The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore has announced a short-term general management programme for film & TV entertainment professionals, starting March 7, 2011.
The programme owes its genesis to a conversation that Dr S Raghunath, Professor of Corporate Strategy and Policy at IIM-B, had with filmmaker Raju Hirani during the filming of ‘3 Idiots’ at the IIMB campus a few years ago.
“Raju Hirani argued that the film industry has excellent creative and technical talent but lacks professional managerial talent,” says Dr Raghunath. Hirani’s remark triggered discussions about the role of B schools in India in grooming such talent. After two years of field work and several meetings with film and TV industry professionals across the country, Dr Raghunath launched the short-term programme at IIMB last year.
“I hope we also connect with Kannada film and TV professionals and the local animation and special effects industry through this programme. We’d like them to know that the business side of media and entertainment is being researched seriously right here in their backyard,” he adds.
The programme is designed for film makers, production houses and directors, executive and line producers, distributors, exhibitors, and television industry executives, financiers, marketing executives, consultants, talent managers, event managers and vendors.
It is intended to show how a film producer or executive engaged in the industry can optimise the revenue and returns on funds invested in a feature film/ ad film/ documentary/ short film or TV serial. The strategies of successfully bringing films and TV serials to the market and negotiating and closing distribution contracts and other forms of revenue flows are addressed at the programme.
Ashwani Sharma, Producer/ Director, who participated in the programme last year, says: “The fee (approximately Rs 60,000) appears to be on the higher side but the contents of the programme — particularly the business aspect — is very useful. The programme has interesting principles, theories and models on the risk-reward ratio for a producer. It has taught me to analyse business of production in a whole new way.” He thinks the course was also an “excellent networking exercise”. For his next venture, a Bengali film called ‘Nobel Chor’ to be released during Durga Puja, he has worked with Prasad Film Labs in Chennai.
A Ramesh Prasad, who heads Prasad Productions, Studios and Film Labs, Chennai; S C Babu, CEO of AVM Productions, Chennai; Harish Dayani, Managing Director of Moser Baer Entertainment; Sanjiv Kishinchandani, Executive Producer of ‘3 Idiots’ led discussions at last year’s programme.
Course contents for the three-day programme include:
*Key characteristics and structure of the film and television entertainment industry
*How to estimate the potential for profit
*Best practices in managing the creative and technical professionals in the industry
*Leadership and management of independent film companies; the opportunities and challenges of a studio system
*The role of corporate entities in enhancing the value of the film and television entertainment business and the development of a global strategy
Contemporary case studies that will be discussed are ‘Aamir Khan: Icon in the world of entertainment’, ‘AVM: Decades of Entertainment’; ‘Yograj Bhat: Evolution of a regional film director-producer’.
A certificate of participation is awarded to the participants by IIMB. For details call (080) 26993264/ 3475/ 3742 or e-mail: edp@iimb.ernet.in