Special results

There is an increase in demand for VFX in our movies, (both Bollywood and regional) so how has that impacted your business? Has the turnover increased rapidly in say, the last five years? Is television a sector that is likely to grow vis-a-vis the use of VFX facilities?

VFX as we know it today, is nothing but a logical extension of technology that is used towards the aesthetic beautification and efficient production of films and content in general. Thereby, as the technology is progressing, its usage is on the rise. In terms of an impact on business, the growth has been steadily rising by over 20 per cent year on year, thanks to the increasing use of VFX technology.
This growth comes in from two sources: one is the increase in the ticket size of an individual project and two is on account of the increase in the number of projects that use VFX technology. We, at Reliance MediaWorks are involved with some of the biggest and most respected VFX projects, be it Hindi films or other Indian language films. Also, with the growing acceptance of fantasy and mythology based content on television, that as a medium is also contributing in a good way towards the growth of the VFX industry as a whole.

Does your VFX facility also provide services for films produced by Hollywood studios? If yes, which are the films that your team has been a part of?

Our facilities for VFX at Reliance MediaWorks are based out of LA and Mumbai and we do follow an integrated VFX solutions approach. So yes, we do provide VFX facilities for Hollywood projects as well, that my other colleagues are responsible for. To name a few, we have worked on films like Ender’s Game, Paranoia among others and are currently working on a successful TV series in the US called Black Sails. It is a high sea pirate drama that has been shot entirely on land, while the seas have been simulated in VFX. The interesting trend to spot is the fact that the VFX scope for a TV series in the US is higher than that of a mainstream Indian film. That gives us enough margin of growth as we progress technologically and strategically.

What are the additions you have made to your technical inventory for VFX facilities?

We at Reliance MediaWorks follow an integrated model for visual post services globally. So the expertise that we get from Hollywood is definitely an addition in terms of skill sets that we have to offer as part of the Reliance MediaWorks deal. Also, we are one studio that offers the entire range of services within the visual post-production, and have been the first Indian company to have won an Oscar for our R&D works in image enhancement.

Where does Indian VFX facilities stand in comparison to those in Europe and Hong Kong/China, Japan etc? What are the advantages that we have over them, if any, and what are the challenges that we face which they don’t?

Two biggest advantages that Indian companies have in a global marketplace for VFX are the legacy of storytelling that we carry on account of having a prolific cinema culture, and the ability to communicate well in English. While the former works well on a global level and helps our artists integrate with the entire creative process of content creation, the latter is more a tactical advantage within the other Asian countries. Also, the domestic industry in itself is so huge. That gives the western companies, technology companies and film studios the impetus to invest and further the growth of the overall market, be it skill sets, technological advancements or any other area within the business value chain. In terms of the disadvantages, the fact that there is no government support to encourage international work to come to India, is a major deterrent.