There was a time, when the two media attempted to express the local manifestations and operations of particular cultures, but nowadays, with the spread of visual culture (particularly cinema and television) they also reflect a global perspective wherever this fits in. Their advancement, therefore, has to accommodate both local and global needs. To take our cinema and television forward, media professionals have to work hand in hand with cultural activists, academics and people with a high degree of cultural orientation. Institutions specializing in media studies can play an important role in bringing them together and help them work for the common goal of advancing our cinema and television and take them to audiences beyond our borders. ]Bangladesh Film & Television Academy (BFTA) envisions to become such an institution. BFTA's core strength lies in the collective experience of its teachers, instructors and facilitators who have worked in the two media for a long time and have contributed to the development and continuous improvement of the languages of cinema and television. With the instructions and hands down training provided by the teachers and instructors, the learners will be able to prepare themselves to work at the highest levels in the two media. Learning and application are deeply interrelated which BFTA will strive to provide the learners. To ensure a proper working environment, BFTA will make the classrooms interactive with the participation of experts in many different fields who will instil in the learners a high degree of competence. Thus, they will be in a position to take Bangladeshi cinema and television to newer heights and to a global audience. Philosophy
At the base of BFTAís academic philosophy lies the idea that unless academic
Training, research and creative thinking are perfectly blended, learners will not be able to achieve their highest potential. The true meaning of education lies in the ability to turn information into knowledge, and knowledge into wisdom. Only then, that education becomes successful in oneís personal, social and professional life. All the academic programmes of BFTA will be based on this philosophical root. The long-practised tradition of Master-Disciple Inheritance (Gurukul) will also be added to its modern academic practices. A culture of sharing and bonding between teachers and students is crucial in academic philosophy. Learning is incomplete without this. BFTA is keen on making the academic process more creative by putting a special focus on reviving this near-extinct relationship among teachers and students. Also a particular effort will be made to ensure that the learning becomes meaningful in the professions and daily lives of the learners. Programmes
Academic
BFTA is starting its journey with a one-year Diploma Course in Acting. In subsequent phases more courses will be offered on subjects like Screenplay & Direction, Cinematography, Editing, Art Direction & Production Design, Makeup & Costume, Production Management, Music & Sound Design and Graphics & Animation. In addition to introducing Honours and Masters Courses in the later phases, BFTA will also organise short-term courses and workshops on different topics and subjects. Research
Over and above the academic programmes, BFTA will conduct different types of research and studies on subjects like Language, Form, Art Design and History of Cinema and Television. These research and studies will be conducted jointly by teachers and students. Publications
BFTA expects to publish a yearly journal as well as occasional monographs and books on different aspects of Cinema and Television, and compilations of articles on artists and professionals whose contribution has brought our Cinema and Television to where they are today. The publications will also be available online. Networking
BFTA intends to function as a connector between the cultural personalities at home and abroad. Faculty(in alphabetic order)
Dr Biplab Bala
Edward Francis Gomes
Mahedi Tanjir
Naila Azad
Saidur Rahman Lipon
Shaan Rahman
Advisors(in alphabetic order)
Aly Zaker
Chandra Shekhar Shaha
M A Alamgir
Piplu R Khan
Syed Manzoorul Islam
Board of Directors
Zaidul Kabir
Naila Azad
Anisur Rahman Mahmud
Afsana Mimi
Management
Afsana Mimi
Anisur Rahman Mahmud
Courses
1.Diploma in Acting
Course Overview
This one-year Diploma Course has been divided into three semesters. There are four components in the Course:
Acting 30%
Skills 30%
Cultural Studies 20%
Applied Presentation 20%
In addition to acquiring the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills on method acting, the learners will come across the invaluable contiguity of the Masters of different disciplines of art and culture from across the world. The height and depth of the cultural orientation of an actor is deeply related to his/her acting skill. The actor has to understand how the societal customs, rituals and values work; how a history is built; how the cultural identity ñ language-idea-aesthetics-philosophy ñ is evolved. Knowledge of world literature, appreciation of music, and aesthetics of fine arts ñ all are intensely related to acting. BFTA has crafted its curriculum keeping all these in mind which will enable learners to groom themselves as quality actors. An actor requires some special skills, which not only enrich one as an actor but also as a human. The learners will obtain such skills in this course. The learners will be given regular lessons on Yoga, Martial Art and Dance. For vocal excellence, the learners will acquire knowledge and skills in phonetics, pronunciation, recitation, singing, etc. To present oneself as a citizen of the world, it is imperative to have mastery over English language. BFTAís English Language Course will help learners acquire the highest skills in the language. As a part of the applied presentation, the learners will work directly in three media namely Theatre, Television and Cinema in three semesters. Course Outline
1st (Fundamental) Semester
Method Acting Acting Techniques, Creative Body Movement and Mime, Improvisation, Scene Study & Rehearsal Procedure, Text Analysis, Character Analysis & Development
Skill Development Yoga, The Illusion of ëPhysical Combatí and Fitness, Voice & Singing, Speech & Accent, Dance & Fitness, Communication Skills in English
Cultural Education History of Theatre, Literature, Music & Art Appreciation, Aesthetics, Masterís Class
Performance Theatre Production in Bangla and English
2nd (Intermediate) Semester
Method Acting Advanced Acting Techniques, Advanced Movement for Actors, Advanced Scene Study & Rehearsal Procedure, Character Analysis & Development, Performance Analysis, Technical Orientation
Skill Development Yoga, Martial Acting, Voice & Singing, Recitation, Speech &Dialect, Dance & Fitness (Bollywood Dance), Communication Skills in English
Cultural Education History of Television/Film, Literature, Music & Art Appreciation, Aesthetics, Masterís Class
Performance Television Production in Bangla/English
3rd (Advanced) Semester
Method Acting Acting for Film, Style, Grooming, Makeup, Integrated Voice & Speech with Text & Movement for Performance
Skill Development Yoga, Application of Various Fighting Systems in Stage Combat, Integrated Voice & Speech for Performance, Choreography for Performance, Business Communication in English
Cultural Education Film Appreciation, Literature, Music & Art Appreciation, Aesthetics, Master's Class, Actor's Orientation
Performance Film Production in Bangla and English
