Dare to dream
|
Sreekanth `Sunil' Thankamushy, the animation director of a gaming company in U.S., has achieved what he dreamt of in his college days. He has an inspiring story to narrate.
|
"I would urge artistically talented youngsters who are interested in this exciting field to cast off all doubts, and charge ahead enthusiastically with their mad dreams."
His career in video game animation has been a dream run so far. His transition from a Kochi (read Kadavanthra) kid who dared to think big to the Director Animation of a top-notch gaming company in the United States (U.S.) has been nothing short of dramatic. Sreekanth `Sunil' Thankamushy has indeed made the grade internationally.
It was not easy but he was fiercely passionate about what he wanted to do, he says. "More than 11 years ago, as I was finishing college and figuring out how to get into the mysterious world of animation, my greatest allies in my quest were my native naiveté and a prodigious amount of pigheadedness to stick to my mad desire to live my dreams," recounts Sunil.
After securing a B.Sc. Physics degree from Cochin College he got his big break - a seat in the master's programme at the Animation Workshop of the Department of Film and Television at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).
But getting that break was gruelling. "The going was extremely tough. It was hard trying to get information about institutes in India and abroad that offered courses in animation (there was no Internet then, remember). Then one had to fulfil all the protocols of immigration and try to get funding to finance my studies. Most people, including bank officers, had no idea about animation. On top of it all, I had to battle the demons of doubt: will this all work out, or am I just plain crazy, as most of my friends say?"
Indeed getting the funds for his studies at UCLA was equally backbreaking. But he did finally secure a couple of scholarships - one from the Rotary Foundation and another from the Inlaks Foundation. And his dreams became a reality when he flew to U.S. to join the course at UCLA.
And that was just the launch pad for him to make it big in the game animation field. Right after completing his masters at UCLA, he got a job at DreamWorks Interactive (later Electronic Arts), where his boss was Steven Spielberg. It was there that he became part of the `The Lost World: Jurassic Park Playstation' game team and then went on to become the lead animator for Medal of Honour, another game which became a big hit. And not before long, Sunil branched out with his friends and became part of a company called Spark Unlimited, in which he carved a niche for himself as Animation Director. Just a few weeks ago, this company completed the first of a series of games, titled `Call of Duty', that is being published by Activision, a leading global developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products. And going by the rave reviews that this game has received, Sunil has enough reason to be happy with life at Spark Unlimited in California.
His efforts to pursue his dreams have paid off. And he is happy with what he is doing. "Looking back, I feel that the results are worth every ounce of sweat, blood and tears it took. The work is creatively demanding, immensely satisfying, and highly dynamic. One is constantly trying to keep up with the changing nature of the work and the medium.
Now the going will be easier for those who dream and dare to make it big in this field, he says. "From what I can observe, it's so much easier to make it big in the field in India these days. As a matter of fact, India is turning out to be a front-runner in computer art, animation and multimedia-related fields in Asia.
There are scores of multimedia courses being offered by various institutes at most major cities, including Kochi. There are dozens of studios springing up at various places in Kerala. Hollywood too is reaching out to India. A good example is Rhythm and Hues, a Los Angeles-based movie special effects house that has started an Indian branch in Mumbai. Many others are following suit," he explains.
In retrospect, he says that the India of 2004 is a vastly different place than the India of 1991 when he graduated. And his advice to youngsters: "I would urge artistically talented youngsters who are interested in this exciting field to cast off all doubts, and charge ahead enthusiastically with their mad dreams."
T. Ramachandran
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Education Plus
Kerala
