Producers bridge the gap between art and business, necessitating one of the most diverse skill sets in the industry.
From setting budgets to framing shots and coordinating with actors, the producers job can take them to any part of the
set. The New York Film Academy recognizes that one of the greatest assets a producer can have is flexibility and variety
in their expertise, and that’s why our producing courses arm our students with experience for almost every part of film
production. Learn what makes the New York Film Academy’s hands-on learning approach so unique by reading about a few of
our specialized film production courses.
Producer’s Craft I
|
Producer’s Craft I introduces students to the language and practice of producing and filmmaking. Through
lecture, discussion of industry developments, handouts, and individual research assignments, this core
course lays the groundwork for a profession as a creative producer. Students explore the initial phases of
the producing process including development and packaging. This producing course covers but is not limited
to these topics: development ideas and securing rights; working with writers, script analysis, script
analysis, coverage; development budgets, packaging, pitching, financing, marketing/distribution; feature
film budgeting/scheduling, production and delivery. Students are given a midterm and a final exam on
content.
In the second term, this core course continues the study listed above of the essential roles and obstacles
faced by film and television producers. Students are required to read trade papers and consumer press
industry articles on a regular basis. The exploration of the producing process continues through the
financing, production, marketing, and distribution phases. Students are given a midterm and a final exam
on content.
|
|
Line Producing Essentials
|
In a hands-on lab setting, students are instructed in the use of Entertainment Partners (EP) Movie Magic Scheduling
and EP Movie Magic Budgeting software programs, including established scheduling and budgeting techniques.
EP Movie Magic Budgeting/Scheduling is the industry standard in budgeting and scheduling software. The budgeting format
allows students and producers to create and edit comprehensive budgets of all sizes for all types of
productions, while automating the scheduling strip board process, while EP Movie Magic Scheduling has improved the
production scheduling process. Producers, production managers and assistant directors use this script
breakdown and scheduling software.
The line producer is responsible for the physical production of a film, from pre-production till the end of
production. In this class we will talk about the line producer’s responsibilities, covering aspects of
budgeting, hiring crew, scheduling, scouting, prepping shoot & post, as well as managing relationships with
the director, crew, and studio/financiers.
Special attention will be paid to the duties and relationships within the production team (line producer,
UPM/unit production manager, assistant directors, and accountant) and to the balance that the line producer
has to strike between accountability to the studio/investors and to the director’s vision.
|
|
|
Entertainment Law I/II
|
This course is an overview of the contract law and how it impacts the entertainment industry. Students
will study of legal issues regarding television, films, recordings, live performances and other aspects
of the entertainment industry. Topics include contracts, copyright law, compensation, celebrity status
(including privacy and publicity rights), First Amendment, intellectual property, and talent representation.
This course addresses legal issues to preserve, protect and actualize the intellectual, entertainment, and
technological property of people working in entertainment industry.
Students survey legal issues pertaining to contract negotiation and conflict resolution in the entertainment
industry. Students develop contract negotiation and contract drafting skills through mock negotiations and
contract drafting exercises. Finally, students will be afforded an historical analysis of entertainment
industry culture, including the rise of modern mass mediated culture and cyberculture. Students explore the
link between entertainment culture and our usual categories of aesthetics, politics, culture, identity,
ethics, and value. The course explores various perspectives on ethical decision-making and ethical business
practices specific to the entertainment industry.
|
|
|
Pitching
|
|
Through in-class examples, students are exposed to effective pitching styles and instructed on how to
develop basic pitching skills. Students are instructed in the process and honing of pitching skills for
narrative features, sitcoms, dramatic television content, reality TV, and/or feature length documentaries.
Each student in this producing course practices and gains critical and fundamental pitching skills;
students develop a brief and effective pitch, which they pitch in a final presentation the faculty.
|
|
|
Producer’s Roundtable
|
Producer’s Roundtable guides the student through the creation of a thesis project in the form of a fully
developed film package. Students will identify a project, work with writers to develop a screenplay, and
learn about various package elements.
Requirements for the project include a development package, and final pitch. The package will be comprised
of a logline, synopsis of the project, a ten page treatment, an executive summary, a studio, independent,
or documentary film overview, a full length feature film script or documentary treatment, a business plan,
including risk statements, and paperwork associated with the formation of an LLC, a financing plan, basic
marketing plan, basic distribution plan, festival strategy, shoot schedule, two budgets, top sheet, and
potential attachment of a director and principal actors, as well as all related business documentation for
investors.
In the second term, this course continues the creation of the thesis project package described above.
Students develop a schedule and budget, financial plan, marketing plan, distribution plan, and a look
book.
|
|
|
Film Analysis for Producers
|
The best producers are the ones who are well-versed in cinema as a language and are aware of this history
of film and the various genres and how the art has evolved and changed over time. Using 12 culturally or
economically significant films as texts, this course looks at the films critically and uses them to explore
film as a significant art.
The course also explores ways that the crafts of directing (particularly shot construction), cinematography,
acting, and editing have developed. Through screenings and discussions, students will grow to understand how
filmmakers have approached the great challenge of telling stories with moving images from silent films to the
digital age.
|
|
|
Editing
|
Students are instructed in the basic techniques of digital editing. Students will learn the basics of
motion picture editing and post production techniques in a hands-on workshop environment. They will gain
an overview of non-linear editing, post-production audio, basic visual effects and professional
post-production workflow.
Films are shot digitally and edited digitally with Avid *on Apple computers. While students learn how to
use the nonlinear editing software, the emphasis is on the craft of editing which challenges students to
create cogent sequences that best serve the story.
This course also explores the entire post-production — deliverable workflow for both film and digital
formats. In addition to the technical aspects of physical postproduction, the artistic and managerial
aspects will also be addressed. Post Production for all current exhibition venues, including DVD,
theatrical, cable and satellite will be reviewed in this class.
|
|
|
Editing Lab
|
This lab is the accompanying lab portion of the editing course. Students are instructed to log individual
time in the editing lab to gain experience in digital editing. On Avid* systems they will edit a short
narrative film, a reality TV sizzle reel, web series, and a commercial.
|
|
|
Cinematography for Producers
|
Using a hands-on approach, students shoot and screen tests for focus, exposure, lens perspective,
slow/fast motion, contrast, and lighting during their first week of classes.
Cinematography is one of the most critical tools areas of study that producers must rely on to tell a
cinematic story. Students will learn the basics of live-action motion picture cinematography in a hands-on
workshop environment. They will gain an overview of working with light and color, film and video cameras,
image construction and composition, and working with collaborators in a professional setting.
|
Directing for Producers
|
Effective producers create a collaborative and artistic production environment that enhances each
director's skills and provide the support needed to make the best possible film or television show. In
this course, producing students learn to use basic production documents and to audition, cast and work
with actors.
Even if a producer never plans to direct anything, he needs to know how directors carry out their visions.
Producers should create a nurturing and artistic production environment that enhances each director’s
skills and provide the support needed to make the best possible film or television show. Here producing
students learn about using the camera and working with actors — the two central tools of any director.
Students will break down a short script into a shooting plan and then use their skills in this course to
direct their film, the concept for which is developed in their Producing Short Films course.
|
|
|
Introduction to Screenwriting
|
This course develops students’ analytic and development skills in the areas of structure, plot, story,
pacing, tone and characterization. It builds conceptual skills in story genesis and development, genre,
theme, imagery, character and other professional and emotional issues as they relate to screenplay
development for producers. It builds verbal skills in the discussion, analysis and presentation of these
ideas as they relate to student work and professional samples. Each student will complete assigned readings,
attend screenings and lectures, participate in extensive class discussions, complete written quizzes and
tests and participate in group review and discussion of quizzes and tests. Screenwriting for producers
classes cover the following subjects: physical and emotional reality in films, plot versus theme, three act
and sequence structure, acts/sequences/scenes/beats, Aristotle's Poetics and their relationship to film,
Eisenstein and montage theory, Hegel's concept of the hero in drama, choices and conflicts, wants and needs,
text versus subtext, character arcs and development, the monomyth and the hero's journey, Jung on archetypes
and character, ensembles and circular storytelling, active and passive protagonists and antagonists, thematic
story mapping, loglines and story DNA. It also covers working with writers in screenplay revision and
development, shorts versus features, and screenwriting tools including but not limited to: ticking clocks,
reversals, plot points, plants and payoffs, the objective correlative, showing versus telling, voice-over,
red herrings and more.
Students complete conceptual exercises, keep an ongoing film journal, participate in ongoing and demanding
class discussions, take periodic quizzes and an extensive final exam with subsequent review and discussion.
Successful completion of this course will enable the student to draw upon a wide array of storytelling and
structural techniques to develop effective pitches and screenplays.
|
|
|
TV Producing and Developing the TV Pilot Treatment
|
This course will detail the evolution of an original television series from the idea stage, through
development, pitching and broadcast (from the pitch to the up fronts to the mid-season replacements). The
course will cover how the television industry operates and how television programs are pitched, financed,
developed, marketed, licensed and syndicated. Students will gain an understanding of collection of
television talent and production staff, the network schedule, network demographic concerns, sponsor
demographic concerns and the distinctions between broadcast network, basic cable and premium cable
television. The course will delineate the differences between creative (writing) producers and non-writing
producers, and address the evolution of the medium from its inception through the present day. Students will
learn how to devise a series bible as well as write a pilot treatment for an original series. Students will
learn three camera television studio production including control room protocols.
|
|
|
Finance
|
The goal of this course is to gain a basic understanding of film financing and to learn how the producer
fits into the financing process. Using produced films as case studies, this course focuses on studying
successful strategies employed in the creation of finance plans. Various sources of film finance are
explored, including equity investment, the pre-selling of distribution rights, and various forms of "soft
money" (production incentives, grants, subsidies, integrated marketing, and facilities deals). The course
also explores the recoupment of financing through the generation of revenue through sales, as well as
working with foreign sales companies.
|
|
|
Special Topics
|
This series of courses is designed to teach material not covered in the core curriculum including such
topics as: producing documentary films, introduction to animation, virtual reality, storyboarding,
traditional and digital film marketing, traditional and digital film distribution, sound recording, sound
editing, special and visual effects, producing unscripted television, crowd funding, labor union relations,
film and television industry accounting practices, casting, costume design, color correction, and production
design.
|
|
|
Developing the Feature Film Treatment
|
Through in-class instruction and critique, students will develop storytelling skills within the
industry-standard format of the film treatment. In a workshop setting, each student will develop and write
a detailed feature film treatment. Students will learn what a treatment is and how it is used in the
industry. The course will cover one-sheets, loglines, beat sheets, formatting guidelines, and eight sequence
story structure. Three ideas will be workshopped and a beat sheet developed before the final treatment.
|
|
|
Acting for Producers
|
The students will learn how to hold casting sessions, select talent for roles and work with talent to get
the needed performances. In a workshop setting, students will develop a critical understanding of the
acting process and what each actor brings to the collaborative process of filmmaking.
A scene will be rehearsed both in and out of class over three classes. You will be working with a classmate
and your final performance will be taped and the scene edited. Please note that your acting ability is not
being graded, only your commitment to doing the work. The final scene will be critiqued in a screen session.
|
|
|
Producing Commercials
|
This course is designed to teach producers the craft of conceiving, pre-visualizing, developing, shooting
and editing a TV commercial — which is defined as a promotional film for a commercial brand. TV commercial
spots are produced at 30, 45, or 60 second lengths.
Producers team up in groups of 2-4 to produce each TV commercial. They are given the option of directing or
working with a director from the school.
Students are responsible for choosing a brand and devising a memorable creative concept for a spec TV
commercial.
In order to simulate the process of making a TV commercial, students must pitch their concepts to “the
Client” (the instructor) who picks the best concept. Thereafter the students present the TV commercial step
by step in class, mirroring the process by which TV commercials are developed in pre-production meetings in
the advertising world.
As part of the course students learn the basics of the advertising and explore the process by which TV
commercials are conceived by ad agencies and bid out to production companies. The instructor delineates the
roles of agency, producer and director in this complex process. Attention is also given to differences in
professional, creative and cultural approach in different international and markets.
Great attention is given to producing creative and memorable work on a low budget. Each class includes
screening of relevant TV commercials from all over the world (including previous NYFA spots).
|
|
|
Producing Web Series
|
This course is designed to teach producers the craft of prepping, shooting and editing a web series — which
is defined as an episodic story designed for the internet.
Producers team up in groups of 2-4 to produce each web series episode. They are given the option of writing,
directing or to work as a crew member.
As part of the course students learn the basics of the tech field, and explore the process by which webseries
are commissioned, created, and shown. We also look at the changing landscape of the internet and common
distribution platforms in the age of Youtube and iTunes.
Intense focus is given to producing creative and memorable work on a low budget. Each class includes screening
of relevant web series.
|
|
|
Producing Reality Television
|
All genres of reality television are studied including elimination or game shows, talent competitions,
dating based competitions, job search competitions, self-improvement makeovers, hidden camera, hoaxes,
and episodic documentaries.
Working in small groups, students create their own reality show trailer or teaser. They cast, scout,
shoot, and edit their shows for presentation and critique. Students learn brainstorming techniques,
casting, how to research topics and characters, pre-interviews, formal interviews and on the fly
interviews, how to create a reality “script,” schedules, budgets, special insurance and legal issues,
and the deliverable process.
|
|
|
Producing Short Films
|
Producing students develop, prep and shoot their own individual short films. Working in teams, students
function as crew members on each other's productions. Producers will learn the basics of all producer
related roles on set and in the production office. They will plan the production strategy, budgets,
schedules, script breakdowns, etc. for the short films they will produce.
|
|
|
Screenwriting Fundamentals
|
A continuation of Introduction to Screenwriting, this course will help students develop their analytic
skills in the areas of structure, plot, story, momentum, tone and characterization, and master the tools
of story genesis and development for film and television.
The course will also develop an understanding of genre, theme, imagery, working with writers, and other
professional issues as they relate to creative producing. The focus will be the definitions and
implementation of story, drama, conflict, and the difference between story and script. There will be
discussions about the hiring of a screenwriter to work with producers on the development of an idea or
concept for a reality television pilot, feature film, or other creative forms they wish to pursue as well
the WGA and how it functions in relation to the producer and writer.
|
|
|
Industry Speaker Series
|
These informative sessions feature discussions with producers of American independent, foreign, and
Hollywood films, network and cable television, as well as directors, actors, agents, managers, lawyers,
foreign sales representatives and many others. Each session includes a Q&A, providing each student access
to firsthand impressions of real-world circumstances faced by working industry professionals. These
sessions may be coupled with screenings of new films or television shows brought by these guests.
|
|
|
Film and TV Industry Employment Preparation
|
Students are given instruction and advice on seeking employment as professionals in the film and television
industry. Sessions include learning how to market yourself successfully, the creation of resumes, job search
techniques, cover letter writing, and interview tips. A comprehensive overview of the various areas of the
industry, offering entry level opportunities, are explored in a hands-on approach tailored to individual
students’ specific areas of interest.
|
▸ REQUEST INFO
▸ APPLY
1-800-611-FILM | 1-212-674-4300 
