E-direction, just for fun

BE A film director in three days. All you need is a computer, the right software, and less than Rs. 600. It gets better: You fly to Hollywood if your work is among the best.

You can design your sets, choose from among 3D locations, select the camera angles, the actors, their costumes, and even their emotions. The directors can play their own sounds and music, edit sequences and define the special effects. All on the computer.

But you have to be a student, and between 4-16 years of age.

Futurekids will conduct e-director and e-designer winter camps in participating schools. The three-day camps will be held in batches from December 15 to February.

The organisers see this effort as more than a familiarisation process. Which is obvious. To introduce Internet- age kids to computers is to reach backwards. Quite a few city school children have their own web presence.

The courses are meant to be fun, despite what the organisers said about them being ``designed to nurture the latent creativity in all children.''

The students, or the e-directors, are grouped into two. From scripting to editing, they execute all the aspects of film- making.

A panel of judges including prominent film-makers will decide the best film made during the camp, which will earn the directors a free trip to Hollywood.

Select movies will be webcast on the Futurekids website.

The e-designer course, the organisers said, is about logic. In fact, it's geometry and mathematics. The course is a logical approach to design patterns and to improve spatial and combination skills.

It's virtual reality time.

By Feroze Ahmed

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Virtually, a ready-reckoner
Next     : Luring viewers