A still from a Metaphor animation film

From classroom coaching to the production platform.

In the past few months, several animation firms have opened training centres in the city. Now, it?s the turn of a city-based training centre to take the next step forward in setting up its own animation studio.

Metaphor Studios, a collaboration of animation company 2nz Animation from Mumbai and Calcutta-based IT company Rahul Commerce, made its debut in the city on Saturday.

Metaphor?s team comprises mostly ex-students from The Academy Of Animation Arts and Technology (AAAT), a traditional animation training institute operating in Calcutta since 2003. The company is gearing up to make a wide array of animation films, including ad films, short films, feature film visual effects and animation series.

?I came to Calcutta in 1956 for two months. I never thought I would end up here to open an animation school,? said veteran animator and filmmaker Bhimsain, also the president of Metaphor. ?Bengalis have exerted a large influence on Indian film-making, for which I am greatly indebted,? Bhimsain added.

?The seeds of AAAT were sown in 2002 when we realised there was a shortage of manpower capable of producing quality animation in eastern India,? said Ranjini Mukherjee, AAAT head and chief operating officer of Metaphor. ?We want to place an equal emphasis on the art and the craft of animation,? she added.

The animation company will focus on producing ?indigenous animated stories for the local market? and is currently recruiting classical key animators and animation directors.

According to Kireet Khurana, the creative head of Metaphor: ?Earlier, much of this kind of work would be outsourced to Mumbai. Now, with the creation of Metaphor, the work can be done in this part of the country. We are looking at expanding the Bengal and Northeast markets.?

The Indian animation market is growing at 35 per cent with a projected net value of $950 million by 2009.

The global animation market is expected to touch $75 billion by 2009.

State IT secretary G.D. Gautama was present at the launch. ?I don?t profess to know much about animation, but it is something that excites me, and something that appeals to the child in all of us,? Gautama said.

A montage of past projects, on which Metaphor team members had worked, was also screened.