NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY - ieconline.de · About the New York Film Academy Who Goes to the Film Academy 2 4 6 12 14 ... TV Reality show, an infomercial, ... I have written a script that

A

MASTER OF FINE ARTS PROGRAMS

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY

Contents

What makes us different

Guest Speakers

What Former Students are Saying & Doing

About the New York Film Academy

Who Goes to the Film Academy

246

1214


General Information

Frequently Asked Question

Accreditation

MFA Admission Policy

纽约电影学院简介

Dates & Tuition

Application Form

Instructors

MFA in Filmmaking

MFA in Acting for Film

MFA in Producing

MFA in Screenwriting

MFA in Cinematography

MFA in Photography

Universal Studios, Hollywood

New York City

88

90

91

92

94

96

97

104

163444

566470

7884

1

MFA DEGREE PROGRAMS

LOCATIONS

OTHER INFORMATION

2

What makes us

different?To support our philosophy and our innovative

curricula, the Academy maintains an

unparalleled faculty and one of the largest

film and production equipment inventories in

the world.

The Film Academy’s MFA programs in

Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting,

Producing, and Photography do not

require previous experience, however, they

challenge students to push their creative

abilities to the maximum.

The New York Film Academy believes that

the most effective way for our students to

master their chosen craft is to immediately

start creating their own work in a hands-on

intensive working environment. Towards this

end, all students begin practicing their craft

during the first week of all our programs.

3

Hands-on Experience From Day One

To support our philosophy and our innovative

curricula, the Academy maintains an

unparalleled faculty and one of the largest

film and production equipment inventories in

the world.

The Film Academy’s MFA programs in

Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting,

Producing, and Photography do not

require previous experience, however, they

challenge students to push their creative

abilities to the maximum.

The New York Film Academy believes that

the most effective way for our students to

master their chosen craft is to immediately

start creating their own work in a hands-on

intensive working environment. Towards this

end, all students begin practicing their craft

during the first week of all our programs.

Our Master of Fine Arts degree programs are based on the philosophy of

“learning by doing.” Every curriculum stems from that belief. We offer an

intensive, hands-on, total immersion approach to learning.

Our courses are taught through a balance of classroom instruction, hands-on workshops, and immediate experience. The approach is holistic, ensuring that students understand and have experience in all aspects of the subject they are studying. This gives them flexibility as they become professionals. The experience they gain in the many collaborative roles that are required to produce good work, will be of immeasurable value to them as professionals.

Celebrated guest speakers from the film, television, and media industries frequently visit the Academy to share their knowledge and experience with our students. Please see a partial list of recent guest lecturers on the next pages.

New York Film Academy MFA degrees are awarded solely by our academic headquarters in Los Angeles, California.

4

GUEST SPEAKERS

We have been privileged to welcome major directors, actors, producers, editors, screenwriters, and cinematographers to teach master classes and guest lectures. Here are some of the exceptional film artists with their partial credits who have shared their knowledge with our students:

The New York Film Academy is noted for its hands-on philosophy, where students learn by doing. At the same we know how inspiring it can be for our students to meet with and learn from celebrated industry professionals.

Glenn Close, Actress • Dangerous Liaisons• Fatal Attraction• Air Force One

Brett Ratner, Director• Rush Hour 1, 2 & 3• Family Man• X-men: The Last Stand

Mira Nair, Director• The Namesake• Monsoon Wedding• Salaam Bombay!

Dennis Hopper, Actor• Easy Rider• Hoosiers• Blue Velvet

Garry Marshall, Producer/ Director/ Writer/ Actor• Pretty Woman• Georgia Rule• Princess Diaries

Ted Hope, Producer• American Splendor • The Ice Storm • 21 Grams

Thelma Schoonmaker, Editor• The Departed• Goodfellas• Raging Bull

Mike Fenton, Casting Director• The Godfather Part II

• Chinatown• American Graffiti

Paul Schrader, Writer/ Director• Blue Collar • American Gigolo• Writer: Taxi Driver, Raging Bul

David Koepp,Screenwriter/Director/Producer• Angels & Demons• Jurassic Park• Indiana Jones

Kevin Kline, Actor• A Fish Called Wanda

• The Ice Storm• In & Out

Doug Liman, Director• The Bourne Identity

• Mr. & Mrs. Smith• Swingers

Matthew Modine, Actor• Full Metal Jacket

• Married to the Mob• Birdy

Jon Voight, Actor• Midnight Cowboy

• Runaway Train• The Rainmaker

Gabriel Byrne, Actor• Usual Suspects

• Miller’s Crossing• Enemy of the State

Joel Schumacher, Director• Flatliners• Batman Forever• Phone Booth

Lou Diamond Phillips, Director/Actor

• La Bamba• Young Guns

• Courage Under Fire

Meg Liberman, Casting Director• Band of Brothers

• From the Earth to the Moon• The King of Queens

James Signorelli, Director• Saturday Night Live

• Easy Money

Kenneth Lonergan,Director/Screenwriter

• You Can Count On Me• Gangs of New York

• Analyze this

5

GUEST SPEAKERS

Barbara De Fina, Producer• The Age of Innocence• Goodfellas • The Last Temptation of Christ

Paul Haggis, Writer/Director• Crash• Million Dollar Baby• Flags of Our Fathers

Ben Stiller, Actor• Meet the Parents• Zoolander• Night at the Museum

Tom DiCillo, Director• Living In Oblivion

• Johnny Suede• Box of Moon Light

Paul Zaentz, Producer• The English Patient• The Talented Mr. Ripley• Goya’s Ghost

Bob Fisher, Screenwriter• Wedding Crashers • Married with Children

Bill Fraker, Cinematographer• Tombstone• War Games

• Rosemary’s Baby

Dylan Baker, Actor• Spiderman 2, 3 & 4• Happiness

Laszlo Kovaks, Cinematographer• Easy Rider• Ghostbusters• Five Easy Pieces

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Actor• 500 Days of Summer

• Mysterious Skin• Brick

Mary Kay Place, Actress• The Big Chill• Being John Malkovich• Big Love

Michael Besman, Producer• About Schmidt

• Bounce• Seven Years in Tibet

Janeane Garofalo, Actress• Reality Bites• Truth About Cats & Dogs• Ratatouille

Diane Neal, Actress• Law & Order

Mark Harris, Producer• Crash

• Gods and Monsters

Anthony Quinn (1915-2001)• Lawrence of Arabia

• Lust for Life• La Strada

James Avery, Actor• Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

• The Closer• Dr. Dolittle 2

Nanette Burstein,Director/Producer

• American Teen

George Gallo, Writer/Director• Local Color

• Midnight Run • Bad Boys

Roger Guenveur Smith, Writer/ Actor

• Do The Right Thing • Malcolm X

• School Daze

A.C. Lyles, Producer ofParamount Pictures• Deadwood • Rawhide And 66 other film & TV shows

John Favreau, Actor• Swingers• The Replacements• Iron Man

6


Before I came to the New York Film Academy I knew absolutely nothing about producing or filmmaking. During my first year

as an MFA producing student, I not only learned everything there is to producing and filmmaking, but I produced, wrote, directed, casted, and edited four commercials, a TV Reality show, an infomercial, and a TV pilot. My first year alone taught me how to do all those things as well as create and manage a budget for each project. It is my education at NYFA that has caused me to be in high demand even as an upcoming producer. I produced, directed and edited two music videos during my summer vacation after the first year and as a result of the good work, I received phone calls from other artists asking me to produce their videos. It is because of the education and experience that I’ve gained as an MFA producing student at NYFA that has caused recording artists to pay for my flight to NYC just so I can produce their videos.

Cindy St. VilNew York City Arriving at NYFA I realized I was interested in more than

just producing. It was in my editing class that I realized how much I like editing and have learned to do it very well in such a short amount of time. I have not even finished the MFA program yet and people are already requesting my service full time after I graduate. During the second semester of my first year, I had the opportunity of participating in an internship program which gave me on set experience with Disney. I was not only able to meet celebrities and be on a major set, but I was able to work on the set as a production assistant on a major shoot.

Now in my second year as an MFA producer I’m in the process of developing a TV musical with both an independent budget as well as the industry standard budget. I am also learning how to pitch my projects effectively to major networks when I graduate. So far, my time at NYFA has been well spent. I can officially say that I am a real producer.

7


Dear Friends of the Academy. The workshop I did with you was an open door for a career beginning in filmmaking that couldn’t have been better. I shot a 35MM documentary on the arrival in Venezuela of two ships filled

with Jewish refugees just before WWII. The film has been broadcast on HBO for all of Latin America. It has premiered in thirteen countries. It has received the following awards:

Winner: Best Documentary, Premios a la Calidad de CENAC •(Venezuelan Oscars)

Best Direction of Photography, Documentary - San Juan Cinemafest•

Semi-Finalist, Director’s Guild of Americas, Angelus Awards - LA•

Also directed a successful feature film, SECUESTRO EXPRESS.

JonathanJakubowicz

Venezuela

New York Film Academy’s intensive Filmmaking program is like a constantly accelerating

treadmill. Once you get on, the only way is to keep pace, and I think this experience has readied me for the craziness that lies ahead in the film business. This, coupled with a great Directing faculty, availability of the latest film equipment, and working with film students from across the world makes it a great place to study film. Personally, the course has worked very well with my first job assignment in LA which came very soon after I finished the program. I have also bagged very interesting assignments in India based on the films I have made at NYFA.

Nidhi SharmaIndia

Things are going

well. I got a job

as a Director

in a production

company in Florence and Milan

(doing commercials, music videos, art

documentaries, corporate films, etc.) and

I do some Assistant Directing for features.

Right now, I am doing a comedy by an

Italian director. I worked a lot and am still

working to make a future out of what I

learned in NY.

TommasoBernabel

Italy

I just wanted to keep you informed

as to what I did after leaving NYFA.

When I came home with my ten

minute 16mm film in my hands, and

I sent it directly to the Venice Film Festival where it was

accepted. People are still very surprised that I edited the

short film myself, just with what I learned at NYFA. In fact,

what was aggressively taught at NYFA helped me to be an

editor for a documentary shot in Italy for the French-German

TV channel Arte. Subsequently, I have written a script that

received funding from the Italian government. I can say that I

still have clearly in mind the basics that I learned at NYFA to

write, produce, direct, and edit. There is no way could I have

learned this in Italy so well in so little time. The film received

one Jury Prize and one Audience Choice Award at the

Capalbio Film Festival in Tuscany, after which it was invited

to several festivals in Canada, Turkey, France, Germany, and

Switzerland. It was then bought by television stations in Italy

and in Switzerland.

AdrianoWajskol

Italy

“I had a fantastic experience and I

would do it all again. This school has

made my dream possible in a way

that most schools probably could not.”

Leonard Peters

New York City

8

I feel very

confident to begin my journey in the

industry due to all the preparation

and inspiration my peers have given

me. It’s been great!”

ErnieHiyane

New Jersey


“My expectations

were exceeded

during my

Screenwriting

program at NYFA. Having both theory

and workshop classes with amazing,

highly qualified teachers in a pleasant

environment helped and stimulated

my writing. I wish the course hadn’t

finished; I learned and evolved more

than I ever thought I would. And all that

positive result surprised and impressed

me in the best possible way.”

Judith BelferSan Paolo, Brazil

I am working in

Mexico City. I

have directed two

music videos,

and in the next

coming months, I will be promoted in

the company that I currently work for as

Production & Post-Production Manager.

I will always thank all the good things I

learned that year with you guys.

You rock!!!

“I’m really thrilled to keep

in touch with all of you who

inspired me to make my first

feature film. I am happy to

say “The Outhouse” was the

official Indian entry to Cannes... I am also the recipient

of two Best New Director Awards at the national

and international levels. All this happened due to my

education at the New York Film Academy.”

LeslieCarvalho

India

Leslie CasillasMexico

“I had a fantastic experience

and I would do it all again.

This school has made my

dream possible in a way that most schools probably

could not.”

ChristineAjisafe

London, England

“…with regards to my screenplay, I owe

an awful lot to you. After two more re-

writes and some lengthy editing, it all

fell into place. I have three agents in

London interested in representing me and am still waiting

to hear from a few others, so that is brilliant!”

Russell InceNevada

9


Ruben BaetenNetherlands

When I came back to

Holland a bunch of

friends that I used to

make short films with

before had started pre-production on a 100-min.

feature, and I was allowed to just drop right in.

We shot this film over 3 months. I worked as assistant

director, among a million other things because

our crew varied from 4-10 people. We had a small

budget of about 8000 euros but we managed to

churn out a more expensive-looking feature with

nearly 30 speaking parts and over 40 locations. I’ve

recommended NYFA to a bunch of people over here

- I had a wonderful time and learned a great deal. I

also fell in love with NYC - I plan to come back to live

there as soon as I can.

“Personally, I have learned so much

and my teachers were amazing to

work with. Every class was very

significant. This was a huge learning

experience for me. I feel extremely privileged to have

learned from so many talented actors, directors, and

instructors. I wouldn’t take it back for the world.”

Ali MoonNew Jersey

“Since attending NYFA,

I have worked on 12

films!! Two of these

being my own. One is a short film and

the other is in progress right now!

It’s a feature film titled “Next Victim.”

There are four of us in total who are

making this movie happen. It’s a

collaboration of four short films and

they are tied together with a theme

and marketed as a feature... We have

recently signed Gunnar Hansen. That’s

right, Mr. Leatherface/Texas Chainsaw

Massacre himself. He loved the script...

We’re thrilled to have a name such

as his aboard. I’ve also been writing

several different scripts. I will soon be

venturing into raising a little bit of cash

for a script that I’m nearly finished

with... I absolutely recommend any

course at NYFA. It’s a great opportunity

to see the Big Apple and meet people

from all over the world who all have

the same goal: make films and

entertain people with them. I’m always

recommending your establishment.

Thank you for everything you’ve done.

It’s been great!”

Jeff SolanoMichigan

“Overall I had a wonderful experience at the Academy. Every teacher inspired me in a different way and made me have much more respect and a great appreciation for the art and the craft.

“I learned an astonishing amount and I am so glad I came to the New York Film Academy. The teachers are amazing.”

Melissa ConnorsMassachusetts

10

“The course at the NYFA kick-started me into

understanding some of the vernacular necessary to

embark on a journey as a filmmaker. Filmmaking is

the most humbling feeling anyone could experience.

Partly because one quickly discovers one’s fallibility, but more importantly

because making a film is a group activity that benefits from input from all

members of the group. When I returned to the U.K., I wrote a short based

on my film at the Academy and won a competition at the BBC. I’ve now

been commissioned to write and direct a feature film. “

WyndhamPrice

London, England

Now I’m editing my latest short film, “El Hambre.” I’m

so happy because I had the opportunity to work with

one of the most popular actresses of Spain right now,

Antonio San Juan. She was in the Almodovar film, “All

About My Mother (the Agrado character).” She’s an incredible actress. I sent her

the script and her manager called me and said that Antonio was really interested

in my film. Now I am doing the editing, and at the same time, I’m writing my first

feature film script, “Celeste.”

“My dream was to discover what acting

was. Now, it is my love. I absolutely love

it. It is thanks to the amazing teachers and

the environment created by the staff and my peers that have made this

experience an unforgettable one. This past year has been the best year of

my life. I will remember it as a great moment of my youth and maybe the

beginning of a profession I would love to practice.”

Max Van BelNew York

“Best Year of My Life! From August to our first semester

presentation to now, I have come so far and have

grown so much. Not only in acting but in discipline and

character. I just want to thank every one of my teachers

for everything they have done for me. Thank you.”

Britt GenelinAlabama

Pedro RiutortBaleares, Spain

HelenaSmith

Stockholm, SwedenAfter completing my final film “Say My Name” at the New York Film Academy,

I took it to the Ondense Film Festival in Denmark where it won the award for

“Most Original Film.” It was then bought by Channel 1 television in Stockholm and Channel 2 in Denmark,

and was invited to the Cork International Film Festival in Ireland. Due to the film’s success, I was asked to

write and direct a half hour documentary for Swedish television. With the knowledge gained at the New York

Film Academy, I was able to make a film that has been catalyst for future projects. I put in the effort, but the

school gave me the creative and technical support necessary to make my film, and start my film career.”


11

“As a recent graduate of the New

York Film Academy, I am one of the

biggest advocates of the school.

The Academy provided me with the basic tools and resources

to make low-budget films on a shoe-string budget and

enhanced my skills as a filmmaker. On the first day of class, I

handled a 16mm camera for the first time in my life. In regular

graduate programs, that usually doesn’t happen until the

second semester or sometimes the second year. Last month,

I finished directing and producing my first feature, a 35mm

independent comedy called Niche.

DavidHorowitzEl Paso, Texas

“The teaching staff was excellent

and really cared about our

progress as actors. This has been

an invaluable experience because

of my fantastic class and all of the new

friends I have made.”

Kelly SharpNew York

“I never imagined that

my NYFA experience

would be so enriching.

First, as an acting

program, I was really satisfied. It is a fully

condensed program. Second, with its family–

like atmosphere, it was so easy for me, a

foreign student, to feel at home. The teachers

were understanding and inspirational and the

students were like sisters and brothers. My

only regret is that the time passed so quickly,

and this unforgettable experience is over. I met

some amazing people in the acting program

and the teachers are great. I have learned a lot

and continue to have support and assistance

from the instructors.”

Sarah HaafIowa

“I have really

enjoyed my

studies at

NYFA. It has

been one of the best times of

my life! I have met so many

friends and learned so much.

Thank You.”

DarrenKnight

Dunbar, Scotland

“Nowhere else will you find the level of

professionalism and expertise in a film school’s

faculty. Each member of the staff is highly qualified

and many of them are working actors. The lessons they teach prepare students for

the rigorous lifestyle and discipline required to be in this profession, from script and

character breakdown, to audition technique. Located in the capital of the world,

you will be exposed to many wonderful people from all over the world. Brazil,

Alaska, and Belgium are among the places people have come from to learn what

acting is all about. I promise you, if this is the life you want to pursue, this is where

you take your first step.”

Patrick LongNew Jersey


12

About the NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY

Our courses balance the study of the craft with

practical experience to train students to be the

best creative artists they can be. This is achieved by a

rigorous schedule of classroom instruction, hands-on

workshops, and immediate experience.

New York Film Academy students are not lost in

large classes. As an explicit policy, we limit class

size, to make individual attention and interaction

among students and instructors possible. All students

are encouraged to meet faculty one-on-one for

consultation throughout the workshop.

The Academy strives to create an environment that

promotes personal development and learning. In

keeping with this philosophy, the New York Film

Academy takes pride in its open door policy of

admission. Students from diverse backgrounds, from

all countries and from all walks of life are welcome. This

nurtures a supportive, positive atmosphere conducive to

the level of collaboration required to do great work.

13

The New York Film Academy is designed for a new generation of

storytellers: visual and performing artists who share a passion for

motion pictures and want to learn by making their own projects in a

hands-on, intensive program.

“Anyone who can make a film I already love.”

— John Cassavetes

Learning to be a creative professional is not done

“by the numbers.” It is done by immersion in the

process and by knowing the “whys” that teach the

“hows.” It is done by hands-on experience, trial and

error, feedback and correction, and questions and

answers. Visual and performing arts demand the

integration of many kinds of knowledge. It is the

integration of knowledge that distinguishes the New

York Film Academy from many other schools. For

example, in our filmmaking programs, students learn

not only how to operate a camera, light a scene, or

edit film, but they also learn how all the aspects of

filmmaking relate to, interact with, and depend upon

each other.

14

WHO GOES TO THE FILM ACADEMY

FILM DIRECTORSSteven Spielberg, Terry Gilliam, Stephen Frears (The Queen), Peter Bogdanovich (Last Picture Show), Jim Sheridan (In The Name of the Father),Roger Donaldson (Bank Job), George Romero (Night of the Living Dead),James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment).

Our students come from all over the United States and all over the world to learn

and work together. This creates a rich exchange of culture and ideas, and builds

an international network for our graduates. While students often arrive a the

Academy with little or no experience in the field, they share a passion for film and are ready

to commit themselves to an intensive hands-on education.

The Film Academy is also honored to be the film school of choice of many Hollywood

filmmakers, actors, and figures from the entertainment and media world who have sent a

son, daughter or family member to study with us. Here is a partial list:

15

ACTORSAl Pacino, Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, F. Murray Abraham, Melanie Griffith, Val Kilmer, Jodi Foster, Sharon Stone, Amy Irving, Pierce Brosnan, Drew Carey, Jean Claude Van Damme.

PRODUCERSThree time Oscar Winner Arthur Cohn (One Day in September),

Charles Gassot (The Taste of Others), Sheila Nevins (HBO President, Documentary & Family).

MUSICIANSBono (U2), Diana Ross (The Supremes), Ric Ocasek (The Cars), Andy Summers (The Police).

ICONIC LEADERS IN THEIR FIELDEd Catmull (Walt Disney & Pixar President),

Doug Herzog (President MTV), Howard Schultz (Starbucks CEO),

Donatella Versace (famed fashion designer), Ben Bradlee (VP of The Washington Post & Legion of Honor winner),

Dan Marino (Hall of Fame Quarterback).

AND ALL WHO HAVE A PASSION FOR FILMYet, some of the best films to come out of the New York Film Academy have been made by

students who have no connections to the film industry. They have included sons and daughters of farmers, teachers, merchants, civil servants, doctors, lawyers, clergy, and people from all

occupations reflecting the breadth and scope of diversity that make up the world. Our graduates are working at all levels in the film industry and their films have been screened at all the major film

festivals in the world and have won many awards.

16

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN FILMMAKING

16mm • 35mm • Hi-Def • Super 16 • RED ONE™

“The end of a picture is always an end of a life.”- Sam Peckinpah

The Academy’s Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking Program is a two year accelerated course of study that gives students the all-around filmmaking experience necessary to make their own films.

In the 80 credit program, students receive over 2,000 hours of hands-on instruction and actual production experience.

New York Film Academy degree programs are offered at our Los Angeles Campus at Universal Studios. Qualified students have the option of completing course work at the New York Film Academy in New York City in a one-year non-degree program and requesting that their course work be accepted for advanced standing and start in the second year of the degree program at the Los Angeles campus. In order to do so, students must apply and be accepted to the degree program in Los Angeles.

Students shoot projects on 16mm film, 35mm film, and High-Def, Super 16mm, RED ONE and 24p digital video. All projects are edited digitally.

The curriculum integrates intensive study in all the major filmmaking disciplines including directing, screenwriting, producing, and editing. Our program is for people who have the passion to plunge into full-time filmmaking, and to commit themselves to a focused and demanding curriculum.

LOCATIONS

TUITION

uNiversAl sTudios, hollYwood

$15,000 Per seMesTer**

AVAILABLE IN

**Additional Equipment Fee: $2,000 per semester. Students will also incur additional expenses on their own productions. This varies depending on how much film they shoot and scale of the projects.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN FILMMAKING

No previous filmmaking experience is required, however, participants must work with self-discipline, energy and mutual respect.

As in all New York Film Academy programs, hands-on learning is emphasized.

Film directing classes are not theoretical explorations; they are practical workshops designed to put students in the director’s chair as quickly as possible. The New York Film Academy encourages students to take creative risks and find their own voices as visual artists.

Students complete two years with skills in all the filmmaking crafts, an enormous amount of production experience, eleven films of their own and an expanded awareness of themselves and others.

Students’ films are celebrated in school screenings open to cast, crew, friends, family, and invited guests.

Students shooting a dolly shot on 35mm film on the backlot of Universal Studios.

17

SEMESTER ONE OVERVIEW

Beginning on day one, students participate in an intensive sequence of classes in Film Directing, Screenwriting, 16mm Camera Technique, Lighting, Digital Editing, Directing Actors and Production Workshop. They extend and deepen their in-class learning by producing their own short 16mm films. Working in crews of three or four, each student writes, produces, directs and edits four films of increasing complexity. In addition, each student fulfills the essential roles of Director of Photography, Assistant Camera Operator, and Gaffer (Lighting Technician) on the films of her/his

18

MFA in Filmmaking

Students working with a 35mm ARRIFLEX camera.

19

crew members. Thus, everyone has the extensive hands-on experience of working on sixteen short films in the first two months. During the third month, students are introduced to new digital video technology. With its ease of use, the digital video cameras allow the students to delve deeper into the director’s craft. Each individual directs three digital projects. These projects and in-class production workshops challenge students to explore the dramatic mechanics of motion picture story-telling and the critical collaboration between actors and directors. The supporting classes include Screenwriting, Directing Actors, Directing, and Production Workshop. The combination of these classes and the digital productions prepare students for the second semester and production of their thesis films.

PRODUCTION GOALS

Write, direct, digitally edit four short non-•

synchronous 16mm films. The fourth film can be up to

10 minutes in length with multiple tracks of sound.

Be a cinematographer, gaffer, and assistant camera on •

your crew’s films.

Write a short film script with dialogue (for 2nd •

semester production).

Write, direct, and edit three digital films.• The third

film may be up to ten minutes with multiple tracks of

sound including dialogue.

LEARNING GOALS

Learn the art and technique of visual storytelling •

including directing, cinematography, editing, and

post-production sound design.

Learn the fundamentals of digital video production •

and digital editing.

Fundamental training in acting craft and •

directing actors.

Immersion in screenwriting craft.•

20

FILM AESTHETICS 1: THE DIRECTOR’S CRAFTThis is the first part of an in depth study of the methodologies

used by the great directors to affect their audiences and to

trigger emotional responses. In this course, students learn

the language and craft of film aesthetics from a director’s

perspective. They learn to integrate several concepts from the

arts, the behavioral sciences, and the humanities to achieve

maximum psychological impact by studying the director’s

decisions in camera placement, blocking, staging, and visual

image design. This course requires that students challenge

themselves not only to become competent directors but also

compelling storytellers by utilizing the most effective and

expressive visual means to tell their stories. Film Aesthetics

1: Director’s Craft exposes students to the unique ways great

directors have approached visual storytelling and how they

have used the task of staging scenes and moving actors within

the frame or mise-en-scène.

SCREENWRITING FOR SILENT FILMThis course introduces the established tools and language used

to write a film project. Students take a story from initial idea,

treatment and outline to a rough draft, and finally, a shooting

script. Instruction focuses on the fundamentals of visual

storytelling. The intersection of story structure, theme, character,

tension, and conflict is examined through detailed scene analysis.

In-class discussion provides students with constructive analysis

and support. Students are encouraged to tell their stories visually,

rather than rely on dialogue to tell the story. The scripts they write

become the basis of all class work in the first semester.

16MM CAMERA & LIGHTINGIn the first week of the course, students are trained to use the

16mm Arriflex-S motion picture camera and its accessories. Our

students learn to load the cameras and take light readings on

the very first day. On the second day, they perform test shoots

to learn about the latitude of the film stock, how to get a correct

exposure, the effect of different lenses, focus pulling, and in-

camera effects. In lighting class, they learn fundamental lighting

techniques through shooting tests on film. As they progress

through the workshop, students learn how to support the mood

of the story with lighting choices and they experiment with

expressive lighting styles.

SEMESTER ONE COURSES

PRODUCTION WORKSHOPProduction workshop is designed to demystify the

craft of filmmaking. It is a hands-on class in which

students stage and shoot exercises under the

supervision of the instructor. The technical aspects

of filmmaking are seen as tools to realize the story.

Through this in-class practice, students learn to

articulate the objective of a given scene, which

allows the necessary craft and techniques to follow.

The rules and tools of mise-en-scene and continuity

are defined and practiced. This applies to the use of

lenses, lighting, performance, and editing.

PRINCIPALS OF DIGITAL EDITING Students are taught multiple aesthetic approaches to editing film and video. They learn how to apply concepts such as temporal continuity and spatial continuity, as well as less traditional discontinuous editing techniques to their work. Students also discuss the psychological and emotional effects of editing on the overall story. Additionally, students learn to operate the Final Cut Pro digital editing system. Each student edits his or her own films. Classes are supplemented with individual consultations at the computer.

BUDGETING AND SCHEDULINGThis course teaches students how to break down a film script for budgeting and scheduling purposes. Students learn how to use all the necessary forms in their own short films. The importance of having a finished script before going into a shoot is stressed as it applies to creating realistic budgets and schedules.

INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL FILM STUDIESThrough screening and discussion, this class

investigates techniques used by cinematic innovators.

It is the beginning of a course of study that intensifies

during the second year of the MFA.

MFA in Filmmaking

HANDS ON CAMERA AND LIGHTING - DIGITAL VIDEOThis course is designed to help students master digital video

photography, including white balance, shutter speed, focus, video

latitude, gels, and filters. Through hands-on exercises, students

explore digital video and learn how it differs from film. Working

with boom poles and external shotgun microphones, students

learn how to get the best quality sound recording.

ACTING FOR DIRECTORS This course adheres to the philosophy that to direct actors one

must understand and experience acting as art and methodology.

In these classes, directing students become actors. Students learn

how to identify a screenplay’s emotional “beats” and “character

objectives” to help them understand and improve their actors’

performances. Students are prepared not only to communicate

and collaborate with their actors, but how to actualize the best

emotional outcome of a scene. Through exercises, students

learn how an actor trains him/herself physically and emotionally.

Sensory work, emotional recall, and improvisations are the tools

to which students are exposed to teach them how an actor is

able to live out a character’s reality.

SCREENWRITING IIAs students take part in the Digital Camera classes and Directing

Actors classes, they also begin an intensive writing period. In

Screenwriting class, they develop a premise for their second

semester project and then take the necessary steps to complete

a final shooting script of up to fifteen pages. This is achieved

through a combination of one-on-one consultations with their

faculty mentors, in-class readings and supportive discussions.

Students shooting on location with a 35mm PANAVISION PANAFLEX camera and the RED ONE digital camera in

New York City.

21

SCRIPT SUPERVISION: EFFICIENT SHOOTINGIn this interactive course, students learn how proper script supervision can help filmmakers effectively tell their stories. Students break down their scripts and learn an advanced and efficient approach to the organization and management of the shooting day. Students are challenged to maximize the efficiency of shooting schedules and learn practical techniques for creating and preserving spatial and temporal continuity in their films.

MFA in Filmmaking

HANDS ON CAMERA AND LIGHTING - DIGITAL VIDEOThis course is designed to help students master digital video

photography, including white balance, shutter speed, focus, video

latitude, gels, and filters. Through hands-on exercises, students

explore digital video and learn how it differs from film. Working

with boom poles and external shotgun microphones, students

learn how to get the best quality sound recording.

ACTING FOR DIRECTORS This course adheres to the philosophy that to direct actors one

must understand and experience acting as art and methodology.

In these classes, directing students become actors. Students learn

how to identify a screenplay’s emotional “beats” and “character

objectives” to help them understand and improve their actors’

performances. Students are prepared not only to communicate

and collaborate with their actors, but how to actualize the best

emotional outcome of a scene. Through exercises, students

learn how an actor trains him/herself physically and emotionally.

Sensory work, emotional recall, and improvisations are the tools

to which students are exposed to teach them how an actor is

able to live out a character’s reality.

SCREENWRITING IIAs students take part in the Digital Camera classes and Directing

Actors classes, they also begin an intensive writing period. In

Screenwriting class, they develop a premise for their second

semester project and then take the necessary steps to complete

a final shooting script of up to fifteen pages. This is achieved

through a combination of one-on-one consultations with their

faculty mentors, in-class readings and supportive discussions.

Students shooting on location with a 35mm PANAVISION PANAFLEX camera and the RED ONE digital camera in

New York City.

22

SEMESTER TWO COURSESSEMESTER TWO OVERVIEW

The second semester challenges students

to develop their film craft artistically and

technically, and to progress beyond their

earlier experiments with the medium. It is

designed to enable students to create a fully

conceived and executed short film thesis, shot

in 16mm using the Arriflex SR, in 35mm using

a Panavision Panaflex, or on Hi Def, depending

on the student’s choice. Each student comes

to the second semester with a script for his/her

final project of the year. These projects are the

primary focus of the second semester. They are

used in all the classes as a basis for learning.

The semester is divided into three

distinct phases. The first is devoted

to intensive hands-on instruction,

demonstration, group sync-sound

directing exercises (using students’

scripts), individual consultations, and

pre-production (including casting,

rehearsal, and location scouting). The

second phase of the semester is the

production period during which each

student directs his/her own film, and

crews on his/her classmates’ films. The

third phase of the semester is devoted

to post-production. During this phase,

students edit digitally, receive instruction

and critique, screen rough-cuts of the

films, get feedback and then finish their

films for a final group screening.

PRODUCTION GOALSDirect and edit a sync-sound •narrative film of up to 15 minutes. (16mm, HD, or 35mm)

Participate as a crew member on •fellow students’ films and group projects

Shoot and edit scenes on 35mm film •using Panavision cameras and HD Digital Video

LEARNING GOALSAdvanced filmmaking craft •including directing, casting, producing, sync-sound production, color cinematography, editing and sound design.

Learn fundamentals of 35mm and HD•

STUDENT LINE PRODUCINGStudent Line Producing leads students through

the entire process of pre-production, including

scouting and securing of locations, permits,

and casting. The producing instructor and the

students design a production schedule for the

entire class. The instructor encourages students

to form realistic plans for successfully making

their films. Using script breakdowns, students

learn how to plan and keep to a schedule and

budget for their productions. They use their own

finished scripts in class as they learn how to take

advantage of budgeting and scheduling forms

and methods.

Students shooting on Universal Studios backlot.

23

MFA in Filmmaking

FILM AESTHETICS 2: ADVANCED COMPOSITION & PERFORMANCE DESIGN This class further explores the aesthetic elements of mise-en-

scene: shot choice, composition, setting, point-of-view, action of

the picture plane, and movement of the camera. Starting where

the first semester directing class left off, students learn how to

cover a dialogue scene with a series of shots as well as more

sophisticated approaches to coverage including the use of dollies.

Students practice different approaches to coverage by breaking

down scenes from their own scripts. They create floor plans and

shot lists, and then discuss their choices with the instructor.

CASTING ACTORSBuilding on the tools students gained in the Acting for Directors

course of the first semester, students break down their own

scripts for the purposes of casting. This course takes a

comprehensive look at casting from the actors and directors

point of view. Students are asked to identify the dramatic beats

of their scenes and translate this into effective casting choices.

Students learn to adjust character objectives through rehearsal

of their own scripts. A strong emphasis is put on establishing

believable performances. Students are expected to review

and revise scenes from their own scripts as is necessary and

appropriate during the casting process.

ADVANCED 16MM CAMERA, HD & LIGHTINGStudents are trained to operate the Arriflex 16SR camera, HD

camera, and accessories. Through hands-on practice they learn:

Loading the film magazine•

Use of battery and charger•

Use of tripod•

Testing & preventing problems•

How 16mm camera maintains sync•

Creating scene files on HD•

Shooting HD at 720 and 1080 •

HD workflow•

Slating•

Camera reports•

Functions of all moving parts•

Eye-piece and zoom lens•

Marking focus pulls and zooms•

Labeling the magazine, film can, and HD storage device•

Focal lengths, filters, and apertures•

Use of dolly and track•

SEMESTER TWO COURSESSEMESTER TWO OVERVIEW

The second semester challenges students

to develop their film craft artistically and

technically, and to progress beyond their

earlier experiments with the medium. It is

designed to enable students to create a fully

conceived and executed short film thesis, shot

in 16mm using the Arriflex SR, in 35mm using

a Panavision Panaflex, or on Hi Def, depending

on the student’s choice. Each student comes

to the second semester with a script for his/her

final project of the year. These projects are the

primary focus of the second semester. They are

used in all the classes as a basis for learning.

The semester is divided into three

distinct phases. The first is devoted

to intensive hands-on instruction,

demonstration, group sync-sound

directing exercises (using students’

scripts), individual consultations, and

pre-production (including casting,

rehearsal, and location scouting). The

second phase of the semester is the

production period during which each

student directs his/her own film, and

crews on his/her classmates’ films. The

third phase of the semester is devoted

to post-production. During this phase,

students edit digitally, receive instruction

and critique, screen rough-cuts of the

films, get feedback and then finish their

films for a final group screening.

PRODUCTION GOALSDirect and edit a sync-sound •narrative film of up to 15 minutes. (16mm, HD, or 35mm)

Participate as a crew member on •fellow students’ films and group projects

Shoot and edit scenes on 35mm film •using Panavision cameras and HD Digital Video

LEARNING GOALSAdvanced filmmaking craft •including directing, casting, producing, sync-sound production, color cinematography, editing and sound design.

Learn fundamentals of 35mm and HD•

STUDENT LINE PRODUCINGStudent Line Producing leads students through

the entire process of pre-production, including

scouting and securing of locations, permits,

and casting. The producing instructor and the

students design a production schedule for the

entire class. The instructor encourages students

to form realistic plans for successfully making

their films. Using script breakdowns, students

learn how to plan and keep to a schedule and

budget for their productions. They use their own

finished scripts in class as they learn how to take

advantage of budgeting and scheduling forms

and methods.

24

ADVANCED CINEMATOGRAPHy I: PAINTING WITH LIGHT This class immerses students in the technical and creative demands

of cinematography. Color film stocks are tested to help students make

the best choice for their films. The use of color correcting filters and

gels is practiced through shooting tests. Lighting and contrast ratios

are reviewed. In addition, students learn the most economical ways

to light a scene by shooting set-ups from their own storyboards. A

special focus on lighting for and shooting with HD teaches students

how to achieve a film look and maximize possibilities of working with

this format.

SyNCHRONOUS SOUND PRODUCTION WORKSHOPIn a series of sync-sound production exercises, students shoot scenes

on 16mm film and HD from their own scripts with the guidance and

critique of the instructor. Through these exercises, students are able

to make any necessary adjustments to their scripts and shooting

plans before their films go into production. These practice scenes are

fully pre-produced (storyboarded, cast, scouted, rehearsed and pre-

lighted) and treated as actual productions. Students gain experience

working together and fill all the key crew positions (Director, Director

of Photography, Sound Recordist, Gaffer, Grip, and Boom Operator).

They spend a full production day shooting each scene with the same

lighting, sound, and camera support they will use on their own films.

They work with a grip equipment package (flags, nets, gels, stands,

and clamps) and practice how to control light. Students come out of

a series of production workshops with practical producing, directing,

lighting, shooting, and location sound recording experience.

LOCATION SOUND RECORDINGThis hands-on class teaches students how to record sync-sound for

their projects. Location recording, sound mixing and boom operation

are practiced using scenes from the students’ scripts. Sound is

recorded using digital harddrive recorders, portable mixers, shotgun

microphones, and wireless lavalier microphones.

SyNC-SOUND EDITINGFilm dailies and HD media are imported to Final Cut Pro, where

students learn to sync and edit with dialogue. This experience

provides students with the hands-on technical training they need

to edit their projects. Students make creative discoveries as they

edit, compare, and critique different cuts of their films, all based

on the same footage. Armed with this experience, students enter

production with a full understanding of the challenges awaiting them

after they shoot.

MFA in Filmmaking

35mm filmmakiNgPanavision 35mm cameras and accessories- the gold

standard in motion picture photography-are used for

this class.

All the fundamental creative skills and concepts students

have learned working with 16mm film and digital video

apply fully to 35mm filmmaking. The 35mm class is an

opportunity for students to see how the wider frame

and higher resolution of 35mm affects their shot design,

framing, composition, staging, camera movement, lens

choice, and lighting. The class explores the process

of designing, shooting, and editing scenes on 35mm.

Students digitally edit the scenes shot in class.

The following subjects are covered in the 35mm classes:

Loading and operation of 35mm cameras•

Lighting for the 35mm frame•

35mm aspect ratios •

35mm tripod head•

Working with dolly and track•

Lenses for 35mm•

Anamorphic photography (super wide screen)•

After completing their instruction in 35mm, students may

shoot their final projects on 16mm, 35mm film, or HD.

SCREENWRITING: WRITING DIALOGUEIn addition to providing an in depth study and exploration

of dialogue in film, Screenwriting: Writing Dialogue

focuses on the writing, rewriting, and polishing of Year

One Final Film scripts. Students conduct live readings of

their screenplays and engage in instructor led, round table

discussions of the work. The goal of this seminar is to

increase the writer’s mastery of screenwriting as outlined

in Screenwriting for Silent Film. To successfully complete

this class, all students must achieve “script lock.” At the

completion of this class, each student formally enters

into Pre-Production of the Year One Final Film.

25

PRE-PRODUCTION, PRODUCTION & POST-PRODUCTIONStudents start the second semester with a finished script of up to

15 pages. They continue to improve these scripts in one-on-one

consultations with their mentors and as they work with scenes

from their scripts in their other classes. During the instruction

period they find locations, cast, and design their shoots. They

continue to meet with instructors in one-on-one advisement

sessions to get feedback on their shooting script, casting,

storyboards, floor plans, schedules and budgets.

Each student receives five shooting days, according to a

production schedule designed in class. Students work on

their classmates’ films in the principal crew roles. Schedules

are designed to allow for days off between productions

and for last-minute preparations for the subsequent shoot.

The production period is as intense and demanding as a

professional feature film shoot.

After the production period, students begin editing their films.

They screen rough-cuts of their films for the directing instructor

and their mentors and receive feedback before presenting

their finished films to an invited audience at the end of the

semester. Throughout the post-production period, the editing

instructor is available for consultation. Students may use up

to 300 hours of individual editing time. They finish their films

with a digital sound mix on the computer. Some students may

choose to do more elaborate sound work and take their films

to a professional sound mixer.

yEAR ONE FILM SCREENINGSAt the end of the year one, a screening of completed films is open

to friends, family and invited guests. Students may use their year

one films as part of their portfolio reel and they also submit their

work to the many film festivals in the U.S. and abroad.

Students shooting on location in New York City with an ARRIFLEX SR II camera.

26

27

YEAR TWO COURSES

MFA in Filmmaking

FEATURE SCREENWRITING The goal of this workshop is to fully immerse

each student in an intensive and focused

course of study, providing a solid structure

for writing and meeting deadlines. Students

learn the craft of writing by gaining an

understanding of story, structure, character,

conflict and dialogue. With strict adherence

to the rituals of writing and learning, students

complete a first draft of a feature length

screenplay of 90 to 120 pages.

This class is designed as a creative and

academic safe-haven for students to

develop, re-write, and polish their scripts.

To successfully pass this class, a student’s

project must be “script–locked” by the end of

the semester, and ready for Pre-Production

in Semester Four.

ADVANCED APPROACHES TO DIRECTING This class is an advanced exploration of

the art of directing performance. Students

hone their skills and prepare a number of

scenes for in-class presentation. Students

are provided with a selection of pre-

published texts, including plays, television

scripts, and scenes from produced feature

length screenplays. They workshop the

scenes (both inside and outside of class)

with professional actors from the local

community. Instruction and in-class

criticism focuses on the process of the

director in working with actors. Meticulous

sculpture of these scenes continues

throughout the semester.

ADVANCED LINE PRODUCING WORKSHOPIn this class, students analyze budgets and

schedules of feature films in order to gain an

understanding of these two key elements in

preparing a project for production. In later

sessions, students prepare a budget and a

schedule for their own feature projects to be

used in the production package.

SOUND STAGE SCENE WORKSHOP In this hands-on workshop, students gain

valuable experience in shooting on a sound

stage. Working with dollies, cranes, flats,

standing sets, green screens, and many other

elements inherent to filmmaking on a closed

stage, students are exposed to a professional

filming environment. Students shoot several

in-class group projects including a music

video, and are encouraged to make use of

all of the tools at their disposal.

ADVANCED POST PRODUCTIONIn a series of lectures, field trips, and hands-

on demonstrations, students study the

constantly evolving world of high end digital

Post-Production and finishing to film. Many

aspects of Post- Production will be explored,

including telecine, datacine, Efilm, negative

cutting, conforming, optical printing, color

timing, answer printing, sound editing, sound

track mastering, effects compositing, ADR,

foley, looping, and theatrical printing.

CRITICAL FILM STUDIES IIThis course is an intense film studies

seminar in which students are taught to

identify the techniques used by cinematic

innovators throughout the history of

filmmaking. Through screenings and

discussions, students grow to understand

how filmmakers have approached the great

challenge of telling stories with moving

images from silent films to the digital age.

The course explores ways that the crafts

of directing (particularly shot construction),

cinematography, acting, and editing have

developed. This course, however, does not

just take a critical look at the evolution of

filmmaking. Students are asked to place

themselves in that development with regard

to their on-going film projects.

MASTER’S SEMINAR: INDUSTRy PERSPECTIVESOn a week-to-week basis, industry

professionals address New York Film

Academy master students following a

screening of their recent work. A broad

cross-section of the film community

are represented in this lecture series,

ranging from directors, producers, and

writers to directors of photography,

editors, production designers, and casting

directors. Students are exposed to multiple

avenues for potential employment in the

film industry. All lectures are followed by

an extensive Q&A session.

28

DOCUMENTARy FILMMAKING

This course examines artistic and technical

approaches in documentary filmmaking. Documentary

styles, shooting approach, methods of interviewing,

documentary structure, theme, editing, documentary

importance of research, “truth and objectivity,” point

of view, ethical questions, and reenactment will be

discussed and critiqued.

SHORT FORM THESIS WORKSHOP: WRITING

The focus of this elective is to prepare master students for

short form thesis productions. Students develop, outline,

and write drafts of their short form thesis scripts.

HIGH DEFINITION WORKSHOP

Similar to the 35mm workshop in Year One, students

participate in a week-long workshop, camera tech,

and production period featuring the use of high

definition cameras and the in-depth study of high

definition cinematography.

NEW MEDIA

In the ever-changing world of the motion picture industry, it is

essential for a filmmaker to keep abreast of evolutions in new

media technology. New media trends are nearly impossible to

predict. Often times, revolutionary new ideas face obsolescence

within months of their inception. This class immerses students

in this maelstrom of technological developments. Each

student completes a short new media project for posting on

the internet.

THE BUSINESS OF FILMMAKING

As burgeoning film professionals, Master of Fine Arts students

learn the importance of balancing their artistic inclinations with

a thorough understanding of the business of filmmaking and the

industry as a whole. Topics such as option agreements, financing,

sound licensing, film festivals, representation, distribution and

marketing are covered.

MFA in Filmmaking

Students learning to operate a 35mm camera.

MfA fIlM pROjECTS & CREWS

Students in the MFA Program write, direct and edit their own films. Nonetheless, it is essential that filmmakers understand the importance of collaboration. Therefore, in addition to directing their own films, students are required to rotate among principal production positions.

For the first four projects these positions are:

Director•

Director of Photography•

Assistant Camera•

Gaffer/ Grip•

For projects five through seven, students also rotate in the role of the sound recordist.

During the second semester, the crews expand to six or more and may include the roles of Assistant Director, Sound Mixer, Boom Operator, Production Manager, and Key Grip. Crews are required to meet each week with the directing instructor to review scripts, shooting, and production plans.

The Film Academy designed the following film projects to build students’ technical and creative skills. They are intended to instill in each student a degree of confidence in visual and dramatic storytelling and to provide a strong foundation in film craft. Those new to filmmaking begin to understand how the disciplines of writing, cinematography, sound, and editing work together, while those with experience can practice and refine specific craft skills.

All students should seize this opportunity to experiment freely in order to develop their ability to engage and entertain an audience.

Projects one through four are filmed on 16mm black and white film stock. However, students may choose to shoot their fourth films on 24p digital video. Projects five through seven are shot on 24p digital video. Students may shoot their final film of the year on 16mm, 35mm, 24p DV, or HD.

See next page for film project descriptions.

ElECTIVES:PRODUCTION DESIGN

Production design plays an important role in

the success of any production, as it provides

the audience with the visual clues that establish

and enhance the production content. The

production designer works to create a design

style or concept that visually interprets and

communicates a story, script or environment

appropriate to the production content and

action. This workshop is intended to help

students prepare for the design requirements

of their feature film projects. Topics covered

in this hands-on workshop include set design

and construction, makeup design, costume

design, and basic aesthetics.

ADVANCED CINEMATOGRAPHy

This hands-on study of the art and craft of

motion picture photography provides the

student with multiple approaches towards

intelligent and artistic ways of shooting. It is

an in-depth analysis of painting and sculpting

with light, cinematographic control of the

aesthetic, and the emotional possibilities of

a well designed and executed photographic

image. Students who wish to crew as Director

of Photography on any Year Two thesis

films are strongly encouraged to take this

elective. Students who choose to pursue the

Cinematography thesis option are required to

take this elective.

29

30

MFA Filmmaking Projects

fIlM pROjECT - TWOCONTINUITyContinuity is one of the fundamental principles of modern

filmmaking. By making a “continuity film,” students learn how

cuts advance the story while sustaining the reality of the scene.

They learn the difference between “film time” and “real time.”

Students are challenged to make a film that maintains continuity

in story, time, and space. The action in these films unfolds

utilizing a variety of shots (10–15) in a continuous sequence (no

jumps in time or action). In the continuity films, students must

produce a clear, visual scene while maintaining the authenticity

of the moment. It is essential that the audience believes in the

reality of the scene. Students write, direct, shoot, edit, and

screen a film of up to three minutes.

Students must thoroughly pre-plan and complete the following pre-production elements:

Script • • Location Scout

Script Breakdown • • Floor Plan

Storyboard • • Schedule of shots

Students shoot two rolls of film then edit and screen their films for critique and discussion.

Allotted shooting time: 4 hours•Editing time: Two 4-hour slots•Screening time: 1–3 minutes•

fIlM pROjECT - ONEMISE-EN-SCèNEIn their first film, students are introduced to mise-en-scène,

or directing a shot to visually tell a story. Once they create a

dramatic moment, they concentrate on the dynamics of the

shot that will best express it. This project teaches students how

the relationship of the subject and the camera creates drama.

Each student designs and shoots a scene that has a beginning,

middle, and end. Students will learn to pay close attention to the

choice of lenses, distances, and angles.

Since the story will be told within one long shot, it must be

staged to express as much as possible about the characters and

their actions. Students should rehearse the shot for blocking of

actors and camera until the scene works without needing to

stop; only then should they roll film. Students each shoot one

roll of black and white reversal film, then edit and screen their

films for critique and discussion.

Allotted shooting time: 3 hours•Editing time: One 4-hour slot•Screening time: 30 seconds to 2 minutes•

31

fIlM pROjECT - ThREEMUSIC & MONTAGE FILMThe third project introduces students to the relationship

between sound and film, as well as to narrative tools like

montage and jump cuts.

In this project, students are encouraged to explore a more

personal form of visual storytelling. For this film, students

choose a piece of music. In the editing room, they cut their

images to work in concert with, or in counterpoint to, the

music. Students should experiment with rhythm and pacing.

Each student writes, directs, shoots, edits, and screens a film

of up to four minutes. In addition to storyboards, students

may use a still camera to plan their films. This assists them

in their choice of locations, angles, and lighting.

Allotted shooting time: 5 hours•

Editing time: Three 4-hour slots•

Screening time: 2–4 minutes•

fIlM pROjECT - fOURFIRST QUARTER FILMFrom the first week of the program, students begin developing their scripts in Writing class for their fourth film.

Each student must complete a production book that includes the following:

Statement of Objective: idea of the film and stylistic approach in a 1. concise statement.

Scenario, shooting script, storyboards and floor plan.2.

Analysis: Intention, realization, mistakes, crew work.3.

This fourth film is more ambitious in scope than the previous exercises.

It builds upon the foundation of skills and knowledge gained in the first

part of the semester. There is a pre-production period during which

students meet with faculty for consultation. There are two weeks of

postproduction. Students may use sound effects, music, voice-over and

ambient sound to help tell their stories. The final project may be from

3-10 minutes in length, keeping in mind, “less is more.”

Films may be of any genre, and can be narrative, documentary, or experimental.

The fourth film project may be shot on 16mm film or digital video.

Allotted shooting time: two days•

Editing time: 40-60 hours•

Screening time: 3-10 minutes•fIlM pROjECT - fIVETExT & SUBTExTThis project challenges students to explore

the relationship between dialogue and

dramatic action. It serves as the students’

first foray into directing a film with dialogue

recorded on set. Students are provided

with short dialogue-only scripts with no

description of physical detail or action.

The student director determines the “who,

what, where, when, and why” of the story.

Above all, each student director identifies

the character objectives and dramatic

beats of the scene.

Students will find that these elements

determine the meaning of the dialogue

and should deepen their understanding

of text versus subtext.

When the finished projects are screened

in class for critique, students will discover

how different directorial interpretations of

the same scene reveal the characters and

the impact and meaning of the story.

Allotted Shooting Time: Four hours•

Editing Time: Two 4-hour slots•

Screening Time: 1 to 3 minutes•

fIlM pROjECT - SIx POVEach shot in a film expresses a point of view In narrative film, the point of view

changes often, sometimes with each new shot. For the most part, point of view--

sometimes called narrative stance-- is largely invisible to the audience, though

the accumulated effect of the changes profoundly affects the way the audience

interprets any scene. Students will analyze different ways to create a point of

view through visual means: POV Shot Construction, Camera Placement and the

180 Degree Rule, Shot Size, Shot Constructions such as Over the Shoulder

Construction, In Depth and Linear Staging and Blocking, Lens choice, Sound

Design, etc..

The POV project is designed for students to explore the various techniques

directors use to create a character’s point of view in a scene. Each student

receives a scene from a feature script from their directing teacher that features

two characters. Each student will design and direct the scene from a characters’

point of view on digital video. Students must employ at least three different

techniques in the scene they direct.

Allotted Shooting Time: Five hours•

Editing Time: Three 4-hour slots•

Screening Time: 1 to 4 minutes•

32

MFA Filmmaking Projects

FILM PROJECT - NINE

NEW MEDIAEach student conceives, produces,

directs, and edits a new media project.

These short projects place an emphasis

on content and storytelling. Students

tailor their productions and shoots

specifically for the internet and streaming

video format. Although using familiar

tools, these projects challenge students

to think in a new paradigm. Often referred

to as “Pods”, the New Media Projects can

have either a non-fiction reporting aspect

or be self-contained fictional films.

FILM PROJECT - SEVEN

SEMESTER ONE fIlMThe Semester One Final Film is a narrative digital film project of up to ten minutes. This film

should build on the lessons and techniques students have learned in their Acting for Directors

classes, production workshops, and individual exercises of the second quarter. It should be

a performance driven film with no more than three characters and one or two locations. The

“story time” of the film should be limited to minutes or hours not days, weeks, years. Students

also have the option of producing a documentary film as a semester one film.

Allotted shooting time: 2 days•Editing time: 40-80 hours•Screening time: Up to 10 minutes•

FILM PROJECT - EIGHT

YEAR ONE fIlMThis project is the culmination of the year’s work. Each

student’s goal is to produce a fully realized short film

that demonstrates his or her own artistic vision and

point of view. Students work with larger crews and

with more time allotted for pre-production, production

and post-production than the previous projects.

Students prepare for this project with the assistance

of all classes in the second semester, including the

producing class, which is specifically designed to

guide students through the pre-production of this

project. Students must prepare detailed production

books and receive a “green light” from the faculty to

check our for their shoots. Each student can choose to

shoot this film in one of three formats - high definition

digtal video, 16mm film or 35mm film.

Allotted shooting time: One week•Editing time: Three to four weeks•Screening time: Up to 20 minutes•

FILM PROJECT - TEN

ADVANCED DIRECTINg pROjECTEach student writes and directs a self contained short scene from their upcoming thesis film

on digital video. Throughout the course of the semester, each student presents these scenes in

class using professional actors from the community. Advanced scene work and performance

techniques are refined in each class session with the directing instructor. This project allows the

students to refine their integration of script analysis and directing actors skills before embarking

on their more ambitious thesis projects.

33

ThESIS pROjECT:OPTION A: FEATURE FILMDirect and edit a feature length film in a paid

fifth semester of study at the end of Year

Two, and fill essential crew positions on short

form films directed by fellow students.

OPTION B: TRAILER OR SHORT FILMDirect and edit a trailer or short based on the

feature project of up to 30 minutes in length,

and fill essential crew positions on short form

films directed by fellow students.

OPTION C: CINEMATOGRAPHyCollaborate as Director of Photography on

two feature trailer films of fellow students or

one feature length film.

NAVIGATING THE INDUSTRyThere is no single path or formula for creating a career in

filmmaking. During the last weeks of the MFA Program,

students explore the many different possible roads to a life in

film. Guest filmmakers share their experiences with students;

and mentors work individually with students to discuss the

next step in their careers. Subjects may include:

Building your reel•

Film festivals and grants•

The studio system and alternatives•

Contracts, negotiations, and deals•

Networking and jobs in the industry•

The internet and new media•

Multi-camera studio shooting•

ADDITIONAl SEMESTER

Students who choose to direct and edit a feature length film do so in an additional semester held after the end of Year Two. This is reserved entirely for production and post production of the feature projects. Students who choose to direct a feature film as their thesis are required to pay for a fifth semester.

Savas Alatis, NYFA cinematography instructor, demonstrates a camera movement for students.

34

MASTER OF FINE ARTS INACTING FOR FILM

T his two year accelerated degree program runs on an eight-month calendar, divided into four 16-week semesters. Each of

the 16-week semesters requires intensive time demands and a complete commitment on the part of the student.

A standard week of study involves additional time required in the evenings and on weekends for classes, rehearsals, and shoots.

New York Film Academy degree programs are offered at our Los Angeles Campus at Universal Studios. Qualified students have the option of completing course work at the New York Film Academy in New York City in a one-year non-degree program and requesting that their course work be accepted for advanced standing and start in the second year of the degree program at the Los Angeles campus. In order to do so, students must apply and be accepted to the degree program in Los Angeles.

“People? I ain’t people. I am a - a shimmering, glowing star in the cinema

firmament. ”— Gene Kelly

35

WhAT MAkES OUR ACTINg pROgRAM UNIqUE?PRACTICAL HANDS-ON ExPERIENCEThe best way to learn how to act in films is to

actually act in films. Our students begin acting

in front of the camera from the first week of

the program. Every week, students get the

opportunity to practice the techniques and

skills they have gained in class to exercises

that are shot and reviewed.

PROFESSIONAL FACULTyOur instructors are working veterans of

Hollywood and independent film, Broadway and

Off-Broadway.

FILM PRODUCTIONSMany of our programs feature the production

of short films or scenes that are created by and

star our acting students. These are shot and

edited together and may be used for students’

own reels.

FILMMAKING RESOURCESOur Acting for Film and Filmmaking programs

work hand-in-hand, providing all of our students

with resources such as film equipment, live

film shoots, and a network of filmmakers,

screenwriters, producers, and editors that is

developed before entering the real world.

REEL MATERIALSWe provide all of our students with shot and

edited materials that are suitable to put on

an actor’s reel.

LOCATIONS

TUITION


$12,500 Per seMesTer

AVAILABLE IN

SEMESTER ONE OVERVIEW

The first semester concentrates on building a foundation

in the craft of acting, using training techniques

rooted in the theater but applicable to screen acting.

Students participate in a broad array of core classes

that introduce them to finding the actor within, while

simultaneously training their instrument to do the kind of

technical, emotional, and physical work necessary for

film acting. Since we believe that film actors also benefit

immeasurably from working in front of a live audience,

in addition to work in front of the camera, training in the

first semester builds towards a live performance.


LEARNING GOALSExplore and learn the principles of acting technique.•

Learn the vocabulary of filmmaking for actors.•

Become familiarized with the logistics of performance •on a film set.

Recognize the differences between film acting and •stage performance.

Understand how to break down a scene and analyze •a character.

PERFORMANCE GOALSRehearse and tape film scenes to be analyzed and •critiqued in class.

Break down, analyze, and rehearse a selected •monologue and perform it in front of a live audience.

ACTING TECHNIQUEThis class will be an introduction to the various well-known

acting techniques of the Master Acting Teachers.

The classes begin with basic ensemble acting games and

warm ups. Students first explore the work of Konstantin

Stanislavski, then move to the Method, briefly discussing

the role of Sanford Meisner, then continue to the work of

Lee Strasberg (sense and emotional memory), Stella Adler

(absolute belief in given circumstances), Michael Chekhov

(the psychological gesture), Jerzy Grotowski (physical

approach/“outside in”), Anne Bogart (viewpoints) and

Tadashi Suzuki.

The classes also include a brief historical background of each

of the Masters, as well as a discussion of the development

of each of his/her techniques. Students are introduced to

specific exercises attributed to each Master and asked

to work on them outside of class and to perform them in

class. Students progress to “Open Scenes” and monologue

work to begin to utilize the different concepts learned. A

final “Presentation” of monologue (or open scene work) is

performed at the end of the semester.

ACTING FOR FILM IThe basic tenets of acting translate from stage to screen, but

there are skills and knowledge that are specific to the craft of

acting for the camera. Each student is introduced to acting

for the camera in the very first week of the program. Students

learn the basics of film acting: calibrating performances

based upon shot size and angle, hitting marks, emotional

and physical continuity, and strength and imagination in

acting choices. Over the course of the year, classes devote

a majority of time applying skills taught in other classes to

acting on a film set specifically.

FILM CRAFTIn this series of classes, students learn directing, producing,

screenwriting, etc. from the actor’s perspective. Learning the

roles of all the players on a film set dramatically increases

the actor’s ability to collaborate with the filmmakers in

developing dynamic performances.

An Acting for Film student prepares for a shot on the backlot of Universal Studios.

36

37

In the first part of the semester, students begin to

build the foundation of their craft through a broad

array of classes that incorporate both traditional stage

performance, as well as film performance techniques

and concepts.

MEISNER ISanford Meisner’s teachings had a seminal impact on the acting craft. Students deeply immerse themselves in the Meisner Technique, which enables them to discover their voice of intuition and to inhabit a role spontaneously, from moment to moment as well as to build a character arc

that is both specific and inspired by the actor’s own responses.

VOICE AND MOVEMENT IIn both film and theatre, a character’s objective is often illuminated by the

playing of strong physical actions. In other words, what a character does,

more than what he or she says, is what defines his or her true desire.

Movement, in addition to strengthening body posture and contributing to an

actor’s ability to relax and prepare to play a role, also focuses on breaking

down inhibitions, building ensemble spirit, and giving the necessary tools to

bring depth to the physical dimension of assigned roles from dramatic texts.

Additionally, in this class, students are taught to nurture and control their

voices through the use of various resonators and muscles, which enables

them to tap into primal emotional impulses.

SPEECHAn extension of the Voice work, Speech focuses on the elimination of foreign

accents and regional dialects by developing Standard American Speech.

Using the International Phonetics Alphabet (IPA), the actor learns to correct

habitual speech problems and prepare for future dialect study. The results

include greater ease, clarity, and expression with text, and the ability to

undertake a wide variety of roles.

TExT ANALySISActors learn the history and development of seminal dramatic texts from the

20th Century to the present. Both stage and screenplays will be studied.

Often reading the same script in both formats: e.g. Tennessee Williams; A

Streetcar Named Desire; Eugene O’Neill’s, Long Day’s Journey into Night.

IMPROVISATIONThe ability to improvise can never be underestimated when it comes to acting,

especially on camera where there is usually very little rehearsal. Whether

in comedy or drama, actors improvise well when they are fully engaged,

listening to their partners, and releasing their inhibitions about failing.

Through games and exercises, students learn how to let their imaginations

run wild, how to play well with others, and how to live “in the moment” free

from anticipating or planning what to do next.

SHAKESPEARESome people say that if you can play Shakespeare truthfully, you can

play anything. Students learn how to speak, physicalize, and bring strong

subtextual insights to Shakespeare’s classical language, using a modern

approach that assimilates the actor’s personal experiences.

FIRST SEMESTER PERFORMANCEStudents do a live performance of monologues that are developed and

rehearsed in their Acting Technique classes of the first semester. The

performances are staged for a live audience comprised of classmates,

faculty, staff and invited guests. The live performances during the year allow

students to gain valuable experience and opportunities to compare and

contrast their stage acting work with their work in front of the camera.


ACTING TECHNIQUEThis class will be an introduction to the various well-known

acting techniques of the Master Acting Teachers.

The classes begin with basic ensemble acting games and

warm ups. Students first explore the work of Konstantin

Stanislavski, then move to the Method, briefly discussing

the role of Sanford Meisner, then continue to the work of

Lee Strasberg (sense and emotional memory), Stella Adler

(absolute belief in given circumstances), Michael Chekhov

(the psychological gesture), Jerzy Grotowski (physical

approach/“outside in”), Anne Bogart (viewpoints) and

Tadashi Suzuki.

The classes also include a brief historical background of each

of the Masters, as well as a discussion of the development

of each of his/her techniques. Students are introduced to

specific exercises attributed to each Master and asked

to work on them outside of class and to perform them in

class. Students progress to “Open Scenes” and monologue

work to begin to utilize the different concepts learned. A

final “Presentation” of monologue (or open scene work) is

performed at the end of the semester.

ACTING FOR FILM IThe basic tenets of acting translate from stage to screen, but

there are skills and knowledge that are specific to the craft of

acting for the camera. Each student is introduced to acting

for the camera in the very first week of the program. Students

learn the basics of film acting: calibrating performances

based upon shot size and angle, hitting marks, emotional

and physical continuity, and strength and imagination in

acting choices. Over the course of the year, classes devote

a majority of time applying skills taught in other classes to

acting on a film set specifically.

FILM CRAFTIn this series of classes, students learn directing, producing,

screenwriting, etc. from the actor’s perspective. Learning the

roles of all the players on a film set dramatically increases

the actor’s ability to collaborate with the filmmakers in

developing dynamic performances.

38

SEMESTER TWO OVERVIEW

In the second semester, the core classes

continue as the students focus on applying

the techniques they have learned to more

elaborate scene work, on camera exercises,

and film shoots—all designed to develop and

hone their screen-acting ability. All students

perform in film or video shoots, oftentimes

original work that is created and developed

by the students in collaboration with their

instructors. In addition, a variety of classes are

given in order to broaden students’ knowledge

of acting techniques, the film business, and

many different film crafts.

The second semester culminates in two public

presentations of student work. The first is

a live showcase performance of scenes for

an invited audience of friends, family, and

industry guests. The second is a screening of

the student film productions.

MASTEROF FINE ARTSACTING FOR FILM

LEARNING GOALS

Learn to work for directors on live film sets.•

Gain knowledge of the differences between demands upon the •actor on film productions versus television productions.

Learn how to prepare and present yourself for auditions.•

Understand the business of the acting craft.•

PERFORMANCE GOALS

Perform scenes and workshop exercises developed and •rehearsed through instruction in the Meisner Technique.

Develop, rehearse, and perform in a fully-realized film scene •shot in the studio or on location. This project will be presented to an invited audience.

Break down, analyze, and rehearse stage scenes and perform •in these scenes for an invited audience.

Shooting a scene in Central Park in New York City.

39

ACTING FOR FILM IIIn semester two, students assimilate a range of highly demanding

physical, vocal, and psychological acting techniques for the

analysis, rehearsal, and blocking of scenes to be filmed in the

studio or on location. These scenes are digitally shot and edited.

They are screened for an invited audience of classmates, crew,

family and friends.

All acting students are also required to serve in other crew

capacities. Critiques focus on the techniques of calibrating energy

for various shot sizes as well as on the strength and imagination

of acting choices.

SCENE STUDyStudents use the techniques they learn in the first semester

Acting Technique class to break down scenes into “beats”

(i.e. moments of emotional transition) and then assign specific

psychological actions, physical actions, and obstacles to each

beat. They incorporate various acting techniques including

Stanislavski’s System and Strasberg’s Method, as well as the

skills learned in the Meisner Technique class. Additionally,

students learn how to build a comprehensive scored script

that includes: a lengthy character biography, description of

the dramatic arc, as well as how environment impacts the

character’s overall objective. Scene Study class culminates with

a showcase presentation for classmates, faculty, and an invited

audience at the end of the semester.

MEISNER IIA continuation of Meisner I, students learn how to apply the

“moment to moment” work to characters outside of their own

experience. This culminates in a Meisner scene presentation in

front of a live audience.

AUDITION TECHNIQUEActing is as much of a business as it is a craft. In addition to

training, successful actors must develop strong marketing skills

in order to build a career. These classes focus on such topics

as feeling comfortable at cold readings, preparing a resume,

choosing a head-shot photographer, and developing a career

strategy. Additionally, actors have the opportunity to get live

auditioning experience both in class and during an open casting

call with directors from the Academy’s Filmmaking program.

SEMESTER TWO COURSES

COMBAT FOR FILMStudents learn how to safely portray choreographed violence for

the screen. Elements of various martial arts are employed to create

convincing fight sequences that keep the actor safe from injury.

ACTING FOR TELEVISIONThere are many ways to record a performance. The object of this

course is to explore the differences between shooting “film style”

(one camera) and the world of a multi-camera set. Students are

assigned scenes from either sitcoms or soap operas, which

are rehearsed and staged over the course of several weeks

culminating in a multi-camera taping that is analyzed by the

instructor and class.

IMPROVISATION IIBuilding on the skills of Improvisation I, students now move onto

more advanced exercises and long-form improvisation styles.

Students learn to connect scenes together to build a complete

story arc, as well as to develop more complex characters and

relationships within the improvisational structure. At mid-term,

students perform a live improvisation show for family and friends.

Lastly, students work to bring the skills gained from live-format

improvisation to foster spontaneity and organic behavior in their

film work.

VOICE & MOVEMENT IIActors continue with more demanding physical work designed

to heighten performances. Elements of movement are

addressed for specific works that require specific character

and/or historical accuracy.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS FINAL PERFORMANCEIn addition to a screening of students’ work in front of the

camera, students perform live scenes that have been analyzed

and rehearsed throughout the semester in Scene Study class.

Students are also required to commit additional time outside of

class to rehearse. The chosen material can range from classic

stage plays to contemporary films. The scenes are fully-realized

with costumes, props, lighting and sound effects and will be

performed for classmates, faculty, staff and invited guests.

This performance is an exciting event that allows students to

showcase their abilities and celebrate the completion of their

year’s study.

40

SEMESTER ThREE COURSES

ADVANCED SCENE STUDy: STAGE TO SCREEN IActors direct their scene study

towards more challenging material

and will be expected to break down

and analyze scripts for performance.

Students rehearse a one-act play

to be presented at the end of the

semester. This same one-act play is,

in the second half of the year, adapted

into a screenplay and filmed, affording

students the opportunity to modify

their performance technique between

stage and screen.

ACTING FOR CAMERA: TELEVISION PRODUCTION WORKSHOP IThe Television Production Workshop is designed to follow the

rigorous schedule of episodic programming. The students are

taken through the process they would encounter on a professional

set, from dry rehearsals to brief on-set rehearsals and finally

taping. A new episode is created each session from a previously

produced script.

ADVANCED MOVEMENT IThis class focuses on exploring the different possibilities that the body

offers for expression. This involves making best use of their unique

physical characteristics to gain full command of their instrument.

Once this is achieved, students explore the specific behavioral

demands of physically challenging roles as they learn to differentiate

between how behavior reads on stage and how it must be adjusted

for the camera.

Students shooting a scene on Old West Street on Universal Studios backlot.

41

PHySICAL THEATREThis class trains the actor to develop a

gestural vocabulary drawing upon the

influences and principals of Jerzy Grotowski,

Tadashi Suzuki and other pioneers of the

physical theatre. The actor is trained to

trigger subconscious impulses through the

exploration of image and commitment to

strong physical action. Students develop a

solo performance piece in which the actor

integrates original text, sound design, lights

and music. As the actor explores this work

he strengthens his instrument and finds a

greater awareness of the body and voice.

ADVANCED ACTING TECHNIQUE: THE METHODTo complement the Meisner technique training that was

introduced in the first year, students explore “Method” acting in

great detail. Method Acting, mainly associated with the teachings

of Lee Strasburg at the Actors Studio, was made popular in the

United States in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and was practiced by

revered actors including Dustin Hoffman, Marlin Brando, Robert

De Niro and James Dean. Like the work of Sanford Meisner,

it is based on the research of Konstantin Stanislavski who

revolutionized the way we approach acting today.

CHARACTER STUDyThis class focuses on giving the student a deeper understanding

of what makes a character. Through a series of interdependent

exercises based on the acting principles of Sanford Meisner

and Konstantin Stanislavski, students learn a variety of practical

vocal, physical and psycho/emotional techniques which can

be used in the transformation from their everyday self into

an invented self; a unique theatrical creation with distinctive

traits that are forged from personal experience, observation,

imagination and textual interpretation.

VOICE-OVER ACTINGIn this class, the student learns an acting technique that is

specific to working as a voice-over actor. Voice-over work can

be lucrative, especially in the commercial/promo market and

the world of animated films, and requires skills that are unique

to performing in front of a microphone. This class builds on

the skills developed in the first year program (text analysis,

recognizing beat changes, understanding given circumstances

and pursuing objectives with actions, etc) and gives the

student the tools to create believable images in the minds of

the audience through voice acting.


42

SEMESTER fOUR COURSES

ADVANCED SCENE STUDy: STAGE TO SCREEN II Students work with the instructor in adapting to film the one-act play performed at the conclusion of the first semester. As they have knowledge of their characters from the play, they are now challenged with the task of not only collaborating in the adaptation, but also in calibrating their performance to a size appropriate for the screen. This class culminates in a screening of the film at the end of the semester.

ACTING FOR CAMERA: TELEVISION PRODUCTION WORKSHOP IIThe students continue production on the episodic programming started during the first semester, shooting one full day per week. Well into the routine of performing on a TV show as a guest star and/or recurring character, the actors continue to watch and critique their performances and explore nuances as story arcs develop and unfold.

ADVANCED ACTING TECHNIQUE: METHOD, IMPROVISATION

This class continues to build on the first semester’s Advanced Acting Technique class by challenging the student with more advanced exercises designed to stretch emotional range and deepen emotional access. In addition, this class brings the actors back to the improvisation work they started during the first year. Students marry their strengthened instrument and greater emotional capacity with the sense of spontaneity required in scenes improvised at an advanced level.


ADVANCED MOVEMENT II: MASK, CLOWN AND DANCE

Actors explore changes in physical and vocal

identity to that of a character suggested

by a mask. The work involves moving,

improvising, dancing and looking into a mirror

to inspire character evolution. This work

fosters a connection to the actor’s impulse

and encourages risk-taking through extreme

physical and vocal choices. This class moves

into character-based clowning work where the

actor gets in touch with his/her primal self by

stripping away layers of social conditioning.

They find their personal sense of humor as they

knock down their walls of inhibition. They create

sketches and performances for their clown.

In addition, students receive training in basic

ballroom dancing.

VOICE/SPEECH: DIALECTS AND ACCENTS

Students revisit the International Phonetic

Alphabet (IPA) and apply that learning to the

acquisition of convincing regional U.S. dialects

and international accents. They study audio

speech samples, transcribe text using IPA,

and present monologues and/or scene work to

demonstrate mastery of an accent or dialect.

COMBAT FOR FILM

More and more films today require physical

action. In this course, actors learn the invaluable

skills and fundamentals of stunt work and fight

choreography for the camera. Students learn to

safely use prop weapons such as guns, knives,

rapier-daggers, broadswords, and quarterstaffs.

This class culminates in the production of an

elaborate fight sequence-based short film

developed specifically for the students.

Acting for Film students working with Filmmaking students on Universal Studios backlot.

AUDITION TECHNIQUE/ THE BUSINESS OF ACTING

Auditioning is a special skill requiring

specific techniques. Actors again learn

and practice the essentials of a good

audition and focus on the set of skills

required to handle “sides” for film and

television. The goal is to help actors

make quick, specific, action-oriented

choices and to develop strong listening

skills and flexibility in taking direction.

This class also covers the business

considerations of approaching the

film industry as an actor by defining

the roles of casting directors, agents,

managers, producers and unions. In

addition, the marketing tools necessary

for survival in the film acting industry

are reintroduced.

43

ThESIS pROjECT OpTIONS

Write and perform a one-person show based on a historical 1. character of your choosing.

Write and perform original, contrasting character studies for an 2. existing character from theater or film.

Research, interpret and perform 1 monologue 3 different ways for 3. one character placed in 3 different eras.

Create an original thesis project proposal, submitted and 4. approved in your third semester by faculty mentor and faculty chair. Final project must include 20 page minimum written work along with a final performance of up to 15 minutes in length, to be performed or screened for a faculty thesis committee. This may include new media and multi-media components.

In the style of the Reduced Shakespeare Company work (Complete 5. Works of William Shakespeare Abridged) - a one-person comedic take on a much-longer work.

Create a character study for film. A 10-15 minute filmed portrayal 6. of a character of your creation or interpretation - a screenplay of up to 15 pages should reflect the character’s journey and a well defined arc.

THESIS PROJECT OPTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.


ADVANCED MOVEMENT II: MASK, CLOWN AND DANCE

Actors explore changes in physical and vocal

identity to that of a character suggested

by a mask. The work involves moving,

improvising, dancing and looking into a mirror

to inspire character evolution. This work

fosters a connection to the actor’s impulse

and encourages risk-taking through extreme

physical and vocal choices. This class moves

into character-based clowning work where the

actor gets in touch with his/her primal self by

stripping away layers of social conditioning.

They find their personal sense of humor as they

knock down their walls of inhibition. They create

sketches and performances for their clown.

In addition, students receive training in basic

ballroom dancing.

VOICE/SPEECH: DIALECTS AND ACCENTS

Students revisit the International Phonetic

Alphabet (IPA) and apply that learning to the

acquisition of convincing regional U.S. dialects

and international accents. They study audio

speech samples, transcribe text using IPA,

and present monologues and/or scene work to

demonstrate mastery of an accent or dialect.

COMBAT FOR FILM

More and more films today require physical

action. In this course, actors learn the invaluable

skills and fundamentals of stunt work and fight

choreography for the camera. Students learn to

safely use prop weapons such as guns, knives,

rapier-daggers, broadswords, and quarterstaffs.

This class culminates in the production of an

elaborate fight sequence-based short film

developed specifically for the students.

Acting for Film students working with Filmmaking students on Universal Studios backlot.

AUDITION TECHNIQUE/ THE BUSINESS OF ACTING

Auditioning is a special skill requiring

specific techniques. Actors again learn

and practice the essentials of a good

audition and focus on the set of skills

required to handle “sides” for film and

television. The goal is to help actors

make quick, specific, action-oriented

choices and to develop strong listening

skills and flexibility in taking direction.

This class also covers the business

considerations of approaching the

film industry as an actor by defining

the roles of casting directors, agents,

managers, producers and unions. In

addition, the marketing tools necessary

for survival in the film acting industry

are reintroduced.

WhAT MAkES OUR pRODUCINg pROgRAMS UNIqUE?

The New York Film Academy’s Film and

Television Producing Program is housed

within our film school and is designed

to illuminate one of the most important, yet

misunderstood, jobs in film and television.

Students eager to control their own destiny in

the business world of film and television flourish

in this intensive hands-on program.

New York Film Academy degree programs are offered at

our Los Angeles Campus at Universal Studios. Qualified

students have the option of completing course work at the

New York Film Academy in New York City in a one-year

non-degree program and requesting that their course work

be accepted for advanced standing and start in the second

year of the degree program at the Los Angeles campus. In

order to do so, students must apply and be accepted to the

degree program in Los Angeles.

It is geared to students with little or no experience

in producing, but who recognize that an intensive and

demanding program, much like the job of producing

itself, will provide them with the knowledge they seek.

Students are treated as Producers throughout the

duration of the course, and are challenged each step

of the way. Students are encouraged but not required

to bring a piece of intellectual property — adaptation

projects which might consist of: a book of fiction,

magazine article, newspaper article, biography,

autobiography, or original idea (if deemed appropriate)

at the beginning of the course which serves as the

foundation for their thesis project. Students take this

project through the various stages of development: pitch,

treatment, script, talent search, budget, schedule, and plans

for marketing and distribution. Students learn the real-word

strategies for successful producing and are encouraged

to develop the professional network needed within the film

and television industry.

Students must be prepared for full-days of intensive work

throughout the entire year. They must be committed to a

fast-paced, intensive learning and production schedule,

and willing to work collaboratively with our filmmaking,

screenwriting, and acting students.

Film Producer and Founder of the New York Film Academy,Jerry Sherlock, in shorts on the backlot, Paramount Studios with Director, Clive Donner.

MASTER OF FINE ARTSPRODUCING FOR FILM & TV

44

45

WhAT MAkES OUR pRODUCINg pROgRAMS UNIqUE?

The New York Film Academy’s Film and

Television Producing Program is housed

within our film school and is designed

to illuminate one of the most important, yet

misunderstood, jobs in film and television.

Students eager to control their own destiny in

the business world of film and television flourish

in this intensive hands-on program.



students have the option of completing course work at the

New York Film Academy in New York City in a one-year

non-degree program and requesting that their course work

be accepted for advanced standing and start in the second

year of the degree program at the Los Angeles campus. In

order to do so, students must apply and be accepted to the

degree program in Los Angeles.

It is geared to students with little or no experience

in producing, but who recognize that an intensive and

demanding program, much like the job of producing

itself, will provide them with the knowledge they seek.

Students are treated as Producers throughout the

duration of the course, and are challenged each step

of the way. Students are encouraged but not required

to bring a piece of intellectual property — adaptation

projects which might consist of: a book of fiction,

magazine article, newspaper article, biography,

autobiography, or original idea (if deemed appropriate)

at the beginning of the course which serves as the

foundation for their thesis project. Students take this

project through the various stages of development: pitch,

treatment, script, talent search, budget, schedule, and plans

for marketing and distribution. Students learn the real-word

strategies for successful producing and are encouraged

to develop the professional network needed within the film

and television industry.

Students must be prepared for full-days of intensive work

throughout the entire year. They must be committed to a

fast-paced, intensive learning and production schedule,

and willing to work collaboratively with our filmmaking,

screenwriting, and acting students.

Film Producer and Founder of the New York Film Academy,Jerry Sherlock, in shorts on the backlot, Paramount Studios with Director, Clive Donner.

LOCATIONS

TUITION



AVAILABLE IN

46

SEMESTER ONE OVERVIEWProducers are confronted with a number of visual,

dramatic, financial, legal, logistical, managerial, and

technical challenges. Instructors encourage students to

artfully work through these challenges while working to

complete several film and television projects.

From the first day of class, students are immersed in

a hands-on education. Students undergo a thorough

regiment of class work and film production that lays the

groundwork for a professional life in the film arts. They

learn both the creative aspects of producing, as well

as the more technical, line producing side. All students

participate in an intensive sequence of classes and hands-

on workshops.

LEARNING GOALSIntroduction of the roles, tasks, and obstacles •

faced by film and television producers: optioning,

developing material, film festivals, networks and

ratings, pilot season, studio distribution and

marketing, independent film financing, and pitching.

Gain understanding of the entire physical process •

of pre-production: scouting, securing locations,

permits, casting, budgets, scheduling.

Master the concepts of storytelling: elements, •

conventions, structure, style, forms.

Understand basic principles of Entertainment Law.•

Understand filmmaking from the perspective of the •

director and screenwriter.

PRODUCTION GOALSBegin to develop a feature film project for •

the Year-One Final Project.

Perform a pitch to an audience of peers.•

Direct a scene with actors on digital video and edit •

that same scene for presentation with class.

Break down a short script into a shooting plan.•

Prepare a budget and schedule from scratch.•

SEMESTER TWO OVERVIEWThe second semester challenges students to develop their production

craft artistically and technically. The focus is on hands-on production,

and learning through immersion in the process. It is designed to enable

students to create a fully conceived short film in collaboration with their

peers. Working in groups, students oversee and manage all aspects

of pre-production, production, and post-production.

LEARNING GOALSContinue examining, analyzing, and mastering key elements of the •

producer’s craft.

Study production strategies through execution of production goals.•

PRODUCTION GOALSProduce a reality show pilot.•

Produce a news segment or short documentary.•

Line-produce a short film•

Develop a feature film project•

MFA in Producing

COURSE DESCRIpTIONS

PRODUCER’S CRAFTThis study of the craft of Producing outlines the essential roles, tasks,

and obstacles faced by film and television producers in Hollywood and

independent production of film, television, and new media. Suitable

time is spent on script coverage, which is the deconstructing of a

screenplay’s log line, synopsis, and commentary, which then leads

to an understanding of style, genre, and story content of a submitted

script. Everything from Distribution, Marketing, and Packaging to

Networking is covered.

PRODUCER’S ROUNDTABLEIn this class, students begin to develop their year long producing

project, which must be a feature film of any genre with a completed

Sundance Lab grant application, television pilot of any genre, feature

length documentary with completed ITVS grant application, or a

concept and breakdown for a series of webisodes. Students develop

the following for their project where applicable: logline, synopsis,

treatment, partial spec script, business plan, basic marketing

plan, basic distribution plan, budget, shooting schedule, potential

attachment of a director and principle actors, and an explanation of

the attachments.

47

PITCH MEETINGS Students are instructed in the process

and honing of pitching skills for narrative

features, sitcoms, dramatic television

content, reality TV, and/or feature length

documentaries. They present their pitches

in workshops and perform them for

professionals and faculty.

INDUSTRy SPEAKER SERIES These are information sessions featuring

discussions with producers of American

independent, foreign, and Hollywood

films, network and cable television, as well

as directors, actors, agents, managers,

lawyers, foreign sales representatives

and many others. These sessions may be

coupled with screenings of new films or

television shows brought by these guests.

DIRECTING FOR PRODUCERS Even if a producer never plans to direct anything, he/she needs to know how directors carry out their visions. Producers should create a nurturing and artistic production environment that enhances each director’s skills and provide the support needed to make the best possible film or television show. Here producing students learn about using the camera and working with actors – the two central tools of any director. In hands-on sessions students break down a short script into a shooting plan and direct a scene with actors on digital video. Students have the opportunity to edit the scene and present it at their final class meeting.

Students shooting a scene at the New York Film Academy in SoHo, NYC.

48

INTRO TO LINE PRODUCINGThe Line Producer is responsible for the physical production of a film, from pre-production through the end of production. In this class we dissect the Line Producer’s responsibilities, covering budgeting, hiring crew, schedul ing, scout ing, prepping shoot & post, as well as managing relationships with the director, crew, and studio/financiers.

Special attention is paid to the duties and relationships within the production team (Line Producer, UPM (unit production manager), Assistant Directors, and Accountant) and to the balance that the Line Producer has to strike between accountability to the studio/investors and to the director’s vision.

FILM CRAFTIn Film Craft, students learn the basics of practical production.

They are educated through hands-on instruction in basic

cinematography, lighting, sound, and digital editing.

ENTERTAINMENT LAW: CONTRACTS, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTy, NEGOTIATIONS DRAFTING, AND ETHICS This course is an overview of contract law and how it impacts

the entertainment industry. Students study legal issues

regarding television, films, recordings, live performances and

other aspects of the entertainment industry. Topics include

contracts, copyright law, compensation, celebrity status

(including privacy and publicity rights), First Amendment,

intellectual property, and talent representation. This course

addresses legal issues to preserve, protect and actualize

the intellectual, entertainment, and technological property of

people working in the entertainment industry.

SCREENWRITING FUNDAMENTALSThis course helps students develop their analytic skills

in the areas of structure, plot, story, momentum, tone and

characterization, and master the tools of story genesis

and development for film and television. The course also

develops an understanding of genre, theme, imagery,

working with writers, and other professional issues as they

relate to creative producing. The focus is on the definitions

and implementation of story, drama, conflict, and the

difference between story and script. There are discussions

about the hiring of a screenwriter to work with producers on

the development of an idea or concept for a reality television

pilot, feature film, or other creative forms they wish to pursue

as well the WGA and how it functions in relation to the

producer and writer.

HANDS ON PRODUCING - REALITy TELEVISIONAll genres of Reality Television are studied including elimination

or game shows, talent competitions, dating based competitions,

job search competitions, self-improvement makeovers, hidden

camera, hoaxes, and episodic documentaries.

Working in small groups, students create their own reality

show trailer or teaser. They cast, scout, shoot, and edit

their shows for presentation and critique. Students learn

brainstorming techniques, casting, how to research topics

and characters, pre-interviews, formal interviews and on

the fly interviews. They learn how to create a reality “script”,

schedules, budgets, special insurance, legal issues, and the

deliverable process.

COURSE DESCRIpTIONS

MFA in Producing

Students shooting a scene during Production Workshop class.

49

DOCUMENTARy AND NEWS MAGAZINE WORKSHOPSThese workshops focus on schools of documentary thought

including cinema verite, direct cinema, biographical documentary,

docu-drama, political documentary, and broadcast journalism,

among others. The workshops further examine artistic, technical,

and ethical approaches in the genre. Documentary styles,

shooting approach, methods of interviewing, documentary

structure, theme, point of view, and reenactment are some of the

topics that are discussed and critiqued. The workshops inform

students about basic business plans, models and distribution

methods used for independent documentary production, as

well as the nuts and bolts of television’s successful investigative

journalistic models.

PRE-PRODUCTION OF A SHORT FILMWorking closely with their respective mentors, in this course,

producers learn the basics of all producer related roles on set and

in the production office. They will plan the production strategy,

budgets, schedules, script breakdowns, etc. for the short films

they will produce in conjunction with students from the NYFA

Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking Program.

SHORT FILM PRODUCTIONCollaborating with students in the Master of Fine Arts in

Filmmaking and Producing students function as Creative

Producers as well as Line Producers for a “Thesis” short film.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS yEAR ONE FINAL PROJECTEach student is required to develop a narrative feature film of any

genre, feature documentary, television project, or concept and

breakdown for a series of webisodes including filmed examples.

Requirements for the project include a development package,

and final pitch. The package is comprised of a logline, synopsis

of the project, a ten page treatment, an executive summary, a

studio, independent, or documentary film overview, a partial spec

script (consisting of the first 10 pages), a business plan, including

risk statements, and paperwork associated with the formation of

an LLC, a financing plan, basic marketing plan, basic distribution

plan, festival strategy, shoot schedule, two budgets, top sheet,

and potential attachment of a director and principle actors, as

well as all related business documentation for investors.

MFA in Producing

Students shooting a scene during Production Workshop class.

50

SEMESTER ThREE OVERVIEW

At the beginning of Semester Three, students must

form a thesis- committee and determine which Thesis

Option they will pursue over the course of Year Two.

Students must meet regularly (at least once per week)

with thesis committee members in order to ensure

compliance with New York Film Academy standards,

and to seek assistance in the realization of their

respective creative visions.

Semester Three classes are infused with an emphasis on

perfecting craft, exposing students to emerging media

and technology, and exposing them to the realities of

the film industry and the business of filmmaking. The

focus of the semester is on “professionalism.” It is

designed to prepare Master of Fine Arts students for

their thesis projects as well as for a life in the industry

after graduation.

LEARNING GOALS

In depth analysis of the television sitcom industry.•

Explore story and storytelling through an in-depth •study of the elements, conventions, structure, style, and traditional forms of the art.

Analyze budgets, schedules of films and television •shows.

Overview of the contract law and how it impacts •the entertainment industry.

Identify the techniques used by cinematic innovators.•

Survey of negotiations and drafting.•

Explore the evolutions of new media.•

PRODUCTION GOALS

Prepare a sitcom script for production•

Long Form project development•

SEMESTER fOUR OVERVIEW

In Semester Four, students devote a majority of their time to their thesis requirements. Faculty meets one-on-one with students in an extensive series of advisements to assist them and coach them through the successful completion of thesis requirements.

LEARNING GOALSLearn postproduction workflow.•

Further study of the strategies of financing, marketing •and distribution

Historical analysis of entertainment law•

In depth study of documentary production•

Production Goals•

Produce Thesis Project•

PRODUCTION GOALSProduce Thesis Project•

MFA in Producing

Students shooting a scene for Production Workshop class in SoHo, NYC.

51

SEMESTER fIVE

Students who choose to complete NYFA Thesis Option

C, stay for a paid fifth semester. During the fifth semester,

in continuation of Semester Four, students produce a

feature length film in collaboration with a NYFA Master

of Fine Arts in Filmmaking Student.

Students form an LLC or a Production Company in

conjunction with the Production process of making

the film, and are expected to guide a production from

original concept and development, to pre-production

and production, followed by a post-production schedule

set to a final delivery date. All Marketing and distribution

commences upon completion of the Feature.

Students are involved in all aspects of each

phase on the film, including, development

of script and story, casting, budgeting,

scheduling, locations, hiring of crew, payroll,

contracts, deal memos, equipment, vendors,

talent negotiations, union Regulations,

post-production, delivery requirements,

marketing & distribution agreements, and

Final MPAA ratings.

MFA in Producing

Students shooting a scene for Production Workshop class in SoHo, NYC.

52

SITUATIONAL COMEDy DEVELOPMENTIn this exploration of television Situation Comedies from the Producer’s

point of view, students participate in an in depth analysis of the

Television Sitcom industry and develop a full-length pilot of their own.

From the initial concept and pitch to finalized script and budget,

students prepare a sitcom script.

LINE PRODUCING IILine Producing leads students through the entire process of pre-

production (including scouting and securing of locations, permits, and

casting), and production (managing a bustling film set and keeping on

schedule and on budget). Students also analyze budgets and schedules

of films and television shows that have already been produced to gain

an understanding of these two key elements in preparing a project for

production. In later sessions, students prepare a budget and a schedule

and learn how these two elements interact and drive the production.

EP BUDGETING/SCHEDULINGEP Budgeting/Scheduling is the industry standard in

budgeting and scheduling software. The budgeting format

allows users to create and edit comprehensive budgets of

all sizes for all types of productions, while automating the

scheduling strip board process. Producers, production

managers and assistant directors use this script breakdown

and scheduling software.

ENTERTAINMENT ACCOUNTINGThis course provides an overview of the financial, cost, and

managerial accounting functions specific to the film industry,

with general application to all other areas of media production,

including television, commercials, music videos, and game

development. Students will analyze techniques and control

procedures for accurate preparation of financial statements.

Specific topics include production budgeting, management

reporting, film accounting terminology, amortization of film

cost, and studio distribution contacts.

PRODUCER’S CRAFT IIThis course continues the study of the essential roles, tasks,

and obstacles faced by film and television producers in

Hollywood and in independent production. Students also

track feature films and new television shows as case studies.

The class serves as the core of the first year of study and is

essential in conveying fundamental producing skills including

optioning and developing material, film festivals, networks

and ratings, pilot season, studio distribution and marketing,

independent film financing, and the pitch.

CINEMA STUDIES 1: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVESThis course is an intense film studies seminar in which

students are taught to identify the techniques used by

cinematic innovators throughout the history of filmmaking. The

course explores ways that the craft of directing (particularly

shot construction), cinematography, acting, and editing have

developed. Through screenings and discussions, students

grow to understand how filmmakers have approached the

great challenge of telling stories with moving images from

silent films to the digital age.

MFA in Producing

YEAR TWO COURSE DESCRIpTIONS

Barbara DeFina (producer of films including Goodfellas, Cape Fear, The Grifters,Mad Dog and Glory, The Age of Innocence, You Can Count on Me)teaching a master class at the New York Film Academy

53

ELECTIVE: NEW MEDIAIn the ever-changing world of the entertainment industry, it is

essential for a producer to keep abreast of evolutions in new

media technology and the many new outlets for distribution

that continue to emerge on an increasingly rapid basis. In the

digital age, ipods, webcasts, even cell phones have become

viable modes for distribution. The war between HD formats, the

dynamic possibilities of multimedia tie-ins and Alternate Reality

Games, and the anti-piracy aspirations of digital 3-D projection

are only a few of the topics that will be covered in detail.

THE POST-PRODUCTION PROCESSThis workshop explores the entire post-production and “deliverable”

workflow for both film and digital formats. In addition to the technical

aspects of physical post-production, the artistic and managerial

aspects are also addressed. Post-production for all current exhibition

venues, including DVD, theatrical, cable and satellite is reviewed.

FINANCING, MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION IIFocusing on domestic, international, and independent marketing

and distribution, and using case studies of actual studios and

independent production companies (and the films and television

shows they produce), this workshop focuses on successful strategies

for each of these vital aspects of producing.

ENTERTAINMENT LAW II: CONTRACTS NEGOTIATIONS AND DRAFTINGA survey of legal issues pertaining to contract negotiation

and conflict resolution in the entertainment industry, this

course, teaches students contract negotiation and contract

drafting skills through mock negotiations and contract

drafting exercises.

Students will gain a historical perspective of entertainment

industry culture, including the rise of modern mass

mediated culture and cyber culture. Students explore the

link between entertainment culture and our usual categories

of aesthetics, politics, culture, identity, ethics, and value.

Various perspectives on ethical decision-making and ethical

business practices specific to the entertainment industry

will be studied.

CINEMA STUDIES II: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES A broad cross-section of the film community is represented

in this screening series, including directors, producers,

directors of photography, editors, screenwriters, production

designers, post-production coordinators, and casting

directors. Students are exposed to multiple avenues for

potential employment in the film industry. All lectures are

followed by Question & Answer sessions.Barbara DeFina (producer of films including Goodfellas, Cape Fear, The Grifters,Mad Dog and Glory, The Age of Innocence, You Can Count on Me)teaching a master class at the New York Film Academy

NYFA students on location in Times Square, NYC.

54

SEMESTER fIVE (OpTIONAl):

PRODUCTION OF FEATURE LENGTH FILM (THESIS OPTION C) A continuation of the work started in Semester Four. Students complete and deliver a feature length film in collaboration with a Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking student. Prerequisite: Thesis Project C

ThESIS pROjECT

Thesis Projects consist of

Thesis Option: A or Thesis Option: B or Thesis Option: C. The Primary Thesis Options and Secondary Thesis Components are as follows:

THESIS OPTION: A The student produces and delivers a Short-Form version of the Long-Form Project they developed and pre-

produced in Long-Form Project Development. Students work under the guidance and advisement of the

New York Film Academy Thesis Committee. Mandatory consultations with these appointed faculty members

are necessary for students to gain guidance and an understanding of the many tasks inherent to long-form

production. These consultations also include a clear template of delivery dates for script deadlines, casting calls,

production meetings, budget breakdowns, location lockdowns and a demonstration of financial responsibility

to obtain approval to shoot. Due to the significant amount of time required to produce and fully complete Long-

Form Projects, students produce short-form versions which are considered useful marketing tools for financing

long-form or feature length projects.

Students shooting on a soundstage in Los Angeles.

MFA in Producing

THESIS OPTION: BThe student self-incorporates a Limited Liability Corporation

production company. The student must find, acquire, and

develop a stable of at least three properties, develop and

pre-produce them, and deliver a completed production

package (including a polished script, storyboards,

budget, production schedule, list of potential actors for

consideration in each role, plans for set construction,

etc.). The student must also produce and deliver a finished

trailer for at least one of the developed and pre-produced

properties. These corporations are formed with the

guidance and advisement of the New York Film Academy

Thesis Committee. Mandatory consultations with these

appointed faculty members are necessary for students to

gain guidance and an understanding of the tasks inherent

to entrepreneurial endeavor in the entertainment industry.

THESIS OPTION: C Students may choose to produce a feature length film

in collaboration with a Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking

Student. By choosing Option C the student agrees to

remain for a paid fifth semester before completion of his/

her certificate. Students enter Pre-production of a feature

film in Semester Four with the guidance of an appointed

faculty member. Mandatory consultations with these

appointed faculty members are necessary for students

to gain guidance and an understanding of the grueling

tasks inherent to feature length film production. These

consultations also include a clear template of delivery

dates for script deadlines, casting calls, production

meetings, budget breakdowns, location lockdowns and a

demonstration of financial responsibility to obtain approval

to shoot. Students must receive a “green light” before

beginning production on their thesis films.

SEMESTER fIVE (OpTIONAl):

PRODUCTION OF FEATURE LENGTH FILM (THESIS OPTION C) A continuation of the work started in Semester Four. Students complete and deliver a feature length film in collaboration with a Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking student. Prerequisite: Thesis Project C

55

56

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN SCREENWRITING

the New York Film Academy recognizes the critical

role writers play in the creation of every film and television show.

Yet, writing talent alone is not enough to create successful work

in these mediums. Screenwriting is a learned craft, and a writer

must write every day to train for the demands of this field, and

to truly understand the elements that make a screenplay or

teleplay functional, as well as engaging.

In addition to learning the conventions of the writing craft,

students are given the support and structure to write and meet

deadlines. Students write intensively throughout the course and

complete several projects with the assistance of constructive

critique from instructors, as well as peers.



students have the option of completing course work at

the New York Film Academy in New York City in a one-

year non-degree program and requesting that their course

work be accepted for advanced standing and start in the

second year of the degree program at the Los Angeles

campus. In order to do so, students must apply and be

accepted to the degree program in Los Angeles.

“Scriptwriting is the toughest part of the

whole racket...” — Frank Capra

57

WhAT MAkES OUR SCREENWRITINg pROgRAMS UNIqUE?Over the course of the year, each student writes two

feature-length screenplays, plus one television “spec”

script along with a number of treatments. As part of a

fully integrated program, students explore related areas

of filmmaking that help to improve their screenplays and

put them into a real-world context. Thus, in addition to

writing classes, students study film craft, acting, pitching,

and cinema studies, as they apply to screenwriting.

Students also write, direct and edit a short digital film or

scene from a feature script.

Upon completion of the program, students not only

understand story structure, character, conflict and

dialogue, but also leave the Academy with finished

products that they can pitch, produce, and try to sell.

In the MFA Screenwriting Program, students are taught

the art of screenwriting through courses in both film

studies and screenplay/script analysis.

Students are assigned several writing projects. These

projects are subject to critique from instructors and peers during in-class workshops.

LOCATIONS

TUITION



AVAILABLE IN

58

SEMESTER ONE OBjECTIVES

During Semester One, MFA Screenwriting students will

be introduced to the skills and tools necessary for writing

successful screenplays. Students are encouraged to be creative,

but are also taught to think of the screenplay as the definitive

industry tool for articulating ideas or concepts to a production

team, including producers, financiers, directors, and actors.

Clarity can be as important as creativity. Standard formatting

and industry expectations will be studied and analyzed during

writing workshops and lectures. Students will also study acting

and its impact on the written script, as well as the Business of

Screenwriting and how to navigate the entertainment industry.

LEARNING GOALS

WGA format and copyright law.•

In-depth study of classic screenplay structure, character •arcs, theme, conflict, flashbacks, voiceover, subtext, style, tone, visualization, discipline, and genre.

Critical concepts in film history.•

Theory and practice of acting.•

Entertainment industry methods, practices, and players.•

PRODUCTION GOALS

Write a 10-page short film script.•

Write a treatment for a feature length film.•

Write an outline for a feature length film.•

Write a first draft of a speculative (“spec”) feature •length screenplay.

SEMESTER TWO OBjECTIVES

The second semester of Year One challenges students to develop

their craft artistically and technically, and to progress beyond

their earlier experiments with the feature length screenplay. In an

advanced workshop, students will write a first draft of a second

original spec feature length screenplay and will then choose

between revising that screenplay or the screenplay from Semester

One. Students are expected to share revised or newly written

material in workshops. In addition, students will broaden their

understanding of the medium by learning to develop material for

television and writing a spec one-hour television sample script.

LEARNING GOALS

Fundamentals of film directing.•

In-depth look at treatment writing.•

In-depth study of the pitch.•

Standard conventions of TV writing.•

PRODUCTION GOALS

Revise draft of spec or write a new spec script.•

Direct a short film or scene.•

Write a one-hour or half-hour television spec script.•

David Koepp (screenwriter of films including Jurassic Park, Carlito’s Way, Mission Impossible, War of the Worlds, Angels and Demons) taught a master to our students

yEAR-END STAGED READINGSMFA Writing students will celebrate the completion of Year

One with a night of staged readings of their written work.

The readings will be developed in conjunction with actors

from the NYFA Acting program, and will be held in a nearby

professional stage theater.


59

ELEMENTS OF SCREENWRITING This course introduces students to the craft of screenwriting,

establishing a foundation for all future writing. Through lectures and

in-class film screenings, the instructor will highlight a specific topic

that students will then analyze in classroom discussion and practice

through skill-building exercises. Topics include Classic Screenplay

Structure, the Elements of the Scene, Developing the Character,

Character Arcs, Antagonists, Dialogue, Writing the Visual Image,

Introduction to Final Draft, Theme, Conflict, Flashbacks, Fantasy

Sequences and Dream Sequences, Voice-Over, Text and Subtext,

Developing Your Writing Style, Tone and Genre, Visualization,

Revealing Exposition, Creating a Compelling Second Act, Climaxes

and Resolutions, and the Beats of the Scene. Screenplay formatting

will be a major focus, and students will learn how to write scene

description, to describe characters and locations, and to develop

action sequences. The course will also include script-to-screen

analysis, comparing well-known films to their original screenplays.

SCREENPLAy ANALySIS This course is designed to further students’ knowledge of the

intricacies of feature-length screenwriting. Each week, students will

be required to view a film (or read the script) prior to an in-class

screening of that same film. The instructor will then critique the film

as it is screened, offering minute-by-minute observations focusing

on such topics as subplot development, visual storytelling, turning

points, planting and pay-off, and character development.

THE BUSINESS OF SCREENWRITING 1There are many “angles” to understand when approaching “the deal,”

and they differ from one medium to the next. It is crucially important

for a writer to protect his or her work both through Copyright

Registration and registration through the Writer’s Guild of America.

Next, the writer must strategize about how to get his or her script

into the right hands, in the correct manner, and for the appropriate

market. An overview of topics include: Agents, What Is Copyright?,

How Do I Enforce My Copyright?, How to Register with the Writer’s

Guild of America?, Getting Your Script in the Right Hands, What To

Do If You Don’t Have an Agent, If the Deal Goes Through What You

Need to Know, Options, Pay for Rewrites, Writing on Spec or for

Hire, How a Television Deal Differs from a Film Deal. Classes will be

supplemented with special lectures by industry professionals.

SHORT SCRIPT WORKSHOP

Students will write short scripts to be used in later production

workshops. By developing a film without dialogue (silent film)

students will learn the value and strength of images within the

medium. Emphasis is put on maintaining structure and incorporating

all elements of visual storytelling within the short form.


SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP I Workshop sessions are student-driven classes in which

student work is evaluated and critiqued. Deadlines will

be established that guide students in the development

of a feature-length screenplay from logline to treatment,

then from outline to screenplay. Each student will be

allocated one hour of workshop time a week in which

his/her work will be critiqued in a constructive, creative

and supportive atmosphere.

CINEMA STUDIESThe Cinema Studies course introduces students to critical

concepts in film history and culture, and allows students

the opportunity to engage deeply with individual films.

Consisting of lectures, screenings, and group discussions,

each session will give students the chance to consider

classic and provocative films within the context of a broader

film culture. The course includes topics such as: film genre;

film history; film style; film criticism and cinema-going

practice; entertainment industry organization, and other

topics in the culture of film.

ACTING FOR WRITERS Acting for Writers introduces students to the theory and

practice of the acting craft, using Stanislavski Method,

improvisation, and scene and monologue work as starting

points. By exploring how actors build characters and

performances based upon the information provided in a

film script, writers will learn how to write more powerful

dialogue, develop more memorable characters, and create

more effective dramatic actions. Upon completion of this

course, writers will have a new understanding of how their

words are translated into performance, and this knowledge

will help students refine their craft.

ADVANCED STORy GENERATIONThis course introduces students to the workhorse of the

screenwriting business – treatments. Students will spend

one quarter perfecting a treatment for a feature film script

which will be used as the foundation for the second

feature-length screenplay they will write in their first year.

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP 2The workshops continue, providing students an arena in

which to complete the first draft of their first screenplay.

This will be the perfect place for students to practice the

art of discipline, as they will be expected to continue to

hone their working styles and find their voices.

60

SPECIAL ONE-WEEK SEMINAR IN DIGITAL FILMMAKINGThis intensive workshop trains students in the fundamentals of film

directing, which in turn facilitates an understanding of the filmmaking

process as it relates to screenwriting. It is our belief that a student who

actually picks up a camera, blocks a scene and directs actors from a

script is far better prepared to then write a screenplay. If a writer has

actually translated a shot on the page into a shot in the camera, then

the writer has a much sharper perspective on the writing process.

Hands-on classes in directing, editing, cinematography, and production

cover the creative and technical demands of telling a story with moving

images. Then, working in crews of four, students will make a short

film or shoot a scene from one of their screenplays using digital video

cameras. Afterwards, they will edit their footage with digitized sound

on Final Cut Pro. At the end of the one-week seminar, the final films are

celebrated in a screening open to cast, crew, friends and family.

THE BUSINESS OF SCREENWRITING 2This course introduces students to the moviemaking machine know

as the Studio System: the players, the relationships, and the deals.

A survey of the studio system history and the major players of today

will be discussed. Topics include writing on spec versus a contract

job, re-writes, WGA law governing authorship, the open writing log

used by agents and managers to identify screenwriting jobs for

clients, distribution, and production. Similar topics with regard to

television will also be examined.

REVISION CLASSHaving created two spec scripts during the course of the year, students

are now ready to delve into the revision process. In this class, each

student’s feature will be read, strengths and weaknesses will be

identified and a strategy for revising the feature will be developed.

Students will then rewrite the script. Workshop classes will provide

students the opportunity to hear their work read aloud and to receive

constructive criticism from fellow students and the instructor.

TV WRITING 1This class is an introduction to the television industry and television

writing. Topics include standard conventions, proper formatting,

expected running times, styles of dialogue, and seasonal character and

plot development. As part of this training, students will then conceive,

write and polish their own one-hour drama or half-hour comedy

television spec script based on a show that is currently running on

television, which can later be used as a writing sample.

ELECTIVE: INTERNSHIP Students may intern at a film or television production

company, film or television studio, management

company, or talent agency. Students are encouraged

to choose their internship wisely based on their

interests and strengths honed during their first year in

the program. The Business of Screenwriting instructor

is responsible for approving internships. Any internship

considered as enhancing and/or enriching the student’s

understanding of the film or television industry may be

an option. Students will be expected to write reports on

their internship experiences, and internship supervisors

will assess the students’ performance at the work site.

ELECTIVE: RESEARCH PROJECT Students may opt to write a research paper that will

investigate a specific topic related to the entertainment

industry. All research papers must be approved by the

Business of Screenwriting instructor, and must address

a topic that directly relates to the field, such as the Studio

System, histories of specific entertainment companies

or movements, depictions of writers and filmmakers in

popular culture, etc. Papers must be at least 15 pages

in length and must reference a comprehensive list of

research sources.

SEMESTER TWO COURSES

61


ThESIS OpTIONS:THESIS OPTION A: FEATURE FILMStudents may choose to write a feature length film speculative

(“spec”) screenplay.

THESIS OPTION B: EPISODIC TELEVISIONStudents may choose to write a pilot episode and bible (supporting

materials) of an original comedy or drama television series.

YEAR TWO

During Year Two, MFA candidates begin working on their thesis,

a feature length screenplay or episodic television series. The

thesis should represent the best work a student is capable of and,

when complete, be of professional industry quality. In advanced

workshops, students will use knowledge gained in the first year

to slowly and deliberately construct their thesis Coursework in

Year Two will focus on more general aspects of the entertainment

industry, thus preparing students for life after the MFA.

SEMESTER ThREE OBjECTIVES

At the beginning of Semester Three, students must form a thesis

committee consisting of a primary advisor (a Screenwriting

Faculty member) and two readers. The thesis advisor works

closely with the MFA candidate throughout the process, while the

readers act in a more consulting role. At certain times throughout

the year, each student will present treatments and drafts of

his/her thesis script to his/her committee, who will then give

notes to the student in a mandatory thesis committee meeting.

Three such meetings will take place throughout the academic

year. Semester Three classes are infused with an emphasis on

perfecting craft, and exposing students to the realities of the

entertainment industry.

LEARNING GOALS

Gain advanced TV writing technique.•

Examine principle theories of film.•

Gain mastery of the pitch process.•

PRODUCTION GOALS

Write an original television pilot script•

Write an outline and first draft of thesis feature or TV pilot.•

62

SEMESTER fOUR OBjECTIVES

In Semester Four, students devote most of their time to their thesis

requirements. Faculty meets one-on-one with students in an extensive

series of advisements to assist them and coach them through the

successful completion of thesis requirements.

LEARNING GOALS

Lecture series with a cross-section of industry professionals.•

The challenges of writing and producing independent cinema.•

Survey of the studio system history.•

Learn the art of adaptation•

Intense examination of scene writing.•

Learn the New Media landscape of Webisodes, Mobisodes, •Branded Entertainment, etc.

PRODUCTION GOALS

Revise, rewrite, and polish thesis project.•

Write and produce a pilot episode of an original Web series.•

Develop and perfect a written and verbal pitch for thesis project.•

NyFA PITCH FEST

To celebrate the completion of the MFA

Screenwriting Program, New York Film Academy

hosts a pitch event for graduating MFA writing

students. Representatives from top Hollywood

agencies, management companies, studios and

production companies are invited to attend the

event to hear NYFA students pitch their thesis

projects. While this event has opened industry

doors to students in the past, the primary intent

of the Pitch Fest is to provide students with

pitching experience and feedback outside the

classroom walls.


Paul Schrader (screenwriter of films including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ and writer/director of films including Blue Collar, Mishima, Affliction) signs

autographs for our students after teaching a series of master classes.

63

SEMESTER ThREE COURSES

ADVANCED THESIS WORKSHOP IIn this Seminar/Workshop, master students will

structure, develop, outline, and write a first draft

of their thesis projects. These projects will be

approved by the Thesis Committee and overseen

by the Committee and appointed student advisors

throughout the semester. Students may choose

between Thesis Option A) Feature Film or Thesis

Option b) Episodic Television. Working inside the

classroom, in consultation with their instructor, and

through extensive writing outside of the classroom,

students will develop drafts that will be polished

and finished in Advanced Thesis Workshop 2 in the

fourth semester.

ELECTIVE: ADAPTATION WORKSHOPPopular and fascinating stories will always be in high

demand for screen adaptation. Studios often buy

the rights to “stories” whether in the form of a play,

magazine article, newspaper article or book with the

intention of hiring a screenwriter to adapt it for the

screen. With this in mind, master students will learn

how to adapt a story from another medium into the

highly structured visual form: the screenplay. Often

this means that crucial moments of the story must

be identified while others eliminated. In all instances,

imagination must be employed for the successful

execution of rearranging one form for the sake of

another. Students will share their work with fellow

students during in class critiques.

ADVANCED TV WRITINGAn intensive screenwriting seminar that teaches

students the art of creating original episodic television

series, including the script for the pilot episode. In-

class critique provides an opportunity for students

to receive constructive criticism of their writing. By

the end of the course, each student will develop and

write the pilot episode for an original hour or half-hour

television series.

THE BuSiNESS Of ScREENwRiTiNg 3This course introduces the challenges of writing and

producing an independent film. Topics include, how

to write with a specific budget in mind, how to secure

financing, film festivals, options, distribution, and how

to deal with legal issues without the help of an agent.

SEMESTER fOUR COURSES

ADVANCED THESIS WORKSHOP 2In this Seminar/Workshop series, master students will re-write, revise and,

polishtheir thesis projects. A continuation of Advanced Thesis Workshop 1,

students will work inside the classroom, in consultation with their instructor,

and through extensive writing outside of the classroom, as they finish their

thesis projects for delivery to the Thesis Committee for final review.

ELECTIVE: ADVANCED SCENE WRITING WORKSHOPThe scene is the fundamental building block of any screenplay. Each scene must

be essential, reveal vital information, and ultimately push the story forward. This

workshop gives students the opportunity to put their scenes under a microscope.

During in-class exercises, students will hone their scene writing skills through

experimentation and establish the most effective way to accomplish a particular

“goal” of a scene. Through in-class feedback, students can discover what works

in terms of story and emotional impact.

NEW MEDIA WORKSHOPWith each passing year, more content is being developed for alternative media such

as the Internet, mobile devices, and on-demand outlets. This class will introduce

students to the New Media landscape: the major players, the technology, the special

storytelling considerations inherent in each medium. Students will then create and

write their own original web series and produce their 5-minute pilot episodes.

THE BUSINESS OF SCREENWRITING 4The primary goal of the second year is to fully prepare students for life in the “real

world” of the professional writer. This course focuses on mastering the “Art of the

Pitch” in preparation for a major industry pitch fest with agents, managers, and

producers. Guest speakers will illuminate various aspects of the industry.

ELECTIVE: INTERNSHIPStudents may intern at a film or television production company, film or television

studio, management company, or talent agency. Students are encouraged to choose

their internship wisely based on their interests and strengths honed during their first

year in the program. The Business of Screenwriting instructor is responsible for

approving internships. Any internship considered as enhancing and/or enriching the

student’s understanding of the film or television industry may be an option. Students

will be expected to write reports on their internship experiences, and internship

supervisors will assess the students’ performance at the work site. Students should

keep in mind as they choose their internship sites that this position is likely to be their

entree into the entertainment industry, so it is imperative that they be responsible and

recommended that they foster as many positive relationships as possible.

ELECTIVE: RESEARCH PROJECTStudents may opt to write a research paper that will investigate a specific topic

related to the entertainment industry. All research papers must be approved by

the Business of Screenwriting instructor, and must address a topic that directly

relates to the field, such as the Studio System, histories of specific entertainment

companies or movements, depictions of writers and filmmakers in popular culture,

etc. Papers must be at least 15 pages in length and must reference a comprehensive

list of research sources.

64

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

this two-year graduate program is designed to instruct gifted

and hardworking prospective Directors of Photography in a hands-

on, professional environment, the New York Film Academy MFA in

Cinematography provides a unique setting for the development of both

the creative vision and technical mastery necessary for a career as a

LOCATIONS

TUITION



AVAILABLE IN

**Additional Equipment Fee: $2,000 per semester. Students will also incur additional expenses on their own productions. This varies depending on how much film they shoot and scale of the projects.

Cinematographer.

65

with New York Film Academy students across different disciplines. Upon

graduation, students will have a working knowledge of the full range of film

and digital formats and a wide range of camera systems (16mm, 35mm,

HD, and RED) used by professional cinematographers today and be able to

confidently supervise the creation of sophisticated lighting schemes. Most

importantly, they will be able to effectively harness the visual tools of cinema

to tell meaningful stories.

New York Film Academy degree programs are offered at our Los Angeles

Campus at Universal Studios. Qualified students have the option of

completing course work at the New York Film Academy in New York City in

a one-year non-degree program and requesting that their course work be

accepted for advanced standing and start in the second year of the degree

program at the Los Angeles campus. In order to do so, students must apply

and be accepted to the degree program in Los Angeles.

Students will follow a rigorous

program of classroom study, self-

directed projects, instructor-led

Production Workshops, and

school-facilitated collaboration

66

YEAR ONE

In Year One, Cinematography MFA students will be immersed

in a concentrated schedule of classroom learning, teacher-

supervised workshops and outside projects. This regimen

presupposes no prior knowledge of Cinematography, but

aims to have students confident in the fundamentals of

exposure, composition, set-etiquette and lighting by the end

of the year.

SEMESTER ONE:During the first semester, students learn the fundamentals

of the art and craft of Cinematography. Topics covered will

include optics, incident and spotlight metering techniques,

loading and utilizing 16mm and HD video cameras, basic

lighting, fundamentals of composition, color theory and film

chemistry, and dolly movement.

Cinematography students will be expected to complete

four projects during their first semester. Their first project

will be a story told with stills photographed on 35mm black

& white film. The second project will be a ‘Mise-en-scène’

photographed on 16mm film with basic on-set lighting.

In the third project, the ‘Continuity Film,’ students will use

the 16mm Arriflex SR camera, and will begin using more

sophisticated grip and light-shaping techniques. This project

will focus on shot design and creating a scene that can “cut

together” elegantly.

PRODUCTION GOALS:Photograph a 35mm still photo project, two short films 1. on 16mm, and a music video on High Definition video.

Crew on eight colleagues’ films, either as Gaffer, 2. Camera Assistant, Key Grip or Operator.

Photograph or operate camera on a NYFA semester 3. one film.

Collaboration with film directing students plays a major

role in the fourth project. By filming a music video in

HD, students are introduced to the unique director-

cinematographer relationship in the real world context

of in-the-field film production. Before undertaking this

project, students will study the theory and practice of

digital Cinematography.

Cinematography and film students will collaborate again

on their fifth project, the Semester One Film. This project

will be their first introduction to sync-sound dialogue-

based projects as well as longer narrative form (up to ten

minutes). Working in conjunction with Directing students,

Cinematography Master’s candidates must act as either a

Director of Photography on a single Filmmaking Semester

One Project or as a Gaffer, Camera Operator, or Camera

Assistant on several projects.

67

PRODUCTION GOALS:Photograph a showcase film utilizing either 35mm or Super 1. 16mm film.

Photograph a RED camera showcase film.2.

Photograph a High Definition showcase film.3.

Photograph a Filmmaker’s Year One final film or a self-4. initiated project of equivalent complexity.

YEAR TWO

Second-Year Master’s Candidates

in Cinematography will continue to

strengthen their cinematographic skills,

building their professional portfolio reel,

as well as working on developing their

unique visual style. Each student must

complete a series of classes designed

to hone the fundamental skills they

developed in Year One, fill gaps in their

specialized knowledge, and to create a

space for them to cultivate their visual

voice and sensibility. There will be an

increased emphasis on collaboration

with other filmmakers, as the MFA

Cinematography candidate prepares to

enter the professional world and begin

making films with outside Directors

and Producers.

SEMESTER TWO:The second semester in the Cinematography program is

designed to help students move beyond simply capturing an

image, and begin “painting with light.” As students’ ability

increases, so does their tool set. Students learn how to build

and operate a professional 35mm camera package, as well

as advanced High Definition equipment.

The RED Camera System provides the core platform

around which the second semester is centered. Students

will have multiple opportunities during class time to

master the extraordinary tools the RED Camera offers,

including speed-ramping, 100 fps slow motion, and the 4k

production workflow.

Sophisticated High Definition cameras will round out

the comprehensive assortment of tools available to

Cinematography students for digital image capture. Proper

operation of wave form monitors, histograms and IRE/ISO

calculations will be covered in-depth in a practical hands-on

classroom environment.

These three camera systems (35mm film, Red One, and HD)

are the platforms available for the three individual projects

in this semester. Examples of format include commercials,

music videos, or short narrative. Ideally, these three

projects will contribute to an impressive show reel for the

emerging graduate.

In addition to the above classes, students are introduced

to new subjects, including lighting and cinematography

workshops in the sound stage environment and a series of

on-location “production workshops”. These classes allow

students to work on their preproduction planning skills and

their set operating procedures under the supervision of an

experienced professional.

At the end the first year, New York Film Academy

Cinematography students are required to either photograph

an advanced project of a fellow New York Film Academy

student or to create their own self-directed short film of up

to 15 minutes in length.


67

68


SEMESTER ThREE:Building upon the skills acquired in semesters one and

two, semester three explores existing topics to new levels

and introduces new areas of study, such as special effects

cinematography, documentary and reality TV cinematography,

and specialized camera movement systems.

A significant portion of the semester is devoted to preparing

the third semester individual project. This project may be filmed

either on the Red camera or 35mm film. As in semester two, the

format is left at the discretion of the Cinematography student and

may be a commercial, music video, or a short film.

Hands-on workshops in sound stage filming and lighting

techniques continue in the third semester. Multiple camera

systems and advanced lighting instruments will be employed to

replicate a host of situations cinematographers will face in the

real world, including day for night, night for day, combinations

of color temperatures, and a mixture of practical and movie

lights. The Production Workshop component continues,

allowing students to practice their skills in the field under the

mentorship of an instructor. In addition, students are provided

a selection of elective options to further develop their skills as

cinematographers: the Intensive Camera Movement Workshop

or Cinematography for Digital Effects.

Additionally, new areas of the entertainment industry will be

explored in-depth such as the burgeoning reality TV/documentary

field and webisodic programming. Under the guidance of an

instructor, the class will photograph a short project in one of

these new genres.

In preparation for photographing advanced projects after

graduation, students will be instructed on the intricacies of the

post-production process and how to best integrate with post-

production supervisors on all future work.

Finally students are introduced to the professional world

of cinematography in the industry through a series of

guest lectures with working cinematographers and other

professionals, as well as field trips to camera rental houses,

production facilities, and laboratories.

SEMESTER ThREE OBjECTIVESLEARNING GOALS

Knowledge of greenscreen, compositing and 1. advanced color correction techniques.

The ability to effectively collaborate with Directors 2. of all experience levels.

Strong knowledge of location and soundstage 3. lighting techniques.

Working knowledge of specialty lenses and filters.4.

Greater knowledge of documentary and reality 5. cinematography practices.

A competitive ‘portfolio reel’ of material.6.

Completion of one of two elective classes.7.

PRODUCTION GOALSPhotograph a multi-day short film on 35mm, Super-16 or 1. on the RED camera system.

Operate and photograph elaborate shots on a sound 2. stage using a geared head, dolly, or Steadicam.

Crew in a key position on at least one classmate’s film.3.

SEMESTER fOUR:Students continue extensive development of their thesis

projects. Courses such as Cinematography Form and

Function will serve as conduits for thesis preparation and

production. Tests, scouts and the creation of the complete

“look” for each thesis project will also be explored in-depth

throughout the semester.

In addition to working on thesis projects, students continue

taking classes designed to expand their knowledge of post-

production, practice their skills in instructor-led Production

Workshops, and prepare to transition to the professional

world in Navigating the Industry.

After receiving a final “greenlight” from the thesis committee,

students will enter into thesis production. Cinematography

candidates are required to select from one of two thesis

options, described below. At the conclusion of the semester,

students will screen and critique their entire cinematography

reel with their fellow students and faculty.

SEMESTER fOUR OBjECTIVESPRODUCTION GOALS

Complete a thesis:

Photograph an MFA Thesis Film and a Self-Produced Projecta.

Self-Direct Two Films and Crew on Two MFA Thesis Filmsb.

69

ClASSES

SEMESTER ONECinematography, Form and Function I•

Hands-on Camera •

Fundamentals of Lighting •

Introduction to Digital Post •

History of Cinematography 1 •

Directing for Cinematographers •

The Visual Screenplay , •

Cinematography/Filmmaker Collaboration•

SEMESTER TWO .Cinematography, Form and Function 2 •

35mm Cinematography •

Stage Lighting Workshop •

Production Workshop 1 •

Post-Production for Cinematographers 1 •

Lighting and Cinematography 1 •


Advanced Camera Assistant Seminar •

Cinematography/Filmmaker Collaboration •

SEMESTER THREE Cinematography, Form and Function 3 •

Reality Television, Documentary •

and Cinematography for the Web •


Lighting and Cinematography 2 •

Master’s Seminar in Cinematography •

Production Workshop 2 •

Advanced Stage Lighting Workshop •

Elective: Intensive Camera Movement Workshop•

Elective: Cinematography for Digital Effects•

SEMESTER FOUR Cinematography, Form and Function 4 •

Post-Production for Cinematographers 2 •

Navigating the Industry•

Thesis •

Curriculum and classes subject to change

69

70

The New York Film Academy

Master of Fine Arts in Photography

is a four semester (16-weeks per

semester) conservatory-based,

full-time graduate program.

This exceptional course of study is

designed to train a new generation of

visual artists whose work is grounded

in a thorough awareness of the history

of the medium, who possess technical

mastery of the latest tools, and

who are equipped with the creative

and business skills to succeed in a

competitive marketplace, whether

they choose to specialize in fine art,

journalism, commercial, video or

documentary traditions.

LOCATIONS

TUITION



AVAILABLE IN

**Additional Equipment Fee: $2,000 per semester. Students will also incur additional expenses on their own productions.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY

WhAT MAkES OUR phOTOgRAphY pROgRAM UNIqUE?Photography students at New York Film Academy will be introduced to the tools and develop the skills necessary for researching, composing, and capturing Digital Photographic Projects. Students are encouraged to be creative but are also taught to think of each project as a concise statement of artistic, documentary, and/or journalistic intent.

In this program, students are given unique opportunities to engage with

an incredibly diverse international student body on our campus at Universal

Studios, Hollywood, CA. Visits to world-class museums, galleries, studios, labs,

agencies, publishers, and trade shows; guest lectures and critiques by working

photojournalists, artists, and curators; internship opportunities; instruction by a core

faculty comprised of working professionals – these are all key parts of the rich NYFA

experience. Results of the successful completion of the MFA program include:

A comprehensive knowledge of digital and film cameras and optics from 35mm to •large format

In-depth experience with a wide range of digital and photochemical image creation •and printing techniques

A comprehensive awareness of and expertise with lighting, digital imaging and •printing tools

Mastery of Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite•

Knowledge of research techniques for documentary and news assignments•

Knowledge of the history of photography practices, aesthetics and technology•

Knowledge of aesthetic theories of photography and experience with their •practical application

The ability to work independently in a high-pressure creative environment•

A broad portfolio of fine art, commercial, documentary, news and personal images•

The NYFA MFA photography program uniquely embraces

today’s state-of-the-art cameras as tools that produce not

only still images of unprecedented resolution, but also high-

definition video of astonishing quality. The photography

department embraces all lens-based media, offering a unique

curriculum that includes not only still digital and film-based

photography, but also video production.

Whether the intention of your work is to flicker as briefly and

brightly as an advertisement, or to create an art icon that

rewards generations of scrutiny, the value of your ideas, the

quality of your execution and the impact of your style will

ultimately determine its success. Content has never been more

important, even as professional image-makers must constantly

upgrade their technical skills and sharpen their conceptual

faculties to produce work that is daring, provocative and

influential. Technological change promises to continue to push

the synthesis of mediums and distribution mechanisms. There

has never been a more exciting time for visual artists.

71

LOCATIONS

TUITION



AVAILABLE IN

**Additional Equipment Fee: $2,000 per semester. Students will also incur additional expenses on their own productions.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY

WhAT MAkES OUR phOTOgRAphY pROgRAM UNIqUE?Photography students at New York Film Academy will be introduced to the tools and develop the skills necessary for researching, composing, and capturing Digital Photographic Projects. Students are encouraged to be creative but are also taught to think of each project as a concise statement of artistic, documentary, and/or journalistic intent.

In this program, students are given unique opportunities to engage with

an incredibly diverse international student body on our campus at Universal

Studios, Hollywood, CA. Visits to world-class museums, galleries, studios, labs,

agencies, publishers, and trade shows; guest lectures and critiques by working

photojournalists, artists, and curators; internship opportunities; instruction by a core

faculty comprised of working professionals – these are all key parts of the rich NYFA

experience. Results of the successful completion of the MFA program include:

A comprehensive knowledge of digital and film cameras and optics from 35mm to •large format

In-depth experience with a wide range of digital and photochemical image creation •and printing techniques

A comprehensive awareness of and expertise with lighting, digital imaging and •printing tools

Mastery of Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite•

Knowledge of research techniques for documentary and news assignments•

Knowledge of the history of photography practices, aesthetics and technology•

Knowledge of aesthetic theories of photography and experience with their •practical application

The ability to work independently in a high-pressure creative environment•

A broad portfolio of fine art, commercial, documentary, news and personal images•

The NYFA MFA photography program uniquely embraces

today’s state-of-the-art cameras as tools that produce not

only still images of unprecedented resolution, but also high-

definition video of astonishing quality. The photography

department embraces all lens-based media, offering a unique

curriculum that includes not only still digital and film-based

photography, but also video production.

Whether the intention of your work is to flicker as briefly and

brightly as an advertisement, or to create an art icon that

rewards generations of scrutiny, the value of your ideas, the

quality of your execution and the impact of your style will

ultimately determine its success. Content has never been more

important, even as professional image-makers must constantly

upgrade their technical skills and sharpen their conceptual

faculties to produce work that is daring, provocative and

influential. Technological change promises to continue to push

the synthesis of mediums and distribution mechanisms. There

has never been a more exciting time for visual artists.

72

MFA in Photography

SEMESTER ONE OVERVIEWThe main goal of the first semester is to develop core photography

skills by shooting immediate and ongoing assignments with a

state of the art digital SLR, the Canon 5D Mark II. As students

shoot and edit, they are immersed in the theory and history of

photography. Looking at master works and participating in

critiques, students develop skills to conceptualize, pre-visualize,

compose, expose and edit powerful images using light and

perspective to underscore content.

Photographers are first and foremost light hunters. Students learn to

recognize the power of dramatic light and the potential of shadows

as we bend the sun, the moon, and every conceivable artificial light

source from sparklers to fresnels, studio flash to LEDs to illuminate

our subjects. Even as they learn traditional 3-point lighting, students

are encouraged to think beyond convention to choose lighting

techniques with the emotional and dramatic impact.

As students examine a wide range of imaging disciplines, they also

practice the essential business skills that enable any professional to

run a successful practice, including research, assignments, bidding,

self-promotion, marketing, stock imagery, studio organization,

contracts, exhibition, licensing, publishing and artist grants.

Photography today is intrinsically linked to Adobe Photoshop as the

pre-eminent digital darkroom tool. Industry experts help students

master non-destructive image editing, learn the staggering power

of RAW processing, how to target and shift colors with incredible

precision, professional selection and masking techniques, and even

how to manipulate time in the editing process.

SEMESTER ONE OBjECTIVESPROJECT GOALS

Test apertures ranges, shutter speeds, lenses, lighting tools, and •filtration options on a wide variety of subjects.

Thoroughly test the limits of over and under exposure and RAW •processing and the effect on the “look” of an image.

Research, conceptualize, shoot, edit and output a photographic •documentary essay, including a written artist’s statement.

Conceptualize, shoot, edit and output a fine-art exhibition on a •single cohesive theme, including a written artist’s statement.

Develop and participate in a community of creative peers •capable of providing invaluable critical feedback.

LEARNING GOALSUnderstand the components of exposure.•

Acquire a working mastery over the Canon 5D Mark II digital SLR •camera and standard lenses for still imaging.

Develop working digital darkroom skills using Adobe Photoshop.•

Understand basic color management and be able to output •accurate prints to modern inkjet printers.

Recognize the characteristics and make creative use of •basic lighting tools and camera position to create drama and emotional impact under typical lighting conditions.

Examine the history of photography and photo technology up to •the arrival of handheld 35mm cameras.

Understand and apply theories of aesthetics, semiotics, design, •composition and color.

73

HISTORy & THEORy IIntensive study, analysis, and critique of the work of master photographers, their techniques,

aesthetics and approaches helps to equip students to choose the most effective means

of realizing their own projects. The history of photography is studied from its beginning

through the proliferation of the handheld 35mm camera. Students are guided to analyze

the cultural and societal impact of photography, and the evolution of the medium from the

original assumed veracity of photographs to the exploitation of the viewer’s acceptance of

the photograph as “truth,” given the use of modern photographic manipulation with tools

such as Photoshop. Additionally, students become intimately familiar with a particular

photographer’s body of work through written research projects.

Discussions include composition, traditional and non-conventional framing, color theory,

design, semiotics (signs and symbols), the effect of technological changes on photography,

the use and limitations of photography as a documentary and personal record, and the

surprisingly long history of using viewer assumptions to distort the truth.

DOCUMENTARy & FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHyIn this class, students take a close look at the evolution of documentary and fine art

photography through the work of established and emerging masters such as Bernice

Abbott, Diane Arbus, Eugene Atget, Jonas Bendiksen, Bill Brandt, Matthew Brady,

Keith Carter, Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Eggelston, Alfred Eisenstadt, Walker Evans,

Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Nan Goldin, Michael Kenna, Dorothea Lange, Philip Lorca-

diCorcia, Sally Mann, Mary Ellen Mark, Steve McCurry, Tina Modotti, Sebastiao Salgado,

Sandy Skoglund, Cindy Sherman, Eugene Smith, Edward Weston and others. Guest

presentations play a major part of this course, as well as written analyses. Students build

on their in-depth exposure to the work of these masters to research, plan and execute

their own documentary and fine art projects for in-class critique.

Visiting artists address the business practices of successful documentary and fine

art photographers, including private and public funding, assignment work, self-

promotion, exhibition, approaching galleries and museums, book publishing, stock and

commercial licensing.

STUDIO PRACTICE IStudio Practice is the core of the curriculum,

encompassing lecture, demonstration, shooting

assignments on location or in the studio, and

critique. Students learn the mechanics of

cameras and lenses and the components of

exposure. Students are taught to be aware

of the unique characteristics that light can

take: direct, diffused, reflected, tempered by

atmosphere. They begin to master the modern

digital SLR, and analyze digital capture’s

pleasures (instant gratification!) and pitfalls

(generic, competent images). Every technique

is practiced through individual assignments,

which are critiqued by faculty and peers.

DIGITAL IMAGING IAdobe Photoshop may be the greatest tool of

visual illusion and manipulation ever invented.

Going beyond the flashy effects that wow at

trade shows, students use professional digital

darkroom techniques that give unprecedented

color and tonal control over their images.

Students build their digital darkroom from RAW

processing through non-destructive editing,

and output from print to web page to iPod.

This course includes lecture, demonstration

and lab time for students to edit their own

images with the assistance of expert faculty.

SEMESTER ONE ClASSES

74

SEMESTER TWO ClASSES

STUDIO PRACTICE II The semester begins with an intensive immersion in

digital filmmaking. Each student works as director,

cinematographer, gaffer, camera assistant and sound

recordist, as well as edits his or her own projects. The

astounding high-definition video capabilities of the

Canon 5D camera are employed as students learn the

grammar of cinema, plan shots that serve the story and

support editorial continuity, and practice set protocol.

Finally, narratives are deconstructed and rebuilt using

the power of non-linear editing.

Medium format systems, using both film and digital

backs and alternative cameras - scanners, cell phones,

pocket cameras, video cameras, even copiers - are

investigated. Students are encouraged to analyze how

the choice of format affects the subjects, point of view

and shooting approach.

Students learn to find and create dramatic light under

any conditions, using conventional tools like the latest

hot and cool continuous sources, flash in all forms, and

professional grip hardware, as well as unconventional

sources from flashlights to headlights. Discussion

includes 3-point lighting, soft and hard light, color

temperature, gels, diffusion and control systems.

DIGITAL IMAGING IITransformations, layer masks, tone, texture and

color matching are used in this class to composite

entirely new visual worlds, full of startling and utterly

believable juxtapositions. Also taught are in-depth

RAW processing, advanced color correction and tone

control techniques including the use of multiple color

models. This class demystifies color management in

order to get accurate results through the workflow,

including device profiles, RGB and CMYK color

spaces, conversions and workflow configuration.

Finally, students explore output options in depth,

including ink and carbon based output, 4-color press,

Lambda, Kodak Approvals and others.

SEMESTER TWO OBjECTIVESPROJECT GOALS

Apply professional business practices to each project, including •releases, casting, contracts.

Thoroughly test a wide variety of lenses and alternative image •capture devices.

Conceptualize, shoot, edit and screen a short high-definition •video project.

Conceptualize, shoot, edit and exhibit a commercial photo •project, working with models, an art director, sets, and professional lighting equipment.

Research, shoot, edit and exhibit a news story.•

LEARNING GOALSRefine lighting skills that can be applied under controlled and any •real-world conditions using a comprehensive array of tools.

Acquire working expertise with video features of the Canon 5D •Mark II D-SLR camera.

Learn motion picture storytelling techniques, including writing, •directing, producing, lighting and editing.

Become familiar with commercial and journalistic business •practices, ethics, legal issues and practices.

Become familiar with medium-format systems.•

Develop expert digital imaging skills using Adobe Photoshop.•

Examine the history of photography and photo technology from •the arrival of handheld 35mm cameras through today.

Expand and refine aesthetic sensibilities in composition, color, •design and lighting.

SEMESTER TWO OVERVIEWThe second semester builds on students’ basic skill set and challenges

them to refine their technical, aesthetic and business skills. Focusing

on commercial image-making, students look at established masters as

they work intensively with studio lighting, the 5D D-SLR and medium

format camera systems on fashion, product, beauty, and architectural

assignments. Art direction and design elements are employed to

create distinctive visual styles. In-post production, students move

beyond basic color and tone correction into sophisticated compositing

techniques, dynamic range extension, and advanced retouching and

masking techniques.

Students also explore the creative potential of unconventional cameras,

and get familiar with the incredible high-definition video capabilities of the

Canon 5D Mark II as they are immersed in a unique curriculum of visual

storytelling techniques, including concept, direction, editing, lighting,

and sound design, culminating in a short video commercial project.

Students expand their repertoire of techniques with light and shadow

as they work with professional lighting and grip hardware, as well as

inexpensive and unconventional practical sources of light and shadow.

MFA in Photography

75

SEMESTER ThREE OBjECTIVESPROJECT GOALS

Develop a portfolio of carefully edited portrait photos•

Produce a portfolio of images shot on film•

Produce a portfolio of multi-image and sequenced works•

Digitally edit images shot on film and scanned•

LEARNING GOALSLearn the Zone System for film and apply it to digital workflow•

Test the results of mixing digital and photochemical processes•

Develop advanced Photoshop skills•

Advance our skill at capturing the personalities of people we •are photographing

Develop working expertise with flatbed and film scanning techniques •and devices

Develop a facility with multi-image juxtaposition and sequencing•

Learn to create beautiful, compelling light using unconventional sources •in any conditions

Get familiar with alternative optics and output material•

SEMESTER ThREE OVERVIEWThe second year expands into traditional and alternative film-based processes,

while helping students choose a focus that will become their final thesis project

within a fine art, documentary, journalistic or commercial convention. The thesis

project really begins in the summer between the first and second year, when

students are expected to explore the themes, ideas and techniques that will lead

to their final project.

A broad exposure to state-of-the-art and antique processes and technology

empowers students to develop a personal visual identity by combining old and

new techniques to create unique results. Students simultaneously build expert

digital darkroom skills, including the ability to extend reality through dynamic

range and digital montage.

Portraiture, including street photography, commercial studio technique, and the

snapshot aesthetic are surveyed through the work of established masters and

visiting professionals. Students also explore the power of limitations, learn to

prepare for serendipitous accidents, and explore multi-image sequencing and

image juxtaposition.

HISTORy AND THEORy IIStudy and analysis of the work of master

photographers continues from the proliferation of

the handheld 35mm camera to the present day.

The impact of the digital revolution in relation to

the proliferation of image distribution devices (the

cell phone, iPod, the web, etc.) and its relationship

to popular culture, photojournalism, the blurring of

art and commerce is explored. Students examine

the radical degree to which commercial retouching

practices have distorted viewer expectations, had a

profound effect on society, and utterly transformed

the very nature of what a photograph is. Students

also analyze the aesthetic and technical techniques

of particular photographers through written

research projects.

COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHyIn this class, students produce tabletop,

fashion and beauty, advertising and product

work. Casting, working with models, lighting

challenges for specialized products, and high-

end commercial retouching are also addressed.

Students conceptualize and design shoots from

top to bottom, including set design, location

scouting, art direction, costumes, makeup, hair

and props.

The work of successful commercial photographers

such as Richard Avedon, Chris Buck, Patrick

Demarchelier, Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton,

Herb Ritts, Ellen von Unwerth, and Albert Watson

is examined. Business practices including

bidding, studio organization, releases, working

with assistants, art directors and clients, licensing,

pricing, publishing, assignments, self-promotion,

and contracts are studied.

PHOTOJOURNALISMStudents research, shoot and edit news stories,

address single-image and longer form photo

essays, consider the relationship between text and

image, and discuss ethics and standards. Lectures

and guest presentations from photojournalists

play a major role. Key work from past and present

professionals such as Robert Capa and James

Nachtwey, and the lesser known heroes of the

news world are examined.

76

SEMESTER ThREE ClASSES

THESIS PREP At the beginning of Semester Three, master students must form a thesis

committee. Students meet regularly (at least once per week) with thesis

committee members to ensure compliance with New York Film Academy

standards. This course focuses on the thesis goals of each individual, with

an emphasis on perfecting craft and exposing him or her to the realities of

the photographic industry and the business of professional photography. It is

designed to prepare MFA students for their thesis projects as well as for a life

in the industry after graduation.

STUDIO PRACTICE IIIFilm and the darkroom: are they dead or at least doomed? Can they ever

be replaced? Are ultra-sharp, contrasty modern lenses actually better than

antique glass with blurred corners, imperfections and even fungus – or just

different? Modern digital technology has hidden dangers: the machine-made

consistency of automatic modern equipment unwittingly conspires to produce

predictable, competently exposed, and potentially generic images. How can

we take advantage of technology to create a unique voice?

Exercises in shooting, testing, scanning and printing both black and white and

color stocks help students to understand the expressive potential of film and

traditional printing processes. Students also learn to use Ansel Adams’ Zone

System to compress and extend the dynamic range of film stock to optimize

any lighting situation. Combinations of physical and digital processes are

investigated, and students test the limits of each to create uniquely beautiful

images using both organic and digital technology.

Students test the power of juxtaposition and sequencing in multi-image works

to change the meaning of the single image, using both narrative and non-

narrative techniques. They learn to transform their subjects with magical

light under a variety of conditions – even complete darkness - exploring

non-traditional and real world lighting. Mixed light sources, neon, practicals,

infrared, headlights, moonlight, fireworks, sparklers, flashlights, LEDs - you

name it, if it makes light, we’ll find out what makes it special, and find it in the

real world.

Additionally, students test the transformative and distorting powers of specialty

optics, including macro, tilt and shift, extreme telephoto, and antique lenses,

and filters, gels, and translucent materials. On the output side, a wide variety

of paper stocks, transparencies, video projection and non-paper surfaces are

explored, as well as mounting, framing and exhibition methodologies, always

addressing archival concerns.

DIgITAl IMAgINg IIIEven as they re-discover irreplaceable antique processes, students delve

into the most advanced Photoshop techniques, including blending modes,

compositing, advanced masking, channel mixing, transformations, advanced

retouching techniques, texture maps and simulated grain structures. Students

examine traditional chemically generated images under the microscope

of the digital darkroom, and debunk the dangerous lure of “correct” or

technically “perfect” images. Students also get familiar with film and flatbed

scanners and scanning techniques as they digitize images shot and printed

by traditional methods.

MFA in Photography

SEMESTER fOUR ClASSES

77

STUDIO PRACTICE IV The primary focus of this class is on the development of the thesis project,

including research, tests, location scouting, casting, design, shooting, editing,

processing, printing and mounting.

In preparation for entry into the professional world, additional focus is placed

on exhibition and self-promotion techniques, including online and printed

portfolio and exhibition practices.

LARGE FORMAT CAMERAStudents delve into the extraordinary and deliberate world of the large format

camera, including contact printing, portraiture, landscape and architectural

applications, and its unique potential for unconventional uses. This class

examines the impact of outrageous detail and extraordinary separation through

miniscule depth of field as well as the way the very physical nature of the

camera affects the photographer’s process, the subject and results. The result

of traditional silver printing as well as scanning large format film for digital

processing is also explored.

HISTORy AND THEORy IVCritical theory as it applies to photography and students’ own work is

examined. The course explores the question of how meaning is constructed

by the photographer and interpreted by the viewer. Prominent critics and

thinkers including Roland Barthes, Susan Sontag, and Jacques Derrida will be

central to the discussion as students see images as texts and artifacts which

reveal and describe humankind. The course identifies the “filters” of gender,

ethnicity, culture, and politics and uses them to analyze the work of major

photographers as students apply these concepts to their thesis projects.

ExIT STRATEGIESAs students prepare to compete as imaging professionals, they examine

what is selling in today’s marketplace, the state of the fine art market, the

role of retouching, licensing possibilities, the blurring of art and commerce,

and the effects of instant worldwide electronic distribution on the perceived

value of the image. This class looks at the diverse practices and portfolios

of successful contemporary professionals and artists such as Nick Brandt,

Michael Grecco, Andreas Gursky, Todd Hido, Sean Kernan, David LaChapelle,

Loretta Lux, Cindy Sherman, Alex Soth, Mario Testino and others.

Portfolios are carefully edited to target specific markets and assignments,

and the latest print and electronic presentation techniques are surveyed,

including use of electronic portfolio devices such as the iPad, animated Flash

slide shows, and traditional printed marketing campaigns.

Frequent interviews and guest critiques with professional photographers,

photographers’ representatives, photo editors, buyers, curators and other

industry figures present business strategies and help students refine and

focus their portfolios to ensure that they are prepared to enter the professional

world with a full complement of creative, strategic and business skills.

HISTORy AND THEORy IIIThis course provides a close academic study of

the history of aesthetics (from Plato, through Kant,

Romanticism, Modernism, to current postmodern

theories) as applied to the visual arts and photography.

Special attention is paid to the evolution of the still

visual image through history, and how artists have both

paralleled and rebelled against the predominant artistic

and aesthetic movements of their respective times.

The history of conceptual art as a means of leading

us to multi-faceted meaning from a simple idea is

also examined. Students are asked to work in new

ways that deliberately take away control over critical

aspects in order to discover the power of serendipitous

“accidents,” and tap into the vast processing and

synthesizing abilities of their own subconscious.

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHyHowever diverse the paths artists take, the closest thing

to a certainty is that nearly everyone who picks up a

camera will photograph a human being at some point in

their lives. For most commercial photographers, being

able to create compelling portraits is a bread and butter

skill. Yet no two photographers will make the same

picture of the same subject. So does a portrait only

represent the sitter? Or is it also - inevitably - a portrait

of the photographer? Does it matter?

Students examine the relationship between the

photographer and the photographed, find some who

hide behind the camera, those who use it as a bridge

to other people, and those for whom looking at other

people is remarkably more inward than outward.

The work of commercial, documentary and fine art

masters such as Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, Nan

Goldin, Yousuf Karsh, Annie Leibovitz, Mary Ellen

Mark and Arnold Newman is analyzed and discussed

to inspire our own portraiture and illuminate the hand

of the photographer behind the images. This class

requires students to photograph strangers on the street,

friends and family in the studio and at home, actors

playing themselves, the image-conscious and the

image-oblivious. Students test the power of locations

to affect the subjects and the images, take both staged

and stolen looks at other people as well as themselves,

and discuss the endless fascination of human beings,

frozen in time.

77

MFA in Photography

SEMESTER fOUR ClASSES

77

STUDIO PRACTICE IV The primary focus of this class is on the development of the thesis project,

including research, tests, location scouting, casting, design, shooting, editing,

processing, printing and mounting.

In preparation for entry into the professional world, additional focus is placed

on exhibition and self-promotion techniques, including online and printed

portfolio and exhibition practices.

LARGE FORMAT CAMERAStudents delve into the extraordinary and deliberate world of the large format

camera, including contact printing, portraiture, landscape and architectural

applications, and its unique potential for unconventional uses. This class

examines the impact of outrageous detail and extraordinary separation through

miniscule depth of field as well as the way the very physical nature of the

camera affects the photographer’s process, the subject and results. The result

of traditional silver printing as well as scanning large format film for digital

processing is also explored.

HISTORy AND THEORy IVCritical theory as it applies to photography and students’ own work is

examined. The course explores the question of how meaning is constructed

by the photographer and interpreted by the viewer. Prominent critics and

thinkers including Roland Barthes, Susan Sontag, and Jacques Derrida will be

central to the discussion as students see images as texts and artifacts which

reveal and describe humankind. The course identifies the “filters” of gender,

ethnicity, culture, and politics and uses them to analyze the work of major

photographers as students apply these concepts to their thesis projects.

ExIT STRATEGIESAs students prepare to compete as imaging professionals, they examine

what is selling in today’s marketplace, the state of the fine art market, the

role of retouching, licensing possibilities, the blurring of art and commerce,

and the effects of instant worldwide electronic distribution on the perceived

value of the image. This class looks at the diverse practices and portfolios

of successful contemporary professionals and artists such as Nick Brandt,

Michael Grecco, Andreas Gursky, Todd Hido, Sean Kernan, David LaChapelle,

Loretta Lux, Cindy Sherman, Alex Soth, Mario Testino and others.

Portfolios are carefully edited to target specific markets and assignments,

and the latest print and electronic presentation techniques are surveyed,

including use of electronic portfolio devices such as the iPad, animated Flash

slide shows, and traditional printed marketing campaigns.

Frequent interviews and guest critiques with professional photographers,

photographers’ representatives, photo editors, buyers, curators and other

industry figures present business strategies and help students refine and

focus their portfolios to ensure that they are prepared to enter the professional

world with a full complement of creative, strategic and business skills.

SEMESTER fOUR OBjECTIVESPROJECT GOALS

Produce a final thesis exhibition•

Produce a portfolio of large-format images•

Create an online retrospective exhibition of •edited work from all four semesters

LEARNING GOALSGet comfortable handling a large-format •camera

Acquire a working mastery of advanced digital •imaging techniques by applying them to thesis work

Become intimately familiar with the current •professional art and commercial marketplace

SEMESTER fOUR OVERVIEWThe primary focus of the fourth semester is the final

student thesis project, including planning, research,

shooting, editing, processing, publishing, promotion

and exhibition. Self-promotion techniques and

successful business practices are examined using both

electronic and print mediums, including basic Adobe

Flash programming and web-based portfolios.

The unique and extraordinary characteristics of the

large-format film camera are thoroughly explored

in conventional and unconventional applications,

including portraiture, landscape and architectural

applications. The limitless possibilities of combining

large-format film capture with high-resolution scanning

and digital editing are investigated.

MFA students must write a thesis proposal of ten to

twenty pages and receive approval from the thesis

committee made up of their faculty. The proposal must

include a clear statement of the artistic vision, purpose,

and technique(s) the candidate hopes to employ. It

should include historical and aesthetic references

and may include sample sketches or photographs

from the student’s previous work. The final work must

include a minimum of twenty gallery quality prints, with

accompanying text, and summary statement of the

artist. Students may chose a fine art or documentary

approach, and will be evaluated by the standards

established for those genres in coordination with the

thesis committee.

This culminates in a final public exhibition of 20 printed

images. This is the crowning event of the MFA program,

where students celebrate their achievements with the

viewing public and network with curators, publishers,

image buyers, publishers, photo editors, agents, and

fellow image-makers.

78

Universal Studios Hollywood

The same dynamic array of programs offered in New York are available in Los Angeles. Making films on the backlot of a major Hollywood studio can represent the

culmination of a lifetime of struggle. Aspiring filmmakers have begged, snuck, or bribed their way past the gates, usually to no avail. The New York Film Academy opens the studio’s doors to the filmmakers-to-be of the world. Rather than being on the outside of the gates peering in like tourists, students will live and breathe filmmaking within the very heart of the action.

BACKLOT

Universal Studios sprawls over 390 acres of offices, alleys, interior

sound stages and outside movie sets. Arrangements have been

made with Universal Studios to shoot our in-class production

exercises on their prestigious and widely-used backlot, a landscape

literally made up of the neighborhoods of the world.

Driving around the lot, one alternately happens across a dusty

Mexican villa, an imposing Roman square, a New York alley straight

from the 1930s and a street whose saloons and wooden sidewalks

harken back to the Wild West. Nearby, one passes multiple lakes,

an old New England street, and a Renaissance courtyard. New York

Film Academy students will have the opportunity to direct on these

same sets for their in-class exercises.

Los Angeles has great weather, a vibrant and culturally diverse

population, and inseparable ties to the film industry. Universal

Studios, whose neighborhood is commonly known as Universal

City, is centrally located in L.A., a short drive away from Hollywood

and the downtown areas, as well as many other notable landmarks

and scenic locations. Plus, the Hollywood Freeway runs right next

to the lot making the Studio easily accessible to the rest of the city.

For their individual films, students shoot in Los Angeles, where

a wide variety of locations can be found. Participants in our

filmmaking workshop can shoot in gritty, urban neighborhoods

downtown; on a beach at sunset in Malibu; on the famed shopping

strip of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills; or on the boardwalk of Venice

Beach. Indeed, one of the attractions of Los Angeles for the film

industry has been the city’s incredibly varied landscape - from

seaside to desert to mountain slope and fruit grove. Students can

take their cameras and crews to the hills around the city and to

Sunset Boulevard, to the shops of Chinatown, West Hollywood,

Koreatown, Little Tokyo and to the ocean cliffs of Santa Monica.

DAILY SCHEDULE

Every program is full-time, with classes, shooting,

or project preparation nearly every day of the week.

The schedules are rigorous, however, students will

have the opportunity to explore the area.

ENROLLMENT

The New York Film Academy’s one and two-year

conservatory programs and short-term workshops

have an open enrollment. Serious students from all

backgrounds are welcome to apply. No previous

experience is required. However, all New York

Film Academy Workshops are extremely intensive.

Students who enroll should be prepared to live and

breathe their work during these workshops. Given the

nature of filmmaking and the necessity of working in

crews, students must be willing to devote themselves

not only to their own projects, but to their classmates’

projects as well.

Classes are held throughout the year at the backlot

of the Universal Studios site, giving students ample

choices of workshops to fit their needs. As space is

limited, we recommend early application to guarantee

a place in the workshop of your choice. Students are

required to treat the area and the productions happening

on the lot with absolute respect and professionalism.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

The Los Angeles area boasts a myriad of cultural and

recreational activities, ranging from film openings to

fine restaurants to beach volleyball. The proximity of

Universal Studios to the rest of the city makes it a

perfect starting point to explore the city. Many of the

country’s most beautiful beaches are located within

driving distance.

79


EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES

INSTRUCTORS

FINAL SCREENINGS & PERFORMANCES

Filmmaking students shoot on

16mm, 35mm, HD, and 24p digital

video. Producing, Screenwriting,

and Acting For Film students all

work with digital cameras. All

editing in any of the programs and

workshops is done digitally using

Final Cut Pro on Apple computers.

The equip ment our students

use is comparable to that of the

leading degree programs in the

United States. Universal Studios’

exclusive prop and costume

collection that regularly supplies

Hollywood blockbusters, will

be made available to workshop

attendees at a special rate.

At all of our locales, our eclectic

faculty is comprised of experienced

instructors and professional

filmmakers who have Master

of Fine Arts degrees the most

prestigious universities and

colleges in the United States.

The Academy recognizes that all

students are unique, and want to

express themselves through their

own visions. Whether students

are interested in narrative,

documentary, experimental, or

music video, our faculty will do

everything possible to nurture and

mentor these future filmmakers.

At the conclusion of all

programs, a graduation

ceremony and final presentation

of student work is held. Final

Films, Showcase Performances,

and Screenplay readings provide

a unique opportunity for family,

friends and cast to see the

work students have produced.

Students retain digital master

tapes of their film and video work

to include in their portfolios.

80

Go almost anywhere in Los Angeles and it is apparent that

you are in the heart of movie land. You can cruise the

Sunset Strip and check out the giant billboards for the

summer’s blockbusters. Stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame

and you’ll see the stars of the film and television universe, from

Lucille Ball to Harrison Ford to Jennifer Aniston, planted in the

sidewalk. Stand in front of the Mann’s Chinese theater, one of the

oldest in Hollywood, and check out the footprints of silent stars

Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Visit the Kodak Theater,

where the stars and the red carpet come out once a year for the

Oscars. Everywhere you go, the world-famous Hollywood sign

seems to follow you, shining down dreams that you, too, can be a

part of the exciting world of film and television one day.

Over the hill and through the Cahuenga Pass is Universal Studios,

where the Desperate Housewives act out their operatic lives on

the same street where Leave it to Beaver played pranks and the

fraternity brothers of Animal House got themselves into a heap of

trouble. Here is where Michael J. Fox zoomed through the town

square in that sleek silver DeLorean to get Back to the Future, and

where Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks created everything from

War of the Worlds to American Beauty.

Nothing “regular” at all is going on inside the Universal Studios

Headquarters. This is where the movie magic happens, where

Focus Features, the “little company that could,” brought us Oscar

winners like Brokeback Mountain, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless

Mind, and Lost in Translation, resides. Here is where Stephen

Soderbergh and George Clooney housed the production offices for

Ocean’s Eleven, and where the production departments for Minority

Report, Sea Bisquit, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Live Free or Die Hard,

and countless others brought their visions to the silver screen.

It is also where students at the New York Film Academy are learning

what it takes to be the directors, screenwriters, actors, producers,

cinematographers, and editors of tomorrow. Here, in the heart

of the film industry, our students study their craft, develop their

projects, and take advantage of the exciting array of opportunities

at their fingertips.

Within the backlot of Universal Studios our students shoot on the

same sets where film history is made. Be it the sprawling backdrop

of Western street, to the edgy city streets of New York, the backlot

of Universal Studios presents the filmmaker with locations as varied

as their imaginations. A short drive through Los Angeles itself can

also present the filmmaker with an unmatched variety of options

from stark desert landscapes, to urban downtown streets, from

Malibu beaches to suburban Valley tract homes. In one day, a crew

might film a spy-thriller in snow-capped Mount Baldy in the morning,

and a Surf-Comedy in the afternoon. Our screenwriting students

can check into the Writers Guild of America library at Fairfax and Third

to read scripts they’ll never find on the Internet, then head over to one

of Hollywood’s famous “Movie Palaces” for a Creative Screenwriting

Magazine screening. Acting students can study performance during

the day, and then see a live studio performance that same night. With

the ongoing productions throughout the city there are countless options

for them to pursue and hone their craft. Producing students have the

opportunity to network with an entire city devoted to film production,

and develop roots in the same terrain that shapes the industry itself.

THE STUDIOS

How can anyone mention Los Angeles without mentioning the

Studios? There is not another place in the world that one can

find a more influential town in the “business” than Hollywood.

All of the major studios have made Los Angeles their home

including Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony,

Disney, and Fox (just to name a few). Los Angeles has a

reputation as the entertainment capital of the world, and Los

Angeles and the surrounding areas are home to over 25 movie

and television studios.

Movie StudiosUniversal Studios•

The Original MGM Studios•

MGM Plaza•

Paramount Studios•

Paramount Ranch•

Walt Disney Studios•

20th Century Fox Studios•

DreamWorks•

Warner Bros. Studio•

Sony Pictures Studio •(Columbia/Tri-Star)

Culver Studios•

Raleigh Studios•

Ren-Mar Studios•

Manhattan Beach Studios•

Charlie Chaplin Studios •(A&M Records)

Sunset-Gower Studios•

Hollywood Center Studios•

Television StudiosNBC Studios•

CBS TV Studios•

CBS Studio Center•

ABC Television and •Entertainment Centers

FOX Television Center•

KTLA (formerly Warner •Bros Studios)

KTTV Studios•

KCOP Studios•

KCAL Studios•

KCET Studios•

Columbia Square •


81

Quite a few Southern California residents recognize the locations

they see in movies and on television because many were shot in and

around L.A. Some locations to look for once you’re here are those

from: Crash, Back to the Future, Fight Club, Bewitched, Collateral,

Terminator 3, Fast and the Furious, Anchorman, Halloween, Spider-

man, American Pie, Princess Diaries, Mulholland Drive, Pearl Harbor,

End of Days, and Minority Report.

Some television shows to look for are: 24, Entourage, Bewitched,

Happy Days, The Brady Bunch (the real house is found at 11222 Dilling

Street in Studio City), Batman, Superman, Dragnet (Joe Friday’s house

is now part of the Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane homes), The

O.C., SWAT, and Roswell.

Universal Studios is one studio with which the New York Film Academy

has a special relationship. Since the Academy is located on the backlot

of the Universal Studios, students have the unique opportunity to

witness the importance of “studio life” to the Los Angeles area first-

hand. Students also get the one-of-a-kind experience of shooting on

the Universal Studios backlot, which many people can only see if they

take the famous Backlot Tour.

A brief history of Universal Studios: In March of 1914, for the purchase

price of $165,000, a 230-acre ranch would become the site that would

forever be dubbed as “the entertainment center of the world.”

On March 15, 1915 Carl Laemmle (LEM-lee) “officially” opened the

gates of Universal City – though film production on the lot had begun in

1914. Laemmle also established the long-standing tradition of inviting

guests to view the behind-the-scenes work. However, in the 1920s

when “talkies” became the norm, producers were adamant that

the sets be free of visitor’s noise. The Universal Studios Tour was

brought back in 1964.

Universal Studios, with its theme park, is the largest studio/theme

park in the world. In fact, it is so large that it is a city unto itself

with its very own zip code (91608), fire department, hospital,

restaurants, shops and hotels. A person would never have to step

outside the Universal City grounds.

Some of Universal’s most historic or notable films shot on the

backlot are: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), The Phantom

of the Opera (1925), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930),

Psycho (1960), Jaws (1975), Jurassic Park (1993), The Mummy

(1999), War of the Worlds (2005) and The Good German (2006).

OPEN HOUSE SESSIONS

New York Film Academy conducts open houses on the third weekend of each month. These sessions take place at:

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS3801 Barham Blvd., Lakeside PlazaLos Angeles, California 90068T: 818-733-2600

You must RSVP at [email protected] for security purposes.

For more information about open houses,please visit our web site at www.nyfa.edu

New York Film Academy students shooting on the backlot of Universal Studios.


82

THE HOLLyWOOD SIGNThe Hollywood Sign actually started out as an ad for real

estate development. Before its current stage name, it read

“Hollywoodland”. In 1973, the Sign was deemed an official

historical monument.

HOLLyWOOD BLVD.Another famous street where countless movie premieres happen. It is

a great place for shopping, tourism, and spotting a star.

SUNSET BLVD.The nightlife in Hollywood is found on the Sunset Strip. Cruise the

strip and see one of the most heavily and costly advertised streets

in the world.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE The famous stretch of road that follows the ridgeline of the Santa

Monica Mountains. It offers a fabulous view of

Los Angeles.

THE BEACHESRelax at the laid-back Hermosa Pier, take in the scene at Venice

Beach, surf at Huntington or shop at Santa Monica. Each beach

has its own traits and personality and the number of beaches in

Southern California is only matched by their variety. Cruise Pacific

Coast Highway and you can run into all of them.

THINGS TO DO

SANTA MONICA’S THIRD STREET PROMENADEThird Street is a vibrant location only a few blocks from the

famous Santa Monica Pier. The street itself is blocked off

to traffic so plan on walking amongst the crowds that visit

day and night. But coming here is a one-stop shop where

you can watch street performers dazzle crowds, dine at

some of the finest restaurants in the Los Angeles area, take

in a movie at one of its many theatres, dance at a local

club, relax at a local bar, or shop the night away at a myriad

of stores. Some people just come to people-watch.

RODEO DRIVEThe stretch of shops and boutiques on Rodeo Drive is only

three blocks long. It begins at Wilshire Boulevard on the

south, and runs north to Santa Monica Boulevard, where

the commercial section of the street gives way to an affluent

residential neighborhood. But those three short blocks

constitute the most famous shopping district in America,

and probably the most expensive three blocks of shops in

the world.

It is here that the rich & famous do their shopping, and

where tourists window-shop while trying to spot movie stars

on the fabled street.


83

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AMUSEMENT PARKS

EVENT DIRECTORIES

Take a walk on the wild side. Los Angeles was home to the very first amusement park. Now Southern California boasts a collection of some of the most famous Amusement and Theme Parks in the world:

Disneyland – the world’s most famous theme park is right here in Los Angeles backyard.

Disney’s California Adventure – adjacent to Disneyland, it is the newest Disney Park in Southern California.

Magic Mountain – If you’re a thrill seeker, head north and partake in the legendary thrill rides at Magic Mountain.

Knott’s Berry Farm - Thrilling Rides and host of the famous Halloween Haunt-fest, Knott’s Scary Farm.

Pacific Park, Santa Monica – Located on the world famous Santa Monica Pier. A great place to relax and have fun.

Universal Studios Hollywood – Right in the New York Film Academy’s backyard, this is the World’s largest Movie Studio and Theme Park.

Experience LA – The events calendar is updated daily.

www.experiencela.com

Fairplex – home the Los Angles County Fair and more than 300 other events.

www.fairplex.com

LA Times Online Calendar Magazine

www.calendarlive.com

LA Weekly Magazine’s Calendar of Events www.laweekly.com/calendar


MASTER OF FINE ARTS PROGRAMS

filmmakiNg • acTiNg fOR film • PRODuciNg

ScREENwRiTiNg • DOcumENTaRY

ciNEmaTOgRaPHY • PHOTOgRaPHY

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS DEGREE PROGRAM

FILMMAKING

ONE-yEAR PROGRAMS


ScREENwRiTiNg • DOcumENTaRY • ciNEmaTOgRaPHY

EVENiNg filmmakiNg • EVENiNg acTiNg

• EVENiNg aDVaNcED filmmakiNg

• EVENiNg aDVaNcED acTiNg

EVENiNg DOcumENTaRY filmmakiNg • PHOTOgRaPHY

TWO-yEAR FINE ARTS DEGREE PROGRAMS

filmmakiNg • acTiNg fOR film

EIGHT-WEEK WORKSHOPS

FILMMAKING & DIGITAL FILMMAKING

acTiNg fOR film • ScREENwRiTiNg

SIx-WEEK WORKSHOPS


FOUR-WEEK WORKSHOPS

filmmakiNg • DigiTal filmmakiNg • acTiNg fOR film

DIGITAL EDITING

ONE-WEEK WORKSHOPS

DigiTal filmmakiNg • acTiNg fOR film

MUSIC VIDEO

EVENING WORKSHOPS


ScREENwRiTiNg • DigiTal EDiTiNg • PRODuciNg

DISCOUNTED TUITION WORKSHOPS


Programs Available

All degrees are awarded solely by the New York Film Academy’s academic headquarters in Los Angeles, California.

84

NEW YORK CITY

Studying at the Film Academy’s location in New York is like living at

the crossroads of the world. New York City has a way of thrilling

the senses that is as constant and direct as the subways rumbling

beneath its surface. For its size, diversity of landscape, people and culture,

the city is unparalleled. One can hear dozens of different languages, choose

from the cuisine of six continents, and rub shoulders with diplomats,

designers, machinists or musicians on any given day.

All told, New York City, dynamic, rich in layers, always alive, is the perfect

training ground for filmmaking and the related arts. The city challenges and

stimulates students on every shoot, every step of the way.

New York is a city of distinct pieces: the bustling shops of Chinatown and

Spanish Harlem, the stately museums, the neighborhood brownstones.

New York is about neon lights, taxi horns, street music, bookstores,

landscaped parks and ten million inhabitants working together – each as

unique as the next.

Our students shoot in virtually every neighborhood in the city: from SoHo

lofts to East Village bars, from Brooklyn delis to Times Square at rush hour.

Film shoots — student, commercial, and Hollywood — abound in New York.

The support system — production offices, supply houses, actors, theaters,

labs and people — is enormous.

Simply by volume alone, New York is indisputably the greatest center of

independent film production in the world. Like many filmmakers, novelists,

playwrights, and painters, our students find that New York itself helps to

shape their artistic vision. The city is not only a setting for their stories, but

also an active element in the lives of their characters.

CENTRAL LOCATION ENROLLMENT

The New York Film Academy has two facilities in

Manhattan: our headquarters overlooking Union Square

Park in the historic Tammany Hall building on Park

Avenue, and a second facility located in the heart of SoHo

at Prince Street and Broadway. The Academy is easily

accessible to the rest of the city. A short walk takes the

student into the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village,

Tribeca, Little Italy or Times Square. A twenty-minute train

ride brings the student to the door steps of Columbia

University and Harlem, or Chinatown, Coney Island,

Central Park, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Our facilities

provide a haven from the hustle and bustle, and at the

same time, gives students a springboard from which to

dive straight into the thick of the city’s life.

The New York Film Academy’s one and two year

conservatory programs and our short-term workshops

have an open enrollment. Serious students from all

backgrounds are welcome to apply. No previous

experience is required. However, all New York Film

Academy programs are extremely intensive. Students who

enroll should be prepared to live and breathe their work

during the course of their studies. Given the nature of

filmmaking and the necessity of working in crews, students

must be willing to devote themselves not only to their own

projects, but to their classmates’ projects as well.

As space is limited, we recommend early application to

guarantee a place in the program of your choice.

85

NEW YORK CITY

DAILY SCHEDULE

EQUIPMENT

INSTRUCTORS

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Every program is full-time, with classes,

shooting, or project preparation nearly every

day of the week. The schedules are rigorous,

however, students will have the opportunity

to explore the nearly infinite cultural offerings

around town.

Filmmaking students shoot on 16mm, 35mm, HD, and 24p digital video. Producing, Screenwriting, and Acting For Film students all work with digital cameras. All editing in any of the programs and workshops is done digitally using Final Cut Pro on Apple computers.

At all of our locales, our eclectic faculty is

comprised of experienced instructors and

professional filmmakers who have Master of

Fine Arts degrees from the most prestigious

film or acting programs in the United States.

The Academy recognizes that all students

are unique, and want to express themselves

through their own visions. Whether students

are interested in narrative, documentary,

experimental, or music video, our faculty will

do everything possible to nurture and mentor

these future filmmakers.

For dining, film, nightlife, shopping, and museums - the

list goes on - New York ranks number one in the world.

Opportunities for cultural activities are unlimited.

For the film lover, New York is full of mainstream and

independent theaters. Films often debut in the city months

before they appear in theaters in the rest of the country.

New York boasts many of the world’s largest museums,

all located a short subway ride away from the Academy.

Students will dine in the town of innumerable restaurants,

explore the bars and clubs of the West and East Village,

Tribeca, Chelsea, and SoHo, and spend hours perusing

the many art galleries and bookstores that are scattered

throughout the city. Some of the best musicians in the

world, from jazz to alternative to classical, play in New

York. For theater, students have their pick, from opulent

Broadway plays to guerrilla Off-off-Broadway productions.

86

FINAL SCREENINGS & PERFORMANCES

NYC: A FILMMAKING LANDMARK

At the conclusion of all programs, a graduation ceremony

and final presentation of student work is held. Final

Films, Showcase Performances, and Screenplay readings

provide a unique opportunity for family, friends and cast

to see the work students have produced. Students retain

digital master tapes of their film and video work to include

in their portfolios.

FIRST FILM SCREENING IN THE U.S.The first projected motion pictures ever seen in the United

States were shown on the night of April 23rd, 1906 at

Koster and Bial’s vaudeville house, on the site of today’s

Macy’s department store. Thomas Edison himself helped

run the projector.

FIRST LOCATION SHOOT IN NyCThe first movie footage ever shot on location in New York

was filmed at 2pm on May11th, 1896 by William Heise, a

cameraman with the Edison Company, showing 51 seconds

of activity at the corner of Herald Square and 34th Street.

AMERICA’S FIRST MOVIE STUDIOThe first movie studio in America, the Vitagraph Studio on

East 14th Street in Brooklyn, was begun in 1903. Sold to

Warner Brothers in the 1920s, then used by NBC Television

in the 1950s, it was later the home of The Cosby Show and

continues to serve as an active production center to this day.

THE “BIG HOUSE”In 1920, Paramount pictures opened its massive east Coast

studio in Astoria, Queens. Known as the “big house,”

the 14-acre complex contained one of the largest stages

ever built, a fifty seat screening room, and a publicity

department equipped to handle 10,000 stills a day. Used

by U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II, it was

refurbished in the 1970s and 80s, and is known today as

Kaufman Astoria Studios.

NEW yORK CITy’S FEATURE DEBUTThe first modern feature film to be produced as well as filmed in

New York and its surroundings, On the Waterfront stunned the

Hollywood establishment when it won eight Oscars, including

Best Picture, at the 1954 Academy Awards. The following year,

the second New York-produced feature, Marty, also won Best

Picture and three other Oscars.

MARILyN MONROE ON 52ND STREETOn the night of Wednesday, September 15th, 1954, over 1500

onlookers gathered on the corner of 52nd Street and Lexington

Avenue to watch Marilyn Monroe perform her legendary “skirt-

blowing” scene for The Seven Year Itch. The director, Billy Wilder,

required Monroe to repeat the sequence through fifteen takes

before he was satisfied.

SET DECORATIONS BECOME “REAL”In 1987, the tenement building set constructed on a Lower East

Side street for the 1987 film *batteries not included looked so

realistic that sanitation men removed prop garbage cans in front of

the building and passers-by inquired about available apartments;

the accuracy of the coffee shop set built on a Tribeca street corner

for the 1994 film It Could Happen to You, meanwhile, encouraged

several local residents to stop in and ask for a lunch menu.

Location, Location, Location! The city has played the setting of

choice to some of the most popular and most distinguished films

and television shows of all time. It is also home to the largest and

most sophisticated world-class film and television production

centers on the east coast, such as Kaufman Astoria Studios and

Silver Cup Studios located in Queens; and Steiner Studios, at the

site of the historic Brooklyn Navel Yard.

NEW YORK CITY

87

NEW YORK CITY

PARKS

Bet you didn’t know that New York City

is the greenest city in America. NYC

has 52,938 acres of park/open space

out of 197,696 total acres (26.8%).

Central Park, Manhattan’s famed green

oasis, is only number five on the list of

the city’s ten largest parks. There are

more than 750 different native species

of animals and plants throughout the

five boroughs, including the endangered

peregrine falcon, the sharp-shinned

hawk, and white tailed deer.

Central Park and the Bronx’s New

York Botanical Garden offer guided

bird walks, and spring in Queens

brings thousands of migrating shore

birds to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife

Refuge’s 10,000 acres. You are invited

to join New Yorkers who jog, walk,

bike, in-line skate, horseback ride, ice

skate, rent row boats, play basketball,

softball, soccer, tennis, and enjoy

special events and festivals, in the

city’s 1,700 parks and playgrounds.

OPEN HOUSE SESSIONS

New York Film Academy conducts open houses on the third weekend of each month. These sessions take place at:

NEW yORK - Union Square100 East 17th Street New York, NY 10003T: 212-674-4300

For more information about open houses,please visit our web site at www.nyfa.edu

ONE-yEAR PROGRAMS


ScREENwRiTiNg • DOcumENTaRY • muSical THEaTRE

BROaDcaST JOuRNaliSm • 3D aNimaTiON

EVENiNg filmmakiNg • EVENiNg aDVaNcED filmmakiNg

EVENiNg acTiNg • EVENiNg aDVaNcED acTiNg

EVENiNg DOcumENTaRY filmmakiNg • PHOTOgRaPHY CINEMATOGRAPHy

TWO-yEAR PROGRAMS


MUSICAL THEATRE

EIGHT-WEEK WORKSHOPS

filmmakiNg & DigiTal filmmakiNg • acTiNg fOR film

ScREENwRiTiNg • BROaDcaST JOuRNaliSm

SIx-WEEK WORKSHOPS


FOUR-WEEK WORKSHOPS


BROaDcaST JOuRNaliSm • 3D aNimaTiON

DigiTal EDiTiNg • muSical THEaTRE

ONE-WEEK WORKSHOPS

DigiTal filmmakiNg • acTiNg fOR film

MUSIC VIDEO

EVENING WORKSHOPS


ScREENwRiTiNg • DigiTal EDiTiNg • PRODuciNg

BROADCAST JOURNALISM

DISCOUNTED TUITION WORKSHOPS


Programs Available

All degrees are awarded solely by the New York Film Academy’s academic headquarters in Los Angeles, California.

88

General Information

OWNERShIp pOlICY

MEDICAl INSURANCE

All films created at the New York Film Academy are the property of the students who made them. The New York Film Academy reserves the right to make copies of students’ work to use for promotional purposes. Final films and copies of them must include the following credit:

Produced at the New York Film Academy.

As medical costs can be unexpectedly high, the New York Film Academy strongly advises students to have health insurance coverage for the duration of any New York Film Academy Workshop.

Students may choose to find a policy on their own, or they may contact one of the providers below for short-term coverage.

International students traveling to the USA:

US Netcare Health ProgramsWEB: www.usnetcare.com

American students traveling abroad:

Compass Health Insurance PlansWEB: www.isoabroad.com

The New York Film Academy welcomes aspiring filmmakers and actors from all over the world to our hands-on intensive programs. We believe this results in a rich cultural mix of students who learn together and benefit from sharing their ideas. These students often create international networks that extend beyond the course. International students have come to the Academy with support from the Fulbright Foundation, UNICEF, Rotary Foundation and National Arts Funds from their home countries. The Academy has an international multi-lingual staff that is committed to helping students adjust to life in our U.S. locations. The staff is ready to assist students with housing, dining, entertainment, banking, and where to find the best locations to shoot their films. We encourage foreign students who would like to hear more about our programs in their own language to contact the Academy to speak with a staff member or former student.

89

General Information

INTERNATIONAl STUDENTS

hOUSINg INfORMATION

STUDENT VISAS - U.S. PROGRAMSNYFA is authorized under Federal Law to enroll nonimmigrant foreign students. Most students will require the F-1 student visa in order to enter the US to study. We will issue an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 student status to qualified students. The I-20 Certificate is required in order to apply for the student visa at a U.S. Consulate.

To receive an I-20 Certificate, first complete the application for admission. We will then contact you to obtain the information and documents required to issue the I-20. Foreign students must have sufficient English language proficiency and provide documents proving sufficient financial resources for the cost of their tuition and living expenses.

NEW yORK CITyOur NYC Housing Coordinator helps students find safe and convenient accommodations in and around Manhattan.

We have a student residence that is available to our students located a short subway ride from the academy. In addition to offering a community of film academy students, the residence offers many amenities such as 24 hour security, a laundry room, fitness center and private bathrooms. The student residence averages $1600 per month per person for a double occupancy room. The student residence can be set up directly through our New York housing coordinator.

Our housing office can advise your search for a sublet, leased, or shared apartment.The average cost for a furnished room in a shared apartment in New York City ranges

from $850-1700/month per person. Less expensive options can be found if you are willing to live further away and can arrive a week or two early to visit places.

Expect to spend $250 and up per week for food - of course this may vary depending on eating habits.

For any questions regarding housing at the New York City location please call 212-674-4300 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Students should contact our NYC Housing Coordinator as early as possible to avoid last minute unavailability

UNIVERSAL STUDIOSStudents with cars can find a variety of apartments from $700 and up, depending on the length of stay, location, and size of the apartment.

We issue I-20’s quickly, once all admissions requirements and I-20 issuance requirements have been met. The time it takes to apply for a visa at the US Consulate varies in different countries. We recommend that students apply to NYFA 3-6 months prior to the program start date, though later application dates are possible in many cases. Please contact us if you have questions about the time frame to apply to the school or any aspect of the student visa process.

For more information please call and request to speak with an International Student Advisor phone: 212-674-4300 or email us at [email protected].

ALL COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN ENGLISH UNLESS

SPECIFIED OTHERWISE.

Students may find a car to be useful in their productions.

Oakwood Apartments, across the street from Universal Studios, offers one and two-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes. Prices range from $1400 to $3200 and up depending on number of rooms and amenities.

Expect to spend $250 and up per week for food - of course this may vary depending on eating habits.

Students who need help finding suitable housing should contact us at 818-733-2600, or email us at [email protected].

For additional information on finding housing and roommates, you may also visit www.offcampushousing101.com

Please note, housing and food prices are estimates that reflect current cost.

90

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I have no film experience or acting experience. Are these programs for me?A: Yes, our Filmmaking and Acting Programs were designed specifically for individuals with little or no filmmaking or screen acting experience.

Q: How hands-on are the programs?A: Extremely. All classes are designed to be of immediate and practical use. Students shoot film in camera, lighting, and production classes.

Q: Do students edit their films digitally?A: Yes. Students enrolled in all NYFA programs edit on Apple computers with Final Cut Pro.

Q: How much access will I have to equipment?A: With over 300 16mm and digital cameras and 200 Final Cut Pro editing stations, the New York Film Academy maintains the best ratio of equipment to students of any film school in the world.

Q: Where will I live during the course?A: The Film Academy can introduce you to safe, convenient, and affordable accommodations. Contact a Housing Coordinator at the location you want to attend for more details.

Q: Do I own the films I make at the NYFA?A: Students are the sole owners of all the films they make during the program. The Academy, however, reserves the right to make copies of student work for promotional purposes.

Q: What is the minimum age requirement? A: The Film Academy’s courses are extraordinarily intensive, and demand maturity, commitment and dedication. Our year round programs are designed for students 18 years old and up. Students need to be able to work with others and be responsible to them. (In the summer there are special workshops for high school age students ages 14-17 and younger students ages 10-13)

Q: What is the admissions policy at the NYFA?A: There is a rolling admissions policy for all workshops. Applications are accepted throughout the year until the programs are filled. Successful applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma or the equivalent for admittance to all programs and workshops. Applicants to the MFA program must hold a Bachelor’s Degree.

Q: Is college credit available?A: All programs at the New York Film Academy are accredited. Students who fulfill graduation requirements will receive an official transcript that they may use to apply for transfer credit at another institution. Please see page 234 for details.

Q: What is the policy for overseas students?A: The Academy welcomes students from all points on the globe. The diverse background of the Film Academy’s students creates a rich multi-cultural community which promotes the exchange of ideas and viewpoints. The staff is multilingual and ready to assist overseas students.

Q: What is the average day like?A: Students should expect to be busy six days a week. Class days may begin at 9am and end as late as 8:30pm. Production days are typically ten-twelve hours. Additional time will be spent during some evenings for editing.

Q: May I sit in on a class?A: Yes. Our information offices are open Monday through Saturday from 10–6 pm. Call New York Office at 212-674-4300 or L.A. at 818-733-2600, and we will be happy to arrange for you to sit in on a class.

Q: Can I contact a former student?A: We have many former students who will relate their experience at the Academy. Contact our admissions office by phone, fax or email.

Q: Does the Academy provide financial assistance or scholarships?A: Many of our students use a Private Education Loan to cover both tuition and living expenses. You must be accepted into the program before you can apply for a loan. We will guide you through the process. We will expedite any such funds you might find and be eligible for, however, please note we do not process any federal aid at this time. For qualifying students, there is some need-based tuition assistance available. Please contact our financial aid advisor for more information at [email protected] or call 212-674-4300.

91

Accreditation

The New York Film Academy is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) with campuses in New York City and at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California. NASAD is the only accrediting body for visual art programs recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

NASAD is an association of approximately 287 schools of art and design, primarily at the collegiate level, but also including postsecondary non-degree-granting schools for the visual arts disciplines. It is the national accrediting agency for art and design and art and design-related disciplines.

Accreditation signifies that an institution ascribes to, believes in, and has met an external set of basic criteria for the programs it offers. In some cases, accreditation assists in the transfer of credits from one institution to another. In all cases, it indicates that threshold standards are adhered to in a fashion that provides a base of academic strength and operational integrity.

NASAD’s commission on Accreditation has reviewed and approved the following programs currently offered:

AT THE LOS ANGELES CAMPUS:

Master of Fine Arts (2 years): •Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Cinematography, Producing, Screenwriting, Photography

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking (3 years plus summers)•

Associate of Fine Arts (2 years): • Filmmaking, Acting for Film

1 Year Filmmaking•

1 Year Acting for Film•

1 Year Producing for Film and Television•

1 Year Cinematography•

1 Year Screenwriting•

1 Year Documentary Filmmaking•

1 Year Photography•

1 Year Broadcast Journalism•

Short-term workshops•

AT THE NEW yORK CAMPUS:

1 and 2 Year Filmmaking•

1 and 2 Year Acting for Film•

1 Year Producing for Film and Television•

1 Year Cinematography•

1 Year Screenwriting•

1 Year Documentary Filmmaking•

1 Year 3-D Computer Animation•

1 Year Photography•

1 Year Broadcast Journalism•

Short-term workshops•

92


An ideal applicant for the New York Film Academy Master

of Fine Arts programs must demonstrate a sincere passion

for motion picture storytelling, the ability and desire to

collaborate with other artists in a creative environment, and must submit

a creative portfolio (Supporting Materials) that illustrate the applicant’s

ability to undertake graduate level study, accelerated level of talent and

potential for success within the profession.

Candidates for admission to the Master of Fine Arts programs must

possess a Bachelor’s Degree from a post-secondary institution recognized

by the United States Department of Education. No particular major or

minor is required as a prerequisite for admission, but applicants with a

strong background in storytelling, and/or the arts are preferred. While

GPA will be taken into consideration, and is an important component of

the admission’s process, the strength of the candidate’s creative portfolio

is also a significant determining factor for admission. Special attention

will be given to grades assigned in areas of study related to any aspects

of storytelling arts such as the visual arts, creative writing, theater arts,

fine arts, performing arts, and the humanities.

Applicants who wish to pursue a Master of Fine Arts Degree who have

received a Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent degree) from a foreign

institution must submit a credentials comparison evaluation of all

undergraduate work in order to verify their Bachelor’s Degree equivalency.

All transcripts and portfolio materials documenting prior collegiate

experience (including credentials comparison evaluation, if applicable)

will be evaluated by the Academy faculty and Admissions Committee.

ApplYINg fOR ADMISSIONIn addition to the current application form, applicants must submit the

following:

Narrative Statement•

Resume•

Proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL or IELTS score), if •native language is other than English

Supporting Materials (will not be returned; see below)•

Sealed Official Academic Transcripts from Prior Institution(s) • sent directly from the issuing institution to the NYFA Registrar’s Office

Two Letters of Recommendation verifying the applicant’s • ability to undertake graduate study in the field successfully

$50 Non-Refundable Application Fee (Check or money • order only in US dollars made payable to NYFA.)

ENglISh pROfICIENCY REqUIREMENT Since all classes at the New York Film Academy are conducted in English, students must be able to communicate clearly in written and spoken English.

Applicants for whom English is not the first or native language should submit one of the following to verify English proficiency:

An official transcript verifying completion of secondary •

education in which English is the primary language of communication

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 520 or •higher (190 for computer-based test or 68 for internet-based test); IELTS 5.5, or the equivalent

A report from a valid English Language School verifying •completion of course level equivalent to a 520 Paper-based TOEFL Score.

In the case that an applicant does not provide any such documentation, their Admissions Counselor will use a phone interview as an opportunity to determine whether or not the applicant has the necessary English proficiency.

INTERVIEWAs part of the admissions process, MFA applicants may be required

to have an interview by phone or in person with a New York Film

Academy representative. The purpose of the interview is to identify the

applicant’s goals and prior experience. The ideal applicant has a passion

for storytelling, creative expression, and artistic collaboration. The

interview is also an opportunity to review the curriculum of the program

with the applicant and to ensure that s/he fully understands the level of

commitment required to successfully complete the degree.

TRANSCRIpTSTranscripts from prior academic institutions must be sealed official

transcripts sent directly from the institution in question to the New York

Film Academy’s Registrar’s Office. Transcripts, which have been opened,

photocopied, or augmented in any way, will not be accepted as evidence

of prior academic accomplishment. Prospective students who fail to

provide the admissions committee with applicable sealed academic

transcripts will be declined admission to the Academy.

NARRATIVE STATEMENTThe narrative statement shall be a mature and self-reflective essay (2-3

typed pages) detailing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing a degree in the

motion picture arts. The essay should take into account the individual’s

history, formative creative experiences, contemporary influences and

inspirations, and personal artistic dreams.

CREATIVE pORTfOlIO/ SUppORTINg MATERIAlS:Applicants must submit one or two examples of original work that best

demonstrate their talent and ability as creative individuals. All film/

video submissions must be submitted on DVD or hyperlink where the

submission can be viewed, regardless of image capture format (20

minutes maximum). Applicants may also submit supporting materials

such as slides or photographs (10 maximum).

Creative samples are accepted in various stages of development, or as

completed work. Examples of work can range from drawings, conceptual

illustrations, storyboards, designs, photographs, three dimensional models,

or digitally generated images. Students may choose to submit a typed

screenplay or short story (10 page maximum).

While the creative portfolio is normally the primary determining factor

for admission, the New York Film Academy understands that many


Glenn Close with students, after delivering an inspirational talk and Q&A at the New York Film Academy.

93

applicants have attained applicable skills from various professional

experiences in publishing, entertainment law, theater, online

business ventures, architecture, etc. Often, with these applicants, it

is the narrative statement and resume that reveal the most about an

applicant’s qualifications, and potential for success in the program, to

the Admissions Committee.

CREDIT TRANSfER pOlICYIt is the general policy of New York Film Academy Master of Fine Arts

Degree Programs neither to accept transfer credits from other academic

postsecondary institutions, nor to consider prior experiential learning for

application toward any degree or non-degree course of study. Veterans

and other eligible students desiring credit for previous academic work

or training may submit a written request for such credit to the Registrar,

along with any supporting documentation (e.g. transcripts or syllabi.) If

credit is awarded, the length and/or requirements of the program will be

adjusted appropriately, at the Registrar’s discretion, and both the student

and the Department of Veteran Affairs will be notified in writing.

Furthermore, the New York Film Academy makes no representation

whatsoever that credits earned in the Master of Fine Arts Degree

Program or any non-degree program or workshop operated by the

New York Film Academy will be accepted or applied toward the

completion of any degree or certificate by any other postsecondary

institution. The acceptance of transfer credits is always governed by

the receiving school.

BASIS fOR DEClININg ADMISSIONA student will be declined admission to the Academy if the Admissions

Committee determines that he or she does not meet the requirements

of the Admissions Policy, or if no space is available in the Master of

Fine Arts Degree Program. Students who do not speak English will

also be declined admission, given that all instruction is conducted

in English. Students who are unable to meet the financial obligations

of the workshop one month prior to the start date will also be

declined admission.

fINANCIAl AID AND gRANTSFor information on Financial Aid & Grants, please visit our website at www.nyfa.edu

gRADUATION COMMITTEE & gRADUATION pROCESSThe Graduation Committee is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the full body of work of each candidate prior to the awarding of the Master of Fine Arts. The Graduation Committee is appointed by the Director of Education and consists of the New York Film Academy Registrar, the Thesis Committee Chairperson, and several instructors specializing in a diverse range of fields of study applicable to the student’s concentration. That committee ensures that each candidate has been adequately prepared for graduation, the standards of the Academy

have been upheld, and that the awarding of a degree is warranted. The

registrar ensures that the student has fulfilled all financial obligations to

the school and academic requirements for the entire program. Student

transcripts showing the awarding of the MFA degree will be withheld

until the graduate meets all financial obligations.

gRADUATION REqUIREMENTSIn order to graduate, students must successfully complete every

course of study with a passing grade and maintain a cumulative GPA

of a “C” (2.0) or higher. Students must also adhere to the Academy’s

Attendance Policy and Code of Conduct. Additionally, students must

successfully complete and submit all thesis requirements in a timely

manner and receive a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher for their thesis

production requirement.

Satisfactory completion of all semester credits is required for

graduation from a New York Film Academy Master of Fine Art Degree Program. A paid fifth semester may be required to successfully complete semester credits for certain thesis options described in this book. These units satisfy semester contact hour requirements. As this is a post baccalaureate degree program, no general education units are required.

94

纽约电影学院于1992年在Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca 电影中心成立，学校以创新的课程,优秀的获奖教师和专业的设备吸引了大量优秀学子的目光。经过逐年稳健发展，学院现在每年为6000多名学生提供强化型电影制片实践课程和学位课程。我们的经典课程包括：电影制作，影视表演，导演，编剧，新闻学，动画制作，纪录片和电影艺术。

纽约电影学院是纽约州教育部许可院校。我校课程由美国全国艺术与设计学校协会（NASAD）所认可。NASAD是美国教育部授权的对美国所有艺术与设计课程进行认证的权力机构。

学院的规模在逐年扩大,继曼哈顿联合广场和Soho分院之后，又在洛杉矶好莱坞环球影城开办分院。2008年我校与阿拉伯联合酋长国皇储合作，开办了阿布扎比分院。

我们的好莱坞环球影城分院在电影制作，电影表演，导演和编剧专业方面提供艺术类硕士和学士学位课程，其中硕士学位是学生所公认的艺术类专业最高学位。

在夏季期间，学院为大学生提供长期和短期两种课程。我们还有适合中学生（14-17岁）和10-13岁的青少年的课程。我们长期坚持在世界上著名机构、学府举办课程项目，其中包括哈佛大学，佛罗里达迪斯尼，牛津大学，剑桥大学，巴黎大学，耶鲁大学，普林斯顿大学，加州大学洛杉矶分校，韩国科学技术院和葡萄牙的波尔图天主教大学。在2010年夏天，位于西班牙阿里坎特的欧洲最大的电影制片厂Ciudad De La Luz也将开始提供我校课程。

学院还和著名的文化机构合作向社区提供电影艺术教育，这些机构包括古根海姆博物馆，惠特尼，纽约大都会博物馆和洛杉矶当代艺术博物馆。学院还经常为各种组织机构和公司量身设计独具特色的电影制作项目，这些机构包括美国武装部，纽约市立大学系统，SONY动画。

宗教圣地－梵蒂冈的文化部也委托纽约电影学院创办了一个为期两年的电影制作方向艺术类硕士课程，叫做“Filming the Ineffable”。

95

我们的教师都是专业人士，一直以来都受到了学生的极大好评。我们的教师均从纽约大学，哥伦比亚大学, 加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校，南加州大学或者是美国电影学院获得了美术硕士学位。我们教师还持有哈佛大学，耶鲁大学，斯坦福大学哥伦比亚大学或普林斯顿大学的学士学位。

我们一次又一次的被电影业的权威者选中，来把他们的亲人送到我们学院学习。其中包括大导演斯蒂芬·斯皮尔伯格，影帝阿尔·帕西诺, 凯文·克莱恩, 苏珊·萨兰登, 蒂姆·罗宾斯（《肖恩克的救赎》）,小罗伯特·唐尼（《钢铁侠》）,影帝杰米·福克斯, 特里·吉列姆,史蒂芬·弗莱尔斯（《女王》）,吉姆·谢里登（《因父之名》）,乔治·罗梅罗（《活死人之夜》），F·莫里·亚伯拉罕,梅兰尼·格里菲斯,方·基默,朱迪·福斯特,莎朗·斯通,艾米·欧文,皮尔斯·布鲁斯南,鲁卡瑞,彼得·伯格达诺维奇(《最后一场电影》),尚格·云顿,三次获得奥斯卡奖的亚瑟·科恩（《九月的一天》）,夏尔·加索（《遇见百分百巧合爱情》）。

其他业内的领袖和专业人士包括:HBO的记录及家庭节目的总裁谢拉·尼维斯，U2乐队主唱波诺,戴安娜·罗斯（顶尖小组),迪斯尼和皮克斯总裁艾德·卡姆尔,道格·赫尔佐格(MTV频道总裁),星巴克CEO霍华德·舒尔茨,著名时装设计师多纳泰拉·范思哲,《华盛顿邮报》主编本·布莱德利,入主“名人堂”的四分卫丹·马里诺。

我们的学生也有来自舞蹈，医生，教师等背景。为了鼓励有志青年我们还接收了教科文组织和富布赖特基金会资助的学生学习我们的课程。我们学院的学生制作的电影曾在各大国际电影节上放映并获得奖项。我们的表演系毕业生均从事剧院, 电影或电视工作。环球小姐、美国小姐和美国妙龄小姐也出在我们的表演系在读学生名单中。

我们的客座讲师包括：演员凯文·克莱恩（《一条名叫旺达的鱼》《冒牌总统》）；女演员格伦·克洛斯（《危险关系》《致命诱惑》）；编剧大卫·凯普（《侏罗纪公园》《夺宝奇兵》）；编剧/导演保罗·哈吉斯（《撞车》《百万美元宝贝》）；剧作家保罗·施拉德（《愤怒的公牛》《出租汽车司机》）；导演布莱特·拉特纳（《尖峰时刻1，2&3》《X战警3》）导演乔·舒马赫（《永远的蝙蝠侠》《狙击电话亭》）；制片人芭芭拉·德·菲纳（《好家伙》《恐怖角》）；制片人泰德·霍普（《冰风暴》《不伦之恋》）；演员乔恩·沃伊特（《午夜牛郎》《造雨人》；演员马修·莫迪恩（《全金属外壳》《嫁入黑帮》）；演员加布里埃尔·拜恩（《非常嫌疑犯》《米勒交叉口》）；剪辑师塞尔玛·斯库马克（《无间行者》《愤怒的公牛》）；导演米拉·奈尔（《季风婚宴》《密西西比风情画》）。

约纽电影学院简介

http://www.nyfa.edu

(中国办事处)

联系人: Joy Zhu

电话: 010-59693956 010-59693957

电邮: [email protected]

获取更多的信息请登录我们的网站

96

Dates & Tuition

Please Note: Completion dates may vary depending on the production and post-production schedule of students thesis projects. Students’ individual productions require additional expenses. This will vary depending on the complexity of the production and format (16mm, 35mm, DV, or HD)Holiday Recess for New York City and Universal Studios, Los Angeles: Dec 18, 2010 - Jan 2, 2011; Dec 17, 2011 - Jan 2, 2012; Dec 22, 2012 - Jan 6, 2013.

Master of Fine Arts in PhotographyPlease note, students will also incur additional expenses on their own productions.

yEAR ONE (Universal Studios, California & New York City)Sep 8, 2010 - May 14, 2011 (Break: Dec 18 - Jan 2)

yEAR TWO (ONLY at Universal Studios, California)Jul 6, 2011 - Mar 17, 2012 (Break: Oct 30 - Nov 8)

Tuition: $13,000 per semesterEquipment Fee: $2,000 per semester

Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting Tuition: $12,500 per semester

yEAR ONE (Universal Studios, California & New York City)Sep 10, 2010 - May 14, 2011 (Break: Dec 18 - Jan 2)Jan 7, 2011 - Aug 27, 2011 (Break: Apr 30 - May 8 )Sep 9, 2011 - May 12, 2012 (Break: Dec 17 - Jan 2)

yEAR TWO (ONLY at Universal Studios, California)Jul 8, 2011 - Mar 17, 2012 (Break: Oct 30 - Nov 8)Oct 7, 2011 - Jun 16, 2012 (Break: Feb 11 - Feb 19)Jul 6, 2012 - Mar 16, 2013 (Break: Oct 27 - Nov 4)

Master of Fine Arts in Producing Tuition: $15,000 per semester

yEAR ONE (Universal Studios, California & New York City)Sep 10, 2010 - May 14, 2011 (Break: Dec 18 - Jan 2)Oct 15, 2010 - Jun 25, 2011 (Break: Feb 19 - Feb 27)Jan 7, 2011 - Aug 27, 2011 (Break: Apr 30 - May 8 )Sep 9, 2011 - May 12, 2012 (Break: Dec 17 - Jan 2)Oct 14, 2011 - Jun 23, 2012 (Break: Feb 18 - Feb 26)

yEAR TWO (ONLY at Universal Studios, California)Jul 8, 2011 - Mar 17, 2012 (Break: Oct 30 - Nov 8)Jul 8, 2011 - Mar 17, 2012 (Break: Oct 30 - Nov 8)Oct 7, 2011 - Jun 16, 2012 (Break: Feb 11 - Feb 19)Jul 6, 2012 - Mar 16, 2013 (Break: Oct 27 - Nov 4)Jul 6, 2012 - Mar 16, 2013 (Break: Oct 27 - Nov 4)

Master of Fine Arts in Cinematography Tuition: $15,000 per semesterEquipment Fee: $2,000 per semester

Please note, students will also incur additional expenses on their own productions. This varies depending on how much film they shoot and scale of the projects.

yEAR ONE (Universal Studios, California & New York City)Sep 10, 2010 - Jun 11, 2011 (Break: Dec 18 - Jan 2)Jan 7, 2011 - Sep 24, 2011 (Break: Apr 30 - May 8 )

yEAR TWO (ONLY at Universal Studios, California)Sep 9, 2011 - Jun 9, 2012 (Break: Dec 17 - Jan 2)Jan 6, 2012 - Sep 22, 2012 (Break: Apr 28 - May 6)

Tuition: $12,500 per semester

yEAR ONE (Universal Studios, California & New York City)

Sep 8, 2010 - May 14, 2011 (Break: Dec 18 - Jan 2)Oct 13, 2010 - Jun 25, 2011 (Break: Feb 19 - Feb 27)Jan 5, 2011 - Aug 27, 2011 (Break: Apr 30 - May 8 )Sep 7, 2011 - May 12, 2012 (Break: Dec 17 - Jan 2)Oct 12, 2011 - Jun 23, 2012 (Break: Feb 18 - Feb 26)

yEAR TWO (ONLY at Universal Studios, California)

Jul 6, 2011 - Mar 17, 2012 (Break: Oct 30 - Nov 8)Jul 6, 2011 - Mar 17, 2012 (Break: Oct 30 - Nov 8)Oct 5, 2011 - Jun 16, 2012 (Break: Feb 11 - Feb 19)Jul 5, 2012 - Mar 16, 2013 (Break: Oct 27 - Nov 4)Jul 5, 2012 - Mar 16, 2013 (Break: Oct 27 - Nov 4)

Master of Fine Arts in Acting for Film

yEAR ONE (Universal Studios, California & New York City)Sep 10, 2010 - Aug 13, 2011 (Break: Dec 18 - Jan 2)Oct 14, 2010 - Sep 17, 2011 (Break: Feb 26 - Mar 6)Jan 6, 2011 - Dec 10, 2011 (Break: May 7 - May 22 )Sep 8, 2011 - Aug 11, 2012 (Break: Dec 17 - Jan 2)

yEAR TWO (ONLY at Universal Studios, California)Oct 6, 2011 - Sep 15, 2012 (Break: Mar 10 - Mar 18)Oct 6, 2011 - Sep 15, 2012 (Break: Mar 10 - Mar 18)Feb 9, 2012 - Jan 26, 2013 (Break: Jun 30 - Jul 8)Oct 4, 2012 - Sep 21, 2013 (Break: Mar 9 - Mar 17)

Master of Fine Arts in FilmmakingPlease note, students will also incur additional expenses on their own productions. This varies depending on how much film they shoot and scale of the projects.

Tuition: $15,000 per semesterEquipment Fee: $2,000 per semester

TEA

R H

ERE

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY | 100 UNIVERSAL CITY PLAZA DRIVE, BLDG 9128, STE 179, UNIVERSAL CITY, CA 91608 | TEL: 818-733-2600 | FAX: 818-733-4074

97

Payment by Check / Money Order / Credit CardAttach the check or money order to this form (skip if paying by credit card)

Check No.: Amount: $

Please make your check or money order, in U.S. dollars, payable to: The New York Film Academy, LTD.

Please call at 818-733-2600 to make a payment by credit card.

ADMISSION CHECKLIST

PAyMENT

ALL APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS TO THE OFFICE OF ADMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION.

Admission Checklist/ Admission Fee

Complete Section 1, 2, and 3: Application for Admission

Complete Section A: Transcript Request Form

Complete Section B: Creative Supplements

Narrative Statement

Creative Portfolio

Complete Section C: Letter of Recommendation Form

Supporting Documents: Resume

TOEFL Score for International Students (May be sent separately) (Code: 6857)

Send your completed application for admission to:

New York Film Academy Office of Admissions 100 Universal City Plaza Bldg. 9128, Suite 179 Universal City, CA 91608

The application fee is non-refundable. You may pay by check, money order, wire transfer or credit card.

U.S. Residents: $50.00 USDInternational Students: $50.00 USD

If you already applied online and paid the application fee of

$50, please note when payment and online application

was submitted:MM / DD / YYYY

Details regarding payment schedule will be sent with acceptance notification. For a copy of the NYFA rules and regulations, and the refund policy, please contact the admissions office.

The New York Film Academy reserves the right to dismiss students from programs for poor conduct, poor attendance, lack of preparation, if they present a threat to themselves or others, or if they cause a disruption of any kind.

HOW DID yOU LEARN ABOUT THE NEW yORK FILM ACADEMy?

ADS (WHERE)

SEARCH ENGINES (PLEASE CIRCLE): GOOGLE YAHOO ASK MSN BING OTHER SEARCH ENGINE:

FRIEND

TEACHER, AGENT, OR COUNSELOR

NYFA STUDENTS BROCHURE

FAIR OTHER:

COLLEGE TV SPOT NYFA CAFÉ WEBSITE:

FLYER (WHERE) POSTER (WHERE)


MASTER Of fINE ARTS ApplICATION Admission Checklist / Admission Fee


TEAR

HER

E

98

1

IMPORTANT: PLEASE INDICATE START DATE AND PROGRAMSEP 2010OCT 2010

JAN 2011SEP 2011OCT 2011

MFA IN FILMMAKING MFA IN ACTING FOR FILMMFA IN PRODUCING MFA IN CINEMATOGRAPHYMFA IN SCREENWRITING MFA IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Student’s Name*1.

Maiden/other name(s) you use2.

Email Address Birth Date / /3.

Current Mailing Address - Please be sure this is as complete as possible4.

Telephone Number Secondary Number5.

Birthplace - City State Country6.

Gender: Male Female7.

Marital Status: Married Single8.

9.

I request assistance with housing 10.

Check the box that best describes your citizenship/residency.11.

Do you plan to apply for the F-1 student visa to enter the US? Yes No12.

Are you in the US as an F-1 student and plan to transfer your I-20 to NYFA? Yes No

Will you be in the US in another immigration status other than F-1 student and do not require an I-20 Certificate? Yes No

Permanent or foreign mailing address (if different from current). International students must provide an overseas address13.

What is your native spoken language14.

LAST (FAMILY) FIRST MIDDLE

STREET ADDRESS

CITY STATE OR PROVINCE ZIP/POSTAL CODE COUNTRY NAME

COUNTRY

COUNTRY

MM / DD / YYYY

I am a citizen of the United States. (If you check this box, skip to question 15)

I am a permanent resident of United States and a citizen of

I am an international student and a citizen of

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLy

CONTACT THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE AT [email protected] WITH ANy QUESTIONS. APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION WILL BE DECIDED WITHOUT REGARD TO IMMIGRATION STATUS.* International students must apply using full name as it appears on your passport.

The MFA degree programs are offered at our Los Angeles Campus at Universal Studios. If you are planning to complete a year of course work first in a One-Year non-degree program at our New York City Campus, please indicate here:

MASTER Of fINE ARTS ApplICATION PAGE 1 OF 3


TEA

R H

ERE


99

2

High School Level - School History 15.

Your school’s CEEB Code*

Name of School at which you earned High School diploma or foreign equivalency

City, state or province, and country, if not US

Dates attended (mo/yr) From - To

Date of conferred diploma (mo/yr)

Your school’s CEEB Code*

Name of School at which you earned High School diploma or foreign equivalency

City, state or province, and country, if not US

Dates attended (mo/yr) From - To

Date of conferred diploma (mo/yr)

*College Board codes are needed when you send score reports to college. To find your CEEB code, please visit: https://www1.wnec.edu/admissions/ceeb/index.cfm

Post-Secondary Level - List ALL colleges and universities attended, in chronological order. 16. International Students should include any ESL programs, if applicable.

Have you ever been subject to serious disciplinary action or been dismissed from school Yes No17.

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Yes No18.

Emergency Contact19.

Emergency Contact20.

1)NAME OF COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL CODE

CITY STATE OR PROVINCE

COUNTRY DEGREE RECEIVED (OR EXPECTED)

START (MM/YY) END (MM/YY) MAJOR

2)NAME OF COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL CODE

CITY STATE OR PROVINCE

COUNTRY DEGREE RECEIVED (OR EXPECTED)

START (MM/YY) END (MM/YY) MAJOR

I have attended additional schools (attach on separate sheet if necessary)

LAST (FAMILY) NAME FIRST NAME RELATIONSHIP

ADDRESS CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS

LAST (FAMILY) NAME FIRST NAME RELATIONSHIP

ADDRESS CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS

Student’s Name LAST (FAMILY) FIRST MIDDLE

Birth Date / / Email Address MM / DD / YYYY

Today’s Date ( MM / DD / YYYY)




TEAR

HER

E

100

3



Today’s Date ( MM / DD / YYYY )

Is there any health problem that NYFA should know about? No Yes 21. (Have your physician contact us)

HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY GROUP/POLICY #

We strongly advise students to acquire health insurance coverage, please contact us for more information.

List names of two persons who will serve as reference 22.

NAME TITLE

ADDRESS

NAME TITLE

ADDRESS

Applicant SignatureI certify that the information I have provided on this application is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that all documents that I send to The New York Film Academy become the property of The New York Film Academy and will not be returned to me or duplicated for any purpose. I agree that, if I am admitted to The New York Film Academy, my admission is contingent upon verification of official records from the institutions I have attended and upon satisfactory completion of all course work prior to enrolling at The New York Film Academy. All dates, locations, schedule, curriculum, and tuition are subject to change. The New York Film Academy reserves the right to use a student’s name, likeness or films in brochures, advertising, the web, and in any other promotional materials or for educational purposes. Students may request that their studies and course work be considered for transfer credit, an award of credit, or degree by the New York Film Academy’s west coast headquarters at Universal Studios, California. To qualify, students must meet all admissions criteria, standards of course work, attendance, and the course of study must have been deemed equivalent to an approved course at the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios, California.

The New York Film Academy reserves the right to dismiss students from programs for poor conduct, poor attendance, lack of preparation, if they present a threat to themselves or others, or if they cause a disruption of any kind.

SIGNATURE DATE



TEA

R H

ERE

101

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY | 100 UNIVERSAL CITY PLAZA, BLDG 9128, STE 179, UNIVERSAL CITY, CA 91608 | TEL: 818-733-2600 | FAX: 818-733-4074

A

STUDENTSFill out this form completely and ask the registrar of the school where you earned your diploma (or last attended) to attach the form to your official transcript and send it to:

New York Film Academy Office of Admissions 100 Universal City Plaza Bldg. 9128, Suite 179 Universal City, CA 91608

We suggest that you make a copy of this page in case you need to submit multiple transcripts.

Please submit a transcript for all Undergraduate and Graduate work you have completed. If you did not earn a degree at a particular college, you must still submit a transcript of whatever coursework you did complete. A Bachelor’s degree or higher is required for consideration for acceptance into the Master of Fine Arts Program. If you attended a foreign university, your degree(s) must be equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor’s Degree.


Birth Date / / E-Mail Address MM / DD / YYYY

Today’s Date (MM / DD / YYYY )

I am applying to NYFA for: SEP 2010 JAN 2011

OCT 2010 SEP 2011

OCT 2011

The transcript includes the following: Undergraduate Course Work Graduate Course Work

Name of School sending transcripts

Address of School sending transcripts

STREET ADDRESS CITY

STATE COUNTRY, IF NOT U.S. ZIP CODE

APPLICANT SIGNATURE DATE


MASTER Of fINE ARTS ApplICATION TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM

TEAR

HER

E


B



Today’s Date (MM /DD /YYYY)

A. NARRATIVE STATEMENTThe narrative statement shall be a mature and self-reflective essay (Maximum of 3 typed pages) detailing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing a degree in the motion picture arts. The essay should take into account the individual’s history, formative creative experiences, contemporary influences and inspirations, and personal artistic dreams.

B. CREATIVE PORTFOLIOApplicants must submit one or two examples of original work that best demonstrate their talent and ability as creative individuals. All film/video submissions must be submitted on VHS videotape or DVD, regardless of image capture format (20 minutes maximum). Applicants may also submit supporting materials such as slides or photographs (10 maximum).

Creative samples are accepted in various stages of development, or as completed work. Examples of work can range from drawings, conceptual illustrations, storyboards, designs, photographs, three dimensional models, or digitally generated images. Students may choose to submit a typed screenplay or short story (10 page maximum).

While the creative portfolio is normally the primary determining factor for admission, the NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY understands that many applicants have attained applicable skills from various professional experiences in publishing, entertainment law, theater, online business ventures, architecture, etc. Often, with these applicants, it is the narrative statement and resume that reveal the most about an applicant’s qualifications, and potential for success in the program, to the Admissions Committee.

1. Submission Type: Film/ Video Slide/ Photos Screenplay Other

Title

Description

If Film / Video Submission, Type: DVD VHS Running Time

1. Submission Type: Film/ Video Slide/ Photos Screenplay Other

Title

Description

If Film / Video Submission, Type: DVD VHS Running Time

MASTER Of fINE ARTS ApplICATION NARRATIVE STATEMENT & CREATIVE PORTFOLIO


TEA

R H

ERE

103


NEW yORK FILM ACADEMy - LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FORM

To Applicant:Applicants to the NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY MFA programs must submit a minimum of 2 letters of recommendation verifying the applicant’s ability to undertake graduate study in the field successfully. Letters must be submitted directly to the admissions department from the individual writing on the applicants behalf. Letters received by the admissions department must be sealed and stamped. Provide a copy of this form to each individual writing you a letter of recommendation.

To Recommender:Please attach this form to your letter of recommendation. Attaching this form to recommendations will help to ensure that your letters are matched up with the appropriate application. Letters received by the admissions department must be sealed, stamped and sent directly from the recommender.

RECOMMENDER NAME

OCCUPATION

TITLE

RELATION TO APPLICANT

Please address your letter of recommendation as follows:

New York Film AcademyOffice of Admissions100 Universal City PlazaBldg. 9128, Suite 179Universal City, CA 91608

C



Today’s Date (MM /DD /YYYY)


MASTER Of fINE ARTS ApplICATION LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FORM

104

Instructors

JERRY SHERLOCKPresident and Founder Executive Producer, Hunt for Red October. Independent producer: Universal, EMI, Disney, Tristar, NBC, Paramount, United Artists. Produced Lolita on Broadway with Donald Sutherland.

MICHAEL J. YOUNGProvost, Director of EducationBA, Harvard University, magna cum laude; MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Student Academy Award finalist. Award-winning film McJew screened at festivals internationally, including Oberhausen, Cinema Du Reel, Clermont-Ferrand, Tel-Aviv, Ann Arbor, et al. NEA grant Scorsese post-production award. Founding faculty of NYFA.

DAVID KLEINSenior DirectorMFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts; BS, Tufts University, magna cum laude. Awarded Tisch Excellence in Producing Award. Winner of Warner Bros. Production Award for To Dye For. Wrote and directed numerous other projects including the award-winning short film Gone With the Moon.

DAN MACKLERDirector NyFA at Universal StudiosMFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts; BA, Dartmouth College. Russian film scholar, consulted on Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. Director, feature film The Karaoke King.

SONNY CALDERON Chair of Screenwriting, Universal StudiosMFA, USC Graduate Screenwriting Program. Has developed several projects at major studios and production companies, including Disney, Fox and CubeVision. Writer/Producer of many award-winning Internet-based branded entertainment pieces, including “The Chase” starring Hilary Duff.

NORA STONEChair of Acting, Universal StudiosBA, University of California at Santa Barbara, Magna cum Laude. Dramatic Arts/English Literature. Acted for numerous film, television and theater projects, including several recurring roles on Days of Our Lives. Founder of renowned InStone Actors Studio. Directed numerous industry showcases.

BENJAMIN MORGANDirector of High School Program at Universal StudiosMFA, Stanford University, magna cum laude; BA, with Honors USC. Thesis film has appeared in festivals worldwide and on cable television.

CLAUDE KERVENDirecting, Student AdvisorMFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts; BA, University of Buffalo. Directed over 25 shorts for Saturday Night Live. Director for Afterschool Specials, Birthday Boy, Candy Store, and the David Brenner Show. Co-wrote Mortal Thoughts, starring Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Harvey Keitel.

ANITA TOVICHChair/Director, Producing DepartmentDirector, Industry Speaker SeriesBFA Carnegie-Mellon University. Producer, Emmy Award Winning Nick News. Segment Director for Dr. Phil show.

LYDIA CEDRONEChair of Producing, Universal StudiosMBA, NYU; BA, Boston College. Producer, two feature films, including a 2009 MGM release. Managed development and production spending at The Walt Disney Co and Trimark Pictures. Two-year tenure with Michael Mann, overseeing film spending on ALI and production company operations.

MICHAEL UNGERDirecting, Chair Filmmaking ProgramMFA, Columbia University; BA, Brown University. Short films screened internationally. Feature film, Gravity.

GLENN KALISONChair, Acting Department Acting for Film, Scene StudyMFA, UC Irvine. Films: Robert De Niro’s The Good Shepherd; TV: Law & Order, Law & Order: CI, Mercy (NBC Pilot), Lights Out (FX), As the World Turns (CBS), Guiding Light (CBS); Theatre: many Off-Broadway and regional productions. Founding member Coyote Rep.

ANDREA SWIFTChair of Documentary ProgramMFA, Columbia University. Directed, Executive Produced Emmy-nominated PBS documentary newsmagazine series, In the Life. Writer, Director of the short film, Company. Director, Producer, Editor of the internationally-aired documentary and multi award-winning DEAFSMITH a nuclear folktale.

ELLI VENTOURASAcademic DeanMFA, Parsons School of Design; M.A., New York Institute of Technology, summa cum laude. Award winning film Voices screened internationally at Golden Gate Documentary Film Festival in San Francisco, Festival Du Cinema de Bruxelles, Miami Short Film Festival, and Barcelona Short Film Festival. Voices was also Semifinalist at Boston Motion Picture Awards.

JOHN TERREYChair of Filmmaking, Universal StudiosMFA in directing from American Film Institute. Received Panavision New Filmmaker Grant. Worked extensively on independent features with actors such as Donnie Wahlberg, Rose McGowan, Stacey Keach, Moira Kelly and Sean Astin.

VP BOYLEChair, Musical Theatre & Film ConservatoryVP is a top Broadway audition coaches in New York City, creator of The Musical Theatre Forum, a professional casting workshop, and author of Audition Freedom: The Irreverent Wellness Guide for Theatre People. Broadway/Tours: Scarlet Pimpernel, Sunset Boulevard.

ADAM MOOREChair Games Program, ScreenwritingMFA Screenwriting, American Film Institute. BFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Co-founder of FAIRTRADE FILMS, an intellectual property and content creation company known for innovative and visionary concepts for comic books, video games, film and television.

JOHN LOUGHLINChair, CinematographyMFA,Cinematography and Directing fellow at AFI. BA, Film/Video at University of Michigan. Director of Photography on independent features, commercials, music videos, shorts. Writing assistant to Barry Gifford. Editor for Creative Arts.

SAVAS ALATIS Chair, CinematographyGraduate SVA BFA, Producer, Assistant Camera, 12 feature films, 500 TV Commercials, numerous Documentaries and Music Videos. DP Cinematographer, Commercials, Documentaries, and Short Films.

GEOFFRAY BARBIERDirector of OperationsSegment Line Producer HBO’s Addiction. Director, music videos for Shivaree & Elliot Murphy. Producer Behind the Scenes for Def Jam, NIKE, V2, and Universal.

ALLEN TAYLOR Producing, Entertainment AccountingTwenty-five year veteran studio production controller and accountant with over twenty-five feature film credits.

MICHAEL LAIBSONActing for FilmBA, UCLA. Executive Producer of soaps including Guiding Light, Another World, and As the World Turns.

RANDALL DOTTINDirecting, ScreenwritingMFA, Columbia University. Writer/Director of Student Academy and DGA winning film A-Alike, Writer/Director Fox Searchlab film Lifted, Director of Sloan Feature Film Grant recipient, Indelible.

RICHARD SHORE ASCDirector’s Vision, CinematographyM.A. in Cinema from USC. Winner of 3 Emmies. His credits include: Night of the Dark Shadows, Bang the Drum Slowly, In the American Grain, The Responsive Eye, and Three Women Alone. He has also been Director of Photography on hundreds of commercials, documentaries, educational and scientific films.

MELANIE ASHLEYScene Study, MonologuesMFA, University of North Carolina.

PAUL WARNERDirectingBA, Harvard University; MFA, American Film Institute. Princess Grace Award, Ashley Amulis Fellowship for directing. Feature film, Fall Time, Winner of the Cine Golden Eagle

TASSOS RIGOPOULOSDirectingMFA, UT Austin, Writer/Director/Editor of Features, Shorts, Documentaries, TV Series, Commercials, and Corporate Videos. Student Emmy Award Winner.

CAROL MAYESDirectingMFA, AFI; BA, Princeton University. Writer/Director of award winning films including, Commitments, Rituals, and Tendrils. Student Oscar Finalist, CINE Golden Eagle Winner, Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Award for Best Short Film.

MATTHEW KOHNENCinematographyMFA, USC. Award-winning cinematographer of feature films, documentaries, and television.

MISTI B. WILLS SpeechMember of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and holds an MA in Theater Education. Directing credits include Off-Broadway: In Search of Euphoria at New World Stages, Off-Off Broadway: Songs for a New World, A Thing of Beauty, Afterlight, and The Imaginary Invalid. Acting credits include Sex and the City the Movie.

RUSTY LEMORANDEProducingExecutive producer, Caddyshack. Producer, the Academy-Award-winning musical, Yentl. Writer and producer for various projects at Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros, Turner and MGM for stars including Madonna, Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand, Francis Coppola & George Lucas.

PAUL BROWNProducing, ScreenwritingWriter and Producer of numerous shows including The X-Files, Quantum Leap, Twilight Zone, Enterprise, Star Trek Voyager. Three time Emmy Award nominee.

THOM RIVERAScene StudyTheatre - Roundabout, MTC, Acting Company, Culture Project, Working Theater & EST. Oregon Shakespeare, Yale Repertory, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Denver Center, South Coast Repertory, Mark Taper, Dallas Theater Center, St. Louis Repertory, Cincinnati Playhouse, Triad Stage, Colorado Shakespeare, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts. TV - Law & Order: Prime & CI, As the World Turns.

MICHAEL BESMANProducingFormer production executive for Paramount, VP for Guber-Peters, and Executive VP for Sony Pictures; supervised Batman, Jumanji, Sleepless in Seattle, As Good As it Gets; Co-Produced Georgia Rule; produced About Schmidt and Bounce; executive produced Seven Years in Tibet.

Instructors

MELANIE WILLIAMS ORAMDirecting, WritingMFA, Columbia University; B.A., Harvard University, cum laude. Peabody Award, HBO 90-minute documentary, Dare To Compete. Emmy Award, HBO series Real Sports.

LIz FOLEYProducingMFA Columbia University with Honors; BA Smith College Director, Writer and or Producer of numerous film and television productions including Funny Peculiar, Ode to Joy, and The It Factor.

LANRE OLABISIActing for FilmMFA City College of New York; BA University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor; Writer/Director of the award winning feature film August the First, screened at 30 film festivals around the world, including The South By Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) and The Karlovy Vary Film Festival. The latest award winning screenplay, Highway to Nowhere has been optioned and is currently in development.

BRYAN NORTONDirectingMFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts; BA, Sarah Lawrence.

SOL NEGRIN ASC Advanced Camera & LightingInstructor, New York University. President, New York Cinematographers Union. Some of his credits include: Robocop, Superman, Coming to America, The Kojak TV Series.

NORMAN SCHWARTzDirecting Actors, Acting for FilmMember of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, founding artistic director of the Santa Barbara Actors Theater in California, he studied acting with Sanford Meisner, directing with Haig Manoogian.

RON STACKER THOMPSONScreenwritingProducer, A Rage In Harlem, Deep Cover, The Cemetery Club, Sister Act 2 and Hoodlum. Has worked with Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Ellen Burstyn, Danny Glover, Christina Ricci, Jeff Goldblum and Andy Garcia.

ANNA M. CIANCIULLIMeisner TechniqueEditor, Sanford Meisner’s On Acting, Italian Edition. Nominated Best Actress, International Festival of Cinema and Technology. Artistic Director of La Bottega dell’Arte. Numerous leading roles on New York stage and film.

MICHELLE POTTERFJazz & Theatre Dance BFA, Dance, Missouri State University. Broadway: Chicago (Go-to-Hell Kitty, Roxie Hart, Dance Captain with Ann Reinking). Other credits include: Crazy For You (International tour), The Will Rogers Follies (National Tour), Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney World.)

ERICK BUCKLEYVoice Broadway credits: The Addams Family, Les Miserables (Marius, Jean Valjean),The Full Monty (Dave), Kiss Me Kate (Gangster #1), The Phantom of the Opera (Piangi), Grease! (Roger).

THOM CHRISTOPHER WARRENHistory of Musical TheatreBroadway: Once Upon A Mattress, The Lion King (Ed), National Tours: Copacabana, Barry Manilow’s Harmony, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Lion King (Zazu).

DEIDRE GOODWINJazz & Theatre Dance Broadway credits: Nine (Our Lady of the Spa), Jesus Christ Superstar (Soul Girl), Chicago (Velma Kelly), A Chorus Line (Sheila Bryant), Never Gonna Dance, The Boys from Syracuse, The Rocky Horror Show, and Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life. Film credits: Chicago, Half Nelson, Fair Game, Rabbit Hole, Across the Universe, It’s Complicated, and Every Little Step.

LARRY LEAHYDirectingMFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Wrote and directed the feature film Confessions of a Hitman. Has worked with Director’s such as Sam Mendes, Robert Zemeckis and James L. Brooks.

BEN MARANISSScreenwritingMFA, University of Southern California

AARON GALLIGAN-STIERLEActingMFA in Acting from Penn State.Broadway: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Ragtime. International/National Tours: Cinderella with Lea Salonga. 3 Seasons at Utah Shakespearean Festival. BFA in Acting from Shenandoah University.

PABLO BERGERDirectingMFA, NYU, Tisch School of Arts. Writer/Director Torremolinos 73, Snowhite.

TOM HAMMOCK ProducingMFA, AFI; BA, UC Berkeley. Has won various awards for production design including Angeles Award Production Design at Cannes, Sundance, Palm Springs, Venice, AFI Fest. Worked as production designer on numerous feature films including: The Iceman Chronicles, Weren’t You Mitchy Cook?.

LEA BRANDENBURGActing for FilmBA, University of Illinois. Actor in films and theater including Julie Johnson with Lili Taylor and Earthy Possessions for HBO with Susan Sarandon.

FREDERICK WEDLERProducing, Line ProducingBFA, Pennsylvania State University. Line Producer, Napoleon Dynamite and Unrest. Producer, Nailed. Produced the short film Ocha Cups For Christmas, selected at over thirty film festivals and won 8 awards.

ADAM NIMOYDirectingDirector, NYPD Blue, The Practice, and The Gilmore Girls. Co-wrote, directed and performed in Art of the Brain.

MICHAEL R. MILLER EditingA.C.E. Edited Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, Ghost World, and Patty Hearst. Assistant editor for Woody Allen on Manhattan and Stardust Memories.

SUzANNE KENTActing for FilmFounding member of Groundlings. Feature roles History of the World, The Boost, The Man Who Loved Women; Television roles include Angela in Taxi, Mrs. Rene in Pee Wee, recurring roles in Curb Your Enthusiasm, 7th Heaven, and St. Elsewhere. Voice roles in Rugrats and Wild Thornberrys.

ROBERT PIETRIDirecting, Editing, NYU Graduate Film BFA, Carnegie-Mellon. Fox Searchlab New Directors program.

LONNIE DEAN HALOUSKAProducingAn entertainment, media and telecommunications transactional lawyer and business consultant. Producer of numerous television commercials. Has worked for CBS, ABC, Warner Bros., Republic Pictures and Telecommunications, Inc.

DAVID VANDOShakespeareScholarship student at Columbia University, BS Contemporary Literature, MFA Playwriting, Folger Library Fellowship in Shakespearean Studies recipient, Forest Robert’s International Playwriting Prize winner, whose theatre works have been performed in Europe as well as America. Published works include, The Mask and The Mirror, an anthology of three plays, and Shakespeare for the 21st Century going into its second edition.

JENN COLELLAMusical Theatre Performance MFA in Acting, UC Irvine. Broadway credits: High Fidelity, Urban Cowboy (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, Outstanding Leading Actress). Off-Broadway: Beebo Brinker Chronicles (title role, Lily Tomlin-producer), Slut, and Don’t Quit Your Night Job.

CRICKETT RUMLEYWriting MFA, Columbia University. Studied under screenwriting legend William Goldman.

NICK SIVAKUMARANDirectingMFA, USC. Director, Diwali, Director’s Guild of America Student Film Award, Kodak’s Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the 2002 Cannes International Film Festival.

DYLAN KIDDDirecting MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Writer/Director, Roger Dodger, Ian’s Ghost. Winner Bronze Award, Houston Worldfest. Finalist Award, USA fest. Artistic Achievement in Short Film Award Huntington Int’l Film Festival.

JEN NAILSText Analysis, ImprovisationMFA in Creative Writing from The New School University. BFA in Theater from CU Boulder. As an actor, she’sperformed comedy all over the US and at festivals in Zimbabwe, Canada, the Netherlands, and Scotland, and has appeared in dozens of television commercials. As a writer, she’s worked for Nickelodeon, the Oxygen Network, and Time Out New York Kids. Her first novel, Next to Mexico, was published in the fall of 2008.

KRISTY CATESMusical Theatre Performance BFA Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, recipient of the Laurie Beechman Scholarship Award. Broadway credits: Wicked (Elphaba in the first National Tour and Chicago productions, original B’way cast), world premier of Unbeatable, Off Broadway/Regional: Jerry Springer the Opera.

LISA MANDELJazz & Theatre Dance Broadway: Sunset Boulevard, The Producers, Mamma Mia! (Tanya), Copacabana (by Barry Manilow), The Will Rogers Follies (starring Keith Carradine). Also proudly held the coveted title of “Miss Arizona” for the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.

GIUSEPPE DE ANGELISEditingEditor for Sky Cinema, RAI, MTV, Rumblefish

DJ SALISBURYMusical Theatre PerformanceBroadway/National Tours: The Will Rogers Follies, Grease!. As director/choreographer DJ has worked nationwide for theaters that include Paper Mill Playhouse, Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, TOTS-Atlanta, West Virginia Public, Dallas Summer Musicals, Sacramento Music Circus, Gateway Playhouse NY, Bristol Riverside Theatre.

DAMON SHALITActing Technique, Scene StudyDamon works professionally as an actor, producer, director, and writer. He has worked with Dennis Hopper, Theresa Rebeck, Sally Kirkland, David Carradine, Shelley Winters, Daphne Zuniga, Joanna Garcia, Leigh -Taylor-Young, Renee Taylor, Robert Walden, and others. He studied with acclaimed acting teacher Larry Moss for many years.

JEANNE LASALAVoice, Movement, Ballroom DanceExecutive Director and a founding member of Coyote REP. Acting credits include TV: All My Children, The Guiding Light, Sex and the City, THEATRE: The Naked Eye Planets, Spoiled Bea, Deception (Coyote REP), No End of Blame (PTP NYC), Camille, Private Lives (Olney Theatre). Member: AEA, AFTRA.

105

106

Instructors

MARIA GOBETTI Acting for FilmMA & BA, UCLA Theatre. Co-founder of The Victory Theatre Center, where she has starred in, directed & produced numerous Award winning plays. Member of the D.G.A., Maria has coached & directed at numerous major studios.

JAMES ROWE DirectingMFA from AFI. Wrote and directed the feature film Blue Ridge Fall.

DENISE CARLSONProducingMA, Ryoken College; BFA, Rollins College. Worked in development for Disney Channel and ABC Family. Developed numerous produced films including Tru Confessions, Halloweentown High, Cheetah Girls, High School Musical, Cheetah Girls 2, Return to Halloweentown, Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior.

MARSHALL LEWY DirectingMFA from Columbia. Wrote and directed his debut feature film Blue State, starring Academy Award winner Anna Paquin and Breckin Meyer. Blue State premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and is being distributed worldwide by MGM.

JEREMY DOBRISH Stage to ScreenOff Broadway: Sign of Life, Judas and Me, Spain, Election Day. Regional: Barrington Stage, Goodspeed, Hangar, North Shore, NY Stage and Film, O’Neill, Village. Has served as an Artistic Associate at Second Stage, and was the Artistic Director of adobe theatre company for 13 years.

JOSH KLAUSNER ScreenwritingBA. NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Wrote and produced Wonderland, starring Val Kilmer and Factory Girl, starring Guy Pearce and Sienna Miller. Has also written for Lions Gate, the Weinstein Company and Warner Brothers.

DENIS LAMBERTBallet & Jazz Broadway credits: A Chorus Line (Roy, Bobby, Al, Greg, Mike u/s perf., and originated the role of Greg in the revival’s First National Tour), The Producers with Jason Alexander and Martin Short. Off-Broadway: Zorba, and Finian’s Rainbow.

DEVON GREGGORY ScreenwritingUSC graduate, Devon served as Director of Development on various films including; Who’s Got Game, Brown Sugar, Dynasty, and Hair show. Staff writer on television series Shark staring James Woods.

LENA GILBERTBallet & Modern DanceNew York dance venues include Joyce SoHo, Joe’s Pub and Aaron Davis Hall. Her choreography has been seen in dance festivals from Seattle to Lithuania as well as in theater, film, art museums and industrials. MFA in dance, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

LEAH KEITH ProducingFormer Senior Motion Picture Development and Production Executive at Dream Works SKG and Vice President of Production at Walt Disney Television. Currently producing a feature film in partnership with Dreamworks and Christine Vachon’s Killer Films.

KIM STERNVocal Technique Kim is an internationally known voice teacher with students on Broadway, National Tours, Off-Broadway, Regionally and as recording artists. Broadway: A Doll’s Life. She has also sung at Carnegie Hall with Bruce Springsteen and in world concert, Live-Aid.

ALAN MURAOKA DirectingArt director on award winning films, Little Miss Sunshine, Liberty Heights, Ghost World, and Washington Square.

NUNzIO DEFILIPPISWritingMFA University Souther California. B.A. Vassar College. Writer of comics, films and television. He has worked on ARLISS and KIM POSSIBLE, and hasnumerous graphic novel properties in various stages of Hollywood development, including FRENEMY OF THE STATE, optioned as a film by Imagine/Universal. Has a novel in the works, and a film in development at Process Media.

SEAN MULLIN ProducingMFA, Columbia University; wrote and directed short films, which have won awards at various festivals. His film Sadiq was awarded Faculty Select honors and was a finalist for the Student Filmmaker Award at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards.

JERRY SHANDY ScreenwritingMFA, USC ’s Graduate Screenwriting Program. He’s worked for such companies as Lawrence Bender/Quentin Tarantino’s A Band Apart, Warner Bros., Kelsey Grammer’s Grammnet, and Miramax. Currently, he is the writer/producer of a new television crime series, Dirty Work, in development with Universal Cable and USA Network.

MICHAEL URBANScreenwritingMFA, American Film Institute Wrote the screenplay for Saved! starring Mandy Moore and Macaulay Culkin.

ANDREW zINNES Documentary FilmmakingMA, American University;BA, George Washington University. Produced various documentary features. Author of The Documentary Filmmakers Handbook.

BELA GRUSHKAActing Technique, Scene Study, Acting for FilmStudio-Uta Hagen, National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts - PARIS. She has directed many plays in Paris and acted in numerous American and European films and television shows, including 2 Days in Paris, performing with Martin Sheen, James Gandolfini, Sam Waterston, David Straithairn, Jean Reno, Lee Remick.

DAVID BROOKS Acting for FilmStudied and performed in several plays at The Actors Studio. Has numerous film and TV credits including; Cast Away, CSI, Red Dragon, Dodgeball & Nighthawks, ER, and Melrose Place.

TIMOTHY SMITHJazz, Tap & Theatre Dance Broadway original companies include: Annie Get Your Gun w/ Bernadette Peters, Aida, Grease, Dream, Brooklyn, and the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity (opposite Christina Applegate). He was last seen in the Broadway hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

DANA LUSTIGProducingGraduate, AFI. Directed & produced 16 feature films. Her latest film, Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber, Oxygen Network, stars Jennifer Love Hewitt. Co-produced Dancing at the Blue Iguana and Brick.

DAVID O’LEARYScreenwritingBA, Vassar College. Worked as director of development for Valhalla motion pictures and story analyst at Silver pictures and Village Roadshow pictures.

IAN LIBERTOBallet, Jazz & TapNational Tours: Bobby in A Chorus Line, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jimmy u/s). Trained with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance (Chicago). BFA in Musical Theatre from Milliken University.

VALORIE HUBBARDActing for FilmAttended the Goodman School of Drama & “The Lab” in Poland. Recent Film & TV credits: Desperate Housewives, Resident Evil: Extinction, ER, and Hannah Montana Movie.

ERIC CONNERWritingMFA, USC School of Cinema and Television. BA, University of Pennsylvania. Writer, “Just Enough” - Sloan Award Winner, Selected for Hamptons’ Writer Conference. Writer/Director, “Tito Stern” – On Demand Cable. Production Manager, “The Cutting Edge: The Story of Cinema Editing” Starz Encore, Time Warner Home Video.

MARK DEVENDORF Documentary FilmmakingMA, San Diego State; BA, UC Santa Cruz. Winner of multiple awards for writing and editing.

REBECCA TOURINOSpeech, Scene StudyMFA, UC Irvine; BA, UC Berkeley; graduate, Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts. Regional theater includes PCPATheaterfest, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF). Writer, The Naked Eye Planets, Quickening, What She Means. Tourino’s plays have been produced in New York and Los Angeles. Founding member, Coyote REP.

AUTUMN HURLBERTMusical Theatre PerformanceBroadway: Legally Blonde. National Tours: Little Women, 101 Dalmations. TV: Guiding Light,Legally Blond: The Search for Elle Woods (MTV). BA in Musical Theatre from University of Northern Colorado.

STEPHANIE KURTzUBAPerformance Lab Broadway credits: Billy Elliot (Lesley). The Boy From Oz (original cast, starring Hugh Jackman), Mary Poppins. Off-Broadway: A Mother, A Daughter And A Gun starring Olympia Dukakis, Bat Boy, and Newsical. Film: Away We Go, Flushed, Knots, and Parting Words.

MARK SAWICKI Visual EffectsDP, artist, and actor. Won an Emmy certificate for his contribution to the television series Star Trek while working for Illusion Arts. Has over 80 feature film credits including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Tropic Thunder, and Premonition.

JAMES PRICE Meisner TechniqueFormer protégé of Sanford Meisner Founding Artistic Director of The Acting Studio, Inc. and Chelsea Repertory Company. Graduate and teacher at The Neighborhood Playhouse under the tutelage of Sandord Meisner.

ANDREW GERLEMusic Theory A Composer and pianist, Andrew has won three Richard Rodgers Awards, a Jonathan Larson Award, and the Burton Lane Fellowship from the Theater Hall of Fame. He wrote Meet John Do, which received seven Helen Hayes Awards nominations. He is currently visiting lecturer in musical theater composition at Yale University.

ANNA SIRI Producing, Screenplay DevelopmentBS, Northwestern University; certified, UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting. Co-owner, Script Alley coverage service. Script reader and extended development notes for four production companies including New Regency Films and Senator Entertainment. Judge in five screenplay competitions including Slamdance Screenwriting Competition 2008-2009.

MIKE YAHNCombat for FilmFight Director Theater: Playwrights Horizons Theatre, Theater for a New Audience, NY Fringe Festival, etc.Assistant Fight Director (Broadway): Spring Awakening the Musical, Speed the Plow, Lieutenant of Inishmore.Stunt credits include commercials, music videos, films, comic books, and recently, doubling Mark Strong in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr.

LYNDA GOODFRIENDActing for FilmFeature roles in Taxi Driver, Pretty Woman, and Beaches. Starred in television including Happy Days.

107

Instructors

Jerry SherlockPresident and Founder

STAFF

New York CityIan HensonDeputy Director

Anya FrankenburgCoordinator

Le nore LyonsInternational Student Director

Brian KoplowFinancial Aid

Michael CaputoHousing

Piero ChaconRegistrar

Hunter MurretAssistant Registrar

Ben PopeStudent Affairs

Nick Rivera Equipment Manager

Noah EhlertEquipment Manager

Shawn SullivanPost-Production Supervisor

Nicole BenoitEditing Advisor

Michael WallsFacilities Manager

Sungha ShinCreative Director

David RichardsIT Director

Los AngelesJean SherlockSenior Director

Renee Mackler CoordinatorRodrigo PattinoEquipment Manager

Vanja VujicaInternational Advisor

Brad Ben-HainPost-Production Supervisor

ERIC NELSON ScreenwritingMFA, Screenwriting, American Film Institute. Has written television and feature projects for Nickelodeon/Paramount, Smart Entertainment, Disney-ABC, and Underground Films.

DAVE BRESENHAM Producing, Reality TelevisionMFA, USC; JD, Harvard Law School; BA, Wofford College. Credits include BioRecon, Pain Gang, American Mogul, Alter Eco, Dr. Phil,Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Big Brother,The Simple Life, Run’s House, Making The Band.

JAIME BURKEProducingMFA, USC; BA, Tufts University. Producer of two independent feature films theatrically released through Lionsgate. Currently a Producer and Head of Story Department for Huntsman Entertainment. Former junior story executive at Twentieth Century Fox.

BRIAN UDOVICHProducingMFA, AFI; BA, Illinois Wesleyan University. First feature film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006 and was purchased by The Weinstein Co. His second feature was winner of Sundance 2008 Audience Award and his third was winner of AFI Fest 2008 Audience Award. Has produced five feature films to date.

LISA MILINAzzODirecting Actors & Acting for DirectorsM.A. & B.F.A., NYU, Tisch School of the Arts.Circle in the Square Acting program (Nikos Psacharopoulos, Michael Kahn, Alan Langdon). Has directed extensively in downtown NYC and regionally. Nominated for two L.A. Weekly Awards. Short film “The Query,” (Cannes & Garden State film festivals.) VP, Wren Court Films Production Company.

KEVIN LAIBSON ImprovisationArtistic Director of Full Circle Theatre Company. Theatre Curator for The Tank. Performs weekly with the National Comedy Theatre’s New York improv team. Directing credits: Off-Broadway debut of Unaccustomed to my Name, experimental improv troupe Skyscraper National Park, and award-winning twoprov team Rebecca AND Ron. Producer, Public Domain Monthly Theater Series.

PETER HOBBS ScreenwritingAward-winning director/producer/writer/cinematographer now in post-production on his second feature film Bridge of Names starring Rip Torn. Written/directed award-winning Pills debuted at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.

DAN STURMAN Producing, Documentaries and NewsAward-winning producer, writer and director of documentary films. Twelve plus years of producing television. Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. Former editor of The Harvard Lampoon.

GREG LEVINSActing for FilmBFA NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Directed two independent features, “Bittersweet” and “The Immaculate Misconception” Additionally, has cast hundreds of commercials, films, plays and readings for notable directors such as Spike Lee, the late Ted Demme, Tony Kaye and Howard Davies.

JOHN HENRY RICHARDSONActing for FilmBA, The University of Los Angeles. Has starred in dozens of television shows and feature films.

DONNETTA LAVINIA GRAYSScene Study, Acting for FilmMFA, UC Irvine. TV work includes guest star/recurring on NBC’s Law and Order: SVU and Mercy, The Sopranos. Film: Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. Theatre work Broadway, Off Broadway. Artistic Director of Coyote Rep.

ODIN SHAFER Producing, Screenplay DevelopmentMFA, USC; BFA, University of the Arts. Semi-finalist in six prestigious screenwriting competitions including the Nicholl Fellowship 2008. Freelance writer. Feature screenplay and two comic books in development.

BILL STOUT3D animationMFA, SVA; BFA Reed College. Credits include3D McGruff Crime Dog, Disney’s Little Einsteins.

ERICA SHELTONProducing, TelevisionMFA, USC; BA, Northwestern University. Recipient, Fox Writers Initiative Fellowship. Writer/producer of TNT drama series HawthoRNe, starring Jada Pinkett Smith. Credits include CSI: New York, Close to Home and Cold Case.

PETER ALLEN STONEVoice, MovementMFA, American Conservatory Theater. Television Credits: The Guiding Light, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, All My Children and numerous commercials. Theater Credits: Portland Stage,Humana Festival (Sarah Ruhl and Rebecca Gilman), Actors Theatre of Louisville, Ontological Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Classic Stage Co. (with Michael Stuhlbarg) SHAWN SULLIVAN Post Production Supervisor BA, California State University Northridge. Worked as an Instructor of Final Cut Pro for Apple Inc. He has worked in Post Production on the feature films such as The Playaz Court & Teddy Bears Picnic.

THOMAS BARNESDirecting, ProducingDirector, commercials for major brands such as Coke, M&M, Chrysler; Director/Producer, music videos for Rod Stewart and Asian stars Faye Wong and Andy Lau; Writer/Director, narrative short films such as ‘Pork Chop’ and ‘Whales’ screened at film festivals internationally; Senior Producer at MTV Asia.

BART MASTRONARDI CinematographyBA, Hunter College, Film Studies. Cinematographer of commercials and numerous short films along with feature films: The Blood Shed; By Her Hand, Crossed, Gallery of Fear: Far Cry From Home, and; documentary for Bravo TV Unlocking The Hope, Vidal Sasson, and Shear Genius Season 1 casting NYC. Director, cinematographer, writer and producer of the horror feature film Vindication released by RSquared Films.

VICTOR VERHAEGHEMeisner Technique, Acting for FilmRecurring role of Ward Boss Damien Fleming in HBO series Boardwalk Empire, starring Steve Buscemi and produced by Martin Scorcese. He has appeared in several other television shows, including the Law & Orders (nine times).

PIERO BASSO, AICDirector of PhotographyAward winning cinematographer, Piero has photographed three feature films thus far, numerous short films and documentaries that have won worldwide Festival Awards, including Oberhausen, Edinburgh, Turin and Huesca, in addition to European Film Awards and David di Donatello nominations.

GLYNIS RIGSBYScene Study, Text AnalysisMFA, Yale School of Drama. Fox Foundation Fellow. Former Artistic Associate, American Conservatory Theater. Directing credits include New School for Drama, Naked Angels, Yale Center for British Art, New Dramatists.

zENON KRUSzELNICKIACTING TECHNIQUEMFA in Acting from National Academy of Drama in Poland and MFA in Directing from New School for Social Research in New York City. In 2004 he professionally coached Willem Dafoe. Artisitic grant from the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts in 1998-2000.

MICHAEL SANDOVALNyFA High School Program-NyMFA, NYU and University of Michigan; BA, Brown magna cum laude. Ang Lee Fellowship, NYU. Writer, Director of short film, The Good Son, screened in competition at Berlin.

COBEY MANDARINOActing for FilmMFA, DePaul University. TV work includes Law & Order, Six Degrees, Saturday Night Live. Worked with Alec Baldwin in Mister Roberts and in Roundabout’s Streamers with J.D. Williams.

HENG-TATT LIMDirecting, CinematographyMFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Awarded Excellence in Filmmaking at NYU’s First Run Festival, 1991. Wien Scholar, Brandeis University. Worked on over fifty films.

NICK HUSTONSoundFormer General Manager of Gotham Sound. Credits include The Departed, Top Model, The Producers, Prarie Home Companion, Across the Universe, Law & Order, Wife Swap, Sex & the City, Project Runway, and more. Produced feature films Once More With Feeling, Weakness, and Wind Jammers.

WYSANDRIA WOOLSEYVoiceBroadway Credits: Parade, Aspects of Love, Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera, Chess. National Tours: Song & Dance, Zorba, Cats(Grizabella), The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Whistle Down The Wind, On The 20th Century.

LESTER THOMAS SHANE SpeechCarnegie-Mellon University, Edith Skinner, Larry Carra, Fran Bennett; Directed over fifty productions in New York and Regional Theatre including Artistic Director, Shakespeare at the Met, Jacksonville, FL. Screenwriter: Tyrone Power, Carmern Miranda, James Brown, Nazis & the Occult, Fox: The First 50 Years. Author/performer of the award-winning one man show, Mortal Coil.

HEIDI TOKHEIM Monologues, Voice, Movement Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts, Neighborhood Playhouse, B.A. Whitman College in Theatre. Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits: A Noise Within, PCPA Theaterfest, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare. Nominated for a Robby Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy in Los Angeles. Acclaimed one-person show Stella by Starlight performed throughout NYC and CA.

NICOLAS KANE LANDRYMeisnerStudies with Jeff Goldblum and Martin Barter. TV credits include Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light, As the World Turns, General Hospital and the Showtime series, Rude Awakening starring Lynn Redgrave. National commercials, independent feature films, including Hoboken Lou which was nominated for the 2002 b-movie award.

The Film Academy is honored to be the film

school of choice of many Hollywood

directors, actors, and figures

from the entertainment

and media world who

have sent a SON

or DAUGHTER

to study with us.

Here is a partial list:

Al Pacino,

Steven Spielberg,

Kevin Kline, Jamie Foxx,

Susan Sarandon & Tim Robbins,

James L. Brooks, Sheila Nevins

(HBO President, Documentary & Family),

Andy Summers (The Police),

F. Murray Abraham,

Pierce Brosnan,

Terry Gilliam,

Bono (U2),

Val Kilmer,

Jodi Foster,

Drew Carey,

Sharon Stone,

Stephen Frears,

Melanie Griffith,

Robert Downey Jr,

Dan Marino (Hall of Fame Quarterback),

Ben Bradlee (VP of The Washington Post &

Legion of Honor winner).

New York City100 East 17th Street New York, NY 10003Tel: 212.674.4300 • Fax: 212.477.1414Email: [email protected]

Universal Studios100 Universal City Plaza Building 9128, Suite 179Universal City, CA 91608Tel: 818.733.2600 • Fax: 818.733.4074Email: [email protected]

M

AST

ER OF FINE ARTS

NEW YORK FILM ACA

DE

MY

HANDS-ON INTENSIVE FILMMAKING & ACTING

New York Film Academy100 East 17th StreetNew York, NY 10003

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

APPLY ONLINE • WWW.NYFA.EDU • 1-800-611-FILM

Among many others who have no connections to the film industry.