If you are looking for a career in filmmaking and television then these 5 colleges in India offer the best courses. Visit now for more details.
By Chaitu Nampalli:
If you are looking for a career in Film-making and television then here are the top five colleges in India which offer the best courses in the country.
1. Film and Television Institute of India, Pune:
Among the top five the most preferred is Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. It was established in 1960 and is currently celebrating its Golden Jubilee year. The ambience of the place is filled with best aspects of film-making. It is considered as a centre for excellence not only in India but also abroad. Its alumni include such luminaries as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bhaduri, Subhash Ghai, Mani Kaul, Shatrughan Sinha, Mithun Chakraborty, Tom Alter, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Raj Kumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Oscar winner Resul Pookutty. The campus covers an area of about 30 acres and is planning to add 27 acres of land behind the present building for an international campus.
“We believe in giving students the freedom to interpret and learn things their way. So we don’t follow any textbook rigidly. Apart from some basic principles and theories, everything is fluid,” says Kedarnath Awati, professor of music.
It offers courses in Direction, cinematography, sound recording and sound design, Editing, Acting, Art Direction and Production Design, Animation and computer Graphics and Feature and screenplay writing. Apart from Acting, where it takes 26 students every year, all the other courses take 14 students. Excluding the above courses, it is also introducing new courses in film management, ad films, television journalism and 3D animation, and these courses will have a batch of 30 students, 2/3rd of the students being Indians and the rest foreigners. For admission in the above courses one must need a bachelor degree. For animation and computer graphics course one must clear XII class examination. Physics at the Plus Two level is essential for those seeking to study audiography. To support these courses this institute has outstanding faculty. Students get hands-on knowledge in all aspects of filmmaking and television.
It is equipped with two film studio floors and two television studios and in sound department it is exclusively equipped with Harrison audio mixing console. It has a spacious film and video library with a good collection of films and videos all around the world, and also a computer library has been set up recently.
2. Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata:
Next to FTII is Satyajit Ray Film And Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, established in 1995. It is an autonomous academic institution and is administered by the ministry of information and broadcasting of the Government of India. Similar to FTII, it also offers Post graduate courses but only in four areas, they are Direction in screenplay, audiography, editing and cinematography. There is abundance of opportunities for the students as they are allowed to watch films in the institute. The institute consists of two theatres; one is main theatre and the other is called preview theatre, in addition to this there is also an open air theatre and also 35mm and 16mm screen projection facility. Libraries are brilliantly equipped. Batches are limited to 40 students and SRFTI attracts some foreign students as well. The institute has a canteen and provides hostel facilities.
And if someone wants to try out for Fiction and Non-fiction Movies production and everything related to it then SRFTI is the best option!
3. Whistling Woods International, Mumbai:
On the Top Five list third comes Whistling Woods International, Mumbai, established in the year 2006. It is chaired by the iconic Filmmaker and leader of Mukta Arts Production, the showman Subhash Ghai. The campus is designed with expert guidance of Australian Film, Radio and Television School. It offers a balanced, modern and complete course to the film making industry. It gives unparallel training in different aspects of Filmmaking. The infrastructure is fabulous and is geared with all the latest equipment. You can get every detail of it on their website.
The Whistling woods International Offers full time intensive courses which span over two years. The specializations available are: Acting, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Business of Film & Television, Sound Recording, Design and Music Production, Animation and Screenwriting. There are Subhash Ghai, Shyam Benegal, Naseeruddin Shah, Hema Malini, Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, A.R. Rahman, Dilip Kumar, Javed Akhtar, Mahesh Bhatt, Om Puri, Ramesh Sippy, Shabana Azmi, Ashutosh Gowariker, Nagesh Kukunoor, Satish Kaushik and many more as the faculty and part of the advisory board. Now, what more can we ask from this institution? The Institute is also helping students from less affluent backgrounds in getting loans and scholarships.
Mind You guys and girls, this is the Institute which is totally equipped with Sony Media Technology! And it is a platform for any of the aspiring candidate from all kinds of backgrounds as they have the chance to make their dream come true. Overall, WWI is modernized, amazingly equipped and it will give hands-on approach to both theoretical and practical aspects of filmmaking and television.
4. Center for Research in Art of Film and Television, Delhi:
The fourth on the list is Center for Research in Art of Film and Television (CRAFT), Delhi which is a non-profit, non-governmental organization registered as a public charitable trust to impart quality education in the field of film, television, and other media arts through short and long-term courses with specialization in various disciplines. It was established in the year 2009.
This one has a low teacher-student ratio, with 10 seats per course, guest faculty from the Mumbai Film Industry, training oriented towards film aesthetics, hands-on experience based on current industry requirement and rigorous training assuring guaranteed top placements. It is offering all the courses that FTII is offering and it also includes News Reading, Creative writing and Radio Jockeying. But the sad thing is that it doesn’t provide any accommodation for the students. Facilities are comparatively poor and faculty, though good, is not as impressive as the other colleges mentioned here. Overall, CRAFT is not so bad when it comes in satisfying students in terms of Teaching.
5. Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida:
The fifth college is Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), Noida. It has been training students in the art and craft of filmmaking since 1993. The Academy was built as an alternative to formal film schools and since then has established itself as one of the best film institutes in India. It proudly stands as the only film school in this part of the world to be certified by ISO 9001:2000 (International Organization for Standardization).
AAFT is offering four types of courses- 3 months course, one year diploma, two years diploma and 3 years course. These programs are taken into account based on the impact of media present in the day to day life. AAFT offers almost all the courses one wishes of when he/she is thinking of making filmmaking/television as their life’s goal!
All the modern facilities needed for the curriculum are present at AAFT, which includes 6 shooting floors, conference rooms, Rehearsal hall, film club, library, private screening rooms and 16 air conditioned class rooms. The health conscious students can use the gymnasium or they can play games like badminton or volleyball in the ground attached to the hostel. Students living in the hostel often get the opportunity of observing professional filmmaker and television producers at work. Security as well as an attendant have been provided round the clock at the hostel.
The placement of AAFT students is looked after by a special cell for rendering opportunities in the film and television industries, and since its inception the faculty of AAFT has been known for properly guiding and helping the students with their placement in the industry. The students are also given opportunity to work under Mukta Arts Ltd., Venus Ltd., Tips india ltd., Maruti International and also B.A.G Films.
Overall, AAFT is fifth best among the 5 options!!
Hopefully, this review might help most of the people. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments section below and we would be happy to help.