Advisory Board

WIZTOONZ Animation Academy is guided by an Advisory Board, consisting of eminent personalities from the Animation Industry and Academicians, under whose guidance the course programs, curriculum and the training methodology is designed, structured and regularly upgraded, as per the changing industrial needs. The list of the distinguished members of our Advisory Board is as follows :

Dr.Chandrashekar Kambara

Former Vice Chancellor, Hampi University, Karnataka Former MLC Noted Kannada Writer.

Prof. V A Deshpande

Dean, CAVA (Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts), Mysore.

Prof. Ashok Kumar

HOD, Department of Electronic Media, Bangalore University.

Mr. Anand Gurnani

Co-founder & CEO, Animation Xpress.com, Mumbai.
Anand Gurnani is the Co Founder, C.E.O & Managing Editor of internationally acclaimed Industry portal and B2B Services company AnimationXpress.com.

He not only shares his initials (A.G) with Animation & Gaming, but is truly, madly and deeply involved with the Indian Animation, VFX & Gaming Ecosystem.
Pro active and collaborative by nature, Gurnani likes to be in the middle of the action at all times. Owing to his role at AnimationXpress.com, Gurnani enjoys a unique vantage point where he has kinship with and access to professionals and stakeholders from across the national as well as global Animation, VFX & Gaming value chain.

His constant observation and interaction with the Industry provide him a flowing knowledge and understanding of this space.

An ardent believer in collaboration and team work, Gurnani is currently in the midst of creating a formidable organization and robust business that can leverage the strength and potential of the globally renowned AnimationXpress.com brand.

Along with partner Anil Wanvari as well as other core members of the team, he is in the process of rolling out several focused initiatives from the AnimationXpress.com stable that will service individuals & enterprises from across the Animation, VFX & Gaming value chain globally. These include services in areas such as Community Networking, B2B events, Knowledge, Information, Communication and Logistics, amongst others.

Anand is also very fond of traveling, writing and culture studies. He is currently developing a couple of preschool series which will be first launched as children's picture books in the International market by end of '08.

Basawraj S. Musavalgi

Renowned Artist, Reader & Head of the Dept. of GRAPHICS, CAVA, Mysore.

BASAWARAJ S. MUSAVALGI is the Reader & Head of the department of GRAPHICS in Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA)
A possess a master degree in ) GRAPHIC ARTS, and was the scholarship winner of Karnataka State Lalithkala Academy during his higher studies.
He has actively participated and organized numerous workshops / camps/ seminars across the country in alliance with the major art academies in the country.  
 He was a member of Karnataka State Lalitkala Academy Bangalore, during ’98 to 2001, and is a honorable member of many visual art academies, including  Mysore University, Bangalore University, Gulbarga University and  Samyojitha® Group of contemporary artist’s Bangalore.
He has performed many art shows, both solo and group, at state, national and international arenas in the fields of graphics and photography including the prestigious Indian Art exhibition held at Ismail Marzuki in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Prof.Andani V.G.

Secretary of the society and principal of the M.M.K.College of Visual art.

He is a reputed artist and his contribution to the development of contemporary art in this region is indeed outstanding. Prof.V.G.Andani is managing the institute since 1972.As a result of his devoted services, in the last three decades, thousand of youth have blossomed into artists and painters; many have flourished having embraced Art as a profession. Some have gained reputation and renowned at the state and National levels. He has kept himself abreast with modern trends and cohesiveness in the minds of students, faculty members & the society. For students ,Both present and past the institute are a second home. The staff is a closely-knit family full of affection. By his own example, Prof. V.G.Andani has infused in the members of the staff a deep concern and loyalty for art and the people of all walks of life. He has thus made the Institute a center for cultural activities in the city and its environs.

Has drawn, like a magnet towards himself, everyone associated with art, literature, drama, music & culture. It is because of his dynamic character and vision that the Ideal Fine Art Institute has risen to such heights and reputation. Indeed, the Society is not merely an Art society; it has become a center for all literacy, intellectual, culture and creative activities in Gulbarga.

Mike Owens

Independent Animation Film Maker, Faculty, Animation, The Art Institute, Minneapolis.

Mike Owens, a freelance animator and teacher having a huge animation experience in both cinema and television medium, has joined Wiztoonz Animation Academy, Bangalore as a guest faculty and as an Advisory Board Member.
Owens started his professional career in Chicago as a lead animator at Startoons international, working on television series including The Animaniacs, Pinky & the Brain and Histeria.
While employed at Startoons, Mike was asked to spend time at their branch studio in Hyderabad, India training students and staff.
As a freelance animator at Calabash Animation, he worked on numerous commercial projects featuring Lucky the Leprechaun, the Trix Rabbit and the Keebler Eleves.
Currently Mike is based out of Minneapolis working as a freelance Animator for a variety of commercial, broadcast and web based projects ranging from infommercials for fishing lures on an obscure ESPN outdoors channel to music videos for Yo Gabba Gabba on Nickelodeon.
In the hours between he teaches animation at The Art Institute and with the time left over collaborates on a few independent short films.