The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Off-screen aspects of film industry hog the limelight

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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Off-screen aspects of film industry hog the limelight

Staff Reporter

“Non-film music is not given enough importance in the country”

— Photo: S. S. Kumar

Starry-eyed: (From left) Hot Shoe Entertainment CEO Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar, actor Rana Daggubati and actor-singer Shruti Haasan, and Ocher Studios CEO Soundarya Rajinikanth at the FICCI’s conclave on Media and Entertainment Business in Chennai on Thursday.

CHENNAI: Day two of the FICCI’s Media and Entertainment Business Conclave here on Thursday saw a string of discussions on the off-screen aspects of film industry.

The evolution of film camera and growing digitisation of filmmaking formed the crux of the session on ‘Redefining Film Making: Crossing new frontiers in digital’. Cinematographer Rajeev Menon struck a nostalgic note as he traced the history of film camera. “Capturing shots on film camera is an experience by itself. While digitisation of post-production made the whole experience liberating, it can never replace the film camera. The film industry can grow only when both the classic and contemporary co-exists,” he said.

The economics behind filmmaking is complicated and the risk factor is high, observed a panel of speakers at the session on ‘Exploitation of overseas markets and new media’. Representatives from leading game designing firms including FXLabs, Deep Blue Worlds, and Image Infotainment presented case studies on what makes gaming successful in the country.

FM channels should popularise low-budget films by playing those songs and not judge the popularity by the star cast, Moser Baer India CEO G. Dhananjayan said at a group discussion on the growth of FM radios.

The crowd-puller of the day was the final session with actor-singer Shruti Haasan; Ocher Studios CEO Soundarya Rajinikanth; actor Rana Daggubati; Sathyam Cinemas Chairman Kiran Reddy; and Hot Shoe Entertainment director Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar, who shared their views on the entertainment sector.

Observing that non-film music is not given enough importance in the country, the speakers said entertainment industry must accommodate all its essential elements such as film, performing arts and music.

“There is no market for alternative music. There are no trade guides that can help market such non-film albums. They need to come up to strengthen the music industry,” Ms. Haasan said.

A status report on consumer choices in television presented the trends and tastes of audience. Earlier in the day, there was a session on exploring international partnerships, with producers from Corona Pictures, Peacefulfish, Lee and Thompson, and AIMS sharing their views on the best ways to leverage their markets and ways to mobilise overseas funding.

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