In the whole wide world of intellectualism who could ever come across a more clearly and cleverly overlapping subject of study than the all encompassing subject of ‘Media Studies’! This gives rise to a string of guilty pleasures that only media students get to indulge in.

1. Being a one of its kind subject which covers, all at once, the critique of artistic styles and aesthetic forms (genres, narratives, styles etc.), the know how of the execution processes (technological as well as market study and analysis etc.), and the socio-cultural perspective of how, through which, and where it all happens (social impact, effects of culture and ideology, consumer behavior and reception etc.) media studies gives a media student the freedom to pick and choose from its vast expanse of subject matter, thereby giving birth to a string of guilty pleasures that only he and he alone can indulge in. So the first guilty pleasure would be this very vast scope of study.

2. Going by this definition of media studies, the first and foremost task of a media student would be to immerse himself or herself into the study of art and aesthetics, its history, evolution, socio-cultural implications, scope, meanings, styles, forms, and so on. The second guilty pleasure of the media student then would be the pleasure of studying, day in and day out, the various styles of art and forms of aesthetics. The guilt lies in the fact that art in itself is an unbound subject, in terms of magnitude, form and time; while the study of aesthetics he can easily extend to the psychological, sociological and even philosophical perspectives, if he so chooses. And the fact that nothing encourages fresh ideas and independent thought than witnessing art and understanding aesthetics only adds to such pleasures.

3. A corollary of the above description of media studies would then be the fact that it enjoys the freedom to draw from the realms of the social sciences and the humanities, as it brings them into its sphere of learning and relates them to subjects as vast and varied as the science of mass-communication and technology driven communication and communication induced technology. Therefore this very freedom becomes the third guilty pleasure of the media student.

4. The fourth most guilt-burdened pleasure of a media student is that he gets to study culture and society, not just with a historical perspective, but in the current one, as and when it is formed as well as how it is formed. For mass media after all is the most impactful instrument of culture formation, especially contemporary culture formation. For who can deny the impact that movie, the internet, the television and the radio etc. have on the current socio-cultural demographics of the world. In this sense, the media student gets to study ‘live’ processes, and all that goes on behind the scene as well. In a sense, he gets more close to the idea of ‘playing god’ than even the most innovative of scientists can. So, ultimately it is he who has to bear the burden of this guilty pleasure.

5. Another aspect of media studies is its impact on the geopolitical scenario. Media and communication practices first began to impact the world of politics during World War I. By the time WW-I ended the foundation of the world of mass media had been laid. And World War II set it on a growth trajectory that could never have been imagined at the time. Today the scene is such that media has acquired the status of a King maker all over the world. Thereby the fifth guilty pleasure of the media student would be his fortune to hold the power to make or break governments in the palm of his hand, figuratively speaking.

6. Surely once all these guilty pleasures have been established, a student of such a subject would not deny the guilty pleasure of over indulgence in the subject matter- the last and guiltiest of all the pleasures of a media student. Yes indeed, the media student would very often be accused of this for no other subject matter can allow indulgences of such kinds to such extensive extents. And in this regard, the media student is truly found guilty as charged- without so much as a hint of regret, if I may say so!

However, this is only my take on the subject. You, dear reader, should feel free to add to this list. You are most entitled to this freedom, for it is you who shall be taking media to the next level of elevation, upgrading, as you go, this list of guilty pleasures. I sincerely hope you enjoy your process of discovery as I have enjoyed mine!

Should there be a demarcating line between passion and a day job? Aren’t we, as apostles of the post modern age of today, learn to select and live with the choice. In other words, live the choice?

In modern times still, the choice is not much of a guarantee.  Especially in  a text book driven society like India. This all is said with financial constraints only in mind. The Indian mentality is mostly shaped by the burden of loans and  the interest itself has interest attached. The sum total is negation of wants.

Why not unburden yourself from the hangup?? Why not shake it all off and follow your passion? Why not make your passion your day job per se?

A common argument holds truth when one says that when the day job is not the passion, then there is lack of depth of commitment. Money is the main draw. Money is what acts as the trap for many to give up ones passion to pursue something half heartedly.

The equation then stands of happiness vs reality vs passion.

To follow a more optimistic line of thought, we can even say that in the pursuit of happiness, we might end up seeking out new unexplored territories or “passion projects” to explore the reality.  These little projects shape the character and bring us closer to realizing our dreams.  One step closer to making happiness a reality.

The suggestion that usually gets made is, “just get a regular job”. But I don’t want a “regular job”. These are the jobs that are usually referred to as the 40-40 club.

Forty hours a week for forty years, then retirement. Then a pat on the pack on off you go. Some may find it hard to be truly passionate about regular jobs, and without passion it’s hard for happiness to follow.

Therefore many  strongly believe that if you follow your passion then happiness does become a reality

Imagine there are 2 scenarios. In scene 1, you get to pursue your passion, but it is not so lucrative.

While you love every minute of pursuing your passion and you get so much fulfillment out of it, you find it hard to concentrate on this path when you have to face real, monetary limitations. Money to pay the bills, money to do other things you love, money to live in a sufficient manner. This is the scenario of the starving artist, if you may.

In scene 2, you remain in your lucrative job with great prospects, but you do not hold a passion for the work. You get by working from day to day by blocking out your real inner desires. The numbness you feel is drowned out by the extrinsic benefits that your job offers, such as an attractive benefits package which allows you to acquire material goods and live in luxury, prestige and awe that comes from being associated with the company, etc. However, these are temporal gratifications and you feel empty inside in the long run.

What should we do here? Both options have its own sets of pros and cons. Both options leave us unsatisfied in some manner. Scenario A lets us be fulfilled emotionally, but not in terms of material needs.

Scenario B lets us be fulfilled on the material level, but not emotionally.

The answer is: It’s not an either or situation; it’s ‘and’. There is a Scene 3 where we can meet our all our needs.

So if the scenario exists, how do we get there? How do we achieve it?

The idea is not to limit oneself.

The reason why people commonly narrow it down to between passion or money is because of what they see around them. If we are to look towards the world for outlets which meets our passion and needs, we will find sub-optimal solutions. Such as a teaching job that pays little. Non-profit organizations laden with bureaucracy and poor practices that lead to our mental atrophy. Nearly non-existent paths for passions like art and music. The bleakness of the situation is further emphasized by real life examples, such as artists who experience dwindling sales for their galleries, musicians who work hard on their music career with limited success, etc.

Don’t limit yourself by what you see in this world. And don’t limit yourself by what people around you say or think either, be it your mentors, teachers, family, friends, peers, or whoever. I’m not saying not to listen to them; but rather, not to restrict yourself based on what others tell you. You are an individual with your own unique set of needs. If you are to relegate it to the real world to provide you with the outlet to meet all your needs, you are not going to find fully satisfactory answers. The real world is only going to have opportunities that reflect others’ needs and can meet your needs in a certain manner. Your own needs can only be fully met by creating your own opportunities.

Your options are only as limited as you let them be. If you feel your passion is less than lucrative than your day job, it is because you define it to be that way. If your passion is not a viable full time career, it is because you choose it to be so. If your passion cannot meet your material needs, it is because you think it to be so.

We can start off by becoming aware of all your needs that you have. While it is common to consider just passion and money, we have needs beyond those two segments we should factor in.

There are 4 key aspects that comprise us as humans: Mind, Heart, Body, Soul. For each of these aspects, it has its own set of needs that need to be met for us to live the fullest life we desire.

Be true to yourself. Be true to what you want and who you are.  Be your life’s own architect and design your vision.

Lastly be as liberal as you can be. You should realize what are the barriers to your dream monetizing and convert barriers to key elements of success.

Success and happiness comes from self belief and wiping off of ones own inner demons- ones own mental blocks.

Take control of your life and let the passion be your platform for excellence.

A lot has been said about the professionalism and work ethics of the corporate world. For any aspirant, sitting in college, dreaming of a five figure salary and a big fifteenth floor  office- there is one image of a typical corporate life. Like it or not this picture invariably involves someone facing a few people in a conference room and making presentations. This is why making presentations and making them well becomes so very important not just in work life but right from college itself. It’s the one thing they teach you in biz school and while you’re there- you better learn it well!

1.Late for a presentation? Ouch!

The biggest most important thing while giving a presentation is being there! And more importantly being there on time. For all the skills and gloss that you might be able to sell to your audience, if you’re late, none of it will make much of a difference. So if you’re late during a presentation make sure you make a brilliant excuse once you’re there because being late you’re running a huge risk anyway!

2.Lost your data…a dog couldn’t have chewed it this time

Let’s face it, we can’t really use the ‘dog ate my homework’ excuse after the age of ten. I don’t even think it worked back then! So realizing that your data is missing is close to suicide especially, when you have a few beady eyes looking right through you, ready to dissect every word you speak. What does one do in such a scenario? – talk about everything. More often than not a person who speaks confidently is judged as someone who knows a lot so use it to your advantage and talk like you’ve never talked before! It might just work!

3.Got the stage fright!

A big problem that a lot of people- students and even professionals face is -stage fright. Everything could seem to be perfectly in place till that spotlight falls on you and all eyes are on you. The solution for this is far from difficult. Try imagining all those in front of you in a funny setting (here may I add “I leave the ‘imagining’ to your creativity”) and things won’t seem as bad. Just a small suggestion though- try not getting too carried away!

4.Too many questions!

A typical situation- you’ve prepared a brilliant presentation and you know your stuff. Come the day and you’re presenting it with confidence and clarity. The world seems perfect till that guy in the first row asks you that question. And then some more. Feel like your perfect picture is coming crashing down? Fear not because there is a solution. While the ideal situation would be to answer all those questions with the confidence of a salesman, this is not always the case. So the escape is the magical line- I’m running short on time! In order to make sure you don’t seem too rude, drop in the additional line of ‘ you can mail the questions to me and I’ll revert’. I don’t really think anyone actually gets down to answering them but then you come out of a sticky situation looking prepared and polite!

5.Hey that’s my topic!

The worst thing that can happen is to find yourself presenting on a topic that has already been done. You’re already bogged down on whether yours is going to be better than your counterparts’ presentation and all hell breaks loose. The solution for this can be to start by being a little selfish and not scream your idea from the rooftops. But if you have been smart enough to do that- fear not, there is a way out. Presentations can be a boring thing to sit through. Something to make your presentation popular and different is to make it funny. This does not mean take away from the main topic at hand, but do it with a humorous twist. It’s always a hit with the audience.

6.Ahem…Don’t know much?

It’s the day of the presentation and you just realize that you actually don’t know much about what you plan to say. It’s a genuine mistake- happens to the best of them. But the smart thing is to get out of it without coming out looking like a novice. The best thing to do in such a situation, is to throw everything out to the group for discussion. There is a double whammy you hope to achieve here- assuming the audience is of an average intelligence level they will automatically start a constructive discussion. And secondly you get brownie points for interaction. Now that’s called being smart!

7.Got a strict boss/ professor?

While fun and games and jokes can make you an instant hit with your audiences, the same cannot be said about some Professors and old school bosses. So the worst situation could be you imagining yourself to be a hit with the masses but then that glance to the boss’ face and he looks far from pleased. Oops! Time for damage control. Nothing to worry, it’s far from ruined. The best thing to do in this situation is to quote a definition or better still throw some statistics! Trust me, they all love numbers!

So while these aren’t the ideal way to make ‘Class A’ corporate presentations, I  hope you never have to use them in real life. But if by some chance you do, chill, relax and watch the magic!

Sunday, February 6, 2011:

FX School of Digital Film-making, Visual Effects, Animation & Photography is hosting a FREE Workshop on Filmmaking and Visual Effects on Sunday, February 6th, 2011 at its campus in Andheri (W).

Filmmaking and VFX enthusiasts can expect to learn about the logistics of short filmmaking, stylistic music video production, guerilla filmmaking and experimental storytelling that utilizes digital visual effects.

For further details and registration please contact 022 4235 4235.

Details of the Workshop:

What: Workshop on Filmmaking & Visual Effects

Where: FX School

When: Sunday, February, 2011

Time: 10.30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Address: 105 Morya Landmark I, New Link Rd, Opposite Infiniti Mall, Andheri       (W)

Charges: FREE!

How: Register by calling 022 4235 4235

Website: www.fxschool.in

About FX School

FX School is a high quality institute that offers Diploma & Certificate courses in the fields of animation & gaming, visual effects, photography and digital filmmaking, collectively called digital content creation (DCC).

FX School has truly world class infrastructure and is the first institute in India to have a production-ready environment including a state-of-the-art chroma studio, fully-equipped practice labs and art rooms. FX School offers an inspirational learning environment complete with a café-lounge.  Personalized continuous career counseling ensures students stay on track for a successful career. Accomplished and experienced professionals help students master skills in their chosen disciplines. A distinguished Board of Excellence – comprising of the senior-most industry acclaimed professionals and experts – keeps the curriculum at the cutting edge of the field. As a result students graduate as polished, industry-ready professionals poised to contribute instantly in a real production environment.

K.P.B. Hinduja College Of Commerce presents Cineaste’11, the annual BMM festival! This year the fest revolves around the theme ‘Bollywood!’ All the events involve a bollywood twist. Rock band, Drama, Street dance, Fashion show, Documentaries, Short films, Ad creation, Journalism, Acapella singing, Airbanding, Spoof videos…phew! You name it and it is a part of this grand cinematic extravaganza.

Event Schedule

Day 1 – 11th February

Day 2 – 12th February

Day 3 – 13th february

For more information, visit http://www.cineaste.in./