A graphic from the academy prospectus

To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mozart, an animated series, Little Amadeus, is being beamed across Europe.

The series was one of the international assignments of the upcoming Digikore Studios of India. The company has clients in Belgium, France, Australia and South Korea, among other places. It also has a training division called Growel Academy.

On April 10, the first Growel Academy in the city opened its doors at 76, Park Street. A joint venture with Aditi Multimedia, the centres will form a network across central and north India.

?Calcutta is a promising destination for animation studios. As many as four studios opened here in the past few months. We have centres in Chandigarh, Noida, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and across Maharashtra. The Calcutta academy is our first foray in the eastern region,? said Mohammed Iqbal, regional head, Growel Academy.

According to Aditi Agarwal of Aditi Multimedia, the academy is not just another ?training institute?. It will provide a structured curriculum in animation, multimedia, web designing, special effects and graphic design, specifically mapped to the needs of the market.

Thanks to its studio backing and ties with a Malaysian firm, the academy is set to provide internships in Indian and foreign companies. With certificates and diplomas to be won, the academy hopes for an influx of students from the hilly regions.

There will be residential provisions for outstation students and each batch will consist of not more than eight students. ?A 150-hour course with adequate individual attention and the use of legal software from Maya and 3D Studio Max, are our USPs,? added Iqbal.

Courses are open to everyone over 10 years old. The course fees will range from Rs 9,000 for a basic animation course to Rs 75,000 for a dual certificate in 3D animation (Maya and 3D MAX). There will be periodic assessments and video tutorials.