EMMY-NOMINATED ANIMATION FILMMAKER, VAIBHAV KUMARESH CONDUCTED AN EXCLUSIVE MASTERCLASS FOR THE STUDENTS OF WWI SCHOOL OF ANIMATION & GAME DESIGN
Mumbai, April 07, 2022: Whistling Woods International (WWI) hosted an exclusive session on animation filmmaking with Vaibhav Kumaresh, an Emmy-nominated animation filmmaker and Founder-Director of Vaibhav Studios, for the students of School of Animation & Game Design. The masterclass session was curated by the school in conjunction with hosting leading experts to fuel industry exposure for students.
In the masterclass, Vaibhav Kumaresh discussed the groundwork and efforts involved in creating an animated character. He explained how the creative process begins with a drawing and its story development. “It’s not necessary that the drawing has to look good, but the idea has to be explored in-depth,” said Vaibhav Kumaresh.
A Fine Arts graduate himself, Vaibhav Kumaresh emphasised that media exploration and storytelling go hand-in-hand. He said, “The Fine Arts exposure introduces you to mediums such as hand-drawn animation on paper or digital, puppet making for stop motion animation and using a computer for creating digital 3D animation.”
During the session, he took the audience through behind the scenes of his work projects and shared anecdotes from his personal experiences. He is responsible for bringing to life some notable cartoon characters on children’s television channels in India such as Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, etc.
Drawing from his time in the industry, Vaibhav Kumaresh shared his thoughts on striking a balance between interesting albeit low-budget projects and well-paying opportunities. He urged students to make the most of the lull between commissioned work to pursue personal wish list projects.
Sharing a critical piece of advice with WWI School of Animation & Game Design students, Vaibhav Kumaresh said, “If you wish to see some specific content on screen, don’t wait for others to make it. You’re in this field now, you create it. You are studying this course primarily to do that. Now you are no longer audiences, you are all filmmakers. So, start creating things for your audience.” The session concluded with a discussion about dealing with the challenges of changing technology and software on the job.