Supervision for High School Students

Quality adult supervision of the New York Film Academy High School Camp Programs is our highest concern. All of our high school Camp Programs are fully supervised. Our counselors are 21 years and older, and many have their undergraduate degrees in filmmaking or acting.

Counselors are assigned to a group of approximately 10-12 students. Nonetheless, all of our counselors have a responsibility to assure, to the best of their ability, the safety of all our students. Unless otherwise noted, Counselors reside in the dormitories (at the universities) and the hotel (Disney/ MGM) in rooms adjacent to the students. Generally, there is one counselor room on each floor of student residences. Given that our counselors are generally trained in either filmmaking or acting or animation, in addition to living and eating with the students, they serve as teaching assistants during class time and/or film shoots.

Each summer our international body of students have been overwhelmingly conscientious, kind, and well-behaved young men and women. Nonetheless, we feel it is necessary to outline those rules that will make each of our students stay with us as safe, comfortable, and enjoyable as possible.

The following are regulations that must be observed at all New York Film Academy Camp Programs:

Drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited. Do not bring drugs or alcohol with you to the New York Film Academy. Do not attempt to purchase drugs or alcohol while attending our Camp Programs. Don't keep drugs or alcohol for your friend. Don't plan to explain that you have no idea how the drugs or alcohol wound up in your suitcase. Don't, don't, don't think you won't get caught with drugs or alcohol. Students found with drugs or alcohol in their possession will be immediately expelled from the program at their and/or their parents' expense. There will be no exceptions.

Students may not get into another student's car, and may not leave the Camp Program site with any unauthorized individuals. Non-commuting students cannot leave the Camp Program site without written permission from a parent or guardian. A parent must submit to the Film Academy in writing an authorization for a student to leave the Camp Program site alone or with an individual other than their parent, guardian or New York Film Academy staff person.

Students must obey curfews.

Students are not permitted to fraternize with individuals attending camps other than the New York Film Academy.

Attendance in class is mandatory.

Students are required to pick up after themselves in the common areas. Students will be responsible for any damage done to property.

High School students are not allowed to enter the adult dormitories under any circumstances.

Student's individual freedoms to explore a city or campus without the presence of a counselor vary depending on the Camp Program location. For more information on supervision at a specific location continue below. Please note, the New York Film Academy reserves the right to add or amend rules specific to any or all locations. Such additions or changes would be clearly outlined for students upon arrival at camp or during their stay.

Harvard University

Students reside in one of three dormitories on the Harvard campus, while the dining hall and classes are located in Memorial Hall. The dormitories are approximately 10-15 minutes by foot from Memorial Hall across campus and students may walk at their leisure without a counselor from the dormitories to Memorial Hall. Students will spend the majority of their day in class and/ or on shoots on campus with their instructors or teaching assistants.

Following class, when time allows students do have the ability to roam freely on campus and patronize establishments in Harvard Square and| the surrounding urban environment. Students must inform their counselor of their destinations in Harvard Square and they must adhere to our Buddy System — no student is allowed to roam alone. Although students may explore the Square they must stay within a certain radius of Harvard Campus proper. That radius is clearly outlined at the onset of the program.

If any parent requires that their child not be permitted to explore Harvard Square without a counselor, please contact the Film Academy and we will make the necessary arrangements.

In case of medical emergency, students will be taken to Cambridge or Auburn Hospital. We require that all students submit their medical insurance information prior to the Camp Program.

Disney/ MGM Studios
Students reside at a Disney Resort at Walt Disney World and attend classes at the resort's convention center. Students are free to roam the resort and use the resort's various recreation facilities.

Shoots will take place in the Disney parks and at MGM Studios. All shoot are done in the presence of a teaching assistant. If time allows, in the evening, students may remain in the Disney parks without a counselor or teaching assistant. However, students may not roam the parks during the first three days of the Camp Program. We orient students over the first three days, and familiarize them with the Disney shuttle service to the resort. After the third day, students would inform their counselor of their intent to remain in the park and would return for curfew via the Disney shuttle. At all times students must adhere to the Buddy System. No student is allowed to remain in or go to the parks alone.

On Saturdays, all students will partake in organized activities. With staff and counselors, students will visit an off-site location. Sundays are "free days". On Sundays students may choose to remain at the resort or take the shuttle service to one of the parks. Again, the student must inform their counselor of their intended park destination, go with at least one other student, and must return by the designated curfew.

For medical attention staff will escort students to Celebration Hospital. We require all students submit their medical insurance information prior to the start of the Camp Program.

Universal Studios

Students reside at Oakwood Corporate Housing in Toluca Lake. The Oakwood complex is completely gated and monitored by 24-hour security. Oakwood has many resort amenities including two swimming pools, gyms, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a convenience store and drycleaner. A virtual tour of the property is available at Oakwood.com, then click on Los Angeles, then Burbank.

Students live in fully furnished apartments. Most students live in a quad - a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with two students sharing a bedroom and bathroom together, and all four sharing the living room, dining room and kitchen.

Oakwood is a large housing complex. Due to this, Oakwood is unable to place all of our students together. This means that it's possible that a counselor will not be living in the same building as some of the student apartments. Because of this, a strict curfew is enforced and each room is checked every night by counselors who are always available and minutes away at all times. This housing arrangement is something parents may want to discuss with their child before the summer, as it requires a certain level of maturity and responsibility on the student's part to be accountable for obeying all the rules set forth.

Lunches and dinners are catered to the Oakwood Apartments meeting hall for our students. For breakfast, each apartment is supplied with breakfast food - milk, OJ, cereal, frozen waffles, bread, bagels, fruit, etc. and students can prepare their own morning meal.

Students walk together 10-15 minutes down the hill from the Oakwood complex to the NYFA office and classroom facilities for class and/or shooting. Students shoot their films in a variety of locations - primarily on the Universal backlot in locales such as New York Street, Europe, the Old West, Jurassic Lab as well as others. All interior shooting takes place at Oakwood. Small crews of 3-4 are always supervised by Teaching Assistants.

Saturday activities are mandatory for housed students and include daylong trips typically to Universal Studios, Magic Mountain, Santa Monica/Venice Beach and sometimes Disneyland. Counselors attend and supervise these outings. Activities take place nearly every weeknight and on Sundays as well, and these are optional. In previous years, these have included: the Improv, Groundlings, movies, Catalina Island, the zoo, shopping on Melrose, beach bonfires, Getty Museum, college visits, theater and countless others. An average of 10 counselors live at Oakwood who plan and supervise these outings.

In case of medical emergency, students will be taken either to an Urgent Care facility in the Burbank area or St. Joseph's Hospital, depending on the severity of their condition. We require all students submit their medical insurance information prior to the start of the Camp Program.

Paris, France

Students reside at the Residence Montmartre, a small and friendly three star hotel, located in heart of Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement (district) of Paris. It is a two-minute walk from the stunning cathedral, Sacre Coeur, and a 15-minute walk to our classrooms and screening facility at La Fémis (The French National Film School- and former Pathé Studios.).

Daily continental style breakfast is included in the cost of the room. There are a number of large and small supermarkets within a block of the Residence, and the live-in counselors encourage students to try their hand at cooking French cuisine. Students often enjoy making and eating meals together as a group. France may be a country renowned for its fine wine but we strictly enforce our 24 hour a day no alcohol, no drugs policy both on and off the campus and Residency.

New York Film Academy counselors live in the Residence - generally one counselor on each floor - as does the Director of the Program, and students are under supervision at all times. Counselors do a nightly bed-check, and both counselors and hotel staff help to enforce a strict nightly curfew. No-one other than New York Film Academy High School staff and students are allowed in the students' hotel rooms, and students are forbidden to go into rooms occupied by anyone other than NYFA High School Students. These rules are strictly monitored and enforced for students' safety. Keys are left at the front desk when students leave the Residence, and are given out only to the students occupying the rooms.

With prior written permission from parents, students are permitted to leave the residence or the campus of La Fémis in groups of two or more. Additionally, students are required to sign in and out with their counselors and must indicate where they will be and when they will return. We highly recommend students purchase or rent a French mobile telephone or chip card in order to be in contact with family and staff at all times

If any parent requires that their child not be permitted to walk between the residence and the classrooms without a chaperone, please contact the Film Academy and we will make the necessary arrangements. Counselors lead the students to and from the classrooms the first week, however, as most students travel to and from class in groups we are comfortable suggesting that a staff member need not chaperone groups after the first week.

Should the need arise for medical care, arrangements can be made for an English speaking doctor to come to the Residence, and The American Hospital is staffed with top rate English speaking medical staff. Counselors are trained to take no risks with your child's health and will make sure that every health question or complaint is taken seriously. 24 hour pharmacies are located within walking distance of the Residence. We require all students submit their medical insurance information prior to the start of the Camp Program.

Student productions take place throughout Paris and are done in the presence of a teaching assistant. Evening and weekend activities in and around Paris are organized and supervised by the Film Academy staff.

Florence, Italy

High School students in our Florence program reside in the quiet, 3-star Hotel Liana, in the heart of Florence. Qualified counselors who reside in the hotel with the students carefully supervise students. Transportation to and from school is arranged in advance and students travel in pairs or groups morning and afternoon, which is also arranged by the counselors.

Parents have the option of signing a permission waiver, which allows students to explore the city of Florence without adult supervision. However, even if students have such permission, they must still report to a counselor their destination and scheduled time of return. This is very important, otherwise the parental permission is not considered valid.

A strict curfew is enforced at Hotel Liana and each room is checked every night by counselors who are always available and minutes away at all times.

On weekends students will partake in organized activities. With staff and counselors, students may visit an off-site location such as the Uffizi museum or the nearby Fiesole, a ruined Roman town. Some out of town excursions, completely supervised and lasting no more than one day, are also arranged, such as a day trip to see the highlights of Rome.

If medical attention becomes necessary, there are a number of hospitals and emergency clinics in Florence with practitioners and specialists who speak English, German and French, and our counselors will escort a student immediately to one of these facilities. We require all students submit their medical insurance information prior to the start of the Camp Program.

London, UK.
Information coming soon.