Film meet reaches out to students: AI to OTT, youngsters' queries to veterans
Telegraph | 1 February 2025
A film conclave on Friday stood out for reaching out to students aspiring for a career in the entertainment industry.
Over 300 students from different institutions, many pursuing a course in subject/s aligned to filmmaking, were in the audience at the Media and Entertainment Conclave (MECON) 2025, organised by the Film Federation of India in New Town.
The young guns asked questions to industry veterans on the dais. From the prospects of AI in filmmaking to the impact of the emergence of OTT on new jobs, the queries were varied.
But they were a pointer to an unmissable trend. Like medicine, civil services, finance, engineering, aviation and hospitality, filmmaking is emerging as a viable career choice for youngsters, many as fresh as just out of school.
One of them was Usashi Basu, pursuing a master’s in multimedia from St Xavier’s College with a specialisation in animation and VFX.
“I studied humanities in plus-II. Then came Covid. Everything was stalled. I had a knack for design. Post-Covid, with the emergence of OTT platforms, the demand for people who create art for entertainment has been rising,” said Usashi, who lives in Garia.
Her classmate, Sanchita Das, who has come from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, wants to utilise the “tremendous potential that animation and VFX have to offer”.
To cater to the rising demand, institutions are also offering a wide range of courses.
“Content is changing and you have to evolve,” said Minal Pareek, dean at the School of Media Communications Fine Arts and Design at Sister Nivedita University (SNU).
“From script writing to graphics to film marketing, there is a gamut of career options for youngsters,” Pareek said.
Many of the students who attended the conclave were from SNU.
Rev. Fr. Dominic Savio, principal of St Xavier’s College and one of the speakers at the conclave, called entertainment the “sunshine industry in the era of digitisation”.
“There is no shortage of talent. The time has come for the creation of adequate infrastructure,” he said.
Firdausul Hasan, the president of the Film Federation of India, the apex body of producers and exhibitors in the country, said in his inaugural address: “India is not only the largest content producer but also the biggest consumer.... Just as children choose medicine, law, engineering and civil services as professional careers, it is time we provide the next generation with viable options so they can take up films as a serious profession.... We have to roll out proper amenities where they can learn the different skills of this trade.”
Hasan has produced feted films like Padatik, Aparajito and Mayurakshi.
Speaker after speaker said the nature of the content was evolving.
Jalaluddin Mondal, who heads Zee Bangla Cinema, underscored that change: “A home-grown YouTube channel becomes so popular that it can employ over 100 people and earn crores. The widening ambit of social media has widened the scope for a skilled workforce.”