get prospectus
TRANSCRIPT
MISSIONBenchmarking quality, inspiring innovation,
encouraging creativity & moulding minds, by leading from the front in the field of film,
media and entertainment education.
VISIONTo create a state-of-the-art institution that sets
new standards of world-class education in film, media and entertainment.
5.5Acre Campus
700+Students
9Schools
ONE OF THE TEN BEST
SCHOOL OF FILMMAKING
SCHOOL OF ANIMATION
ACTORS’ STUDIO
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATION
FILM SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD~ THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
1500+Media and
Film IndustryAlumni
VirtualReality
LAB
Degree & Diploma programmes in partnership with
TISSSpace
MUMBAI
SCHOOL OF FASHION
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
SHORT COURSE UNIT
VIRTUAL ACADEMY
SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Subhash GhaiChairman
Founder & Chairman,Whistling Woods InternationalChairman, Mukta Arts LimitedMember, Executive Committee Film & Television Producers Guild of IndiaMember, United Producers ForumEducation EvangelistKarmaveer Chakra Recipient
Subhash Ghai is a globally renowned filmmaker having directed 18 films over a three decade career, with 14 of them being blockbusters. Recipient of many national and international awards; he has also been honoured by the United States Senate. He was the former Chairman of the Entertainment Committee of the trade body CII and a member of FICCI, NASSCOM and TIE Global & its alliances. He has been invited to address various forums and seminars on corporate governance and the growth of the Media & Entertainment industry globally & in India.
KNOWLEDGE,EMPATHY,RESPECT.Recieved IIFA award for his Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema.
I strongly believe that technicians have to be artistes first and artistes must learn the technique & technology needed to express themselves. Moreover, neither the technician nor the artiste can separate themselves from the business skills needed to ensure continuity & success in the industry they are in.
Film school was a key phase of my life and possibly the best decision I have ever made. That said, my idea of film education changed significantly before, during and after my schooling. Before I joined film school, I ‘expected’ to learn filmmaking in a particular manner with a specific educational methodology. While undergoing film education, I realised that it was significantly different from what I expected. Each year spent after my film education made me realise that while a lot of my successes were enabled by my film education, there are several key aspects critical to an individual’s success, which were never communicated to me, leaving my education partly isolated from the real world of the Indian film industry.
Back in 1999, after having spent over 20 years in the industry, having directed 18 films, produced several more and having educated or trained several artistes and technicians in the art of filmmaking while launching their careers, I realised that a specific kind of education mix is needed for the filmmakers to serve the industry as well as build a career for themselves. I also realised that institutionalising this specific kind of education was complex but very important, if we as a country were to make our mark on the global Media & Entertainment industry artistically, technically and commercially.
Hence, at Whistling Woods International (WWI), we drew from the global giants of the field and created a body of expert academicians and professionals who would help us create the necessary environment conducive to the education we wanted to provide. We developed a challenging international curriculum and we built into it an incredible scope for the individual to experiment with his ideas in the art, science and business of Media and Entertainment, once educated in the art, commerce & technology of filmmaking.
WWI also believes that our students must be encouraged to appreciate, analyse and promote various kinds of Indian and World cinema across the ages including regional popular cinema from across the globe so as to widen their spectrum of social connect with the world.
It is this new, bold, ever-changing milieu that I would like to invite all of you into, as we raise the zenith of the Indian Media & Entertainment industry.
ACAD
EMIC
ADVI
SORY
BOA
RD
Krishna Mehta, Creative Director,
Fashion Brand Krishna Mehta
Ramesh Sippy,Filmmaker
I am so thrilled to be here.Whistling Woods International has been an inspiration to me.A. R. Rahman,Music Director & Performer
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Why wasn’t this institutestarted when I enteredthe industry.Ashutosh Gowariker,Filmmaker
Whistling Woods is filling a huge gap in providing training to students in departments of Filmmaking & Media.Shabana Azmi,Actor
Entering the gate ofWhistling WoodsInternational, I feelthat I was born today.Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra,Filmmaker
Where success is notjust a dream.Neeta Lulla,Fashion Designer,Founder & Dean, Whistling WoodsInternational School of Fashion
This is among the best film schools in the world and recognised as such universally.Shyam BenegalChairman, Academic Advisory Board, WWIFilmmaker
Manmohan Shetty, Board of Director, WWIChairman & MD, WalkWater
Shiamak Davar, Choreographer
Shyam BenegalChairman, Academic Advisory Board, WWIFilmmaker
Alpana ParidaMD, DY Works
Anuj PandeyMD, Himalaya Publications
Anurag BatraChairman & Editor-in-Chief, Business World and Exchange4media
Ashish KulkarniFounder, Punnaryug Artvision Pvt. Ltd.
Ashvini YardiFilm Producer, Grazing Goat Pictures
Dr. Bhaskar DasGroup CEO, Zee Media Corporation Ltd.
Clyde DeSouzaFounder, Real Vision
Deepa GahlotProgramming Head, Theatre & Film, NCPA
Deepak JayaramAssociate Director, ISDI WPP School of Communication
Dhunji S. WadiaPresident, Rediffusion Y&R and Everest Brand Solutions
Dilip CherianIndependent Writing and Editing Professional
Dr. Jabbar PatelFilmmaker
Farid BawaCommunication Designer
Jiggy GeorgeFounder & CEO, Dream Theatre Pvt. Ltd.
Josy PaulChairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India
K. V. SridharFormer Chief Creative Officer India, SapientNitro
Kamlesh PandeyScreenwriter
Lajwanti D’SouzaEditor-in-Chief, Pagalguy.com and Inzane Labs
Mahesh SamatFounder & MD, EPIC Television
Merzin TavariaCo-Founder & Chief Creative Director, Prime Focus
Mitali KakarProducer, Environmentalist,Scuba Diving Instructor
I think overall in this medium, education and grounding has been seriously lacking and hence it is fabulous that an initiative like Whistling Woods has been undertaken.Ronnie Screwvala, Founder Trustee, Swades Foundation, Founder, Unilazer Ventures
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If you are an aspiring Actor, Director or Film technician, Whistling Woods is your answer.Karan Johar, Filmmaker
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It is a positive step towards creation of talent for the industry and must be protected and nurtured.Javed Akhtar, Screenwriter & Lyricist
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You are lucky to have sucha wonderful ground and a beautiful institution. Thereshould be an institute likethis where all the forms ofart are taught. So many filmmakers came and went but no one has ever thoughtof doing this except forSubhashji.Hema Malini, Actor
You are fortunate to have aninstitute like WWI to educate & guide you.Mahesh Bhatt, Filmmaker
Anjana Sharma,Brand Consultant
Pradeep Guha,MD, 9X Media
Neeraj RoyMD & CEO, Hungama MobileMD, ArtistAloud.com
Nina SabnaniProfessor, Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay
Omung KumarProduction Designer
Prahlad KakarAdvertising Film Director, GenesisChairman & Founder, Prahlad Kakar School of Branding & Entrepreneurship
Rahul MehtaPresident, Clothing Manufacturing Association India
Rahul NandaFilm Publicity Designer
Ranjit BarotMusic Director
Ravi DeshpandeFounder & Chairman, Whyness WorldwideCo-Founder & Chairman, Intuit.lab - Ecole De Design & Communication Visuelle
Rouble NagiFounder, Rouble Nagi Design Studio
Sanjeev SharmaCo-Founder, Integrated 360365Founder, Optimystix Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd.
Saroj KhanChoreographer
Sethunath PadmanabhanDesign Professional Sowmya IyerCEO, Xebec Digital
Subhash AwchatArtist & Communication Designer
Sudhakar NadkarniDean - Business Design, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research
Sukant Panigrahy Production Designer
Sukanti GhoshMD, India APCO Worldwide
Tony D’SilvaGroup CEO, Hinduja Ventures (Media)MD & CEO, IMCL
Prof. Vikas Satwalekar Design Consultant
Vivek BahlFormer Chief Creative Director, Sony Entertainment Television
Zubin DriverCEO, Pundalik
It is a great platform for young students to come and learn the craft and be out there in the world of fashion.Anita Dongre, Fashion Designer
An Oasis in the desert! A place to learn in a special environment!! Great being here. All the Best!Roshan Abbas, MD, Geometry Global Encompass Network
“I wish I had received theeducational opportunitiesthat each one of the WWIstudent is fortunate to get.Brian Tellis, Director, FountainheadPromotions & Events
Meher Castelino,Fashion Journalist &
Consultant
BOARD OF DIRECTORSGOVERNING COUNCILAnand MahindraChairman, Governing Council, WWIExecutive Chairman, Mahindra Group
Anil HarishFounder, DM Harish & Co.
Ashok MishraChairman Board of Governors, IIT RoorkeeChairman, Intellectual Ventures India Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
Kiran KarnikDirector, Central Board of Directors, Reserve Bank of IndiaChairman, Board of Directors, IIIT-D
Pradip ShahChairman, IndAsia Pvt. Ltd.
Purnendu ChatterjeeFounder & Chairman, The Chatterjee Group (TCG)
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARDClare Wise Director, UK Film Council
Daniel Dubiecki Oscar Nominated Producer
Dr. Deepak ChopraHealthcare Professional
Dr. Raj KanodiaHealthcare Professional
Joan Vogelesang Management Consultant
Kanwal Rekhi Advisory Board Member, RAND Corporation
Padma Bhushan Lord Bhikhu Parekh Political Philosopher & Social Theorist
Parminder Vir OBE Award-winning Film & TV Producer
Sandy Climan President, Entertainment Media Ventures, Inc.
Sir Christopher Bland Former Chairman, British Telecom
Sir Martin Sorrell Founder & CEO, WPP
Sunil Thankamushy Founder & CEO, DEEPBLUE Worlds Inc.
Trevor Griffith Dramatist & Photographer, UK
Whistling Woods is the new world, one of the institutions that will ensure India's safe passage into the future.Anand MahindraChairman, Governing Council, WWIExecutive Chairman, Mahindra Group
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I must have visited about 50 or more film schools around the world. This is the right film school at the right place at the right time!Lord David Puttnam, Academy Award Winning Producer
An institution is less defined by its land and buildings that it creates - but more, far more by the quality of minds, hearts and passion it can create in its students. This institution must survive and prosper.Shekhar Kapur, Actor & Filmmaker
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At this amazing institute, the foundation course enables animators to attain a high level of visual literacy, and to have access to other aspects of filmmaking including the rich tradition of story-telling and cinematography in particular.Shelley Page, Head of International Outreach,Dreamworks Animation
MASTERCLASSESLearn from the leaders and game- changers in the industry. An in-depth insight on the world view that defines them, the choices that shaped their careers and the preparations they made before grabbing life-changing opportunities. Masterclasses are a welcome bonus for the WWI students. One of the cornerstones of the education at Whistling Woods includes high amount of student interaction with the industry. This is facilitated through weekly masterclasses. As under is a snapshot of the 400+ masterclasses conducted on campus over the past 9 years.
Shashank Khaitan, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Sahil VaidBadrinath Ki Dulhania, 06 April 2017
Radhika MukherjiFounder, Happydemics, 22 March 2017
Sameer PitalwallaCEO & Co-Founder, Culture Machine, 08 March 2017
Nina LekhiFounder, Baggit, 01 March 2017
N. Padmakumar, Satish Kaushik, Gaurav SharmaA Billion Colour Story, 27 February 2017
Vikrant PawarHead - Live Entertainment, Disney Entertainment (India) Ltd.22 February 2017
Gaurav GeraActor and YouTuber, 08 February 2017
Rajesh Mapuskar, Ashutosh Gowariker Ventilator, 31 January 2017
Jorge ArriagadaEuropean Music Composer, 20 January 2017
Jens FischerCinematographer, 20 January 2017
Roshan Abbas MD, Geometry Global Encompass Network, 19 October 2016
Avinash ArunFilmmaker, 17 October 2016
Neeraj Ghaywan, Varun Grover, Vicky Kaushal, Nitin BaidMasaan, 12 October 2016
Shakun BatraKapoor & Sons, 18 October 2016
Aniruddha Roy ChowdhuryPINK, 07 February 2017
Rajit KapurNational Award Winning Actor, 31 August 2016
Nitesh Tiwari, Shreyas Jain, Nikhil Mehrotra Dangal, 01 February 2017
Surya Narayan RaoHead of Business - Hungama Digital Services, 12 October 2016
Amole GupteFilmmaker, 30 August 2016
Mukesh SharmaDirector General of Films Division, Mumbai Additional Director General, Doordarshan, 24 August 2016
Omung Kumar, Kiran Deohans, Utkarshini Vashishtha, Vanita Omung Kumar, Parikshit LalwaniKunal MehtaSarbjit, 16 August 2016
Afrida Rahman AliBroadcast Journalist, 10 August 2016
Sabbas Joseph, Manish Gandhi, Martin Da Costa, Mohomed Morani, Vinit KarnikEvents Industry Stalwarts, 03 August 2016
Kamal GianchandaniCEO - PVR Pictures Ltd., 03 August 2016
Darius CooperProfessor & Author, 02 August 2016
Gautam VaziraniFashion Curator, 04 June 2016
Shridhar RaghavanScreenwriter, 01 June 2016
Tushar ParanjapeScreenwriter, 31 May 2016
Ajay PawarSr. General Manager - Godrej Properties, 20 April 2016
Neeta LullaFashion Designer, 17 March 2016
Pan Nalin, Gaurav Dhingra, Shreyas Beltangdy, Subhadra Mahajan, Rajshri DeshpandeAngry Indian Goddesses, 01 March 2016
Manav DhandaGroup CEO - Sri Adhikari Brothers, 17 February 2016
Brian TellisChairman - Fountainhead Promotions and Events, 10 February 2016
Raja Menon, Priya Seth, Hemanti Sarkar, Mustafa Stationwala, Udai Singh Pawar, Viral Thakkar, Sajid SanwariAirlift, 10 February 2016
Meghna Gulzar, Priti ShahaniTalwar, 02 February 2016
Snower SaniaFashion Stylist, 30 January 2016
Gaviin MiguelFashion Designer, 16 January 2016
Babita MalkhaniFashion Designer, 09 January 2016
Nagraj Manjule, Nittin Keni Sairat, 26 July 2016
Ali Abbas Zafar Sultan, 09 August 2016
Prof. Richard PenaProfessor of Film Studies - Columbia University, 16 March 2016
Kanu Behl, Siddharth Diwan, Namrata RaoShivani Raghuvanshi, Shashank AroraTitli, 16 February 2016
Meghna Ghai-PuriPresident
Honorary Fellow of Bradford College, UK
Armed with an Advanced Diploma in Communications, Advertising & Marketing and a B.Sc. Honours Degree in Business Management from King’s College, London, Meghna manages a team of over 150 faculty and professionals. She oversees all aspects of the Institute.She is the youngest and only Asian woman to receive the Bradford College Honorary Fellowship.
She has previously managed Marketing at Mukta Arts Limited for films like Pardes, Taal and Yaadein. She has been associated with key businesses in the Indian entertainment industry through prominent projects like Cinema 100.
In a special feature on the ‘Best Film Schools in the World’, WWI
was rated amongst the top 10 international film schools in the
world by global film magazine - ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ in 2010,
2013 and 2014.
WWI is a full member of the CILECT (Centre International de
Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision), an exclusive
global association of film schools laying heavy premium on high
standards of education. Of the 3000+ film schools around the
world, only 160 have been accepted as members of CILECT. This
has readied our plans for student & faculty exchange programmes
with the best film schools in the world.
On invitation from the Ministry of Human Resource Development,
Govt. of India (the highest body of education in India) we have
been structuring curriculum and academic guidelines for
introduction of Media Studies at the High School level.
Spreading its wings, WWI is now associated with a number of
International Film Schools like Deakin University, Australia; Griffith
University, Australia; Syracuse University, USA; NYU Tisch School
of the Arts Asia, Singapore; DePaul University, VCA; University of
Calgary, Canada and University of Columbia, USA.
In September 2013, WWI announced its campus in UK in
association with Bradford College. This is the first campus of an
Indian educational institution to be set-up in the UK.
In 2015, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) & Whistling
Woods International collaborated to offer Graduate Degrees in
Filmmaking, Media & Communication and Fashion.
Increasing its global presence, WWI has entered into a joint
venture and set up the African Film and TV Academy (AFTA) - a
multi-campus Film and Media education institute. AFTA is a joint
venture between Trend Media City, a subsidiary of the Udemba
Group and Whistling Woods International.
WWI has also entered into a partnership with Google under which
WWI hosts Asia’s second & India's first ‘YouTube Space’. Further,
WWI runs Asia’s only ‘YouTube Educator Lab’ for teaching courses
in content creation for digital platforms.
At WWI we have a vision to build a cadre of creative technicians,
skilful artistes and passionate business professionals with a deep
understanding of the ever-changing global demands.
I invite you to join us in this journey.
NOCOMPROMISESDetermination to break the status quo has led to WWI being ranked as one of the top film schools in the world.
Whistling Woods is a highly aggressive
organisation. We have to be that. We are attempting
a pioneering, path-breaking effort in education. We
are bringing together art, commerce and
technology to make them co-exist in what can
easily be called the hardest three-way marriage
ever. And, like all pioneering efforts, we do not
have the mistakes of others to learn from, which
makes each of our decisions much harder.
The combination of our vision, facilities &
infrastructure and faculty is a potent mix. We
provide resources that are above industry standards
to every aspirant to discover their artistic, technical
and commercial talents in today’s media industry.
The unique elements in the curriculum and the
teaching methodology have seen WWI’s student
body growing four-fold over the past nine years.
Further, almost 15% of the student body now
comprises of International students from Germany,
USA, Canada, UK, Italy, France, Holland, Senegal,
Bermuda and several other parts of the world.
These international students choose WWI over the
multiple film studies options available in their own
countries.
Our endeavour, like all true pioneering efforts, is
never complete. The changes we are bringing to
media education, and by causality, the Media and
Entertainment industry, does not permit us to sit
back and rest. Ever.
This has paved the way for larger things to come.
We find that we are constantly refining and
redesigning our efforts to make the level of
education, the experience and the environment
even better for our students, faculty and the
industry.
ONE OF THE MOSTINFLUENTIALINSTITUTESOF INDIA IN“THE INDIANINSTITUTES 2015”BY FORBES INDIAMARQUEE
DEGREE & DIPLOMA COURSESACCREDITEDBY THE TATAINSTITUTEOF SOCIALSCIENCESTata Institute of Social Sciences & Whistling Woods International team up to offer Graduate Degrees in Filmmaking, Media & Communication, Fashion and Music.
In our constant endeavour to ensure proliferation of Film &
Media education, including it being brought into the
mainstream and it becoming a focus area for India’s leading
institutions, Whistling Woods International (WWI) has
partnered with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
This is a coming together of two of the best institutions in
India. TISS, over its 78-year history, has built an impressive
reputation through its high-quality, progressive &
socially-relevant education in the social sciences. WWI in its
11th year, has already become India’s premier institute of
Film, Communication and Media Arts and has also been
rated as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in the World.
The Academic pedagogy of TISS and the well-established
practical rigour of WWI’s education will form a perfect
partnership to ensure that the best Film & Media education
is offered to the students.
Filmmaking, Communication and Media Studies are as much a part of society as any other field. Over the years, TISS has always delivered progressive education in all the social sciences. We have closely observed WWI, interacted with the management team of WWI and observed that they demonstrate the same degree of quality consciousness as TISS. We at TISS felt it appropriate to partner with WWI to offer degree programmes in Filmmaking, Communication & Media Studies.Neela Dabir, Dean, TISS - SVE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
OURPROGRAMMES
WWI offers almost four times as much actual contact time per programme than similar courses abroad and over 200% more than most of the other Film, Animation or Acting training programmes in India. We provide extra training and resources to students who may struggle with the rigour of the craft, at no extra cost and create learning opportunities beyond the curriculum for the brightest ones who love a challenge.
The Whistling Woods campus is situated in Filmcity, Goregaon, Mumbai - the heart of the Indian Film and Media industry. 70% of all our training is conducted in an industry-simulated environment, mentored by faculty or industry professionals. We back our academic curriculum with hands-on practicals and workshops.
Exposure to national and international thought processes WWI’s core and visiting faculty members are amongst the best and brightest, whether in India or abroad. We have affiliations with international universities that are renowned for academic excellence. These open possibilities for student exchange programmes and for further education.
SCHOOL OF FILMMAKINGBSc/BA in Filmmaking (with specialisations) | 3 yearsDegree awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThe first year of the course is the Foundation Year. In this two-semester foundation programme, all students are exposed to the many disciplines of film and media. Students receive instruction through a powerful integration of student productions, classroom theoretical instruction, motion picture screenings and analyses, workshops and interactions with global filmmakers. Along with core filmmaking courses, students also take classes in Contextual Studies (General Education). These subjects will help students understand their core subjects better and create complete filmmakers. For the final 2 years, students go on to specialise in one of the 7 specialisations - Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Producing, Screenwriting, Sound Recording & Design, and VFX.
Advanced Diploma in Filmmaking (with specialisations) | 2 yearsDiploma awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThe programme starts with a Foundation Course, which immerses students in each filmmaking craft. Students go on to acquire Filmmaking Diplomas with specialisation in their specific areas of talent, choosing from Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Producing and Sound Recording & Design.
Diploma in Screenwriting | 1 yearThe overriding objective of this programme is to prepare students to become professional screenwriters with a deep understanding of the craft. It empowers them to write on a range of topics in varied genres for Indian as well as international cinema. Students are trained to write for other mass media and narrative formats such as television (fiction, game shows, talk shows, news segments, and the like), documentaries, advertising and corporate films.
SCHOOL OF ANIMATIONBSc/BA in Animation Filmmaking| 3 yearsDegree awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThe core subjects include a strong foundation in live action filmmaking;
All programmes include masterclasses, guest lecturesand workshops conducted by eminent personalities from various fields.
specialisations that allow students to become Media Management professionals in targeted areas. The objective of this course is to prepare students to be complete Media Management professionals. Together, these two courses prepare students for taking up Management positions in the Media and Entertainment industry in India. Students can choose to do one course or both. WWI strongly recommends that students do both parts of the course to prepare them for a professional career in the fast expanding Media and Entertainment industry in India.
SCHOOL OF FASHIONBA in Fashion Design | 3 yearsDegree awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThe Fashion Design programme at Whistling Woods School of Fashion & Design aims at creating a strong foundation in the various aspects of design. Students benefit from a rich educational experience that equips them to succeed in the global fashion industry.
SCHOOL OF DESIGNIn association withBA in Visual Communication Design | 3 yearsDegree awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesWhistling Woods International School of Design offers Bachelor's in Visual Communication Design, which is a comprehensive three year programme, divided into six semesters. The idea behind the school is to focus on making the students industry ready through a unique style of training, which allows them to pursue further education at ECV, France. The first year of the program will be a Foundation Program where all students will learn the basics of Visual Design Principles, Art, Aesthetics, Drawing, Multimedia and Color Theory, and many more.
SCHOOL OF MUSICBA in Music Production and Composition | 3 YearsAdvanced Diploma in Music Production and Composition | 2 YearsDegree awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThe objective of these courses are to create music directors of high calibre, by equipping them with the required knowledge necessary for producing music, perfectly suited for films. This is to be achieved using the medium of music technology, and by providing exposure to the intricacies of various genres of music (Indian classical, Western classical, Folk).
VIRTUAL ACADEMYVirtual Academy is an e-learning platform, which will make available video-based courses in multiple areas of Film and Media education . The content of this course has been designed & prepared by the renowned faculty of Whistling Woods International and will offer a combination of audio-visual playback and online assessments. At WWI Virtual Academy, we make things flexible for students so they learn at their own pace, given their other commitments and availability of time.
drawing and digital art; design and writing for animation. Students receive instruction through a powerful integration of projects, classroom theoretical instruction, film screenings and analyses, workshops and interaction with industry professionals. They receive intensive theory and practical instruction in traditional cell animation, digital 2D and 3D animation. They are taken through the process of developing an animation film project, writing scripts, storyboarding and preparing 2D and 3D animatics (previz) as well as the entire pre-production, production and post-production pipeline. By the end of the course they will have also specialised in one of the electives offered viz. 2D Production Design, 2D Animation Filmmaking, 3D Modeling and Rigging, 3D Animation Filmmaking, Comic Book Design & Video Game Design.
ACTORS’ STUDIOBA in Acting | 3 yearsDegree awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesBA in Acting for Screen course serves as a training ground as well as an educational platform for the student actor. It teaches the art and craft of acting primarily for the cinema, but also for all other allied acting careers including television, advertising, theatre and the voice-over industry.
Advanced Diploma in Acting | 2 yearsDiploma awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThis is an intensive and practical programme that teaches the art and craft of acting for cinema, ensuring that students are carefully nurtured and their individual abilities and talents are honed and trained. Our aim is to produce imaginative and skilled actors, each with a unique identity and method of approaching a role and creating a truthful character.
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONBBA in Media & Communication | 3 yearsDegree awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThe objective of this 3-year, 6-semester course is to give students an in-depth understanding of the management of the Media and Entertainment industry. Over the course of their study, the students will be exposed to Management topics, Contextual studies (General Education) as well as practical and theoretical topics of Media and Entertainment to gain a holistic perspective of the media world.
Post Graduate Diploma in Media and Entertainment | 2 yearsPGD awarded by The Tata Institute of Social SciencesThis course, is designed to prepare students for taking up Management positions in the Media and Entertainment industry in India. The first part of the Course, PGD in Media Management, prepares students in General Management with some basic inputs in Media & Communication. This course prepares students to join the general Management of any company – in particular the Media and Entertainment Industry.The second part of the Course, PGD in Media and Entertainment, reinforces Management skills while also offering
A postgraduate and a ‘Distinguished Alumni’ Awardee of IIT Mumbai and an MBA from JBI, Ravi Gupta is a respected Media professional in India. He is currently the Executive Director & Dean of Whistling Woods International.
Ravi GuptaDean
He studied Business Management at Kings College, London. He is the Managing Director of Mukta Arts and has been a part of the production, distribution and now Exhibition and New Media industry.
He was involved in the setup of Whistling Woods International, Asia’s biggest Film, Communication & Media arts institute.
Rahul PuriHead-Academics
SUCCEEDPERSONALLY &PROFESSIONALLY
To fulfil the vision that Whistling Woods International was set up with, the two key aspects that needed to come together in perfect harmony were curriculum and faculty. And our continuing efforts are to ensure that this harmony remains perfect in the ever-changing world of Media & Entertainment education.
From Acting to Advertising and Producing to Public Relations, the spectrum of education at Whistling Woods has programmes spread across multiple verticals of the Media & Entertainment industry in the creative, technical and commercial aspects.
The full-time faculty of WWI is a homogenous body of academicians and renowned industry professionals with regular guest lectures by leading Indian & International filmmakers, actors & technicians. Students at Whistling Woods, hence, have an opportunity to interact on one-on-one basis with some of the most successful professionals in the Indian film industry and gain invaluable insights from their learnings, experiences and professional journey.
The courses at WWI are designed to ensure that the students’ learning is collaborative and industry oriented. The curriculum at WWI is a unique hybrid of theoretical and practical aspects and ensures that the creative dovetails well with the business aspects. The curriculum has been tweaked, adjusted and enhanced as needed to ensure all-round education in Media & Entertainment while ensuring that there is that one core skill that each student specialises in.
The Institute is also highly committed to ensuring that its students move into the industry in creative and rewarding areas of employment. WWI alumni are currently working at several leading global M&E organisations and hardly a day goes by without us learning about some achievement by one of our 1500+ alumni.
We believe that creativity is about breaking existingrules. But in order to break rules, first you have to knowand understand the rules comprehensively.
FACULTY
Ravi Gupta | Dean
Neeta Lulla | Chief MentorWWI - School of Fashion
Rahul Puri | Head - Academics
Somnath SenDirector - Outreach & Affiliations
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ashwini Kaul
FacultyKrishhnamurthy, Chandrashekar Iyer, Manoj Kumar Peter, Mandar Dewalkar, Fareeda Mehta
Anil Mehta, Anup Jotwani, Binod Pradhan, C. K. Murlidharan, Kiran Deohans, Krishna Shetty, Mahesh Aney, Manmohan Singh, R. M. Rao, Rajesh Jiandani (Kodak), Rajiv Menon, S. Sivaraman (Prasad Labs), Santosh Sivan, Ujwal Nigudkar (Fuji), Vikas Sivaraman
FacultyAbhijit Mazumdar, Paresh Kamdar, Indranil Kashyap
Anup Singh, Ashutosh Gowariker, Hariharan, Jahnu Barua, Ketan Mehta, Kundan Shah, Peter Rea, Rajat Kapoor, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Sriram Raghavan, Subhash Ghai, Vivek Agnihotri, Vikramaditya Motwane
DIRECTION
Binitesh Baruri
FacultyD Wood (Music), Prabodh Parikh (International Art Literature & Culture), Salim Arif & Sabyasachi Bose (Production Design)
CULTURAL STUDIES
Salim Arif
EDITING
Rajesh Parmar
FacultyPrashant Naik, Ranjan Das, Vivian Pimenta, Asha Dharan
Suvir Nath, Aditya Seth, Arjun Mogre, David Hover (Faculty from La Femis, France), Deepa Bhatia, Neil Sadwelkar, Niranjan Thade, Ranjeet Bahadur, Sankalp Meshram, Tanuja Chaturvedi, Yogesh Mathur
PRODUCING
Rabiya Nazki
FacultyRahul Puri, Yusuf Mehta, Priyanka Joshi
Devendra Gandhi, Ashok Amritraj, Elahe Hiptoola, James Mimikos, Manmohan Shetty, Miriam Joseph, Navin Shah, Ravi Gupta, Ronnie Screwvala, Samar Khan, Shenazz Nadirshah, Vipul Shah, Vishal Gandhi, Vivek Krishnani
Our faculty body comprises of leading industry professionals & instructors from renownedglobal film schools and is augmented by a body of highly successful guest faculty.
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATION
Rahul Puri & Laili Dutta
FacultyChaitanya Chinchlikar, Kapil Tandon, Laili Dutta, Meenakshi CV, Milind Dedhia, Nikhil Rao, Rani Rohra, Ravi Gupta, Shebany Moro, Utkarsha Kotian
Ananya Parekh, Anil Zankar, Anuraag Pandey, Chitra Mulani, Dhiman Chattopadhyay, Dr. Mangesh Karandikar, Harini Calamar, Hemant Kenkre, Hemant Sapre, Joy Mukherjee, Mini Ribeiro, Moses Gomes, Rajesh Chandrashekhar, Rakesh Panickar, Reema Medhi, Rohini Desai, Samar Khan, Shailesh Kale, Shikha Jain, Shrikumar Nair, Sonia Parasnis, Soumyadipta Banerjee, Sudarshan, Sundar Balasubramaniam, Trisha Ashar, Uday Vadikar, Vidya Chandrashekhar, R. Swaminathan
ACTORS’ STUDIO
Subhash Ghai
FacultyArvind Pandey, Nikita Sarkar
Amita Sehgal, Aru Verma, Bansi Kaul, Binisha Naik (Fitness), Deepak Kumar (Acrobatics), Dr. Sangeeta Shankar (Voice), Firoz Zahid Khan,Greeny Francis, Makarand Deshpande, Raj Zutshi, Rajit Kapur, Rama Vaidyanathan, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sanjeev Mehta (Modern Dance), Shabana Azmi, Shashank Khaitan, Suhasini Mulay, Tamara Nedungadi, Vandana Trivedi (Yoga), Yuki Ellias
SCHOOL OF ANIMATION
Yusuf Mehta
FacultyAvik Chakraborty, Jasbinder Singh, Kshitiz Sharma, Vivek Nag
Ashish Kulkarni, Ashish Malhotra, Irina Saakian, Kumar Chandrasekaran, Mehul Hirani, Ninad Gawde, P. C. Vikram, Paritosh Kumawat, Raju Buddha, Savita Iyer, Savita Shekhawat, Suhas Kadav, Vaibhav Kumaresh
SCREENWRITING
Anjum Rajabali
FacultyVikas Sharma, Ashwini Malik
Aatish Kapadia, Abbas Tyrewala, Jaideep Sahni, Kathrin Wilkes, Rensil D’Silva, Shama Zaidi, Shridhar Raghavan, Vinay Shukla, Vinod Ranganath
SOUND RECORDING & DESIGN
Sudipta Basu
FacultyRakesh Ranjan, Bhaskar Roy, Tanmoy Basu
Ajeet Rathore, Anup Dev, Gunjan Shrivastav, Hari Kumar, Hitendra Ghosh, Jagmohan Anand, Kuldip Sood, Lesli Fernandis, Nakul Kamte, Sohel Sanwari
WWI SCHOOL OF FASHION
Nisha Chanda
FacultyGaura Srivastava
Avneet Jotwani, Belinda Bawa, Deepen Sharma, Lancy D'silva, Jaishikha Ratanpal, Roma Narsinghani, Shilpa Soneji Davda, Zenish Mehta
MUSIC
Dr. Sangeeta Shankar
FacultyD Wood, Vijay Kurien
Ragini Shankar, Sabapathi Rajan Pillai, Ajeet Pathak, Shankar Lakshmanan
3RD GLOBAL ‘SONY MEDIA TECHNOLOGYCENTRE’ AT WHISTLING WOODS
FACILITIES & RESOURCESThe sprawling campus is fitted with top-of-the-line equipment in well maintained & designated areas. This ensures that students imbibe the academic and tactical aspects of their curriculum.
TECHNICAL RESOURCESWWI has top-of-the-line technological resources to ensure that students learn on equipment that is relevant to today’s film & media industry.• 250 seater theatre with Auro 11.1 3D surround sound and 4K 3D digital
projector• 33’ x 64’ Multi-purpose studio• 40’ x 60’ Film Studio, 30’ height, air- conditioned with catwalks• 40’ x 60’ Television Studio, 30’ height, air-conditioned with fully automated
lighting grid• Music Recording Studio• Dolby Digital Film Surround Mix Studio• 5 DAW Suites• 1 ADR Suite• Location sound recording equipment• Audio - Pro Tools 101 lab - 1 Workstation per student• Editing - Video Labs - 1 Workstation per student • Editing - 3 specialised Edit Labs - 1 Workstation per student• Editing - 10 HD Edit Suites• Producing Lab - 1 Workstation per student with Movie Magic Budgeting &
Scheduling• 2D Animation - 1 Workstation per student with light tables and ToonBoom &
Flash software, Photoshop (Adobe Flash & Photoshop software)• 3D Animation - 1 Workstation per student with Maya, Z-Brush• VFX Lab - 1 Workstation per student with softwares like Maya, Nuke, PF
Track, Particle Illusion, Boujou, Silhouette & Adobe After Effects, Real Flow, PT Gui, Mocha Pro., Image Modeler, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Speed Grade
• Fashion – Apparel Construction Room with Brother & brand sewing machines
• Fashion – Pattern Making & Cutting Room• Fashion – Grooming & Draping Room
WWI FOXCONN MEDIA LAB• 28 nos 21.5” quad-core i5 iMacs with Intel Iris Pro Graphics
WWI YOUTUBE SPACE, MUMBAI• 21’ x 16’ Multi-purpose soundproof shooting studio• Canon C100 Camera kit with all accessories• Post-production facilities for video & sound editing• Google Student Lounge
WWI SONY MEDIA TECHNOLOGY CENTRE RESOURCES• Sony CineAlta F65, F55 & F35 4K High-Speed HDR HD Digital
Cinematography cameras• Sony CineAlta F5 HD Digital Cinematography camera• Sony HDC-4300 - 4K/HD System Camera• Element Technica fully-motorised stereoscopic 3D shooting rig• Sony proprietary 3D cameras• Sony proprietary ‘lens-to-screen’ 3D workflow pipeline for both Film & TV• DaVinci Resolve colour grading workstation
CAMPUS FACILITIES• 30 Classrooms - acoustically panelled with projection & audio systems• 3 Foundation lecture halls• 8 Workshop rooms• 2 Acting & Dance studios• Theatrical make-up & costume rooms• Prop & Costume storage• Film, Text & Periodical library • 2 Conference rooms• Internet café, Staff Lounge & Tuck Shop• Gymnasium• Cafeteria• ATM
ACHIEVEMENTSWWI has been rated as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in
the world, in the July 2014, August 2013 and July 2010
issues of ‘The Hollywood Reporter’.
WWI is rated in 2015 by Forbes India as among the ‘Top
Institutes of Influence’ globally.
WWI has partnered with The Tata Institute of Social
Sciences - one of India’s most reputed universities - to
ratify all its 3-yr undergraduate courses with BSc, BA &
BBA degrees.
WWI has graduated over 1500 students till date with over
90% gainfully employed at several leading Film & Media
organisations in India & overseas.
Academy-award winning alumni – WWI Alumni were part
of the Oscar Award winning Cinematography & VFX teams
for the ‘Life of Pi’.
Over 15% of the WWI’s film students are / have been
international students – from USA, Canada, UK, Germany,
Italy, France, China, UAE, Holland, Bermuda, Nigeria and
several other countries.
WWI has entered into a partnership with Google under
which WWI hosts Asia’s second & India's first ‘YouTube
Space’. Further, WWI runs Asia’s only ‘YouTube Educator
Lab’ for teaching courses in content creation for digital
platforms.
The Sony Media Technology Center – set up jointly by
Sony & WWI, is located at the WWI campus in Filmcity,
Mumbai. Sony, the world’s largest M&E corporation, has
recognised WWI as a leader in the Media & Entertainment
sector globally and chosen to partner with WWI for
focusing on new and emerging technology in the fields of
Digital Cinematography and 3D stereoscopic filmmaking.
There are only 3 such centres in the world, the other 2
being in London & LA. The Mumbai SMTC is the only
centre that is in partnership, while the other two are
stand-alone centres.
In 2015, Red Cameras partnered with Whistling Woods to
set up Asia’s first RedEducation platform at Whistling
Woods.
In 2015, Foxconn – the world’s largest electronics
manufacturer partnered with Whistling Woods to set up the
FoxConn Media Lab to promote content creation for digital
platforms.
In 2010, WWI was accepted as a full member of CILECT
(Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et
de Télévision) – a global association of film schools,
which lays very high standards on admitting members (of
the 3000+ film schools in the world, CILECT has
accepted only 160 schools as members).
Unique Education – WWI offers education in key verticals
for the first time ever in India, namely:
a. Producing – WWI started India’s first program for
Producers (in 2006).
b. MBA in Media & Entertainment – started India’s first
MBA in Media & Entertainment (in 2008).
c. Content Creation, Audience Development &
Monetisation for YouTube – India’s only institute running
this Google-certified specialised training.
d. 3D stereoscopic filmmaking – the only school to have a
complete 3D stereoscopic filmmaking pipeline, from
camera to screen (since 2010).
e. Media Studies at the high school level – WWI-created
Media Studies programs have been rolled out, through the
CBSE Board, in hundreds of CBSE schools across the
country (in 2010).
f. India’s first undergraduate degree in Filmmaking, Acting,
Screenwriting & Music – WWI has launched, in
association with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
India’s first BSc / BA degrees in Filmmaking, Acting,
Screenwriting & Music.
WWI is a key contributor & advisor in all the
government-launched vocational education programs – the
NSDC (under the PMO), the TISS-SVE (under the MHRD).
WWI management is regularly called upon to consult with
both the Central government and several state
governments on what strategy they should adopt for Film,
Media & Entertainment education.
WWI has, on request from the Ministry of Human Resource
Development – Government of India, designed the
curriculum for the Media Studies elective for the CBSE
board. WWI has prepared the curriculum, teaching
methodology & teacher training for the same.
In June 2014, Whistling Woods was recognised as a ‘Great
Place to Study’ by Skilltree Knowledge Consortium and
was award as such by the UK House of Commons.
In early 2014, Mr. Subhash Ghai was honoured as the
‘Education Evangelist of India’ by Skilltree Foundation for
setting up Whistling Woods.
In early 2014, Mr. Subhash Ghai, was awarded the
Karamveer Chakra, by the International Confederation of
NGOs, (ICONGO) a United Nations body for setting up
Whistling Woods.
In late 2013, President of Whistling Woods - Meghna
Ghai-Puri was awarded a honorary fellowship from Bradford
College, UK for her contribution to global Film & Media
education through Whistling Woods.
WWI Alumni are revitalizing regional film industries.
Several regional (Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Malayalam,
Telugu, Kannada & Tulu) industries have been greatly
benefited by WWI alumni choosing to go back to their
native markets and making films in those languages. This
has provided a much-needed quality filmmaking skills
boost for regional cinema.
CSR – Whistling Woods has provided scholarships & free
education to less-privileged students of over 5Cr over the
past 10 years. WWI has provided both full-time career
education and undertaken workshops for children of
several NGOs at no charge.
TECHNOLOGYPARTNERSHIPS
In tandem with today’s need for cutting-edge technology in the filmmaking process, WWI has joined hands with some of the leading technology providers in the Media & Entertainment industry.
These partnerships offer WWI students the opportunity to work on the latest equipments & software, some of which has not even been made available to the commercial industry as yet. Other advantages for WWI students include educational discounts on their hardware, software and services, in addition to a variety of other benefits such as workshops and training by company engineers, student awards and complimentary equipment.
The global technology major, Sony, has recognised WWI as a leader in the media education sector and decided to partner with us to setup its third Sony Media Technology Centre (SMTC). The first 2 SMTCs are in the UK & US and are stand-alone centers.
The SMTC at WWI is the first time that Sony has collaborated with another organisation for setup of the same. The SMTC at WWI focuses on new and emerging technology in the fields of High Definition filmmaking, 3D filmmaking as well as Digital 4k HD Exhibition and Broadcast. Apart from equipping the campus with the latest technology for Digital Cinematography and 3D filmmaking, Sony also stations their global subject matter experts on campus from whom Whistling Woods management, faculty and students learn a great deal.
Whistling Woods has partnered with the Foxconn Technology Group to set up a state-of-the art media lab which will focus on content creation for digital platforms in addition to being an additional asset for Whistling Woods Film & Media students.
The global media giant Google has partnered with Whistling Woods to set up a YouTube Space in the Whistling Woods campus in Mumbai. The YouTube Space Mumbai is a collaboration and production facility set up to support the incredible community of YouTube creators and foster the next generation of talent.
Whistling Woods International brings to you both pioneering technologies and the global technical exposure required to be at the forefront in the professional world. Our Technology Partnerships ensure that you will work with the best and latest equipment available anywhere in the world.
ACADEMICAFFILIATIONS
The WWI Outreach and Affiliations department works actively with Film
and Media schools around the world to create opportunities for
students to gain international exposure and degree qualifications.
The main aim of the department is to increase awareness of students by
giving them International exposure through the following activities:
• Student Exchanges
• Faculty Exchanges
• Co-productions
• Interacting with students visiting from abroad for short courses
WWI also has arrangements with some Universities where WWI
students can apply for a top-up degree after completing their diploma
from WWI.
WWI has alliances with several reputed Institutions outside of India
including Griffith University, University of Melbourne, TAFE Sydney,
Deakin University all in Australia; Bradford College, Teesside University
in the UK, Syracuse University, DePaul University, Chapman University,
Montana State University and the SUNY system via SUNY Oswego in
the United States. Besides, WWI has collaborated with Hong Kong and
China based Universities for co-productions.
As a member of CILECT (a global association of film schools based out
of Paris) and CAPA (The CILECT Asia Pacific Association) WWI is
forging more relationships with International Institutes, Colleges and
Universities.
Our Academic Affiliations ensure an opportunity to augment your qualifications with internationalcentres of excellence. WWI is associated with prominent universities in Australia, Europe, North America and Africa.
WHISTLING WOODSINTERNATIONALALUMNIMore than 1500+ Alumni successfully working in the Media and Entertainment industry.
Our Filmmaking, Animation and Acting students have bagged prestigious projects like...
Shashank Khaitan - Writer & DirectorSahil Vaid - ActorMansheel Gujral - SingerSohel Sanwari - Sound DesignerAmbica Rana - 2nd Assistant DirectorNidhi Vora & Pavi Trehan - DIT (Digital Image Technician)
Manik DawarEditor
Manik DawarAssistant Editor
Manik DawarAssistant Editor Sohel Sanwari
Dialogue Editor / Production Sound Mixer
Asad Ali - 3rd Assistant Cinematographer
Kaarthic J. S. - Sound Editor
Navin Reddy - Associate Editor
Sajid Sanwari2nd Unit DOP & Chief Assistant Cameraman
Kavan AhalparaAssistant Line Producer
Rishabh RastogiOnline Editor
Parth NavleLighting Assistant
Aditya NaikDigital Image Technician
Keshav Uppal - ActorViral Desai - 2nd Assistant Director
Ambuj DixitActor
Eshna Chopra, Sharic SequeiraProduction Assistant
Jehanne FernandesBehind the Scenes
Rahul BadwelkarSound Recordist
Suvrata Nasnodkar Tushar SethJai PriyadarshiAssistant Directors
Videeta MolasiArt Director
Prashant KoshyAnimator
Abhishruti BezbaruahAssistant Sound Editor
Muralikrishna V.Assistant Cinematographer
Prashanth Ramachandran& Rushab RastogiDigital Image Technician
Abhinav Babar1st Assistant Director
Maanavi Bedi2nd Assistant Director
Tania DeohansDirector's Assistant
Mrinalini TiwariMedia and Production Coordinator
Rohaan ParthsarthyProduction Assistant
Nikhil VadherSet Production Assistant
Hiten Joshi3rd Assistant Cinematographer
Nachiket PangareAssistant Cinematographer
Pooja HegdeCasting
Pranav ShuklaAssistant Sound Recordist
Bhanu Pratap Singh &Varun Machhar
Assistant Directors
Sahil Vaid, Aditya Sharma &Jimmy Varyani
Actors
Shashank KhaitanDirector-Writer
Sohel SanwariAudiographer
Swati TrivediScript & Continuity Supervisor
Muralikrishna V.Grip (Cinematography & Lighting Department)
Sahil ChawlaLayout Artist
Shantanu TrivediAssistant Sound Designer
Taranveer SinghContinuity Supervisor & Casting Assistant Director
Utsab Bhandopadhyay& Saurabh SomData Manager
Saurabh Som & Sanket Pawar Digital Image Technician
Simranpreet Singh Production Manager & Asstistant Director
Prashant Golani & Shehbaz KhanAssistant Director
Ali2nd Assistant Cinematographer
Tejeshwar Singh DhillonAssistant Editor
Trishank GoswamiProduction Executive
Vivek SoniScript & Continuity Supervisor
AWARD WINNING FILMS
Chaitally ParmarCo-writer &
Associate Director
QUEEN
Rajshri DeshpandeActor
ANGRY INDIAN
GODDESSES
Abhinav MehrotraAssociate Producer
Shashank KhaitanActor (Cameo)
Maharsh ShahCreative Team Credits
Brinda Mitra - Assistant DirectorSaurabh Som - Data Manager
Saurabh Som - Digital Image Technician
Vijay Tilani - Actor
Aru Krishna Verma - ActorNachiket PangareAssistant Cinematographer
Muralikrishna V. - Grip (Cinematography & Lighting Department)
Utsab Bandopadhyay Data Manager (Editorial Department)
Akshit Chobisa Marketing & Video Content
Babu Kanttiappa Tipanpally2nd Assistant Cinematographer
Harshwardhan PatilAssistant Cinematographer
Suneet VatsChief Assistant Cinematographer
Ahana Kumra, Pavail GulatiVibhore MayankActors
Aarambhh Singh1st Assistant Director
Prashanth RamachandranAssociate Editor
Priyanka Kashikar3rd Assistant Director
AWARD WINNING FILMS
Shashank AroraActor
TITLINitin Baid
Editor
MASAAN
Nitin BaidAssistant Editor
Rohit PandeyAssistant Director
Gaurav ManeAssistant Director &Continuity Supervisor
Esha LalCostume Associate
Anil MangeActor
Abhishruti BezbaruahSound Editor
Rachit MalhotraAdditional DialogueRecordist
Gaurav KulkarniVisual Promotions - PostProduction Co-ordinator
Anubhav Bhansal - 2nd Unit DOP / Camera Operator
Lekha Deshpande - Marketing
Aayushi Maheshwari Weber Shandwick
Aditi Bhalla Sula Vineyards
Amandeep Singh Fox Star Studios
Anirudh Sharma Zee Entertainment
Ankit Bhatnagar Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Apurv Kashyap MSL Group
Apurva Gabhe Culture Machine
Arshad Khan Star India
Ashee Sharma Agency Faq’s
Chandni Davda Viacom 18
Debolina Chakraborty White Marque Solutions
Fenyl Desai EMCW
Garima Parekh Perfect Relations
Govind Rai Goinit
Ishita Joy Zee Entertainment
ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONThe Whistling Woods International Alumni Association is in its formative stage. All WWI alumni are encouraged to join the association and actively participate in making it strong & robust.
A strong alumni association would allow the WWI community to greatly benefit each other through job opportunities and synergies across the various verticals of the Media & Entertainment industry that WWI educates students in. Additional details are available on the WWI website or with Student Services team.
Karishma Surti Linopinion GH
Karuna Iyer Genesis Burson Marsteller
Khushi Sen BBC Worldwide
Lekha Deshpande Nadiadwala Grandsons
Luv Bhawandekar YouTube Spaces
Nakul Anand Zee Entertainment
Navin Charly All India Bakchod
Nikhil Kalapadan Think Why Not
Nikita Purohit Oncore Events
Noella Dias Virgin Producing
Pallav Chakravorty Radio Mirchi
Pallavi Todi BBA Worldwide
Pearl Annie Prem Le Eco
Radhika Gupta Pyramid Films
Raghav Ram DDB Mudra
Raghvendra Iyer Fountainhead Events
Rahul Kotibhaskar Cinestaan
Rikita Vijan Bling Entertainment
Rinisha Chandramohan Contract Advertising
Rohan Vachani Encompass Events
Sankalp Singh Percept Knorigin
Saravana Manivannan M Hyde Park International
Savi Srivastava Dharma
Shalini Sen Connect One (Mukta Arts)
Shama Igatpuriwala Star Movies
Shashank Ramugadhe Aditya Birla
Shraddha Singh Sikhya Entertainment
Shreya Podder Only Much Louder
Shreyasi Kanungo Beyond Dream Entertainment
Shruti Dua Thomas Cook
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATION
Shruti Sen Conde Nast IndiaShyama Krishna Kumar Gulf News (Dubai)
Sneha Chandra Globosport
Sonia Rebello LinkedIn
Suhas Aathreya Sprinklr
Sukriti Gupta Radio City
Sumedha KS Kotak Mahindra Bank
Suraj Dubey Moengage Inc.
Swati Sahay Big Synergy
Tushar Nair CAA KWAN
Tyne Torcato RK Swamy BBDO
Vaibhav Belwariar Zirca
Vamsi Raghava Google
Vibha Singh Agency 09
Vishal Kanungo Ultra Media & Entertainment
SCHOOL OF FASHIONAmrita Banerjee, Independent Stylist
Bharti Sharma, Entrepreneur, Freesparrow Kids Wear Brand
Khushbu Rathi, Designer, Aura Fashions
Marina Fernandes, Entrepreneur, Marina Fernandes Label
Mehak Murpana, Entrepreneur, Mehak Murpana Label
Nidhi Gala, Entrepreneur, Royal Enterprise Brand
Niyati Pathak, Costume Assistant, Swastik Productions
Pallavi Jaswani, Entrepreneur, Pallavi Jaswani Label
Pranali Oswal, Assistant, Gavin Miguel
Pranita Choudhary, Designer, Gavin Miguel
Rashmi Thakur, Entrepreneur, Own Desi Love Pop Brand
Richa Shah, Entrepreneur, Selcouth Label
Sakshi Chopra,
Fashion Assistant, Saachi Vijayvargiya
Shaziya Shaikh, Entrepreneur, Shaziya Shaikh Label
Simran Oberoi, Styling Assistant, Salma Mansuri
Stephie Falcao, Entrepreneur, JAKE Brand
3RD YEAROF WWIBEING LISTEDAMONGSTTHE BEST 10FILM SCHOOLSGLOBALLY
INTERNSHIPS& PLACEMENTS
CAREER RESOURCE CENTREOver the past nine years, Whistling Woods has proactively prepared a niche for its alumni in several key media industry areas. The dedicated Career Resource Centre on campus builds partnerships with the biggest and best media and entertainment entities.
This centre provides ongoing career support to students in their final semester and even after they begin working professionally.
CAREER SUPPORT INCLUDES:• Resume creation, compilation of showreels• Studio tests, auditions• Campus recruitment drives• Enrollment in professional associations, industry orientation
in matters of contracts and legalities• Providing networking opportunities through meetings with
established and young filmmakers and alumni from theindustry.
The campus is frequented by professionals from the industry for guest lectures, masterclasses, workshops and practicals. Our students have the unique opportunity to interact and impress their future employers while still learning from them. The calibre of Whistling Woods trainees ensures meaningful association with the industry.
The ‘industry-ready’ WWI trainees meet the escalating need forfresh talent in the Media & Entertainment industry. Professional skills acquired during their Whistling Woods education ensures our alumni are in high demand with a rapidly progressing career graph.
Whistling Woods is at the heart of cutting-edge technology: right from the array of the latest high-end cameras we get to use, to the high-tech 3D facilities available on campus, to the professional post-production facilities next door. I was trained to international standards and feel like it's any cinematography aspirant's dream to be a student here.Muralikrishna V, Cinematographer
The unique aspect of my Whistling Woods education was how it trained me to not only be a professional editor, but also a competent and well-rounded filmmaker. This field requires multi-specialists nowadays and the interdisciplinary nature of our curriculum really gives us that advantage.Yashashwini YP, Editor
As Screenwriting students, we received valuable feedback and mentorship from our faculty and their colleagues who are collectively some of the most respected screenwriting professionals. It was through such mentorship that Aparna Sen expressed an interested in developing my story, Iti Mrinalini into a feature film which we eventually shared co-writing credits on.Ranjan K Ghosh, Screenwriter
As a direction student, the international exposure I got at Whistling Woods is unparalleled. I would have never thought I'd be making a film under the mentorship of an Oscar Award winning director like Davis Guggenheim just within a few months of finishing film school.Mohit Chhabra, Director
One of the biggest advantages of being in a school which is run and aided by one of the biggest production houses is that some of the most influential people in the industry are no more than a phone call away.Aditi Anand, Producer
ALUMNI SPEAKSCHOOL OF FILMMAKING
Whistling Woods helped me take my first step as a director by connecting me with the right people in the industry. The films I made at Whistling Woods as part of the course and as extra projects were the calling cards I needed to connect and work with directors like Tigmanshu Dhulia, who is now producing my directorial debut, which is based on my student diploma film.Karan Butani, Director
As students, our training happens in a professional sound production facility, with faculty who teach us through their work on commercial projects. It can't get any more hands on!Abhishruti Bezbaruah, Sound Designer
I take immense pleasure in thanking my esteemed Institute, Whistling Woods International for the knowledge and experience they have given in media field. It is so professional and optimum that it has enhanced my performance at Zee Television. Again a placement given to me by them, through campus interview. Thank you WWI.Ankita Salunkhe, Zee Television
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATION
I was very nervous when I bagged my first feature film. When I got on the set, I realized it was just like shooting a Diploma film, just with a longer duration and bigger budget. That’s when you realise how crucial the experiences of shooting films at Whistling Woods were. For me, the transition was very easy.Samvedna Suwalka, Actor
I cannot overstate the advantage of learning Animation within the portals of a thriving film school. The creative energy on campus is amazing with over 300 full time film school students and much opportunity for collaborative filmmaking.Sunil Mungekar, Animator and Game Artist, Technicolor
Learning animation is a very detailed process and for this an aspirant needs the best training. I've found this in Whistling Woods' rigorous curriculum where you are tutored in every detail from script to screen. I have enjoyed every moment of learning at the Institute & was my first step towards a successful and fulfilling career in Animation.Kavan Ahalpara, Production Coordinatior, Rhythm & Hues
SCHOOL OF ANIMATION
I’ve learnt so much more here than what they teach at other animation institutes. We get to dabble in the filmmaking side of thing we think about lighting in our cinematography classes, learn the finer nuances of creating a character in acting classes. We are introduced to the business aspect of the industry in the producing classes... all these forays further into specialisations. This learning methodology has really enhanced my learning experience.Videeta Molasi, Assistant to Art Director, Saini Johray on ‘Soundtrack’
ACTORS’ STUDIO
The two years at Whistling Woods were a crucial reality check about the hard work and preparation that goes into becoming a professional actor. There is much more to the craft than just imitating dialogues and memorising lines. The faculty encouraged us marvelously through this rigorous and challenging programme.Anil Mange, Actor
The 2 years in WWI were much needed. It was very important for someone to give me a reality check about the hard work and preparation that goes into becoming a professional actor. The faculty of WWI did exactly that. The training there was rigorous and quite grilling. It was only when I started my course in WWI did I learn that to excel in a craft like acting, one needed to really live films and not just simply watch a few movies and imitate the lines!Sahil Mehta
Whistling Woods has been like a family from the very first day. It not only gave a rise to my career, but also helped me develop as a person. This place will forever be special!Mehak Sareen, Go Quest Media
SCHOOL OF FASHION
My journey has been phenomenal. This has been a tremendous platform for aspiring designers. I had the best time in the last semester, as I could apply all my learning that I have received in the first 3 semesters, while creating my garment collection for the graduation show. The opportunity of designing and creating an entire collection has been a great learning experience.Bharti Sharma, Fashion Designer
After completing my studies in Business Management, I came to know about Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion from a friend, and right at that moment, I knew I must join it to get guidance and direct my passion and ambition of bcoming a fashion designer. While designing my graduation show collection I realised how intensive and challenging the entire process of creating garment is. The faculties here are extremely helpful, supportive and co-operative. These 2 years have been the best years of my life.Mehak Murpana, Papa Don’t Preach & Entrepreneur
This institute is like a collateral fashion industry, where we have been involved in doing everything related to fashion and learn every aspect of fashion design. Be it working backstage at fashion shows or creating garments, academic guidance coupled with practical experiences have seamlessly transformed us into professionals. The kind of exposure we get here is immense. We have regular workshops and interactive sessions with guest lectures, who are professionals and experts from the fashion industry, which has added to our skill set.Khushboo Rathi, Asst. Store Manager, Aura (Nagpur)
Whistling Woods was my second home during the tenure of my MBA degree. The BEST parts of WWI are the people at Whistling Woods. The Campus is the Best Ever!
Placements are Tailor-Made. I now work for the exact profile that I had in mind when I joined WWI. I got placed at Media Vantage and I could not have been happier with this opportunity that the Placement Cell found for me. The faculty is top-notch, the environment is fantastic, the infrastructure is un-comparable, all-in-all an industry leading media education institute.Kapil Vyas, Media Vantage
The role of Whistling Woods in my career is not something which I can mention in few lines; it made me what I am today and has been a gateway for me to where I am today.
I came here with a perspective of graduating in Advertising and today I stand in this industry as a proud producer.Naveed M, Executive Producer, AIB
5th Veda is the cultural hub under which best of artistes and young talents of India will be encouraged to teach and perform their artistic skills, which will in turn develop the artistic skills of the students, while their film & media training continues at this world-class Institute. This cultural movement will help develop the artistic skills of the students in the field of Dance, Drama, Music, Poetry, Speech, Painting and all kind of art forms. Students shall attend events of performing arts by various artistes of India including students’ participation.
With the demanding pace of courses and activities at the institute, life is quite action packed for every Whistling Woods student. The student body is made up of people from various nationalities, ages and backgrounds, which makes for a very diverse campus. Students experience a regular series of extra-curricular campus events and institute-sponsored activities that keep the campus vibrant and exciting.
CULTURAL HUB& FESTIVALS
Deepak MazumdarFebruary 12, 2015
Talat AzizApril 28, 2015
Ashley LoboOctober 8, 2015
Pt. Vishwa MohanApril 21, 2016
NawazuddinSeptember 16, 2016
Rakesh BediSeptember 22, 2016
Selfie PlayOctober 13, 2016
Javed AliOctober 20, 2016
Shiamak DavarNovember 8, 2016
Kapil SharmaApril 28, 2016
Salim MerchantMay 5, 2016
Remo D’souzaAugust 4, 2016
Pt. ShivkumarAugust 11, 2016
Meet Bros.August 25, 2016
SameerSeptember 1, 2016
Ila ArunSeptember 8, 2016
Adam DowOctober 15, 2015
Lesle LewisOctober 29, 2015
Johny LeverNovember 26, 2015
Hema MaliniFebruary 4, 2016
Prasoon JoshiFebruary 11, 2016
TajmahalMarch 17, 2016
Nana PatekarMarch 28, 2016
Shankar MahadevanJuly 23, 2015
Arijit SinghJuly 31, 2015
Sorabh PantAugust 5, 2015
MushairaAugust 13, 2015
Taufiq QureshiAugust 27, 2015
Pt. HariprasadSeptember 24, 2015
Sonu NigamSeptember 13, 2015
Mathias DuplessyFebruary 19, 2015
Irshad KamilMarch 3, 2015
HariharanMarch 26, 2015
Omung KumarApril 9, 2015
Kavita KrishnamurtiApril 16, 2015
L. SubramaniamApril 16, 2015
Terence LewisApril 23, 2015
Ahmed KhanFebruary 18, 2016
Conferences & Film FestivalsWWI students & alumni regularly serve as delegates, participants or volunteers at several media conferences, workshops, film forums and events, both in India and abroad. Recent opportunities include the FICCI FRAMES Convention, Mumbai Film Festival’s Young Critics, International Film Festival of India (Goa), ASIFA International Animation Day, Sundance Institute’s Screenwriter’s Lab, Cannes Film Festival (France), Bradford International Animation Film Festival (UK), River to River Film Festival (Italy), MPAA CICE Film Workshop (China), Siemens CityStories Film Projects (UK) and many more. The student films made as part of filmmaking courses at WWI are regularly sent to several Indian and international film festivals, both in competitive & non-competitive sections. Whistling Woods also curates and promotes its own student film competition every year in January as part of the Pune International Film Festival.
We, at Whistling Woods International have always wanted to create an avenue whereby we are able to provide access to the realities of the filmmaking process to the common film lover and enthusiast. Further, we have always wanted that the vast campus & high-tech infrastructure we have built, the unique hands-on curriculum and the laudable faculty, guest & visiting faculty body that we have is accessible to film lovers & enthusiasts.
We decided to use the opportunity of the completion of a 100 years of Indian Cinema with 2 large open-for-all events namely ‘Cinema 100’ & ‘Cinema 100 The Next Wave’. Looking at the response & feedback of the attendees, we continued this ‘open-for-all’ event as an annual affair, calling it the ‘Celebrate Cinema Festival’, and had immense success in 2014 and 2015.
The School of Media & Communication hosts an annual media seminar series across multiple Indian cities where experts meet aspirants to talk about the dynamic nature of the industry.
The Future of Fashion Forum has been conceptualised by the Whistling Woods School of Fashion & Design with a view to set a dialogue with the fashion professionals from various walks of the industry. The Future of Fashion Forum is a one day event bringing together leaders in the fashion and retail industry and renowned fashion designers of India to create a think tank.
INBOX is a 2-day in-house annual college fest of Whistling Woods International. It is an array of mixed events from cultural programmes to sports championships to entertainment-based competitions. What makes it different from the other college fest? The fact that not only students strive to win appreciation for their talents but every staff of the institute join the race, making it a highly energetic yet vibrant affair.
Campus EventsThe Institute conducts a wide variety of film and media events in collaboration with other entities like foreign consulates, NGOs, cultural & film associations and technological & learning partners.
In the recent past we have hosted:Ink Talks (Ted Talks) | 20/20 (American Film Institute) | Ibermumbai (Spanish Embassy)Rendezvous with French Cinema (French Embassy) | Open Forums, Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) | Concert & Launch of Indian Ocean’ ‘Leaving Home’(Big Cinemas) | Indian Animation Retrospectives (TASI) | Tech demos, Seminars, Beta Tests and Industry workshops (Apple, ARRI, SONY, NVidia, Kodak, Entertainment Partners, Toonboom, Fujifilm,Stereovision, Phantom Cameras)
The AICTE lays down and certifies degree granting standards for technical education in various industries as defined by the AICTE Act. However, at present, Film & TV education is not included specifically in the purview of the AICTE Act. Hence, the technical courses run under Whistling Woods are outside the purview of the AICTE.
*All the content of this prospectus are subject to change at the discretion of the management.
Whistling Woods International, Filmcity Complex, Goregaon (East), Mumbai 400065, India
m +91 8451803850 +91 8451803851 +91 8451803852 +91 8451803853o +91 22 30916070w www.whistlingwoods.net
For admission enquiries, please write to: [email protected]
SCHOOL OF FILMMAKINGSCHOOL OF ANIMATION ACTORS’ STUDIOSCHOOL OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATION SCHOOL OF FASHIONSCHOOL OF DESIGN SCHOOL OF MUSICVIRTUAL ACADEMYSHORT COURSE UNIT
Choose a job youlove, & you will neverhave to work a day inyour life {Confucius}