New Delhi : Prakash Raj, a national award-winning actor and producer, will head the acting certificate course at the International School of Film and Media in Hyderabad.

He is an inspiration and mentor to many in the Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam film industries. With a career in acting spanning over a decade, his considerable experience will enable students to translate what they learn in the school to the practical requirements of the modern film industry.

The International School of Film and Media is India‘s first private, non-profit film institute. The school promises to provide a world-class learning experience by combining government-recognized degrees with the best practices of international higher education. The institute is currently affiliating with the world‘s best media technology companies to provide students with 24 hour access to the latest computers and filmmaking software and is backed by some of south India‘s biggest names in filmmaking, acting, animation and visual effects. These relationships will provide students with unparalleled opportunities for internships and placements.

The institute is located within the sprawling 22 acres of Annapurna Studios, creating the largest campus of any film school inAsia, with 10 sound stages, permanent sets and cutting-edge post production facilities

The admissions for short courses in filmmaking opened on July 1st while the classes will begin in September this year. Admissions to degree programs will open in early 2012.

The recent launch of the International School of Film and Media, generated tremendous response from students all over the globe expressing their interest in joining varied courses. Queries have been coming in from all over India, the US, UK,Australia, and countries as varied as Sweden and Poland.

The Acting for Film, TV and Theatre course at ISFM is a unique programme in India. It combines a world-class understanding of acting theory with the practical skills required for success in the Indian context. In additional to learning to master their emotions and energy as they perform, students will study dance, fitness, yoga and voice modulation.

Prakash Raj took this opportunity to talk about his philosophy regarding acting. "India has thousands of talented young actors, however many of them lack the specific training that will unlock their talent and allow them to shine. The curriculum we will offer for this course addresses two key aspects of acting theory. The first is presence. Presence is not about looks, or muscles, it is about energy. How you create it, how you focus it and how you express it. Secondly, we develop an actor‘s sense of playfulness. Being playful is to be fearlessly creative in your expression, to constantly be pushing your own boundaries, rather than settling for what is comfortable or expected."

Annapurna Studios MD Nagarjuna stated, "Our vision has been clear from the beginning: we are building the best film and media school in the world. The process of realizing this dream begins with finding the best faculty in the world. Prakash Raj was a natural choice to head our acting course. He shares our vision of building a world-class acting program for India and brings his own unique perspective to his teaching. We welcome Prakash to ISFM."

Kurt Inderbitzin, the CEO of ISFM also shared his thoughts, "We are honored to have a critically-acclaimed, national award-winning actor heading our acting course. Prakash Raj has rich experience in theatre, TV and film and a personal philosophy that draws on both ancient and modern acting traditions from around the world. His knowledge, both practical and theoretical, will equip our students with the skills required for the contemporary media industry."

MUMBAI: Snell today announced the appointment of Vanessa Ching as vice president, channel marketing and communications for the company‘s Asia-Pacific and Middle East territories. Reporting directly to Naresh Subherwal, Snell‘s president, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Ching will be based in Singapore and will manage all strategic marketing programs for the region with a focus on channel partner relationships.

"Vanessa brings a wealth of experience and is marketing-savvy, making her the ideal choice to help strengthen Snell‘s visibility in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East," said Subherwal. "Her ability to create and expand key channel relationships will be especially valuable as we continue to build our presence in these regions."

Ching comes to Snell from GlobeCast, where she led regional communication campaigns specializing in media management, playout, and broadcast transmission for major news and sport events such as the Olympics and the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket for key markets in Asia. Prior to GlobeCast, Ching managed communications at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, a trade association representing public service broadcasters and affiliates in the region.

"There is tremendous potential for Snell‘s world-class technology in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, where media and broadcast markets are seeing phenomenal growth," said Ching. "I‘m looking forward to raising Snell‘s visibility here and expanding our reputation for high-quality, sophisticated, and cost-effective solutions for all types of delivery workflows and production environments."

Mumbai, July 20, 2011: R K SWAMY BBDO, the long standing Agency partner for Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC) has created and delivered an impactful campaign for the company?s non-convertible debentures. Appearing on Television, Print, Outdoor and Online, the campaign created a surge of demand for the NCDs that were fully subscribed within hours of the issue opening.

The complex effort once again show cases R K SWAMY BBDO?s ability as one of the foremost agencies in the country when it comes to corporate brand building and in helping companies to communicate with an Indian heart.

S Narasimhan, Sr. Partner, R K SWAMY BBDO, said "To create communication that appeals to the investor to place funds in a company that is lending to the small truck owner is quite a challenge. Shriram had to come through with a human face, and as a leader in the commercial vehicle finance category across the country. The shoot took us all over the countryside through torrential downpours and sandstorms, just to capture the essence of India."

The 60 sec TVC set to the tune of the immortal classic ?Jeena isi ka naam hai? from the film Anari highlight different facets of the trucker?s life and the role STFC plays in it. The film was conceived by Sangeetha N, Executive Creative Director and Gautam Pandit, Senior Partner at R K SWAMY BBDO, and Directed by Santosh Sivan and Produced by Venus Films. The print ads highlight how STFC has been partnering the small truck owner and empowering him to move ahead in life.

R K SWAMY BBDO is part of R K SWAMY HANSA, a leading Marketing Communications and Services Group, serving over 150 companies in India and the USA. With 1200+ professionals, the Group offers Creative and Media services, Market Research, Direct/CRM & Advanced Analytics, Events and Activation, Healthcare Communication, PR, Social & Rural Communication and more.
 

MUMBAI: Whistling Woods International (WWI) celebrated its 5 years of existence by organizing a convocation ceremony. Renowned names from the film fraternity, media and entertainment corporate world like Yash Chopra, music director Khayyam, Ronnie Screwvala and Shabana Azmi were present at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Whistling Woods International founder and chairman Subhash Ghai said, "Whistling Woods alumni and their placement in the industry, is a testimony of daring to dream; and how nurturing it with the right environment and experiences, can lead someone to achieve success on their own terms.

It is that time of year again where we set free our students, into the industry, infusing it with new life and a fresh perspective. We wish our graduating students all the very best in their future endeavors, to make it big in the film and entertainment industry."

The graduating batches received placements in enviable positions at Endemol, Dharma Productions, Anil Kapoor Productions, Epigram, Prana Studios, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Films, Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions and Prakash Jha Productions among others.

The valedictorians were presented to two students, Murali Krishna who graduated in cinematography and is working on several Hollywood projects and Ankit Banga who completed his MBA in Media and Entertainment and has been placed at India Bulls.

Every year, Whistling Woods International acknowledges two stalwarts from the Indian Film Industry with the WWI Maestro Award on its Annual Convocation Day. Keeping up the tradition, this year the WWI Maestro Award for 2011 was conferred upon Khayyam and Yash Chopra for their lifelong contribution towards enriching Indian cinema and entertainment industry.

MUMBAI: In an emphatic endorsement of CNN?s coverage of a remarkable news cycle in 2011, the latest Pan Asia Cross Media Survey (PAX) (2010 Q2 to 2011 Q1) shows that once again CNN has delivered a substantially larger audience than all other international news and business channels in the Asia Pacific region:

Each day 74% more viewers tune into CNN than the next placed channel (BBC World News)
CNN?s weekly and monthly audience totals are 65% and 56% greater than the next placed channel
CNN has 21% more viewers each week than the combination of CNBC and Bloomberg TV deliver over a whole month

?We?re delighted with these results which once again demonstrate the strength and loyalty of our audience,? said William Hsu, Vice President, news advertising sales, Asia Pacific. ?Our coverage on-air and online clearly resonates with this upscale demographic who embody the global interconnectivity which defines our age. At the same time, CNN?s on-going investment in programming and newsgathering continue to pay dividends. When taken alongside our digital numbers, this is a resounding success for everyone at the network."

Online, CNN maintains the top position as the leading regional media website overall, with more than twice as many Top Managers visiting CNN** than BBC websites.
CNN is generating 39% more out-of-home viewing than any other international channel, and more than twice as much as any sports channel.
Forty-five percent more travellers watch CNN in hotels than any other international channel.
**CNN + CNN Money versus any BBC web sites; web portals and search engines excluded.

MUMBAI: On 16th July 2011, the Prince Hall at NSCI Worli witnessed a memorable meet of the past and present.

ICEPLEX had organised the 3rd IAFA Jury meet comprising of veterans like Ameen Sayani (the eternal golden voice) , Tabassum (ruled the DD airwaves for nearly 2 decades through the programmes Phool khile hain gulshan gulshan), Parikshet Sahni (famous film & tv personality), Madhushree (playback singer) and Ujjawal Kumar Choudhary (Dean-Whistling Woods).

IAFA targets primarily 11-21 years age group who compete for the best made ads.

Apart from the adult jury, there was the child jury headed by Avinash Mukherjee (of Balika Badhu fame). Bhavya Gandhi and Mehr Shah were also present.

Parikshet Sahni felt that some of the ads by the children made him so emotional that he got a lump in his throat.

Ameen Sayani was of the opinion ‘pragati aur parampara‘ must work hand in hand. He added, "No doubt, today‘s generation is doing a wonderful job in the fields of creativity. However only if they continue to create without forgoing their traditions can they do still better".

Tabassum had all the praises for these young film-makers and she congratulated the RYAN International Group especially its Chairman Dr. Augustine F. Pinto and Managing Director Madam Grace Pinto who are supporting the cause of children in such a unique manner. As per Dr. Pinto, every child is multi-talented and as such they should be given multi-faceted platforms to showcase their skills and multiple options to consider while choosing a career.

Dr. Ujjawal Kumar Choudhary- Dean of Whistling Woods suggested that it is high time that the ‘ICEPLEX Movement" should now go up to the next level and involve TV, radio, media institutes and film makers to be a part of this movement.

The child celebrities namely Avinash Mukherjee (of Balika Badhu fame). Bhavya Gandhi (tarak Mehta), Meet Kothari (Dabang) and Saloni Daini (Laughter Challenge) expressed their thanks to the RYAN Group, its Chairman and Managing Director for giving them an early start to connect with media and media tools.

The IAFA event will be held in a glittering function on 3rd August 2011 at St. Andrews Auditorium, Mumbai, and will award the winners who will be coming from all over the country. The IAFA event will be telecast on Doordarshan on 15th August 2011 from 4pm onwards.