Unicorn Black, the production company that created one of the first Pakistani animated series Burka Avenger, is offering free online training to students across Pakistan in 3D Animation, Unreal Engine, and Storytelling. This program is called The Peace Train Animation Training Program. The Peace Train Animation Training Program aims to provide skill-based training to 100 students across Pakistan.
The production company that rose to fame with the award-winning series, Burka Avenger, has partnered with Epic Games, Reality Forge, and Muflehun, the USA to provide this training to 100 students in two fields, with a diploma in 3D Animation and Storytelling and a certification in Unreal Engine and Storytelling. 100 students will get a free course while the others have to pay the yet unrevealed price, the scholarships would be distributed all across the country. Mohammad Atif Azeem and Naba Zaidi from Unicorn Black were the hosts at the event. Naba said;
“Peace Train is a program tailored to the needs of students who are interested in making it in the field of animation in a professional capacity.”
Adeel Abid from Unicorn Black, said, “This animation program has been in the making for a long time. It was before Covid-19 that our partners at Muflehun reached out to us and proposed merging peace messaging with technical training. With our productions, we have always made sure that mixing entertainment with positive messaging is done so the idea instantly appealed to us. We started to design the program but then Covid-19 hit and people became more attuned to online learning so we decided to redesign the training.”
A group of professionals from the industry created the training programs. Each batch will have classes two to three days per week for a total of six months. Students will collaborate in groups to create an animated video with the theme of peace at the conclusion of each batch. The training courses are specially designed to meet the demands of the sector while also fostering tolerance and harmony among the nation’s youth. After completing the animation program, students will have the abilities necessary to find employment in the field of animation as well as work on freelancing projects. The training will focus specifically on 3D animation.
“For our first batch, we wanted students who were creative, interested in community service, and had a knowledge of Maya, the software used for animations. We had 2,500 applicants and our first batch which had 22 students, half of them girls, was quite a success. They appeared for their diploma examination in animation and storytelling and they all passed with flying colors. Based on this, we had other partners come on board and we are expanding the training,” Adeel Abid added.
CEO of Unicorn Black Haroon aims to motivate the younger generation to take up different career paths, like animation and gaming, instead of the traditional professions such as doctors and engineers. He said:
“Animation and gaming are two of the most in-demand professions around the world. Ex-employees and trainees of Unicorn Black (Burka Avenger) are employed in reputable companies worldwide. One former employee is working on a game based on the movie, Avatar 2, in Sweden. Another is working as an animator in Hollywood. Animation and game development can also be done from home as there are ample opportunities in the form of freelancing and outsourcing, which makes the entire learning experience fun and enjoyable.”
The worldwide animation market is valued at about $270 billion and is projected to reach $415 billion by 2025. Pakistan has a great deal of opportunity to join this expanding business. The animation training will provide specialized training in 3D animation, after which students will have acquired the skills to obtain jobs as well as work on freelance projects in the field of animation. Animation is not just used in the media industry but has also been adopted in various fields including education, healthcare, engineering, and defense.
