Deep Web Point

There’s nothing like deep sea fishing! First, there’s the solitude and peace you find when you’re out in the ocean with your best buds. Then there’s the mental game, the strategy of finding, baiting, and winning the prize. It’s a challenge where success can truly change the life of the fisherman. And failure is no failure at all - you’ve still had hours of peaceful, glorious communion with the mother of nature, the mysterious ocean.

If you’re thinking of doing some deep sea fishing, there are a few things you should know before you go:

1. Grow sea legs!

The quickest way to spoil a deep sea fishing adventure is sea sickness. It’s a form of motion sickness, dominated by nausea, vomiting, and vertigo. To avoid sea sickness, stay away from the boat fumes. Keep your eyes on the horizon as much as possible, and stay on deck. Below deck, the constant motion can overcome you. If it gets really bad, move to the center of the boat where rolling is at a minimum. Or lie down on your back and close your eyes until you have your bearings. Most of all, breathe lots of fresh air - a substance in abundance on the deck of the boat.

2. Read the sea signs

Birds like seagulls feast on small fishes, as do larger game fishes. So birds are a good indicator that your prey lies below. Watch for floating wood and debris. Small fish find shelter there, so the big guys won’t be far away.

3. Snoop for Snook

The Snook is a big fish with a protruding lower jaw and large black stripes running from behind the gills to the tail. They’re a strong fish that can grow up to 50 pounds. Ranging in the Western Atlantic from South Carolina to Brazil, snook are a thrill to catch. Live shrimp are the best bait to use when you’re deep sea fishing for snook. Look around ledges, posts, and rocks to find this catch.

4. Moon the Crabs

Soft imitation crabs are a great bait during full moons. In nature, that’s when they shed their shells, when they’re a favorite treat for striped bass.

5. Find the dolphin, find the tuna

Yellowfin tuna often school with dolphins, porpoises, whales, and whale sharks. So if you spot a group of any of these, there are likely to be some tuna nearby. Found in tropical and sub-tropical waters, yellowfin are a prize catch due to their speed and strength. They’re a challenging catch that’s delicious too.

6. Burn the braid

Deep sea fishers use spiderwire because it’s like a spider’s web - it’s easier to feel when a fish takes the bait. But sometimes, it’s hard to cut. If you’re having trouble cutting a spiderwire braid, try burning it with the flame of a lighter or match.

7. Seek the reef

The best place to find the best deep sea fish is near a reef. Many coastal cultures get up to 25% of their food from reefs. Reefs are natural nurseries for many ocean species, and wherever the tiny ones live, the big ones search. Another plus is the great diversity of species you’ll find near a reef.

8. The Circle Hook

Circle hooks are widely used by deep sea fishers. They’re a type of fishing hook that is circular, sharply curved. The circle hook has a greater success rate at hooking fish, and it does less damage to gills and fins. So, if you want to catch and throw back, you’re more likely to help your catch survive the adventure.

9. Don’t be dragged down by your anchor

Eventually, most deep sea fishing will involve an anchor stuck at the ocean floor or on debris. There are several tricks you can try to retrieve that anchor. Try attaching a float to it, then wait until the tide flow changes direction. It may well float up with the tide. If you’re worried about time, an anchor line that is straight up and down is more likely to loose the anchor than one at an angle. If it’s really stuck, have everyone aboard move to one end of the boat. Changing the weight distribution may well pull that anchor loose or make it easier to pull up. Finally, it’s a good idea to carry an extra anchor. If you have to cut one off to free yourself, you’ll have a replacement at hand.

10. Catching bait is catching game

Delhi-based Picasso Digital Media Pvt Ltd, a two-year-old company promoted by the Maharishi Group, is all set to launch “International Animation College in Hyderabad” in collaboration with Canada-based Centennial College. The formal launch was set to July 4 2007.

The total investments envisaged in the project in the first five years is about $9 million (approximately Rs 36 crore) and the company expects to reach a turnover of $15 million by the the end of 2010. The company would primarily focus on animation education and production.

The campus will have a capacity to house 200 students per year. Picasso currently has one animation college campus in Delhi with an intake of 250 students per year.

Disclosing this at a press conference here on Monday, ABRP Reddy, managing director and chief executive of Picasso Digital, said “Philip Edward Alexy from Canada will be academic advisor for Picasso Animation College. The two animation campuses of Picasso together will have facilities to churn out 1000 animators yearly by the end of 2008. The colleges will have hi-end Intel and Apple workstations, 3D projectors and lot more for ensuring a high-end learning environment in a creative background.”

If we take a look at the recent releases, there is no major movie based on 2D animation. Is 2D animation worn out, or just not commercial enough? Even if those classic animations are always a pleasure to watch, you have to admit that the modern animation is more attractive. They are more real, and people seem to love that. If we take a look at the box office, we see 2 animation movies in top 10 (Shrek 2 and Finding Nemo) with 1,7 billion dollars revenue. That is amazing. And for both movies CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) was used.

So, why do studios use CGI, and why do we like it so much? I tend to say, that from the film fan’s point of view, it’s the story that makes the movie so attractive, because, anytime I would like to see a movie like Shrek, with real actors, scenes, and other real stuff. But it’s the story that does all the trick. From the creators’ point of view, it is cheaper. Because, with today’s special effects, anything is possible with real actors, and they can’t deny that. But, like I said, it’s cheaper than physical methods, such as constructing elaborate miniatures for effects shots or hiring a great deal of extras for crowd scenes, and because it allows the creation of images that would not be feasible using any other method. It can also allow a single artist to produce content without the use of actors or other contributors to the project.

The first studio to release a fully computer-generated feature film was Pixar, with their Toy Story. The movie was a major box office hit, generating $360,000,000. Pixar is also “responsible” with other successful animation movies, such as Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life or The Incredibles. The other real competitor for Pixar is DreamWorks SKG, with Shrek, Shrek 2(this is the animation that generated the largest income for an animation movie, over 880 million dollars), Antz or Chicken Run.

These days, it is not uncommon to see Indian children talking about mythological stories of Indian culture like Ramayana, Mahabharata and the legendary characters such as Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesha and many more. This reintroduction to the fast-fading Indian culture can be attributed to the fascinating animated movies that have recapitulated the good old Indian epics for our young generation. And who can forget the ever-so-famous characters of Tom & Jerry, Mowgli, Stuart Little, Popeye, and many others that were brought to life by animation. In the endearing world of animation, lifeless images are brought to life through different tools and techniques.

With the expanding world of media, the demand of animators is also on the rise. Be it movies, television, cartoon film making, advertising, media or gaming, good animators rule the roost. In the world of animation, reality meets imagination and impossible becomes possible. Unthinkable graphics, special effects and evolved technologies come together to create a world that sweeps you off your feet. This upcoming industry has opened new doors to opportunities. A lot of creative people are choosing multimedia and animation as full-time careers and making good money out of it.

Multimedia means combining text, graphics, animation, video, sound, interactivity and conveying a message in an appealing manner. Therefore, just being creative is not enough. One has to be technically sound too. Although one has to have a good drawing hand to become a good multimedia expert. Thus, if you are blessed with immense creativity and imagination, there is no dearth of job opportunities. One can find a good full-time or freelancing job in the fields of television, cinema, video production, advertising agencies, publishing, web design, preparation of CD ROMs, fashion designing, textile designing, interior design, etc.

When it comes to training, there are numerous computer-training centres that offer training in multimedia and animation. It is good to check out the facilities and faculty at the institute before joining any institute. One can enroll in a Visual Communication and Design course straight after 12th standard. However, if one is already a graduate in fine arts with an aptitude for drawing, one can join production houses or studios as a trainee. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad offers a course in Animation Film Design. In private institutes, Arena Multimedia offers basic as well as advanced courses. Even NIIT has developed a special programme called Maxi media to help learners build the skills needed for this market. Then, there is Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics that offers advanced courses in multimedia and animation.