Here is an insight into cinematography colleges in India for students who wish to set their careers on a different path.
Cinematography Colleges in India have been effectively producing talented cinematographers for many years. Cinematography is the art of recording motion without missing a single visual element. The cinematography shows the creativity and perspective of the person and plays an integral part in filmmaking. It includes camera movement, lighting, angles, lens, colour, filters, exposure, etc.
List of Cinematography Colleges in India
The number of cinematography colleges in India are less compared to other courses. But, some of these institutions have also been ranked as the best colleges for cinematography in the world. A list of few colleges that offer Cinematography courses has been given below.
| Rank | Colleges | Location |
| 1 | Film and Television Institute of India | Pune |
| 2 | Whistling Woods International | Mumbai |
| 3 | Asian Academy of Film And Television | Delhi |
| 4 | National Institute of Design | Ahmedabad |
| 5 | Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute | Kolkata |
| 6 | Mindscreen Film Institute | Chennai |
| 7 | Biju Patnaik Film & Television Institute | Cuttack |
| 8 | Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute | Changsari |
| 9 | MIT School of Film and Television | Pune |
| 10 | The ICE Institute | Mumbai |
Film and Television Institute of India, Pune
The Government of India set up the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in 1960 in Pune. The Institute provides three-year post-graduate diploma courses in cinematography, film direction, audiography, and editing. A two-year course in art direction and acting, a one-year program in animation and computer graphics, a one-year programme in scriptwriting for a feature film. A post-graduate certificate programme in direction, video editing, electronic cinematography and audiography are provided in FTII. The admission to FTII is based on the Joint entrance test JET scores obtained by the candidates.
Read More: FTII
Whistling Woods International, Mumbai
Whistling Woods International is a film, communication and creative arts institute is located in Mumbai, India. The Film City Mumbai, Mukta Arts and Subash Ghai (Indian filmmaker) together promote the institution. Whistling woods International was listed as the best film school in the world. The college offers various courses varying from one to four-year duration, with specializations such as Cinematography, Animation, Music and many others. The university is affiliated with Tata institute of social science and Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for graduate and postgraduate programmes. Admission criteria to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes is based on the candidates' WWI entrance examination score.
Read More: WWI
Asian Academy of Film And Television, Delhi
AAFT is a private film school and the largest media education hub in Asia. AAFT provides high-quality technical education in media and creative arts which are emerging things in the field of entertainment. AAFT offers globally accepted standards of education in Filmmaking, Journalism, Advertising, Performing Arts, Interior Design, Acting, Dance, Animation, Digital Marketing, and Fashion Design. The institution started its functioning in the year 1993 and is located in Noida, Delhi. The admission to the institution is based on the AAFT aptitude examination. The institution offers various undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma programmes in cinematography, acting, and so on.
Read More: AAFT
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
Established in 1961, the National Institute of Design (NID) is an institution devoted to the practice and research of design education. The NID is a leading multidisciplinary institution of design education and research. DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) recognizes the National Institute of Design. First, the National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, also known as the Heritage Campus, is to be established amongst the three.
Read More: NID Ahmedabad
Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute
The Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, named after Satyajit Ray, has emerged as a national center of excellence and offers post-graduate programs in Cinematic courses. Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute is also a member of CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision), an International Association of Film and Television Schools. The admission to SRFT is based on the entrance exam credits. Candidates must clear the JET examination with the required marks.
Mindscreen Film Institute, Chennai
Mindscreen Film Institute founded by Indian filmmaker Rajiv Menon in 2006. It started as a school for Cinematography and branched out to Screenplay Writing, Film-Making, Direction and Acting. The Institute aims to offer high-quality professional study programs in theory & practice, focusing on specialized areas of film-making. The Institution offers nine months and six months certificate programmes in Filmmaking, Cinematography and Acting.
Biju Patnaik Film & Television Institute, Odisha
Biju Patnaik Film & Television Institute is an autonomous institute established by the Government of Odisha. The institution is funded by the Department of Skill Development and Technical Education, under the Government of Odisha. The institute offers diploma courses in three disciplines; Cinematography, Film & Video Editing and Sound & TV Engineering.
Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute, Assam
The Jyoti Chitraban Film and Television Institute, currently known as Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film & Television Institute, is the only government-owned film institute in northeastern India, Assam. The Assam government established the institution in 1961. The Institute provides courses such as Diploma in Audiography and Sound Engineering, Diploma in Motion Picture Photography, Diploma in Editing Motion Picture, Certificate in Applied Acting.
MIT School of Film and Television, Pune
MIT School of Film and Television, Rajbaug, Pune envisages a 'niche position' for Indian filmmakers and technicians in the world of cinema. The college offers BSc and MSc in filmmaking with various specializations. The admission depends upon the scores obtained by the candidates in the aptitude test conducted by the institution and followed by a personal interview.
The ICE Institute, Mumbai
The Institute of Creative Excellence (ICE) Institute, an initiative by the Balaji telefilms, was established in the year 2010 in Mumbai. The institute offers various courses in filming and entertainment. TheICE also offers certified courses in the field of Visual Storytelling. The institute offers programmes such as filmmaking, modeling, acting, photography, online acting and online filmmaking. The admission to the entrance is based on the entrance test, personal interview, and audition.
Eligibility for Film Courses in India
The eligibility for a candidate to seek admission into film schools for cinematography and other undergraduates, post-graduation or diploma courses is given below. Most of the institutions follow a similar pattern.
- The basic eligibility requirement to enroll for a Film course is completing 10 and +2 from a recognized board.
- Most of the institutes prefer students with Physics as the main subject in class 12.
- The institutes also conduct an aptitude test and a personal interview round as an eligibility to get admitted into their institutions
- For candidates applying for postgraduate or diploma programs, candidates should have a graduation in the same field.
- Most colleges conduct an aptitude test, group discussion with other applicants and a personal interview before confirming admission.
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