Q & A

A) There are a large number of institutes offering media & communication courses and many youths taking on to those. How do you differentiate the better ones?

 - Sunita Pandit, Kolkata

Ans. Yes, there are more than 300 post graduate institutes of media, communication and entertainment in India now across the country. But only a handful of them have made a mark, have got the best students and structured internship and placements procedures and attempts. And not all are formally recognized UGC degrees or AICTE diplomas. Hence, legality, infra-structure, internships & placements policy and records, and experience of the leadership shall be my suggestions to take your call about any institute.

B) What is the size of the media & entertainment industry today and projection for the next five years and what are the opportunities in this domain?

 - Rocky Fernandes, Goa

Ans. As for your question on the media, communication & entertainment industry, it is growing at around 11% per annum currently, double that of the Indian economy, is around 1 lac crores in turnover annually being 1.25% of the Indian economy and gainfully engaging 24 million people, to which 7-8% new professionals are getting added each year. This is as per the latest study of FICCI Frames, the largest media meet in South Asia, happening every year in Mumbai. You can expect the growth to be higher than this in the next five years with new government and optimism in the economy today.

C) How is the DGMC’s PGDM any different from or similar to the best PG courses in this domain of other known institutes?

- Sonai Dutta, Pune

Ans. Our PGDM is not an autonomous one, but an AICTE approved course. Further, we also have UGC recognized MBA Media, Entertainment & Advertising Management course being offered from our campus. This combination is rare, rather non-existent in other institutes. While most such courses have one compulsory industry internship during the tenure of the course, we have two apart from one live industry project in every semester where the trainees have to work with real life clients along with their course-work. All these together ensure good industry visibility and positioning, apart from dual qualification.

D) If someone is doing a graduation or a post graduation in some other subject, but has an interest in media and entertainment as well, can DGMC provide some recognized qualification for that in Mumbai?

- Pradeep Shinde, Ghatkopar, Mumbai

Ans. Surely. That’s a good question. Often people take up a subject for studies under peer or family pressures or out of conventional wisdom. But later on they feel that they have a specific interest in the field of media & communication. University of Mumbai has allowed us to provide certificate courses for anyone above 18 years and Plus 2 pass in these areas as University recognized qualifications, part time and less than one year in duration. These courses are in Photography, Digital Film Production, Cinematography, Visual Communication & Graphics, and Sound Design & Engineering. For only graduates, University of Mumbai recognized one year Diplomas are in two areas: Communication Design and Digital Marketing. In fact, internet and mobile based branding and marketing have become the latest need in every marketing campaign in urban and semi urban India, and hence this course is very innovative and relevant.

E) What is the big difference between media and communication education ten years ago and today? Is DGMC geared up to the latest in this domain?

- Prof Debanjan Sonowal, Guwahati

Ans. Ten years ago, there was no single genre of media and communication education. There were journalism education, film studies, TV-Radio Production training or advertising education. Today, there is a concept of integrated convergent media education. A doctor needs to know the physiology and anatomy of the entire human body and thereafter he specializes in one aspect (pediatrician for children’s health, cardiac surgeon for heart, ENT Specialist for ear-nose-throat, and the like). Increasingly it is being felt that a person coming into this domain must first be a Communicator (having basic knowledge of all aspects of media and communication) and should then specialize in one of the areas: journalism (print or TV or cyber or multi-media journalism), advertising and branding, PR and corporate communication, Events & Experiential marketing, Films production, TV production, Radio production, media marketing and sales, etc. This is a big change. DGMC courses, though following the University of Mumbai courses or AICTE for PGDM, aim to do exactly the same. First introduce the learners to all areas of media and communication, and then guide them to specialize in one area.

F) I have just given my Class XII exams. What are the under-graduate degree courses in DGMC?

- Srijani Chowdhury, Kolkata

Ans. There are two University of Mumbai affiliated courses at Bachelor’s degrees level: (A) Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) which is an over-arching all media course with a liberal sprinkling of social sciences also, for those who are not yet decided in which area of media to specialize in future; and the next is (B) Bachelor of Arts in Film, Television and New Media Production which is more focused on the entertainment industry of cinema, television and productions for the digital and mobile media which is the latest medium of communication. The second one is more practical and hands-on as is evident.

G) In media education, the leadership of the programs is very important. Who are the key resources at DGMC who are the mentors?

- Rahil Vora, Ahmedabad

Ans. I am the former Dean of Symbiosis International University and former Director of Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication for seven long years. I have also worked as the first Dean of Whistling Woods International School of Communication, apart from other academic assignments. Our chief Adviser is Prof Vinay Dhumale, earlier the Dean of Manipal University, Communication Dept.at Bengaluru campus. Our Principal Dr Balkrishna Damle is educated from the US and has been the lead Multimedia Producer of EMRC, Pune University. Several industry professionals are our faculty members, full time and adjunct, all details being given at www.dgmcms.org.in.

H) What is the status of the currently infra-structure and in near future in the next few months in DGMC to cater to the UG and PG students?

 - Sonal Pandey, Lucknow

Ans. DGMC already has one fully functional sound recording studio and a second one is being put up now with Protools and 64 tracks and all latest accessories. We have three broadcast quality 3CCD Digital movie cameras and one more is being added. We have four running FCP based iMacs, editing or post-production work-stations, and four more are being added. We have a medium size shooting floor with trolley, tracks and light, and now a large double floor three camera shooting studio with detailed four monitor Production Control Room (PCR) is coming up, interiors and air-conditioning going on now. IT and Design Lab of 30 iMac Work-stations with design software (Adobe Suite, Indesign, Freehand, QuarkXpress) are being given the final shape, twenty of which have come. The institute is already equipped with 10 air-conditioned class rooms and one high end Mini Preview Theatre is coming up.

I) I am told that there are several PG courses in DGMC. How do we choose one from the rest for our post graduate education in media?

 - Ramesh Nair, Mumbai

Ans. Yes, there are three Master’s courses of University of Mumbai to begin with, in DGMC, each for those wanting to go into content and creative domains of media: MA in Communication & Journalism for the journalists, MA in Film, TV and New Media for Audio-visual Productions, MA in Entertainment, Media & Advertising for careers in management across music, radio, live events etc. Each course has an intake of 60 students and all are of two years duration. However, our flagship course is PG Diploma in Management (Media, Entertainment , Advertising &Communication) which is AICTE approved and is completely industry oriented PGDM. We also have UGC recognized MBA degree in Media Management if a learner would like to have dual certification; both have higher value of both industry focus and academic degree to help in higher education in India and abroad.

J) Since PGDM+MBA is new in the institute, how do you ensure placements of the students?

 - Rozina Shaikh, Mumbai

Ans. All the three top mentors are very experienced and well regarded academics who were heads of organizations with very high quality internships and placements. The entire alumni of their previous institutes are in touch with them, including mine, to support all good quality trainees; additionally there is support from the industry professionals who are coming for guest sessions too. The earlier MBA batch of DGMC is already into internships now. We have a database of 350-355 media and communication organizations for internships and placements.