Content

Purpose 6

Mission 7

About Us 8

Sri Aurobindo Society 11

Message from the Chairman 12

Message from the Director 13

Teaching Philosophy 14

Insight 16

Campus and Infrastructure 18

Schools 20

Advertising and 22

Public Relations (IMC)

Audio Engineering and 26

Music Production

Creative Documentary 30

Digital Marketing Communication 40

Photography 44 Continuing Education 56

Creative Graphic Design 59

Creative Writing 60

Effective Business 62

Communication Skills

Painting and Sketching 64

Still Photography 66

Whatever one does, one must not only do it as best one can,

but strive to do it better and better, in a constant effort for

perfection. In this way everything without exception becomes

interesting, from the most material chore to the most artistic

and intellectual work. The scope for progress is infinite and

can be applied to the smallest thing.

-The Mother

The first principle of true teaching is that nothing can be taught.

The teacher is not an instructor or taskmaster, he is a helper

and guide. His business is to suggest and not to impose.

-Sri Aurobindo

Purpose

Creating future leaders in Arts & Mass

Media Communication, with the best of

human values, working for a world based

on truth, harmony, creativity, and beauty.

Mission

Being an international centre of

educational excellence that develops

human faculties to make a conscious

individual with an environment that

inspires and inculcates values and

encourages self-development

and self-expression.

It‘s not always that you make correct decisions in life,

sometimes you stumble upon them. Coming to SACAC

was one such decision. The 1st day when I entered the

campus, I fell in love with the ambience.

Saniyia Kraipak (Creative Photography Programme) 2013 - 14

About Us

Started in 2003, the Sri Aurobindo Centre

for Arts & Communication (SACAC) is an

autonomous, not-for-profit institution for

creative learning in arts and

communication. We are a unit of

Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry.

Ten years ago, SACAC made a humble

beginning as a small media school with

25 students. Today our alumni comprises

500 Art, Media and Communication

professionals. The collective alumni base

for programmes under ‗Continuing

Education‘ at SACAC is made up of

more than a thousand people from

varied backgrounds.

We offer one year diploma programmes

in Photography, Audio Engineering

and Music Production and Creative

Documentary, in addition to courses in

Advertising and Public Relations (IMC)

and Digital Marketing Communication.

At SACAC, we believe in carving

out a unique journey in creativity

for our students and are guided by

the fundamental premises of Integral

Education as envisaged by Sri Aurobindo

and The Mother.

With this in mind, we have developed

SACAC as a centre of excellence for

training in Media Arts and Communication

for aspiring students and professionals who

would like to use Media as a means of self-

development and self-expression, and as an

instrument for social progress and change.

Over the years, the institution has grown

to be a place with invaluable partners in the

form of teachers, mentors and advisors, and

most importantly, students. We take pride

in the direction we consciously chose for

SACAC and are proud of the progress we

have made, without compromising on our

values and philosophy.

Sri Aurobindo Society

Creating the Next Future

Where peace and unity will be the foundation

Diversity and dynamism, the way of action

Harmony and happiness, the constant results

To create a more beautiful tomorrow,

A happier world, the Next Future

This is the challenge and unique privilege of today.

Sri Aurobindo Society seeks to bring a dynamic spirituality into material life

and all its activities, so that global problems can find a true solution, and the

dreams of humanity through the ages can be realised.

The Society is a non-profit organization, working throughout the world for

individual perfection, social transformation and human unity in diversity.

The vision

The integral growth and perfection of the individual;

Social transformation through the dynamic application of spirituality

in all fields of human endeavour, individually and collectively.

A united and awakened India,

Realisation of human unity in a harmonious and organized diversity, where each

nation will become conscious of its true genius and offer its best for humanity.

It is the Society‘s aim to bring together all those

who want to dedicate themselves to this advent

of a new world, with no distinction of nationality,

religion, caste or gender.

―We do not want to exclude any of the world‘s activities —

All will remain but all will be given a new life, a new form ...

if we are spread out everywhere as individuals, something

no doubt will be done; if we are spread out everywhere in the

form of a Sangha (a collective body), a hundred times more

will be accomplished.‖ - Sri Aurobindo

From the Chairman

The purpose of education is not merely to provide

information, or training and skills for a professional

career. It must also equip us with life skills and be a

means of self-discovery and service to others.

Education at SACAC is therefore an integral process,

which tries to provide all these, while helping students

to develop their faculties, imbibe values and become

conscious individuals.

Our energetic and talented faculty and staff are

dedicated to these ideals and work hard to create

an atmosphere that inspires and encourages

self-development and self-expression.

Our hope and vision at SACAC is that of enthusiastic

students, growing and transforming into young

professionals, who create a new future based on

truth, harmony, creativity and beauty.

We invite you to join us on this exciting journey.

Shri Vijay Poddar

From the Director

It is my pleasure to welcome you to

the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and

Communication (SACAC).

Our simple aim is that you should

realise the purpose of your life. We

will do everything we can to provide a

strong foundation for you to reach your

full potential. We want you, whatever

your starting point, to achieve the very

best that you can and have a brilliant

experience of SACAC life.

The Centre encourages creative learning

in media arts and communication with a

focus on individual holistic growth. As a

student here you will be at the centre of

everything we do. We will give you the

opportunity to learn new skills, try out

new hobbies, know yourself better, make

a contribution to your community as well

as meet new friends along the way.

We are fortunate to be positioned in the

heart of South Delhi on a sprawling green

campus and have an environment that is

conducive for academic learning as well

as artistic and intellectual stimulation.

We work hard to make sure our students

are provided with the environment and

infrastructure facilities they deserve.

We do our best to provide a happy and

purposeful atmosphere where staff

and students will have a wonderful

relationship by working in partnership

with each other. We hope that this will

ensure a SACAC community where each

student will feel connected, valued and

can f lourish.

I do hope you decide to join us. Wishing

you a successful and fruitful academic

year ahead!

Ms. Daljeet Wadhwa

Teaching Philosophy

At SACAC, our teaching philosophy

stems from the principles of the Integral

Education of Sri Aurobindo and The

Mother. In essence, this philosophy

emphasises that teaching is a two way

process involving equal participation

of the students and teachers.

Our pedagogical principles are designed

around this framework.

We promote original thought and

innovation. Our students are encouraged

to explore and express their creative self.

We believe that a teacher is a co-creator

with the students recognizing that each

student has a unique, different, and

natural capacity for learning.

At SACAC mentoring is the keystone

of our teacher-student relationship. Our

faculty members provide an environment

that enables experiential learning and

progressive development.

An optimum teacher-student ratio

helps provide personal attention to

each of our students and ensures fruitful

interactions between faculty and students.

Practicing professionals from the

industry are the chief constituents of

our faculty pool. Well-versed with the

latest happenings in the dynamic world

of media, they create an interesting and

effective mix of theory and practice in

their classes to help students internalize

key concepts.

Our dearest wish and ambition for our

students, hence our sincere endeavour, is

to help each one of them reach an innate

understanding of the core of creative

expression. All our actions are guided

by this central thought and to this end,

students are exposed to varied art forms

and expressions of creativity. Further,

through a guided process they learn to

integrate it all into an evolved, unique

creative expression of their own which

can be applied in the course of work in

their chosen field.

But to benefit fully from our institution,

a student requires some basic qualities

to start with. We expect budding

professionals who join us to be individuals

of integrity, positive attitude, zeal and

determination. The willingness to be

a team player, and having respect for

oneself and others in equal measure, is a

must. An inclination towards developing

strong interpersonal skills and having the

qualities of reliability & responsibility at

all times are imperative too.

Insights

Exploring the inner self

―All of us who professionally use the media

are the shapers of society. We can vulgarise

that society. Brutalize it. Or we can help lift

it onto a higher level‖ William Bernbach,

American Advertising Legend

At SACAC, we go beyond imparting

professional skills and relevant knowledge;

we strive towards developing human faculties

to make a conscious individual, through an

environment that inspires and inculcates

values and encourages self-development

and self-expression.

To achieve this, we have created a programme

called ‗Insights‘. ―Insights‖ is a structured

programme aimed towards students

exploring their inner self. It is directed to

reach the essential core of a person, the place

from where ideas, creativity, drive and vision

emerge. Combined with skills, it leads to

developing a complete, creative professional.

The insights workshop was

my first ever experience into

the search of my own being.

I always used to ask questions

to myself, on how I am and why

I am like this. I did get answers

to many of these questions in

these three days…

Batch 2013 -14

The Insights programme is based on the

conviction that it is the noble, courageous,

ethical part of ourselves, which is our true

nature, and this is the part we must discover.

As part of the Insights programme, students

participate in expert led workshops, book

readings and reviews, sharing of experiences

by practitioners/experts and personal

mentoring, among other things.

SACAC is the only media institute of repute

which has a development programme of this

nature woven into its curriculum.

Campus and Infrastructure

Who would have guessed that a literature graduate from

Delhi University could build monitors that beat some of the

best available? At SACAC I managed to expand and discover

a side of me that till now lay dormant.

Krishna Rao (Audio Engineering & Music Production) 2013 - 14

We are located in the heart of South Delhi

on the sprawling green campus of the

Delhi branch of the Sri Aurobindo Society.

Our 2.5 acre campus houses state of the

art classrooms; a Library-cum-Resource

Centre; an Auditorium; an Amphitheatre;

Studios for audiography, videography and

photography; a Meditation Room; and a

Canteen. We endeavour to provide our

students with appropriate equipment of

high quality and the latest in technology

for a good measure of hands-on experience.

The audio studio is equipped with the

latest industry standard DAWs of ProTools

11 and Logic Pro X. The studio also houses

the Presonus StudioLive 16.4.2 mixing

desk and Adam monitors. An evolving

microphone closet is also at the disposal

of the students along with amplifiers from

VOX and Ampeg and a Sonor drum kit.

Our photography department ‘s physical

infrastructure includes multi-use

classrooms, a well-equipped studio, dark

room and a post-production lab and

in addition, a ‗hall of fame‘ to display

students‘ work and achievements. The

studio is outfitted with DSLR Cameras

and lenses, Swiss-made high end digital

lights, Flash Systems with boom stands

fitted with all the necessary accessories

and essentials items. The dark room is

well fitted for all learning needs and

includes Leitz and KB Enlargers. Our

post production lab has iMacs, a premium

quality Eizo Monitor and an Epson Stylus

pro printer.

The film school has a studio/class room,

edit suites and also the audio studio,

at its disposal. High quality digital full

frame cameras along with all the required

sound and light equipment are part of the

equipment inventory of this school.

All our Classrooms are Wi-Fi enabled with

projectors and sound systems. The library

is well stocked with many titles on arts and

communication, and a dedicated computer

lab facilitating access to digital libraries

across the globe.

The Hall of Life Divine is our auditorium

with a seating capacity of 150 people. Our

students use the amphitheatre to stage

plays, debates and music programmes.

The canteen is a popular hang-out between

and after classes.

Schools At SACAC, the one year, Diploma

Programmes provide students with

intensive year long course of study

that strengthen personal vision,

teach professional practices, and

explore the many disciplines that

form media and arts.

Advertising and

Public Relations (IMC)

Audio Engineering

and Music Production

Creative Documentary

Digital Marketing

Communication

Photography

ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS (IMC)

Course O ver v ie w

The one year Post Graduate Diploma in

Advertising & Public Relations at SACAC is

an advertising course where we emphasize

on the practitioners gaining a rich

understanding of consumer mindsets

and behavior. They are then encouraged to

add this understanding to their knowledge

of the market to get their target audiences

to act. This process is the process of

communication creation. The traditional

silos of advertising, public relations and

marketing are thus broken down through

repeated application based classroom

learning exercises.

The mode of instruction in this course is

simulation exercises, case study analysis,

classroom teaching, guest lectures and off-

site and on-site workshops through which

students develop a professional toolkit to

attain marketing success. The mantra of

this course is application, application and

then some more application! In addition to

sharing experiences and observations from

the industry, our faculty members act as

guides for students in their personal and

professional lives.

After a strong foundation in marketing

and communications, students may choose

their internships in Account Management,

Copywriting or Public Relations.

NOTE: This programme requires students

to have their own laptops.

Course P rospects

The Communications industry is one of

the fastest growing in the country.

According to FICCI estimates in 2013, the

size of the advertising industry in India

was INR 36,200 crores and set to touch a

figure of INR 63,000 crores by 2017.This

growth has spurred an increase in the

number of agencies and led to a terrific

demand for skilled resources in the

communications sector.

Successful completion of the advertising

course opens up a wide range of

opportunities in this industry. Our

students become decision makers in

almost any company concerned with

consumer/customer communications,

including advertising, public relations,

promotions, internet marketing, media

and client organizations.

Course Requirements

Q U A L I F IC A T IO N

› A graduate in any field with a minimum

of 50% marks (aggregate) may apply.

› We also accept GMAT and CAT scores.

A T T R I B U T E S

› A creative and innovative bent of mind

Admission is subject to an aptitude

test followed by group discussion

and interview.

Curricu lum

The Diploma programme in Advertising

& Public Relations has been designed in

consultation with industry practitioners

from the field of communication. The

endeavour is to equip our students with

the requisite skills of a well-rounded

communications professional.

This course covers topics like:

› Consumer Behaviour

› Marketing & Marketing Environment

› Market Segmentation

› Positioning Strategy

› Product Life Cycle

› Marketing Mix

› Market Research

› Marketing Plans

› Retail Strategy

› Advertising & Public Relations

› Rural Marketing

› Corporate Communication

› Public Relations

› Marketing in Digital Media

› Media Management & Planning

› Advertising & Ad Agency Functions

› Product Management

› Brand Management

› Sociology of Consumption

› Psychology of consumption

› Consumer Decision Making

› Integrated Marketing Communications

› Ideation & Evaluation of

the Creative Idea

Facu lt y

SANjIB DEy (MENTOR)

Sanjib, who completed his education at

MICA, ICSI and Wharton, is an

advertising & marketing professional,

with over 20 years of experience. He has

led brand management functions, big

brand launches & brand turnarounds.

Currently an independent Marketing

& Brand Consultant, he had in the past

handled responsibilities as COO at Law

& Kenneth and President at Saatchi &

Saatchi, India. Over the years he has

worked in agencies like Lowe, Grey,

Bates Enterprise and Everest.

PAPIyA TAHILIANI (COURSE DIRECTOR)

An XLRI graduate, Papiya is a career

advertising professional, who has spent

17 years in the advertising industry

across agencies like Ogilvy, jWT (then

HTA), Contract, Saatchi & Saatchi and

Publicis Capital. The last 2 years, she

was with Aircel as Head (Marketing) for

their enterprise business division -Aircel

Business Solutions.

DEEPIKA SINGH

With a career spanning over 14 years,

Deepika Singh is a part of the

Leadership team at Perfect Relations

New Delhi, providing services to local,

multinational and global clients. She

has worked across categories including

FMCG, telecom, power and energy,

infrastructure, financial and retail.

Deepika is a communications specialist

who has worked in the agency world as

well as in corporate communication, so

has been a client as well as an advisor.

She has an in-depth understanding of

corporate communication, brand building,

advertising and public relations.

HITESH MANOCHA

Hitesh Manocha has been running his own

consultancy for 14 years now. With a degree

in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi

College of Engineering and a PGDBM from

IIM, Ahmedabad, it has been his endeavour

to blend academic concepts with the

practical insights he has gained through

exposure in different industries.

jAy BIKRAM BAKSHI

jay founded Digiqom Solutions, a leading

Marketing Communications Group, which

facilitates companies and brands across

the world to co–create their corporate

reputations and brand experiences with

target communities. jay has a significant

track record in media, advertising, IT,

Telecom, and software, with deep domain

knowledge in Telecom Software, B2B

marketing and B2C brand creation. jay

is often quoted in the media for telecom

policy, marketing and retail innovation,

social media and entrepreneurship.

RAHUL DHAWAN

Rahul Dhawan‘s career spans leading

multinationals and Indian corporations,

presiding over their Public Affairs,

Image and Perception Management,

Media Relations, Crisis Management and

Consumer Relations. He is currently Head

of Strategy and Planning—DTA Consulting.

He was Vice President—Corporate

Communications (Nigeria), for the Mittals

of the ISPAT Group and has also served

as Director External Affairs & Corporate

Communications—Coca-Cola India Inc.

SHAILAjA MANOCHA

Shailaja Manocha is a PGDBM from IMT

Ghaziabad. She has worked in the area of

marketing and sales with organizations

like Dabur and NIIT. Since 1998, she has

been working as a consultant/trainer and

teacher. Her areas of specialization are

marketing and communication.

SIMRAT GULATI

An alumnus of IIMC, New Delhi,

Simrat has over 19 years of experience

in Advertising, Research and Public

Relations. A consultant and a trainer,

she enjoys sharing her experiences with

students and interacts with them mainly

in the areas of advertising management,

consumer behaviour and communication.

Guest Facu lt y

The SACAC AD & PR programme lays

special emphasis on industry exposure

and providing students with job skills

specific to the industry. We try to do

that with the help of guest lectures from

industry practitioners. Typically, our

Guest Faculty during the course of the

guest lectures will try to give students

an understanding of how classroom

learning translates into application on

the job through the help of case-studies

and examples.

Some distinguished guest speakers:

AyAN BANIK, Vice President

(Account Planning), Ogilvy Delhi

DEBASIS PAUL, Ex-Chief Operating

Officer, Percept/H

NIMA NAMCHU, ECD, Cheil Worldwide

OMAIR SIDDIQUI, Account Director,

Strategic Planning, Draft FCB Ulka

PARSHU NARAyANAN, Ex-Managing

Partner & NCD, Publicis Capital

PINAKI BHATTACHARyA, Senior Vice

President, Account Planning, jWT Delhi

RAjKUMAR jHA, Rural campus (Ex- NCD,

Ogilvy Action)

SUBHO SENGUPTA, Vice President

and Branch Head, TBWA (Delhi)

SUNIL SACHDEVA, Ex- joint Chairman,

Publicis Capital

VANDANA DAS, Senior VP (DDB Mudra

Group) & Branch Head

Everything that I have

managed to learn at SACAC,

has been due to not only my

own capacity, but due to the

people that involved me in the

process – Our Mentors.

Krish Chowdhry (IMC, Batch 2013 - 14)

AUDIO ENGINEERING AND MUSIC PRODUCTION

rhythm, scales, intervals, chords, solfege,

ear training, and how all of these elements

are used to create music. Students will

also be provided with the skills needed

to read and write basic western music

notation, which will further aid them

in understanding and analysing these

musical concepts. Ear training forms an

essential part of the course through which

the students will learn to practically apply

and gain command of musical concepts

using their voice and piano (keyboard).

Course Prospects

In recent times, this ever-evolving

industryhas changed rapidly and the

studio environment has extremes

from a highend production facility

to a well-equipped laptop in the form

of a digital audio workstation. It has

become extremely important for

aspiring practitioners in this field to

take on the many roles in the production

chain today and at the same time keep

themselves ahead of the changing trends

of technology. Today in the Indian

market, the demand is ever increasing

for the various cogs in the audio and

music production wheel. The course is

thus designed keeping in mind that the

students will be exposed to the requisite

skills needed for the industry and will

also be pushed to do independent research

and projects that will ultimately set them

on the path of bettering their skills.

Course O ver v ie w

The Audio Engineering & Music

Production course at SACAC is designed

to provide students with the right mix of

theory, practical and project exposure.

The course provides its students with:

› Hands on experience in a professional

studio geared for audio recording and

music production

› Personal and individual attention/

guidance from experienced faculty

› Workshops by visiting professionals

› Exposure to live projects including

multi-track recording, sound design

for video and live concert set-ups.

› Music appreciation workshops,

interaction with producers from

the industry, participation in industry

seminars. The well-equipped, on-campus

studio facility gives each student the ideal

on-the-f loor edge needed to make a mark

in this highly specialized profession.

Projects done during the course also serve

as a portfolio for the students when they

venture into the industry. The programme

has recently made an important, new

addition to it - Fundamentals of Music

and ear training. Fundamentals of Music

is a unique, short term course designed

to introduce and expose students to the

essential concepts in music theory and

ear training to strengthen their musical

understanding, regardless of whether

they are beginners or have prior musical

experience. The course covers

fundamental musical concepts such as

Course Requirements

QUALIFICATION

Minimum 18 years of age, and must have

completed 12 years of formal education

(10+2). We welcome candidates from all

educational backgrounds (Including

certificate programmes from private

institutes).

Admission is subject to an aptitude test

followed by interview.

ATTRIBUTES

A creative and innovative bent of mind,

interest in music, knowledge of basic

computer operations.

Curriculum

The Post Graduate Diploma in Sound

Engineering and Music Production is

broken into three semesters

followed by an internship. The topics that

will be covered in the one year program

are:

› Introduction to Sound

› Basic Electronics

› Concepts of Studio and Acoustic Design

› Music Theory and Appreciation

› Digital Audio Concepts

› Studio Environment and DAWs (ProTools

and Logic)

› Microphones and Recoding Technique

› Dynamic Signal Processing

› MIDI Technology and Concepts

› Music Production

› Sound Design for Video

› Live Sound Reinforcement

› Broadcast Audio

› Music Business and Legal

› Audio/ Music Mixing and Mastering

Under fundamentals of music, the

following topics will be covered:

› Musical Alphabet

› Music Notation

› Understanding Rhythm

› Scales

› Key Signatures

› Intervals

› Chords

› Chord Progressions

› Basic Piano

› Ear Training

Faculty

RAjENDER SINGH

Rajender Singh is an inventor, recording

engineer and a technocrat to the core.

Armed with a study in Audio Design

& Technology from the University of

London, he has designed audio mixers,

amplifiers and the highest quality

condenser microphones. He has recorded

location sound for many documentaries,

serials and films. A keen interest in

ethnomusicology has him recording and

archiving Rajasthani and Punjabi folk.

From recording on spools in early eighties

to all the digital and hybrid domains today,

he records audio at present using analogue

mixers that are married to Protools DAW.

GAURAV CHINTAMANI

Gaurav is a trained sound engineer from

SAE, Chennai. He has owned Quarter Note

Studios (New Delhi) since 2007. He has

been composing and producing music /

audio for various projects, ranging from

documentaries, ad-jingles, corporate and

short films, and theatre. He has worked

with NDTV, BBC World Service Trust,

Micromax Mobiles, and Discovery India

among others. In addition, he has worked

with bands at his studio as a producer

and engineer. He is also a bass player for

a leading band Advaita.

CHAyAN ADHIKARI

Chayan is a widely recognised Delhi

based musician and the lead vocalist

of the renowned Indian band, Advaita.

The band has been featured on popular

TV shows such as Mtv Coke Studio,

Mtv Unplugged, The Dewarists and Fox

Traveller‘s Soundtrek. With numerous

awards to their name, the band has

performed extensively, both within the

country as well as internationally. Chayan

has also been associated with various

musical groups and projects such as

Artistes Unlimited, The Group Project,

Think Floyd, The yellow Brick Project and

Humour Me, among others. Chayan has

been teaching music for several years and

has also headed Silhouette (from 2006-

2007), the arts wing of The yP Foundation.

He is currently the ‗Education and

Communities‘ project head at Music Basti-

a community-based music and media

learning project, working with at-risk

youth and children in Delhi.

UjWAL NAGAR

Ujwal is an M.A. in Music and is currently

pursuing his M.Phil in Vocal Classical

Music. He has been the recipient of

Sahitya Kala Parishad and the Central

Government Scholarship and has won

numerous National Inter-University music

competitions. Also, even though a classical

vocalist by profession, he is a gifted Tabla

player.Ujwal has performed at major cities

in India and abroad and has been featured

on various television channels as well. His

work with pianist Terry McCaw (USA),

under the group name ‗yogini,‘ made an

impressive impact on music enthusiasts

in the USA. Their work can be heard in the

critically acclaimed documentary ‗Dalai

Lama Renaissance‘ narrated by Harrison

Ford. Ujwal is also involved in collaborative

work with Advaita on an ongoing basis.

Workshop facilitators and guest faculty

› Abhishek Mathur - Musician

› Andrea Camerini – Singer and composer

of music and sound track for RAI, Italian

Public Broadcasting

› Anindo Bose – Arranger, producer, live

sound engineer, owner of Plug ‗n‘ Play

› Anupam Pandey – Head, Trademark,

copyright and entertainment law practice,

Obhan & Associates

› Asheesh Pandya – Freelance Sound

Recordist and Sound Designer

› Aurelio – Director & Co-founder of

Svaram, Auroville

› Chintan Kalra –Music Producer & Bassist

› Sidhant Mathur – Music Producer

CREATIVE DOCUMENTARy Course Prospects

Students will be awarded a diploma at

The course will equip students to move

into professional practice and make

Course O ver v ie w

What really is this form called

documentary? What are its different

avatars? The multiplicity of forms within

this broad term is overwhelmingly

diverse and rich. What are the boundaries

between fiction and documentary? Are

these boundaries clear or blurred? Do

these terms need to be re-understood

and re-invented? The course aims to

inculcate skills that are equally useful for

`documentary ‘ or `fiction‘ or anything in

between or beyond!

The form of documentary has transcended

older and more limited definitions several

decades back, in India and across the

world. It is no longer just about interviews

and hand held camera movements! It was

in the 1920s that john Grierson defined

documentary as a creative treatment of

actuality ‘. For us today, in whatever way

we choose to interpret this definition, a

documentary remains a creative act. It is

a cinematic expression—subjective, and

rich in potential. How do we engage, as

human beings and as filmmakers to our

personal, social and political realities?

How do we perceive the world? How does

our perception inf luence the perceived?

How do we understand what we see?

In this course students will engage in a

rigorous exploration that entails intensive

work with one primary goal—that of

finding their own voice. We work with the

belief that all narratives, themes and

subjects have been addressed by someone,

somewhere, sometime. True originality

lies in the filmmaker‘s own perspective,

her/his own unique position, ref lections

and perceptions.

This one year post graduate diploma course

prepares its students to emerge as creative

and confident individuals who have an

excellent command over various aspects

of filmmaking. It is designed as a unique

programme that adopts a comprehensive

approach to teaching and learning.

The course encourages students to work with

image, sound, time and space in ways that are

innovative and exploratory. It seeks to

develop a keen sense of listening and

observation, instill meticulous research skills

and open up the mind to go beyond the tried

and tested into the realm of new possibilities.

Exposure to world cinema is an integral part

of the course. An active and engaged viewing

culture coupled with personal mentoring

creates an environment that enables

students to evolve their own practice.

It is an exciting time to be a filmmaker, and

the possibilities are infinite. As we move

forward in our work, it is also important to

look at our context and our history. What are

we the inheritors of, who are our ancestors?

Exploring this can help us gain another

perspective, and a deeper understanding of

ourselves and our work. As we make films,

we also make history, our mark in this world.

the successful fulfillment of the course

requirements.

The course will provide a strong grounding

in all aspects of filmmaking. Students

will carry with them a film culture that is

inclusive and well rounded, with inputs

that will enable them to direct, shoot, edit

and do sound as well as look at sound

design—a learning that they can expand

as they go forward in life. While the focus

is on documentaries, the course will instill

in students a deep understanding of

cinema, open out multiple approaches to

making films and impart skills that they

can use in any form of filmmaking.

Many students would go onto apprentice

with senior filmmakers, at least early

in their careers and later embark into

independent practice, or jobs. Freelance

professionals can pursue direction,

camerawork, sound, editing and allied

fields of practice.

Varied career options will open out to

them, as well as strong possibilities for

independent filmmaking. In terms of jobs,

there are prospects in many areas such as:

› Film & Video production houses

› Television channels

› Multimedia production houses

› Research & documentation centres

› Interdisciplinary art and media collectives

› Experimental video and audio centres

› NGOs

› Training and workshops in community

video

significant contributions. They will also

have the confidence, skills and knowledge

to inf luence predominant modes of

expression that they encounter. This

journey does not have clear and

predictable outcomes, and that is inherent

in the nature of this interest, in fact this is

precisely what makes it more rewarding.

Course Requirements

Q U A L I F IC A T IO N

Graduates in any discipline (including

those awaiting their final year result)/

equivalent qualifications/ working

professionals. There is no upper age limit.

A D M IS S I O N P R O C E S S

SACAC believes in a holistic method

of assessment. The selection process is

therefore, based not only on a candidate‘s

academic record, test scores and

intelligence, but also his or her level of

awareness, commitment and willingness

to learn. Admission is subject to an

aptitude test followed by an interview.

A T T R I B U T E S

› A creative and innovative bent of mind

› Proficiency in at least one language

—English or Hindi

› Strong writing skills in English or Hindi

› Keenness for research

› Commitment & motivation for a long

term engagement with the film medium

› Qualities of self-motivation, patience,

dynamism, perseverance

› An aptitude to work in a team environment

Curricu lum

The Post Graduate Diploma in Creative

Documentary Filmmaking stimulates

students to engage thoroughly and with full

enjoyment of each part of the practice of

filmmaking. We believe that true learning

comes from within; we are only mentors

who can help guide the process.

Camera, sound, editing, ideation, research,

script and direction—all aspects of

filmmaking will be dealt with in detail

through practical exercises and theoretical

engagement. The teaching is conceived in a

holistic way, integrating these streams with

an aim to evolve complete filmmakers.

We look at technique as a carrier of

meaning, therefore moving away from

the reductionist view of the technical that

tends to diminish technique to software

and hardware learning skills. While

the course will provide students with a

strong grounding in film craft, it seeks

to break down the walls between creative

and technical, theory and practice, form and

content. The students will be encouraged

to unearth and understand the links

between these, and begin their journey as

filmmakers who are open to exploration

and experimentation.

THE PRACTICE OF FILMMAKING

› Conceptualisation, research, pre

production

› Video production and post production

› Short individual and group filmmaking

exercises and projects

› The final project—an original short

documentary based on a subject in or

near Delhi

AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTEXT

› Study of the varied practice of

contemporary documentary filmmaking

› Study of documentary history and theory

› Study of critical ethical and aesthetic

concepts related to documentary

FILM VIEWING AND ANALySIS

› Regular film screenings with contextual

discussion

› Developing critical and analytical skills

through conversations, presentations and

written exercises

› Sessions with practising filmmakers in

which they will show their films and

share with the students their creative process

EXPANDING THE MIND

› Feild visits to diverse locations to experience

space and time in a multiplicity of ways

› exposure and sensitisation to various facets

of life, art, and politics through site visits to

screenings, performances and exhibitions

The course follows a tri semester system, each

trimester being four months. A summary of

the chronological structure is as follows:

TRIMESTER I:

Looking afresh. The beginning of practice

Finding new orientations/ an introduction to

all aspects of filmmaking – ideation, camera,

sound, editing/ understanding and analysis

of the various media around us/ documentary

film history, with special emphasis on Indian

documentary/ the appreciation of cinema

with a historical perspective/ understanding

the language of cinema through one‘s own

practice/ examining the most commonly used

element of documentary – the interview

TRIMESTER II:

Developing perspective and skill.

Exercises, projects, presentations,

documentary and the different modes

of representation of reality/ an exercise

exploring a location/ participation in two

film festivals in the city/ intensive

workshops by guest faculty on aspects

of filmmaking (camera, sound, editing)/

practical exercises in the verite mode

TRIMESTER III:

Taking stock, expanding further and the

final project.

An understanding of research techniques/

diploma project discussions, research and

scripts/ relooking at the technical and

aesthetic understanding of camera, editing,

sound/ completion of diploma projects/

understanding proposal writing,

pitching, funding

The above is subject to change, as the pedagogic

requirements will be continually reassessed

according to the development of the journey

of the group.

We will support students with individual

and collective mentoring in addition to

exercises, lectures, discussions and

participatory workshops. Students are

obliged to attend classes and participate in

all course work, which includes research

and readings. They will work in groups

and contribute in varied ways to their

peers‘ efforts.

All students are required to attend film

screenings, discussions, conversations and

talks which will feature directors, writers,

editors, cinematographers,

sound recordists, sound designers, other

artists and scholars. The twelve month

period also incorporates location study,

research, and attendance at film festivals.

The institute will provide video cameras,

sound kits and editing stations.

Academic Council

AMAR KANWAR is a filmmaker and

visual artist. He is the recipient of the 1st

Edvard Munch Award for Contemporary

Art, Norway and an Honorary Doctorate

in Fine Arts from Maine College of Art,

USA. His films have received several

awards like the Golden Gate Award, San

Francisco International Film Festival, the

Golden Conch, Mumbai International

Film Festival, and jury ‘s Award,

Film South Asia, Nepal. He has also

participated at the Documenta exhibition

in Kassel, Germany in 2002/2007 and

2013. He has held solo exhibitions at the

Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland;

Marian Goodman Gallery, New york;

Haus der Kunst, Munich; the yorkshire

Sculpture Park, Art Institute of Chicago,

TBA 21, Vienna and the Museum of

Contemporary Art, Athens.

AVIjIT MUKUL KISHORE is a filmmaker

and cinematographer based in Mumbai.

He studied cinematography at the Film

and Television Institute of India (FTII),

Pune and has a Bachelor‘s degree in

History from Hindu College, University

of Delhi. He works in various genres of

image making and is actively involved

in art, cinema and cultural pedagogy.

He also works with visual artists as a

collaborator on installation art projects.

His films as director are To Let The World

In, Vertical City, Certified Universal and

Snapshots from a Family Album. His films as

cinematographer include Seven Islands and

a Metro, John and Jane, Kali Salwaar, Made in

India and Kumar Talkies.

BINA PAUL graduated from FTII with a

specialisation in editing. She has edited

over 35 feature films and has worked with

illustrious directors like G. Aravindan,

john Abraham and P. N. Menon. She is

the recipient of two National Awards

and numerous State Awards for editing.

She has been the Artistic Director of the

International Film Festival of Kerala for the

last ten years, and has been instrumental

in shaping the festival into an important

international event. She has served on the

juries of various film festivals including

those held in Locarno, Durban, Morocco

and Berlin. Bina is a regular faculty at the

FTII and CDIT (Science & Development

Documentary Course).

GARGI SEN is a filmmaker, curator,

film archivist, scholar and producer.

She completed the International Clore

Fellowship (2011-2012), UK and spent

five months for her secondment at the two

Tate galleries in London. She is the founder

and executive director of Magic Lantern

Foundation, a registered not for profit

organization working with culture and

rights since 1989, and a founder and

partner at Magic Lantern Movies, LLP, and

a non executive director of 4Cs, a UK based

media company.

IRA BHASKAR is Professor of Cinema

Studies at the School of Arts and

Aesthetics, jawaharlal Nehru University,

New Delhi. She has critical interests in

―historical poetics‖, cinema and modern

subjectivities, literature and film, and

historical trauma, violence, memory

and representation. She has co-authored

Islamicate Cultures of Bombay Cinema, and

is currently working on a co-edited

volume of essays, Ali Baba to Jodhaa

Akbar: Bombay Cinema‘s Islamicate Idioms,

Cultures and Histories. She is also editing

a volume of Ritwik Ghatak ‘s screenplays

- Ghatak‘s Partition Quartet and is working

on her book on trauma, memory and

representation in Indian cinema.

SHERNA DASTUR is a visual artist. Her

film Manjuben Truck Driver (2002) was

screened at The Museum of Modern

Art, New york and at several Indian and

international festivals. Her recent design

work includes Trace Retrace: Paintings,

Nilima Sheikh (2013, Tulika Books), The

Khoj Book (2010, Collins), and a wide range

of interventions for social campaigns and

films. She has been visiting faculty at

the National Institute of Design, also her

alma mater. She is currently working on

an art project The Sovereign Forest by Amar

Kanwar, experimenting with making

paper, handmade books and adapting

the installation to museum and

community spaces.

SHUBHA MUDGAL is a Hindustani classical

vocalist trained by acclaimed scholar

musicians of the country. Equally at ease

with khayal and thumri-dadra as with

Indipop and contemporary cross cultural

experiments, Shubha is also recognized as

a composer, and occasionally writes music

for films and television. She has been

awarded the 1996 National Film Award for

Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction for

Amrit Beej, the 1998 Gold Plaque Award for

Special Achievement in Music at the 34th

Chicago International Film Festival for her

music in the film Dance of the Wind (1997),

and the Padma Shri in 2000. She has also

been closely involved with several projects

related to music education in India and

serves as the Nana Shirgaokar Visiting

Research Professor at Goa University.

Faculty

SAMEERA jAIN, Course Director

Sameera jain is an editor and filmmaker

based in Delhi. After her graduation in

English Literature, she went on to study

filmmaking at FTII, Pune. She has worked

for over 30 years in the arena of film

and video, mainly editing and directing,

and also engaged in photography,

cinematography, script writing, sound and

sound design. Sameera has edited several

award winning documentaries and some

feature films. Her directorial ventures

Portraits of Belonging, Born at Home and

Mera Apna Sheher (My Own City) have been

acknowledged for cinematic excellence at

several national and international festivals

and other forums. Participation in juries

and in curriculum formulation have

been part of her activities. She has been

mentoring film students and filmmakers

on diverse platforms and has been invited

to teach filmmaking at various institutions,

including her alma mater, FTII.

ANUPAMA SRINIVASAN, Associate

Course Director Anupama

Srinivasan is a freelance

filmmaker based in Delhi. She did

her BA in Applied Mathematics from

Harvard University where she also got

an opportunity to take courses in still

photography and non fiction filmmaking.

She went on to complete the three year

course in Film Direction from FTII,

Pune in 2001. She has been making

documentaries and short films for over

a decade, often shooting and editing

her own work. Her films such as On my

Own, I Wonder… and Nirnay (co-director

and editor) have been widely screened

in various spaces including national and

international festivals. She has mentored

several documentaries and short films

as part of filmmaking workshops with

children and film students. She is

currently the Festival Director of the

IAWRT Asian Women‘s Film Festival.

The following are the guest faculty

who have interacted with students

in recent times:

AjAy BHARDWAj has worked in the media

for over two decades and has been making

documentaries since 1997. His work has

been screened widely and has won critical

acclaim. Since 2002, he has been engaged

with the state of Punjab and this has

resulted in a trilogy—Milange Babey Ratan

De Mele Te, Rabba Hun Kee Kariye and Kitte

Mil Ve Mahi. He is currently working on

his PhD at the University of British

Columbia, Vancouver.

AMAR KANWAR is a filmmaker and visual

artist whose films have been awarded at

various national and international film

festivals. He is the recipient of the 1st

Edvard Munch Award for Contemporary

Art, Norway and an Honorary Doctorate

in Fine Arts, Maine College of Art,

USA. He has also participated at the

Documenta exhibition in Kassel, Germany

and held solo exhibitions in Switzerland,

New york, Munich, yorkshire, Chicago,

Vienna and Athens.

ANUPAMA CHANDRA is a film editor.

She graduated with a diploma in film

editing from FTII, and holds degrees in

English Language and Literature from

the University of Oxford, UK, and St.

Stephen‘s College, Delhi. Over the last

14 years she has worked as an editor on

several documentary and fiction films,

and has also edited the Encyclopaedia

of Hindi Cinema for the Encyclopaedia

Britannica.

ASHEESH PANDyA is a sound recordist

based in Delhi. He graduated from FTII

in 1988, and has since been practising

the art and technique of sound for films,

theatre and music. He has worked on

several award winning documentaries

and has travelled widely with some of the

best names in the broadcasting industry

within and outside the country. He

has been visiting faculty at prestigious

institutions in India and loves to engage

with young minds.

AVIjIT MUKUL KISHORE is a filmmaker

and cinematographer based in Mumbai.

He studied cinematography at FTII.

He works in various genres of image

making and is actively involved in art,

cinema and cultural pedagogy. His

films as director are To Let The World In,

Vertical City, Certified Universal and

Snapshots from a Family Album. His films as

cinematographer include Seven Islands and

a Metro, John and Jane, Kali Salwaar, Made in

India and Kumar Talkies.

KARAN THAPLIyAL is a Delhi based

cinematographer. He is an alumnus of the

Department of Film & Video Production,

SACAC. His student films and independent

short films have been screened and

awarded at various film festivals. He works

with documentary, corporate films, travel

shows and short fiction. In recent years

he has extensively filmed ethnographic

documentary films, and has a strong

interest in travel and wildlife.

KERSTI UIBO is a filmmaker living in

England and Estonia. Her films have

been shown at the Museum of Modern

Art, at Cinema du Reel, and at festivals

in Mumbai, Tehran, Sydney, Montreal,

Delhi, Boston, St Petersburg, Parnu, etc.

and won several awards. She has taught

and mentored projects in film schools

across the world. She has also been a music

producer with Estonian Television, and

was involved in setting up the post-war

Estonian Embassy in the UK.

LAURA DI NITTO is an independent

documentary producer and director with

extensive work experience in Europe and

India. She has been a producer-director at

RAI TRE where she worked as a children

and youth programme producer for over

a decade. She currently works with Sri

Aurobindo Society‘s Auromedia and

Aurofilms, and has been involved with

media education, music production,

and cross cultural and cross-arts

communication.

MAHADEB SHI graduated from FTII in

1985. He has edited many national and

international award winning films

including Voices from Baliapal and Eleven

Miles which won the jorisIvens award in

1988. Tales from the Margins, Swapnabhumi,

In search of Gandhi, The Other Song, and The

Sun behind the Clouds, are other acclaimed

films edited by him. His directorial work

includes Om Mani Padme Hum, Kirtan

of Bengal, A journey Extraordinary and

Kather Baxo.

MAyA KRISHNA RAO is an actor,

director, writer, educator and activist of

international repute. She received training

in Kathakali, and studied politics at jNU

and theatre arts at Leeds University. She

has been active in theatre since the 1970s,

taking up social and political issues in

innovative ways. In 2010 she received the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. She was

Associate Professor at NSD from 1985 to

1990, and is currently Professor at the Shiv

Nadar University.

NILITA VACHANI is a documentary

filmmaker, writer and educator. She

is associate faculty at the Tisch School of the

Arts, New york University. Her

documentaries (Eyes of Stone, Diamonds in a

Vegetable Market, When Mother Comes Home

for Christmas) have been internationally

screened and awarded. Nilita has worked as

an editor on several documentary features

and as Assistant Director on Mira Nair‘s

Salaam Bombay. Her first screenplay The

Banyan won the French government‘s CNC-

Fonds-Sud prize.

NIRMAL CHANDER DANDRIyAL has been in

the field of documentary film making for

15 years. He has edited several acclaimed

films, and has also worked for four years

in Dubai as Senior Promo Producer/ Editor

for Ten Sports channel. His directorial

debut, All The World‘s A Stage, has been to

many international festivals and won five

awards. His second film, Dreaming Taj

Mahal, won a National award and also the

Silver Conch at MIFF 2012.

PRATIK BISWAS is a self-motivated and self-

taught sound technician with over 18 years

of experience in studio and location sound

recording. He has worked with reputed

music labels such as Warner Brothers,

Virgin Records, Music Today and Makar

Records. He has done sound design for

many award winning documentaries, and

won the 2010 IDPA Gold award for

documentary sound design. He has also

worked on many radio series, television

serials, theatre and musical ballet

productions.

R.V. RAMANI is a filmmaker and

cinematographer based in Chennai. He

graduated from FTII in 1985. With more

than 20 independent films to his credit, he

has established a unique style acclaimed

in India and abroad. Retrospectives of his

films have been presented at various

international film festivals. He also serves

as faculty member with many institutions

and regularly conducts documentary

film workshops.

REENA MOHAN is an independent

documentary filmmaker and editor

who has worked out of Dubai, India,

Kathmandu and London. She graduated

from FTII in 1982 and since then has

edited features, television serials and

over 50 documentaries. She produced

and directed her first award winning

documentary Kamlabai in 1991 and has,

till now, scripted and directed more than

10 documentaries. She is the Managing

Trustee of the India Chapter of IAWRT.

SAUMyA VERMA is an alumnus of MCRC,

jamia Millia, and has been the Assistant

Professor in Film & Cultural Studies there

since 2009. She teaches Critical Media

Studies, PR & Corporate Communication,

Scriptwriting and Editing Principles.

Earlier she taught at Lady Irwin College

and IIM Ahmedabad. She has presented

papers and participated in international

conferences, and her work has been widely

published. Saumya has also worked with

Miditech Productions Ltd. and NDTV

Convergence Ltd.

SHERNA DASTUR is a visual artist. Her

film Manjuben Truck Driver (2002) has

been screened at several Indian and

international festivals. Her recent design

work includes Trace Retrace: Paintings,

Nilima Sheikh (2013), The Khoj Book (2010),

and a wide range of interventions for social

campaigns and films. She is currently

working on the art project The Sovereign

Forest by Amar Kanwar. She has been

visiting faculty at NID, also her alma mater.

SHUBHA MUDGAL is a Hindustani classical

vocalist trained by acclaimed scholar

musicians of the country. Equally at ease

with khayal and thumri-dadra as with

Indipop and contemporary cross cultural

experiments, Shubha is also recognized as

a composer, and occasionally writes music

for films and television. She has been

awarded the National Film Award in 1996,

the 1998 Gold Plaque Award for Special

Achievement in Music in 1997, and the

Padma Shri in 2000.

VISHAL CHAUHAN is an alumnus of the

Department of Film & Video Production,

SACAC and is currently working as a

freelance editor in Delhi. Prior to this

he worked in Mumbai on programmes

for channels such as ZEE, Star, Sahara

and NDTV, and then had a stint with the

creative team of UTV Network in Delhi. He

has edited corporate films, advertisement

films, as well as nationally and

internationally awarded documentaries

and short fiction.

yOUSUF SAEED holds a Master‘s degree in

Mass Communication from MCRC, jamia

Millia. He started his career in 1990 with

the TV science series Turning Point and

moved on to direct several documentaries

including a series on Ladakh and the

poet Amir Khusrau. His feature-length

documentary Khayal Darpan has been

screened at numerous international film

festivals. yousuf currently heads the

School of Media and Cultural Studies at

the Glocal University in Uttar Pradesh.

Note: There will be changes to this list in each

academic year

The course has tirelessly helped me explore my

own voice with the help of seasoned visiting and

permanent filmmakers and artists along with

very diverse fellow students.

Varun Trikha (Creative Documentary, Batch 2013 - 14)

DIGITAL MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Overview

Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and

Communication is offering a Postgraduate

Diploma in Digital Marketing

Communication in collaboration with

Digiqom, pioneers in digital marketing

and social media management. This

course provides students with the

contemporary knowledge and hands-on

training required to become proficient

digital marketing and communication

professionals.

In this age of digital interaction, social

media and online communication,

marketing managers, advertising

executives and media professionals must

have multi-functional talents in order to

combine creative f lair with technological

skills and strategic business thinking.

The PG Diploma in Digital Marketing

Communication prepares the future

generation of professionals with a strong

grounding in marketing management and

consumer behavior, as well as extensive

exposure in all aspects of strategizing,

creating, managing and analyzing the

fast changing world of online, digital

and social media.

Students will learn what it takes to create

and manage online communities,

undertake digital advertising campaigns,

appreciate social media marketing and

communication and maximize audience

engagement in the digital space.

The program focuses on:

› Digital Marketing Campaigns

› The business of digital media(revenue

models and effective marketing strategies)

› The power and scope of social media

to create communities and distribution

networks

› Develop engaging activation and

campaigns

› Online storytelling and effective digital-

content creation

› Marketing Management and Consumer

Behavior

The first two phases of the program will

build up a foundation of core marketing

principles, as well as creative skills in

visual and written communication and

technically innovative solutions for

creating communities and campaigns. It

will also help develop an understanding

of business requirements to propose and

devise online and digital solutions. This

will come from building up the strategic

thinking and managerial thought process

needed to make a career in the digital space.

The program emphasizes the practical

application of knowledge. From learning

how to use the social platforms like Twitter,

LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Facebook

etc, for brands, governments and NGO‘s to

optimizing audience interaction, creating

points of communication and designing

viral marketing programs, the students

will go through a journey and learn to

integrate online, off line and mobile

marketing strategies for that purpose.

In the third phase of the program,

students will undergo an intensive field

placement in the digital media industry,

where they will work in an industry-

related internship and complete their

coursework in parallel.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the Postgraduate

Diploma in Digital Marketing

Communication has been designed

with extensive contribution from online

media publishers, digital marketers

and advertising experts. It combines a

dynamic mix of theoretical and practical

courses in order to provide students with

both the in-depth understanding and the

practical skill-set they need.

To ensure that students receive a

comprehensive understanding of digital

marketing, course topics vary widely in

three subject areas:

1) The business and management of digital

media

a.Online Strategy and Management

b.Developing strategies for Search Engines

c.E-mail and Viral Marketing

d.Information Architecture

e.Online Analytics

2) Storytelling and Content Creation

a.Creative Writing

b.Photography & Video production

c.Blogging, Tweeting, Engaging

d.Copywriting for the Digital space

3) Way Forward with Digital Marketing

a.Social media Campaigns and

Communities

b.Mobile and Social Product Solutions

c.Successful Brand Strategies and Case

Studies (Project Work)

Course Prospects

Students, who successfully complete

the course, will learn to apply and adapt

marketing management techniques in

creating and managing digital strategies.

With the knowledge and appreciation

of creating engaging content, digital

technologies and consumer behavior,

they will be ready for careers in the fields

of online publishing and digital portals,

management, marketing and advertising

including roles such as:

› Social Media Manager

› Project Manager - Digital

› Online/Digital Marketing Specialist

› Online Producer

› Online Content Writer

› Online/Digital Client Services Manager

› Digital Strategist

Course Requirements

Working in this dynamic space requires

dedication, perseverance and the passion

for creative expression. This course is open to:

-Graduates from any discipline

(Engineering, Medicine, Arts, Commerce

or Science)

-People who are currently working, but want

to switch to a career in the digital domain

We look for the following qualities in

candidates:

› Good academic record

› Good command over English (verbal/

written)

› Competent comprehension and ability

to communicate

› Active interest in the online space

Admission is subject to an aptitude test

followed by an interview.

Faculty

jAI BIKRAM BAKSHI (MENTOR) has a

significant track record in media,

advertising, IT, Telecom and software.

His past experiences include work across

organizations like Aricent(HSS), HSBC,

Nokia in positions such as Corporate

Communications head, Marketing head

etc.A Graduate in commerce and CA

finalist, he has worked across various

spheres of communications.The founder-

mentorof Digiqom, a leading marketing

communications group,jay has pioneered

a number of innovations in corporate

communications and social media. jay

mentors entrepreneurs, at Indian Angel

Network ( IAN), and allied forums such

as TiE, and IVCA. In addition to his work,

he is also a featured speaker at IIT-Delhi,

FMS- Delhi and MDI, Gurgaon.

SHWETA BAXI TyAGI (COURSE

DIRECTOR) has over a decade in content

creation, management and marketing.An

MBA from IMT Ghaziabadand a journalist

by profession, Shweta has worked with

various organizations like HT Shine,

Keane, NIIT and NexTag as content

management head. Currently leading

operations at Digiqom, she has a sound

understanding of social media tools and

technologies and a track record of creating

and implementing successful social media

programs.

ABHISHEK BAXI is an engineer by

profession and a blogger by passion.

Abhishek is a skilled technology writer

and widely-read blogger. Abhishek

writes for global and national print and

online publications. He has written for

HT Media, TechieBuzz, CBS Interactive,

Times Internet. His previous work

experiences include Microsoft where he

was the program specialist for South Asia.

A graduate in Information Technology,

Abhishek has been a technology inf luencer

and a digital strategist for many years.

MANAS ARVIND is a communication

design specialist with over 15 of

comprehensive experience in handling

communication design, aimed at

providing innovative and effective

solutions through strategy, design and

implementation. A SACAC Alumni, Manas

is skilled at graphic design, creative and

business writing, web & application

development, material & print production,

event design, e-learning, animation, film

making & photography.

PHOTOGR APHy Curricu lum Part I

PHOTOGRAPHy:

Facu lt y

BHARAT CHOUDHARy

Bharat Choudhary is an independent Course O ver v ie w

The Diploma in Photography, an intensive

one year programme, is designed not only

to introduce students to the technical

and creative needs of photography but to

also aid students in going far beyond the

technicalities into concerns of aesthetics

as well as ruminations over the nature of

photography as a form of art. In this era of

digital revolution where images proliferate

as digital cameras make producing

technically sound images possible even for

the lay man, a trained photographer must

distinguish himself/herself by producing

images that speak of their creation through

a harmony between the photographer‘s

inner vision and aesthetic experience, the

technical details of photography, and the

photographer‘s unique perspective on the

use of these techniques to represent that

aesthetic experience.

The curriculum, taught by a team of

distinguished faculty with extensive

experience in different forms of image-

making curatorial editing, thus suitably

includes courses that orient students

towards understanding fundamentals

of aesthetics, history of photography,

technicalities of digital image-making,

and issues of representation in arts in

general. The course includes imparting

knowledge of post-shooting editing

and curatorial practices as well so that

students go out ready to take up freelance

assignments on their own. In this course

the poetry of the photographer‘s inner

vision is combined fruitfully with the

rigour of technical details of image-

making and curatorial editing, and the

rhythm of aesthetics.

Course P rospects

Photography is not only an art form; it is

fast becoming a viable career option that

is creatively satisfying and rewarding.

On successful completion of the course a

student is ready to take on independent

assignments, join or freelance for NGOs,

magazines and newspapers, news bureaus

and agencies, commercial or advertising

agencies. They may also wish to start by

assisting a senior photographer in their

area of interest. However, one should

make note that one cannot expect to be

successful overnight in this field. One

would need to be passionate, committed,

perseverant and original to be able to

make a place for oneself in the field of

photography.

Course Requirements

Q U A L I F IC A T IO N

› Minimum 20 years of age, having

completed 12 years of formal education

(10+2). We welcome candidates from

all educational backgrounds (including

certificate programmes from private

institutes). Admission is subject to an

aptitude test followed by an interview.

A T T R I B U T E S

› A creative and innovative bent of

mind, interest in various art forms, and

knowledge of basic computer operations.

PURPOSE & POSSIBILITIES

› History of Photography

› Introduction to Image Making

› Digital Photography Basics

› Lighting

› Using External Flash Creatively

› Framing and Composition

› Street Photography

› Portraiture in Available Light

› Basics of Photoshop

Part II

› Documentary Photography

› Photo journalism

› Post Production

Part III

› Studio Photography

› Continution of Documentary

Photography

Part IV

›GENRES OF PHOTOGRAPHy,

THE BUSINESS OF PHOTOGRAPHy

AND WORKSHOPS

› INITIATION OF INTERNSHIP PROCESS Part V

› INTERNSHIP, DIPLOMA PROjECT

& PORTFOLIO BUILDING

› GRADUATE EXHIBITION &

CAREER DAy

documentary photographer based in

Geneva, Switzerland. He came to

photography in 2007, where his skills

were shaped at the Sri Aurobindo Centre

for Arts & Communication in New

Delhi. In 2008 he was awarded the Ford

Foundation International Fellowship to

study at the University of Missouri in

the United States, where he also worked

for the Columbia Missourian newspaper

and received an M.A. in Photojournalism

in 2010. He has received numerous

awards and grants during his career,

including the Alexia Foundation‘s 2011

Professional Grant and the Getty Images‘

2012 Editorial grant. His work has been

published in TIME Magazine, the New

york Times, International Herald Tribune,

The National, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, La

Repubblica, Sunday Times Magazine, and

The Sunday Guardian, among others.

SUMIT DAyAL

Born in 1981, Sumit grew up in a small

neighborhood of Kathmandu where his

family continues to reside. In 2006, he

graduated from the documentary and

photojournalism programme at the

International Center of Photography in

New york.

Sumit‘s work has been published in Time,

Glamour, Vrij Nederland, Shell UK, Soros

Foundation Nepali Times, Dan Church

Aid, Vanity Fair and Himal. He is based in

New Delhi and is currently working on his

first book on his mother-land Kashmir.

PRASHANTH VISWANATHAN

Prashanth Viswanathan is a free-lance

photographer, creating still images

of the sub-continent of India. He has

worked professionally in this field since

October 2006. His experience varies from

working for news wires, newspapers

and magazines, to non-government

organizations, and other feature agencies.

The focus of his work is on documentary

photography, including events, weddings,

political activism, visual sociology and

photojournalism.

VIDURA jANG BAHADUR

Born in 1975, in Lusaka, Zambia, Vidura

jang Bahadur studied at St. Xavier‘s

College, Mumbai, and went on to

receive his Master‘s degree in Mass

Communication from MCRC at jamia

Milia Islamia, New Delhi. Following his

graduation, Vidura spent three years

traveling in China, where he taught

English, studied Chinese, and learnt about

the various facets of the complex Chinese

culture. Through his work, Bahadur

tries to create a better understanding of

communities and individuals.

SEBASTIAN CORTES

Born in New york, Sebastian Cortés took up

photography while at New york University

Film School, where he studied and

collaborated with many of the best names

in the industry, shooting several short

films. In 1985, he moved to Milan, Italy and

started working on fashion and lifestyle

photography assignments for many

international magazines and commercial

clients, while also concentrating on

portraits and fine-art work.

IDRIS AHMAD

Idris taught photography for several years

before striking out on his own. A trip to

Spiti convinced him to begin his career

as a freelance photographer and he hasn‘t

looked back since. He has travelled widely,

looking at the world through his viewfinder,

and his photographs span a series of

subjects and places. Idris‘s photography

invites you to come along on his travels and

explore new worlds as he sees them through

his camera.

WILLIAM CHANG

William Chang is a commercial advertising

photographer whose real fascination with

photography began only when he started

training formally on the subject at Light

and Life Academy, Ooty. His work ranges

from fashion and products to documentary

and still life. William started teaching

in 2010 and is formally associated with

jamia Millia Islamia University, Academy

of Photographic Excellence, The Habitat

Center of Learning and Sri Aurobindo

Centre for Arts and Communication.

CHANDAN GOMES

Chandan Gomes takes photographs for a

living. He is the youngest recipient of the

India Habitat Centre Fellowship for

Photography (2011-12). In 2013 he was

awarded the Oslo University College

Scholarship to participate and showcase

his work at Chobi Mela VII. He is also one of

the recipients of the Neel Dongre Awards in

Photography, supported by the India Photo

Archive Foundation (2013-14). He is also the

first Indian photographer to win the Foto

Visura Spotlight Grant (2014).

The following are the guest faculty who

have interacted with students in recent

times:

ADIL HASSAN, Photographer

(Consultant for SACAC Graduate

Photography Exhibitions)

ALTAF QADRI, Photojournalist (Interactive

Session: Graduate Photography Exhibition

2013)

AMIT MEHRA, Photographer (interactive

session: graduate photography exhibition

2012)

AMIT PASRICHA, Photographer (workshop:

panaromic photography)

ANASTASIA TAyLOR-LIND, English/

Swedish documentary photographer

(mid-term project jury 2013)

ANSHIKA VERMA, Photographer

(workshop on food photography; mid- term

project jury 2013)

BANDEEP SINGH, Photo Editor Fortune

magazine (portfolio review 2013)

DANIEL BERHUELAK, Australian

Photojournalist associated with AP in India

(mid-term project jury 2013; workshop 2014)

DAyANITA SINGH, Photographer and

Bookmaker (inaugurated the graduate

exhibition 2013)

DILEEP PRAKASH, Photographer

(graduate photography exhibition 2013)

EDSON DIAS, Board of Trustees, Goa-CAP;

photographer (workshop on traditional

techniques of printing)

FINDLAy MERKER, AFP

(portfolio review 2013)

GAURI GILL, Photographer

of international repute (portfolio review

2013, workshop 2013)

MANSI MIDHA, Documentary

Photographer (interactive session during

graduate photography exhibition 2012)

MyRIAM MELONI, Italian Photographer

(workshop 2013)

PRADEEP DASGUPTA, Photographer

(workshop on studio photography &

portfolio review 2013)

PRASHANT PANjIAR, Photographer Co-

founder of Delhi photo festival (Mentor;

Curator, Graduate exhibition 2012;

Workshop 2013)

RUHANI KAUR, Open Magazine

(portfolio review 2013)

SACHA GOLDBERGER, French

Photographer (workshop 2013)

SRINIVAS KURUGANTI, Caravan

magazine (portfolio review 2013)

TANVI MISRA, Curator & Gallery Owner

(Mid-term Project jury 2013)

TARUN KHIWAL, Photographer

(inaugurated the graduate exhibition 2013)

A nnu a l Photography Ex hibition

The creative photography programme culminates with an

exhibition of the students‘ Graduate Project. An annual affair,

the Graduate Photography Exhibition is held in the lush green

SACAC campus and is managed by students from start to finish.

Each year the Institute invites an eminent photographer to

inaugurate the exhibition and share their views on students‘ work.

During the week long exhibition, other senior photographers

come to the SACAC campus for interactive sessions with students.

In addition to the scope of showcasing their work to experts and

public alike, the graduating batch has the opportunity to have its

portfolios reviewed by eminent experts in the field. Photographers,

photo editors, photo agencies, magazines are all part of the expert

group for portfolio review

Photography for me has changed at SACAC. I have learnt that

photography isn‘t just about exploring new methods, places or

people; it is equally about discovering myself from within.

Ujwal Garg (Creative Photography, Batch 2013 - 14)

Shikha Mahipal (Creative Photography Batch 2011 - 12) Bhavneet Bajaj (Creative Photography Batch 2012 - 13)

Sachindra Rajbansi

(Creative Photography Batch 2012 - 13)

Surender Solanki

(Creative Photography Batch 2012 - 13)

Continuing Education Courses under our continuing

education programme are essentially

short term, weekend, non-degree

programmes primarily meant for

adults to help advance or change

career paths or simply for personal,

non-vocational enrichment.

Creative Graphic Design

Creative Writing

Effective Business

Communication Skills

Painting and Sketching

Still Photography

CREATIVE GR APHIC DESIGN

Course O ver v ie w

Graphic Design is a creative process,

used to convey a message with focus on

visual communication and presentation.

The field as a whole is also referred to

as Communication Design. A graphic

designer may use a combination of

typography, visual arts and page layout

techniques to produce a great design.

However, the mind is the most important

design tool. Aside from technology, a

creative mind booming with ideas, good

judgment, observation, quantitative and

analytic thinking are required for creative

design layouts and rendering. New ideas

can come by way of experimenting with

tools and methods too. Graphic Designers

often form part of a team working on

corporate identity and branding projects.

For example, newspaper stories begin with

journalists and photographers and then

it becomes the graphic designer‘s job to

organize the page in an attractive layout.

Hence, graphic designers can work in a

variety of environments. This programme

conducted by SACAC aims to impart

knowledge in the area of Graphic Design

and Portfolio Development. Graphic

Design career paths cover all ends of

the creative spectrum. Creative Graphic

Design course prepares candidates to make

a career in various creative fields such

as Advertising, Visual/Product Design,

Graphic Design etc.

Curricu lum

› Application of graphic design basics

› Colour notation systems and theories

› Using Adobe Illustrator to create vector-

based drawings like logos

› Using Adobe Indesign to create new

page layouts such as book covers

› Developing graphic products like

brochures or a complete company

package

Sk il l De velopment

› Develop the inner eye for design

› Colour sense

› Visual sense

› Composing objects and pages

› In depth understanding of using

Adobe Indesign & Adobe Illustrator Facilitators

BHAIRVIN MATHUR

Bhairvin Mathur is a Graphic Designer

with 8 years of experience. Qualifying as

a Fashion Designer from NIFT Bangalore,

Bhairvin has worked with leading design

houses like Munch and Wills Lifestyle. A

thirst to improve her skills and an interest

in Graphic Design led her to pursue a

course in graphics in the USA. Having

worked for corporates like Corporate

Executive Board, Deloitte and DTZ as a

Graphic Designer, Bhairvin now follows

her creative pursuits and enjoys designing

for the SME sector.

CREATIVE WRITING Facilitators

RAMESH MENON

jAI ARjUN SINGH, Author jaane Vbhi

Course O ver v ie w

Writing, understandably, is the most

potent and yet the simplest form of

human expression. Unlike speech, writing

transcends barriers of space and time. If

you can write well, you have true power

at your disposal. That is why Creative

Writing can open a new world for you. The

craft of writing has multiple dimensions

- novels, short stories, f lash fiction,

non-fiction, screen writing, writing

for mainline media, writing profiles,

conducting interviews, blogs, writing for

the web, travelogues and experimental

pieces. Our Creative Writing workshops

will take you through all these dimensions

and let you explore. It will help you

discover your creativity and open up a new

world. If you choose to, you might even

turn writing into a career. Every human

mind conjures up images but a creative

human mind is not satisfied with merely

weaving visuals. It wants to express ideas

through a medium that has appreciable

aesthetic appeal. This course helps to give

expression to your creative urges. Writing

is also a skill that will help you in your

daily life. Watch your communication

skills f lower during the Creative Writing

workshops. If you want to harness your

creative mind, this course is for you. The

approach to Creative Writing course

is packed with lots of practical activity so

that you are able to put into practice

something that you had just learnt. Having

talent and skills is not enough, you also

need to know how to use it. Come and

discover the writer in you.

Curricu lum

› Discovering the joy of writing

› Ways to tap creative potential

› Essentials of creative writing

› Developing an idea and expanding

it into a story

› How to systematically work on your

writing skills

› Using imagination

› Stream of consciousness

› Different types of writing

› Feature writing

› Short story

› Novels

› Flash fiction

› Poetry

› Travel writing

› Writing for media: print, television

and online

› Structuring your writing

› Editing

› Rewriting

› Pitching to publications

Sk il l De velopment

› Write better

› Think creatively

› Get interesting ideas

› Develop imagination

› Construct plots

› Build interesting characters

› Create a structure

› Pick up interviewing skills

› Improve communication and expression

› Explore different genres

› Learn how to listen better and use

different senses

Ramesh Menon is an award winning

journalist, author and corporate trainer.

He is a recipient of the prestigious

RamnathGoenka Award for Excellence

in journalism and theMadhavankutty

Gold Medal for Excellence in English

journalism. He cannot imagine life

without writing. His first book, ―Caste

and Communal Time bomb‖, chronicled

caste and communal conf lagrations in

Gujarat. ―Whatever the Odds‖is the story

of K.P.Singh and DLF. He travelled the

entire coast of India for a coffee table

book, ―Night Sparkle-Fascinating Stories

of Indian Lighthouses‖. ―Carbon Footprint-

Reducing them for a better tomorrow,‖

and ―Modi Demystified-The making of a

Prime Minister‖ are among other books.

He has directed and produced numerous

documentary films onsocial and

environmental issues. He has worked with

India Today, The Times of India, Business

India Television, TV Today and rediff.com.

He is presently Managing Editor of India

Legal, India‘s first politico-legal magazine.

He is working on an untitled novel.

Recent guest faculty have been:

K.G. SREENIVAS, Editor-in-chief,

Creative Brands.

MEENAKSHIIyER, Author – ―False

Sanctuaries: Stories from the troubled

territories of South Asia.‖

MARIAM KARIM AHLAWAT, Novelist,

playwright, Screenplay writer, Children

writer, Columnist and Illustrator.

do yaaro.

MRIDULAKOSHy, Novelist Not only the

things that have happened.

NIRUPAMASUBRAMANIAN, Writer,

executive coach leadership development

consultant.

EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Course O ver v ie w

It is said that we spend over 70% of our

waking hours communicating. And yet,

how well are we equipped for this critical

life skill?

While everyone can speak, it is not easy to

communicate with intent. While most

people can hear, the ability to listen is not so

commonplace. With the advent of instant

messaging and tweets, good writing has

slowly lost ground to dehumanizing jargon

and stock phrases. The ‗gift of the gab‘ is

often mistaken for articulation, f luency for

organized thought.

How do you communicate warmth in a

professional email, or subtle humor, gentle

admonishment, an oblique reference,

genuine gratitude or just fulsome praise?

What do you do when you are asked to

present a report to the senior management

in 20 minutes? How do you enrol your

boss‘s support for your path breaking idea?

What‘s the right way to give feedback to

your team? How is coaching different from

counselling?

The key to complete self expression is to

lose your inhibitions. As someone said, it

is necessary to die a thousand small deaths

before we can learn to live.

The Effective Buisness Communication

Skills course is an opportunity to discover,

shape and hone your communication skills

in custom designed ‗real life‘ scenarios.

Curricu lum

› Levels of distortion in human

communications

› Dealing with inhibitions to

self expression

› The art of storytelling

› Listening skills

› Connecting to people

› Whole body communication

› Presenting to inf luence

› Feed forward & coaching

› Facilitation skills – going

beyond teaching!

› ABCs of writing emails

Sk il l De velopment

› Making high impact presentations

› Building and nurturing relationships

› Small group facilitation Skills

› Conducting training programs

› Feedback and coaching

› Telephone etiquette

› Purposeful emails

PAINTING AND SKETCHING

Course O ver v ie w

The natural world around us is full of

objects, shapes, sizes, forms, colours, and

lines. Perhaps this fired the imagination of

our ancestors to represent these in sketches

and paintings. And slowly, the human

mind began making images out of its own

feelings in its mind and started drawing

fantastic imagery on a canvas. Thus, to

paint even abstract forms, the journey

begins by looking at nature first, and then

representing it on a canvas.

Painting and Sketching course is designed

to give expression to the student‘s visual

thoughts on a canvas. To develop your

drawing skills, you will go through various

exercises aimed at improving your skills

to present nature‘s creations on paper.

Textures and colour will be added later to

the practice so that you grow as an artist to

present your mental images better. Slowly

you will explore your own emotional

images and start presenting them with a

brush.

This will help in bringing out the creative

side of a person which is also therapeutic

in nature. This re-connection with one‘s

creative self will manifest in other areas

of one‘s life too.

Curricu lum

› A brief run through the history of painting

› Warming up exercise with freehand

techniques

› Practice composition, silhouette, form,

line and perspective of nature

› Exploring texture, 3D elements, light

and shade of nature

› Discussions on perspective, aspect

and form

› Enhancing basic sense of composition

and filling the frame beautifully

› Discussion on art as an expression of

sublime emotions

› Painting natural objects with

water colours

Sk il l De velopment

› Paint abstract forms

› Represent nature on canvas

› Express visual thoughts on canvas

› Express emotions with a brush Facilitators

KAVITA NAyAR

Kavita Nayar has been working in this field

for the past three decades. She works in

all the media with equal ease, be it oil on

canvas or acrylics, lithography, etchings,

serigraphy or pastels on paper. She is

forever trying to innovate and discover

herself through her work.

She has been representing her country

through a number of scholarships,

grants, workshops, and exhibitions. She

has travelled and worked in countries

like France, England, Sweden, Hungary,

Luxembourg, Mauritius, USA & China.

She obtained her Bachelors degree from

Shantiniketan in West Bengal, followed

by a Masters in the Delhi College of Art.

She has held solo shows in New york,

Oxford University, Mauritius, Delhi,

Kolkata, and Mumbai.

STILL PHOTOGR APHy

Course O ver v ie w

Photography is the most popular medium

that captures life as it goes by. Travelling,

visiting a new place, important events

and tender moments; every time such

instances come up one surely feels like

capturing it for posterity. A picture

shared with someone dear to you, living

somewhere else or simply putting your

favourite picture framed in your drawing

room can give you a distinct identity. But

the challenge of taking a good photograph

is not just about being there at that very

moment; it‘s also about aesthetically

evocative compositions and choosing

technically sound exposure settings and

shutter speed. One has to understand the

magical interplay of light, shadow and

colour to create magic in a frame. The

Still Photography course introduces you to

the exciting world of photography if you

have the passion to pursue it as career. Or

else if you want to just pursue it to fulfil

your creative urges this course in Still

Photography gives you the opportunity to

do just that. If you have a creative spirit

or are booming with ideas and would love

to give them visual impressions, then this

Still Photography course is all you need to

make a head start.

Curricu lum

› Know your camera - workings and

function of a digital camera

› Basics of lighting - role and importance

of natural light in photography

› Composition - key aspects of a well

composed shot

› Studio lighting - the technicalities

of different types of studio lights

› Portrait photography - know the art of

portrait taking in natural and studio light

› Field assignment - practice photography

› Edit your work - Photoshop and selection

of images

Sk il l De velopment

› Develop the inner eye

› Observation

› Visual sense

› Composition

› Interplay of light

› In depth understanding of DSLR camera

Facilitators

IDRIS AHMAD

Idris taught photography for several years

before striking out on his own. A trip to

Spiti convinced him to begin his career as a

freelance photographer and he hasn‘t looked

back since. He has travelled widely, looking

at the world through his viewfinder, and his

photographs span a series of subjects and

places. Idris‘s photography invites you to come

along on his travels and explore new worlds

as he sees them through his camera. Idris‘s

camera brings many stories to life, but with

each viewer entitled to his own vision.

Application Form

The Application Form may be downloaded

in PDF format from the website, filled

online (www.sac.ac.in) or collected from

SACAC office.

Submission of Form

The form, along with the a fee of Rs. 1000/-

can be dropped at or couriered to the

following address:

Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts &

Communication, Sri Aurobindo Society,

Shaheedjeet Singh Marg, Adhchini,

New Delhi 110 017

The fee may be paid in cash at the SACAC

office or by sending a DD in favour

of ―Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and

Communication‖ payable at New Delhi.

Applicants will be provided with a copy

of the prospectus and a receipt in lieu of

payment made.

Entrance Test

All applicants are required to take a

programme specific written exam as

part of the selection process.

Personal Interview & Panel Round

The Personal and panel interview rounds

are the most significant part of the

selection process. The goal is to determine

fitment and ensure that expectations

are aligned to what each programme

has to offer. The idea is also to gauge

an applicant‘s enthusiasm and passion

for the chosen subject.

Offer and Admission

Shortlisted candidates will be intimated

via email and sent an offer letter at the

registered address. They would require

to submit the admission fee within the

period specified in the offer letter.