The renowned Tisch School of the Arts in New York City's West Village offers undergraduate courses in film (as well as television). The curriculum for the bachelor's degree in film includes courses such as Action Analysis, Film Music, Marketing, Frame and Sequence and Documentary Workshop. Graduate film courses (towards an MFA in Filmmaking or an MFA/MBA in Producing) provide training in both the business and creative side of producing, documentary filmmaking, directing the actor, postproduction sound and editing and cinematography.
NYU has the largest filmmaking production facility of any school on the East Coast. Its post-production resources include a mixing studio, access to digital editing, plus Final Cut Pro, Pro Tools and other sound and film software.
Applicants to the undergraduate film and television program must submit an artistic portfolio with a synopsis of their film or dramatic projects and a short film or sample script or storyboard.
New York University
70 Washington Square South
New York, New York 10012
212-998-1212
undergraduate.tisch.nyu.edu
At the California Institute for the Arts, a film enthusiast can earn a Bachelor or Masters of Fine Arts in Film and Video, a Masters in Film Directing, a BFA in Character Animation or a number of other specialized degrees.There's even a degree in Integrated Media available for MFA candidates who show an interest in digital media across all platforms.
CalArts, located in picturesque Ventura County, boasts a film school that emphasizes all kinds of filmmaking, from documentary to animation to drama. A run-through of the school's graduates features several animation directors who have worked for Disney, Saban Entertainment, Dreamworks and Warner Brothers. "Edward Scissorhands" director Tim Burton graduated from CalArts in 1979, and many documentary and experimental filmmakers belong to the school's list of distinguished alumni.
The film/video department has four large soundstages, complete with lighting grids. There's a permanent set depicting patio and backyard scenes that's used for cinematography and other film production classes, a separate studio for use in multimedia installations, animation studios and a sound recording/mixing facility.
A sample of film or video work should be included along with your CalArts admissions package. 80 percent of CalArts students receive financial aid.
California Institute of the Arts
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355-2340
661 255-1050
calarts.edu
The UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) Film School offers degree programs in the heart of Los Angeles, near Hollywood and major movie studios. A BA in Film, Television and Digital Media requires satisfactory completion in fundamentals of screenwriting, film editing, directing the camera, cinematography and several other classes. Seniors must choose a concentration in documentary, screenwriting, narrative film or animation. UCLA has graduate degree programs in Animation (MFA), Cinema Studies (MFA and PhD), Cinematography (MFA), Production/Directing (MFA), a Producers program (MFA) and Screenwriting (MFA). Many courses are offered online. There's also a selection of non-credit courses from UCLA Extension for continuing education students.
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Televison
102 East Melnitz Hall
Los Angeles, CA, 90095
310 206-8441
tft.ucla.edu