The Hindu : Digital film course much in demand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 29, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Digital film course much in demand

TO PROTEST against the University Grants Commission's proposed Model Act and what it calls "irregular and anti-academic" functioning of the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor, Deepak Nayyar, the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) will stage a dharna outside his office this Thursday.

While calling for a fresh review of the decision on contact hours and assigning marks to students for attendance, the DUTA is also demanding for the restart of the exercise on restructuring of BA course through democratic participation and the full acceptance of the Prof. Agnihotri report on ad-hoc teachers.

The teachers' organisation has further threatened to intensify its agitations if the Vice-Chancellor does not respond to the accusations.

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A PLACE in the world's biggest film industry does not come easy. And even as starry-eyed Indian youngsters make a beeline for Bollywood to try their luck, there seems to be increasing interest in going for professional courses that could train them well for the challenges of the celluloid world.

And no, it is clearly not just random acting courses that seem to be attracting talented college students into this part of the creative world. From audio engineering and multimedia to the more recent technological expertise that goes into digital film-making and advanced studio studies, there is much that students wanting to take the different line can now take up.

While Jamia Millia Islamia's Mass Communication and Research Centre (MCRC) continues to be one of the most sought after institutes in Delhi, the Capital continues to be short of quality institutes that could provide students with the basics of the audio and visual world.

Established in 1976, SAE Technology College is one of the biggest media education colleges in the world. And having started its India operations from Chennai in 1999, the college opened a branch in Delhi last year. It claims to be the only one in the country that offers an international diploma and a chance to go in for an upgradation in the form of further studies abroad.

Offering short term courses that range from seven months to 13 months as well as dual diploma courses that are 22 months to 23 months long, every student has a professional portfolio made along with an internship certificate.

Developed by industry experts across the world, the college has various eminent Indian film industry professionals like Priyadarshan, Santosh Sivan, S.P.Balasubramaniam and Mohanlal. Although the Delhi chapter of the College at A-2, Greater Kailash-I does offer most of the courses, it would be starting the digital film-making course beginning this February 15. The latest technology that is taking the world cinema market by storm, the digital film-making course covers all aspects of equipment operation and creativity in film/video production. For more information, students can log on to the college website www.saeindia.net.

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CELEBRATING THE 154th birth anniversary of Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu this Tuesday was the Indo-Romanian Cultural Association at the Delhi University guest house. Attended by eminent poets, scholars and academicians, the event was marked by various poem-reading sessions.

Having made his debut in 1866, Mihai's first volume of poetry was published in 1883. A frequenter of the Junimea Society of Iasi led by the famous critic Titu Maiorescu, his philosophical poem Luceafarual is considered his masterpiece.

Lakshmi Balakrishnan

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