Agenda

(All the timings are in Indian Standard Time)

Day 1

10:00 - 10:10 AM

Welcome Note by Anil Wanvari | Founder, chairman & editor-in-chief, AnimationXpress

10:10 - 10:40 AM

Opening Fireside Chat with Shuzo John Shiota | President and CEO, Polygon Pictures

  • Anil Wanvari | Founder, chairman & editor-in-chief, Animation Xpress

10:40 - 11:00 AM

Data Points

Speaker : Puneet Avasthi | Senior Executive Director, Kantar

The digital-savvy kids of this generation are shaping household choices in a range of high value technology categories as also food & grocery spends. How to engage with them in their media and in a manner which connects with them to win better today and to create a strong brand franchise for the future? The session will provide insights on their heroes, values and genre of content which connect with them. Insights will be sourced from Kantar’s KidScan.

11:00 - 11:45 AM

The future of animation using Unreal Engine

Speakers:
  • P Jayakumar| CEO, Toonz Media Group
  • Vishnumurthy A | Studio Head & Art Director, Gamitronics
  • Charuvi Agarwal | Founder, Charuvi Design Labs
  • Milind D Shinde | CEO, 88 Pictures
Moderator : Arvind Neelakantan | Evangelist - India/ASEAN, Epic Games
11:45 - 12:05 PM

The Dawn of Virtual Workstations in Movie Making

Speaker : Sandeep Pathak | DGM - Product & Services, Yotta Infrastructure
12:05 - 12:25 PM

What will trigger the next growth phase of Indian animation in India and beyond

Speakers:
  • Anu Sikka | Head - Creative, Content and Research, Kids TV Network, Viacom18
  • Devdatta Potnis | SVP - Revenue & Corporate Strategy, Cosmos-Maya
12:25 - 1:15 PM

Charting the success story - Kids Channels

Over the past 18 months kids have been homebound. This has led to a rise in the viewership of kids entertainment channels. According to BARC, the sector grew by 9 per cent from 60.3 bn viewing minutes in 2019 to 65.9 bn viewing minutes in 2020. Many channels simultaneously released many original IP shows and movies. This session will take us through the success story of each channel and the way ahead.

Speakers:
  • Ronojoy Chakraborty | Head- Programming, Sony YAY!
  • Abhishek Dutta | Network Head, Cartoon Network and POGO, South Asia
  • Uttam Pal Singh | Head, Discovery Kids
  • Vidhyalakshmi T.A | Channel head, Chutti TV (kids cluster of channels), Sun TV
Moderator : Manoj Mishra | Consulting specialist and industry veteran

Break

6:00 - 6:30 PM

Keynote on 'The Next Big Push in Animation Industry'

Andrea Miloro shares her global industry perspective on what's the next 'big rise' in global animation and that India can maximise the opportunity that global animation provides in entertainment storytelling.

Speakers : Andrea Miloro | President, Mikros Animation
Hosted By : Biren Ghose | Country head, Technicolor
6:30 - 7:15 PM

Animation Beyond Kids

Unlike the popular belief in India that animated videos are for kids, we find animated content being produced for adults in the form of music videos, CSR activities, advertisements, shorts, movies and more. Has there been an increase in demand for animated content beyond kids?

Speakers:
  • Upamanyu Bhattacharyya | Co-founder, Ghost Animation & Otter Studios
  • Indrajit Nattoji | Director/Producer, Blink Pictures
  • Colonel Rohit Kataria (Retd) | CEO, Tavrohi Animations and Script to Screen Films
  • Debjyoti Saha | Animation Filmmaker
Moderator : Kireet Khurana | Founder & Director, Climb Media
7:15 - 8:15 PM

Co-Production: Not a distant dream anymore

While the Indian animation industry has always been known for its service or commissioned work for foreign countries due to skilled labour and cost effectiveness, in the past few years there has been a surge in original IP production. We have also witnessed multiple co-production deals taking place with international companies. The session will delve into how co-production has been a lucrative opening for the sector and what is the way ahead.

Speakers:
  • P Jayakumar | CEO, Toonz Media Group
  • Joris Eckelkamp | Business Development Consultant (EUROPE), Cosmos-Maya
  • Ashish Kulkarni | Founder, Punnaryug Artvision & Chairman of AVGC Forum - FICCI
  • AK Madhavan | Founder/CEO, Assemblage Entertainment
  • Paul Cummins | CEO, Telegael
Moderator : Adi Shayan | CEO, Zebu Animation
8:15 - 8:45 PM

Real-time Animation using Unreal Engine

Speakers : Rob Di Figlia | Business Development Manager, Epic Games
8:45 - 9:30 PM

New age of animation production

With an ever-growing demand from streamers, broadcasters and other industries, animation studios are looking for solutions to expedite workflows and cutdown costs while keeping a high bar for quality and creativity. What are the new innovations being offered by the software companies? Can virtual production and motion capture help speed up the production process? Leaders in the technology space will be seen sharing their viewpoints.

Speakers:
  • Samit Shetty | Technical Solutions Manager- M&E, Autodesk India & SAARC
  • Sharrom Yezdegardi | Sales Lead - 3D&Immersive India, Adobe
  • VK Gupta | Production technology veteran
  • Hans M Van der Sluys | Partner, Scan 360 Studios
  • Viren Patil | Founder & Director, Zebu Animation
Moderator : B S Srinivas | Secretary, ABAI & AVGC Centre of Excellence, Karnataka

Day 2

10:00 - 10:30 AM

Scale rapidly with OTT as a Service

Speakers:
  • Sandeep Pathak | DGM - Product & Services, Yotta Infrastructure
10:30 - 11:15 AM

Brands, innovation and kids

Kids have impressionable minds, hence marketing to them is like walking a thin Iine. Many major manufacturers have taken the pledge to market and communicate responsibly to toddlers and pre-teen consumers. This despite, the spends on TV channels saw an impressive growth of 35 per cent in terms of ad volumes. We will hear from leading players about how they are innovating when advertising on kids channels and OTT platforms.

Speakers:
  • Ankur Bhatia | Marketing Manager - Savlon India, ITC Limited
  • Krishnarao Buddha | Sr. Category Head, Parle
  • Vanita Keswani | CEO, Madison Media Sigma
  • Sonali Bhattacharya | Head of Marketing - Kids TV Network, Viacom18
Moderator : Mohit Joshi | CEO, Havas Media Group India
11:15 - 12:00 PM

New Kids on the Block

Digital platforms and kids content; two things that have gained a lot of traction in the past two years. This session will shed light on what made the new entrants in the broadcast and OTT space venture into the competitive kids arena, the challenges faced, response they received and more.

Speakers:
  • Soumini Sridhara Paul | Senior Vice President, Hungama
  • Abraham Uthup | Senior Vice President & Head Digital Division, Toonz Media Group
  • Mansi Darbar | Network VP - Corporate Strategy & Development, IN10 Media Network
  • Moderator: Anil Wanvari | Founder, chairman & editor-in-chief, Animation Xpress
12:00 - 12:45 PM

Masterclass - Decoding the Pipeline

In this talk we will take a holistic view of the Animation Pipeline and try to get a better understanding of its core ideas. Focusing on those fundamental philosophies results in a flexible pipeline that addresses current needs and accommodates future growth. We will explore those philosophies and core principles and see how it influences Pipeline Architecture.

Speaker:
  • Esan Mandal | Pipeline Architect/Supervising Technical Director, Gaumont
12:45 - 1:30 PM

Masterclass - The Storytelling Canvas: Text to Frames

Speakers:
  • Apoorva Idya | Creative Manager, Green Gold Animation
  • Tirtho Ghosh | Head - 2D Pre Production, Green Gold Animation

Break

6:00 - 6:30 PM

Global Trends in the Kid's ecosystem

We would understand from this session what kind of approach should be taken while developing content especially during pandemic times as kids are homebound. Some of the questions that will be answered are if there has been a rise in Streaming and Subscriptions numbers? How are viewing patterns changing and how has the engagement with Animation been?

Speakers:
  • David Kleeman | SVP, Global Trends, Dubit
  • Adam Woodgate | SVP Media Insights, Dubit
6:30 - 7:00 PM

Indian Kids perspective

Hear from the best critics - kids! Young animated content enthusiasts share their take on the content they indulge, experiences with them and what exactly do they want!

Speakers:
  • Rudraaksh Mehta
  • Atharv Singh Rathore
  • Umana Chaudhuri
  • Sara Rohit
  • Kashvi Hundia
Moderator : Nitin Pandey | Founder & CEO, parentune
7:00 - 7:30 PM

Worldwide Kids perspective

Hear from the best critics - kids! Young animated content enthusiasts share their take on the content they indulge, experiences with them and what exactly do they want!

Speakers:
  • Taanish Makwana
  • Risha Mandal
  • Danilo Aly Voss Nyan
  • Sihyeong (Mars) Lee
  • Vivika Puranik
  • Krishna Chaudhuri
Moderator : Nitin Pandey | Founder & CEO, parentune
7:30 - 7:50 PM

Presentation by Robert Reid | Animation Specialist - Youth Employment in the Digital and Animation Industries Project, Office of The Prime Minister

The session will throw light on how the government is building the prowess of animation brick by brick in Jamaica. How education is playing a role in it, what are the policies that are being put in place etc.

7:50 - 8:35 PM

Educationist perspective on animation

With the animation industry gaining a strong foothold in India, we hear from the maestros in the education and the creative field their point of view on whether animation can be inculcated in the teaching field and if and how it can be beneficial for the kids. How arts can help shape up and broaden the horizon of these young minds. How having animation as a subject can broaden their horizon while selecting their university courses.

Speakers:
  • Tehzeeb Khurana | Founder, Toon Club
  • Narayan Parasuram | Co-founder, Karadi Tales
  • Aparna Mugwe | Head of Visual Arts Department - Secondary Section, Oberoi International School
  • CA Victoria Rahman | Vice-Principal, Darjeeling Public School
Moderator:Ujjwal K Chowdhury | Pro Vice Chancellor (PR & Media), Adamas University
8:35 - 9:35 PM

Animation education: Where is it headed?

While the lockdown forced physical classes to become virtual, how did it impact the world of animation? Animation skillsets are traditionally better taught in classrooms - students observe, collaborate, and assimilate while under supervision - alone and in teams. Has virtualisation of education impacted the quality of what is being taught and the output? Are students being able to learn traditional animation along with CGI? Have the students managed to complete their projects? What's the way forward? Will it be a hybrid model - virtual and physical? The session will explore all these aspects and more.

Speakers:
  • Sekhar Mukherjee | Director, NID Andhra Pradesh
  • Dr. Anuj Kacker | President & Executive Director, Aptech
  • Mark Jones | Academic Chair, School of Creative Arts and Animation, Seneca
  • Camille Abrahams | Programme Coordinator for Animation Studies, The University of Trinidad and Tobago
  • Stephen Young | Professor, Algonquin College
  • Ernest Mulvey | Director - International Education, Algonquin College
  • Jeremy Block | Instructor, NAIT
Moderator: Joan Vogelesang | Consultant, Joan Vogelesang Consultants
9:35 - 10:30 PM

Developing the creative eye

In the evolving and ever changing new media landscape, creativity must keep pace with technology. More importantly, we need more nuanced 'creative eyes' to create life-like experiences, taking the unison of storytelling and technology to its pinnacle. How do creative directors world over inculcate this creative outlook within their teams?

Speakers:
  • Robin King | President, IMAGINA Corporation
  • Avneet Kaur | Character Technical Director - Simulation Supervisor, Walt Disney Animation Studios
  • Philippe Gluckman | Creative Director, Spire Animation India
  • Rajarajan Ramakrishnan | Head of Creative Operation, Technicolor India
Moderator: Biren Ghose | Country head, Technicolor

Day 3

10:25 - 10:50 AM

Fireside chat with Rajiv Chilaka | Founder and CEO, Green Gold Animation

  • Anil Wanvari | Founder, chairman & editor-in-chief, Animation Xpress

The popularity of animated shows and characters has inspired a business that continues to thrive among its patrons. Apparels, toys, books, games, you name it and it's available. Merchandises give a new life to these characters. This session will explore various facets of licensing and merchandising in India.

10:50 - 11:35 AM

Riding the digital gravy train


Previously, YouTube has always been the go-to platform for kids content on the digital front. Now, with Netflix also adding lots of original animated content in its kitty, other platforms have not been too far behind and have been quietly making their own debuts to satisfy the huge maw kids have for entertainment. Has the profusion of online platforms opened the frontiers for higher budgets and more animated content? What type of content works on the OTT platforms?

Speakers:
  • Rahul Rohilla | CEO & Founder, Sprout Studios
  • Devdatta Potnis | SVP - Revenue & Corporate Strategy, Cosmos-Maya
  • Vishal T.M | Director and CEO, VideoGyan
  • Bharath Laxmipati | Sr. Vice President - Content Business,Green Gold Animation
  • Moderator: Saraswathi Vani Balgam | Creator, Creative Producer & Director, Dancing Atoms
11:35 - 12:15 PM

Making of 'Trollhunters' Trilogy

Speakers:
  • Manish Kumar | Head of Animation, 88 Pictures
  • Prakash D Cunha | VFX Supervisor, 88 Pictures
  • Nidell Durham | FX Supervisor, 88 Pictures
  • Yogesh Rupani | Animation Supervisor, 88 Pictures
  • Hosted By: Aby John | Producer, Chief Operating Officer, 88 Pictures
12:15 - 1:00 PM

Craft of writing

Speakers:
  • Atul Rao | Writer/Producer
  • Sonam Shekhawat | Vice President Creative and Development, Nucleus Media Rights
  • Angela Salt | CEO, Salt Content
Moderator : Alok Sharma | Showrunner/Creative Producer, Discovery Kids India & Co-founder & CCO, Indusverse

Break

4 : 30 - 5:30 PM

Educationist perspective on animation

With the animation industry gaining a strong foothold in India, we hear from the maestros in the education and the creative field their point of view on whether animation can be inculcated in the teaching field and if and how it can be beneficial for the kids. How arts can help shape up and broaden the horizon of these young minds. How having animation as a subject can broaden their horizon while selecting their university courses.

Speakers:
  • Tehzeeb Khurana | Founder, Toon Club
  • Narayan Parasuram | Co-founder, Karadi Tales
  • CA Victoria Rahman | Vice-Principal, Darjeeling Public School
  • Meeta Sharma | Principal, Mussoorie International School
Moderator:Anil Wanvari | Founder, chairman & editor-in-chief, Animation Xpress
5:30 - 6:10 PM

Animation Business 101

The panel discussion intends to help answer artists and independent companies’ questions on how to scale up their business, market themselves, demand the right price for their services etc.

Speakers:
  • Vaibhav More | Founder & Director, VaibhavMore films
  • Shambhoo Phalke | Vice President Strategy and Business Development, Popcorn Animation Studios
  • Saumin Suresh Patel | Independent Visual Artist
  • Anil Wanvari | Founder, chairman & editor-in-chief, Animation Xpress
Moderator: Arjun Madhavan | Director, Assemblage Entertainment
6:15 - 7:15 PM

KAM 2021 wrap-up with Industry leaders

7:15 PM Onwards

ANN Awards Begins