Ummid- Eden Animation‘s Training initiative for Physically handicapped

Eden Animation Studio‘s founder Dinesh Jain has established a Training centre for physically handicapped with the support of Udaipur Mahila Bal Vikas Samiti. Being entirely supported by Eden Animation Studio as the knowledge partner, Ummid offers free of cost training to its students in Animation.

Ummid – Animation Training Centre for Physically Handicapped Pupil is a consequence of a mission for generating maximum employment & self-sufficient development of orthopedically handicapped youth. Dinesh Jain being the president of Udaipur Mahila & Bal Vikas Samiti, an NGO founded in 1987, founded Ummid for these children, who are very strong at their hands-eye coordination, though affected by polio and have difficulty in moving or standing, or even sitting in chairs.

With the help of an exclusive curricula specially designed by Animation studio heads, a two years long Animation course covering the basics and fundamentals of classical animation, digital 2D animation is taught. The students are mostly from rural areas of Rajasthan and education is imparted mostly in Hindi medium. Special kind of light boxes are designed for them along with special seating arrangements.

Currently 20 students are studying at Ummid, among them 5 are girls students. A next batch of another 25 students will commence from third week of May, 2011.

The students are currently working on mobisodes which will be released commercially. The mobisodes are funny animation shorts where two contrasting characters head against each other and create fun on screen. Sometimes a naughty school child versus his angry teacher, sometimes a geek versus a beauty, sometimes a genius scientist versus a stupid cave man!

Dinesh Jain, Founder, Eden Animation Studio shares, “Initially 26 episodes are thought of which may eventually increase to 52 or 104 depending upon the delivery and acceptance in the commercial market. The format will be mostly 2D (mix of classical and CGI) and duration will be 2 and half minutes. Few episodes will be of 3 minutes duration. The schedule for the entire production of first 26 episodes is 5 months. The first mobisode is ready and other two will be delivered by May end”.

Tarachand Kumawat, Gopal Singh Ranawat, Radheshyam Salvi, Sandeep Meena, Vijesh Meena, Ganpat lal Meena are the students involved in the project in first phase. With them senior faculty member Rohit Shandilya and Pradeep Menaria are guiding the project on behalf of Eden Animation Studio.

About releasing the mobisodes, Dinesh Jain asserts, “We are talking with few mobile content providers around the world for the release. As this is not a completely commercial project and also involves lot of humanitarian concerns; we are trying to contact CRY, UNICEF and other organizations also”.

Eden Animation is taking Ummid as the most significant step of its social commitments. The organization has 85,000 sq. ft of land under its possession in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Currently a new animation production facility and residential block for Ummid candidates are considered for development on this land and already work have been commenced. The facility will accommodate more than 100 artists after completion.

About the future of students Ummid, Dinesh says, “Students of Ummid will be provided job opportunities in the field of animation production after successful completion of their courses. Our first target is to get projects for them, so that Ummid can start earning of its own and pay salary to the candidates who will be working on the projects”.

Candidates with minimum qualification of eighth standard can apply for admission in Ummid. Candidate must have good hands-eyes coordination. Ummid is offering free education to all of its candidates and Udaipur Mahila & Bal Vikas Samiti is offering completely free food and lodging facilities to all the candidates enrolled in Ummid.
Candidates who are willing to take admission in Ummid can mail at ummid@edenanimation.in and detail information will be provided to them

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