industry is rising and facing tough competition from the Indian counterparts. According to a recently-conducted survey report, the Indian animation and VFX industry is driven majorly by the growth of 31% in the VFX industry and a growth of 9% in the animation industry. The Indian animation services market is dominated by outsourcing projects from television and film sectors. For creating a billion-dollar I.P, broadcasters are building strategic partnerships with Indian animation studios for original content.

Using Augmented Reality for a Better Tomorrow

From just being a science-fiction concept to a science-based reality, using augmented reality for a better tomorrow has a long trail of history. In the recent past, the costs of augmented reality were so high that animators could only imagine working on individual projects but things have changed today and augmented reality is available even on the mobile handset. Augmented reality (AR) is a view of the physical world in which elements are enhanced by computer-generated inputs ranging from sound, video, graphics, GPS overlays and more. The genesis of augmented reality occurred in 1901 wherein a set of electronic glasses mapped data onto people and it was called a “character marker”.

The technologies which have been used in the past made the invention impractical for mass use. In 1975, the first “virtual reality” interface was developed in the form of “Video place” which allowed its users to manipulate and interact with virtual objects in real-time. With many more such inventions dating back to the 19th century, augmented reality is the future of the industry. The augmented reality technology is expected to lead to growth in many fields by developing many more projects and emerge into large-scale productions. Many innovative projects have represented that augmented reality has a very good commercial value and how augmented reality is the future.

Celebrating Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!!

Celebrating the 91st birthday of our favourite Disney cartoon character and icon of the animation industry Mickey Mouse on 18th November. Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!! Big eyes, white gloves, pert little nose, red shorts, and large yellow shoes, Mickey ‘The mascot of the Walt Disney Company’ has been the most appealing and the most recognizable animated character till today. Mickey Mouse kids’ favourite cartoon character Mickey turns 91.

Let’ know all about mickey mouse. Sketched by animator UB Iwerks, Mickey Mouse has made us laugh with his distinctive voice and humorous ways since his creation. Indeed, we’ve loved the character so much that the market is full of Mickey’s plush toys, figurines, Disney parks, video games, watches and clocks, tee shirts, statement credit cards, backpacks, etc.

Our favorite animated character went through several variations from a floppy-eared bunny named Oswald to a mouse named Mortimer, and then to a squeaky-voiced rodent, Mickey came to life in Walt Disney’s first debut of Mickey Mouse at the Colony Theatre in New York in a film called Streamboat Willie. He failed to leave an impression on the audience in its appearance in the first two short animated films but on November 18, 1928, he won the hearts of the audience and instantly became an enormous hit.

Using Virtual Reality in E-Commerce Industry

Virtual reality (VR), also known as Immersive multimedia or Computer-simulated reality combines technology with experience to design absolute immersive environments. This technology has been adapted by many industries owing to its enormous marketing potential so much so that majority of the marketing professionals are quickly realising its immense capability in enhancing the customer’s shopping experience.

VR in eCommerce is seemingly becoming an important marketing tool for providing customer service and organizing live events. VR in eCommerce isn’t just a trend but something that’s really taking off and should be seriously considered by online sellers. VR and eCommerce are essentially real-world experiences that have been digitally replicated. As an e-commerce retailer, it is important that you are aware of the benefits of using virtual reality as a marketing tool.

As a matter of fact, many online sellers are successfully using VR in eCommerce as a part of their integrated marketing strategies. In an age, where quality content is one of the driving forces behind lead generation, Virtual reality in eCommerce is a sure-fire way of creating a memorable customer experience.

Using Virtual Reality VR in corporate Training and Development

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-based three-dimensional (3D) representation of the physical world that is immersive and allows a friendly user-interface. There is a large variety of VR devices in the market, ranging from inexpensive cardboard-based devices working with a smartphone to professional-grade headsets. In most of the cases, companies use VR in corporate training to allow their employees to practice dealing with real-world scenarios. Some advantages of using VR in corporate training include:

• Immersive experience: Engagement, critical to training outcomes, is boosted as it provides an immersive training environment
  
• Engagement with Reality: People having difficult jobs can sharpen their skills about real-world consequences.
  
• Promoting Creativity: VR in corporate training provides virtual training wherein workers can take risks they usually wouldn’t pursue otherwise.
  
• Previewing: VR in corporate training allows companies to perform test runs of new initiatives to check the response of employees.
  
• Accelerating Learning: VR in corporate training is so immersive and compelling, that learners absorb information faster and retain what they have learned for a long time.

The impact of the best technology is very limited if it is not deployed efficiently. This statement is very true for emerging technologies such as VR. Instead of sending trainers to conduct new-hire training, VR in corporate training can be used and thus, money can be saved. Since the cost of using VR technology has come down sharply in recent years, some companies are now opting to send preloaded VR headsets with training videos to field offices so that the expenses are reduced to a minimal. Due to the immersive nature of VR, it is a good choice to reinforce the most critical aspects of training. Currently, healthcare organizations are also increasingly using VR to train surgeons on new techniques in a risk-free environment. VR in corporate training can be a vital tool to reduce errors and liabilities for employees tasked with sensitive or critical operations. One way to evaluate the effectiveness of VR in corporate training is to administer skills following a VR session. For instance, VR can be used by a hospital to provide training to help its employees master the skill of insertion and conduct post-training assessments to demonstrate that skills are enhanced significantly after one training session.

The employees can obviously be asked to give feedback about what went wrong and for any improvement required in the VR training. This feedback or output should be integrated when your VR content is designed. The more workers feel that they are interacting with a live environment, the more impactful the experience is. Narrations can be added or users should be allowed to dictate their paths non-linearly as the virtual environment is explored. Voice-over or hotspot overlays can be considered by adding elements to make the experience more immersive.

VR in corporate training can also be used to ramp up the benefits of scenario-based learning known to enhance critical thinking and real-world decision-making. By integrating immersive, 360° video into scenario-based training, the experience is more resonant and realistic, which will help people retain what they have learned. VR in corporate training is poised to be a breakthrough technology for training, thanks to its immersive nature and the freedom it offers to practice in realistic settings without worrying about the outcomes.

The Future of Animation, VFX and the Gaming Industry Content

With the unprecedented growth in the animation industry over the decade, it is important that we shall spare some time to reflect on the exponential growth of the animation, visual effects (VFX), and gaming industry globally with special emphasis on the Indian Animation Industry.

The global animation, VFX and gaming industry is on the rise due to the increasing demand for animation and multiplication in the targeted broadcasting hours by cable & satellite TV. Some other factors driving the surge in demand could be the availability of low-cost internet followed by the penetration of mobile devices in the market and the rising popularity of streaming video. Additionally, the demand for Animation and VFX content to power immersive experiences such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) has also witnessed an escalation. Through this blog, I would like to share some facts and figures on the Global Animation Industry.

According to a survey report, the global animation industry is estimated to have reached US$ 259 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach US$ 270 billion by 2020. Research studies in the animation sector suggest that, globally, most of the segments in the animation industry are growing at a year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth rate of 2%.

MIPCOM: The Best Platform to Showcase Entertainment Content

The world’s largest entertainment content market, MIPCOM that took place from 14th-17th October 2019 in Cannes (France) saw an overwhelming Indian presence. Over 95 companies representing the Indian media and entertainment sector participated in the event. The event showcased an India Pavilion in which 32 companies took part. Some of the prominent ones amongst them were Star India, ZEEL, Viacom18/IndiaCast, Disney India, Shemaroo Entertainment, Green Gold Animation, GoQuest Media, The Viral Fever (TVF) and Amazon Prime Video India.

Zee Global Content Sales showcased a line-up of Family Dramas, Documentary & Travelogues, and Health & Wellness content at MIPCOM at the booth number P-1, K51. Zee also showed Hindi and regional movies from India’s Oscar selection list including the final Oscar entry from India: ‘Gully Boy’. The slate comprised of three family dramas namely Kundali Bhagya (Destined Love), Tujhse Hai Raabta (Cosmic Connection), and Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega (The Relationship Conundrum), Deceptive Measures, a remake of the popular Indian series Pavitra Rishta, one of the most successful ever Indian drama series. Besides this, Zee also showcased two renowned Health and Wellness shows – Altar’d and Finding Fido; a feature documentary and travelogue series entitled ‘The Life of Earth from Space’.The movie collection included Article 15 (Hindi), Kesari (Hindi), Gully Boy (Hindi) and Anandi Gopal (Marathi). Apart from these, the list included Raazi, Manikarnika, Dream Girl, and Dolly Kitty Aur Who Chamakte Sitare, Kolamavu Kokila (Coco in Tamil) and Madhura Raja (Malayalam).

Paying tribute to the Father of Indian Animation Industry

It’s a mournful day.

And the loss is a major setback for the Animation Industry.

On a very sad note, I would like to share with you about the demise of Shri Ram Mohan ji, the father of Indian Animation Industry. It leaves me teary-eyed every time I think about the loss of such a great man who was not just a maestro of his art but an extremely benevolent soul too.

As a tribute, I would like to spare some moments to talk about the veteran Ram Mohan ji – his career, achievements, and contribution.

Ram Mohan, a longtime veteran of the Indian Animation Industry was an Indian Animator, title designer, design educator who began his career in the animation industry at the Cartoon Films Unit, Film Division of India, and Government of India in 1956. He left the division in 1968 to join Prasad Productions as the head of the animation division. Meanwhile, somewhere in 1972, he established his own production company ‘Ram Mohan Biographics’ which worked on commercials. Ram Mohan collaborated with the Japanese filmmaker Yugo Sako to produce animation feature film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1992). He also worked as a chairman and chief creative officer at Graphiti Multimedia, a Mumbai-based animation company and established the Graphiti School of Animation in 2006.

Start your Business without spending a single penny

Do you know that you may start your business without spending a single penny? Doesn’t it sound amazing? Well, here is an amazing recipe for you to start your new business venture or modify an existing one.

Open-Source gives amazing software alternatives to paid-for-programs without compromising on features and these software’s can be customized as per your requirements. There are multiple open-source software available for various production services such as Animation, Rendering, Modeling, and Composting.

Animation software tools help animators to create marvelous characters for Cartoon Series, Movies, and Gaming Industry. New characters and environments come to life by using the animation software. Indeed, animation software tools have become a must for movie & cartoon series, gaming studio. Some of the best free and open source animation software tools include Blender, Krita, GIMP, Natron, and OpenToonz.

Explainer Video – Explanation, Benefits, Importance

Let’s begin by discussing what an Explainer Video is?

Well, an explainer video is a short animated video that helps explain your business product and services to the customers/target audience. It is a perfect tool for attracting the attention of the audience and tells them about the key features, benefits, and specifications of your product.

Now, why should one choose to invest in an Explainer Video?

The answer to this question lies in the extent of reach. An explainer video has powerful audio-visuals that attracts the attention of the audience and evolves their interest in the service/product. The attractive visuals on-screen along with professional voice-over appeals to the senses. When the audience witnesses the silent flux of visuals combined with beautiful voice-over; the scene becomes visually attractive and emotionally entrancing at the same moment. The liveliness of the characters engages the audience and captures their attention.