FILMS/TELEVISION

Ever wondered how films are made or for that matter television serials or other programmes produced? Who are the people who bring out characters which become a part of the everyday lives of the people? Who create those sounds and music which stir the right cord somewhere deep down your heart? In addition to the characters played by various artistes,there are technical experts who work really hard to make the movies possible. The Indian film industry is the largest in the world in terms of the number of films produced every year.Even though feature films constitute the dominant player,today documentaries,newsreels,corporate and advertising films and music videos have also grown in prominence.Therefore this industry despite being unorganized provides employment to a large number of people-most of them behind camera, which is where they say "the action is ". The various technical departments in the film making process would broadly include:Direction,Photography(Camera),Sound Recording and Sound Engineering,Art Direction,Film Editing,Cinematography and Production.

Direction:The director is the "Captain" of the ship,that is,he co-ordinates all the activities related to the making of a film.Therefore, a director must not only have the ability to visualize scenes,approve the script and choose the cast,he or she must also have a fine understanding of music and photography,and possess coordination and management skills.In recent times,Ad film direction has emerged as a lucrative proposition.

Photography:To pursue a career in photography in films,a formal knowledge of equipment and techniques,perceptual creativity,the ability to visualize,to observe animate and inanimate objects and capture them on the camera will take you a long way in your career.

Sound Recording & Sound Engineering:Sound recordists are responsible for recording sound while shooting,recording songs and background music,dialogues and other sound effects.The sound recordist uses the sound mixer to put together the various elements of the soundtrack and edits it to give it a final shape. Sound engineers,in collaboration with the sound recordists,have to create synthesized music for the desired effects.These professionals must possesses the ability understand and differentiate between various tones,notes,modulations and frequencies of sound. To become a sound recordists/engineer,one must have a formal diploma in the field from a reputed institute.The basic criteria to get into these institutes is 10+2 with Physics as a subject.

Cinematography:The Cinematographers take part in laboratory development of special effects by multimedia and other cinema technology.They compose each scene to be shot,in consultation with the director.Much of the special effects and highly impressive scenes that we see in cinema are the handiwork of the cimematographers. To be a cinematographer,one must have a good understanding of colour and compositional and other basic aesthetic elements of visual imagery. Art Direction:this specialization,Though not very technical in nature,creates the look of the film.It is the art department and the art director which are responsible for the designs and the ambience of the scenes.This profession has gained a lot of prominence in the past decade.It now demands a lot of creativity and understanding of various environments. To make it as an art director,it is advisable to first get a diploma in art and design from any premier institute.

Editing:After the shooting is complete,the editors edit the entire rush to give it a coherent form in line with screenplay.Depending upon the caliber of the editor a powerful film can be turned into trash and even an ordinary screenplay can be made into a box-office success.Editors must have a good sense of rhythm and good analytical and logical reasoning abilities. Aspiring editors can stay and learn from a senior editor before seeking a job,but formal training from an institute would be definetly give them an extra edge.

Production:Producers organize and coordinate the different activities of technicians,cameraman,script writers,sound recordists,music directors,dance directors,costume designers and others.They also arrange finances and take care of the marketing and legal aspects,besides having a hand in selecting the cast. Therefore,a producer needs the ability to remain calm under all circumstances than any formal qualifications.

Job Opportunities:Freelance,part-time or full time work opportunities exist in various aspects of film-making.These are available at film studios or laboratories,government departments that make films and the film department of advertising agencies. Getting a break in this industry is the toughest part.The film industry is unorganized and new faces are not easily welcome,specially if u want to work offscreen.Newcomers have to prove their talent and sincerity.There are two ways of gaining entry into this "big bad world of cinema"-(a)Convinci a producer/director to take you under their wing and teach you the ropes.You can also take up a job with a production house as an intern and work your way up.Most of the world's greatest film makers started out this way.(b)Take formal training from a film institute.

Remuneration:The job and the pay both essentially depend upon the quality of the work of the professional and networking.Further ,it also depends upon one's specialization the type of film,its budget and ultimately negotiation between the producer and the concerned person.While for Hindi mainstream commercial films the renumeration runs into lakhs of rupees,for short features and documentaries,it maybe limited to a few thousands.

Institutes that offer courses on technical divisions of film and television
1.Film and Television Institute of India,Pune-Law College Road,Pune 411004.
2.Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu-CIT Campus,Chennai
3.Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute,Kolkata-EM Bypass Road

Institutes that offer diploma courses on direction,screenplay writing,editing,cimematography and sound recording.
1.Asian academy of Film and Television-Marwah Studios Complex,FC 14/15,Film Centre,Sector 16 A,Noida 201301,UP
2.Symbiosis Institute of Mass communication-Senapati Bapat Road,Pune 411004
3.Chitrabani-St.Xavier's College,Kolkata

Television:TV is a very dynamic industry,Though there is a great difference between the cinem,a work and television work,all the specializations mentioned earlier have a lot of scope in this field as well.Since here work has to be done on a regular basis,all the channels employ some people on a permanent basis.The remunerations also vary from channel to channel. There is a stiff competitionin this field and you have to consistently put in maximum effort to become and to remain successful.