On March 7, 2020, VES Vancouver members put on their dancing shoes and fancy clothes for the VES Vancouver Awards Gala, honoring local nominees and winners of 2020 Visual Effects Society awards.
BOT VFX is proud to have been the Gold Sponsor for this first-ever celebration, attended by more than a hundred industry professionals at the Waterview in downtown Vancouver. The sparkling venue with its expansive view of the waterfront and mountains set the tone for an elegant evening of cocktails, canapes, and dancing into the night.
BOT’s CEO, Hitesh Shah, donned his red bow tie for the special occasion of awarding BOT’s raffle prize, an iPad Pro, to the winner Mitja Mueller-Jend, Compositing TD at Digital Domain in Vancouver. The BOT also had a festive presence in the form of a featured Cosmopolitan cocktail masquerading as “COSMOBOT”.
The Vancouver section of the Visual Effects Society has been active since 2006, giving local VFX artists and production professionals a gathering place for encouragement and inspiration.
Hetal Jain, BOT Executive Producer, recalls: “What a fun night! Congratulations to the nominees and winners of the 2020 VES Awards – Kudos to the VES Vancouver Section (Sue Rowe, Steve Garrard, Matt Krentz and especially Gayle Munro) for putting it all together. We are glad to have been a part and supported it. See you next year!”
BOT VFX is proud to announce the opening of BOT VFX ACADEMY in Coimbatore, India, where students will be trained in the skills essential to the visual effects industry. “Our growth comes from growing our base of artist talent, and over the years we’ve seen a sharp rise in students interested in visual effects. So we have built a facility geared towards training such raw talent,” said Deepak Bohra, Co-Founder and Head of Business Affairs of BOT VFX. “We located the facility in Coimbatore to attract students from the city and the surrounding region who might not otherwise make it to our Chennai facility,” he expanded.
The academy will provide between three to nine months of training to students in the areas of rotoscopy, paint-prep, and matchmove. The training will focus on not just the principles and the software tools, but will also include a significant amount of practical training from seasoned leadership who have had many years of production experience. “We want to produce a trained talent pool that is equipped to handle the challenges of live production by the end of their training. To that goal, we’re investing in the people and the pipeline, and providing practical experience so that the artists are ready to hit the ground running when they’re done,” explained Sreyans Bardia, Co-Founder and Director of BOT’s India Operations.
This school has been certified as an education facility in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, and first opened its doors in October 2019. The Academy is also associated with the Media and Entertainment Skills Council and the Ministry of Skill Development, India to offer paid apprenticeships to candidates. Several industry-leading software makers are supporting BOT Academy, including Foundry, maker of the compositing software Nuke.
Those interested in the BUILD-A-BOT internship at BOT VFX ACADEMY can apply here.
BOT VFX was proud to sponsor Speaker Dinners at this year’s VIEW Conference, a premier gathering of industry leaders who provided many inspiring and entertaining presentations about some of the latest achievements in film and technology. Featured speakers included Director Brad Bird, Composer Michael Giacchino, Director Peter Ramsey, and Writer/Director Dean DeBlois.
Representing the BOT at the conference last week in Turin, Italy, were Co-Founder and Director of Business Affairs Deepak Bohra, Creative Head Zameer Hussain, and myself, Executive Producer Camille Geier. “The VIEW conference is a rich environment for conversation with our industry colleagues,” Hussain recalled. Bohra observed, “I very much enjoyed the experience of learning even more from masters of our craft.”
I found the VFX community represented at VIEW to be very inspiring, and the conference is enhanced by the beautiful setting of Turin. Kudos to Maria Elena Gutierrez, Executive Director of VIEW, for assembling an amazing array of speakers and events.
In early March, the VFX and animation industry in India was abuzz with anticipation as the FICCI BAF Awards approached. With a wealth of amazing work recently completed by BOT and its partners, the company submitted work for awards consideration in two categories: Best Shot of the Year (International) and Best VFX in a Film (International). BOT submitted work it had performed with Quebec-based partner Hybride on Solo: A Star Wars Story, and was thrilled to learn that the joint submissions were nominated in both categories.
But an even bigger thrill came during the star-studded FICCI BAF Awards 2019 ceremony itself, held in Mumbai on March 13, 2019. When the BOT / Hybride entry was announced as the winner for the Best VFX Shot of the Year – International category, a jubilant BOT team came up to the stage to accept the statue, with smiles plastered on their faces. Several key BOT team members graciously accepted the award on behalf of the larger team and Hybride, who could not be at the event. This is the second BAF Award win for BOT VFX, with numerous nominations over the years.
The BOT team was already vicariously basking in the afterglow following the 91st Academy Awards ceremony on February 24, 2019, where they were thrilled to have contributed VFX work towards 4 of the 5 films nominated for the Visual Effects Oscar: Avengers: Infinity War, Christopher Robin, Ready Player One, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Another Oscar-nominated film the company had the pleasure to work on was Mary Poppins Returns. They reveled in the successes of Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Green Book, amazing films nominated for Best Picture of 2019, also films BOT has contributed work to.
“While bagging awards is always great, just being a part of the creation process for any amazing content is the ultimate reward,” says Zameer Hussain, BOT’s Creative Head.
The Best Animated Frames [BAF] Awards was started in 2004 by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry [FICCI] to recognize and honor students and professionals in the field of Animation. This first-ever Animation Awards in India grew over the years to encompass awards not only in Animation, but also in the VFX and Gaming fields. The contest now receives top-notch entries from across the globe. In fact, the last BAF Awards held in March 2018 received around 400 entries from across 12 countries.
Congratulations on the BOT TEAMWORK that led to winning the FICCI BAF Award!
For its Spring 2019 Issue, VFX Voice features “Global VFX: State of the Industry 2019”, which explores current industry trends and what they portend for the future.
BOT VFX and Hitesh Shah are featured in the article for their perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the global VFX marketplace.
BOT once again participated as a client presenter at this year’s Foundry Global Roadshow in Chennai on March 7, 2019. The team at BOT showcased their use of Foundry’s bespoke software, particularly Nuke, to an audience of 300+ artists.
This is the 4th year in a row that BOT VFX has been asked to be a presenter. The BOT team garnered accolades from fellow presenters and the audience for the innovative way in which they delivered the presentation, using a comic strip like approach that was both insightful and entertaining.
Foundry caught everyone up on the latest updates and new features of Nuke and their stable of industry-standard products. BOT VFX has a long-standing and productive relationship with Foundry, including a recent studio meet-up in November 2018 where the bots heard Foundry’s incredible story of perseverance as told by Simon Robinson, its founder.
BOT VFX hosts meet-up with Foundry leaders in Chennai, November 2018[
As a visual effects facility, it’s no surprise that creative talent is plentiful at BOT. However, what is inspiring about the BOT community is how many of the talented VFX artists are equally adept at other art forms and mediums outside of pixels and frames. Thus was born the idea of DRISHYA: The BOT Book of Art, to convey the boundless creative talent of the bots to the outside world. BOT VFX published this limited-edition non-commercial book as a way to showcase the personal artworks of many talented bots, and to connect artists of BOT with the company’s community of friends, family and supporters across the globe.
The Hindi word “drishya”, loosely translated, means “visually striking performance or display”. DRISHYA is striking in its rich variety of styles and mediums, and in the self-directed creative energy that is captured in its pages.
The official launch of DRISHYA: The BOT Book of Art took place on July 7, 2018, at the gala tenth anniversary event celebrating the first decade of BOT VFX. The Honorable Consul General Robert Burgess, head of the United States Consulate in Chennai, was on hand to launch the book.
A grateful client said this of the book after receiving a copy of DRISHYA:
“THANK YOU for the gorgeous book you sent! It’s [a] brilliant way to personalize your company. Especially when a company is overseas, it’s easy for people to forget that there are artists and technicians with unique talents sitting at their desks, working on our shots. I love the idea of connecting the personalities in those pages to the eyes and hands working with us.”
Supporters, friends, and clients of BOT interested in the book can receive a free copy by contacting a BOT team member.
BOT VFX celebrated its 10th anniversary milestone with a glittering gala event on July 7, 2018 in Chennai, India. The event, dubbed BOT Xpressions, was hosted by company co-founders Hitesh Shah, Deepak Bohra, and Sreyans Bardia, and lived up to the upbeat and quirky personality BOT is already known for in the visual effects industry.
The evening’s program included visionaries and dignitaries inspiring the team with their thought leadership, and the launch of an art book featuring the personal artwork of BOT artists.
Also lighting up the night were energizing dance performances including one by BOT’s own dance team, a “mannequin challenge” video paying homage to the veteran torchbearers at BOT, live fusion music, and of course, dinner and dancing.The speakers and Guests of Honor included ILM Vice President Gretchen Libby, world-renowned consultant and professor Dr. Jagdish Sheth, U.S. Consul General Robert Burgess, and Chennai entrepreneur Abhayakumar Jain. Nearly 400 elegantly dressed guests including the current BOT crew and Alumni, industry greats, as well as friends and families of BOT, attended the celebration.
Thought Leaders Shed Light
ILM’s Gretchen Libby
Gretchen Libby took an ecstatic audience of VFX enthusiasts through the epic history of Industrial Light & Magic as it not only created ground-breaking work on classic films, but also along the way, built an industry that did not previously exist.
She emphasized the pivotal role that the company’s culture and values played throughout ILM’s existence, and gave the audience goose-bumps when she acknowledged BOT’s own strong and vibrant culture. The crescendo came when she ended her talk with ILM’s showreel, reminding every BOT in the audience why they are so much in love with visual effects.
Dr. Jagdish Sheth
Dr. Jagdish Sheth, a global consultant to everyone from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to top corporate brass in the United States, India, and throughout the world, was on hand to deliver a riveting speech that was less about business and economics, and more about a topic close to our hearts: the unbounded impact of human potential. He shared inspirational insights on the need to look at the role of an individual’s passion and motivation as the ultimate lever to deliver the greatest value creation for society as a whole.
Epic Entertainment
Opening the program with their typical flair, BOT’s three co-founders Hitesh, Deepak, and Sreyans surprised the audience with some hip-swaying, hand-gyrating dance moves right at the start of the festivities – aptly setting the high-energy tone for the evening.
A live music performance by professional fusion group IndoSoul left everyone awestruck, especially when the band played melodies from beloved movies like Star Wars and the Game of Thrones series.
Selene’s Dance Troupe choreographed several stylistic and colorful dance performances, including the one by BOT’s own crew. The fusion dance performed by the BOTs involved elements of Indian dance creatively woven into popular western music and dance styles.
A masterfully choreographed performance by the Illuminati group mesmerized the audience with their LED Tron dance.
BOT Art Book Launched
The Honorable Consul General Robert Burgess, head of the United States Consulate in Chennai, was on hand to launch Drishya: The BOT Book of Art, an inspiring book showcasing the personal artworks of BOT employees. As a studio made up of hundreds of artists, fostering creativity has always been a priority for BOT, regardless of whether it is inside or outside the office; these efforts have culminated with this launch. The limitless creativity of BOT’s artists has now found lasting expression through this book.
The Grand After-Party
And if the formal part of the evening’s program was a smashing success, the after-party elevated it to a whole new level. The entire audience got on stage and danced as the DJ cranked out the hits. The energy that had started off the evening with the program on-stage had contagiously spread and consumed everyone in the audience by the end of the night – the ultimate hallmark of a successful celebration.
BOT’s continual efforts to nurture existing client relations and build new ones face to face took Studio Co-Founder Sreyans Bardia and Senior Producer Frederick Lissau all the way to Europe’s VFX centre – er…center – London, in the month of June.
While in Germany it was all about planes, trains and automobiles; BOT’s latest travel was through London’s famous Tube.
“From Hammersmith and City to Bakerloo to Central to Victoria to Piccadilly to Jubilee and District & Circle – I think we rode through them all during our week long stay!” mused Frederick, who is very familiar with the city, having spent some years (2006 -2008) in London while doing a film for Universal.
Reflecting on the trip, Frederick further added that, “The industry here is just in a state of continuous growth as films, TV series and commercials continue to use London as a hub for their biggest and most complex works.” As they continue to expand and build relationships with clients in the UK, BOTs feel immensely excited about the immense possibilities London has in store for them. Frederick continued, “The breadth of talent in this city is simply staggering. We were very grateful that many clients and friends took time out of their hectic schedules to meet with us and exchange ideas!”
“It is always a pleasure to meet up with our old and existing clients & partners and engage with new ones. There’s always something new to learn from them on what works, what doesn’t and what we need to do to make it work, which is always great!”, gushed Sreyans, who spent his sabbatical in London in 2008, and has subsequently often visited the city as a part of BOT over the past few years.
The wise words of good old Paddington Bear come to mind – “In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in”. Well, BOTs have already carved a little space for themselves in this city! Thanks to all the love the client’s shower on them.
When you think of traveling to Europe, you have grand thoughts of enjoying quiet afternoons sipping a latte at a street-side cafe table, strolling lush gardens, visiting museums, or having a plate of a thousand different types of cheeses – what you don’t expect is a whirlwind of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
BOT founder and CEO Hitesh Shah and Senior Producer Frederick Lissau set out on BOT’s annual sojourn to Germany the first week in May with the goal of visiting BOT’s many Clients there – in addition to taking part in the yearly FMX Conference. FMX – www.fmx.de – brings together thousands of professionals from VFX, Animation, VR and Games from across the EU to Stuttgart, Germany.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge to see everyone, but we made it a point to see all of our Clients, no matter which city they were in,” affirmed Shah.
This inspired the team to do some sophisticated logistics planning to navigate to clients in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart.
“It was great having the chance to see everyone face to face and have some truly in-depth conversations. We made some really great human level connections that you simply can’t manage through calls, Skype sessions, emails and texts,” Lissau recalled about the trip. “The warm reception by our clients and the brief immersion into German culture more than made up for the absence of quiet street-side cafe moments.”
