Weekend and online “Basic Course in Creating Characters for Films and OTT Series” from 27 June – 05 July 2026
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune under ‘Centre for Open Learning’ (CFOL) program, announces “Basic Course in creating characters for Films and OTT Series” (Weekend and Online).
Following are the details in this regard;
(1) Name
of the Online Weekend Course:
Basic Course in creating characters for Films and OTT Series (Weekend and
Online)
(2) Dates:
27 June – 05 July 2026 (Only on Saturdays
& Sundays, 27-28 June and 05-06
July 2026)
(3) Timings:
10
am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 3 pm (Indian Standard Time – IST) – 04 hrs per day
(4)
Max.
no. of participants: 24
(Course will be conducted only if min. strength of 20 participants is reached)
(5) Age:18 years & above as on
01st June 2026 (participants born on or before 31st May
2008)
(6) Educational Qualification: HSC
(12th pass). In exceptional cases, 10th pass may be
considered
(7) Nationality:
Indian
(8) Online Platform: Google
Classroom & Google Meet platform
(9) Medium
of Instructions:
English& Hindi
(10)
Per
Participant Course fee:
Rs 7,200/- per participant for participants from India.
Rs.21,600/- per participant for participants from foreign countries, OCI, PIO, Indians presently not staying in India
Course fee of selected participants will be non-refundable, non-transferrable, non-adjustable, etc. under any circumstances. Course fee of all the non – selected participants will be returned within 21 working days of the course commencement.
(11) Mode of payment: Online
through SBI Collect (along with application form).
(12) Due date & time to submit application: 11 June 2026, 6 pm IST. Application submitted after due date & time will not be
considered.
(13) Selection Criteria: On First – Come – First – Served Basis. List of selected participants will be
published on our website and selection emails will also be sent to all the
selected participants.
(14) Online
platform:
FTII will be using “Google Classroom” and participants are requested to get
familiarized with the
same. Steps to join online class including login id & password will be
shared with each selected participant
in the selection email.
(15)
Computer
literacy: It is the participant’s responsibility to be
technologically capable to take an online course. Participants must be computer
literate.
(16) MANDATORY REQUIREMENT:
Since the course is online, participants must have following facilities;
(i) A Desktop / Laptop having minimum 4
GB RAM, 1.6 GHz or better processor (Intel i3 or i5 or better). (Windows / MAC)
(ii) Operating system: a) Windows 7 or 8
or 10. b) MAC OS Sierra or later
(iii) Audio – Video software: Latest
versions of VLC player, Windows Media Player or Quick Time Player.
(iv) Compatible good quality headphones/
earphones with mic
(v) Compatible HD webcam
(vi) Internet pack of minimum 5 GB per
day exclusively for this course. It is recommended to have fixed wired Internet
connection with minimum speed of 10 Mbps or more.
(vii) Web browser: Latest version of
Google Chrome (Preferred), Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari.
Use
of Mobile Phone (in place of Laptop or Desktop Computer) to attend the classes
is strictly prohibited. Such participants will not be allowed to join the
classes.
(17)
Course Director: Vikas
Sharma
Vikas Sharma is a professional screenwriter, a freelance script consultant, and a full-time senior faculty member of Screenwriting at Whistling Woods International for the last six years. Prior to Whistling Woods, he spent five years teaching scriptwriting at the Film and TV Institute of India in Pune. He teaches screenwriting workshops in India and abroad for Film Schools, Media Colleges, Universities, Film Festivals, Skill India, and other organizations.
Vikas has also served as a mentor and chief advisor for several script labs and fellowships, including the Asia Society's New Voices Fellowship for Screenwriters, the 100 Storyteller Program, the Cinerise Screenwriting Program, and the Cinestaan India Script Contest, to name a few.
(18) How to apply:
1.
Click open the link -
2.
Make necessary payment of Rs
7,200/- or Rs. 21,600/- either case may be.
3.
Once payment is done, please
note "SBI collect Reference Number" (mentioned in payment
confirmation receipt). This may be required for future reference.
4.
If possible, digitally store
the receipt of payment. This can be carried out in one of the following ways;
(i)
by taking printout of receipt
of payment, scan & save it
(ii)
by taking screenshot of
payment (if using mobile) or print screen (if using computer)
(iii)
by simply taking a
photograph from mobile
(iv)
check your bank account to
confirm whether money (course fee) has been deducted or not
(v)
After a day or two, once
again check to see whether money (course fee) has been refunded.
(vi)
In case of refund, it is a
transaction failure and if so, once again apply for the course afresh.
5.
No document/ certificate
related to educational qualification, age etc. is to be attached.Participants’
self – declaration in the application form is sufficient.
6.
Terms
& conditions: By agreeing to the terms
& conditions in the application form, participants are confirming that they
have read & understood the website advt. They are eligible to apply and
fulfil all the requirements as stated in the advt. Further, participants agree
that decision of FTII Director regarding admission to the course and its
conduction will be final.
7.
Further to add in this, it is expected of the
participants that during the class they must mute their mics but keep their
cameras on unless otherwise instructed. Keeping camera off throughout the class
or not heeding to instructions to switch on the camera will be seen as an act
of indiscipline and will lead to expulsion from the Course and forfeiture of
the Course fee. Decision of FTII Director regarding conducting the course in
all respects will be final.
(19) Communication with participants: All communications with the participants will be carried out through email only. List of shortlisted participants may be published on FTII website and selection email will be sent to the selected participants on their registered email id.
(20) Certificates: All participants would be given participation e-certificates on successful completion of the course. Minimum 90% attendance is mandatory.
(21) Queries: For any queries please contact Mr. Milindkumar Joshi, Assistant Outreach Officer, FTII, on info.cfol@ftii.ac.in OR call on 020 – 2558 0085
Course Details
Crafting Memorable
Characters for Films and OTT Series
Characters are the
heartbeat of any story. You might have a brilliant concept, a solid plot
structure, or engaging dialogues, but without believable, dynamic, and
compelling characters, your script risks falling flat. On the other hand, a
well-crafted protagonist can captivate audiences so thoroughly that minor flaws
in the story are overlooked.
If there's one thing
all writers agree on, it’s that riveting characters are the cornerstone of
engaging storytelling. This workshop dives deep into the process of creating
memorable characters for films, TV shows, and OTT platforms.
Key Topics
Covered:
- Finding Inspiration for Characters:
How do we draw characters from literature, cinema, real people, or even ourselves? - Understanding the Protagonist:
Who is the protagonist? Why is defining them crucial?
How does this apply to rom-coms or stories with multiple protagonists? - Character Desires and Motivations:
What does your character desire?
Why do they crave something they might not need?
What drives their actions—even when they're pursuing the wrong goals? - Crafting Antagonists:
Do you always need a "bad guy"?
Should we empathize with villains?
Are villains born or made? - Supporting Characters:
The role of secondary characters—why are they called “supporting”? - Exploring the Inner World of Characters:
How emotions like desire, fear, love, hate, shame, and guilt shape characters.
What is the source of inner conflict? - Backstory Development:
Do you need to start from your character’s childhood?
How much backstory is too much? - Archetypes vs. Stereotypes:
How to differentiate and avoid clichés. - Core Concepts in Character Creation:
- Need vs. Want
- Character vs. Characterization
- Character Growth vs. Transformation
- Personality vs. Role in the story
- Psychology and Characters:
What can writers learn from different schools of psychology to create nuanced characters?
What You'll
Learn:
Through discussions,
practical exercises, and hands-on writing sessions, participants will learn to
craft:
- Credible, multi-dimensional characters
- Unique personalities that resonate
universally
- Rich inner worlds and complex
motivations
Join us for an
immersive journey into the art of creating characters that leap off the page
and captivate audiences.