MUMBAI, 17 April, 2025: Maya Academy of Advanced Creativity (MAAC), a premiere institute and pioneer in high-end 3D animation, Gaming & VFX training, organised a special webinar for its students, giving them an exclusive and in-depth understanding of the world of game design, virtual environments, storytelling and beyond. Over 5000 students from MAAC’s centres across India attended the webinar online. The event is part of MAAC’s ongoing initiative called Behind the Screens, which aims to provide real-world industry exposure to its students, setting a new benchmark by leveraging strong industry ties to prepare students for successful careers in the growing AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics & Extended Reality) industry.
The webinar was presented by Ms. Kristel Anbu, Lead Game Designer, Zynga Games, and live streamed across 120 MAAC centres in India. Ms. Kristel is a distinguished leader in the gaming industry with over 12 years of experience, specialising in casual simulation games. At Zynga, Ms. Kristel leads the design and development of FarmVille 2: Country Escape, alongside working on some renowned titles like Café World, Mafia Wars, and many more. Currently, she looks at the free-to-play and live ops verticals, new game mechanics and optimisations, and leading design efforts on revenue-focused pods. She has spent several years working on free-to-play games, where she finds joy in delivering immersive, rewarding experiences to Zynga players. Kristel wants to write stories and architect designs for the players, so going from narrative to game design seemed like a natural progression for her.
Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Sandip Weling, Chief Business Officer, Global Retail, Aptech Limited, and Brand Custodian, MAAC, said, “At MAAC, we rally behind community-led platforms such as Behind the Screens that play a crucial role in skilling our students to prepare them for their careers in the AVGC-XR industry. The session by Ms. Kristel Anbu of Zynga Games offers pivotal industry exposure for our students, helping to bridge the gap between their academic training and the demands of today’s industry. Our students found immense value in her session as they learnt to bridge the crucial gaps between narrative building and then executing that vision inside a virtual or the game’s environment, that Ms. Kristel specialises in. I extend our gratitude to Kristel to taking the time out and engaging with our students, and we look forward to hosting more such experiences with her in the future!”
Highlighting the impact of this workshop, Ms. Kristel Anbu, Lead Game Designer, Zynga Games, shared, ““It was a pleasure to share insights into the gaming industry with the students of MAAC. The conversation around the industry’s growth, emerging opportunities, and what the future might hold was genuinely exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing how these future professionals shape the space in the years to come.”
With the AVGC industry poised for significant growth, MAAC’s continued efforts to provide such platforms to students ensures they are well-prepared for future opportunities in the global media landscape. The webinar not only showcased MAAC’s commitment to skill-building but is also aligned with the government’s vision of fostering a self-reliant India (Viksit Bharat). The real-world exposure and professional insights shared during the event strengthened the trust in MAAC’s commitment to inspiring future industry leaders.