Showing posts with label WWI. Show all posts

Whistling Woods International: A Billion Colour Story' received standing ovation by 400 students

~Director Padmakumar and producer Satish Kaushik, addressed the filmmaking students at the special screening of the film “A Billion Colour Story”, held at the WWI campus ~

Director Padamkumar at WWI

L to R Gaurav Sharma, Padamkumar, Satish Kaushik, Somnath Sen

Lto R Gaurav Sharma, Padamkumar, Subhash Ghai,Satish Kaushik,Meghna Puri, Somnath Sen

Mumbai, 07 March 2017: Whistling Woods International (WWI), hosted a special screening of the highly acknowledged short film ‘A Billion Colour Story’ for their filmmaking students, followed by a masterclass. The acclaimed short film has swept many international awards at the BFI London Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival, owing to its qualitative content and portrayal of realistic characters. The masterclass commenced with a standing ovation by the audience when the director of the movie Padmakumar, producer, Satish Kaushik, and the lead actor of the film, Gaurav Sharma arrived on stage.

The acclaimed film director Padmakumar, threw light on some of the key technicalities of filmmaking while sharing his one-of-a-kind experience of shooting the film in black and white. Renowned director and producer of the film, Satish Kaushik, also shared some instances of working on the film and producing it. The actor-director duo was seen sharing a very close and affectionate bond, which turned the masterclass into a memorable and interactive session for the filmmaking students.

Talking about his experience on making the film, director Padmakumar said, “I think a story can be told in a simple yet appealing manner, and still have the potential to touch a million hearts at the same time. I intentionally made the movie in black and white, so that the audience could imagine colours instead of being just a passive viewer.

Talking about WWI, he said, “I think WWI is an amazing platform for the aspiring filmmakers. I really hope that the students had a good time watching a different kind of a movie. I would like to give a small piece of advice to the students and tell them that you don't have to go abroad to hunt for fancy locations to shoot, if you have an amazing script your film will definitely be loved and appreciated by the audience.”

Commenting on the same, Satish Kaushik said, “As soon as I heard the story, it touched my heart and I instantly asked Padmakumar if I could produce the movie. The way he was planning to shoot the movie with only 3 lenses really appealed me, but I also believe that good filmmaking skills and a strong script can do wonders. I am very happy and proud to be at WWI, and share all the experiences I have gained while working in the film industry and at FTII. The students here definitely have great potential to become successful filmmakers.”

Mika Singh at Whistling Woods International

Indie Pop Singer, Mika Singh sang his unrecorded composition and blockbuster songs and shared his secret mantras with the students at 5th VEDA cultural hub

~ The renowned singer was at Whistling Woods International interacting with the students ~

Mumbai, February 20, 2017: “Mika may appear as a rock star with attitude on stage, but in reality, it is hard to find such a down-to-earth man”, said Subhash Ghai after his conversation with Mika Singh during a music workshop held at Whistling Woods International (WWI) as part of the 5th Veda cultural hub for over 400 students of filmmaking, music and other fields of media & entertainment studies.

L to R Subhash Ghai, Mika Singh and Meghna Ghai Puri

Mika Singh and Subhash Ghai at WWI

Subhash Ghai and Mika Singh

During his interaction with the students, Mika Singh revealed that he failed in grade 5 and never continued his formal education. But he learnt the greatest lesson from life, “No job is small or big. Keep learning from every aspect of life that interests you. And in order to be loved, you have to love others. Also always pay respect to elders, gurus and seniors and take their blessings. It’s their blessings that help you pave a successful career.”

During his visit, he visited the School of Music and interacted with 30 music students. While interacting with the students, he picked up the guitar and started playing the ‘classical tune’ from Karz. “I always wanted to be just a music composer but eventually became a singer along with being a composer. I’ve plans to start my music studios in Delhi and invite WWI students to join my team”, he further added.

The popular singer complimented WWI for the facilities provided to media aspirants. Throwing light on his successful musical journey, he shared various anecdotes behind each blockbuster songs he delivered. He shared that he never refused even the smallest opportunities that came his way during his early days and went on climbing the ladder of success with lot of patience and respect for others.

The session was a perfect musical evening, his life’s journey infused with blockbuster songs he sung while playing the guitar. He also trained few students, helping them understand techniques he learnt as part of his journey.

He thanked Subhash Ghai for giving him a chance to sing ‘Mann Mein Baji Guitar’ from Apna Sapna Money Money, a Mukta Production, which boosted his career and he feels lucky to share the stage with him.

Students & Alumni came together to celebrate a momentous 10 year Anniversary of Whistling Woods International

~ WWI also celebrated its 3rd Alumni Annual Meet its on Founder & Chairman Subhash Ghai’s birthday ~

Mumbai, 26th January 2017 : Whistling Woods International (WWI), India’s premier Film, Communication, and Media Arts institute, has garnered an indelible reputation across the globe for its strategically designed, industry-driven courses, distinguished faculty, and world-class infrastructure. Gearing up to embark on its 11th year of operations, WWI celebrated its momentous 10 year anniversary in all its glory on a befitting occasion, Founder and Chairman Subhash Ghai’s birthday. The 3rd Alumni Annual Meet made the evening a much more celebratory affair, an event filled with nostalgia, inspiring speeches, and wonderful music performances commemorated a successful decade of producing the finest media professionals in the country and around the world.

Mr Subhash Ghai

Mr Subhash Ghai with WWI Alumni

Head of Academics at WWI, Rahul Puri welcomed the dignitaries and gave a heart warming opening address to lay the tone for a memorable event. Students from Whistling Woods International School of Music then took the centre stage with a performance tuned to touch the hearts of everyone in attendance. Meghna Ghai Puri, President, WWI brought in a sense of pride to the occasion by reflecting on a glorious decade comprising remarkable achievements, some noteworthy ones being:

WWI has partnered with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for its degree and diploma programmes

WWI has entered into a partnership with Google under which it hosts Asia’s second & India's first ‘YouTube Space’. Further, WWI runs Asia’s only ‘YouTube Educator Lab’ for teaching courses in content creation for digital platforms

· The campus is host to the ‘Sony Media Technology Center’, which comprises top-of-the-line HD and 3D content creation and digital cinema projection equipment

· Hosts the state-of-the-art media lab in collaboration with Foxconn Group

· WWI is recognised as a ‘Great Place to Study’ by Skilltree Knowledge Consortium at the House of Commons, UK

· Recognised as one of the most influential institutes in India in ‘The Indian Institutes 2015’ by Forbes India Marquee

· The Hollywood Reporter has rated WWI as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in the world

· Accepted as a full member of CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision) – a global association of film schools

· Meghna Ghai-Puri was awarded an honorary fellowship from Bradford College, UK for her contribution to global Film & Media education through WWI

· 1100 and more alumni successfully placed in the media and entertainment industry

Subhash Ghai (Founder & Chairman WWI), who felicitated the staff who have been associated with WWI from its inception, said, “As I look back at the bygone decade, I can proudly say that we have come a long way in fulfilling our vision of being a stepping stone for media aspirants to tap into their full potential. This is not just my birthday but birthday of every alumni. Under the guidance of the best in the industry offering sound academic and practical advice, we look forward to taking our endeavour ahead of training students in a way that makes them employable and industry-ready. I congratulate our most valued partners – alumni, faculty, staff, collaborators and students, for making Whistling Woods International the globally renowned institute it has become today.”

Commenting on the 10th year anniversary of WWI, Bollywood Actor and Alumni of WWI, Anil Mange, said, “Alumni Day for me is not just a get together event, but sharing memories and all the good times we spent together. This meet is all the more special because it celebrates a successful 10 year anniversary. I’m very much connected with WWI as I keep visiting the campus during events or even as a faculty. Even today, I can freely seek guidance here. Subhash Ghai Sir, Meghna Ma’am, and Rahul Sir are always approachable and are there to help us. There are so many creative people out there in the industry from WWI who I meet every day, making me feel extremely proud of my alma mater.”

About WWI:

Whistling Woods International (WWI) is a Film, Television, Animation, Communication, Fashion, Music and Media Arts institute located in Mumbai, India. Founded by one of India’s leading filmmakers – Subhash Ghai, WWI is one of Asia’s largest Film, Communication &Media Arts institute. The Hollywood Reporter’ has rated WWI as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in the world in 2014, 2013 & 2010. The campus is located inside Mumbai’s film & television production hub ‘Filmcity’, and offers courses that vary in duration from 1 year to 3 years. All the major specializations of the Media & Entertainment industry are catered to, including Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Producing, Music, Screenwriting, Sound, Visual Effects, Media Management Studies, Visual Communication and Fashion Design. Degree and diploma courses offered as accredited to The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

Whistling Woods International Announces the First Round of Entrance Exam for July 2017 Intake

~ Entrance exam on December 13-15 2016. WWI invites applications from young media aspirants for degree & diploma courses accredited by The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

Whistling Woods International (WWI), Asia’s premiere institute for Film, Communication and Media Arts has announced the dates for the first round of entrance exam for students aspiring to pursue a career in Media & Entertainment.

Whistling Woods International Announces the First Round of Entrance Exam for July 2017 Intake

Whistling Woods International will award degree & diploma courses accredited by The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The full-time programmes will be offered at Whistling Woods International campus located at Filmcity Complex in Goregaon East, Mumbai. The classes will commence from July, 2017.

Course Details as follows:

TISS DEGREE / DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES

BSc / BA in Filmmaking (Specialisation: Cinematography/ Direction/ Editing/ Producing/ Sound Recording & Design/ VFX)

BA in Acting

BA in Screenwriting

BSc / BA in Animation Filmmaking (Specialisation: 2D Animation / 3D Animation / Comic Book Design / Video Game Design)

BA in Fashion Design

BA in Visual Communication and Design

BA in Music Production & Composition

Post Graduate Diploma in Media and Communication Management

PGD in Media and Communication (1 Year)

PGD in Media and Entertainment (1 Year)

WWI PROGRAMMES

Advanced Diploma in Filmmaking (Specialisation: Cinematography/ Direction/ Editing/ Producing/ Screenwriting/ Sound Recording & Design)

Advanced Diploma in Acting

Advanced Diploma in Music Production & Composition

Diploma in Screenwriting

Following are the dates of Entrance exams in the first half of the day followed by an Interview in the second half:

Last Date for Receiving Online /Offline Application Forms	10^th Dec 2016
Entrance Exam at WWI Campus, Mumbai	13^th Dec, 2016: BSc/BA Filmmaking \| Adv. Dip. Filmmaking
	14^th Dec, 2016: BA Acting \| Adv. Dip. Acting \| BSc/BA Animation Filmmaking \| BA Fashion Design \| BA Music Production & Composition \| Adv. Dip. Music Production & Composition \| BA Screenwriting \| Dip. Screenwriting
	15^th Dec, 2016: BBA Media & Communication Design \| PGD Media & Communication Management
Declaration of First List of Selected Candidates	19^th Dec 2016
Last Date for Selected Candidates to Pay Admission Fee	26^th Dec 2016

For registration, students email at admissions@whistlingwoods.net or call on 08451803854/ 55| 08454886604.

Original, hilarious yet a captivating ‘Massage’ of all emotions was seamlessly presented by Rakesh Bedi at the 5th Veda session at Whistling Woods International

Mumbai, Friday, 22 September, 2016: This week Whistling Woods International (WWI), saw one of the most versatile television actor and theatre artist, Rakesh Bedi at the weekly 5th Veda session. Engaging the audience for about 90 minutes Bedi performed his one of the most appreciated monologues ‘MASSAGE’ to give WWI students the original sense and feel of theatre acting.

Bedi, known for his appearances in short roles in Bollywood movies like Deewane Huye Paagal, Raja Bhaiya, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Chashme Buddoor and TV shows like Yes Boss amongst others performed the ‘MASSAGE’, a hilarious monologue that has been ruling over theatres for over 13 years now. The one and a half hour play witnessed the auditorium resonate with a beautiful and expressive massage of all emotional aspects of mankind.

Original, hilarious yet a captivating ‘Massage’ of all emotions was seamlessly presented by Rakesh Bedi at the 5th Veda session at Whistling Woods International

The emotional play was expressed so beautifully that the audience flowed along with emotions that the actor demonstrated. The auditorium aroused with appreciation and claps like never before, leaving the actor overwhelmed and nostalgic. ‘I have performed this play differently for 13 years now but never ever received the response I have got here today’, said Rakesh Bedi.

Meghna Ghai Puri, President, WWI couldn’t thank the actor enough to be present at WWI and give such insightful learning to the students of WWI today with his performance. While closing the session she said, “We are proud to have such sessions at WWI, which give a live experience to the aspiring students. The response by the audience today is enough to say how thankful we are to have Mr. Bedi at WWI to perform his renowned play amongst the students here today. We look forward to seeing him again at the institute soon.”

About Whistling Woods International

Whistling Woods International is India’s premier Film, Communication and Media Arts institute. Founded by one of India’s leading filmmakers – Subhash Ghai, Whistling Woods International (WWI) is one of Asia’s largest Media Arts institutes. ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ has rated Whistling Woods International as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in the world in 2014, 2013 & 2010. WWI offers courses that vary in duration from 1 year to 3 years catering to all major verticals of the Media & Entertainment industry, namely Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Music, Producing, Screenwriting, Sound, Visual Effects, Media Management and Fashion and Design

Whistling Woods International felicitates Spiritual Guru Sri M as he starts off his mission ‘MyTree’ at the Institute’s 5 acre green campus.

Mumbai, August 31, 2016: Whistling Woods International (WWI) took immense pride and pleasure to host and join hands with the Spiritual Guru, Sri M to support his initiative, MyTree Plantation. Sri M visited Mumbai in the endeavour of adding a new leg to his 'Walk of Hope' initiative. During his visit, he launched the MyTree Plantation drive in two phases; the first one being at the Maharashtra Nature Park and the second one at Whistling Woods International. The event hosted at WWI witnessed presence of personalities like Subhash Ghai, Meghna Ghai Puri, Sri M along with Raj Zutshi, Vijay Raaz and Sheeba Chaddha. A total of 10 auspicious trees were planted across the campus to support and extend hand towards the initiative.

The MyTree Plantation drive at WWI began with an address by Sri M to the students of the Institute & their parents. Sri M enlightened the students with the importance of communication & dialogue in any sphere of life. While addressing the students, he mentioned, ‘A conversation can lead to solutions, hence it’s most important to initiate them’.

“Whistling Woods International is a divine place surrounded by nature and that’s the reason for our association with the institute. Meghna, ensured that at WWI the planted trees will be well taken care of and I now look forward to witnessing the sight of the beautiful Banyan Tree growing strong and fast and inspiring students to stand tall and rooted, bearing fruits like the tree. I thank everyone at Whistling Woods International, especially Subhash Ghai ji and Meghna and her team for their contribution and associating with us for a noble cause”, said Sri M.

Associating with the initiative Subhash Ghai, Founder and Chairman, Whistling Woods International said, “Mother Nature is the epitome of love and I believe it is our duty to ensure the balance is maintained in nature for the betterment of mankind. I encourage everyone to plant one tree on their birthday, every year, before cutting cakes. This is the least we can do to show our love for Mother Nature. We are grateful to Sri M to contribute his time and associate with us at WWI.”

Appreciating the noble cause, Meghna Ghai Puri, President, WWI, expressed her gratitute to Shri M. She believes that such intiatives will instill strong values in the lives of WWI students. "Being future filmmakers, they have the power to make socially relevant content. Hence, such initiatives enlighten them to be responsible and global citizens of the world at large.” she said.

The tree plantation drive at WWI was a huge success with the cooperation received by the team at WWI and Manav Ekta Mission. The students and parents also contributed their support towards the initiative taken up by Whisting Woods International and Sri M and his Satsang Foundation.

About Whistling Woods International

“Inspiration is within, one needs to identify it within themselves”, expressed the Meet Bros. and shared their learnings with the students of Whistling Woods International at the 5th Veda session

Mumbai, Friday, 26 August, 2016: The unheard whistles and cheers of excited students vibrated the auditorium of Whistling Woods International (WWI), when the Music Director Duo. Meet Bros. stepped in for the third 5th Veda session of the academic year 16-17. The cultural session with the Music Director duo highlighted the era of Indi-Pop and Punjabi music in main stream Indian Cinema. The brother duo was full of energy and in sync with the crowd in the auditorium as they shared their journey, right through their student days to their journey to fame in the industry today.

The session began with an interesting AV on the origin of music, forms of music that evolved with time and how is the art celebrated amongst individuals today. The AV was followed with another visual which took the audience through the journey of Indi-Pop music and the origin of fusion music in India, with the highlights of various singers and musician which raised the bar of music in the country.

The highlights of the event included various experiences of music composition done by the Meet Bros. from 2005 till date. The brother duo was vibrant and electrifying, they engaged with the audiences by singing all their chartbuster compositions which included – Baby Doll, Chittiyaan Kalaiyan and Hangover to name a few. They also did some dance moves to keep the audiences involved and captivated with their presence. The awestruck audience also voiced along with the brother duo and enjoyed the session thoroughly.

The session moderated by Subhash Ghai, Founder and Chairman, WWI made the Meet Bros. do some on the spot compositions as well. The brother duo also touched upon various aspects of their life, barriers and struggles, precious moments, breakthroughs and their motivation to divert their careers from the field of Acting to Music Direction. They also quoted their secret mantras for a successful career to the students of WWI. The duo said: “The only person who can inspire you is you yourself. The only way to grab success is inspire yourself and be happy about what you do. A successful composition is also the one, which is good to hear to the ears of the audience and not the composer; and always believe in what you strive for.”

During the interaction with the students, they also mentioned that the students of WWI were lucky to have a place like WWI to train their skill sets under the guidance of Subhash Ghai sir for the best possible career growth and opportunities and they must value it from the core.

About Whistling Woods International

Whistling Woods International is India’s premier Film, Communication and Media Arts institute. Founded by one of India’s leading filmmakers – Subhash Ghai, Whistling Woods International (WWI) is one of Asia’s largest Media Arts institutes. ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ has rated Whistling Woods International as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in the world in 2014, 2013 & 2010. WWI offers courses that vary in duration from 1 year to 3 years catering to all major verticals of the Media & Entertainment industry, namely Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Music, Producing, Screenwriting, Sound, Visual Effects, Media Management and Fashion and Design

Mr. Omung Kumar, Director - Sarbjit

Team Sarbjit at WWI with President Meghna Ghai Puri

Mumbai, Wednesday, 17 August, 2016: After the success of his second directorial venture, Sarbjit, Omung Kumar was at Whistling Woods International (WWI), along with his team, to enlighten the students about the art of filmmaking. The team briefed the aspiring filmmakers on various aspects of the film. When asked about the process of making a biopic, Omung said, “It’s like weaving a thread through the incidents of a person’s life and tying them together, taking the liberty of adding elements only to fill the gaps and never forgetting to stay true to their story.”

Omung also spoke about the efforts the actors put in by adding, “Randeep Hooda lost 18 kilos in 28 days. And for reliving the character he actually wrote letters and stayed in a dark lonely place for hours to get the feel and mood of the character.” Students were inspired with the dedication of the actors.

Utkarshini Vashishtha, the writer of the film said that she built major part of the script upon the conversations that she had with Sarabjit’s youngest daughter, Poonam. She mentioned, “The 18 year old daughter of Sarabjt, Poonam, came through and shared each and every experience of hers on remembering her father only through a couple of pictures and the stories told by everyone else. Little things that Poonam had shared, helped in creating emotional scenes of the movie.”

The discussion led to the technical aspects of making the film. The students learned about the processes involved in the set designing, sound, and cinematography. The common learning from all the three was being in sync with the director’s vision of the film. In the words of the director of photography of the film, Kiran Deohans, “His vision matched so perfectly with mine that there was no way that I wouldn’t do this movie.” He also gave out his secret on lighting used on the set, “I’d rather call it ‘realistic’ lighting than natural, it all depends on the way you use it.”

The production designer, Vanita Omung Kumar, told the students about the difficulties faced while choosing locations and creating the set. She said, “The ageing process was apparently the most challenging task for us, from the characters to the decay of the set.” The sound designers, Parikshit Lalwani & Kunal Mehta explained how difficult it was to dub few months after the shoot, when the actors were completely out of their character and to get them back into it.

The students were grateful to the entire team of Sarbjit for such an enlightening session and thanked them with a token of appreciation.

About Whistling Woods International

Whistling Woods International is India’s premier Film, Communication and Media Arts institute. Founded by one of India’s leading filmmakers – Subhash Ghai, Whistling Woods International (WWI) is one of Asia’s largest Media Arts institutes. ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ has rated Whistling Woods International as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in the world in 2014, 2013 & 2010. WWI offers courses that vary in duration from 1 year to 3 years catering to all major verticals of the Media & Entertainment industry, namely Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Music, Producing, Screenwriting, Sound, Visual Effects, Media Management and Fashion and Design

'Humble, honest, highly spirited Director of the super-hit film Sultan, Ali Abbas Zafar, delivers an impressive masterclass to 300 students at Whistling Woods International'

Mumbai, thursday, 11th August 2016: To discuss and decode the phenomenal success of Sultan, the person behind the conception of the movie, Ali Abbas Zafar was amongst the students of Whistling Woods International (WWI) on Tuesday. The screening of the film, Sultan, which was held before the interaction was a thrilling experience for all the students. As the event proceeded, the students got a great opportunity to interact with the maker of Sultan who was honoured by the Founder and Chairman of WWI, Subhash Ghai.

Ali explained the relationship between various aspects of film in-depth, right from the plot, to scripting, to creating a character, identifying the audience etc. The students asked several questions to the director during the interaction, which threw light on the main lead of the film - Salman Khan’s qualities and his commitment towards his work and the kind of individuality he brings to this film. Ali quotes his belief as, “There are certain roles which are meant to be done by certain actors. A role only becomes iconic if you cast it well.” Ali said that while writing the script, he wanted to create a character that everyone could identify with. And the take-off point for the movie was when he found that character, a character who embodied the very meaning of life.

While addressing the students, Ali emphasised on the importance of team dynamics while making a film. He advised the students that filmmaking is a team sport and every individual involved should be in the same line and follow the same vision. And the most important relationships to be taken care of according to him are the ones between the director and the actor, and the director and his cameraman. These relationships give shape to the movie.

Being extremely delighted with this knowledge-oriented session a student quoted, “We got insights regarding many scenes of this film that we would have not known if Mr. Ali had not shared it with us.” Ali left the students with a message that if you have faith in the characters of the story and you strongly believe that you are the right person to tell that story, then you are bound to be successful.

About Whistling Woods International