BENGALURU: How do you create the next big character in animation from a country like India? Shelly Page, Head of International Outreach, DreamWorks Animation Program has a word of advice for all you budding animators and illustrators.
“I think the best way is to try and create original characters. Create your own mythology with its own universe if possible. India has a very rich background in terms of storytelling that can be tapped,” says Sally who was at the Bengaluru GAFX Conference, 2017 on Friday.
One example of a memorable animation is that of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse. “I personally do not like the character but it is very iconic because it was something that was never seen before at that point of time,” says Sally.
Follow Myths
Mythology can also always serve as an inspiration for characters such as the now famous Thor character that was originally introduced by Marvel Comics back in 1962, inspired from Nordic mythology.
However, Sally said that one needs to proceed with caution when adapting from mythologies. Taking the example of Hanuman, she says that he had great potential to become an iconic character.
“Such characters related to mythology are sacrosanct,” she adds.
Sally has been coming to India for the past 10 years and is a self-professed Bollywood buff who also claims to be inspired by the film industry here. “I have seen DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) I think some 20 times and I love it. I think the style of such movies is so cathartic. They feel almost like the Hollywood of the 40s,” she says. She also says historical characters such as those portrayed in movies such as Bajirao Mastani or Jodha Akbar could serve as inspirations. “Bajirao Mastani was extremely beautiful and the movie is an example of a very strong female lead,” she says.
Look at the Context
While crafting a story or making a character, Sally says the importance of references and context is extremely important in order to make their impact last. As a case in example, she points out Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books that according to her was written in very troubled times and was an allegory-of-sorts of the conditions then.
“The thinking then was in black or white, about the struggle of bad versus the good. Its appeal has been everlasting,” she adds.
She highlighted the need for a storyteller or an animator to know his or her audience and who it is that they catering to especially at a time when animation was going though a sea-change.