DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION

Visual Communication is emerging in our midst as a significant means of communication. It is the visual representation of reality, the imaginative conception of an individual triggering articulate response. Gauging the importance and need for media makers, the Department of Visual Communication, a three year UG program was started in the year 1999 by M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women – the first city college for women to offer this program. The course focuses on a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to learning and this has been achieved by an even balance of theory and practical application. The program is framed to inculcate professional excellence and master the practicalities of the media industry.

The winning edge of the Department is the exclusive combination of learner centric-pedagogy, contemporary curriculum, high-end infrastructure, first hand industry exposure and a creative working atmosphere. The course transforms students into one of the best advertising personnel, visualizers, copy writers, filmmakers, photographers, web designers, animators and graphic designers to name a few.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The goals set by the Department of Visual Communication are facilitated by high quality state of- the-art infrastructure provided to every student.

• Drawing Studio equipped with specially designed easels to help students develop their visualizing and drawing skills
• Multimedia Lab with 100 network computers and the latest design and animation softwares
• High Definition Cameras
• Digital Studio:

– Lights

– Shooting Floor

– Additional accessories like zoom lenses, flash, light meters

– Complete backdrop and tabletop set up

• Digital Sound Studios
• Digital Edit Suites
• Screening theatre
• Community Radio Station
• Campus Television that networks classrooms through a base station.

SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION

The Department of Visual Communication has a competitive selection process. There are two stages in the selection.

STAGE- I

Entrance Test

– Test I: Written Test (Objective Type) on current affairs, media awareness, communication skills and visual arts

– Test II: Drawing & Visualizing

STAGE- II

Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Candidates will be shortlisted for Stage II based on the marks secured in Stage I (Entrance Test). Candidates should carry a portfolio exhibiting her creativity as a prospective candidate to pursue the Visual Communication Course. Candidates will be provisionally selected.

LIST OF CORE & ALLIED PAPERS

SEMESTER I:

• Foundation I: Language I
• Foundation II: English I
• Core I: Introduction to Visual Communication
• Core-II: Basics of Fine Arts
• Allied –I: Graphic Design – I

 SEMESTER II:

• Foundation I: Language II
• Foundation II: English II
• Core-III: Basics of Human Communication
• Core-IV: Application of Fine Arts
• Allied –II: Graphic Design – II

 SEMESTER III:

• Core-V: Photography
• Core-VI: Advertising
• Core-VII: Printing & Publication Design
• Allied-III: Digital Graphic Design
• Elective-I: Human Psychology

 SEMESTER IV:

• Core-VIII: Advanced Photography
• Core-IX: Script Writing
• Core-X: Production Design
• Allied-IV: 2D Animation & Web Designing
• Elective-II: Inter Disciplinary Elective

 SEMESTER V:

• Core-XI: Production Techniques
• Core-XII: Film Studies
• Core-XIII: 3D Modelling & Animation
• Core-XIV: Media, Culture and Society
• Elective-III: Advertising Strategy & Campaign

 SEMESTER VI:

• Core-XV: Media Management
• Core-XVI: Visual Sociology
• Core-XVII: Media Laws
• Core-XVIII: Specialisation

 COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

The Course Curriculum strikes the right balance between theory and practice. The Course aids the student to graduate seamlessly from fine arts and graphic design by hand in the first year to computer graphics and photography in the second year, and then to television production and multimedia.

In the final semester, students can opt to specialize in any one of the following subjects:

• Video Production
• Multimedia
• Web Designing
• Ad Photography

The Course Curriculum strikes the right balance between theory and practice. The Course aids the student to graduate seamlessly from fine arts and graphic design by hand in the first year to computer graphics and photography in the second year, and then to television production and multimedia.

In the final semester, students can opt to specialize in any one of the following subjects:

• Video Production
• Multimedia
• Web Designing
• Ad Photography

 ENRICHMENT STRATEGIES

 TEACHING METHODOLOGY

The course curriculum is imparted using learner-centric teaching techniques. The learning extends beyond the classroom through simulated projects that meet industry standards. Workshops, guest lectures, field visits and internships aid in strengthening the industry-academia interface.

GUEST LECTURES

From photographers to CEOs, Film makers to Visualizers, the course brings in industry experts from diverse fields to share their domain of knowledge and engage in interactive sessions with the students.

FIELD VISITS: PHOTOGRAPHY EXPEDITIONS & INDUSTRY VISITS

Students embark on frequent art and photography expeditions and industrial visits to facilitate on-field interaction. From the technology behind live telecast in a broadcast station to the equipment and maintenance of a digital studio, from the complex process of printing to the nuances of filming, the students are given the opportunity to learn and kick start an on-going relationship with the professional world throughout their course. Prominent places of visit include Pondicherry, Kancheepuram, Parambikulam, Senji Fort, Wayanad, Delhi, Manali, Agra, Gangtok, Lachung, Nepal, Sikkim, Andaman, Belur, Hampi, Goa and Rajasthan.

Students capture the endless sea through their lens on a Photography Field Trip to Goa.

Students trying their hands on Block Printing during a Field Visit to Weaver’s Society, Chennai

INTERNSHIPS
An Internship is the first step to maximize exposure at a professional work place. Students gain an insight about the dynamics of the media industry, working style, protocol, approaches and trends. Internship is the forte of the program as it provides an opportunity for the students to understand the working environment of the industry, build relationships with industry personnel and identify the suitable area of their specialization
Students undergo two spells of four to six week’s industry training in the form of internship, which is mandatory for all students. Our students have interned with leading National and International Advertising Agencies, Print Media Houses, Graphic Design studios, Web Design Boutiques, Production houses, Television Channels and also are trained by leading freelance advertising photographers, ad filmmakers, Cinematographers, Directors, and CG Artists.

INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS
To widen the horizons of Summer Internship for students, The Department of Visual communication collaborates with Vancouver Film School, Canada a leading international film school, which offers a variety of courses of specific interest to students of Visual communication like Film making, 2D, 3D, classical animation, advertising design, graphic design and illustrations.

 Ms. Prashanthi Kausalya of B.Sc Visual Communication went on a month long Summer Intensive Internship Program on Film Making and Animation at Vancouver Film School, Canada.

• Ms. Purthi S. Punamiya of B.Sc Visual Communication interned at Cairo, Egypt for a month as part of the Global Community Development Programme. The Global Community Development Program (GCDP) is the internship hosted by an AIESEC entity under a project or a non-AIESEC organization. The programme which is one of kind attracts student volunteers across world and is considered a prestigious programme.

DEPARTMENT CLUB & ACTIVITIES
CREATE CLUB: THE STUDENT CLUB
Under the auspices of the Create Club the student office bearers network, learn and gain valuable leadership experience. The activities of the club are:
• Workshops for department students
• Workshops for city college students
• Intra department competitions
• Photo walks/Art walks
• Alumni talk
• Portfolio Review & Career Counseling

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Department Journal: Thumbnail
‘Thumbnail’ is the annual journal published by the Department that is yet another platform to encourage students to think originally and creatively. It is a reflection of the impulses and the energies of the inspiration that the students derive from their surroundings. The journal is replete with subjects on a chosen theme encompassing every facet of the course, right from the history of Indian art and modern day photography to magnetically charged articles on advertising, films, culture and new media. The choice is unlimited as is the freedom of the student to express themselves.

“POSITIVES “- Annual Photography Exhibition

The Department provides a platform to showcase the professional skills of the students through exhibitions. “POSITIVES” – photography exhibition is organized at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai. The exhibition also features a compilation of graphic design and fine arts along with the snapshots created throughout the year, featuring lifestyles, symbolic representations and many other images celebrating the cultural, racial and geographic diversity. The exhibition attracts large crowds which include students from various colleges in Chennai, media professionals and the general public.

Art Director Sabu Cyril inaugurating Positives, the photography exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi.

Art Fest displaying artworks and photographs of the students

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.”

Our students have plethora of career opportunities

PROMINENT ALUMNI

• Riba Haroon & Simran Nichani – Co-founders, Pink Cheese Designs
• Niranjana H H N – Programmer, Discovery Networks, Asia-Pacific
• Aditi Maithreya – Creative Director, The Phoenix Company
• Shivani Shashi- Independent Architectural Photographer
• Rathnavarshini C – Independent Wildlife Photographer
• Ramya Subramaniam – VJ & Film Artist
• Swetha Joyson – Founder, The Joy of Photography
• Keerthana Balaji – Founder, Tungsten Advertising & Pollachi Papyrus
• V Preetha Lakshmi – Partner, The Portrait Studio
• Induja – Retoucher, Landmark Group, Dubai
• Sarika Selvaraj – Head of Design & Branding, Homeland Technologies LLP

Faculty profile