University of Canberra and ISAC's 'Film and Media Program'

Dear Friends,

June was a busy month for all of us at ISAC! Our flasgship 'Film and Media Program' was attended by students from the University of Canberra. The Film and Media program is a unique immersion and learning program that we have been running for the past 6 years. This program has been growing in popularity with students and practitioners of cinema from around the world and we at ISAC are very proud of this program!

As part of this program students attended shoots, visited studios, met with senior film professionals and observed intricate post-production processes. In the final week students produced short films that were previewed before a fun-filled graduation ceremony in Mumbai.

I am delighted to share with you a glimpse into the students' experience on this amazing program. So read on!

Sincerely,

Hansal Mehta

CEO and Academic Director (Film/Media)

India Study Abroad Center

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Meeting with Actor, Writer and Director Saurabh Shukla

Recently seen in Academy Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire, director and actor Saurabh Shukla met with the students on Day 1. Students watched his film "Raat Gayi Baat Gayi", a comedy based around a married couple and their exploits. Best known for his realistic cinema and his black comedies, Saurabh Shukla shared his ideas on film making with the students.

Special Screening of Bollywood Film Chillar Party

Chillar Party is an Indian children's film made in 2011 by directors Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Bahl. The film is about a gang of innocent but feisty kids who lead carefree lives in Chandan Nagar Colony in Mumbai but are forced to take on the big bad world of politics when their dog's life is endangered. The students had a detailed Q & A with director Vikas Bahl after the film screening

Digital Filmmaking Workshop at FX School

Students spent a day at FX School learning about various digital filmmaking techniques. Students got an overviedw of animation, visual effects, digital painting, photography and digital filmmaking. The school is equipped with world class infrastructure and is the first school in India to have a production ready environment including a state-of-the-art chroma studio, fully-equipped practice labs and art rooms.

Students with acclaimed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

A rare opportunity to interact with the reclusive maestro!

Visits to Film Studios and Sets

Mumbai is home to some of the most spacious studios and elaborate film sets in the world. Students visited shhots of Balaji Studios, DD National and Savdhan India. They also went to Karjat, a little hamlet outside of Mumbai, to see the Big ND Studios. The grand sets of Bollywood films Jodha Akbar and Bodyguard have been built in here. Jodha Akbar, a love story set in the time of the Mughal Dynasty was shot with a budget of 40 million rupees and it recreated the Mughal era replete with palaces and large armies!

From Our Students!

"I had seen a Bollywood film once but I didn't understand what it was about at the time. Coming to India has changed that- I now understand why they do what they do... It's all very fascinating and I would love to shoot a Bollywood dance sequence some day!

It's been great meeting famous Bollywood directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and even more enjoyable to talk to editors like Hemal- because they are the real technicians behind the film."
-Joshua Jessop-Smith,
University of Canberra

"I didn't know what to expect when I first got here but I had always wanted to travel to India and this was the perfect opportunity. The traffic here is overwhelming but simple experiences like riding in a rickshaw have been great fun. The contrast between the glossy studios and the adjoining slums is so apparent here. The culture shock of "squatting" is very interesting to me and I would like to make a film about that. In my student project (for ISAC) I will capture the chaos that is so typical of India."

-Lewis Matheson,

University of Canberra