Game and Multimedia Production
If there is one area of digital technology where Asia is exploding, it is in the production of games and multimedia. Game producers, post groups and digital houses throughout the region are geared up to the teeth with digital technology. In both Taiwan and South Korea the government is supporting digital media development with programs that offer training, as well as financial incentives to companies involved in digital technology.

Dean LaCoe, Vice President of Motion Analysis Corporation which markets one of the leading optical motion capture systems, is very high on the Asian market. He has sold and installed his system in over 30 sites in Japan alone. Users cover a broad spectrum of organizations specializing in game production, broadcast, education and industry. LaCoe has also installed systems in mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Australia, and sees the market clearly growing in the region.

In Taiwan, Ivan Shih and Andy Tsao of CGCG Company have been running their digital production house for over ten years. They confide that it has been a struggle at times, but they have survived and prospered by staying on the cutting edge of technology by biting the bullet when the time comes to upgrade hardware or license new software. They have focused their business on video game production, commercials and special effects. Both men would like to expand their market base by attracting western clients, but acknowledge that it is a difficult goal, particularly in commercials. The company has produced regional CGI spots for international products such as Coca-Cola, but has not yet broken much ground in attracting work, directly from outside the region. Both feel that the blocks that stand in their way have nothing to do with technology, but rather are ones of creativity and control. While still hopeful, they understand that clients who produce high-end commercials are obsessed with nuance, and nuance by definition is "a slight variation of tone, color or meaning." This, rather than technology, is the challenge for Asian producers wanting to attract work from the west.

Don't Forget India
While not always thought culturally as being Asian, India is very much a part of Asia. Companies in India and Pakistan are well established internationally in computer science and software development. Both of these countries churn out a high percentage of university graduates with degrees in computer science and other related fields. This phenomenon (abundant technical staff available in a developing nation) has driven the success of this industry.

RM-USL's cast of characters. Courtesy of Ram Mohan.

Many software companies in India are subsidiaries of large financial groups that are cash positive and eager to take advantage of their technological strengths by entering into the mass media market. Some of these companies have established animation/CGI divisions to produce home market product, and seek subcontracting work from international clients. The development of these animation/digital companies in India has met with only partial success up until now. Like their Asian neighbors (and competitors), India can offer potential clients lower production costs and a high degree of technical support; but they fall short in the experience of animating product for the western market.

To overcome this problem, several Indian studios have recruited experienced animation staff from other countries in the region. The goal is to jump-start their industry by employing experienced animators to teach local staff and work on actual productions.