A 5-day training on “Smartphone Filmmaking” began at the conference hall of the Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) Kohima on October Monday. The training programme is being organised by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in collaboration with the department of IPR as part of the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” with participants from all over the state.
Briefing the inaugural event, additional director IPR, Dzüvinuo Theünuo, informed that four online courses have been conducted with the FTII so far and in continuation with “Azaad Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, the FTII is conducting the training based on the good response received from the training conducted earlier by IPR department.
Theünuo opined that to keep up with the fast pace requirements of the 21st century, the roles of the department have become mufti faceted and proactive. Citing a few examples, she said that the department had posts like darkroom assistant and cinema operator back then which testifies to the prevailing technologies of those times. She added that most of them are now re-designated to more appropriate designations such as assistant photographer, photographer, and technical supervisor to suit the current requirements and assignments.
She recalled that 10 years back, no one could have imagined that the department would be conducting such training courses which give them an idea as to how fast technology is changing and how the department is also trying to keep up with the changing technology. “Technology doesn’t wait for anyone, but we must try to keep up with the pace, who better than the premier technology institution in India and globally acclaimed FTII resource person with vast experience to educate and train the upcoming generation interested in filmmaking in our state,” she added.
Theünuo said that the department’s journey into the official way of filmmaking started way back in 2009 when it introduced its commissioned programmes. She added that earlier Naga professionals who were interested in filmmaking in the state were professionally and technologically trained in video production and mass communication by DDK personnel through the IPR department, and opportunities were very limited. “Eventually, IPR was made the nodal department in film through far-sighted retired senior officers’ initiatives, and IPR started engaging with the trained professionals” she stated. She mentioned that it was a path-breaking initiative to work with the youth of the state who were genuinely interested in making filmmaking.
The additional director also said for every craft and art, one has to start from basics and one needs to learn the technical aspects for which the FTII has come in. She also expressed gratitude to the FTII team for proving the technical expertise and training the young upcoming professional of the state adding that the collaboration of FTII and IPR Department could be done only after 75 years which she said is still not late for taking the state filmmaking to the next level.
Course director prof. Ajmal Jami, in his short speech on smartphone filmmaking training, said that the FTII was there to engage with the trainees as everyone carries a smartphone in their pockets. He expressed enthusiasm to engage with the trainees and walk the path of filmmaking together and encouraged the trainees to be engaging and not to hesitate to get the best out of the training.
Registrar FTII, Sayyid Rabeehashmi, said filmmaking is about creativity adding and that in spite of the tools, one is using to make films where the most important thing is creativity.
He stated that FTII is for those people who want to tell their story and who want to make a movie but cannot, due to lack of skills. Also briefly highlighting the trainees on the history of FTII, he said that the FTII has so far educated 14 thousand and produced super hit films like “3 Idiots” and alumni like Rajkumar Rao and Shabana Azmi were students of the institute.
He added that in various industries and film cultures where films are being made with FTII as a knowledge partner has been excelling. He encouraged the trainees to take up postgraduate courses as this training is just the beginning of the filmmaking process.
Development Commissioner holds meeting with FTII Pune
The registrar, FTII, Sayyid Rabeehashmi, joint secretary IDAN, Reny Wilfred, officials from the Information & Public Relations and Technical Education departments called on the Development Commissioner, Nagaland, Amardeep S. Bhatia at development commissioner’s office, Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima on October 17.
The meeting was conducted to hold preliminary discussions about the prospect of FTII offering various courses in film making and related courses for film enthusiasts in the State by collaborating with educational institutes and concerned government departments. It deliberated at length regarding logistic arrangements, targeted group of students and trainees, course contents and feasibilities of offering short term as well as long term courses. The meeting decided to further hold discussions with concerned stakeholders and take the project further.