The Journey from Sketches to Studios (With a Few LOLs in Between)
We all know that no great animator, designer, or VFX artist ever starts by immediately creating blockbuster-level visuals. It's a journey—from scribbling doodles in class to building worlds on-screen. And no one knows that better than the ZICA Pune's alumni, who went from daydreaming in lectures to working on some seriously awesome projects in the industry today.
In this blog post, we’ll take a dive into the world of ZICA graduates, their epic success stories, and how they transformed from "I-can-barely-draw-a-circle" to “Yo, I just worked on this amazing VFX shot in the latest action movie!” And yes, expect some laughs along the way. 😎
Meet the Crew: Alumni Edition
1. Aishwarya – The Queen of 3D Characters
Job: 3D Character Animator at a big animation studio you’ve probably heard of (she won’t stop bragging about it).
ZICA Days: Aishwarya was the quiet student who sat in the back, sketching during lectures. But fast forward a few years, and she’s breathing life into 3D characters in the latest animated movies and video games.
Fun Fact: Aishwarya was famous for sneaking snacks into class (because let’s be honest, who doesn’t get hungry while animating for hours?). Now, she jokes that her 3D characters always have the most realistic food models because of her deep, personal experience with it. 🍕🍟
Her Advice: “Don’t worry if your first 3D model looks more like a potato than a person. Everyone starts somewhere. ZICA Pune gave me the confidence to turn my potato into a Pixar-worthy character.”
2. Rahul – The VFX Magician
Job: VFX Compositor at a top film studio (yes, the one that made a superhero movie).
ZICA Days: Rahul was the guy you’d find playing around with green screens and trying to add explosions to everything (even his classmates’ selfies). Today, he’s turning actors into superheroes, blending CGI with live-action seamlessly.
Fun Fact: Once, Rahul accidentally made a dinosaur appear in one of his final ZICA projects. It wasn’t supposed to be there, but let’s just say it was a roaring success with his classmates. 🦖 Now, he’s adding dinosaurs (and dragons, and spaceships) to movies for real.
His Take on ZICA: “ZICA Pune was where I learned the difference between just adding random explosions to a scene and creating cinematic magic. And hey, I still add explosions to everything—I’m just paid for it now.”
3. Priya – The Motion Graphics Master
Job: Senior Motion Graphics Designer at a leading ad agency (she’s behind few of those ads you see at lot of places).
ZICA Days: Priya was always the one making slick intro videos for every class presentation. She loved motion graphics, but who knew that knack for spinning text and animated logos would land her a senior role at an agency?
Fun Fact: Priya once made her professor’s name spin and explode (digitally, of course) in one of her first motion graphics assignments. Let’s just say it was a little extra, but she got an A for creativity. 🔥
Her Advice: “At ZICA Pune, you get to experiment. Some stuff works, some stuff doesn’t, but that’s the fun of it! My first motion graphic looked like a bad PowerPoint transition, but now I’m designing graphics that play on TV and social media all the time.”
4. Arjun – The 2D Animation Pro
Job: 2D Animator at a popular cartoon series.
ZICA Days: Arjun’s the guy who turned doodling in the margins of his notebook into a full-time job. He always had a love for the classics—think Tom & Jerry—and now, he’s the one animating cartoons that are binge-worthy for kids (and adults who still love their cartoons!).
Fun Fact: Arjun once turned his entire ZICA class into cartoon characters for his final project, and trust us, it was hilarious. Picture your friend’s head on a cartoon body, chasing after a runaway pizza slice. 🍕🚶♂️
Why He Loved ZICA: “The faculty at ZICA Pune never said, ‘No, that’s too crazy.’ They just said, ‘Make it work.’ That’s how I got away with animating my friends into cartoon animals for my final project. And now I do that for a living.”
From ZICA to Industry: How They Made It
We sat down with some of our coolest alumni and asked them how they went from being students at ZICA Pune to successful industry professionals. Here’s the inside scoop:
Work Hard, Play Harder: Animation is a lot of work, but it’s fun work. At ZICA Pune, students learned how to balance creating their assignments with plenty of laughs along the way. And those laughs? They’re necessary when you’re rendering frames for hours or tweaking a model’s nose for the 100th time.
Hands-On Training: ZICA Pune alumni all agree that the best thing about the institute is the hands-on learning. Whether it was using the best machines, or collaborating on group projects, ZICA Pune prepares you for the real deal.
Industry Exposure: It’s one thing to learn animation, but it’s another to actually work in the field. ZICA’s strong industry connections, internships, and opportunities to work on live projects gave our alumni the experience they needed to hit the ground running in their first jobs.
Mentorship That Mattered: Every alumni we spoke to mentioned how important the mentors at ZICA were. The faculty didn’t just teach—they inspired. Whether it was giving real-world advice or sharing the occasional horror story from their own industry days (trust us, animation deadlines are no joke), these mentors were key to their success.
Want to Be the Next Animation or VFX Pro?
Here’s How to Join ZICA Pune
Now, if you’re reading this thinking, “Wow, I want to turn my doodles into a career too,” we’ve got good news for you. ZICA Pune is still the top place to learn animation, VFX, and design, and we offer courses in classroom, online, and hybrid formats. So, whether you’re in Pune or chilling at home, ZICA has a course that fits your schedule.
Why Choose ZICA Pune?
Expert Faculty: Our mentors have worked on industry projects and know what it takes to succeed.
Practical Training: You’ll work on projects, gaining hands-on experience from day one.
Flexible Learning: Learn from anywhere with our hybrid and online courses, or join us on campus for a more immersive experience.
How to Join: It’s super easy. Head over to our website, fill in the quick admission form, and we’ll guide you through the course options. Whether you want to be the next 3D modeling pro or a VFX wizard, ZICA Pune will help you get there.
Our alumni prove that with the right skills, a good sense of humor, and a little hard work, you can go from sketching in class to working in the animation and VFX industry. Whether it’s creating iconic 3D characters, animating motion graphics for TV ads, or working on the latest superhero film, the possibilities are endless when you start at ZICA Pune.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your journey today—and who knows? Maybe in a few years, we’ll be interviewing you for this blog!
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