The times they are changing”, as the saying goes – a sentiment that seems to hold special weight as the VFX industry embraces a new year.
We are already starting to see certain trends emerge in 2021 that are sure to shape the industry and streamline the workflows of artists and animators. Some of the notable trends include machine learning making faster artists, USD becoming uniform, and iterative workflows replacing those of a more ‘waterfall’ structure.
Animation and VFX market are expected to grow at a CAGR of over 9% during the forecast period 2020 to 2025. As the media sector gears up significantly in the sphere of the multimedia ecosystem, we can observe the ever-increasing expansion and rise in demand for animation and VFX. An emerging yet promising player in the VFX industry is the RotoOut VFX Private Limited.
RotoOut has been providing high quality VFX outsourcing services for feature films, TV series, commercials and more for quite some time now. They can provide motion blur mattes/ hard mattes or roto splines. Everything customised as per the customer demands.
To gain insights into the dynamics of the VFX and animation industry, we conducted an interview with Sharavan Kumar Bhrigu, the Founder, CEO & Director of RotoOut VFX.
So, without further ado, let us dive right into the interview and relish the knowledge we are about to receive.
Kindly brief us about yourself and your motivation behind venturing into this industry.
I am a man with dreams. Very early in my life, I realized that I must do something that not only gives me a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment but also serves a greater purpose of making this world a better place. So, I have always wanted to do something that makes a significant positive impact on the world. It is my firm conviction that everything is possible, and all those people who reached to the heights of success and left an indelible mark on the world, either with their ideas or inventions, were no different than us. All they had was a to-do attitude that took them to the zenith.
Well, I am very knowledgeable in my field. I worked in big VFX companies for over 10 years before I started my own visual effects company and have previously worked in big movies and lots of commercial ads.
At one point most people get into a comfort zone and stop learning. But I always knew that:
“People do not fail by thinking big, people fail by thinking small and achieving it”.
I have been a trainer and educator for VFX and special effects / FX particles, dynamics and spoke at various conferences. I like to help people who have some creative ideas so I started my own company to help others with good and healthy working environment.
We live in a technology-driven and fast-paced world which is digitalized to an extent like never before. During the last few years, the digital media industry has experienced an unprecedented growth which does not seem to be coming to a halt anytime in the foreseeable future. With film and television, computer games, and promotions using animation & VFX technologies, the industry will be transformed into a whole new dimension. It’s no exaggeration to say that VFX & animation will soon rule the media and entertainment industry.
Considering the ever-expanding scope of VFX, I am very optimistic about its dominance in the days ahead. VFX is something I have a deep fondness for, and I am motivated and excited to take the plunge into this industry. I am highly motivated and willing to go to great lengths to make positive and advantageous contributions to the media and entertainment industry. I very much believe that no obstacle is insurmountable enough for the one who keeps on inching forward, irrespective of the pace, and never gives up.
Kindly brief us about the services provided by your company.
We are VFX professionals working around more than 10 years. Rotoout
VFX studio is a VFX outsourcing provider. We offer all kind of VFX services; our talented artists craft the high-quality visual effect for our clients. Rotoout VFX Studio offers a wide range of VFX solutions that are designed to create high quality and cost-effective VFX work for clients.
Our wide range of VFX services include rotoscoping, VFX and clean-up and paint/wire, dust and scratch removal services, keying, compositing, matte painting, ‘matchmove’ and all CGI services for feature films, TV Series, commercials etc. We meet our clients’ deadlines without compromising the quality and we place immense value on data security and privacy. We enjoy new opportunities and challenges with our clients.
What are the different sectors that the company provides its products and services to?
Right now, we do not provide services to different sectors, but we do have some new plans to provide our creative services to some other similar sectors. We are working on it. Maybe we will launch our new web-based platform (in 2021) to provide digital assets and other useful resources to the customers. Also, we are looking to create our own content to entertain the audience. We always look for new opportunities to use our skills to serve the people.
What is the USP of the company that serves as an advantage over competitors and benefits clients/customers?
The ubiquity of competition in business is natural, particularly for brands where you need to think about not only your local competitors, but also your global standing. Customers seem baffled by the choices and want to easily grasp what makes one service or brand distinct from another. Knowing the best way to position yourself and your services can distinguish between standing out and fitting in.
Pondering over the competition is the hallmark of every industry. I have devised a well-thought strategy and line of action that would assist us in providing top-notch services and stand out from the crowd. Firstly, valuing your customers is the best possible step that can be taken towards winning their hearts and making your business irresistible to them.
Secondly, optimism is an exceedingly significant factor in consolidating your business. Individuals having a positive mindset can uncover good, even in the bleakest of situations and are never demoralized by temporary failures or upsets. Also, optimism coupled with enthusiasm can lead to formulating better business strategies and plans that would be immensely beneficial to the customers/clients and consequently yield desirable and appreciable results. I personally believe that to grow and excel as a company we should render great services to our valued customers. Besides, we should always try to stay inclined towards improvement and never get complacent as satisfaction is the death of desire.
Our slogan is:
“A satisfied customer is an asset”.
Share with us the challenges faced by companies in your sector.
Like other industries, the challenges faced by the VFX industry are of a varied nature. Developed countries have greatly expanded outsourcing of VFX & animation to low-cost ones. Incentives offered by different governments, loans, labour tax credits, and inducements to domestic firms involved in VFX work thereby allow them to attract artists and promote their expansion efforts. Digital visual effects are very scalable and can thus be updated time and again, which obviously needs more time and cost. These digital challenges, the hard costs of machinery, power, personnel expense, rent, and even depreciation are some of the central obstacles facing the VFX industry today.
The lack of back-end involvement and the defined revenue sharing model impedes the financial performance of VFX firms. With these new and ever increasing core trends, it is crystal clear that the animation and VFX industry, especially in developing countries, has gained tremendous momentum in recent years and there is certainly an ever-increasing graph in the foreseeable future. In my opinion, development and success are therefore still marked by milestones. So, if the cardinal obstacles are resolved by prudent steps, the pace of growth can be accelerated by no major barrier in its way.
Brief us about the company’s future perspectives.
As we move towards our goal of being a world-class visual effect service in India, we invest in more advanced technology to enhance our production process and keep updating skill sets and invest time in R&D to find newer and faster techniques.
We always trying to build a community of VFX lovers and creative people in Rotoout. Also, keep trying to help film makers by offering world class VFX solution to make their vision and dreams into reality. We believe that we will be able to keep up with industry trends and satisfy our clients’ changing demands.
