Actor Vikram Gokhale will launch the Deccan Education Society's Institute of Film
and Television (DESIFT) here on August 5.
The new institution comes as an extension of DES initiative
towards introducing career-oriented studies, following the launch of courses in
B.Sc (animation) and Creative Sciences in last couple of years, Ajit Patwardhan,
chairman, DES regulatory council, told reporters on Monday 1st August.
Prominent personalities from the film and television industry, including national
award winning actor Upendra Limaye and director /actors Smita Talwalkar, Renuka
Shahane, Sonali Kulkarni and Abhiram Bhadkamkar, among others, will participate
in a debate on Media today new challenges, to mark the occasion.
The debate will focus on emerging trends in films, television serials and news reporting,
and their impact on common people, artists and professionals.
Girish Kemkar, DESIFTs director (academics), said, The institute will offer one
year full time autonomous post-graduate (PG) diploma courses in the fields of television
production, broadcast journalism, media management and television technology.
We have deliberately kept graduation in any stream as the minimum qualifying bench
mark for the four courses instead of introducing them at post Std XI level, Kemkar
said. Candidates seeking admission also have to appear in a media aptitude test,
which primarily focuses on their creative skills and approach, he said.
The DES has positioned the institute as a one of a kind initiative that will be
high on project based rather than conventional classroom learning. We have enlisted
30 to 40 highly experienced and known professionals from the fields of film, television
and media, who will be advisor mentors to the students, Kemkar said.
He said, This will not only help students learn the finer nuances of specified areas
such as editing, camera work, creative skills, soft skills and script writing, among
others, but will also enhance their chances of getting absorbed into the industry.
According to DES secretary Shrikrishna Kanetkar, There is a huge demand for skilled
professionals in the media world, but there is a lack of professional training.
Our attempt is to bridge this gap by ensuring that the industry interface begins
at the very beginning of the course. The syllabus for the four courses has been
designed by a team of DESIFT faculty.
Chairman of DESIFT's local management committee Prashant Gokhale and Fergusson college
teacher Savita Kelkar were among those present.
Courtesy: Times of India
