AISFM to offer short-term course on 'Movie Magic'

Annapurna International School of Film and Media (AISFM), a not--for-profit institution floated by Hyderabad-based production house Annapurna Studios, is planning to launch a short-term course on Movie Magic Screenwriter, an easy-to-use screenwriting formatting software.

Developed by US-based Write Brothers Inc, Movie Magic helps formatting to Hollywood’s standards, and lets the writer to stay focused on the story and the characters.

It provides 10 industry-standard blank templates to help format a screenplay, TV show, stage play, radio play, radio show or even a comic book, besides offering over 86 TV templates including the writer’s classic favourites and 25 brand new ones. Its text-to-speech engines will also let a writer hear his character’s voice through computer speakers.

“The software package also allows to create a budget and the shooting schedule. We are about to offer this as a short-term course, primarily to cater to the local industry, in three to four months from now,” AISFM chief executive officer Kurt Inderbitzin told Business Standard.

Annapurna Studios, which has so far produced over 40 motion pictures, and has strategic partnerships with global players like Reliance Media Works, SGO-Spain and Light Illusion-UK, has recently invested Rs 100 crore to develop 100,000 sft of five new large-format, fully air-conditioned shooting floors at its 22-acre studio in Banjara Hills.

AISFM is located within the studio premises, giving students access to all the infrastructure including sound stages, floors, permanent sets and post-production facilities.

Inderbitzin, who headed the largest film and television institute in Asia – Mukta Art’s Whistling Woods International in Mumbai during 2006-2008, said the media industry in the country required three million trained professional in the next 10 years, courtesy the explosion of growth in the film, TV and the advertising industry.

“Beginning August, we will be launching our long-term courses – a four-year Bachelor’s degree specialised in production, editing, photography and other aspects, a degree in animation and special affects with an approximate fee of Rs 11 lakh each, and a Master’s programme in film-making for Rs 8 lakh. These will be followed by the launch of an MBA programme in production management and media marketing in September, with a free structure of Rs 8 lakh,” he said.

The school is about to close its collaboration with the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JAN FAU)-Hyderabad for accreditation of the programmes, he said, adding that the almost one-year-old school had so training 100 students in various crafts of film-making, including direction and cinematography, and its goal for the next four to five years was to have 1,000 students on the campus.