Film Festivals – And After!!!

Festival Freak Return Home

17 Jan. The mood is upbeat in the College campus! The of students from SAC Journalism Dept, SAC, has returned from Pune. The students, along with their Teacher, returned after visiting the FTII and also participating in the 4th Pune International Film Festival.

On 12 January, the Team SAC Journalism paid a visit to the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. They spent almost 7 useful hours. First, Mr Jaiswal, lectuerer in Film Editing, shared with the students his understanding and vision of the Film Institute, and the various apsects of film making. The students were on fire.

The it was Abhaya Simha, all the way! He took the students all round the studios, laboratories, and the campus introducing them the process of filmmaking, equipment (sound, editing, shooting, studios, films and film-gauges), teachers, canteens, TV wing, etc. It was great fun!

We are specially grateful to Mr Tripurari Sharan, the Director of FTII, Mr Lawrence and Mr Jaiswal, Professors of Editing, other technicians, assistants and others for their great interest in us. We cannot forget our own Abhaya, of course!

Then came to PIFF! students were bombarded with 5 films a day, for the four days they spent there. Films from al round the globe. Indians, Sri Lankan, French, Hungarian, US, UK, Russian, Latvian, Greek, Japanese, Iranian, Vietnamese, South Korean, Czech, Spanish, Chinese, and name it, you have it! “They can make films in such different ways!” some one exclaimed! Yea, they do! And what a great learning experience it was! After each film, the students had a some sharing among themselves, which culminated in a longer, detailed and guided sharing at the end of the day.

All thanks to Mr & Mrs Alva (Ms Neha Alva’s parents) for their kind hospitality and wonderful arrangements. Kudos to the PIFF organising committee for the good arrangements, and all those who strove hard to make this a memorable experience for our budding media persons!

04 Jan. 2006. SAC Journalism Students to attend Film Festival! An academic tour has been arranged for the Journalism students of St Aloysius College. You have a chance of attending the 4th Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) to be held in Pune from 12th to 19th. Besides attending the film festival, we will also have some exciting academic/ professional visits and learning.

Neha Alva, Nikhil D’Sa, and Anisha Sheth are in the Steering Committe of the Academic Visit. They will assist Fr Richie in arranging the visit.
Our stay in Pune has already been arranged. We will spend roughly 5 days in Pune, excluding travel.
The approximate cost of our visit will be Rs. 2500, inclusive of travel, short travels, delegate cards, accomodation, and food.
Travel details will be given to you in a few days.

Requiremetns: You need to submit -
1. your passport size photograph
2. N.O.C. from your parents/ local guardians
3. Photocopy of your College ID card
4. An advance of minimum Rs. 1000.
5. Keep your original ID cards with you in the College, always (just in case we require!)
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02 Jan. Film Festival Competition: Since some students need some more time to complete their short films, the submission-deadline has been extended to 9th January Morning. Please submit your copy in a CD to me in the Department, on MondayMorning.

28 December. Dear Friends, I hope you are enjoying your vacation, as some are busy with their film making competition. Please keep in mind the ‘production credit’!
Good wishes.

26 December. HI Friends,
And a Happy New Year, too
May the vacation of the Holy Season
Fill you with new vigour
For the Better.
Have wonderful time.
I am back at SAC
And hope to see you, back, too!

Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema

Films the Gods: Dr Rachel Dwyer

19 Dec., Morning Session: St Joseph’s College, in collaboration with British Council, Bangalore and Centre for the Study and Culture and Society, organised a workshop for college students on 19th December. Dr Rachel Dwyer, (Reader, Indian Studeis and Cinema) from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, addressed the students. Yours Truly attended the workshop, which was followed by a public seminar in the evening.

Dr Dwyer spoke on many facets of Indian Cinema, focusing on its religious aspects. Beginning with Raja Harishchandra, (Dada Saheb Phalke, 1913), she led her audience through Religion and Cinema, Religion and Modernity (both Hindu and Indian), Film Studies and Audiences, Religious Films and Audiences, and Filming God – various Genres: Mytholoical, Devotionals, Islamicate, and Religious in the Non-Religious Sector (Secular). According to Dr Dwyer Language of Love in films has been religious anguage. (Isn’t it? Well, Dada Saheb Phalke began it all!). She analysed the Religious Language of Guide (Devanand); how Vijayanand’s “religious” Guide differs from “cynical” Guide of R.K. Narayan! Well, a filmmaker could not make a straight-jacket “novellic” film, and be successful.

Dr. Dwyer also shared her insights on how films of an era are the product of a society of that time. For example, 1970’s “Angry Young Man” represents the turbulence in the society. And 2001’s “Historical” genre is a product of “writing history” tendencies of NDA government.

Evening Session: Dr Dwyer continued to speak on “Filming Gods”. One thing that stuck me was how the religion in film is differently percieved versus the religion of the Stars. In real life, religion of the Stars does not matter. For example, in India, the Khan-triumvirate who rule the Bollywood are Muslims! They play Hindu characters, and they are loved by masses! Shah Rukh Khan acts a Asoka in Asoka; he hardly plays Muslim character in Indian films. The one film he has played a muslim, the film bombed at the B.O.! Probably, Amitabh Bacchan, a Hindu, can play a Muslim quite easily, and be loved too!

Meaning: Probably, their Star-dom eases the religious barrier in the film.

Lesson: Films can serve as an integrating factor?

The seminar witnessed lively debate from the audience.

Public Relations – Clarifications

18 December 2005.
Have one more glance, a few things have been qualified/ added to the post regarding Public Relations:

Some of you had a question (good sign, indeed!):
Who first used the term “Public Relations“
Is it Thomas Jefferson?
Is it Edward L Barney?

In a way, it was Thomas Jefferson.
While delivering the Seventh Address to the U.S. Congress, in 1807, the President of USA struck out the words “state of thought” from his address and replaced them with “public relations“. (Madam is right!)

But that is no sufficient reason to attibute “Public Relations” term to him, though Public Relations as WORDS he used them first.

It was actually Edward L Barney, in 1919, who used the TERM to refer to SUCH A PRACTICE OF Public Relations, as we use them TODAY, as an art and as a science. Public Relations as a DISCIPLINE belongs to 20th century (of Barney), and not to 19th century (of Jefferson).

Remember: public relations, as a natural/ spontaneous practice, existed since the beginning of humankind. Therefore, there have been innumerable ways of public relations, from time immemorial.

For further confirmation you can run a check on the web, and you will see the number of sites which only attribute the fact that Barney is the actual user of the term Public Relations, as we use/ study them today. Many of these references come from university sites.

Of course, nothing like going to some of the trusted books!
Check for example:
* “Effective Public Relations” by Cutlip, Center, & Broom, (8th ed), Pearson Publication, low price edition.
* “Principles of Public Relations” Rayudu & Balan, Himalaya Publication (favours Jefforson)
* “Applied Public Relations” by Balan.
There are many more extremely useful books in this regard. It is worth reading a few of them to see the richness of this topic, besides to learn its practical aspects, and compare and contrast it with Advertising and Publicity.

Check for yourselves.

Good wishes for a effective reference and satisfying performance in your exams.

NB: Probably, one of the posts has me saying ‘George Washington’. That should be ‘Jefferson’; hold me excused and please read it corrected.

Examinations – Good Wishes

II Internal Test

Dear Friends,

All the best for a good performance in the examinations
Do well, write well.

1. Read the questions well and understand what answer does the examiners expect from you.
2. Make sure that your handwriting is beautiful and legible! A lot depends on presentation (labelling / presentation is a crucial factor in marketing!)
3. The examiners expect roughly 1000 words of meaningful answer to essays and roughly 300 – 400 words to short notes. Keep that in mind.
4. Try the answer you know the best FIRST! That makes a good impression.
5. Ensure that there are sufficient number of short paragraphs in an answer. Even Essays deserve well-organised and short paragraphs to make your answer script readable.
7. Let not your answers be crammed; space them out well! That gives optical relief to the valuer who might run out of patience reading a number of answer scripts.
8. Very Important: Please don’t repeat ONLY what is told to you in the class. Impress upon your valuer that you have done a lot of extra reading.
That means, you need to give a lot of other EXACT references to your arguements (Authors, titles of books, year of publication, page numbers, etc.). Let yours anwsers be as wide-ranging as possible (ranging from class-room, newspapers, journals, reference books, television shows, radio programmes, etc.)
9. Your Media teachers do not expect you to agree with whatever they have said in the class; they expect you to understand what they have said. And then argue it out for or against – but argue it out logically, based on credible data.

Your media teachers are at your service anytime you need them for any questions, clarificatoins, doubts, etc. Feel free to seek their help.

Good wishes for a satisfying and fruitful examination! May God bless your sincere efforts.

SAC Journalism New Updates

National Level Biotechnology Conference
17 Jan. A National Level Seminar on Biotechnology has been organised by the Dept of Biotechnology of St Aloysius College. The Seminar which will held on 20-21 January, will focus on Bridging the Gap between Academics and Industry, a press release annouced, today.

The seminar is conducted by the College in collaboration with Mangalore Biotech Lab, Government of India, the University Grants Commission, BRNS, and CSIR.

The Seminar will focus on the issues like what the industry wants and what the academics teach. It will examine the gap between the industry and academia. Many renowned scholars from prestigious institutions, all over the country, will participate in the seminar. (Reported by Nishanth, II BA)
National Conference on Changing Order and Marginalised
12 Jan. A National Level Conference on ‘Changing Social Order and the Marginalized Groups’ was organized by the Department of Sociology, on 9 and 10 January, 2006 in the IT Block, St Aloysius College. The New Entity for Social Action [NESA], Bangalore and Mangalore Sociology Association [MSA] collaborated in the venture.
The function was inaugurated by Prof P L Dharma from the Dept. of Political Science, Mangalore University. Prof. Surendra Rao, the Dean of Arts Faculty, Mangalore University, Mr Vimalnathan, the Executive Director of NESA, and Prof Joseph Mathew, the President of MSA, were the Guests of Honour. Prof M H Macwana, the Chairman of the department of Sociology, Gujrat University, presided over the function.

Founders’ Day Celebration
12 Jan. 126th Founders’ Day was celebrated on 12 January at St Aloysius College. The management and the students gathered in Loyola Hall for a Thanksgiving Eucharist. Fr Walter D’Mello, Parish Priest of Milagres, was the Main Celebrant. Fr Vijay Kumar Prabhu, the Provincial Karnataka Jesuit Province, Francis Serrao, Rector, and Fr. Eugene Lobo, Principal, were present on the occasion. Fr Fredric, the resource person, spoke about the life of St. Alberto Hurtado, SJ, who was Canonised recently. [Reported by Anisha, Anusha and Arun Thoma]

10 Jan. 2006. It has been peak-time for many high-voltage activities in the College. The Mangalore Sociological Association conducted a two-day (9-10 Jan) National Symposium on Marginalised in Society. It was well attened and well reponded.

10 Jan. 2006. The St Aloysius Evening College conducted a two-day Conference on Challenges in the New Millennium -Disaster Mangement. The speakers gave a detailed view of disasters and how human beings can respond to it meaningfully and effectively. On the evening of teh First day, the Home Guards gave live demonstration on how to save lives in emergencies. Many expressed that time was too short!

9 Jan. 2006. SACAA (St Aloysius College Alumni Association) held a two-day Alumni Congress on 7-8th of January. Over 175 out-station candidates registered for the same. Fr Pradip Sequeira delivered an inspirational talk on the challenging aspects of being a Jesuit alumnus/ alumnae. The Congress culminated in the Anuual Reunion of St Aloysius College on 9 January, at 7.00 pm.
There is some good news to you - something on Students’ Film Festival (SAC) and Pune International Film Festival! Read in the Archive Section of this Page or go to www.richardrego.blogspot.com.

11 Jan 2006. The Department of Journalism has just completed a competition. All the teams have submitted their short films – fruit of their sweat, toil and hard labour. It will be just a few weeks before they come to know, how others percieve their work, how other respond!

SAC News – Students News Page

25 December. SAC. Fr Ozzie Celebrates Christmas at His Alma Mater
“God’s pledge to be with us.,” That was the theme of the Christmas Mass held at St Aloysius High School grounds on the Christmas Eve, at 8.00 pm. Fr Ozzie Mascarenhas SJ, an alumnus of St Aloysius Institutions, and Golden Jesuit, was the Main Celebrant at the Eucharist. While thanking God for all the blessings bestowed upon all of us, he elucidated the devine love-story of God with human being. Fr Walter Albuquerque-led choir helped the nearly 1000+plus congregationto pray. A devine evening indeed!

SAC Newspage – Archive

Film Making Competition: Deadline Extended!
Since some of you have asked for more time to complete your films, the deadline has been extended to 9th January, Monday, 2006.
Kindly submit your films on 9th, in a CD, along with your Concept-proposal.

Good Wishes.
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Welcome to the SAC Newspage Archive. This Archive contains news of St Aloysius College, as reported by our students of the Department of Journalism. Here you will find the archived news – news older than a week. For fresh news, you will have to log on to the SAC Newspage at sacjournalism.blogspot.com (the same site!!!).

Photographically….
In the Photograph (top left) above are seen Mr Thomas Dragsnes, Liv Kerkesaether, and Elena Solenberg from the University school of Volda, Norway. They left India, after completing their two subjects at SAC Department of Journalism in October.
Photograph top right shows the release of “Dhwani”, the bilingual Journal of the students of the Dept. of Journalism. It is a bi-annual journal. The journal is compeltely and commercially produced by the students themselves. In the photograph are seen Ms Suman Priya Mendonca (Lecturer & Associate Editor of the Journal, Fr Eugene Lobo SJ (Principal, SAC), and Ms Sumita Kutty (a student editor).
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Film Making Competition:
The students fo SAC Journalism are invited to take part in a short film production competition.
1. The competition is open to all the SAC Journalism students.
2. The film duration could be between 5 and 10 minutes.
3. It should be based on some relevant youth values like anti-smoking, no-alcohol, say-no-to-drugs, meaningful friendships, need of good friendships, use of mobiles (negative impact), importance of regular studies, perseverance, respect for elders, effective use of time and resources, moderation in driving (speed thrills, but kills), need to stand for values, cultivating good and artistic tastes, earn-n-learn, etc. Or it could be a documentary on your Alma Mater – SAC!
4. Your technical team must consist of SAC Journalism students alone.
5. It can have 4-6 members (technical crew); actors could be different.
6. Please enroll your names with the Journalism Staff members, the theme of your film and also your script (it could be shown after enrolling).
7. The Last date for enrolling is before December 3, 2005.
8. The last date for submitting your project is January 3.
9. You could make use of the Studio equipment for shooting, with the help of the staff members. Taking equipment outside the College Campus will be permitted only in rare circumstance, and after signing an undertaking that the student concerned will take the responsibility for any damage to the accessories.
10. Students could already begin working on the script in the coming weeks. Free hours could be utilised for this purpose.
11. Winners will be awarded.
10. Your films will be screened for the College students and the general public, during an exclusive Students Film Festival to be organised by the Dept, in January – February 2005!
Hurry Up! Enroll Yourself!!Work on Your Scripts!!!
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The Dept of Journalism screened Satyajit Ray’s debut film Pather Panchali, on 19 Nov. 2004, at 1.00 pm, in the College Teletoriu. It was to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Film. Nearly 80 – 75 students participated, in spite of the fact that Indian cricket team was taking on the Poms in Bangalore in a day-and-night cricket match! A few people from outside the College community too particiapted.

The screening was followed by a short discussion. The students gave their responses to the movie and shared with one another their feelings and feedback to it. Even Satyajit Ray would have been proud of!
The Department of Journalism intends to screen the other two films of Ray’s Apu Trilogy in the near future.
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SAC PUC Sports Towards Excellence
24 Nov. Mangalore. “In this busy world, games and sports help you to relax and increase concentration,” said, Dr Christopher Pais, General Physian while inaugurating Sports Day of St Aloysius Pre University College today.
Dr Pais, an alumnus of the College also said a relaxed mind can grasp more than a stressed mind and encouraged the students to get involved in sports as much as possible.
Rev Fr Francis Serrao, Rector, and the Rev Fr Swebert D’Selva, Principal, also spoke on the occasson.
Reported by : Amritha and Dhanuj.
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Biochemistry Widens its Scope

Mangalore 05 Dec. The Department of Biochemistry conducted a seminar on the Scope of Biochemistry. Dr.Cletus J M D’Souza, the Chairman and Professor of Biochemistry, University of Mysore was the Chief Guest.
Dr.D’Souza, an alumnus, expressed his immense pleasure to be at Aloysius as a Chief Guest.Rev. Dr.Eugene Lobo, the Principal of Aloysius College inaugurated the function by lighting the lamp. Later he spoke on the importance of Biochemistry in modern life.

Rev .Fr.Melwin D’Cunha , the HOD of Biochemistry ,Geetha Nazareth ,the staff co-ordinator and Maya K, the student co-ordinator were also present .

Reported by: Anaswara Bhanu, Anjana George & Benubala
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