Media Learners

We love Indian cinema, no doubt about that. It has the most successful film productions in the world when it comes to Box office collections and popularity, making more millions than Hollywood at times. Also, if we take a look at our history, we can find some really unique masterpieces created by talented filmmakers. The following moments not only made a mark in history but also showcased India's potential and thus brilliance in cinema. Timestamps of  Indian  Historical  Moments in Cinema: 1896: The first cinema was shown in India at Watson Hotel in Bombay. 1898: The first Bioscope was brought to Calcutta by Professor Stevenson at the Star Theater. 1898: The first short film in India “A Dancing Scene” was directed by Hiralal Sen. 1907: The first cinema hall Elphinstone Picture Palace in India built by JF Madan in Calcutta. 1912:  The first filmed play or photoplay  released in India “Shree Pundalik” made by Dad...

The term Neo-realism is used to describe a movement in art or philosophy which represents a modified form of realism. The Neo- realistic movement has been a part of Italy’s Golden Age popularly known as Italian neo-realism, a national film movement which was defined by the stories set amongst the poor & the working class, filmed on location frequently using non-professional actors. Neo-realism in the Indian context In the Indian context, the movement was where the filmmakers experimented with the content and form to produce the non-commercial style of films. These films mainly focused on a social message and portrayed the issues faced by society back then. The 1940s-1970s was the time when some of the masterpieces were created by Indian filmmakers.  The directors who contributed to the neo-realistic films were Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, K A Abbas, Nemai Ghosh, to name a few.  Examples of Neo- realistic Indian films Udayer Pathey / Humrahi...

This blog post is a follow up to the previous post: Media Literacy 101: Content & Audience So, Is it all about us? Not really. Along with the obvious reasons of monetary profits, the media holds much greater power to shape and reshape our perception of the world. Whether it is television, newspapers, radio, internet or films, media products have a greater capacity to reach and influence the audience. Researcher Bernard Cohen made a statement in 1963, “The press may not be much successful to make people think,  but it is very successful in telling people what to think about."  Later in the year 1972, Maxwell Mc Combs & Donald Shaw developed the Agenda-Setting theory. The theory states that the media deliberately makes us think certain issues are more important than the others. In a way, those who control media have more power in their hands. But, as my favorite dialogue from Spiderman movie quotes; “With great power comes great responsibility...

We often unconsciously take in all the media content,  but  we never question if it is the right thing to do. Is it really essential for every one of us to have media literacy?  In order to understand this, I need to break things down for you in some parts, Imagine you completed watching a series’ season-ending episode, now all you can do is dwell on for the next few days or even months with one haunting question, “When is the next season airing?” Sounds familiar? It feels like the most important thing for us, and it is indeed. I mean El just had a reunion with Mike and you are left with endless questions like, what is the deal with that monster in the upside down? Is he going to attack in season 3? How will El help her friends and to fight with that monster?  (*P.S If you don’t get my references, I just feel sorry for you, check out Stranger Things on Netflix!) When we as an audience ge...

    EMERGENCE OF PHOTOGRAPHY CAREER IN INDIA Written by: Shreya Katkar YOUR DSLR WALA FRIEND So, how many of you have a friend who is known as the 'DSLR wala dost’?  Yes, I am talking about that one friend who owns a DSLR camera and is responsible for all our amazing profile photos.  I am pretty sure you all can think of at least one person or if you are lucky like me, more than one! And just in case you know the real struggle of getting that perfect frame, while your best friend makes you click at least 100 different poses with over the top drama. Odds are, you are that 'photographer friend' .     EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT Even though having a Photographer friend might seem like a privilege now, this wasn't the case back then in India. Just some time ago, even till you were in school, you can recall a photographer as someone not fancy. He was the person who took your passport size photographs in a shady lo...