AI in Cinema & Media: Two-Day Filmaking Workshop by Arun Chandu
March 4th & 5th, 2025
Arun Chandu is an Indian filmmaker and writer known for his contributions to the Malayalam film industry. He began his career as a still photographer and designer, working on films such as Thira (2013) and Goodalochana (2017). His directorial debut, Sayanna Varthakal (2022), is a socio-political satire addressing a job creation scam in central Kerala. He followed this with Saajan Bakery Since 1962 (2021), a family drama exploring sibling rivalry within a small-town bakery.
In 2024, Chandu directed Gaganachari, a science fiction mockumentary set in a dystopian 2050s Kerala, where three bachelors encounter a mysterious alien. The film received positive reviews for its innovative storytelling and was recognized at international film festivals.
About the Workshop
Two-Day workshop provides an in-depth exploration of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming cinema, media, and visual effects. Held over two days, the workshop introduced students and professionals to the evolution, current applications, and future advancements of AI in the film industry.
Day 1: The AI Revolution in Cinema & Media
The first day focused on how AI is reshaping filmmaking, VFX, and post-production. Sessions covered the shift from traditional CGI to generative AI, highlighting cost and efficiency benefits. Attendees examined case studies of AI-enhanced films like Gaganachari and Hollywood productions. Key discussions included AI’s role in screenwriting, storyboarding, and video upscaling, as well as deepfake ethics and AI-driven color grading. A hands-on segment introduced participants to Runway ML, Deep Dream, and Adobe Firefly.
Day 2: The Future of AI in Cinema – Beyond Generative AI
The second day explored cutting-edge AI innovations, such as neural simulations, AI-driven interactive cinema, and AI-generated digital actors. Experts demonstrated AI-powered ray tracing, procedural environments, and motion capture technology. The workshop culminated in a live demo, where attendees created AI-driven film scenes using advanced tools, followed by an industry-focused Q&A session.
Intersections: Art & Technology Weekend at MAP
June 21st & 22nd, 2025
Hiraeth, the visual media club of the Media Studies department, hosted the first Pre-Media Meet event on 21 June 2025 in collaboration with the Museum of Art and Photography. The event focused on understanding the ‘Intersections of Art and Tech. Students explored the digital space at the Sasken Gallery, where, through touch screen panels, it aimed at bridging the gap between traditional and digital art experiences. With modern, contemporary art and vibrant visuals, the event introduced learning about art and photography from a digital perspective. From advanced technology to 3D art visualisation, the virtual reality workshop at MAP highlighted the virtual dimensions, bringing art, technology and creativity together.
About the Workshops
Sound is a Place Too
Students participated in the interdisciplinary workshop "Sound is a Place Too," which was organised by the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) and led by Nandini Khilnani, as part of the pre-Media Meet 2025 activities. In addition to being a background element, the workshop examined how sound may function as an environment. Participants recreated how we experience space, memory, and emotion through music through deep listening, sound mapping, and sonic layering exercises. Students were urged by the programme to see sound as a potent instrument for perception and storytelling, in addition to pictures.
VR Sessions at MAP
Students also experienced VR installations at MAP, engaging in mixed reality storytelling through headsets in small groups. These immersive sessions offered new ways to interact with themes of memory, identity, and place, highlighting the evolving role of technology in media creation and aligning with this year’s theme, Data and Society.
Living with Machines: A Critical Approach to Technology in Art
The panel discussion convened a diverse array of thought-provoking perspectives on the engagement of contemporary artists with digital tools and systems. Chinar Shah presented works such as An Apology for Sale, HI (a photobook), and A Memorial for the New Economy, which investigate themes of personal memory, digital intimacy, and economic commentary within the realm of online art practices. Manuel Beltran elucidated the concept of invisible labour inherent in digital life through his project Hammers in the Server Room, advocating for the rights associated with data labour and critiquing how user activity sustains data economies. Anisha's presentation, Computer as Women, critically examined the feminisation of digital assistants, raising essential questions regarding the normalisation of gendered interfaces within technology design.
In the Frames: From CFRIA to Cop Shiva’s Archive of Memory
June 24th, 2025
In preparation for Media Meet 2025, the Department of Media Studies organised a carefully planned field trip that introduced students to places that use art to preserve and retell stories. This pre-Media Meet event, which was organised by Argus, the Media Law Club, asked attendees to consider the significant and deeply ingrained intersections between tradition, personal memory, and visual media.
The visit was intended to demonstrate how non-digital storytelling techniques, such as staged photography and indigenous folk art, continue to influence our perceptions of identity, belonging, and representation, in line with Media Meet 2025's topic of "Data and Society."
About the Visit
Centre for Revival of Indigenous Art (CFRIA)
Ms. Geetha Bhat, the centre's founder, opened her house and studio to students at CFRIA. CFRIA offered insight into Chittara art, a symbolic and ritualistic art form done by women of the Deevaru community in Karnataka, and was committed to documenting and reviving endangered folk traditions. As she led the kids through a painting of a Chittara wedding home, Ms. Bhat explained the cultural significance of traditional motifs. In order to further their understanding of the practice's sustainability and tactile storytelling, students were also given the chance to work with natural colours and equipment.
Gallery Sumukha – No Longer a Memory
The group spent the second half of the day at Gallery Sumukha, where they looked at the photo-performance series No Longer a Memory, which was curated by Joshua Muyiwa and developed by artist Cop Shiva in collaboration with his mother Gowramma. The collection, which combines lighthearted reenactment with emotional depth, reimagines personal and collective memories through staged photos, inspired by the realisation that they had never been photographed together. The arrangement, which the curator referred to as a "memory wall," allowed visitors to experience recall in bits and pieces rather than chronological order, reflecting the way memory works in reality.
Storytelling That Resonates: From Page to Screen
July 4th & 5th, 2025
The film club of the Department of Media Studies at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore Yeshwanthpur Campus, Kino Society, arranged an engaging two-day event with renowned screenwriter Sharis Mohammed, who is known for his work on Jana Gana Mana, Malayankunju, and Porinju Mariam Jose, as part of the Pre–Media Meet 2025 programming.
Students had the opportunity to investigate storytelling as a means of critical engagement and social reflection, in addition to its potential as entertainment.
About the Workshop
Film Screening & Discussion
More than 160 students and staff members attended the special screening of Jana Gana Mana on the first day. The film, which was written by Sharis Mohammed and directed by Dijo Jose Antony, examines issues of justice, protest, and media perception while fusing courtroom drama with political satire. After the screening, Sharis Mohammed engaged the audience in a lively discussion during which he discussed the film's influences, his approach to crafting politically charged stories, and the need for empathy in creating nuanced characters.
ScreenWriting Workshop
Sharis Mohammed led an intensive workshop on scene building and emotional layering in filmmaking on day two. Students experimented with writing scenes from multiple points of view, adding symbolic details to visual storytelling, and using sound and silence to convey emotion. The session focused on how writers may use structure, tone, and character intent to create cinematic empathy and social meaning, using examples from Rang De Basanti, Munna Bhai MBBS, and his films.
Pre-Media Meet Screening: Echoes of the Invisible
July 8-10th, 2025
As part of the Pre–Media Meet 2025 activities, the Department of Media Studies at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Yeshwanthpur Campus, continues to explore the intersections of media, meaning, and mindfulness through curated screenings and engagements.
On 8 July 2025, we hosted a special screening of Echoes of the Invisible (2020), an award-winning documentary by filmmaker Steve Elkins. The film brings together stories of individuals, from monks to scientists, ultramarathon runners to spiritual seekers, each navigating silence, time, and endurance in their search for a deeper understanding.
About the Screening
Students were prompted by the screening to consider the importance of stillness, focus, and the invisible in a world that is becoming more and more data-driven. With topics spanning from ancient pilgrimages to astrophysics, the movie provided a unique cinematic stop that is perfectly in line with the spirit of Media Meet 2025: Data and Society.
At the end of the session, students were invited to submit questions for the filmmaker, which will be addressed in an upcoming webinar with Steve Elkins.
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