Scriptwriting & Film making course in Ahmedabad from August to November, 2014

Learn to Film Your Dreams. Make your own short fiction film in four months on Sundays.

Manjushree Abhinav, a film-maker, novelist and teacher, is organizing the fourth batch of the course in film making, from concept to screen, on Sundays over four months, in Ahmedabad. The first two months of this course will be accessible online.

Manjushree has taught at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, NID ( National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad), and Srishti, Bangalore.

This Weekend batch organised by Manjushree Abhinav has a great faculty, reasonable fees and a convenient location. It gives people the opportunity to learn film-making without leaving their jobs or studies.

So you can now follow your dreams while taking care of your responsibilities.

COURSE CONTENT

CREATIVE WRITING

Since this course deals with fiction films, we would first tap the biggest reservoir of stories : an unblocked storehouse of memories and emotions. We will also understand the structure of the conflict-resolution story, and we shall dip into the Navarasas. The aim of the workshop is to dig out the blocks that hamper the sprouting of the creative juices and fuel the love of writing towards an intense and natural discipline. It will help the beginner as well as the writer who is stuck in the middle of a story, a script, a film….

SCRIPTWRITING AND FILM APPRECIATION

The story we have structured in the creative writing workshop, we will stretch out into an audio visual script. We will understand the elements of Scriptwriting: Characterization, Plot, Setting, Theme. Students will pitch their scripts to the batch, and a few scripts will be selected to be developed for shot breakdown and dialogues.

( Those who want to study only script - writing  which includes creative writing, the fees is INR 11600/ Also, this part of the course, approximately two months, will also be available online. So those out of Ahmedabad can also learn the writing aspect of making films.)

ACTING WORKSHOP

It is only when we our-self get liberated from inhibitions that we can direct others. A theater professional will teach us that acting is not acting, it is much much less.

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTWRITING

The various elements of shot-taking: Image Size, Camera Angles, Camera Movements, Lighting, Camera Speed, Stocks, Graphics, Colour. The Rule of Thirds & the Golden Points. Lenses. Depth of Field and Selective Focus. Maintaining continuity, the imaginary line.

CAMERA PRACTICALS 

 Basics of how to use a digital camera will be followed by shooting a five shot exercise to understand the rules of screen grammar in a practical manner. A professional camera person will show us that cinema is a play of light and movement.

THE ELEMENTS OF EDITING 

What we have shot we will now edit on final cut pro, an editing software. We will also talk about how the history of Editing is synonymous with the development of language of cinema.

MAKING THE SHORT FILM

 The final project of the course will be to make a short fiction film with a small group of students, depending on the script that is selected.

Here is one of the films we made in the last workshop. Its called , The Skipping Rhyme. An old man gets an answer to a deep question from a little girl : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9jPvErYrwM

CONTACT :  Manjushree at 9825476446. You can also email us at  manjushree.abhinav@gmail.com for more information.

DURATION :The course would span across four months of weekend classes, mostly on Sundays, from August to November 2014.

FEE STRUCTURE

The film making course includes creative writing, script writing, acting workshop, camera practicals, elements of editing, Animation Workshop,  and making the short film, during four months of weekend classes.

The total fees for this course was INR Thirty two thousand and eight hundred, (INR 32,800/) . If the fees is paid in one single installment, there is a whooping discount of Five thousand rupees, which means the total fees would be only Rs 27,800/ 

The course fees cover the classes, the visiting faculty’s fees, the cost of making the student film, and study material like books and cds. A donation of Rs 500/- would be given from every student’s fees to a children’s charity.

DISCOUNTS  

1. To encourage women film makers, all ladies will avail a discount of 20 % ! ( INR 26,240 ). If ladies can pay in one installment, then they will have to pay only INR 25,000.
2. Students will avail a 10 % discount. (INR 29,520 ) . If students pay in one installment, the fees will be INR 26,500 only.

Manjushree Abhinav’s Film making Course is right for you if you are:

• A Newcomer: The course would equip you to enter the Film and Television Industry as an assistant director or to make short films independently.
• A Mediaperson who’s learnt on the job: You would benefit from learning the basics formally and getting your fundas clear.
• A Professional who is already working in the Industry in another capacity: It would help you become a full-fledged director.
• From the Corporate Sector: The course would add to your qualifications since films are a very important medium of corporate communication & advertising.
• Animators will understand film making, which is an important aspect of animation.

The benefits of joining this Film & TV Direction Course are:

• SUNDAY CLASSES: Full-day classes on Sundays, so you can pursue your dreams without forsaking the responsibilities of your work or studies.
• WELL-DESIGNED SYLLABUS: More than 50% of class time would be devoted to hands-on film-making, so that you learn how to transform your ideas into films that light up the silver screen. While the course is practical-oriented, the theory portion would help you develop a sound understanding of the basics of story-telling and film-making. You will also be watching many world class films to appreciate the different aspects of the teaching. The visiting faculty will be from reputed institutes like FTII, SRISTI School of Art and Design, Chitra Kala Parishad, etc.
• STUDENT FILM: You would write and direct a short film. The cinematography and editing would be done by professionals from the Industry, which would be a great learning experience. It would also result in a well-made film which you can be proud of and use as your show-reel as well as submit to film festivals.
• STUDY MATERIAL : The students would be given:

1. Copies of important books
2. Scripts
3. Links to useful websites and free scriptwriting software
4. CDs & DVDs of some important films

• CERTIFICATE: You would be given a certificate at the successful completion of the course.
• FILM FESTIVALS: The student films made as part of the course would be sent to film festivals.
• DEMAND FOR FRESH VOICES: The Indian film and television industry is looking for fresh voices. With the diminishing appeal of the formula masala film, there is a demand for out-of-the-box thinking, for directors who understand the art and craft of film-making. It’s a great time to enter the field!

TEACHER’S PROFILE 

Manjushree Abhinav has authored a novel, ‘A Grasshopper’s Pilgrimage’.

She is a film maker. She has studied at FTII, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. She has made several documentary films, and taught various aspects of film making like scriptwriting, making documentary films, video editing, at FTII, NID (National Institute of Design), Ahemedabad, Srishti School of Art and Design, Bangalore.

She has also conducted several creative writing workshops at the Times of India Nalanda group, Bangalore, Ahemedabad and Mumbai. This is the eighth batch of film making workshops she is conducting.

She blogs at www.baktoo.blogspot.com. You can watch her films and read part of her book at www.storygram.in.