March 30, 2003

Media, through the years, has evolved significantly and is now rightly referred to as New Age Media comprising of innumerable specialized tasks. In turn, these tasks have created several career possibilities for aspiring youngsters. These ‘media avenues’ were recently discussed at length by a panel of experts including filmmaker Jami, production expert Rohail Hyatt, website designer Sabeen Mehmud, publication designer Shariq Chapra, graphic designer Shahzad Nawaz and communication designer Shahbaz Zobairi. The venue was the Arts Council where a seminar on ‘Careers in New Media’ was organized by the Fine Art Committee of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, with Nilofer Farrukh, a known art critic, as the moderator.

Seema Taher Khan, Chairperson of the Fine Art Committee, stated that the seminar was the first in a series of events including lectures, seminars and workshops which will be held during the year. She urged the audience to actively participate in holding more art and design events.

 

Praising indigenous talent, Jami remarked that having the ‘creative germ’ was imperative in order to be a successful filmmaker, as there are a number of deterrents that one comes across including various mafias that exist in the ‘power’ circles
 

Speaking at the forum, filmmaker Jami who has to his credit a popular mobile phone commercial as well as Strings’ music videos, stressed upon the importance of a solid concept behind each assignment undertaken, as this is what defines the good from the bad and the ugly. Whilst speaking on creative filmmaking and commercial ventures, he explained that the former was not financially lucrative. Praising indigenous talent, he remarked that having the ‘creative germ’ was imperative in order to be a successful filmmaker, as there are a number of deterrents that one comes across including various mafias that exist in the ‘power’ circles. Jami reiterated that he does not use women in his films for the sake of glamour as he seeks to be different from others.

Rohail Hyatt, CEO of his own production house, sharing his personal views said that college does not teach one the realities of life and only if one can conform to the requirements and limitations of post production, then should one enter the field. Post production is a restricted art form despite being the most intense, as once work has been completed in the field, there is only so much that can be done to improve upon it in the finishing stage. However, he stressed that to be a part of any stage of this production process, one must know the entire process from A to Z. Warning students about the ongoing scam of multimedia courses in the city, the ex-Vital Signs star spoke in detail about the various career possibilities that exist in title design, character animation, environment design and video game creation.

Shahzad Nawaz, creative director at a private channel, vehemently stated that those who seek uninterrupted creativity should consider becoming recluses, as the real world is all about attaining that fine balance between creative ambition and commercial necessity. He also negated Jami’s views that the world of media is not financially lucrative as in his view, it is we who put a price on our work, not others. He urged art students to be aware of the constant changes taking place around them and to absorb and appreciate nature whilst expressing their thanks to the Creator.

Sabeen Mehmud, a website designer, remarked that it was not about design or technology or content but all about creating engaging experiences. She called out to design students to stand up for their beliefs and focus on making a difference.

Shariq Chapra, a publication designer who is known to have given a new face to a popular magazine, stated that he does not believe in idealism but in the power of realistic change. Having himself changed his major seven times whilst in college, Shariq urged students to avoid stereotyping themselves and avoid falling in to the run of the mill professional traps.

Shedding light on the vast array of disciplines that lie within communication design, Shahbaz Zobairi, creative director at an ad agency, outlined the endless number of opportunities that lie within modern day media. From book design to set design, he gave students the novel idea of seeking projects on the internet and being experimental in their work.

The students expressed their appreciation at this informal but valuable career counseling session and hoped that the Fine Art Committee would organize more events similar to this in the future.

Interaction between successful media people and aspiring youngsters through the seminar was a healthy step towards guiding them to their goals. Career counseling is the need of the day and should be taken up by other organizations as well.

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