START DATES FOR
NEW YORK CITY:
September 12, 2012 • January 9, 2013 • July 10, 2013 • September 11, 2013 •
The New York Film Academy’s cutting-edge two-year program merges our Musical Theatre Conservatory and Acting for Film programs so that students interested in musical theatre and film are able to study the various aspects of both genres including a deep exploration of movie musicals. Filmmaking demands the integration of many kinds of knowledge. It is the integration of knowledge that distinguishes the New York Film Academy from many other film schools. In our filmmaking courses, musical theatre students learn not only how to operate a camera, light a scene, or edit a film, but they also learn how all the aspects of filmmaking relate to, interact with and depend upon each other. The program is designed for individuals who have completed the first year of our Musical Theatre Conservatory program. Applicants interested in joining the second year of this program may apply if they have equivalent musical theatre experience and wish to integrate a cutting-edge exploration into the art and practice of acting for the screen. 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. During the second semester, all students perform in a short musical film production and/or live stage presentation in collaboration with Broadway level instructors that culminate in a showcase of their work for family, friends, classmates and industry contacts.
MUSICAL THEATRE & FILM CLASSES
SEMESTER ONE CLASSES• Acting Technique (Introduction)
• Ballet I
• Jazz & Theatre Dance I
• Music Theory & Sight Singing • History of Musical Theatre
• Voice Studio Lab
• Song Interpretation
• Text Analysis
• Shakespeare
• Performance Lab & Showcase
• Private Voice Instruction
SEMESTER TWO CLASSES
• Acting Technique (Meisner I)
• Musical Theatre Scene Study
• Improvisation I
• Ballet II
• Jazz & Theatre Dance II
• Tap Dance I
• Technical Production
• Stage & Film Combat
• The Business of Acting
• Musical Theatre Audition Technique
• Viewpoints & Movement
• Private Voice Instruction
• Performance Lab & Industry Showcase
SEMESTER THREE CLASSES
• Character Study
• Acting For Film I
• Jazz & Theatre Dance III
• Ballet & Modern Dance III
• Tap Dance II
• Film Craft
• Survey of Musicals on Film
• Mask & Clown
• Improvisation II
• Advanced Musical Theatre Audition Technique
• Private Voice Instruction
• Advanced Performance Lab
SEMESTER FOUR CLASSES
• Character Study
• Acting For Film II
• Jazz & Theatre Dance IV
• Ballet & Modern Dance IV
• Tap Dance III
• Ballroom Dance
• Dialects & Accents
• On-Camera Audition Technique
• The Business of Acting
• Monologues
• Private Voice Instruction
• Final Movie Musical Project
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:
All musical theatre applicants must prepare a 2-minute monologue from a published contemporary American play or screenplay and two short contrasting musical theatre songs. When auditioning in person, please bring your own accompaniment on CD or iPod for your musical selections. When choosing audition selections, it is important to choose material that is age and type appropriate. It is also important to read the entire play, screenplay or libretto prior to your audition. Applications should be completed online or turned in prior to your audition in order to schedule your audition appointment. An Admissions Representative will contact you shortly after your audition with an admissions decision. Applicants may also make an appointment for a specific audition time at our New York or Los Angeles campus.
If an "in-person" audition is not possible, applicants may submit an audition on DVD or via private YouTube links. Please make sure your name, the program name and start date for which you are applying is written on the DVD.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
CHARACTER STUDYThis class focuses on giving the student a deeper understanding of what makes a character. Through a series of interdependent exercises based on the acting principles of Sanford Meisner and Konstantin Stanislavski, students learn a variety of practical vocal, physical and psycho/emotional techniques which can be used in the transformation from their everyday self into an invented self, a unique theatrical creation with distinctive traits that are forged from personal experience, observation, imagination and textual interpretation.
ACTING FOR FILM
In the first semester students learn the basics of film acting: calibrating performances based upon shot size and angle, hitting marks, emotional and physical continuity, and strength and imagination in acting choices. In the second semester the course intensifies as students are assigned scenes from produced films or, in collaboration with their instructors, develop original short films. These films are then professionally shot with a crew and edited together. In addition, students learn to perform a number of film crew positions, to broaden their knowledge of the duties of everyone on a professional film set.
INTERMEDIATE THEATRE DANCE
(BALLET, JAZZ, TAP, MODERN)
Advanced coursework integrates dance techniques employed in musical theatre performance both on stage and screen. In addition to ballet, jazz, tap and modern, students learn partnering, hip/hop, salsa, world dance, folk and more.
Continue >>
FILM CRAFT
Acting students rarely have the opportunity to immerse themselves in other aspects of filmmaking. However, we feel it is crucial that an actor develops strong collaborative skills by gaining a working knowledge of the film medium and how each member of a film crew contributes to making an actor’s performance shine. Therefore, we provide all of our students with master classes taught by the NYFA Filmmaking faculty in the following disciplines: Story Structure, Cinematography, Producing, and Directing.
SURVEY OF MUSICALS ON FILM
This course is a survey of musicals on film starting with the advent of the art form as a musical short in the late 1920’s (The Jazz Singer), Technicolor movie musicals and MGM era through the hits of today, including ground-breaking influences such as the Dancer In The Dark, Bollywood films, Disney animated musicals, and the pop-influenced Moulin Rouge.
MASK & CLOWN
Actors explore changes in physical and vocal identity to that of a character suggested by a mask. The work involves moving, improvising, and looking into a mirror to inspire character evolution. The work fosters connection to the actor’s impulse and incourages risk-taking through extreme physical choices.
IMPROVISATION II
Building on the skills of Improvisation I, students move onto more advanced exercises and long-form improvisation styles. Students learn to connect scenes together to build a complete story arc, as well as to develop more complex characters and relationships within the improvisational structure.
ADVANCED PERFORMANCE LAB & INDUSTRY SHOWCASE
The Advanced Performance Lab is designed to challenge students towards powerful performance work for the professional stage. Working with Broadway veterans, students workshop challenging material from the contemporary musical theatre catalog including the works of Sondheim, Ahrens & Flaherty, Kander & Ebb, Cyc Coleman, Stephen Schwartz, Andrew Lippa, Jason Robert Brown and more.
ON-CAMERA AUDITION TECHNIQUES
Auditioning is a special skill requiring specific techniques. Actors again learn and practice the essentials of a good audition and focus on the set of skills required to handle “sides” for film and television. The goal is to help actors make quick, specific, action-oriented choices and to develop strong listening skills and flexibility in taking direction. This class also covers the business considerations of approaching the film industry as an actor, defining the roles of casting directors, agents, managers, producers, the unions and reintroduce the marketing tools necessary for survival in the film acting industry
ADVANCED MUSICAL THEATRE AUDITION TECHNIQUE
This performance workshop provides students with the techniques and skills necessary to navigate professional musical theatre audition settings at the Broadway level. Posture, side preparation, musical arrangements and a complete discussion of the current casting requirements are discussed. This course includes industry guests directly responsible for casting Broadway musicals for structured dialogue and feedback.
Ballroom Dance
This course is designed to introduce the actor to ballroom dance. The class explores several different dance styles, spanning many years, music styles and traditions. Ultimately, by the final dance presentation, the student focuses on finding relaxation and creativity in set choreography, matching breath with movement, and finally, speaking while dancing.
DIALECTS & ACCENTS
Students learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and apply that learning to the acquisition of convincing regional U.S. dialects and international accents including Standard British, Cockney, German, French, Italian and more. They study audio speech samples, transcribe text using IPA, and present monologues and/or scene work to demonstrate mastery of an accent or dialect.
MONOLOGUES
It’s true that monologues are often used for auditions, but working on monologues is also a technique that is very useful for film acting. Screenplays oftentimes incorporate monologues into their dramatic structures, but more importantly actors must learn the self-discipline to work individually, without relying on a scene partner for inspiration. Techniques include: choosing monologues that are truthful, meaningful, and revealing, performing script analysis on monologues, staging and directing oneself, and developing both outer and inner focal points. Monologues are presented to a live audience.
PRIVATE VOICE INSTRUCTION
Students continue working one-on-one with Broadway professionals with advanced vocal production and healthy singing technique. Areas of exploration may include vocal spin, resonance, natural vibrato control, straight tone techniques, contemporary theatre singing, character voices, pop/rock and more.
FINAL MOVIE MUSICAL PROJECT
In addition to hundreds of student films that are cast completely in house, our cutting-edge Two-Year Musical Theatre Conservatory & Film program offers students the opportunity to choose, create and complete an original movie musical project. This movie musical will be approved by the Department Chair and faculty, and will be produced in tandem with other classmates, departments and industry professionals. The final movie musical project utilizes all of the musical theatre and film training for a showcase presentation for family, friends, classmates and industry contacts.
QUICK FACTS:
Start Dates: For New York City:
Sep 12, 2012, Jan 9, 2013 , Jul 10, 2013, Sep 11, 2013
Program Requirements: High School Diploma, GED, Audition
Tuition: $18,000 (USD)/Semester / €13,747 (EURO)/Semester
You Graduate With: Diploma/Certificate, DVD Film Reel
Sep 12, 2012, Jan 9, 2013 , Jul 10, 2013, Sep 11, 2013
Program Requirements: High School Diploma, GED, Audition
Tuition: $18,000 (USD)/Semester / €13,747 (EURO)/Semester
You Graduate With: Diploma/Certificate, DVD Film Reel
