NYFA - a whole year?

[Sickman]

Hey guys.
I am Asaf, a 22 year old from Israel.

I've been looking around for film schools, and I guess I've narrowed my wishlist to NYU, USC and UCLA, NYU in particular, having spent 4 months last summer in manhatten and knowing it well.

I have a couple of questions that you guys might be helfpfull with, having seen the way you respond to other messages.

So. I don't have a portfolio, haven't taken the SAT's, haven't shot a film in my life, and my high school grades are remarkably unremarkable.

HOWEVER! I do have 3 things.
One is money. I can afford every school around, so I guess that's something.
The second is talent.
I'm a poet by heart, and I have great ideas for films, I breathe art, plus I am the proud owner of the required juvenality to believe I can flip the world upside down, which combined into one means talent.
And the third thing that I have is a plan.
In my current state of affairs I don't think any major school would consider me for admission.
So in order to obtain a portfolio and some knowledge in the field, and with the following year empty of duties, I thought about taking the NYFA one year filmmaking program.
From what I've heard it's far from bad, has a fair reputation, and you get out with a portfolio and some nice experiences.
Question is, does it serve as a good enough jumpboard to the finer schools (meaning NYU and such), does anyone care about how I functioned over there?
Is it better if I go to a year at SVA or an equivalent and then transfer?
Do the smaller workshops serve the purpose well enough, or should I go for the whole year?
And finally, does it matter if I take it at universal studios or New York?

Sorry for the bombardement
Oh, one last thing: one of you guys said that after accumilating enough extra curricular hours colleges don't examine your grades anymore.
Is that true???
And does serving in the army for three (!@$ing) years at a combat unit count (it better )?

Thanks in advance, didn't mean to blow your heads off with so many questions, but I appreciate your tolerance.

Have a good one.

Asaf.

 

[Sickman]

Hey guys.
I am Asaf, a 22 year old from Israel.

I've been looking around for film schools, and I guess I've narrowed my wishlist to NYU, USC and UCLA, NYU in particular, having spent 4 months last summer in manhatten and knowing it well.

I have a couple of questions that you guys might be helfpfull with, having seen the way you respond to other messages.

So. I don't have a portfolio, haven't taken the SAT's, haven't shot a film in my life, and my high school grades are remarkably unremarkable.

HOWEVER! I do have 3 things.
One is money. I can afford every school around, so I guess that's something.
The second is talent.
I'm a poet by heart, and I have great ideas for films, I breathe art, plus I am the proud owner of the required juvenality to believe I can flip the world upside down, which combined into one means talent.
And the third thing that I have is a plan.
In my current state of affairs I don't think any major school would consider me for admission.
So in order to obtain a portfolio and some knowledge in the field, and with the following year empty of duties, I thought about taking the NYFA one year filmmaking program.
From what I've heard it's far from bad, has a fair reputation, and you get out with a portfolio and some nice experiences.
Question is, does it serve as a good enough jumpboard to the finer schools (meaning NYU and such), does anyone care about how I functioned over there?
Is it better if I go to a year at SVA or an equivalent and then transfer?
Do the smaller workshops serve the purpose well enough, or should I go for the whole year?
And finally, does it matter if I take it at universal studios or New York?

Sorry for the bombardement
Oh, one last thing: one of you guys said that after accumilating enough extra curricular hours colleges don't examine your grades anymore.
Is that true???
And does serving in the army for three (!@$ing) years at a combat unit count (it better )?

Thanks in advance, didn't mean to blow your heads off with so many questions, but I appreciate your tolerance.

Have a good one.

Asaf.

 

[Hill Dawson Kane]

man if i had what u had (money and talent) i would just go right to making films and all that and skip the school, the only reason im going into a film course is cause my parents are paying for it, i meen if it were my money i wouldnt put it out for it

 

[robyn]

fortunately money wont get you into a film school. and to be honest with you, talent doesnt always do the trick either. you should just apply where you want to go and see what happens. if you can afford to take a course in between you might as well. the nyfa classes are a great learning experience and a lot of fun. i took the one during the summer at princeton university and learned so much! when i went into film school i was already ahead of all of the rest of the kids in my classes. but if you really are as dedicated as you seem, and have money and are really artistic/creative, just spend a few thousand on a nice camera and some editing equipment and play around for the next few months. that might prove to be your best shot at a portfolio that has no limitations

 

[Christine]

to answer a couple of your questions...

yes. the one year at nyfa is certainly a good enough jumpboard to nyu and such. i mean...over the course of the one year...you make quite a few films!
as for what you asked about the shorter workshops...the 8 week is REALLY good! it's EXACTLY the same as the first 8 weeks of the one year program. so if you wanted more after the 8 weeks, you could join the one year right after the 8 weeks.

since you say you know manhattan so well, then you might want to consider the school in nyc.
i personally recommend the nyc school. i don't really know much about the school at universal, but i think what sort of films you want to make determines where you want to go. if you want to do the hollywood thing and make commercial films...then universal probably would be a good idea. if want to make more independent films, then it would make sense to go to nyc. it really depends on where you want to build connections and contacts.
i'm actually a bit biased cuz i am currently doing the one year here in nyc! i LOVE it! the instructors i've had here so far are quite incredible. my favorite classes are lighting and camera and director's craft. production workshop is a lot of fun too...the instructor of that class is right on the line between genious and psychotic!
i cannot believe how MUCH i've learned in a very short time...and i do notice great improvement and increased confidence with every film i've made. i remember being scared out of my wits when shooting my first project(mise en scene film), i remember thinking, what have i gotten myself into? silly i know...for just a one shot film! by the third project(music and montage film), i was rockin' my shoot...which was good, cuz my cast and crew caught that positive, affirmative attitude and my shoot went really smoothly that day. i only hope that the shoot for my "final" film tomorrow goes just as smoothly...pre-production for it has been a biotch but well worth the headaches to bring a story that i'm very passionate about to life!
*gets down from her soap box* hope my reply answered your questions some.