Master of Fine Arts in Documentary

at New York Film Academy - Los Angeles Campus USA

The Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Program in Filmmaking employs a total immersion approach to the subject, where students develop a powerful arsenal of skills in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, and producing. Students work in all formats from 16mm and HD to 35mm and RED Dragon as they write, direct, shoot, and edit their own films. A strong grounding in the liberal arts and sciences serves to inform students' work and give them a well-rounded undergraduate education.

The New York Film Academy's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking is unlike any other film school; it is an accelerated intensive degree program that can be completed in three years. One benefit of this is that students may begin internships or professional work a year earlier than they would in a standard bachelor's program, and of course save a year of tuition and expenses. It requires a rigorous schedule; students are in class or production for eleven months of the year. There are short breaks between each each of the three years, and a two week winter break during the holiday season.

A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) is distinguished from a standard Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree by its in-depth study of and professional training in the arts. In the BFA, two thirds of the degree is devoted to study and practice in fine arts and one third to general liberal arts and sciences (that ratio would be reversed for an art major in a traditional BA program). The BFA student has opportunity for deep exploration and mastery of their art.

Our BFA in Filmmaking offers a well-rounded collegiate education in the Arts and Humanities and Social and Natural Sciences, with a comprehensive study of — and practice in — the art and craft of filmmaking. During the three years of study, each student will write, shoot, direct, and edit 12 film projects of increasing complexity. In addition, students will work in key crew positions on their classmates' films.

BFA Filmmaking graduates will complete the program with a solid academic foundation in the arts and sciences, and an in-depth understanding of film production. They will enter the field with critical thinking and research skills developed in their academic classes as well as essential knowledge from the study of literature, art history, psychology, and philosophy. This specialized degree will prepare them to pursue their own paths in film and related fields as

The role of the producer is often misunderstood but always integral to the successful execution of a film or television series. What does a producer do? What are the differences between creative producing and production management? In the New York Film Academy Bachelor of Fine Arts in Producing program, students delve into these questions and gain an immediate understanding of these differences. Through extensive coursework, study and practicums, students will develop the knowledge and skills of effective collaboration and producing.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Producing is a three-year, eight-semester program intended to instruct and prepare future film, television and other visual media producers for the fields of creative producing and production management. Areas of creative producing the students will be introduced to and will master are story and script development, creative collaboration methods, the ever-evolving ways to secure financing and the various and ever-changing distribution options available to producers. Production management functions that will be introduced and practiced are physical production management and line producing.

During their first two years of study, students will learn creative producing and production management skills while developing and expanding their breadth of knowledge through extensive coursework in the liberal arts. These liberal arts studies include courses in Foundation Studies, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. In their third year, students will round out their educational experience through advanced specialized courses in producing as well as upper level liberal arts electives.

Through a variety of courses, each designed to focus on one of the many specialized areas within the discipline, students will be introduced to and instructed in the mastery of tools and techniques critical to successful producing and production management. Our producers will be prepared to function in the professional workplace, whether in a creative producing environment or in physical production where effective production management skills are required.

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 program and complete several projects with the assistance of constructive critique from instructors, as well as peers.

Students in the New York Film Academy’s Screenwriting programs generate a lot of written material, building a portfolio of writings that span several mediums. There is a focus on film and television, but MFA students will also study comics, web series and games. 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 workshop courses that have them learn by writing, but also in skill-building courses that focus on film history, film genres, and specific skills, like scene construction, adaptation, and character building.

Students also study filmmaking, acting and editing, to get a complete sense of how cinematic stories are told. In addition to stories, treatments and scripts, students will also create, direct and edit their own short film and their own web series pilot.

NYFA’s degree programs in Screenwriting have business classes that teach students the reality of the industry; how to find work as a writer, how to work in the industry to support yourself, how to find an agent or manager, and how to pitch your stories and story ideas. These classes require students to get an internship in the industry.

The MFA Program culminates in a Pitch Fest, where students get to pitch their thesis script to agents, managers, executives, and/or producers.

An MFA in Photography program at the Photo Arts Conservatory at the New York Film Academy (PAC at NYFA) is an accelerated, conservatory-based, graduate program designed for full-time study over the course of four semesters. We provide a creative setting in which to develop, challenge, and inspire the skills and talents of prospective photographers in an immersive, stimulating environment. By combining seminars and lectures with intense, hands-on classes, students acquire a sound understanding and appreciation of still photography and learn to integrate knowledge and professional experience.

At the Photo Arts Conservatory at NYFA, students engage with a diverse international student body and a core faculty of working professionals. This master's degree program includes visits to museums, galleries, and studios, along with guest lectures and critiques by photographers, artists, and curators. PAC embraces all lens-based media, offering a unique curriculum that includes digital and film-based photography. Though all MFA candidates must take two semesters of Lighting, Imaging, Printing, and Introductory Theory, beginning in Semester Two students are able to choose the rest of their course load themselves.

PAC faculty are committed to our Photography students and their futures as successful image-makers. Through demanding, hands-on coursework, instructors help students keep pace with technological change and push them to excel in all the areas needed to compete in the ever evolving marketplace.
Applicants to the program who have graduated from NYFA’s One-Year, Two-Year, or BFA in Photography programs, or an equivalent program from another institution, may attempt to test out of certain foundational courses within the MFA program. All evaluations and decisions are at the sole discretion of the department chairs, and are final. Students who successfully test out of any courses will substitute other courses in their place, and must fulfill the 63 total credit minimum, as well as all course category requirements.

The educational objectives in the Master of Fine Arts in Game Design are to teach students the art and craft of game design and storytelling at the professional level, through a strict regimen consisting of lectures, seminars, and total-immersion workshops. MFA students in the game design school’s program will:

• Acquire the skills of game prototyping, playtesting, iteration, presentation, and collaboration.
• Know how to prototype multiple games regardless of technical skills.
• Know how to develop software using industry standards — including workflow, multiple platforms, and coding.
• Be able to deconstruct any game experience into formal, dramatic, and dynamic systems.

During the first semester students are introduced to the concept of game design by understanding the evolution of games. Students start with board and card games, then through to paper and dice games before studying recent developments from early digital games to highly-advanced 3D graphics and deep, immersive story-driven games. Students begin designing games from the very beginning, as they are asked to modify a game from its original intent. They are introduced to the world of interactive writing, beginning with concepts such as Aristotle’s Poetics and traveling through postmodern narrative.

Once a foundation in narrative theory is established, the game design school’s MFA students are then introduced to the tools, theory, and craft of storytelling in an interactive medium. They are given a foundational understanding of video games, which will create a baseline language for discussion and interaction throughout the program. Finally, students are introduced to essential game technology, which helps inform what is possible today in video games. Students also have an introduction to animation class, which is intended to give our future designers and writers a taste of what goes into the 3D animation process found in video games.

In the second semester, MFA students continue game deconstructions as a tool for deepening their understanding of game design. They also create their first original video game concept. These ideas are shared and workshopped in class, as students increase their skills and confidence in programming, narrative, and design. Students also study the history of film, giving depth to their understanding of narrative culture.

The NYFA Master of Fine Arts in 3D Animation & VFX is a four-semester graduate degree program intended to prepare animation & visual effects artists for technical and creative leadership in the various fields of the cinematic and emerging arts while nurturing a deep sense of service toward storytelling.

Students will:

• Develop a thorough technical understanding of the animation & VFX workflow & pipeline.
• Analyze and identify the industry trends that affect Pre-Production/Preparation of Animation & VFX.
• Hone their craft in intermediate and advanced Digital Element Creation, Motion Capture, Animation, Interactive Games, Stereoscopic 3D, Post-Production/Image Manipulation, Organization of Data Acquisition & Capture for use in the VFX pipeline.

In these MFA courses, students will learn from faculty that bring knowledge from the industry, many with experience from major brands including Disney, Dreamworks, Universal, Netflix and more. Students will master tools and techniques to create compelling 3D Animation & VFX shots that culminate in their final Thesis courses.

The integration of Animation & VFX curricula has been fine-tuned at the Los Angeles campus at the bachelor's level, to provide students with a specific technical and artistic education. The curriculum has been tailored to fit industry standard technical and artistic roles as laid out in the Visual Effects Societies Handbook.

At the master's level, NYFA does not just create artists or technicians; they effectively execute on a hybrid learning curriculum for students seeking to become leaders and innovators in 3D Animation, VFX, Computer Imaging, Feature Film, Television, New & Emerging Media, Research & Development, and the Interactive & Game Industries.

The New York Film Academy (NYFA) Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Game Design is an eight semester, conservatory-based, full-time study undergraduate program. The curriculum is designed to give prospective video game designers and storytellers all the tools they need to succeed in their chosen sector of the video game industry. The New York Film Academy Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design provides a creative setting in which to challenge, inspire, and perfect the talents of its student body.

The educational objectives of the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design are to give students an introductory education in the art and craft of professional game writing and design. Students are instructed through a strict regimen consisting of lectures, seminars, and total immersion workshops to excel in the creative art of game writing & design.

Overall, the first five semesters concentrate on building a baseline foundation in the art, technology, design, storytelling, and business of video games. The focus of the final three semesters is to build on that foundation and produce all the materials, both written and verbal, that the student will need to enter the game design industry, or pursue graduate work in the field. NYFA’s game design program is a liberal arts education that emphasis the same general education credits as other BFA programs. Throughout their time studying at the New York Film Academy, students will include courses in the humanities, social science, natural science, and the history of media. This creates well-rounded students whose expertise in game design is accompanied by general critical thinking and problem solving skills.

The educational objectives in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Game Design are to teach students the art and craft of game design and storytelling at the professional level. To accomplish this goal NYFA employs a curriculum of lectures, seminars, and total immersion workshops.

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. 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. To that end, BFA in Screenwriting students learn how to create great stories, and to tell them with a confidence and clarity that befits a professional.

The core screenwriting courses of the BFA in Screenwriting are supported by a full complement of courses in the liberal arts and sciences. These are designed to broaden the writers' education, feed their inquisitiveness, and give them the critical, analytical, and communication tools needed not just to be great writers, but also more fulfilled human beings.

The BFA in Screenwriting offers a well-rounded collegiate education in the arts and humanities and social and natural sciences, with a comprehensive study of, and practice in, the art and craft of screenwriting and related filmmaking disciplines.

Overall, the screenwriting courses concentrate on developing the tools required to create believable characters and stories in several major fields of screenwriting (film, television, web series, playwriting, and elective choices including comic books and games). The program builds to a final thesis project, either a television series pilot script or a feature film screenplay. This is plotted, written, and rewritten, with guidance and feedback from a thesis committee in a manner designed to reflect the development processes in the entertainment industry.

In the liberal arts and sciences, students complete the majority of the required Foundation Studies in the first two semesters. Courses taught in the area of Foundation Studies focus on communications, analysis, and deductive reasoning. Students practice critical thinking, scholarly research, writing, and reading. These courses build a foundation for more specialized subjects requiring advanced written and oral communication skills in later semesters. The skills mastered will prepare students for the advanced coursework of constructing an authentic voice in their writing projects. Coursework in physical and mental wellness provides focus on the theory and practice of lifelong wellness in a stressful industry.

Subsequent courses in the liberal arts and sciences bolster students' understanding of world history, political science, art history, social and natural sciences, mathematics, English composition, and literature.

The New York Film Academy Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Cinematography is an accelerated, conservatory-based graduate program intended for full-time study over the course of five semesters. Designed to instruct gifted and hardworking prospective Directors of Photography in a hands-on, professional environment, the MFA in Cinematography program provides a unique setting for the development of both the creative vision and technical proficiency necessary for a career as a Cinematographer.

Students will follow a rigorous program of classroom study, self-directed projects, instructor-led workshops, and school- facilitated collaboration with NYFA students across different disciplines. Upon graduation, students will be proficient with many of the state-of-the-art camera systems 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.

The NYFA Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies is an eight-semester program designed to focus on the study of current and emerging media arts and the theoretical underpinnings necessary for understanding media's impact in today's society. The goal of the program is not only to prepare students for the rapidly changing landscape of the entertainment industry, but also to turn out thoughtful consumers, critics, and producers of media.

Students in the media studies BA program will build the critical, creative, and analytical skills needed to examine and understand current and future trends in media, as well as reach a deep understanding of the history and development of various forms of media in society. An exploration of media theory, history, criticism, media arts, pop culture, communication, and business are enhanced by NYFA’s hands-on approach to practical filmmaking and multi-platform content development.