Unreal has introduced the first Shorts India Program in 2022. It has been a massive success, with 100+ entries from various artists and studios. The competition used MetaHuman Creator, Quixel along with Unreal. Technicolor Studio took the first prize (DEVMASA), followed by Holocraft (KARU) and Manhole Collective-IIT Bombay (Manhole) as the two runners-up. 

Check out all you need to know about their latest competition, with the total prize money 30,000$.

Epic games has always been generous for the artists. Their various technical and educational initiatives has always helped the Animation and Visual Effects industry. In 2019, their earlier published game ‘Paragon’ went off. So, they made all game assets of Paragon free for download. All the materials and contents costs at $17,000,000. You can download it from Unreal Engine Marketplace.

What is Shorts India Program 2023?

The Unreal Engine India Shorts Program is a competition for animators and filmmakers in India. The program provides participants with access to Unreal Engine 5, as well as mentorship and support from Epic Games. The goal of the program is to help them to create high-quality animation and VFX (Visual Effects) content.

The program is open to all Indian animators, regardless of experience level. It is supported by Green Rain Studios and Movella Xsens.

Program details

Selected participants will go through an extensive training of Unreal Engine for consecutive seven-week. To give it a creative edge, the mentorship will be given from Kireet Khurana and Suresh Eriyat for previsualization. After it a special mentoring session will be given by internationally acclaimed Director and filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli, who is known for the blockbuster Baahubali franchisee and RRR.

At the end of it, applicants must submit a short Animation or VFX project that was created using Unreal Engine 5. The project must be between three and seven minutes long. To do so, the time frame is of four weeks after all above mentioned technical and creative training.

What more! You have all rights of the project afterwards. It will not be taken by Unreal or the supporting partner of this event.

Eligibility criteria

• You must have prior experience creating high-quality CGI animation or VFX content. This could include work on feature films, television shows, commercials, or other projects.
• You must have a team with the following capabilities:
  Direction: The ability to create a vision for the project and guide the team in its execution.
  Writing: The ability to write a compelling story that is both engaging and visually appealing.
  Storyboarding: The ability to create storyboards that visually represent the script and help the team visualize the project.
  Editing: The ability to edit the project to ensure that it is well-paced and visually appealing.
  Sound design: The ability to create sound effects and music that enhance the project.
  3D animation: The ability to create 3D models and animate them.
  3D asset creation: The ability to create 3D assets, such as props and environments.
  Production management: The ability to manage the project from start to finish, including budgeting, scheduling, and team coordination.
• You must have a story narrative outline that you can pitch in 300 words or less. This outline should provide a brief overview of the project, including the setting, characters, plot, and themes.
• If you are a studio, you must be an Indian-registered entity.

Winning prizes of Shorts India Program 2023

Your projects will be judged by industry juries. It will also be showcased on official channels of Unreal Engine.

Prizes are as follows.

• The winning project will receive $20,000 in prize money
• The second place will receive $10,000.

Awards are as follows.

• To the first prize winner, Movella Xsens will award one complimentary full-body Awinda MoCap system. It will come along with an annual license of Animate Pro software (€18,000 cost).
• The Animate Pro software license is 25% off for shortlisted candidates who purchase a Movella Xsens MoCap hardware system.

Timeline

• Applications for Shorts India Program 2023 will get closed on 27th June.
• Training period is from 18th July to 30th September.

How to apply for Unreal Shorts India Program 2023?

Login here to apply and participate in this program.

Check out all Terms and Conditions of Unreal.

If you have any queries, please connect to shortsindia@epicgames.com.

The Unreal Engine India Shorts Program is a great opportunity for Indian animators and filmmakers to showcase their skills and talent. If you are interested in participating, I encourage you to apply today. It is a great opportunity for you all to learn new skills, collaborate with other artists, and showcase your work.