Discussion with R.K. Lalmani

R.K. Lalmani achieved his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1997.  He works as an editor at the Manipur Film Development Corporation and he was a participant in the Animation Workshop in Manipur (Feb 25-17 March 2012)

Why was Tapta chosen as the story for the animation film?
‘Tapta’ is synonymous for some imaginary being children of the Meitei community are made afraid about in order to help them go to sleep and to stop crying.

Were you able to “see” the film in your mind before you started to work on it?
Yes, it is simple, funny, interesting, straight and absorbing.

Did you consider that the importance of including a tribal perspective in the animation project?
Definitely. The folk story of Tapta had been there before the advent of Hinduism in Manipur. There were lots of similarities between the plain people and the hills people in ancient time. There were lots of communities in different parts of the state both in the hills and the valley. And each area had unique style and tradition. Representation of tribal perspective is difficult to assess as there are more than 26 distinctive ethnic communities. Inclusion of hill area as a location with some adventure there surely brings the essence of being tribal in a broad sense. On top of that, tribal people should put extra effort to preserve the tradition including folk stories and culture to avoid extinction.

Did you think of how others would view the fact that there was no tribal participation or involvement in the project?
Prospective Tribal film makers/ animators should be identified and groomed. Mere invitation won’t attract them. The aesthetic gap between the tribal and the others is a big barrier for the tribal people to come forward. The tribal people are too attached with their area/villages as the community environment is their only world and comfort zone. So, they should be invented and explored. It’s always a problem. Extra effort is required to boost their confidence outside their comfort zones. Some people with spears in a hilly area will denote involvement of tribal people. To be particular about a tribe needs extensive research work which the youths of today have little knowledge about. Extra effort is called for to bring them to the common environment.

Who is going to complete the animation film from Manipur?
If there is a will there is a way.

What is the underlying point of the “Tapta” story?
Different perspectives of different people somewhat in the line of Rashomon. But it is told comically. The simple and straight forward narration of Tapta may probably be a yummy starter before a heavy professional meal of animation. Definitely a treat for children.

How does it translate across cultures? How will it be understood and received by people who are not from Manipur?
Still there is no definite structure of Tapta. It is an imaginary creature especially use in a form of narrative lullaby. So, every culture can relate to Tapta. Even the tiger as well as the thief have their own imagination about Tapta. It is very universal where one can play with one’s own imagination. The Manipuriness is only a means to narrate the story.

Did you consider how to represent the contemporary situation in Manipur in the animation film project?
It’ll be damn disturbing. Because the contemporary situation (law, order, political, social etc.) is too gloomy and dark. Literally, power cut is rampant. It can be an art animation film. But contemporary situations in aesthetics and sports are the only silver linings.

How did your performance in the workshop compare with the rest of the group?
So and so.

Will you be able to complete the animation film all by yourself?
Yes, with financial and colleagues’ assistance.

Discussion with Rahul Laishram

Rahul Laishram is a Post Graduate student of Animation at  the National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad.  He was also a resource person for the Animation Workshop in Manipur (Feb 25-17 March 2012)


Why was "Tapta" chosen as the story for the animation film?
It was chosen mainly for its popularity.

Were you able to “see” the film in your mind before you started to work on it?
I was already working on a comic book version of the folktale. Therefore, the sequences were pretty much clear in my head. It was the treatment that remained flexible in my mind.

Did you consider the importance of including a tribal perspective in the animation project?
I did consider the importance of it but then it can be said that we haven't deviated much from it. If we are talking about the treatment, then yes, we could have been given more time to research a bit more on it.

Did you think of how others would view the fact that there was no tribal participation or involvement in the project?
It depends on what kind of "others" are there. Personally, I felt that the mediums used for the announcement of the workshop were not very efficient. Also, it's up to the individual to be interested in animation. We can't pull anyone into doing it. This might also prove that the number of interested people in animation are quite less.

Who is going to complete the animation film from Manipur?
Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh has taken the responsibility to complete the film with his team of animators.

What is the underlying point of the “Tapta” story?
The story highlights the fact that fear is imaginary. The fear which is inflicted by the mere thought of how "Tapta" would be, carries the story forward in a series of events.

How does it translate across cultures? How will it be understood and received by people who are not from Manipur?
It's a lighthearted story that will cut across cultures. The suspense in the beginning and the unfolding of events will be quite entertaining for children.

Did you consider how to represent the contemporary situation in Manipur in the animation film project?
I did consider to represent the contemporary situation of Manipur but then, as it was a folktale animation film project and not an "adapted from folktale" project, it would have been unfair to have forced it in. There are possibilities though for future adaptations.

How did your performance in the workshop compare with the rest of the group?
I luckily got to finish the promo in a short period of time. My efficiency levels have increased in the workshop from before and I feel quite prepared for situations like these.

Will you be able to complete the animation film all by yourself?
Since, I am not the director, I can't. Potentially, yes.

Press Release 17 March 2012

The Animation Workshop held at the Manipur Film Development Corporation Complex in Imphal, in Manipur, over the past three weeks concluded today with a Valedictory Function at 5.30pm.  The Chief Guest was Shri  R.K. Nimai Singh IAS (the Commissioner of Art and Culture, Manipur).  Certificates were presented to the participants of the workshop that volunteered their time to begin production of a short animated folktale from their state.  

The welcome address and Key Note was given by Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh, artist, animation expert and local coordinator.  Dr. Joykumar gave a brief history of animation and he observed the magic of the dynamic artwork.  Dr. R.K. Nimai Singh went on to say that as the participants were young – between the ages of 20-30, they could expect a long life in production.  He further encouraged the group by speaking of his hope for animation done in Manipur to receive national and international exposure. 

Tara Douglas gave an audio visual presentation, sharing the activities of the workshop with the visitors.
She reminded the audience that the objective of the workshop had been to explore Manipuri culture through the medium of animation as an alternative approach to the focus on commercial production prevalent in India.  She also mentioned a tendency these days to see animation in terms of the software used to create it, revealing her thought that it would be great if the team maintain their own folk art style in the short film. 

The President of the Manipur Film Development Corporation, Dr K. Sobita Devi spoke  of her enthusiasm for this first workshop initiative, also mentioning that  support  would be found for the completion of the film and for future projects to promote animation in Manipur.    

The highlight of the event was the screening of the animated promo for the short film “Tapta”.  The promo is available here.

The Animation Workshop in Manipur was supported by the Government Department of Art and Culture (Manipur), the Manipur Film Development Corporation, the Adivasi Arts Trust and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust.   

Press Release 16 March 2012

On the penultimate day of the Animation Workshop in Manipur that has been taking place over the past three weeks, things are really coming to life.  A group of young artists and animation enthusiasts from the Meitei community based in Imphal have used the time provided by the Manipur Film Development Corporation and the facilities, including a constant power supply, to develop a folktale from their own tradition for a short animation film.  It has been a time consuming process that began with script writing and storyboarding.  The storyboard is an essential part of any animation film production as it confirms the shots that will make up the film and it also shows whether the story is getting communicated well; a storyboard looks rather like a comic book with each frame adding to the sequence of action.

Characters were designed by young Yamnam Sapha Wangam Apanthoi M. (Swam) and they have been hand painted and scanned for computer manipulation using various 2D software.  The advantage of having a team is that elements of the film can be animated simultaneously by different people.  The actions defined by setting keyframes are the rendered and passed onto the compositor, who will assemble the scenes using After Effects software.  Rahul Laishram has been working hard to assemble the multilayered scenes chosen for the trailer that the team is planning to show at the valedictory session tomorrow.  They are hoping that the Commissioner of Art and Culture, Dr. R.K. Nimai Singh will be suitable enthused at their efforts during the workshop to be able to sanction support for the completion of the short production, anticipated to take a further six months.

Visitors have been dropping in out of curiosity to see the developments for themselves. Today the team was visited by Oinam Doren, a documentary film maker from Manipur who has recently returned from Mumbai.  Doren has made a film recently “Songs of Mashangva” featuring Thangkul folk blues musician Rewben Mashangva that received the prize for best ethnographic film at the National Awards in Delhi in 2011.   
“They make so many films here in Manipur, but they are very mainstream productions with romance and action.  One film received the President’s Award recently.  It was called “Phijigi Mani” (My Only Gem).  That was a good one.  It had some romance too but the content also had depth.  It was about Manipuris who leave their home state to find work and then get married and settled outside. It made me feel quite emotional”, he admits.  Doren  has a few projects that he is working on, including a documentary that he wants to make about the headhunters of Nagaland, but it is very tough to find financial support to make artistic films and hard hitting documentaries the world over. 

The Animation Workshop in Manipur has been possible through the Government Department of Art and Culture (Manipur), the Manipur Film Development Corporation and the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust. 

Press Release 15 March 2012

Animation, once regarded as an obscure, labour intensive art form is about quantity in the present global scenario of capitalism. This has led to a booming animation industry in India dominated by outsourced commercial animation from Western countries. Factors that attract foreign entertainment companies to India include prevalence of English which makes it easier for communication, good studios equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software and most of all, reduced rates of pay, estimated at 6-15 times less than salaries in the US.

Along with job opportunities, the current trend has also brought a mainstream sensibility for cartoons that is by now the standard expectation of young viewers in India. But animation can also be used for revitalizing folk art styles and indigenous culture in remote areas where young people are losing touch with their oral traditions. A three week long Animation Workshop running since 25 February 2012 at the Manipur Film Development Corporation in Imphal is providing the opportunity for young artists to explore animation as a tool to revitalize their folklore. The initiative of engaging a local group for pre-production of a short animated folktale from Manipur was proposed by the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust, a charitable organisation that has conducted similar workshops to introduce animation for storytelling in Nagaland, Sikkim and in Central India. In Manipur this cultural animation project has received support from the Government of Manipur, Department of Art and Culture.

The participants of the workshop are all from the Meitei community. At the start they chose a humorous folktale and over the past three weeks they have set about adapting it for a short animation film. Characters have been designed with reference to the artwork of the ancient illustrated manuscripts and the team wants to maintain a hand-made look for the film regardless of the animation software they use during the production. With the workshop concluding in two days time, the team is preparing a presentation of their work for the Commissioner of Art and Culture, Dr. R.K. Nimai, with the hope of attracting further support for completing the five minute long film.

Rates of production of a half an hour animated programme in US and Canada are said to range from $250,000-400,000; in the Philippines the estimated range is from $100,000-120,000 and in India at $80,000-100,000. Budget discussions have been held in the workshop to calculate how much it would cost to produce a short film  in Manipur, where the rates are significantly less than in the animation centres of Mumbai and Bangalore, where salaries for animators range from 20,000 – 35,000 per month. In the United Kingdom, the recommended rates of pay for freelance 3D animation in 2009-2010 was £178- 232 per day; In remote Manipur where the pace of life is considerably slower, 8,000 INR per month is accepted as an adequate starting salary for an animator.

Press Release 14 March 2012

Production of a short animated folktale from Manipur has begun at the Manipur Film Development Corporation in Imphal.  The initiative was started in a three week long Animation Workshop from 25 February and concluding on Saturday.  The event has been supported by the Government Department of Art and Culture, in response to finding new ways of preserving the cultural heritage of Manipur and promoting it to a wider audience.    

Although it will be just five minutes long, the production team of workshop participants, all with some prior experience in art, design or animation software, are beginning to feel that it is like a feature film.  The story seemed simple at first in its oral form, but to translate it into the medium of animation is quite another matter. Over a hundred shots are required to convey the story in an entertaining, dynamic way, exemplified in the hilarious climax that takes place when the “Thief” character has the ride of his life enacting rodeo stunts on the back of a tiger that he has foolishly mistaken for a horse.   All this will have to be animated frame by frame.  At present the preferred technique is 2D cut-out animation using software to manipulate puppets. 

Naturally the characters have voices too, and today the team turned their attention to sound, with the aim of recording dialogues for the story in three languages – Manipuri, Hindi and English.  Fortunately the Manipur Film Development Corporation has a professional sound recording studio, and R.K. Lalmani is adept at using the multi-track digital recording system.  Lalmani works at the Corporation and he is a film enthusiast who has made a few films himself. 

With no female participants in the workshop, Haobam Sandhyarani Devi (Sandhyarani), a teacher with some experience in acting has volunteered to provide the voice of the “Mother”  - who is at her wits end and finally invents the “Tapta” to silence her screaming child.   A. Rishi Sharma (Rishi) also dropped in to find out more about plans for the musical track.  He has his own recording studio close by and has offered to compose a musical track once the animatic has been completed, as it will give an accurate idea of the pace and action of the film.  He also has an extensive collection of sound effects for creating ambience, realism and mood. 

Sephin Alexander has taken time away from the preproduction module of his animation course at National Institute of Design to get some practical experience in preproduction in Manipur.  This includes assembling the animatic – a sequence of storyboard sketches that also incorporate some basic animation to convey the action and identify the final animation requirements.  Rahul Laishram, also from the National Institute of Design, is composing and animating a test sequence of the film that will be the opening shot – that of a traditional Meitei house, one stormy night.  Both are exploring ways of simulating rain using software and there are several useful tutorials available online to refer to:  

How to make rain in After Effects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dz09RuP65s
(quite an amusing video on how to make a bright scene dark with rain)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvGQtvo7Be4
(good information on creating basic rain in After Effects)

Example of lightening and rain created in After Effects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOLVXK1Yk4A&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMxcBWVplp8&feature=related

The workshop is collaboration with the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust, a charitable organisation that promotes awareness of indigenous art and culture.  

 Press Release 13 March 2012

A group of young people in Manipur have been inspired to turn one of their favourite folktales into a short animation film.  They have taken the opportunity to share ideas, research the folk art styles of Manipur and to work out how they will use their diverse talents, during an experimental three week long Animation Workshop organised by the Manipur Film Development Corporation, with the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust.

Tara Douglas, the Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust is guiding the participants through the animation film making process, with reference to her previous experience of tribal animation in Nagaland, Sikkim and Central India.  Tara has brought along an interesting collection of short animation films for the daily screenings so that the Manipuri team will have exposure to new styles and techniques.  Several animation films have already been made in Manipur, including animated folktales. (“Uchek Lameidong”, Kekoo Lotpi Pebet” and “KabuiKei-Oiba” are three).  Robindro Meitei has worked on the latter, but this time the team want to try something different: They want to keep an organic “hand-made” look for their film “Tapta”. 

Two Post Graduate animation students from the National Institute of Design have also come along to help the participants through the preproduction phase that includes writing a script, drawing a storyboard and assembling an animatic.  Of the two, Sephin Alexander is keeping an overall picture of the film by creating the animatic – a blueprint of the film that will also include some minimal animation. Meanwhile Rahul Laishram is focusing on the minute details of scene composition for the first truly animated sequence in the film, to establish the visual style.  

Several in the team are adept at colouring artwork in Photoshop while others are ready to animate the 2D cut out puppets using Flash software.   Three years ago, Robindro Meitei took a course to learn how to animate using Flash software and he admits to “knowing a few tricks” - it is captivating to watch him bring the Tiger to life – creeping furtively and springing into action. 

Kiranjit Sharma has the immense patience to design trees embellished with intricate patterns in ink.  The younger members of the team, Khundrakpam Kemarun and Keidam Karunjeet Singh, are also adding to the stock of artwork by designing the smallest of details for the scenes.  Mushrooms, orchids and the Ngarubak (a basket for keeping dried fish) that hangs above the fire in the kitchen will all reaffirm that it is a tale from Manipur.  With only four more days to go before the conclusion of the workshop, the team is pressed for time to prepare a presentation for the Commissioner of Art and Culture, Dr. R.K. Nimai on Saturday afternoon, as it is hoped that they will be able to secure additional funding support to work for a further period to complete the film.   

Press Release 12 March 2012

A group of participants for an Animation Workshop in Manipur supported by the Government Department of Art and Culture have taken the opportunity to organise themselves into a production team to work on a short animated folktale from their own cultural heritage.  The story they have chosen is a mischievous tale about a phantom of the night - the mighty “Tapta” - and all the amusement he creates.  It is well known by children in Manipur, and the team have decided to give it new life through the animation medium. 

“Tapta” will be a two dimensional cut out film made using hand painted puppets manipulated with computer software.  But it will not be like any other film: The team have been watching artistic animation shorts made by dedicated masters, that have been provided to the workshop by Tara Douglas, Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust, and they have decided to delve into their own folk art tradition of Manipur to come up with a charming artistic style more suited for their story than the commercial cartoons that they are exposed to on television.

“We are going to make this film as a team.  Some of us will be animators, some of us in character design and some will be working on backgrounds”, explains Okram Chandranath.  Yamnam Sapha Wangam Apanthoi M. (Swam) has assumed the role of lead character designer.  He comes from an art college background and his print making experience has been helpful for designing characters with clean ink lines.  These are hand painted with poster colours on acetate by Rahul Laishram, a student from the National Institute of Design and they are scanned by Chandranath.  Many props also have to be designed, scanned and coloured to create the environments for the story, and the team are maintaining consistency in the patterns they use throughout the film. 
During this final week of the three week long workshop the team is aiming to complete an animatic – considered to be the blueprint for the animation sequences, the animatic  is essential to any animation film production for it places the storyboard images on a timeline, to be subsequently replaced by the animated as they get done.  They also want to animate a test sequence from the film, with the idea that it will be helpful for everyone involved to see how the film will look, and also to gain further financial support for the completion of the film. 
Several visitors drop in to the Manipur Film Development Corporation out of curiosit, and the workshop is also attracting interest from students of the Art College.  The film will be dubbed into English and Hindi in addition to Manipuri, and the team are expecting to screen it in schools, film festivals and on cable television.

Animator’s Weekend in Khoirentak Village, Manipur

A Three week long Animation Workshop is taking place in Imphal, Manipur. The event is supported by the Government of Manipur, Department of Art and Culture and the Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust, Ms. Tara Douglas is visiting Manipur for the duration to share experiences in animation film making with young participants from the Meitei community. Two additional resource people have also come from the National Institute of Design in Ahmadabad, Post-Graduate animation students, Sephin Alexander and Rahul Laishram. 

At the end of the second week of the workshop, the Indian festival of Holi has brought the workshop to a standstill. Holi, also known as Yaoshang in Manipur is very popular, and all government institutions are closed for several days. During the Holi festival, Tara and Sephin from the animation team were invited to visit a Kom tribal village by Guru Achon Kom.
The Kom are mainly found in Manipur in Northeast India where they are a minority scattered over all districts. Kom, Kuki and Hmar have cultural and linguistic similarities. As nomadic people before reaching Manipur approximately 200 AD, their origin remains unclear, though it is believed that they came to Manipur from Tripura. According to their folklore, their clan names come into existence when the Kom came out of a cave believed to be somewhere in the borders of China. The majority of Kom are Christian and their stories have been passed down orally through generations.

To reach Achon’s village, Khoirentak, one must first go to Moirang Lamkai in Churachanpur district, about 40 km from Imphal. During Holi, the trip is slow as it is the fashion in Manipur for the youth to stop vehicles on the road and try to extract money during the festive period. From Moirang it is about five miles on to Khoirentak, along a rough road that leads straight towards the hills. Khoirentak is nestled in the foothills, and on taking a short walk out of the village onto the hill behind, Lotak Lake is seen shimmering on the hazy horizon.

The Kom are farmers and rice is their staple crop. Guru Achon Kom is also a cultural activist, and in 2005 he established a small Ethnological Museum in Khoirentak village. In the same year he also became active in the Kom Dance and Cultural Research Centre and he has organised many programmes and workshops for promoting Kom culture in his village and in other parts of India too. His eldest son, Hmungamchung (Jamchung) is studying Anthropology at DM College of Science in Imphal. “If I study it, it will be very good for my culture and I will be helpful to my community. My cousin brothers in Delhi advised me in this; without gaining such awareness it is difficult for us to know what to do in the village”, he explains. “Before studying anthropology, I knew very little about our culture. We believe that through the folktales we can find out about our ancestors. We have about 20-30 folktales, and in some, we have a joker character called Bingpu. He is a really foolish one! We had one person here who was very interested in animation. He was good in sketching, but now he has gone to Shillong to study Theology.”

At this prompt, Sephin Alexander decides to demonstrate how stop motion animation is done using his camera and laptop, with a frame capture software. A ball of dough is made by mixing flour and water, and the basic principles of animation including anticipation and exaggerated movement are explained to the youth that have gathered in curiosity.

(Click here to see a video clip of this short workshop in Khoirentak).


Jamchung also tells us that Kom women are expert weavers. “Kom never studied anything in the past, they just looked and then they created something. For example, a man in a respectable position in the community wears a cloth that is woven with the patterns of a python: Well this cloth was first woven by looking at a real python. In our culture we believe in transformation between animals such as tigers and pythons, even the rhinoceros – and man. There is a story about a python that was only a snake in water but on land he was a man. Once he fell in love with a very beautiful Kom maiden and he courted her. The girl’s mother began to wonder about this handsome suitor - why soon he would become her son-in-law, so where did he come from?
On the way back from the girl’s house, the man had to cross a pond, and as soon as he entered the water, he became a snake again. We also believe that the python is afraid of turmeric, garlic and some other spices. The girl’s mother ground up some turmeric into powder and kept it wrapped in a packet of leaves on the beam inside the house. When the man entered the kitchen, she pierced the packet and the turmeric poured down on him and he entered his python body and slithered away, never to be seen again.”

Press Release 8 March 2012

A group of young Manipuri artists have gathered for three weeks to attend an Animation Workshop supported by the Government of Manipur, Art and Culture Department. 
The artists are exploring ways of revitalizing their culture.  They are looking at the rich heritage of folk art and oral in Manipur for inspiration.   The brief was to choose a folktale and then to set about adapting it for a short animation film.  The chosen tale is a series of anecdotes about the mysterious “Tapta”, well remembered from childhood by people in Manipur.   The visualization process is now taking place and a storyboard that shows the sequences of the film has been drawn.  Characters and background designs are drawn in ink, incorporating patterns identified in the ancient illustrated manuscripts of Manipur.   The team is organising itself for the various tasks that go into animation production.   With only one more week to go for the workshop, the aim is to make an animatic (filmed storyboard) and to complete a test sequence of animation. 

The chosen technique for the sequence uses handmade 2 dimensional cut out puppets for the characters that will be manipulated with software in multiple layers.   

Cultural experts are providing advice to maintain accuracy in the depiction of traditional Manipuri culture in the animation film.  Details of the costumes are debated at length and it has now been accepted that Mother in the story will be wearing a plain single coloured casual phanek (sarong) rather than the popular striped “fancy” Mayek Naibi.   There is no other design, floral or otherwise on the main body of the phanek, but there is a strip or edge. Traditionally the phanek was worn without a blouse, above the breast with the upper body covered with an upper cloth folded across the shoulder.   Khelen Thokchom writes “Phanek, the traditional women’s wear of Manipuri women, has become the new flag of protest in a state where mass movements thrive on the extensive use of symbolism”. (The Telegraph, 2009)   It is also said that according to Meitei tradition, men also do not pass under a rope or a bamboo bar on which a phanek is hung, and that if a woman flings a phanek at a man in public, it is considered to be the most extreme form of humiliation for him.

On Holi in Imphal most women are out and about in their phaneks, and a personal thought is that the Mayek Naibi, the stripy one, will be most remembered from Manipur – and so I am disappointed that the “Mother” must wear a plain phanek to be appropriately dressed inside the home.

The project is also supported by the Government of Manipur, Manipur Films Division and the Adivasi Arts Trust (UK).   The film will be a Manipuri production.

Press Release 7 March 2012

The Government of Manipur Department of Art and Culture established in 1990 engages in matters relating to art and culture, including the State Museum, Dance College, Music College Art College and the Manipur Film and Development Cooperation. The Department is headed by its Director, under the supervision of the Commissioner, Art & Culture. It sends cultural troupes, artists and artisans to various parts of the country and abroad to showcase Manipuri art and culture, and now, in collaboration with the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust, the Department is supporting an adventurous new project to promote Manipuri art and culture through the medium of animation.   

The workshop provides the opportunity for Manipuri artists to get together, pool in their skills and plan out a short animation film of one of their most popular folktales.   Half way through the workshop and they have already found out how a film is visualized through the storyboard that shows each shot in sequence.   A few of the participants are now delving deeper into the story breaking down each scene still further to list the artwork, animation and sounds that are needed to manifest this magical world of the Manipuri imagination.

The main character designs are painstakingly realised by Yamnam Sapha Wangam Apanthoi M. (Swam), a young graduate from the Imphal Art College with inputs from 
Dr. R.K. Joykumar, a senior artist in Manipur.  Art receives much appreciation in the small state; the Imphal Art College was established in 1949 and it offers a 5- year Diploma in Fine Arts with courses in Sculpture and Commercial Art too.   

The artwork  for the film will be hand painted on cel and the characters will be made as two dimensional cut-out puppets to be animated using computer software.  Films screened at the workshop (including cut-out animation films like “Hedgehog in the Fog”,
(by Russian master, Yuri Norstein) have provided ideas of what is possible with a lot of hard work and dedication.    Screening facilities during the workshop have been kindly provided by the Manipur Film Development Cooperation.  The MFDC was launched to promote and propagate film industry in the State. It has many ambitious objectives both for the production and archiving of films and television. 

The workshop continues until 17 March.

Discussion with Daiko Mao

(Shri R.K. Daiko Mao is the principal of the Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy in Imphal.)

(After seeing “Man Tiger Spirit” – the animation film from Nagaland, a story shared by the Mao community):

“I remember a story.  It took place after Jilli Mosiro’s time, when the world had become populated and there were plenty of villages.  In one village there was a very athletic youth.  You know, like a hero, he was brave, strong and tall; he was also good at dancing and playing music.  There was a girl from another village - of course she was the most beautiful, tall and strong.  But their parents did not agree to their marriage so they made a suicide pact to jump into a pond together and drown.  They stood at the end side by side and they tied their long hair together – even men had long hair in those days.  At the last minute the boy changed his mind and he cut the hair with his dao, so it was only the girl who jumped in and drowned.  After the boy had walked a furlong, he noticed two birds. He saw how devoted they were to each other, and he felt ashamed at what he had done.  He returned to the spot and he jumped in too.  
Two large bamboos grew out of that pond.  The one that remembered the girl grew to the east, while the one that was the boy grew to the west because cheated.  It is said that if you cheat, you will experience such a bad omen".

"The person who would really be able to tell you stories though, is Mr. N Saleo. He is about 92 years old and he lives in Mao.  In Manipur there are five tribal districts, with six major tribes and 27 smaller ones.  The major tribes are Mao, Thangkul, Kabui, Paite, Thadou and Hmar.  The languages are so different that we have to communicate with others through English, Hindi or Manipuri.  There are about 25 or 26 Mao villages in Manipur.  We still have wood carvings of mithun’s heads and on the cross pieces at the front of houses but since Christianity came we do not use morungs.   It was Pettigrew who converted the Maos. He first came to us more than a hundred years ago, on the Highway.  The practice of sending students out for studies has also affected our culture.  They may try to document our culture, but it is all theory, not practical.  

In the olden days there were no rituals or idols.  We just referred to the Supreme Being as the “Almighty”.  We had a special type of grass called Sepricolo and we offered it when we were afraid.   See, we worshipped the forces of nature and that grass was believed to keep evil forces away.  It was very fragrant – our forefathers would rub it and eat it because it also had medicinal properties.  The youth don’t have much idea of the details of our folktales. I do think that Mao children would enjoy animation films.  Here we have some cultural preservation by women’s groups and youth clubs that promote songs and dances and also try to publish things.  Here at this Dance Academy we teach tribal and Manipuri dance – traditional and folk".

Press Release 6 March 2012

A group of artists, illustrators, and animation enthusiasts have gathered together for a three week long Animation Workshop in Manipur, held in Imphal at the Manipur Film Development Cooperation from 25 January until 17 March. 

This first initiative of its kind in Manipur is a collaboration between the Government of Manipur (Art and Culture Department) and the UK based NGO, Adivasi Arts Trust;   The Secretary of the Trust, Tara Douglas felt that the folk culture of Manipur could provide interesting content and style for a short animation film for the “Tales of the Tribes” collection of animated folktales from the Northeast region.  An advertisement in the local “Sangai” newspaper attracted 23 participants, several of them Art College graduates or with some digital media experience. 

The first step was to choose a story, and a popular folktale full of humorous anecdotes about the mysterious “Tapta” was selected by the group to work on for the short film. The process then went on to the scripting and storyboarding phases, after which the group divided into two teams -  the story group, that will focus on the storyboard and timing the shots and actions and moving on to the animatic, and the art department where Yamnam Sapha Wangam Apanthoi M. (Swam) has become the lead character designer. All the artists have been referring to illustrated manuscripts of Manipur to develop an adapted style that will convey a charming “indigenous” look to the film. The film will be made using 2D cut out puppets to give it a handmade look that is suited for the children’s story.

Daily film screenings inspire the group with new ideas to express themselves through the animation medium.  The screenings are focused on experimental artistic films that engage a multitude of materials and creative methods. 

Discussion with Guru Rewben Mashangv

(Guru Rewben Mashangva, based in Imphal, is one of the most popular and respected indigenous Naga musicians of the country.  He is a singer, songwriter, musician, folk music researcher and maker of indigenous musical instruments.  He plays guitar, a bamboo flute known as Yangkahui the Tingteila (folk fiddle) and his cow-bell percussion.  He adapts old Naga folk songs for modern listeners).

Background:
For ages the tribal people in the Northeast region of India lived a dignified and respectful life, rich in culture and with very limited exposure to the external world.  Unfortunately in the process of colonization and consolidation of the British empire, the tribal people were looked own upon as primitive and savage, their culture and way of life was threatened.  Due to the lack of appreciation for the cultural diversity and richness as well as subsequent attempts made by the Indian stage to mainstream and homogenize, the pluralities and particularities of tribal cultural forms and expressions were severely challenged and some were pushed to the verge of extinction.  Today their world views, ways of life, music, songs, dances and folklore are challenged further by other cultural forms that are being mainstreamed, resulting in loss of many of their distinct identity markers and many tribal people have begun to ape the mass culture that is being propagated by market forces through mainstream media, thereby becoming photo-copies of a henomonic mass-culture and losing their originality, their perspective and ways of seeing and living in this world. 
I want to revive and promote this dying culture.  I have researched and collected musical instruments, songs, dances etc. and improvised them to make them relevant.  My aim is not only preserving but also promoting this invaluable cultural heritage. (From “Our Story” by Rewben Mashangva)

Do you know of any Thangkul artists or sculptors?
We do have a few very good talented artists.  I can think of one, he is in a remote area, the Komjong Subdivision of Ukhrul District.  He carves animals – tigers and buffaloes fighting.  We live very scattered.  There are a few writers, but not many.  Storytelling was an oral tradition, as we only recently became literate.  Our people are not protecting our culture and soon it will be gone.  That the educated people go away and make a living outside is also not helpful for our culture. 
The hornbill….once our people understood the weather patterns by looking at the flight of the hornbill bird, according to its height and path.  It was very important when faced by possible famine.  Nowadays people depend on the Government if they fall on hard times.  The Nagas are celebrating the Hornbill Festival but they have no idea about their connection with the hornbill.

What about the folktales?
Our stories have moral lessons and they are about the things we have around us.  Until recently my community has not realized the need to do something original they would just imitate.  So many PhD students have come and asked me about things but I told them nothing.  The students go and speak to intellectuals and read a lot of books but they do not know the reality from experience.  I am not well educated so they won’t believe me when I tell.  They will not trust me, nor do I trust them.  Now all the old guys are gone.  I do not write in English, I write in my own Thangkul language…I did not write down the stories but I remember some of them.  In some of the tribes there is this belief that some men can transform into other creatures such as a tiger. 

There is a story that relates to this:  There was once a poor lazy boy who went out hunting small birds.  To do this he would collect a particular seed (Nei).  He would boil it, mash it and paste it on sticks and birds would stick to it.  One day he caught a very small bird. It was too small to satisfy his appetite, and besides it begged to be spared, offering him special good luck in exchange.  Three three angels would come and bathe in the pond and the poor boy was able to catch one of the angels and he married her.  One day he went up to the heavens to visit his divine in-laws and when he returned he brought back all the seeds and grains for the world.  We say that those people who have magical powers are the offspring of this union with an angel.

It is so important for the youth to be in touch with art.  My son performs with me and I want to give him exposure to art as it will enrich his life.  The songs are new each time I sing them and for me this is art. 
I am financially not well off, but the meals are provided by the creator. For years I chased after money but now I have given up and I live for the moment.  I tell my son, “you are my heir, study hard and do well, but a deeper understanding of life is also required too”.  I do not have any place to rehearse so I play solo with my son.  Many young people have said they want to join me.  My father was not a musician, he was a carpenter but he did play the bamboo trumpet.  We have a lot of bamboo here and the instruments can be played and disposed of.   I am also good with woodwork and for a while I made handicrafts but what I really enjoy is music.  I carve all my percussion instruments. 

I am really interested in listening to the old guys.  I travel from village to village by foot to meet them.  Now our people and those in other parts of India are appreciating fusion music, and like me, they are turning to their roots.  Church is a dominant force here.

Press Release 5 March 2012

The second week of the three week long Animation Workshop in Manipur promises plenty of activities for the group of Manipuri animation enthusiasts that have volunteered for the workshop as an opportunity to develop one of their own folktales for a short animation film. 

The workshop is a collaborative project between the Government of Manipur Art and Culture Department and the UK based NGO, the Adivasi Arts Trust.  Further support is being provided by the Manipur Film Development Cooperation and the Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust in the UK. 

Having selected a well known story “Tapta” from a collection of fifteen from various communities in Manipur, the team have decided to create and film a test sequence of the film using traditional cut-out puppets to be filmed by capturing frames with a digital camera.   This will give a hand-made look to the animation which may well suit for the traditional content.  One of the participants, a graduate from the Art College in Imphal, Yamnam Sapha Wangam Apanthoi M. (Swam) is exploring a charming style for the characters of the film that is inspired by the folk art of the illustrated manuscripts of Manipur. 
The storyboard team, with assistance from two animators from the National Institute of Design, Sephin Alexander and Rahul Laishram,  have identified the first sequence of the film as the part they would like to experiment with and they are now breaking down each shot to identify the artwork and animation  requirements. 

A daily film screening is also part of the programme, with the focus on experimental and artistic animation films that use all kinds of materials ranging from claymation to oil painting on glass and cut-out animation.  “While we are inspired by masterpieces such as “Old Man and the Sea” by Alexander Petrov, it has taken him years to make that film.  We would do best to start with a simple style”, suggested Tara Douglas, Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust and visiting resource person at the workshop.

Renowned Naga folk blues singer Guru Rewben Mashangva also visited the workshop today to meet the team and find out more as he is active in the perseveration of his own Thangkul culture.   

Discussion with Guru S. Achon Kom

The Kom tribe belongs to the Mizo-Kuki group and according to the myth of their origin, their forefathers are believed to have emerged from a Khul (cave). As they came out, a tiger was lying in wait to kill them so Karongpa came out wearing a striped cloth to make friends with the tiger, as his cloth resembled its skin.   From then on his descendents refrained from eating or killing a tiger.

Kom settlements are located in Manipur and several villages in Assam and Tripura.

(Guru S. Achon Kom is a farmer and cultural expert from the Kom tribe of Manipur.  He is also the Secretary of the Kom Cultural Dance and Research Centre in Khoirentak, Churachandpur District, Manipur).

In 2005 I was awarded the Guru Shisha Parampara status through a programme by the North East Zone Cultural Centre in Dimapur.  We are working to uplift the Kom community and also the other tribes too.  We have to collect the stories from the old storytellers otherwise in a few decades tribal culture will surely vanish here.  How many people from the tribes are attending your workshop?  None?  This shows that they are neglected.   If Rewben had not phoned us, you would have left and we would not have known anything about your workshop.   How are we going to document our oral traditions?  They are not written down yet.  We were not contacted about this workshop, clearly only the experts knew about it.  We also have a great interest in this, but we don’t know how to go about animating our stories.  For the past two or three years we have been wondering about the possibilities of animating our folktales because times are changing.  Young people are very smart these days and they do not have much interest in sitting around with their elders listening to folktales. 
We are from the backward classes so we know nothing about animation but we are making efforts to document our folktales in written form.  We really don’t know how to promote our culture.  All the tribes here have different stories, cultures and origins. 

In Nagaland the majority is tribal.  They are able to cooperate as they have similar stories, costumes and so on.  Here in Manipur everything is different between the tribes, and it has been occupied by the Meiteis who decide what is good.  Tribal people should be contacted directly not through the Meitei community as they are mostly interested in promoting themselves and because of this, tribal culture will surely vanish. 

In tribal areas you will not find any experts in animation, and for us it takes much longer to collect stories.  The Meiteis on the other hand have plenty of historians and experts.  We Kom are all Christian now.  That goes for nearly all the tribes here, though the Kabui are reviving their indigenous faith.  We don’t have much material artwork we express ourselves mostly in song and dance.  I would say that the population of our tribe is nearly 20,000. 

The benefits need to go to the right people so this is why we have established our Non Government Organisation.  If we approach the Art and Culture Department here in Manipur, they will surely help us but it is difficult when you are based in the village.  Village life is so different from that of Imphal!  It is very difficult too.  We are busy in our fields from morning to night and it is very hard work so we have little time for documentation.  Another factor is that it is easy to move around in the valley but to do proper documentation of the tribes one has to go to all the hill districts.

Most of our folktales are based on themes of magic.  They would really come to life in animation films.  I only studied up to class 8 because then I had family responsibilities and I still work in the fields from May through to August.  I am encouraging my son to become an anthropologist so that he can document our traditions as most scholars are not able to write about the oral traditions of the Kom.  We have our own traditional hut at the Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal.  In fact, the whole northeast section of the Museum begins at our house. 

In the village it is a very simple life and there is no idea of competition.  Our village is well known in the popular Khamba Thoibi folktale of the Meiteis as it is said to be where the hero Khamba caught a tiger.   So the legend goes.  We made a proposal for a Cultural Interpretation Centre for our village but so far nothing has come of it.   There is a communication gap with the Art and Culture Department here so we need our own research centre, resource people and so on.  The village is the primary source for tribal culture.    Our culture was also much affected when we were converted to Christianity, and it is disappearing.  It would be great to have a workshop in our Kom village as the youth need exposure to understand what we are doing and to support it.  In the city, jeans are the fashion but in the village it is important for the younger generation to know the importance of the cloth that we weave.    If I do not know the customs and traditions of the Kom tribe, how can I be called a Kom?

We need to target the younger generation.  Come to my village and you will get lots of information without even a word because you will see how we really live.

Press Release 3 March 2012


Animation film screenings are a feature at the Animation Workshop that is currently taking place at the Manipur Film Development Corporation.  These screenings have a difference however:  Participants are finding out about animation done by minority communities in countries such as Finland and Estonia, and by dedicated individuals that cannot help themselves but bring all kinds of materials to life.  Animation is an incredibly time consuming process, a  reason that it gets farmed out from the West to countries such as India where the hourly rate is considerably lower.  The 23 participants of the workshop are from the Meitei community and they are interested in developing an alternative to the standard commercial animation that they have been exposed to by finding an artistic style of their own in the animation medium, and they are investigating the  ancient illustrated manuscripts from their own tradition for ideas.

Senior artist and teacher, Dr. R.K. Joykumar is supervising the design team. “This is the first workshop like this.   I have two expectations:  One thing is the introduction of the internal mechanics for those that are newcomers and the second is the exploration of possibilities with regard to creativity with right guidance from the resource persons.  We are doing something experimental, we don’t need to look for new materials we can go for traditional things too.  We are looking for a medium with which we are quite familiar”, he explains. 

In the afternoon a storyboard discussion was organised by two visiting animators, Sephin Alexander and Rahul Laishram,  from the National Institute of Design in Ahmadabad.   At their institute emphasis is placed on pre-production and story development for the audio visual medium.  The two animators have been working on the first draft storyboard for a folktale chosen by the group for their animation film.  They point out that while there is always a temptation to go straight into animation, a well planned storyboard is essential to any production; It is in the storyboard that the main visual elements and actions from the story are identified and communicated, with the focus also on continuity in the sequence of shots.   

Tara Douglas from the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust has also joined the workshop as a resource person.  She is researching the art and culture of tribal communities in India to find out if it can provide original content for animation and revitalize the local communities too. 

Discussion with Thakhellambam Raghumani Singh

(Thakhellambam Raghumani Singh is a member of the Kanglei Mime Theatre Repartory, Imphal.  He visited the Animation Workshop on 2 March 2012 with two members of his group to share his experience in acting for animation).

Do you use content from folktales in your performances?
In our mime group we do occasionally do folktales but our style is non verbal.  Mostly though we focus on burning topics of the current time, social issues that kind of thing.  For example Sharmila – you have heard of her – she has been on a fast now for a very long time in protest.  We stage performances to make people aware of the situation here in Manipur.

Where did you learn mime acting?
The Director of our group, Y. Sandana Singh introduced us all to mime.  There are around 25 members in our group and four of them are women.  They are all from the Meitei community, no one from the tribes.

Do you know the story we are working on for the animation film?
My grandmother would tell me the story of “Tapta"  when I was a small child, I remember it well.  But there are many versions of the story.  There are a lot of folktales here that would make good animation films for children.  “Tapta” is a very popular story, everyone here in Manipur knows it.  It is mostly from the Meitei community but there are similar stories in the other communities too.  Animation is a good way of communicating culture, but I don’t know much about it as I am a theatre actor.  I tried my best today to contribute to the story. 

Is theatre popular with the tribes too?
Theatre is very rare amongst the tribes.  For one thing, there is the language differences.  The tribes have their own culture and traditions.  In the early days things were more similar but now religions, languages and habit are different, and there is not much cross over.  We need to find out more about their traditions.
Sometimes we have performed on tribal themes.  Before joining this group I was with one called Theatre Mirror and at that time we also dealt with tribal issues such as violence in the hill regions. 

How old is the theatre tradition in Manipur?
Theatre has a long history here – say from 1901 onwards.  There are a lot of traditional art forms here and there are elements of theatre in these arts too. 

You have performed abroad too?
Yes, performed our play “Mirel Mashinga”  in South Korea and Armenia recently.

Can you make a living as an actor in Manipur?
In Manipur it is difficult to manage as an actor so we have to do other jobs too, such as working in shops, offices or teaching.  The Art and Culture Department helps us out but it is a struggle.  Theatre is a strong Meitei tradition. Last year I attended a workshop on oral history and visual documentation at the Jawaharlal Nehru Museum and Library in Delhi.  We also did  a theatre workshop in Mizoram in 2008.  Both young and old enjoy our plays.  

Press Release 2 March 2012

An enthusiastic team of artists and animators from Manipur have gathered at the Manipur Film and Development Corporation in Imphal for a three week long Animation Workshop.  They have decided to take this opportunity to develop a popular Meitei folktale for a short animation film and they are receiving support for this initiative from the Government of Art and Culture, Manipur.  As a collaborative venture with the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust, the Secretary of the Trust, Ms. Tara Douglas is attending the workshop as a resource person.  Two additional animators have also come from the National Institute of Design in Ahmadabad to help the team through the preproduction process.  Also on the team is Dr. R.K. Joykumar, the local coordinator and animation expert. 

As the workshop moves forward the designers have started visualizing the characters for the comical story based on mistaken identity and imaginary fear.  Dr. Joykumar has provided the group with references to the traditional art of the illustrated manuscripts of Manipur and in the morning session he shared his own explorations with the style.  He urged the participants to consider features such as elongated heads, long fingers, large feet and delicate profiles as seen in the traditional art. 

Meanwhile the scripting team is adapting the story for a film script where decisions need to be taken to make it concise and readable to audiences outside Manipur.  The animators have also started visualizing the scenes through the first draft of the storyboard.  In the afternoon the group was joined by guest theatre actors from the Kanglei Mime Theatre Repartory.  Arimbam Devabarta Sharma, Thakhellambam Raghumani Singh and Sorokhaibam Herojit Singh discussed the script and then went on to act out key scenes to bring the story to life for the participants, suggesting new ideas to enrich the action of the story.

The day ended with film screenings to inspire the team with a variety of techniques that have been used to create masterpieces of animation – “Neighbours” (Norman Maclaren) that uses the pixilation technique, “Walking” (Ryan Larkin), stop motion and sand animation films made by students from the National Institute of Design, and “Push comes to Shove” by Bill Plimpton.

The Advasi Arts Trust would like to thank Beeshantam Yumnam for organising the interactive session with  actors  from the Kanglei Mime Theatre Repartory.

Press Release 1 March 2012

The first Animation Workshop in Manipur is taking place in Imphal at the Manipur Film Development Corporation as a collaborative project between the UK based Adivasi Arts Trust and the Government of Manipur, Department of Art and Culture.

The objective of the workshop is to develop one of the popular folktales from the state into a short animation film.  A group of 23 participants have been joined by two students of animation from the National Institute of Design, Rahul Laishram and Sephin Alexander, and also by Tara Douglas (the Secretary of the Adivasi Arts Trust) and the local coordination team -   Beeshantam Yumnam and Satya Hijam, led by Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh. 
Two days ago the group went through a democratic process of selecting a story from fifteen options with the Meitei story “Tapta” coming out as the obvious favourite from the group.  Many versions of this tale exist and it has been a lengthy process to identify the officially accepted version, documented by O Bhogeshwor in his book “Meitei Folk Tales” (first part) published in Imphal by the Manipur Stage Kala Akademi.  As this original version is in the Manipuri language it needed to be translated into English by Dr. Joykumar, and now it is going through the process of adaptation for film by the animation team.  This process began with script discussions which will lead to a finalized film script from which the storyboard can be drawn. 

Simultaneously the talented group of participants, many of them from art college backgrounds are starting to visualize and sketch characters and scenes from the film.  The artistic style and techniques for the animation production are yet to be confirmed though current discussions are pointing to a combination of hand drawn artwork and 2D software.  It is also hoped that the team will be able to draw on the rich heritage of ancient illustrated manuscripts of Manipur to create an interesting look for the short film.  The group are also inspired by “Sita Sings the Blues”, a feature length animation based on themes from the Ramanyana that showcases traditional Indian art styles in cut out animation.  In this film the group observed that with a good script and attractive artwork the animation can be reduced without compromising the enjoyment of the film. 

Click here for a video except from the discussion on adapting the traditional story "Tapta" for animation film.

The Director of Art and Culture in Manipur, Mrs. Sobita Devi addressed the participants of the Manipur Animation Workshop (currently taking place at the Manipur Film Development Cooperation) in the morning session, encouraging them to contribute their best efforts to the animation film project, and reassuring them that the film will find support for its completion from the Manipur Government.  She expressed enthusiasm for the project and announced that the co-directors and producer for the film have already been identified; she also urged the group to proceed to the production phase as soon as possible, with the hope that at least a minute of the film could be completed in the workshop.  This new approach is now being incorporated into the workshop, with the emphasis now on animation film production. 

Following the initial discussion and scripting session led by two young animators from the National Institute of Design, the team is now ready to finalize the script and create the storyboard for the short film “Tapta”.  They will be working to capture the essence of the story and to incorporate amusing gags to captivate the target child audience. 
Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh (co-director of the Manipuri animation film) gave his approval for the ending of the film, omitting several lengthy scenes to allow for more time to be spent on developing the characters.  The story has plenty of potential for amusement in the chaotic scenario of misidentification and the subsequent imaginations about the appearance of the scary non-existent “Tapta”.

Participants will be referring to ancient illustrated Manipuri manuscripts for the design of the characters and it has been further suggested that two dimensional cut-out puppets can be animated using software such as Flash or Toon Boom, with hand painted backgrounds to give a painterly look.  “The Monk and the Fish” a masterpiece of 2D cel animation in the watercolour style was screened to the group to provide further inspiration for the style of the Manipur animation film.

Press Release 28 February 2012

A story has been chosen by participants of the Animation Workshop currently taking place in Imphal to represent the state of Manipur in the “Tales of the Tribes” animation project.   “Tapta” is a story about primordial fear - and perhaps the idea that fear is imaginary.   A childless couple prayed to God for a child and at last a son was born to them.    As an only child the baby was quite spoilt and would cry a lot.  Mother was at her wits end and she threatened her child with various ferocious animals, but to no avail.  At last she declared that the fearful “Tapta” would come, and instantly the child was silenced.   By chance there was a cattle thief and a tiger stalking in the barn and both of them overheard the mother’s threat of the fearsome Tapta.  A chaotic, slapstick comic situation arises as a result of misunderstanding and the mythical, nonexistent Tapta gains an even greater presence.      “The story is very popular here and it may have wide appeal.  It is full of drama, has plenty of scope for gags that will be enjoyed by children and we all identify with this story here”, explains Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh. 

The story was chosen democratically from sixteen that had been related by the participants. It originates from the majority Meitei community of Imphal, and it was felt that it could best be brought to life with authenticity by the Meitei participants of the workshop.  The next task will be to write a script for the film and then to create the storyboard.  Meanwhile the two students from the National Institute of Design will be helping the participants to explore experimental techniques of animation to give an “organic” feeling to the film.   

In the afternoon Dr. R.K. Joykumar Singh guided the group in techniques of sketching to create interesting lines.   The participants took turns posing for quick life drawing exercises and the day ended with a screening of experimental animation films by renowned masters of animation including Ishu Patel, Ryan Larkin, Michael Du Wit and Yuri Norstein. 

Folktales related during the workshop:

Tapta (Meitei, comic suitable for children)

Artuite (Hmar, comic, suitable for children)
Uchek Lanmeidong/Guileng (Meitei/Rongmei, tragic-comic, animation film already done on Meitei version)
Kei-Onba Pukhri (Tribal, horror/drama, not for children)

Tonjao and Pheijao (Meitei, fantasy adventure)
Hui and Houdong (Meitei, animal fable)

Khujao (Thangkhul, fantasy adventure)

Emoinu (Meitei, mythological)

Pebet (Meitei, comedy/drama)
Thanghou-Lian-Dou (Paite)
Rongmeikai and Langbum (Rongmei)

Laikutsangbi (Meitei, horror)

Jamlud (Aimol, heroic fantasy comic)
Pikhra (the bat) (Mao, animal fable)

The Promise (Zeliangrong, man-nature-spirit)