Learn that healing touch

Q: My daughter is studying bachelor of occupational therapy (BOT) in Sunirtar, Cuttack. What are the job prospects in this field in India and abroad?

A. Panja

A: As compared to other paramedical professions, employment opportunities for Occupational Therapists are excellent, as this is a career where the demand exceeds supply.

The requirement for occupational therapists is quite high in India and abroad, especially in countries like the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. The sports culture in these countries is very different from that in India. Even a small sports club in any of these countries can hire an occupational therapist to ensure its players’ safety.

However, they usually ask for at least two years of post-registration experience. The college where you have studied should be recognised by the World Federation of OTs. TOEFL/IELTS scores may also be required. In return, they offer paid flights, excellent salaries, pensions and opportunities for career development. Of late, I have been noticing a number of recruitment ads in leading dailies.

Like all other medical and paramedical professionals, you will work in hospitals, orthopaedic departments, rehab centres for the handicapped, schools for the mentally retarded and physically disabled children, healthcare centres and defence medical establishments. Teaching certainly remains a good option, while those with adequate capital can establish private clinics of their own.

After gaining four to five years of hands-on experience, you could start your own practice, in which case, you will charge according to the time given to a patient per sitting. If you are adventurous, you can even incorporate acupressure, reflexology or some ayurvedic massage techniques into your treatment to make it more holistic

For a sound performance

Q: I am a student of Class XII. I want to make sound engineering my career. Which are the institutes I can apply to?

Sambit

A: Here are some institutes that you could look at:

Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, EM By-Pass, Calcutta 700094.

• Bombay University, M.G. Road, Fort, Mumbai 400032.

• Film & Television Institute of India, Law College Road , Pune (www.ftiindia.org/ftiindia.com )

• Film & Television Institute of Tamil Nadu, Chennai (www.tn.gov.in/misc/film/filmtv-announcement.htm)

• Xavier Institute of Communication, St Xavier’s College, Mumbai 400001

• SAE School of Audio Engineering , New Delhi , Chennai, Bangalore , Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore (www.saeindia.net)

Set-designing with a degree in architecture

Q: I will be completing BArch this year. Could you please tell me something about designing television studio sets?

Dependu Mitra

A: Television studio sets reflect a channel’s production values. The set should be designed keeping in view the content of a programme. For a talk show, the setting should be cosy yet dignified, while bright colours and a funky d?cor would go well with a pop show. The seating arrangement must leave ample space for the anchor and guests to move around.

Being a TV set designer means not just decorating the set, but dealing with each and every frame of the programme concerned. This includes deciding on the overall colour palette, design and construction of the set, props, pictures, and even wardrobe, make-up and hairstyling.

The design must be both aesthetic and functional to meet the specific requirements of the script. The job profile is an exhaustive list of selecting the right location, conceiving visuals, working in close co-ordination with the cameraperson and costume designer to develop the feel and look of each frame and sticking to the budget allocation. You must be able to think on your feet and come up with creative solutions if there is a sudden change in shooting schedule. As I notice in some of the weekly programmes I do on TV, the introduction of virtual sets (conceived, designed and projected via the computer, without using any physical props) offers some amazingly exciting possibilities.

The proliferation of TV channels necessitates ‘guerrilla serial making’ which follows breakneck shooting schedules. The new breed of young and energetic set designers bubbling over with artistic ideas have to work for 10-12 hours per day.

The set designer needs to invest a lot of time in pre-production planning. Then there are technical aspects like leaving navigation space for the camera and crew, headroom for lights and mikes, which need to be factored in.

For a fresh graduate, it is best to start work under an established set designer and pick up the tricks of the trade while you are on the job. Any good course in interior design offers a good launch pad for starting a career in TV set design.

The FTII, Pune, has introduced a two-year PG diploma in art direction for those who have a bachelors degree or a diploma in architecture/applied art/sculpture/interior design.