NYFA, MFA, Acting

YEAR ONE

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

Students receive an intensive hands-on education from the first day of class, quickly developing the essential creative and technical abilities required to act in film and television. All students take a curriculum of courses that include Intro to Film Acting Technique, History of Film, Stage to Screen, Voice and Speech, Movement, and Film Craft alongside master lectures in Directing, Cinematography, Writing, Producing, and Editing and an in-class shoot.

LEARNING GOALS:

• Understand the fundamental principles of acting for film.
• Understand the nuances and differences between stages and on-camera performances.
• Essentials of script and text analysis.
• Survey of film studies from an actor’s standpoint.
• Exposure to a variety of vocal techniques.
• Understanding the development of film acting styles from silent movies to present day, as well as developing a working knowledge of films that spans the history of movies in America.

PRODUCTION GOALS:

• Perform live monologue and scene presentation.

SEMESTER TWO OBJECTIVES

The second semester of Year One pushes students to keep growing as actors by stretching their range and abilities. Students take classes in Acting for Film II, Scene Study, Meisner, Voice and Speech II, Movement II, and Comedy & Improvisation. Students are also able to work direct with filmmaking students on Sync Sound Production Workshop projects, learn about playwrights and screenwriters, and shoot a short film project on location in Miami. All instruction and film exercises are aimed at assisting students in the completion of their individual projects and production objectives.

LEARNING GOALS:

• Grounding in classical scene study.
• Intermediate training in vocal and speech work, including dialects.
• Training in stage combat techniques.
• Beginner training in improvisational work and Meisner technique.

PRODUCTION GOALS:

• Perform in a short film.
• Perform in an in-class, filmed Meisner presentation.
• Perform in a year-end, filmed scene presentation.
• Perform in an original film directed by student filmmakers.

YEAR TWO

Through exposure to the many facets of the professional world of film acting, the second year prepares students for their thesis projects. All Year Two MFA students must complete a series of highly specialized courses, participate in multiple film productions, and ultimately deliver a thesis project of their own creation.

SEMESTER THREE OBJECTIVES

At the beginning of semester three, students receive MFA Thesis Project Options to choose and prep for intensive fourth semester thesis work. Students will meet with Academic Advisors and mentors periodically throughout the second year. The focus of the semester is on refining performance skills. Semester three classes are infused with an emphasis on students perfecting their craft. This is intended to prepare MFA students for their thesis projects as well as for a life in the industry after graduation.

LEARNING GOALS:

• Continued practice in front of camera, behind camera, in a recording studio, and in post production.
• Exposure to and comprehension of stage vs. film performance.
• Familiarization with voice-over techniques.
• Learn sound writing principles.

PRODUCTION GOALS:

• Perform in a live multi-camera television shoot.
• Perform and record original voice-over reel in studio.
• Perform an in-class, filmed Shakespeare presentation.
• Learn editing skills to create professional reel.
• Perform in a filmed one-act play.

SEMESTER FOUR OBJECTIVES

At this point, master students devote the majority of their time to their thesis requirements. Acting faculty will coach and assist students individually in an extensive series of advisements to ensure the successful completion of thesis requirements.

LEARNING GOALS:

• Further development of advanced scene study techniques.
• Analyze and understand contemporary screenplays.
• Development of skills necessary for auditioning and the realities of the acting industry and the business of acting (both for television and film).
• Understanding of marketing tools used by film actors.
• Learn to adapt live performance to the screen.

PRODUCTION GOALS:

• Perform an original, filmed thesis presentation.
• Perform in a final film project for final screening.