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A school for wannabe filmmakers
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The L. V. Prasad Academy will train youngsters in the art of film making
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Photo: S.Thanthoni
TRAINING GROUND: K. Hariharan speaking at the launch of the academy
What happens when Asia's largest post-production services, Prasad Labs, launches a film and TV academy? You may be sitting with Aamir Khan while he mixes a soundtrack, you may bump into Iran's celebrated filmmaker Mohsin Makhmalbaf and discuss your script, or you could pull focus for your favourite cinematographer. Prasad Labs promises students it will leverage all its professional connections and provide the latest equipment. "Nowhere in the world has a film production company started an academy," says filmmaker K. Hariharan, who will call the shots as director of L. V. Prasad Film and TV Academy.
Hariharan hopes to make students learn all aspects of film making. Every student, irrespective of his specialisation, will have to learn all the four skills — cinematography, sound recording, editing and direction. This is intended to address "the mismatch in quality among the different departments in film and TV productions." Sometimes brilliant cinematography is wasted because of shoddy direction, he says.
"They are four organs of the same body and have to work cohesively," said Hariharan.
Novel concept
The academy will also promote a `mentorship concept', whereby students can interact, or even work with their favourite film director, technician or artiste.
Hariharan hopes students will understand the popular culture and not be elitist. "Good cinema should become popular not art house," he adds. Prasad Labs has other plans for students; among these are an international students' film festival and exchange programmes with Brooklyn University and Arcadia University.
Where Indians excel
Hariharan points out that the average expenditure for a Hollywood movie is $120 million, while the entire Indian film industry spends $1.5 billion per annum. Calculating that 11 Hollywood films account for 700 Indian films, he says Indians know how to tell a story in a pragmatic and economic manner.
Speaking about Prasad Labs' involvement in international films, R. Venkatnarayanan, HR Head, Prasad Group, says, "There's a dearth of trained manpower in Singapore, and India has the potential to be a backend processing industry for international films."
The fee structure "is only to defray the material costs" which will arise when the students work on 16mm, 35mm and High-Definition Video Formats, says Hariharan.
Although the academy promises merit-cum-means scholarships and help with arranging bank loans, the fee does seem a little steep.
The first session starts on August 15, 2005. The last date for submitting applications is May 30.
Those interested can download the application forms from www.prasadacademy.com, or write to Prasad Labs, Saligramam, Chennai.
MEERA MOHANTY
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