Professionals opt for career in filmmaking

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES

Until recently, filmmaking had been looked at as an expensive career option with a very narrow scope for growth. The trend in this profession, which was earlier often ignored and misunderstood, is soon changing. Students from diverse educational backgrounds are now seeking a career in media and entertainment. Apart from students, working professionals too are considering a career shift into filmmaking to pursue their passion.
A profession that was considered to be rare a few years ago is soon becoming the most sought after. The potential for growth in this field is huge as it is not as saturated as most of the other professions. Creative professions are far more viable today than they have ever been. Creativity has great scope in any field today and has found its niche, especially in filmmaking. Although India produces the largest number of movies in a year, films with fresh concepts and a social message are graciously welcomed as the audience has become more demanding. The scope for acceptance and growth in this industry is greater now than compared to earlier times.

Apart from the big screen, the small screen too is soon catching up. With over 400 television channels, a professional in the media and entertainment industry can be rest assured of not being left high and dry without work.
Individuals can pursue a career in all technical and creative aspects of filmmaking and television. There are various options available, ranging from certificate courses to diplomas and even an MBA course. Attaining this knowledge from an institute enables students to attain theoretical as well as practical knowledge on filmmaking.  As these institutes have affiliations with production houses in the country, there are possibilities of getting a placement at the end of the course with one of the production houses.

Multiple choices
Once established, a career in filmmaking can promise great returns. Hence it also proves as a good opportunity to take it up as a optional career. Therefore, it additionally ascertains as a beneficial second career opportunity. Filmmaking is not small; there are vast areas which get covered under this. Acting, direction, production, cinematography, screenwriting, sound recording and design, editing and animation all come under the aspects of filmmaking.

Working professionals from various multinational companies are giving up their traditional jobs to pursue their passion and are choosing a career in filmmaking. The director of Amitabh Bachchan starrer “Paa”, R Balakrishnan (Balki), noted ad professional and the Chairperson and Chief Creative  Officer at Lowe Lintas, Tarun Mansukhani, the director of Dostana, as well as Imtiaz Ali the director of Jab We Met, were into advertising before taking up films.

Need of the hour
A second career is not an option but a necessity today. The professional world has become very unpredictable. Gone are the days of being citizens of one organisation. The recent economic recession proved this and those who had an alternate option survived. It is time for working professionals to make their hobby a second career. Whistling Woods International’s (WWI) January 2010 batch is targeted towards these working professionals who have a passion to pursue a career in film, media and entertainment. Three years of WWI initiating this curriculum have seen about 44 per cent of working professionals joining the institute.

Diverse backgrounds
Professionals from varied industrial backgrounds have joined WWI to follow their passion of filmmaking. WWI’s January batch comprises professionals from industry’s top organisations like Wipro, Google India, McCann Erickson, Max New York Life, NDTV, Prana Studios, Planman Media, Accenture, Pixion, TCS, Fox Studio, Infosys, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Microsoft, UBS, Accenture, HP, Caterpillar, Zee Business, White feather Films, New Line Cinema and Mirabai Films.

WWI enjoys high placement percent through peer group and industry networking. Students work is well recognised and acknowledged by the industry here.WWI has initiated placements with several leading media organizations like Adlabs, Arab Media Group (UAE), Anirights Infomedia, Channel V, Mukta Arts Ltd, Percept Picture Company, Pixion, Prime Focus, Sony Entertainment Television, William Morris Agency (USA), Zee TV and several more.  Below is what the working professionals studying at WWI have to say:  “Filmmaking was not just a dream for me it was my passion as well. I worked as a software engineer for two years at Wipro but now I joined Whistling Woods International to follow my passion. Thankfully, it provides us with the latest technologies so that tomorrow when we graduate from this institute and enter into a new world we are updated and upgraded on technologies. Also, the faculty at WWI is astonishing. They are so well educated in their fields. I am glad to be studying in an institute where I have the resources to choose filmmaking as my second career”, said Abhishek Ghosh Choudhary, a direction student at Whistling Woods International who quit his job at Wipro to pursue film-making. “I joined WWI because it is one of the most reputed institutes in filmmaking. Also, the faculty at WWI is really helpful. The fact that they are currently part of the industry we got a lot of real cinema exposure”, says Neelima Balachandra, an alumni of WWI who was working with Google as a senior ad words representative.

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WWI graduates who passed out have already been placed in well-known production companies like Walkwater Films, Excel Entertainment, Fox Films, Red Chillies, Aamir Khan Productions, Anil Kapoor Film Company, Moserbaer Entertainment, Adhikari Brothers, Big animation etc.
Below are few points why students should opt for Whistling Woods Internationalto pursue a career in this field :
* It gives the students a chance to work on projects that are currently being executed in the industry
* Before arriving at your choice of specialisation, WWI runs you through a programme that helps you identify your best talent.
* It trains you with the help of the best in the industry to hone your unidentified potential and makes you an expert in it.
* It is well-placed to know the requirements of the industry
* It has the best track record of campus placements
* It allows students to interact and learn with the who’s who of the industry
* It is located in the heart of the film business
* It has placement partners regularly visiting campus to meet and teach students
* It proactively create employment opportunities for it students
* It has regular exchange programs with international universities
* It has a leading global and Indian industry representatives on its Academic Advisory Board

The writer is Dean, Whistling Woods International