Master of Fine Arts in Photography

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 (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.

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.

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 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 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 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

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 at each step of the way. Students are encouraged, but not required, to bring a piece of intellectual property - a book, screenplay, show concept or treatment-at the beginning of the course that will be used throughout the year as the foundation of their final 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 program. 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.

Producers are confronted with a number of visual, dramatic, financial, legal, logistical, managerial, and technical challenges in the process of filmmaking. From the first day of class, students are immersed in a hands-on education on how to work through these challenges. Through an intensive sequence of classes and workshops, and with professional insights and encouragement from their instructors, students rapidly learn the fundamental creative and technical skills they need to produce for film and television.

Learning Goals

• Introduction to the roles, tasks and obstacles faced by film and television producers including development of script, casting and talent negotiations, budgeting, scheduling, locations, hiring of crew, payroll, contracts and deal memos, equipment rentals, applicable Union regulations and contracts, and post-production requirements.
• Master storytelling concepts of elements, conventions, structure and style.
• Understand basic principles of entertainment law.
• Introduction to filmmaking from the perspective of the screenwriter, director, cinematographer and editor.
• Hands-on study in camera, lighting, sound and editing

New York Film Academy’s three-year bachelor's degree in acting for film is for highly motivated students who would like to enter an intensive, hands-on professional course of study. By completing the bachelor's degree in three years, students can:

• Save one year of expenses
• Enter the field of their choice a year early

The Academy makes this accelerated schedule possible by creating an extended academic year, allowing students to complete three full-length semesters in each calendar year. Students may also choose to complete the program in a traditional four-year time frame.

The New York Film Academy (NYFA) Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Acting for Film is an eight-semester conservatory-based, full-time study program. The curriculum is designed to immerse gifted and energetic prospective actors in all aspects of acting as a discipline. The program provides a creative setting with which to challenge, inspire, and perfect the talents of its student body. Students follow an intensive curriculum and achieve multiple learning goals.

Our prescribed eight semester acting curriculum serves to address the following core competencies necessary for the completion of a BFA in acting:

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS ACTING FOR FILM: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• PERFORMANCE
  • Demonstrate the ability to create a fully articulated, believable performance in scenes exhibiting emotional depth which are appropriate for actors' physical type and age range in both stage and screen.
• LITERATURE
  • Provide critical analysis of the global standard of literature for film and theater, demonstrating an advanced understanding of the vocabulary, history and writing trends within the industry.
• PRODUCTION
  • Acting BFA students demonstrate an understanding of and basic competency in technical film/video production skills and standards relevant to today's film and television industry.
• KINESTHETIC EXPRESSION
  • Demonstrate technical mastery in the selection and execution of movement, gesture and vocal elements that reveal the subtext and intention of a character.
• BUSINESS
  • Demonstrate critical analysis by researching the industry for their own marketing niche and create a personalized business plan to meet their vocational objectives.
• SYNTHESIS
  • Evaluate the core training skills practiced and synthesize these into the formation of a unique artistic product (vision), allowing for continued growth within the industry.

Overall, the first six semesters of the program concentrate on developing the tools required to create a believable character, while the final two semesters refine these tools for use in film/video projects, preparing students for their careers in the entertainment industry.

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.