Having proven his skills as an activist, theatre artist, hands-on visual editor and filmmaking teacher, Ranjith Shankaran, an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, is now the Dean of Revathy Kalamandir Film Academy, a new film school in Thiruvananthapuram.
During his youth, Ranjith was a student activist and street-theatre activist in Mumbai during the post Emergency period in India. After completing a one-year diploma course in Journalism from KC College, Mumbai, he secured a job at Oriental Bank of Commerce, Pune, and was an active participant in trade-union activities there. At the age of 31, he joined FTII, following which he turned a professional film editor for Marathi films and tele-serials. When linear editing (where sequences are in order) switched to non-linear mode (a method of editing that allows access to any frame in a digital video clip regardless of sequence) in digital era, he joined ETV-Hyderabad in 2000 as head of on-air programmes and content development. He worked there for four years and went on to become the channel’s programming head before he quit . He then became the creative head of the programme, Kumkum, aired on Star Plus, and took a sabbatical before wearing the garb of a tutor by conducting a one-week editing workshop for FTII students in 2003 and he took another one-month workshop on the ‘Tenets of Broadcast Journalism’ at University of Pune. In Rai University, Pune, he was the Dean of Institute of Film and Television and college of Media and Communication during 2004-2005 before joining LV Prasad Film and TV Academy, Chennai.
As Dean of Revathy Academy, Ranjith’s primary focus is on the day-to-day affairs of the academy, but he is also keen on putting his experience and knowledge into practice to mentor aspiring filmmakers and actors.
Teaching filmmaking
“Teaching cinema is more of learning cinema together. Students these days are tech-savvy and access information first. Teachers are beacons to guide them, to share and discuss our knowledge rather than try to teach them. We have earned a lot of experience through practice and as we share those things, it could help them practise their craft and art judiciously when they begin making their own films.”
He wants to share the experiences he gained during his seven-year stint at LV Prasad, as the Head of the Department of Editing and Production from 2007 to May this year. He says that apart from playing the role of an academician, he was also responsible for taking student films to national and international audiences through film festivals — as a result of which they won accolades.
“During the final year of the courses, one faculty member from each stream had to mentor students and help them solve the problems they face during the production stage, assist them in devising a script and shape it into a product. There, I used to resolve their personal issues as a mentor, which was creative and rewarding. I plan to continue it here also so that students, teachers and the management sit together and put in our efforts together as in a family,” he says.
For those who are serious about working in cinema, film school is a good option, he says. “Film schools can give you discipline, vision and rooting about films and filmmaking,” he says.
New goals
The flagship diploma courses Revathy Academy offers are four two-year full-time courses in Direction and Screenplay, Cinematography, and Sound and Editing. Graduates can apply for the courses. For their one-year diploma in Acting, high school graduates too are welcome.
“At the academy, we are making education proactive and industry-friendly and are focusing on industry interface along with practising film teaching,” he says. When the diploma courses near completion, students from different specialisations form groups and make 30-minute films, out of which the best three will be chosen for a theatrical release by Revathy Kala Mandir, the movie production house, owned by film producer G Suresh Kumar who is the Chairman of the Academy.
Candidates are selected through an aptitude test — where the focus is on gauging students’ interest rather than finding out what they already know. On cracking the entrance test, students are interviewed by a team of eight, comprising experts from the film industry, academicians and even psychologists. “The psychologists examine how well adapted the students are for our courses, as we are taking a path away from rote learning techniques,” says Ranjith. The inaugural batch has 20 students.
Ranjith is confident that in a couple of years, the academy would extend its reach across the globe. “Talks are on with institutes and universities abroad for student/faculty exchange programmes, cutting across modes of education, and conducting online discussions, seminars and webinars. Industry practitioners deliver guest lectures. We aim to conduct a minimum of two international workshops each year,” he says.
meera.manu@newindianexpress.com