Tag Archives: new york film academy

New York Film Academy Universal Studios Acting Student

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I had the best three years of my life. I got to experience Film and acting on a basis I could not even dream about. To be able too actually go on sets of movies you grew up with, was just magical.

I had teachers who actually worked as actors in their private lives.
People such as John Henry Richardson and Anthony Montes, show you nothing but passion. They take their time to get you where you need to be. Their words inspire you to work harder, and give you joy in a business that can and sometimes will rip you apart.

Meisner was my favorite class – it took me deeper into the art of acting.
It taught me to LIVE TRUTHFULLY, UNDER IMAGINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
With Meisner classes, I have to mention Maria Gobetti and Tom Ormeny.
They will push you harder than you thought you could be, and make you feel comfortable at the same time.

The staff at New York Film Academy took me into their arms and let me really enjoy life.
Any issues or problems I had, I took up with Jean Sherlock. He immideatly sat me down and talked it through and he always came through.

NYFA is not only about teaching the industry of Hollywood – they care about you as an individual as well.

Anybody who is interested in studying here, and are willing to work hard, should not think twice about joining.

It’s an experience of a lifetime and its waiting for you.

-Kenneth Thomassen

New York Film Academy 1 Year Documentary Student

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I moved to New York from Canada in 2010 to study Documentary Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy.  After graduating from university with a Biology degree, I had a difficult time deciding whether I should pursue teaching, public health or film – something that I’ve never thought would be possible. Since I was young, I worked towards becoming a health professional like my father, so I tried to find an outlet for my creativity in high school art classes or English projects. While I enjoyed the arts, I never saw myself as artsy enough to fully dive into it and felt the pressure to find a career that was more “stable.” It was only after my 4-month internship in Bangladesh in 2009 that I mustered the courage to make that transition from Biology to film. At the end of my internship , I put together a short 16-minute documentary about my research there and it was one of the most exciting things I had ever done.

Sarah’s documentary film “Newtown Creek”

The 1-year Documentary Program I took at NYFA was intense, but exhilarating.  As someone who enjoys both in-class and practical training, I think I took the most out of the program by being committed to my coursework, investing in my film projects, while taking the full advantage of studying in New York City by attending outside film screenings in my spare time. I learned a great deal from my instructors as they shared their wisdom from years of personal experience in the industry, as well as the guest lecturers who came in for our Master classes. The fact that we started filming our projects within the first month of the program and worked together in small crews of 4 helped me to learn the craft of filmmaking in its true collaborative nature. Through trial-and-errors, I learned firsthand how to produce, shoot, and edit better while, critique sessions with my classmates and instructors enabled me to take my films to the next level.

I would definitely recommend NYFA to those looking to pursue filmmaking – documentary or narrative. This school has equipped me to become the filmmaker that I am today and has set me on the path to grow as a documentarian when I did not know anything about filmmaking only two years ago. I have met many mentors and friends that I still collaborate with at this school and was able to produce two short documentaries that have been screened at film festivals. I am grateful for my experience at NYFA and stand as a proud alumnus of the school.

-Sarah Choi

New York Film Academy 8 Week Screenwriting Student

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Hello Rachel. My name is Ita Hozaife. I took the 8 week screenwriting workshop last year (Sept-Nov 2011). The class schedule, workload, and deadlines are best described as torture. I loved it! And I want to do it again! What I had been trying to write, with not much success for two years, you got me to do in 8 weeks! Thank you!

I was looking for a short advanced screenwriting class but you don’t offer such. Sad. So I’ll go with the 12 week screenwriting workshop coming up in January 2013.

-Ita Hozaife
Ink Marks Ltd

NYFA Universal Studios Backlot

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The New York Film Academy at Universal Studios is located on the back lot of Universal Studios, Los Angeles.

Students can study filmmaking, acting for film, producing, screenwriting, 3D animation, photography, musical theater, cinematography, broadcast journalism or editing.

NYFA holds MFA, BFA, AFA programs as well as workshops from one-week, four-week, eight-week and evening workshops. NYFA also has programs for teens (14-17 years old) and tweens (10-13 years old).

New York Film Academy MFA Acting Student

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Oddly enough, after researching all the best film and acting schools world-wide, what closed the deal for me was a very beautiful musical student film I’d fallen in love with on the New York Film Academy website. If NYFA could do that, then that was where I wanted to go. I’ll never forget the first day on the Universal Studios backlot with a screen-test, headshots and then an Improv class. School registration was never like that before. Within a few weeks the coursework was consuming. For me NYFA was an overhaul of workshops and acting classes I had accumulated over the years. We started with the basics, learning all the diverging methods, from Shakespeare to Stanislavski to Meisner. And we were on our feet, with Improv, Speech, Movement, and production workshops, trying out all the techniques. As soon as we had film footage, editing and post production was added. Every class included one-on-one tutoring.

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New York Film Academy MFA Filmmaking Student

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Thinking back about the time I had at New York Film Academy, I must say that I have only good things to say. The hands-on experience with the state-of-the-art equipment is not only something New York Film Academy promises, but something you as a student can mostly profit from. My Master in Filmmaking program was busy and educational, just as I hoped it would be.
The staff and teachers at the Universal Campus is utterly friendly and helpful if you are in need of any advice. I felt always welcome and taken seriously if I had any problem at all.
Further on it is a place where you can make friends for a life-time, as everyone in the same boat of trying to make it in the world of film. It is wonderful to have classmates from all over the world and as such New York Film Academy is really the institution you would want to be. From Asia, to Europe, from Africa to the America’s the school is a micro-cosmos of the UN.
To summarize I would say, New York Film Academy is a place where you get out, what you put in – like with any place really. A personal commitment and a full conviction in your dream is needed, everything else, NYFA can teach you.

-Christian Jurgenson

New York Film Academy MFA Filmmaking Student

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Some call me Q, but my actual name is Quirine. I’m Dutch and an MFA Filmmaking student at the New York Film Academy, Universal Studios, and just finished shooting my Year 1 short film a few weeks ago. The great thing about New York Film Academy is that in this program, we learn everything: writing, directing, editing, producing, cinematography and every other position in a film crew.

What I love most and certainly suits my needs, is that it’s incredibly hands on. In 8 months, we shot about 9 short films, ranging anywhere from 1 min to 15 min. All written, directed and edited by myself. It’s truly great to experience so many different positions to figure out what it is you love to do and what you’re good at.

New York Film Academy 1 Year Acting for Film

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New York Film Academy was definitely a great choice for me. I didn’t know I could learn so much about myself in such a short time. The school is very intensive, and packs about 2 years worth of knowledge into 1 year and that’s what I love. The instructors are always able to answer any question you ask, and they actually care whether you improve. For them, it’s not about the paycheck, they love seeing you progress. I noticed my acting improve each and every week, and that felt amazing. I would go back to New York Film Academy in a second!

-Jason Ellis

New York Film Academy Student

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Hey Farah,

I’d be happy to share a little feedback concerning my attendance at New York Film Academy, and maybe contribute in encouraging a hesitant student to venture into the creative world of New York Film Academy.

I attended the New York Film Academy in February 2012, in order to take the 12 week directing workshop.

Being a filmmaking graduate, and having been in different workshops around the world, I had plenty of expectations given how renowned NYFA is. But to my surprise, I learned first hand that not only does the ENTIRE staff of NYFA dedicate itself to help their students learn, but also they are genuinely concerned about the students growth and direction.

In the most supporting and welcoming way, I was transferred three weeks after the workshop began to the SCREENWRITING workshop, where I found myself needing that particular direction to take my skills as a filmmaker to the next level. And I couldn’t have done it without NYFA’s honest intention and care.

Because of that workshop, I am now focused on Screenwriting, and I am taking the next step by acquiring my Masters in Screenwriting for Film. I have no one else to thank but the amazing team/family of NYFA.

I guess that’s what I have to say about NYFA.
And I do mean it.
Thank you Farrah.
You’ve been amazing.

New York Film Academy 8 Week Filmmaking Student

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All I can say is, thank you New York Film Academy. I am really happy to have studied there. You really put me on the right path.

I’m currently directing my first TV series in Egypt…can you believe that? It’s a big production (I will send u the pictures later.)

-Mohamed Adel