MASTER OF
FINE ARTS

ACTING FOR FILM
DEGREE PROGRAM

In Year One, master students undergo a thorough regimen of class work and film acting that lays the groundwork for a professional life in the film arts.

SEMESTER ONE OBJECTIVES

Learning Goals:

Production Goals:

The second semester of Year One challenges students to develop their craft artistically and technically, and to progress beyond their earlier experiments with the feature length screenplay. In an advanced workshop, students may choose between revising the screenplay draft they wrote in the first semester or they may

SEMESTER TWO OBJECTIVES

Learning Goals:

• Intermediate training in acting and directing principles.
• Grounding in Shakespearean scene study, script, and textual analysis.
• Intermediate training in vocal and improvisational work.
• Exposure to basic visual media production.   

Production Goals:

• Perform in an original short film
• Perform in a scene presentation

From the first day of class, students are immersed in a hands-on education. They rapidly learn the fundamental creative and technical skills they need to act in motion

pictures. All students participate in an intensive sequence of classes in scene study, textual analysis, acting for the camera, movement, voice, improvisation, and directing.

The second semester of Year One forces students to continue developing as actors by challenging their range, and moving beyond their “comfort zone”. The second semester consists of a sequence of classes in intermediate scene study, textual analysis, acting for the camera, movement, voice, and

improvisation technique. Acting for Film students will also be exposed to editing and cinematography work. All instruction and film exercises are geared towards helping students complete their individual projects and production goals.

All Year Two master students must complete a series of highly specialized courses, participate in multiple film productions, deliver a thesis package/film of their own creation, and

complete all graduation requirements in order to successfully complete the program and graduate with a Master of Fine Arts in Acting for Film.

At the beginning of Semester Three, master students must form a thesis committee. Students must meet regularly (at least once per week) with thesis committee members in order to ensure compliance with New York Film Academy standards. Semester Three classes are infused with an emphasis on perfecting

craft and exposing them to the realities of the acting industry and the business of acting. The focus of the semester is on refining performance skills. It is designed to prepare MFA students for their thesis projects as well as for a life in the industry after graduation.

SEMESTER THREE OBJECTIVES

Learning Goals:

• Close reading of historically significant plays.
• Comprehensive movement training.
• Further practice in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in post-production.
• Examine a range of vocal techniques, including voice-over and basic dialects.

Production Goals:

• Perform in short films and film exercises.
• Perform in a live, multi-camera sit-com shoot.

In Semester Four, master students devote the majority of their time to their thesis requirements. Faculty meets one-on-one with

students in an extensive series of advisements to assist them and coach them through the successful completion of thesis requirements.

SEMESTER FOUR OBJECTIVES

Learning Goals:

• Further develop the techniques of advanced scene study.
• Text-based analysis of contemporary screenplays.
• Learn to fully integrate the mind-body connection for performance in front of the camera.
• Examine the skills necessary for auditioning for television and film.
• Study the marketing tools used by film actors.

Production Goals:

• Act as director for a taped scene from a play or one-act.
• Perform in taped improvisation sessions.
• Complete thesis project.

The Graduation Committee is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the full body of work of each candidate prior to the awarding of the Master of Fine Arts in Acting for Film. The Graduation Committee is appointed by the Director of Education and consists of the New York Film Academy Registrar, the Thesis Committee Chairperson, and several instructors specializing in a diverse range of fields of study applicable to filmmaking. That committee ensures that each candidate has been

adequately prepared for graduation, the standards of the Academy have been upheld, and that the awarding of a degree is warranted. The Registrar ensures that the student has fulfilled all financial obligations to the school and academic requirements for the entire program. Student transcripts showing the awarding of the MFA degree will be withheld until the graduate meets all financial obligations.

In order to graduate, students must successfully complete every course of study with a “Satisfactory” grade or better. Students must also adhere to the Academy’s Attendance Policy and Code of Conduct. Additionally, students must successfully complete and submit all thesis requirements in a timely manner and receive a “Satisfactory” grade or higher for the thesis production requirement.

Satisfactory completion of 64 Semester Credits is required for graduation from the New York Film Academy Master of Fine Art in Acting for Film Degree Program. All 64 Semester credits must be undertaken at the New York Film Academy as scheduled. These units satisfy semester contact hour requirements.  As this is a post baccalaureate degree program, no general education units are required. Candidates for admission to the MFA program must possess a Bachelor’s Degree from a post-secondary institution recognized by the United States Department of Education. Candidates

who possess a Bachelor’s Degree from a New York or California State approved school will also be considered for admission. No particular major or minor is required as a prerequisite for admission, but applicants with a strong background in storytelling, and/or the visual arts are preferred. The New York Film Academy Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Acting for Film is an accelerated, four semester conservatory-based, full-time study graduate program. With the exception of the choice of 1 elective and the thesis requirement, the MFA in Acting for Film does not provide for multiple tracks of study. All classes are mandatory. This is a highly specialized program, and there are no majors or minors. The MFA is a full-time study program only. Classes are Lecture, Seminar, and/or Studio based. As is customary in visual arts studies, Lab and Practicum instructional hours are treated as studio hours. The degree may not be obtained in less than four semesters.