Reel chance
The film industry is full of opportunities, be it in direction, cinematography, choreography, sound recording or other technical and non-technical fields, writes Usha Albuquerque

NOTHING is larger than life — while portraying life itself — than movies. And nowhere is cinema larger than in India. Movies are as much a record and reportage on customs, lifestyles and events, as they are of social progress. Almost every country has an indigenous film industry. While the Hollywood productions from the US have perhaps the widest international audience, India is the most prolific film-producing country with over 800 feature releases every year. The bulk of these come from the big studios in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. Regional cinema is also fairly active in each state, Bengal and Kerala being the best known countrywide for the quantity, quality and innovation of their films.

Film-making covers a wide spectrum of activities that work together to produce a range of different kinds of film productions, from the more popular entertainment or feature films to documentaries, news features, advertising films, training films and corporate films.

By far the largest is the feature film sector, both in terms of turnover and employment. Most feature films are made by independent producers or studios that raise the capital for their ventures through various sources, including private financiers and business corporations.

The craft of film-making depends essentially on teamwork and the close coordination of variously skilled individuals. A whole gamut of professionals work together as a team that contributes to the making of a film. These include not just producers and directors and their assistants, but also cameramen, sound recordists, as well as actors or presenters, choreographers, music directors, singers, lyricists, make-up artists, hair dressers, costume designers, etc. The size of film units can range from 200 people or more, on big features to smaller than a five-member crew on documentaries or corporate presentations.

The producer handles all the management aspects of the film. This includes raising finances, hiring and organising the cast and crew, some location scouting, obtaining permissions for shooting and screening, marketing the film and liaising with distributors, television networks, exporters and importers, arranging travel, transport, accommodation, food and other facilities when on location, and in general being responsible for the film’s success or failure.

The director and team of assistants is responsible for all creative decision-making including script, cast, location and camera, the visualisation of the film story, audition and selection of the leading cast and rehearsing and directing actors. The director works closely with the cameraman/cinematographer, who is possibly the most important person in the team.

A cinematographer has to visualise and compose each scene, in consultation with the director, take decisions on camera angles and lighting for each shot, execute those, and keep track of ‘takes’, and so on.

The casting director normally identifies, locates and hires actors and actresses according to the script or director’s specifications. Acting involves a realistic portrayal of the

characters in a film. actors/ actresses are given their scripts and are instructed by the director of the film on how to perform and emote. They have to sign a contract with the

producer and director to work with them for the assigned duration of the shooting of the film and the shooting dates.

Other professionals involved in movie-making include the art director who provides the overall ‘look’ of the film and designs the sets and locations; the set designer responsible for building the sets; the music director who works on the film’s musical score, the songs and lyrics; the sound recordist, who handles all the sounds of the actors and actresses, as well as the ambient sounds; the choreographer who is responsible for the dances and musical movements of the actors, as well as, make-up artists, hair stylists, costume designers, stunt men and so on. In addition, there are editors and their team who process and edit the film, placing each shot in correct sequence, removing unnecessary shots and synchronising its soundtrack and musical score.

Due to the highly specialised nature of most aspects of film-making, professional training is essential, particularly in the technical areas like cinematography, sound engineering, film processing and editing.

Formal training of some sort is also required for most design related areas in film. While skills in production, direction and acting, are best developed through hands-on experience, a course in film-making or drama can be of great benefit.

A number of good institutions in the country impart training in various aspects of film- making. The Film and Television Institute, Pune (www.ftiiindia.org) and the Mass Communications Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, are premier institutes imparting training in film production and direction.

The FTII provides technical training in the production of films, both theoretical and practical. These include the three-year PG diplomas in cinematography, direction, and editing, for those with a bachelor’s degree in any subject, and a three-year PG diploma course in audiography for those with Physics in Class XII. The FTII also offers a two- year PG diploma course in acting, as well as certificate courses in feature film screenplay writing, film direction, video editing and audio and television engineering.

The MCRC is a two-year MA in Mass Communication course that includes tracks of different disciplines like 16mm film and radio production, video/television production and photography.

Other institutes include the Satyajit Ray Film and TV Institute, Calcutta, which provides training in direction, cinematography, editing and sound recording; the Film and Television Institute, Chennai, the Adarsh Film Institute, Bangalore, the Asian Film Academy, Noida which also offers courses in acting and film costume designing.

Besides the FTII, the National School of Drama, New Delhi, offers an intensive three-year PG degree course in dramatics, which has been the route to film acting for many well known film stars. Of late, an entry through the TV serials, or reality shows and competitions such as ‘Indian Idol’ has helped. Another route has been through modelling and participation in the Miss India/ Mr India shows. There are also several private film acting schools that have come up in the last 10 years, run mainly by ‘retired’ film actors and actresses. These include Asha Chandra’s New Film Acting Course in Mumbai, Padmini Kolhapure’s Acting School in New Delhi, Anupam Kher’s acting school in New Delhi, the Dramatic Art & Design Academy, New Delhi, and Barry John’s Imago School of Drama in New Delhi.

The National Institute of Design offers specialisation in design for art directors and set designers, as well as in animation for film in a 5-year diploma programme for school leavers. Other institutes include Shristi in Bangalore, and the SAE Technology College in Chennai and New Delhi, The Heart Animation Studio, Hyderabad, and the Maaya Academy in Mumbai and Delhi offer courses in digital film-making and film animation

However, before you jump to join the movies, it is important to know that to be a good actor, you must have an inborn talent for acting which can be trained and developed. A special aptitude can be recognised and tapped early. Of late, another route to stardom has been through fashion shows and modelling assignments, where you get seen. Small roles in TV serials, or shows can also help you make a start.

If direction or cinematography is your choice, you should have a passion for photography, aesthetic sense and visualising abilities along with good communication skills and an ability to handle people. You should also be prepared to work very hard, often shooting outdoors and travelling to various locations.

Most young hopefuls everywhere are drawn to this line by the aura of glamour that surrounds the movies.

The reality, however, is quite the opposite. At every level, the work involves long, gruelling hours, sometimes in adverse weather, painstaking effort, repetitive, often monotonous tasks, and a great deal of competition.

— The writer is a noted career expert