Spectrum '08 ends in Spectacular Style

Spectrum '08, the media extravaganza organised by the Department of Media and Communications, saw a huge turnout on its second and final day - May 21st, 2008.

Day II of Spectrum consisted of a series of workshops on topics ranging from multimedia to radio presentation and branding to personality development.

Mr. Murtuza Zakir, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics, conducted the workshop on 'Multimedia, Animation and Special Effects'. The session gave students the opportunity to understand the reality behind the animation and special effects that are used in film and video content. Mr. Zakir ran through some popular designing softwares and compositing applications - Max and Combustion to name a few.

Mr. Zakir also demonstrated how to create a 3D object and techniques such as 'footstep animation' and 'motion capture', among other things. He also devoted a considerable amount of time to answering students' queries about job opportunities in the field of animation and graphic designing.

Mr. Murtuza Zakir shares his experience about animation and design softwares
- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

The workshop on 'Radio Presentation', by Mr. Sachin K., was devoted to the exploration of radio production and programming as well as a discussion on the various job opportunities that are available in the specialised field of radio. Radio production, programmme planning, radio events and music scheduling were some of the job avenues that were touched upon during this interactive session.

Advertisements, promos and scripting for radio were individually deliberated upon. News in radio and the multitude of jobs available in this sector were taken up as well. All in all, the 20-odd attendees at this workshop came out with a better idea about radio as a career choice.

Mr. Santosh Unnithan conducted a workshop dedicated entirely to 'Personality Development'. This interactive session gave the participants a better understanding of how best to carry themselves, build their confidence and enrich their personality.

The attendees engaged in the session wholeheartedly, in a bid to enhance their personalities and help them comunicate well with people.

The fourth workshop was conducted on 'Branding' by Mr. Sanjay Nair. Mr. Nair brought in various concepts like brand creation, brand presentation and the purpose behind branding, to the fore. These interactive sessions were both educative and interesting, providing the perfect platform for students to expose themselves to the reality of the media industry.

Said Melissa Khan, a 2nd year student of Media and Communications and a participant at the workshop on 'Multimedia, Animation and Special Effects', "I intend on taking up visual communication in my year of specialisation and thought this workshop would be extremely useful. The session was interactive and the clips shown were familiar to us, aiding us in understanding the concepts faster."

Most attendees at the workshops shared her sentiments. Almost everyone interviewed agreed that the workshops were interactive and conducted in a manner that was easy for a layperson to comprehend. Overall, they seemed extremely happy about the entire experience. These sessions were followed by lunch, after which the 'Year Book' was released by Mr. Santosh Unnithan and Dr. Firoz, Chair, Department of Media and Communications.

The much anticipated student year book is finally unveiled (from left to right): Mr. Sabir Haque, Dr. Firoz, Mr. Santosh Unnithan, Mr. Joseph John and Ms. H. S. Shubha

- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

In addition, there was an extremely vital session on 'Career Counselling'. Mr. Assis Cardos, Director - Creative Services; Mr. Murtuza Zakir, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics and Ms. Fokiya Akhtar, Adjunct Faculty, Television and Video Production, Manipal University - Dubai Campus, all came together to share some of their experiences and views on their respective fields - that is advertising, animation/graphics and television/film.

Mr. Assis Cardos explains the importance of a secure career to the balance of life

- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

Each of them gave tips on the best way to enter the industry. From writing resumes to interview preparation and personality to prior experience - each concept was discussed in great detail for the benefit of students wanting to get a break in this highly demanding industry. As proceedings for the day came to a close, the event was declared a grand success. Having thanked the sponsors and support team of the event, the organisers - students and faculty members from the Department of Media and Communications celebrated the success of an event handled solely by them.