Looking at the downfall of the Indian cricket team, and the controversies that surrounded the players post T20 World Cup, a group of aspiring animators have made an animation film centered on cricket to boost Team India’s morale. Cric X, a short film in 3D, conceptualised and created by the students of Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) recently premiered at a city theatre.
There were no cricketers at the screening though!
“The film is inspired by the unflagging popularity of the sport and the craze that people in India have for cricket,” says Sanjeev Waeerkar, chief creative head for (MAAC), “It’s fun, exciting and the story revolves around the dreams associated with cricket in India while keeping in mind the content which is acceptable by the Indian market.”
And of course, it’s a break from the mythological stories and characters, which have become a norm for the Indian animation industry.
The group of animators revealed that they have used a unique technique — Textpression — that combines both 2D and 3D, giving the film a completely different feel in terms of expression and emotions.
Targeted at children of the age group of 5-12, Sanjay reveals that the film won’t be released in theatres. “It will be available only in DVDs and VCDs, which are now available in the market. There will be no theatrical release because we made the film for children who are cricket buffs and enjoy watching films at home,” he says.
Salma Sikander, one of the animators, who worked on the project says, “The goal was to deliver entertainment along with the country’s most popular sport — cricket. And explore the subject with a film made for children.”
She further adds that the team has worked really hard on the film. “It took us almost 10 months to complete the film. The film promos have received a very good response when they were aired on Disney Channel. We just hope the children will love the film too,” she says.