Master of Fine Arts in Game Design

at New York Film Academy - Los Angeles Campus USA

The New York Film Academy is proud to offer a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program in Documentary at our Los Angeles Campus. This two-year conservatory-based graduate program is designed to educate talented and committed prospective documentarians in a hands-on, total immersion, professional and supportive environment. The intensive curriculum challenges, inspires, and prepares candidates for professional work both as an independent documentary filmmaker and for the non-fiction film business.

In Year One, students undergo a thorough regimen of class-work and film production that builds the groundwork for a professional life in the art and craft of documentary filmmaking. Starting the first day of class, students are immersed in a hands-on education and an environment that empowers them to artfully tell their stories. Through a sequence of workshops, students begin to work through a number of visual, dramatic, and technical challenges. They rapidly learn the fundamentals of creative and technical skills they need to make a documentary. All students participate in an intensive series of courses such as Producing, Directing, Writing & Research, Cinematography, Lighting, Production, and Post Production Sound, and Digital Editing to prepare them for more advanced topics and projects in Year Two.

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.

The New York Film Academy Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Photography program provides candidates with a thorough grounding in the fields of commercial, fine art, and documentary photography.

Undergraduates in the photography degree program are immersed in all aspects of photographic study. Throughout their eight semesters enrolled at the school, students take a series of academically rigorous classes that seek to challenge students creatively while giving them the skills they need to succeed in a competitive industry.

Students' creativity is carefully and constantly nurtured as they are encouraged to find and develop their own unique visual language and vocabulary through a process of investigation, critique, creative conceptualizing, self-reflection, and practice.

By the end of this program, students will be thoroughly equipped not only with the creative and technical skills to succeed in the industry, but also with the business skills necessary for a highly competitive marketplace. The advantage of New York Film Academy’s commitment to a rounded education is that our photography BFA students will graduate with a broad knowledge base that will help them succeed in photography and complementary fields, giving them a wide choice of professional paths to pursue.

The first two semesters of the BFA Photography program are foundational; students then have the freedom to choose classes best suited for them in semesters three through eight. The BFA Photography program culminates in a final portfolio presentation and group exhibition which invited peers and industry professionals attend. This event is an opportunity for students to exhibit their best work and to develop their professional network.

Photography Bfa Program: Learning Objectives

• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of available and artificial light, and apply this to their images.
• Students will demonstrate mastery of Lightroom as an organizational tool and Photoshop as a nondestructive editing tool.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of lighting tools and digital and analog camera systems.
• Students will demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of digital output systems.
• Students will demonstrate an applied understanding of the visual language of photography and the ability to incorporate technical, formal, and conceptual competencies in their creative work.
• Students will demonstrate working knowledge of industry standard business practices in commercial, fine art, and documentary disciplines.
• Students will demonstrate professional skills and practices appropriate to their area of interest.
• Students will demonstrate their knowledge of and relate their work to the technological, artistic, social, and cultural currents within the history of photography and contemporary photographic practice.
• Students will identify their area of personal interest and then conceptualize and complete self-directed projects that culminate in a cohesive body of work for printed, online, or exhibition presentations.
• Students will demonstrate their ability to produce photographic work that is consistent with high professional standards.
• Students will articulate in verbal and written form the key technical, formal, and conceptual issues in their creative work and the work of others.

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 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 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.

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 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 Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Animation & Visual Effects is an eight-semester conservatory-based, full-time study undergraduate program. The curriculum is designed to immerse gifted and energetic prospective 3D Animation and Visual Effects Artists in all aspects of the discipline. The New York Film Academy Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Animation & Visual Effects provides a creative setting in which to challenge, inspire, and perfect the talents of its student body.

Students follow an intensive curriculum and achieve multiple learning goals.

The structure of this program emulates the workflow and pipeline of a professional production in the industry, which will provide students with the following:

• Preparation for a competitive professional environment
• Knowledge directly applicable in current work field using the latest software and technology
• Practical skills developed from intensive discipline and practice
• Ability to deliver a project from the beginning to the end in the manner used in actual professional production

The program will also be dedicated to strengthening fundamental visual storytelling knowledge. Students will dissect principles and techniques rooted in the real world and discover how they apply to a CG-generated world. This will enable students to have the choice to mimic reality and photography or to create more stylized imagery.

MFA Film Program at New York Film Academy (NYFA) is an accelerated two-year program made possible by an extended academic year. Candidates will complete three full-length semesters in each calendar year

Qualified candidates 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 then applying their course work to be accepted for advanced standing in the MFA Film degree program. No previous experience is required for NYFA’s Filmmaking School; however, MFA Film candidates must work with self-discipline, energy, and mutual respect.

Mfa Filmmaking Program Experience
Beginning on day one, our MFA Film candidates participate in an intensive sequence of classes in Film Directing, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Digital Editing, Directing Actors and Production. While the theory they learn in the classroom is important, the heart of program is the production of original, short 16mm films. Candidates will team up to make these films, working in crews of three of four where each candidate will gain experience in writing, producing, directing and editing.