ONE-YEAR ACTING FOR FILM PROGRAM

28 COLLEGE CREDITS

NEW YORK CITY • UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, LOS ANGELES • MADRID, SPAIN • ABU DHABI, UAE

TUITION:
$12,500 (USD) Per semester
€ 8,970 (EURO) Per Semester

START DATES:

• Oct 1, 08
• Jan 7, 09
• Mar 4, 09

• Jun 3, 09
• Sep 14, 09
• Sep 30, 09

AUDITION TOUR

Please click the button below for more information about Audition

CLICK HERE FOR START DATES & AVAILABLE LOCATIONS

DOWNLOAD ONE-YEAR ACTING FOR FILM PROGRAM

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE 2008 BROCHURE

Acting Program Overview
• Overview • • Curriculum • • Classes

The New York Film Academy is proud to offer its extraordinarily popular One-Year Acting for Film program. The One-Year program is unlike any other actor-training program in the world — a cutting-edge exploration into the art and practice of acting for the screen.

The One-Year program runs on an eight-month calendar, divided into two 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 classes, rehearsals, and shoots that may take place during weekdays, evenings, and weekends.

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 benefit immeasurably from working in front of a live audience, all of the training in the first semester builds towards a live performance of scene work.

In the second semester, the core classes continue as the students’ focus intensifies 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. During the second semester, all students perform in a short film production, oftentimes original work that was 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. And, as in the first semester, the second semester culminates in a live showcase of scenes for family, friends, classmates, and industry contacts.

CURRICULUM

SEMESTER I
FIRST QUARTER	CLASSES Introduction to Acting Acting for Film I Film Craft Meisner I Voice & Movement Speech Text Analysis
SECOND QUARTER	CLASSES Acting for Film I Acting Technique Meisner I Improvisation Shakespeare Voice & Movement Speech Elective Editing PERFORMANCE Monologue Presentation

SEMESTER II
THIRD QUARTER	CLASSES Acting for Film II Scene Study II Acting for Film Production Workshop Meisner II Audition Technique Improvisation Voice & Movement PERFORMANCE Improvisation Demonstration
FOURTH QUARTER	CLASSES Acting for Film II Scene Study II Meisner II Acting for Television Acting for Film Production Workshop Combat for Film Improvisation Voice & Movement PERFORMANCE Final Screening Showcase Scene Presentation Meisner Presentation

COURSES

INTRODUCTION TO ACTING	SPEECH
This class will be an introduction to the various well-known acting techniques of the Master Acting Teachers. The classes will begin with basic ensemble acting games and warm ups. Students will 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 will 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 will then be introduced to specific exercises attributed to each Master and asked to work on them outside of class and to perform them in class. Students will move to “Open Scenes” and monologue work to begin to utilize the different concepts learned. A final "Presentation" of monologue (or open scene work) will be performed at the end of the semester.	An 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.
	ACTING FOR FILM
	In the first semester 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. In the second semester the course intensifies as students are assigned scenes from produced films or, in collaboration with their instructors, develop original short films. These films are then professionally shot with a crew and edited together. In addition, students learn to perform a number of film crew positions, to broaden their knowledge of the duties of everyone on a professional film set.
ACTING FOR FILM PRODUCTION WORKSHOP	SCENE STUDY
No matter how well a well-seasoned professional actor can describe what it’s like to act on a film set, there is no comparison to having the actual experience. In the second semester, students are given the unique experience of acting on live film sets in original or scripted productions. Scenes and films will be developed and rehearsed incorporating all of the techniques that have been learned and then filmed in a series of full day production workshops with professional crews. Once all the footage has been shot, the scenes or films will be edited together, screened, and then provided to the students to use on their actor’s reel.	Working on scenes from published plays and screenplays allows actors to learn all of the basic concepts of approaching a scene: defining objectives, breaking the scene down into beats, understanding the arc, pursuing your objective, playing actions, and working to overcome obstacles. This class provides the most basic technique for understanding acting, therefore it starts at a most basic level, usually with silent scenes or short dialogue scenes. Once the foundation is in place, longer dramatic or comedic scenes are explored. In both semesters, this class culminates in a live showcase performance of scene work.
FILM CRAFT MASTER CLASSES	ACTING FOR TELEVISION
Acting students rarely have the opportunity to immerse themselves in other aspects of filmmaking. However, we feel it is crucial that an actor develops strong collaborative skills by gaining a working knowledge of the film medium and how each member of a film crew contributes to making an actor’s performance shine. Therefore we provide all of our students with master classes taught by the NYFA Filmmaking faculty in the following disciplines: Story Structure, Cinematography, Producing, and Directing.	The objective of this course is to explore the differences between shooting "film style" (one camera) and shooting in television-based scenarios: sitcom-style three-camera shoots, commercials, soap operas, and talk shows.
MEISNER TECHNIQUE	AUDITION TECHNIQUE
The Meisner Technique, an actor training technique developed by Sanford Meisner, one of the founding members of the instrumental Group Theater, is geared towards honing the actor in on listening and responding truthfully to themselves and scene partners. The first semester begins with improvisational exercises, where the actor's attention is engaged entirely with his or her partner's simple, real behavior, as opposed to character interpretation, script analysis, or direction. Once this foundation has been laid, the students apply this technique to scripted text. The second semester is devoted to developing each student’s ability to act and react truthfully in an imaginary circumstance, in both scene work and advanced improvisation. A presentation of scene work is presented for an invited audience.	Acting 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 will have the opportunity to get live auditioning experience both in class and during an open casting call with directors from the NYFA Filmmaking program.
IMPROVISATION	EDITING
The 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.	In addition to providing students with the basic tools to edit together their own actor’s reel, we also teach the basics of narrative film editing. Since films are shot entirely out-of-sequence and scenes must flow when they are sometimes shot days or weeks apart, an actor cannot fully understand the critical concept of emotional and physical continuity unless they have a basic understanding of the film editing process.
MONOLOGUES	SHAKESPEARE
It’s true that monologues are often used for auditions, but working on monologues is also a technique that is very useful for film acting. Screenplays oftentimes incorporate monologues into their dramatic structures, but more importantly actors must learn the self-discipline to work individually, without relying on a scene partner for inspiration. Techniques include: choosing monologues that are truthful, meaningful, and revealing, performing script analysis on monologues, staging and directing oneself, and developing both outer and inner focal points. Monologues will be presented to a live audience.	Some people say that if you can play Shakespeare truthfully, you can play anything. Students will learn how to speak, physicalize and bring strong subtextual insights to Shakespeare's classical language, but with a modern approach that assimilates the actor's personal experiences.
MOVEMENT	VOICE
An actor’s body is his or her only instrument, therefore it must be tuned to perform expertly whenever and however needed. Movement classes, in addition to expanding body flexibility and developing the actor's ability to relax and tense when needed, will also focus on breaking down inhibitions, building ensemble spirit, and providing the necessary tools to bring physical dimension to all of their roles. In the second semester, these classes focus more specifically on movement as it is applied to the language of film.	A primary tool for the actor is the expressive and free voice. Therefore, voices must be trained to be heard (through volume adjustments), understood (through articulation) and also felt (through expression). Students gain insight into the power of how to nurture and control their voices by exercising various resonators and muscles, enabling them to release emotional impulses. In addition to breath work, classes focus on singing, relaxation, phrasing, and posture as a way of nurturing the actor's instrument. Using text, students learn to identify key words and learn how to link intention with the voice and speak clearly and powerfully through the end of a line.