The Film and Television Management specialisation of study is designed for developing independent-thinking, creative, effective and responsible professionals in the business of film and television.
The specialisation combines learning
- Management and business skills required to work in the real world of film and TV
- Creative and technical skills required for being an effective film and TV professional
- Basic concepts in humanities, social sciences and arts to develop a broad perspective for the film and TV professional
Accordingly, the curriculum of Film and Television Management covers subjects such as Creative Writing, Video Production, World Cinema, Indian Cinema, TV Basics, TV Programming etc. in the area of Film and Television; Journalism, Corporate Communications, Digital Media, in the area of Mass Media; introduction to marketing, finance, making business plans, research methods in the area of management sciences and offers an exposure to humanities, social sciences and select fine and performing arts.
The specialisation is designed to develop analytical, creative and business skills among the students and to sensitize them about the society and surrounding environment.
The Film and Television Management specialisation thus offers a solid base in the business of films along with an extensive understanding of the medium of film and TV coupled with insights into the field of mass media in general. Students are also trained in research methods that enable them to conduct research-oriented studies. The specialisation also provides a real-life exposure to the students through a graduation project which provides a platform to apply their business and film-making knowledge.
SPECIALISATION AIMS
The Film and Television Major and Minor intends to:
- Provide students with an understanding of concepts and processes in the field of Film and Television
- Develop in students, basic skills of writing, shooting, editing and producing short films/ TV programs
- To impart skills required for effective communication using different media
- To impart over all management and business skills required to work in the real world
- To offer an exposure to basic concepts in Humanities, social sciences and arts to develop a broad perspective
- To create a learning environment that supports over all personal growth
MAJOR OUTCOMES: After successful completion of the Major, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate creative skills applicable to production and study of Film and TV
- Impart overall management and business skills required to work in the real world
- Demonstrate facility in the use of equipment, software, and various tools for film and TV production
- Articulate creative ideas and implement them in the making of Film and TV programs.
- Communicate orally and in writing, creative ideas/issues to a diverse audience
- Demonstrate analytical skills applicable to study and research in Film and TV
- Conceive, produce and manage/market a Film and/or a TV program
- Evaluate, study and read films critically and write research papers
MINOR OUTCOMES: After successful completion of the Minor, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate creative skills applicable to production and study of Film and TV
- Impart overall management and business skills required to work in the real world
- Demonstrate facility in the use of equipment, software, and various tools for film and TV production
- Communicate orally and in writing, creative ideas/issues to a diverse audience
- Articulate creative ideas and implement them in the making of Film and TV programs.
32 MAJOR COURSES
| Visual Storytelling for Film and Television | Cinematography | Documentary Production |
| Introduction to Quantitative Methods | Screen Studies | Screenplay for Short Films |
| Communication Theory | Financial Management for Communications | Advanced Editing and Sound Design |
| Principles of Management | Film Direction | Mise-en-scene Workshop |
| Marketing and Advertising | Producing Films | Production Design |
| The Art and Technique of Filmmaking | TV Programming and Channel Management | Film Theory & Analysis |
| Communication Research | Editing and Sound Design | New Media and Television Studies |
| Managerial Economics | Film Distribution, Exhibition and Marketing | Media Content Research and Marketing |
| Fundamentals of Screenwriting | Managing People and Performance | Cinematography Workshop |
| Consumer & Audience Behaviour | World Cinema and Society | Graduation Project |
| Business of Entertainment | Media Operations Management |
Introduction to Digital Marketing
An introductory course for students to the domain of Digital Marketing. Modern day marketing depends in a big way on digital technologies to achieve strategic marketing objectives. While digital space provides for entering into entire transaction of purchase for most products and services, the digital medium offers a huge opportunity for easy, all time and cost-effective means to remaining in touch with the customer. Evolution of technology has made it possible to design and deliver customized communication to the customers and this becomes a handy economical tool to bridge the communication gap. Students shall be exposed to major platforms and options for designing and delivering marketing communications to customers.
Introduction to Quantitative Methods
This course is designed to give undergraduate students an introduction to decison making. The use of quantitative techniques is increasingly being adopted in all areas of human endeavour. The need to collect, analyze and interpret mathematical output is increasingly being appreciated for arriving at conclusions or in strategic decision making. This course will deal with fundamental concepts required to model, analyse and solve quantitative problems arising in any discipline. A student undertaking this course can have little to no formal introduction to mathematics and statistics at the higher secondary level.
Communication Theory
The 20th century has been the century of mass communication systems. Cinema, radio, television and now the internet have fundamentally transformed the way in which human societies communicate. However, media is routinely treated as something non-serious or simply ‘entertainment’ or at worst, devious. These positions need to be examined more critically. To understand the way the world works today, it is very crucial to undertake a deeper study of the structures, paradigms and institutions of communication.
The course aims to explain the development of media theories and how they link with historically important social and political events/issues. It seeks to acquaint students with the nature of communication processes; to develop a critical understanding of the strengths and limitations of basic theories of mass communication and the ability to apply those theories in research and everyday lives.
Principles of Management
Today it is the irregular people, with irregular ideas developing irregular strategies that create irregular wealth and creating a threat for competitors. This course will enable students to understand the dynamic nature of environment i.e. Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA world) and the need for strategy. Strategic decisions determine the future direction and competitive position of an enterprise. This course reaffirms the relationship between strategic planning, formulation and implementation. The practical and interwoven theoretical nature of class deliberations will cull out the deeper understanding of strategy in business. This course enables a student to build business decisions based on careful analysis of resources, capabilities, competition and environment.
Marketing and Advertising
The course focuses on various marketing strategies, including marketing mix, strategies, segmentation, targeting, positioning and explores how those strategies contribute to the company’s competitive advantage in the marketplace. The curriculum provides students with managerial guides on the management of the marketing function and role of various stakeholders in the business environment and their effect on the marketing function. The course also introduces different marketing functions and teaches the critical analysis of functions of marketing opportunity assessment, marketing planning, marketing implementation, evaluation and control of the marketing effort. The course provides the student with a necessary mix of analysis, application of concepts and techniques, and the role of communication in the larger strategy of the brand.
The Art and Technique of Filmmaking
This course is designed to introduce the student to the art of cinema with emphasis on history and practices. Students will acquire an understanding of how a film is produced and apprehend key conventions of fiction filmmaking. With basic knowledge of shot composition and editing from the previous course, students will now learn how to use these methods formally in a controlled environment. Advanced technical and creative instructions will be extended to be able to conceive scenes of their own which will finally help them to create a short film.
Note: Considering the current restraints on the learning and teaching environments, we will focus more on films shot in interiors and within confines of a single space. These constraints will also help develop a much rigorous understanding of fiction filmmaking in students.
Film in focus: This is not a film by Jafar Panahi
Communication Research
The Course will serve as an introduction to basic research in the Communication discipline. It will introduce students to the broad disciplinary and epistemological contours of the Communication discipline. The course will introduce students to several qualitative research methods in communication research. The course will address the importance of research not just in an academic context but also in the production of Film & TV, Journalism.
Managerial Economics
This course provides a foundation of economic theories and models for use in managerial decision-making. The course provides students with an overview of theories of demand, supply, production and competition and equips them with the tools and techniques to make effective economic decisions under different business environments.
Fundamentals of Screenwriting
This course prepares students to find the right means to write scripts for short films and to tell stories effectively and explore the potential of audio-visual writing at levels of emotion, truth and value. The intensive writing course offers tools for students to journey from constructing story, characters, plot (Scene and Act), dramatic tension, dialogue and imagery to a fully developed script for a short film.
Consumer & Audience Behaviour
Develop the ability to be able to chart out an in-depth consumer mindset. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the social and psychological factors that shape the consumer behaviour process and their consumption. A thorough understanding of the process of customer decision making. To be able to construct and plan diverse marketing and branding situations with the help of the knowledge of consumer behaviour. See the consumer as an individual as well as a part of society in his/her consumption process. Have an awareness about emerging issues (social as well and ethical issues) in the consumption process.
Business of Entertainment
The business of entertainment and media in India has grown rapidly over the last few decades outpacing the Indian economy, offering tremendous career opportunities to media school graduates. The course stems from the growing synergies between business and production (creation) of creative and entertaining products such as arts, fashion, music, live performances, films and many more. Under this course, students would be introduced to the historical and cultural relationship between human leisure experiences and innate need of entertainment within the natural environment; and appreciate their relevance in today’s world and the way it operates. Topics of discussion explore, understand and even challenge the concepts and theories of traditional marketing in the context of creative products, which may necessarily do not have ‘utilitarian purpose’ but have strong hedonic appeal. Hence it is critical to understand the distinct characteristics of entertainment industries, diffusion and adoption of such products and management of multiple projects simultaneously. The sectors covered include film, TV, press, radio, music, etc.
Cinematography
Cinematography is an art form unique to motion pictures. This course provides the students an opportunity to explore, attain an understanding and become acquainted with basic cinematography science, technique, concepts, aesthetics and skills that comprise the artistic endeavour to create moving images on both theoretical and practical level. Cinematography is the process of capturing a vision on film or video. As both an art and a craft it is a dynamic process that involves the composition of light, shadow, time and movement. The course helps students in attaining basic understanding of cinematography before pursuing further in-depth studies and/or practice.
Filmmaking is a collective art and camera serves as it’s medium. Having basic understanding of cinematography and the process of image capture therein, broadens the perspective of those students specialising in other areas of filmmaking too, and will enable them in making better and informed decisions in their respective fields.
Screen Studies
Through a set of ground-breaking and socially impactful films from around the world, this course provides opportunity to reflect on varied approaches to storytelling, from the 1930s up to the present-day. You will examine why certain films, from a variety of historical periods and cultural contexts, achieved considerable commercial success, how others changed the norms of filmmaking and/or redefined narrative conventions, and the ability of yet others to serve as social documents of their times. Introduction to Screen Studies explores films spanning the continents of Asia, Europe and the Americas – from poetic realism in France in the lead-up to WWII, the golden age of Japanese cinema in the 1950s, and Hollywood in the 80s to Bollywood, contemporary Korean and Japanese cinema and representations of religion, secularism and the technological imagination among other themes. Through engaging with films that started life on the big screen and that continue to capture audiences on today's smaller screen devices, you will gain an enhanced understanding of significant moments in film history and the medium's ability to continually adapt itself to the contemporary media environment.
Financial Management for Communications
Finance as a discipline cut across disciplines and functional areas and this subject introduces the 'Communication' student to Finance. The subject covers the basic Finance topics and these include financial statement analysis, time value of money, cost of capital, capital budgeting and working capital management.
Film Direction
How does one communicate through shots and scenes? How does one work using the various elements (production design, light, sound, actors and script) to create a complete picture? How does one produce feeling and meaning in cinema? Specific capsules are aimed at building capabilities towards ‘directing’ fiction. The unit seeks to provide tools and methods to students to realise small directorial pieces. These are pieces working at both individual and group levels. It focuses on the process of directing and the various choices that need to be made in realising an idea from concept to screen. The course is a mix of theory sessions, studio practical and Film reading
Producing Films
The course on Producing Films introduces the student to the roles and responsibilities that contribute to the successful production of narrative films across multiple formats: short, feature, commercial, documentary and web. Utilizing industry-standard software tools, the student will learn and work through all the stages of development, budgeting, scheduling and on set production.Each phase has a different purpose, with a goal to successfully traverse through each phase, ultimately to complete a successful distribution through the five phases of film production: development, The course will include classroom sessions and practical aspects of Producing a Film.
TV Programming and Channel Management
This course is designed to facilitate a detailed understanding of the whole process of TV Programming. It gives a comprehensive look into the various genres and the global influences on the programming. The course also gives an in-depth view of developing a fiction show for television. It gives an in-depth view of online programming -that being a web series. This course gives a clear insight into the workings of a broadcast channel-the management of the channel vis-a-vis the different roles within a channel that facilitate the show to get on air. It gives an overview of the growth of online presence of channels and other networks
Editing and Sound Design
This component is designed to introduce the student to the origins and evolution of editing as a craft of narrative storytelling and meaning making in films. The student will explore the fundamental theories of editing and its application in different modes of filmic storytelling by practical editing techniques. The student will also learn the structure of script and stories in filmic narration. This course will enable the student to recognize editing grammar as one of the fundamental basis of the development of film language. The student will also be familiarized to the technological processes of the digital medium.
Film Distribution, Exhibition and Marketing
The course shall be required by film-makers and producers who wish to understand the marketing and revenue models in film industry, students who wish to gain insight in marketing and selling in the world of cinema and/or anyone who wishes to understand the distribution circuit of cinema. Every film is treated a new product which needs to creates its audience. Being a highly capital-intensive creative product which requires mass consumption to achieve success and earn profits for the makers, distribution and exhibition play a very critical role in the value of chain of film business. The course aims to provide understanding of how films sell, role of technology and infrastructure in selling films, create audience and eventually a fan base for them. Students should identify different elements of film such as its stars, director, genre, awards/nominations, release dates, based on a bestselling book or game, and more and their role as film’s ‘selling points’. The course shall a quant student to identify the key decisions made in the distribution business process, and gain a greater understanding of how the film business in India operates. Using personal experience of film consumption, students would reflect on the various ways in which audience has consumed films and investigate the effects that consumption experiences have on the mode of consumption. This course shall offer both, academic and industry perspectives by using case studies and real time experiences of industry professionals to understand entire value chain of consumption of cinema.
Managing People and Performance
This course is an introduction to organizational behaviour and human resource management. It discusses behaviour in organizations at individual, group & organizational levels. It also enables students to understand the application of different tools and practices in directing individual actions towards organizational objectives. The course also familiarizes students with the fundamental concepts and standards of performance management and compensation.
World Cinema and Society
World Cinema and Society explores representations of the human story throughout a century of documentary cinema. Students will be guided in understanding how the construction of “reality” and character on screen engages audiences with socially relevant issues – from religion, war, urban change and the environment to incarceration, capitalism and labour. Attention will focus on the cinematic components in multiple documentary approaches to representing society through time and across cultures, from Dziga Vertov, Robert Flaherty and Luis Bunuel to Errol Morris, Anand Patwardhan, Amar Kanwar and Michael Moore among others. Students will gain enhanced understanding of how documentary’s many forms and strategies of representation – poetic, voice-of-god/expository, observational, experimental – translate challenges and change in society and culture to the screen.
Media Operations Management
The course to provide students with detailed insight into the structures, management, processes, economics of media industries in India and its standing in the world. The course will be valuable as a part of career preparation for students interested in working in broadcasting and related industries such as advertising, media sales and public relations. For students with other career interests, this course will provide a firm foundation for understanding how the electronic media industries operate. The course also offers understanding of the entire value chain of the media ecosystem and understand how media buying and selling happens. Students understand the business models of different mediums and the various factors influencing each one. This course describes how media distribution, research, and consumption and media measurement.
Documentary Production
Documentary Research and production will expose students to the art of documentary filmmaking through the practical application of making a film. Grouped in teams, students will workshop, organize, shoot and edit a short documentary film. The course is formed of two sections; while the students will be informed of the history of the genre, they will also make their own short documentary film. Students will learn interview technique, techniques for visualizing and shooting “b roll” footage, and how to construct narratives and stories through the integration of sound and images. Further, through screening and discussing a variety of historically significant documentary films, students will learn to define their own personal directorial approach to documentary filmmaking.
Screenplay for Short Films
This course prepares students to advance to a higher level of writing scripts for Film & TV. It intends to hone and polish the skills in finding the right means to write scripts for short films and, to tell stories effectively and explore the potential of audio-visual writing at levels of emotion, truth and value. The intensive writing course offers tools for students to Learn about and understand different ways and schools of writing for screen and take effective steps in their journey from constructing story, characters, plot (Scene and Act), dramatic tension, dialogue and imagery to a fully developed script for a short film.
Advanced Editing and Sound Design
Students will learn application of theory to create appropriate emotional impact in storytelling with editing and sound design decisions. They will be hands-on with simple techniques of editing music video and reality footage as well as incorporating SFX during shot taking, on-location management of sound and sound post production.
Production Design
Students are introduced to the Psychology of a Creative Eye and Elements of Visual Design of moving images to understand how these components manipulate viewers’ emotions. Students are exposed to basic designs of architecture and the usage of a single-space with specific functions to understand a misc-en-scene. Students also learn the need for research to understand the diverse culture ina broad way from period to modern era. Through lectures, students explore traditional and contemporary materials and manufacturing methods for set construction. Students are made to understand the spatial and temporal continuity by developing a narrative exploring characters around one location besides various aspects of lighting and lenses, which affect the emotional response of the viewers.
Understanding the importance of collaboration with other related aspects like Costumes and Make –up.
Understanding the concept of Budgeting and Manpower management. The students are able to synthesize learning to create a basic plan for designing a visual product.
Film Theory & Analysis
This course explores film theory in the aim of understanding film as an aesthetic and social practice. You will learn how to use theoretical literature to build inquiries into how films impact the viewer and society at large. The course will enable you to reflect critically on the continual evolution of the medium, enhancing your understanding of film as a valuable historical document and significant cultural force in contemporary society. The pedagogy will include case-studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving activities that helps in equipping the student with the skills required in the workforce. Case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises will be included in the pedagogy to assist students obtain the skills needed for employment.
New Media and Television Studies
The course introduces the students to emerging trends in New Media related to production, delivery or dissemination and consumption of of video in innovative multimedia digital formats across multiple platforms. The teaching incorporates history of video production &introduction to the latest tools and techniques adopted by the industry. Students will learn to host their textual and multimedia stories on an online platform - such as Internet, Computer, Cell Phones, Social networking, Skype through Vlogs, and Video Conferencing, in a digital portfolio which showcases their individual filmmaking and digital production skills.
Media Content Research and Marketing
Each media content creation is unique as it lacks precedent. While content types can be categorized into genres, every content unit created still goes on to have its own identity. Each episode of a TV Show, every new song be it of the same album/creator, a film etc. All such creations don't have a precedent nor will they have a replica. In this scenario, pre, during and post development research plays a crucial role for ensuring popular success. One must also bear in mind the fact that media content research while largely qualitative in nature, doesn't have singular templates for all media types. An episodic show needs to be studied differently over a Song or an upcoming Sports format. This course will attempt at giving a broad overview of each unique research approach applicable to popular media types. Students will become aware of the research approaches in Indian media industry. Similar to media research, media marketing too adopts slightly different approaches over conventional methods of marketing. Primary reason for this is media is the vehicle for traditional advertisers. The second half of this course will focus on methods and techniques which make media marketing a unique marketing management exercise.
28 MINOR COURSES
| Visual Storytelling for Film and Television | Business of Entertainment | Media Operations Management |
| Introduction to Quantitative Methods | Cinematography | Documentary Production |
| Communication Theory | Screen Studies | Screenplay for Short Films |
| Principles of Management | Film Direction | Advanced Editing and Sound Design |
| Marketing and Advertising | Producing Films | Mise-en-scene Workshop |
| The Art and Technique of Filmmaking | TV Programming and Channel Management | Production Design |
| Managerial Economics | Editing and Sound Design | Film Theory & Analysis |
| Fundamentals of Screenwriting | Film Distribution, Exhibition and Marketing | New Media and Television Studies |
| Consumer & Audience Behaviour | World Cinema and Society | Media Content Research and Marketing |
| Cinematography Workshop |
Introduction to Digital Marketing
An introductory course for students to the domain of Digital Marketing. Modern day marketing depends in a big way on digital technologies to achieve strategic marketing objectives. While digital space provides for entering into entire transaction of purchase for most products and services, the digital medium offers a huge opportunity for easy, all time and cost-effective means to remaining in touch with the customer. Evolution of technology has made it possible to design and deliver customized communication to the customers and this becomes a handy economical tool to bridge the communication gap. Students shall be exposed to major platforms and options for designing and delivering marketing communications to customers.
Introduction to Quantitative Methods
This course is designed to give undergraduate students an introduction to decision making. The use of quantitative techniques is increasingly being adopted in all areas of human endeavour. The need to collect, analyze and interpret mathematical output is increasingly being appreciated for arriving at conclusions or in strategic decision making. This course will deal with fundamental concepts required to model, analyse and solve quantitative problems arising in any discipline. A student undertaking this course can have little to no formal introduction to mathematics and statistics at the higher secondary level.
Communication Theory
The 20th century has been the century of mass communication systems. Cinema, radio, television and now the internet have fundamentally transformed the way in which human societies communicate. However, media is routinely treated as something non-serious or simply ‘entertainment’ or at worst, devious. These positions need to be examined more critically. To understand the way the world works today, it is very crucial to undertake a deeper study of the structures, paradigms and institutions of communication.
The course aims to explain the development of media theories and how they link with historically important social and political events/issues. It seeks to acquaint students with the nature of communication processes; to develop a critical understanding of the strengths and limitations of basic theories of mass communication and the ability to apply those theories in research and everyday lives.
Principles of Management
Today it is the irregular people, with irregular ideas developing irregular strategies that create irregular wealth and creating a threat for competitors. This course will enable students to understand the dynamic nature of environment i.e. Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA world) and the need for strategy. Strategic decisions determine the future direction and competitive position of an enterprise. This course reaffirms the relationship between strategic planning, formulation and implementation. The practical and interwoven theoretical nature of class deliberations will cull out the deeper understanding of strategy in business. This course enables a student to build business decisions based on careful analysis of resources, capabilities, competition and environment.
Marketing and Advertising
The course focuses on various marketing strategies, including marketing mix, strategies, segmentation, targeting, positioning and explores how those strategies contribute to the company’s competitive advantage in the marketplace. The curriculum provides students with managerial guides on the management of the marketing function and role of various stakeholders in the business environment and their effect on the marketing function. The course also introduces different marketing functions and teaches the critical analysis of functions of marketing opportunity assessment, marketing planning, marketing implementation, evaluation and control of the marketing effort. The course provides the student with a necessary mix of analysis, application of concepts and techniques, and the role of communication in the larger strategy of the brand.
The Art and Technique of Filmmaking
This course is designed to introduce the student to the art of cinema with emphasis on history and practices. Students will acquire an understanding of how a film is produced and apprehend key conventions of fiction filmmaking. With basic knowledge of shot composition and editing from the previous course, students will now learn how to use these methods formally in a controlled environment. Advanced technical and creative instructions will be extended to be able to conceive scenes of their own which will finally help them to create a short film.
Managerial Economics
This course provides a foundation of economic theories and models for use in managerial decision-making. The course provides students with an overview of theories of demand, supply, production and competition and equips them with the tools and techniques to make effective economic decisions under different business environments.
Fundamentals of Screenwriting
This course prepares students to find the right means to write scripts for short films and to tell stories effectively and explore the potential of audio-visual writing at levels of emotion, truth and value. The intensive writing course offers tools for students to journey from constructing story, characters, plot (Scene and Act), dramatic tension, dialogue and imagery to a fully developed script for a short film.
Consumer & Audience Behaviour
Develop the ability to be able to chart out an in-depth consumer mindset. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the social and psychological factors that shape the consumer behaviour process and their consumption. A thorough understanding of the process of customer decision making. To be able to construct and plan diverse marketing and branding situations with the help of the knowledge of consumer behaviour. See the consumer as an individual as well as a part of society in his/her consumption process. Have an awareness about emerging issues (social as well and ethical issues) in the consumption process.
Business of Entertainment
The business of entertainment and media in India has grown rapidly over the last few decades outpacing the Indian economy, offering tremendous career opportunities to media school graduates. The course stems from the growing synergies between business and production (creation) of creative and entertaining products such as arts, fashion, music, live performances, films and many more. Under this course, students would be introduced to the historical and cultural relationship between human leisure experiences and innate need of entertainment within the natural environment; and appreciate their relevance in today’s world and the way it operates. Topics of discussion explore, understand and even challenge the concepts and theories of traditional marketing in the context of creative products, which may necessarily do not have ‘utilitarian purpose’ but have strong hedonic appeal. Hence it is critical to understand the distinct characteristics of entertainment industries, diffusion and adoption of such products and management of multiple projects simultaneously. The sectors covered include film, TV, press, radio, music, etc.
Cinematography
Cinematography is an art form unique to motion pictures. This course provides the students an opportunity to explore, attain an understanding and become acquainted with basic cinematography science, technique, concepts, aesthetics and skills that comprise the artistic endeavour to create moving images on both theoretical and practical level. Cinematography is the process of capturing a vision on film or video. As both an art and a craft it is a dynamic process that involves the composition of light, shadow, time and movement. The course helps students in attaining basic understanding of cinematography before pursuing further in-depth studies and/or practice.
Filmmaking is a collective art and camera serves as it’s medium. Having basic understanding of cinematography and the process of image capture therein, broadens the perspective of those students specialising in other areas of filmmaking too, and will enable them in making better and informed decisions in their respective fields.
Screen Studies
Through a set of ground-breaking and socially impactful films from around the world, this course provides opportunity to reflect on varied approaches to storytelling, from the 1930s up to the present-day. You will examine why certain films, from a variety of historical periods and cultural contexts, achieved considerable commercial success, how others changed the norms of filmmaking and/or redefined narrative conventions, and the ability of yet others to serve as social documents of their times. Introduction to Screen Studies explores films spanning the continents of Asia, Europe and the Americas - from poetic realism in France in the lead-up to WWII, the golden age of Japanese cinema in the 1950s, and Hollywood in the 80s to Bollywood, contemporary Korean and Japanese cinema and representations of religion, secularism and the technological imagination among other themes. Through engaging with films that started life on the big screen and that continue to capture audiences on today's smaller screen devices, you will gain an enhanced understanding of significant moments in film history and the medium's ability to continually adapt itself to the contemporary media environment.
Film Direction
How does one communicate through shots and scenes? How does one work using the various elements (production design, light, sound, actors and script) to create a complete picture? How does one produce feeling and meaning in cinema? Specific capsules are aimed at building capabilities towards ‘directing’ fiction. The unit seeks to provide tools and methods to students to realise small directorial pieces. These are pieces working at both individual and group levels. It focuses on the process of directing and the various choices that need to be made in realising an idea from concept to screen. The course is a mix of theory sessions, studio practical and Film reading
Producing Films
The course on Producing Films introduces the student to the roles and responsibilities that contribute to the successful production of narrative films across multiple formats: short, feature, commercial, documentary and web. Utilizing industry-standard software tools, the student will learn and work through all the stages of development, budgeting, scheduling and on set production. Each phase has a different purpose, with a goal to successfully traverse through each phase, ultimately to complete a successful distribution through the five phases of film production: development, The course will include classroom sessions and practical aspects of Producing a Film.
TV Programming and Channel Management
This course is designed to facilitate a detailed understanding of the whole process of TV Programming. It gives a comprehensive look into the various genres and the global influences on the programming. The course also gives an in-depth view of developing a fiction show for television. It gives an in-depth view of online programming -that being a web series. This course gives a clear insight into the workings of a broadcast channel-the management of the channel vis-a-vis the different roles within a channel that facilitate the show to get on air. It gives an overview of the growth of online presence of channels and other networks
Editing and Sound Design
This component is designed to introduce the student to the origins and evolution of editing as a craft of narrative storytelling and meaning making in films. The student will explore the fundamental theories of editing and its application in different modes of filmic storytelling by practical editing techniques. The student will also learn the structure of script and stories in filmic narration. This course will enable the student to recognize editing grammar as one of the fundamental bases of the development of film language. The student will also be familiarized to the technological processes of the digital medium.
Film Distribution, Exhibition and Marketing
The course shall be required by film-makers and producers who wish to understand the marketing and revenue models in film industry, students who wish to gain insight in marketing and selling in the world of cinema and/or anyone who wishes to understand the distribution circuit of cinema. Every film is treated a new product which needs to creates its audience. Being a highly capital-intensive creative product which requires mass consumption to achieve success and earn profits for the makers, distribution and exhibition play a very critical role in the value of chain of film business. The course aims to provide understanding of how films sell, role of technology and infrastructure in selling films, create audience and eventually a fan base for them. Students should identify different elements of film such as its stars, director, genre, awards/nominations, release dates, based on a bestselling book or game, and more and their role as film’s ‘selling points’. The course shall aquant students to identify the key decisions made in the distribution business process, and gain a greater understanding of how the film business in India operates. Using personal experience of film consumption, students would reflect on the various ways in which audience has consumed films and investigate the effects that consumption experiences have on the mode of consumption. This course shall offer both, academic and industry perspectives by using case studies and real time experiences of industry professionals to understand entire value chain of consumption of cinema.
World Cinema and Society
World Cinema and Society explores representations of the human story throughout a century of documentary cinema. Students will be guided in understanding how the construction of “reality” and character on screen engages audiences with socially relevant issues – from religion, war, urban change and the environment to incarceration, capitalism and labour. Attention will focus on the cinematic components in multiple documentary approaches to representing society through time and across cultures, from Dziga Vertov, Robert Flaherty and Luis Bunuel to Errol Morris, Anand Patwardhan, Amar Kanwar and Michael Moore among others. Students will gain enhanced understanding of how documentary’s many forms and strategies of representation – poetic, voice-of-god/expository, observational, experimental – translate challenges and change in society and culture to the screen.
Media Operations Management
The course to provide students with detailed insight into the structures, management, processes, economics of media industries in India and its standing in the world. The course will be valuable as a part of career preparation for students interested in working in broadcasting and related industries such as advertising, media sales and public relations. For students with other career interests, this course will provide a firm foundation for understanding how the electronic media industries operate.The The course also offers understaning of the entire value chain of the media ecosystem and understand how media buying and selling happens. Students understand the business models of different mediums and the various factors influencing each one. This course describes how media distribution, research, and consumption and media measurement.
Documentary Production
Documentary Research and production will expose students to the art of documentary filmmaking through the practical application of making a film. Grouped in teams, students will workshop, organize, shoot and edit a short documentary film. The course is formed of two sections; while the students will be informed of the history of the genre, they will also make their own short documentary film. Students will learn interview technique, techniques for visualizing and shooting “b roll” footage, and how to construct narratives and stories through the integration of sound and images. Further, through screening and discussing a variety of historically significant documentary films, students will learn to define their own personal directorial approach to documentary filmmaking.
Screenplay for Short Films
This course prepares students to advance to a higher level of writing scripts for Film & TV. It intends to hone and polish the skills in finding the right means to write scripts for short films and, to tell stories effectively and explore the potential of audio-visual writing at levels of emotion, truth and value. The intensive writing course offers tools for students to Learn about and understand different ways and schools of writing for screen and take effective steps in their journey from constructing story, characters, plot (Scene and Act), dramatic tension, dialogue and imagery to a fully developed script for a short film.
Advanced Editing and Sound Design
Students will learn application of theory to create appropriate emotional impact in storytelling with editing and sound design decisions. They will be hands-on with simple techniques of editing music video and reality footage as well as incorporating SFX during shot taking, on-location management of sound and sound post production.
Production Design
Students are introduced to the Psychology of a Creative Eye and Elements of Visual Design of moving images to understand how these components manipulate viewers’ emotions. Students are exposed to basic designs of architecture and the usage of a single-space with specific functions to understand a misc-en-scene. Students also learn the need for research to understand the diverse culture in a broad way from period to modern era. Through lectures, students explore traditional and contemporary materials and manufacturing methods for set construction. Students are made to understand the spatial and temporal continuity by developing a narrative exploring characters around one location besides various aspects of lighting and lenses, which affect the emotional response of the viewers.
Understanding the importance of collaboration with other related aspects like Costumes and Make –up.
Understanding the concept of Budgeting and Manpower management. The students are able to synthesize learning to create a basic plan for designing a visual product.
Film Theory & Analysis
This course explores film theory in the aim of understanding film as an aesthetic and social practice. You will learn how to use theoretical literature to build inquiries into how films impact the viewer and society at large. The course will enable you to reflect critically on the continual evolution of the medium, enhancing your understanding of film as a valuable historical document and significant cultural force in contemporary society. The pedagogy will include case-studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving activities that helps in equipping the student with the skills required in the workforce. Case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises will be included in the pedagogy to assist students obtain the skills needed for employment.
New Media and Television Studies
The course introduces the students to emerging trends in New Media related to production, delivery or dissemination and consumption of video in innovative multimedia digital formats across multiple platforms. The teaching incorporates history of video production &introduction to the latest tools and techniques adopted by the industry. Students will learn to host their textual and multimedia stories on an online platform - such as Internet, Computer, Cell Phones, Social networking, Skype through Vlogs, and Video Conferencing, in a digital portfolio which showcases their individual filmmaking and digital production skills.
Media Content Research and Marketing
Each media content creation is unique as it lacks precedent. While content types can be categorized into genres, every content unit created still goes on to have its own identity. Each episode of a TV Show, every new song be it of the same album/creator, a film etc. All such creations don't have a precedent nor will they have a replica. In this scenario, pre, during and post development research plays a crucial role for ensuring popular success. One must also bear in mind the fact that media content research while largely qualitative in nature, doesn't have singular templates for all media types. An episodic show needs to be studied differently over a Song or an upcoming Sports format. This course will attempt at giving a broad overview of each unique research approach applicable to popular media types. Students will become aware of the research approaches in Indian media industry. Similar to media research, media marketing too adopts slightly different approaches over conventional methods of marketing. Primary reason for this is media is the vehicle for traditional advertisers. The second half of this course will focus on methods and techniques which make media marketing a unique marketing management exercise.