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 also benefit immeasurably from working in front of a live audience, in addition to work in front of the camera, training in the first semester builds towards a live performance.

SEMESTER ONE OBJECTIVES

Learning Goals:

Production Goals:

SEMESTER TWO OBJECTIVES

Learning Goals:

• Learn to work for directors with varying styles on live film sets.
• Gain knowledge of the differences between demands upon the actor on film productions versus television productions.
• Learn how to prepare for and present yourself for auditions.
• Understand the business of the acting craft.

Production Goals:

• Perform scenes and workshop exercises developed and rehearsed through instruction in the Meisner Technique.
• Develop, rehearse, and perform in a fully-realized film scene shot in the studio or on location. This project will be presented to an invited audience at the end of the semester.
• Break down, analyze, and rehearse stage scenes and perform in these scenes for an invited audience.

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.

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.