FASCINATING FARE: An expert demonstrating animation on sand. - Photo: Satish H.

HYDERABAD: At Prasads IMAX theatre on Wednesday, a group of school students watched the story of evolution of life played out on a totally different screen. Instead of the technically advanced theatre, a humble wall formed the backdrop and where a projection was made from a transparent glass table that was filled with sand.

And here Prince Paikattu, regional in-charge of the Animation Training Centre at Color Chips India Ltd, wove stories out of sand. With swift movements of his hand, one could see the first signs of life — a one-celled amoeba. The more complicated reptiles whose eyes were made with slight dabs of the finger in the sand followed.

And even as children watched in fascination, dinosaurs, giraffes, large birds, elephants emerged so much alive and breathing just out of the sand. The scene shifted again and formation of hills was swiftly created with shading of light and sand particles.

Against soft music in the background, the artist created leaves of the tree and figures of Adam and Eve in a replica of paradise. Then the story took a more familiar turn with men creating boundaries among themselves, fighter jets zooming in and nuclear bombs destroying the globe.

Message of peace

But the message that the studio wanted to convey was: Animation for peace, which was succinctly conveyed with a dove emerging from sand.

To the students who came to participate in the International Animation Day celebrations, being organised by Color Chips and Prasads IMAX, it indeed was a memorable experience. Contests for students

In a two-day build up to the A-Day, falling on October 28, when in 1892, Emile Reynaud presented `Theatre Optique' in Paris, the first public screening of animation, a variety of contests for school and college students will be held.

For the next three days, events such as story telling, cartoon drawing, interaction with experts in animation, will be held. About 1,600 students are expected to participate.

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