Here are the deets of the Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival:

Can Produce: Short Films, Animations, Documentaries & Music Videos

Festival Date: 19 Aug 2012

Regular Deadline: 30 July, 2012

Entries Open For: Students & Professionals

Filmaker’s Premier League Kolkata:
5ShiftsFilmProject- Make a short film in just 5 Shifts.
21DaysAnimationProject- Make an animation movie in just 21 days

Film Business Exchange Center:
Short films Funds upto Rs.1 Lac*
To Apply & download entry form kindly follow the link-
http://miniboxoffice.com/submitmovie.aspx

For further queries please email us at info.kolkata@miniboxoffice.com

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A journalist must possess three types of skills:

1. Physical strength

Firstly, a journalist must possess sound health and should be physically fit. Journalism is an exacting field and it is not meant for people with delicate health and a weak body. A journalist has no fixed hours of work; one may be expected to work for the whole day and may be the whole night too. Also, a journalist does not only work out of a cabin, he or she is expected to be on the field as and when required. Lunch hours are not fixed and nor are sleep schedules. All in all, journalism can exhaust the body and the soul. Hence, it is imperative that a journalist is fit and healthy.

2. Cognitive skills

A journalist should be mentally equipped to meet the demands of a cognitive and emotionally draining profession. A journalist does not stop learning after he graduates from college; in fact for a journalist learning is an on-going process. This means he is required to stay updated and possess more than general knowledge on a wide variety of topics. Also, he must have a very strong hold on the language of his choice. A quick grasping power is required and a more than average level of intelligence is a must. It will be of great help if the person can articulate himself well and has a sound personality.

3. As a person

A journalist must be gregarious and an extrovert. He must have the necessary skills to exact information out of people and to befriend sources. A journalist must be a patient listener and must possess the ability to collate all information and sift through the useful one. He must be unbiased and should keep his personal agenda aside when reporting news.

These three are pre-requisite skills for becoming a good journalist. Make sure that you possess all these three in order to excel in the field you have chosen for yourself.

It’s not every day that you feel a rush of unaltered emotions. Sometimes it’s difficult to decide what you feel and what you want to feel. A person’s perception of reality is a result of their beliefs. Media in all its forms plays a crucial role in determining our emotions. Also when you fall short of emotions, all you need to do is expose yourself to any form of media and you are bombarded with emotions. If you are sad you can watch Vodafone’s zoozoo ads and you will surely start giggling.

It is the job of the media to make you feel and by breeding these emotions inside you, it will get its way in your life. Below are instances that explain how emotions are manipulated by the media.

Fear is one emotion that is used aplenty by the media. Fear emanates survival instinct and hence it is widely used by the media in most of the advertisements, movies, news bulletins, newspaper articles etc. Fear marketing is a very successful strategy to sell any idea or product. We are sold hygiene and beauty products through fear. If you don’t want yellow teeth then you must use this toothpaste or nobody will talk to you. Similarly, you need acne cream so that the opposite sex finds you attractive. The basic idea at play here is “keep everyone afraid and they’ll consume.”

It is typical of audiences to fall prey to such tactics. Desire and the need to have something can play havoc with your brains. Emotions rule all your senses and this is very cunningly used by the media. Ads today easily sell you things that you don’t need in the first place. The basic idea is making you feel an emotion called desire. Such tactics are used by car companies, handset manufacturers and the likes.

Over the years, mass media has played an important role in making people understand the meaning of democracy. We also come to know about the positives and the negatives of the economy of our country, the population figures, the various problems faced by the nation, the increasing levels of corruption, and achievements of the nation in different sectors through the prompt and precise reporting efforts of  the media. Media also creates a sense of pride and unity among the people of the nation. Media, when used correctly, helps spread positive emotions and feelings and this can make or break a nation’s integrity.

When used wrongly, all hell can break loose. As Adolf Hitler explains – “All propaganda must be so popular and on such intellectual level, that even the most stupid of those towards whom it is directed will understand it. Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched life as paradise.”

This concludes that media is indeed powerful in selling emotions. Whether or not you want them, they are still thrust in your system every day, every minute and you can’t do anything except feel grateful to the media for keeping you rich with unaltered emotions.

Although Robert Frost found that taking the road less traveled made all the difference, your social media marketing campaign should help everybody find that road and it should lead directly to you. Any good marketing campaign defines points of entry and channels of acquisition, and your social media campaign should be no less complicated.

Often times, social media is seen as a “free” marketing tool and therefore not worth much attention or time. But a good social media marketing campaign can be just as complex as any other marketing initiative and requires just as much attention, if your brand desires to get any ROI out of your “free” investment. But more than that, laying out your social media blueprint requires an understanding of what drives potential customers to your social profiles and how to help nudge them into becoming repeat customers.

Profile Your Ideal Customer

First of all, you can’t effectively market to an incorporeal customer. So instead of trying to be all things to all people, sit down and figure out what your ideal customer looks like.

• What is their age group and gender? (Does gender matter at all?)
• Where do they work?
• Do they have children?
• How much money do they bring in annually?
• What’s their education?
• What do they do in their free time?

Questions like these and similar others will help you flesh out who your ideal customer is and help you create a better social media marketing blueprint. A blueprint that clearly defines an ideal customer will most effectively reach your ideal customer and persuade them follow your social media profiles.

Where’s The Cool Hangout?

Once you know who your ideal customer is, ask yourself where they hang out online. Just about everyone has a Facebook profile these days, but Facebook might not be the best place to reach your optimal audience. Go deeper than the obvious places. Do they use Quora, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Tumbler? Are there certain blogs and discussion boards that your customer is most likely to frequent? When you can find out where your best customers hang out online, you can then start to define your social media entry points.

What Do They Want?

If you have your ideal customer in mind, what do they want? And not just from you, but in general—what do they want in their life?

• Do they want to save money?
• Do they want to improve their skills?
• Do they want advice?
• Are they worried about particular political views?

Questions like these and more will help you understand what they want from social interaction in general as well as from interaction with your brand in specific. For example, if your ideal customer is an advanced software programmer, they probably don’t want entry-level tutorials about how to manage their email. Insights like these will help you better tailor your message and your strategy for converting potential customers into repeat customers.

Giving Them What They Want

Social media is great because it allows brands to target customers in highly specialized ways. It allows brands the freedom to become resource hubs for their customers and followers in ways that was never possible before.

For example, let’s say you own a software company that helps children learn better, and your ideal customers are mothers of children with learning disabilities. What does your ideal customer want? They want help, yes. But more than that, they probably want to express their opinions and frustrations. They probably want to connect with other parents who are in the same situation. And they probably want updates about the latest news and therapies for children with learning disabilities—and not necessarily from your company. Through social media, you can give them links to important information around the web. You can ask questions that encourage emotional expression and in turn provide them with more resources. You can even create discussion groups where parents can connect with one another.

If you can create a resource hub for your ideal customers, not only will they be getting the information and emotional validation they need, but they will begin to trust your brand, giving you greater authority on the web.

Don’t Be Big Brother

All that being said, don’t be a Big Brother. Just because you have control over the design and content of your social media campaign doesn’t mean that you should delete negative comments, restrict movement within your website, or control your follower’s actions in heavy-handed ways. First of all, that’s creepy. And second of all, your followers will catch on and stop participating in your community.

The Pros & Cons of Social Networking and Basic Safety Instructions

The Pros

Social networking sites have paved the way for easier communication with friends, family, and colleagues. One example of this increased connectivity is that instead of physically meeting in a certain place you and your classmates can discuss a project via conference on gtalk/FB/BBM/Google+ hangout. Virtual communities are also formed, which are composed of people connected together by common interests, purpose, and goal. The privilege of socializing with millions of people of different backgrounds and cultures is something that the web facilitates.

The Cons

While social networking sites have become places for establishing connections and meeting friends, they have also become likely places for identity theft and fraud. You can log in to Facebook/Twitter and you will see multiple profiles pop up when you type in a celebrity’s name in the search tab. While most of these accounts are harmless, some can cause serious collateral damage. It has also become easier for someone to stalk and harass people online.

Keeping these pros and cons in mind, you should take the necessary precautions and trust and share information about yourself with people whom you know won’t misuse it. You can choose to not be a part of a social networking website altogether. Whether you must take this extreme step or just be cautious, is something that you need to decide on your own.

Social Networking Safety Tips

As a kid you probably learned a lot about safety and privacy: Look both ways before crossing the street; buckle up; hide your diary where your nosy brother can’t find it; don’t talk to strangers. While these will help you in the real world, here are some that you need to keep in mind when you are present in the virtual world.

• Review the Web site’s safety notifications, standards, and learn how to report violating content. Most often it will be disclosed at the registration phase. Otherwise, it might be noted at the bottom of the site. This information will educate users about the function of the website in regard to Internet safety.

• Parents must talk to their children about social networking. Suggested topics to discuss would include not posting private information, explaining what information is private and public, what pictures to upload and which ones to not, and so on.

• Understand that people are not who they claim they are. You wouldn’t reveal your personal details to just anyone, would you? Don’t post it on your profile unless you want everyone to see it. Don’t agree to meet an online friend in real unless you know that person and are sure of his/her intentions.

• Be careful — Social Networking is a double-edged sword. It’s okay to have fun and connect with different people on social networks, but just be alert to the fact that criminals and cons use social networks too. Take precautions to prevent possible negative outcomes.

• Setting your profile ‘Private’ to screen outsiders. Most social networks will permit you to set your profile on ‘private’ mode to prevent outside individuals from viewing your profile. This enables you to reach out to others who you are friends with, but excludes incoming profile requests.

• Maintain your computer’s defenses. As a general precaution, it’s important to make sure you have an updated anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware and operating system updates. It’s been noted previously, some MySpace advertisements contain malicious code and can infect your computer system. I’ve listed four ways to prevent spyware, check it out.

• Consider using a fake name or alias. There is no need to use your real name on social networks. Get creative and give yourself a wacky and freaky name.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of college? More often than not, the one memory that would pop into everyone’s mind would be that of fests or college events. No matter how small the college or the event, college events promise to be part of a memory that’s pleasant and more fondly remembered than the rest.

A lot goes into getting these events to work and even more to make them popular. So what makes a *great* event stand out from the rest? Well it’s some fabulous marketing, coupled with a lot of hard work and fun. While there are no written mantras for making your college event a hit, I hope these pointers help.

1. Plan Ahead

Even if the event is just a two day affair, it is important to plan well in advance. While the entire event needs to be chalked out at least a month in advance, the marketing plan should start way before. There is nothing worse than a last minute publicity plan for any event, even a college fest. There should be a well defined campaign in terms of dates and duties should be assigned to the members in charge.

2. Have a varied marketing strategy

With the number of options available today, the sky is the limit. Television, radio, internet are all wonderful platforms to publicize events. The crazy growth of social networking has added to this list a charm that is hard to be replicated. Therefore, have a marketing strategy that spans across platforms. Use mediums that will reach out to your audience and leave out those that show little potential.

3. Work from the heart

The most important aspect of an event is the passion that the organizers have for it. Only if they love the event enough to put in their heart and soul into it will the event turn out to be a hit. In the absence of such dedication any effort can only be half hearted at best.

4. Inclusion

It is important for the smooth working of the event that everyone works cohesively on it. This means that seniors and juniors needs to function like a team and work in perfect sync.

5. Be creative

No idea is a bad one unless you deem it to be so. It is important to discuss all the ideas so that they can be chosen or dumped. Some of the nicest ideas could sound catastrophic during their inception and some of the best ones could turn out to be trash. The trick is to make sure the event is extraordinary and that it would appeal to everyone.

6. Have pre-events and contests

All of us like winning prizes. Have interesting contests running throughout the month culminating in the major event. These contents will bring about an interest for the main event.

Events are big. And everyone loves to be a part of them. The only thing to be kept in mind is that the success of an event- big or small depends on the amount of dedication and passion that has gone into it. Bring these two into the picture, stand back and watch the magic unfold!

Do you have a story to tell? Directing a movie/play/short film offers the chance to tell your story the way you imagine it. Directing movies is exciting and artistically fulfilling but it can be a tiring. Directors are responsible for turning the script or story into a sequence of shots. They also guide the actors and crew on-board who help turn their creative vision into a final tangible product. Because of the amount of influence a director exerts over the final product, having a good director is extremely important for the success of a film.

If you wish to be a director, then these are the top 10 things you need to bear in mind.

1. Cultivate a personal interest in films: This is the first thing you must do, if you wish to be a director. Develop a personal interest in the workings of this industry. Watch new arrivals, movie trailers and study the trend.

2. Study people: You should inculcate the quality of studying people and observing them. Study the gestures and postures of the people around. How they react to the certain things and what they think about it. Based on the instances you see around you, you can try to glean storylines out of them.

3. Mute and watch: Switch on a movie channel and mute the volume. See the visuals and study the directions and camera angles used in the film; comprehend the way a film is shot.

4. Pen your thoughts down or Act: Be it a simple story or a poem, you must write it down. Think about how the scene and the dialogues complement each other and how they should be shot. You can even act or perform a small skit with the help of your friends and shoot it with your mobile. This may sound weird, but it prove helpful.

5. See old movies: Lot of modern movies make use of computer graphics and camera tricks. If you want to study real direction, then you must watch old movies. In these movies, storyline and direction were the main components of the film and not the graphics. This will be a great learning experience for you.

6. Read books: Believe it, to be director it’s very essential to read books that talk about direction. Here are some books which we recommend that will prove helpful:  Directing Features Films by Mark Travis, Five C’s of cinematography, Shot by Shot, Film Directing Fundamentals, Making Movies by Sidney Lumet.

7. Visit movie sets: If you really want to be a director you must try and make it a point to visit movie sets. Seeing it all happen live will help you understand what goes into making a film. This will surely be a great learning experience.

8. Enrol in a training program for directors: Sign up for training programmes or courses in college that will help you study the theoretical part of directing.

9. Think small at first: Start small and be dedicated to your work. Don’t think you will get a break directly with a big production company. Work your way up the ladder and make the journey a fun learning experience.

10. Be on time and be prepared: Inculcate the quality of punctuality in you. Be ready to work long hours. Spot boys and director are the first ones to arrive on the location and last ones to leave. So be prepared to display such intense dedication to your job.