NYU Dramatic Writing Program - Fall 2012

[Munky the robot]

Originally posted by Fred Flintstone:
Munky the robot,

Thanks for the info about wait listers.

How do you feel about the program? What is your concentration?

I got accepted to UT Austin (MFA screenwriting) with a full scholarship. Do you think I should go there for free or go to NYU or AFI (currently wait listed at both) for $40,000 per year?

If I could get a full or half scholarship at NYU I would go there (does anybody get money other than loans?).

Others, feel free to give input.

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Sent u a PM

 

[Tebowing4Gradskool]

Originally posted by dmtr:
@ Fred

It was a bit staggered, but I think around the end of April last year a wave of people got in off the waitlist. I also heard some people got calls as late as end of August. Last year, for NYU, the deadline for admitted candidates to turn in their deposits and committments was 4/15.

@ benifox, HUwriter, Tebowing4Gradskool and Britton

Have you guys heard anything?

@dtmr: I had my interview and I thought it went well but I haven't heard a word

 

[dmtr]

@ Tebowing4Gradskool

Did you interview for DW with Tisch NY or Tisch Asia? Sorry to hear they haven't gotten back to you yet. It probably couldn't hurt to call NYU to follow up.

 

[HUwriter]

@dmtr do you currently live in NY? Have your looked for housing yet?

 

[dmtr]

@ HUwriter

I do live in NY. I have found, if you want to live in Manhattan, the upper east side has very good value. I think a lot of NYU students live in Brooklyn as well, but maybe they can weigh in on that. The East Village would be ideal, but it's quite expensive. Craigslist will likely be your best option to find housing, but watch out for broker's fees!

 

[HUwriter]

@dmtr Will it be easy to find a place that takes dogs? I heard its impossible for people to work and go to school, I wonder how ppl survive with the high rent lol.

 

[mike8163]

To all. We're all screenwriters here first and foremost, right? So if you had the choice among AFI (screenwriting), NYU DW, and Columbia Screenwriting/Directing, which one would you choose and why.

 

[dmtr]

@ HUwriter

Many places do allow dogs. As for surviving the high rent, I heard from a current student that having a job is difficult. ...loans seem to be the drug of choice.

@ mike8163

You are asking the NYU DW thread, so take answers as you will. For me, NYU is the only way to go. It's the only program I applied to because students can concentrate on TV writing while learning screenwriting and plawriting. I don't know much about AFI's program, but looked in to Columbia a bit. By all accounts it's an excellent program, but I prefer the curriculum at NYU and didn't want to attend a 3 year program. Good luck with your decision!

 

[mike8163]

@ dmtr

I agree. The extra year at Columbia has me concerned. I also like the idea of crossing over from screenwriting into TV and playwriting. Same muscles, different venue.

 

[P.F. Murphy]

Still no word by either snail mail or email. Obviously very frustrating.

 

[Tebowing4Gradskool]

Originally posted by dmtr:
@ Tebowing4Gradskool

Did you interview for DW with Tisch NY or Tisch Asia? Sorry to hear they haven't gotten back to you yet. It probably couldn't hurt to call NYU to follow up.

@dmtr: I interviewed with Tisch Aisa. I probably will give them a call Monday.

 

[Fred Flintstone]

@ Munky

I sent you a PM.

 

[Fred Flintstone]

FYI for those of you worried about Columbia being a 3-year program (as far as money), the tuition in that third year is much much lower than the first two years. First and second year about 50k, third year about 10k.
http://arts.columbia.edu/tuition-and-fees

 

[Fred Flintstone]

@ mike8163 (and anyone else)

Screenwriting MFA -- AFI versus NYU versus Columbia

** Everybody, please reply and add to this or tell me what I left out. I can erase this post and put up a revised one that is more accurate. This is just from my limited perspective...

AFI
Industry/Hollywood/Commercial/Blockbuster - yet they prize the auteur director, also. If you want to write for the studios, you should move to Los Angeles, go to AFI (or USC/UCLA) and get started making connections and learning how the movie business works in Los Angeles. The school uses the Hollywood system. It's industry-based. It's all about getting you ready to do what professional screenwriters do. You are a screenwriter and only a screenwriter. You will never touch a camera. In your first year you will write several short films, at least one of which will be used by a directing student for a film. I think AFI emphasizes screenwriting for film almost exclusively - very little TV writing, no playwriting. There will also be no classes devoted to history and theory, as this is not a university, it is a conservatory. 2-year program.

NYU
Independent/Artistic/Intellectual - You will study "dramatic writing" across the forms of screenwriting, playwriting, and television writing, while picking one of those forms as your concentration. There are classes on history and theory of dramatic writing (shakespeare, various styles of theater from history, etc). As a screenwriter, you will write for the screen, but you will also be obligated to write for the stage (and possibly TV?). Compared to AFI (or USC/UCLA), this is not the place to be if your burning desire is to start making money as a Hollywood movie writer asap. I have heard that the program is best for playwrights, rather than screen/tv writers. 2-year program.
EDIT:
* You can take certain production courses as electives.

Columbia
Independent/Artistic/Intellectual. They favor the writer-director. You will get mixed in with writers, directors, and "creative producers" in your first year and you will all study the same thing (writing/directing/producing). So, you're not exclusively studying writing in that first year. If you discover that you want to be a director, this would be the school for you, as you can switch your concentration and be a director or writer-director. I have heard the program, at least in the first year, is very challenging. They make you do all kinds of collaborative work (with the directors/producers). I don't think there is much tv writing here, no playwriting - it's all about feature film making, "storytelling." 3-year program (third year is thesis and tuition is much much lower than years 1 and 2).
EDIT:
* You can take tv writing elective courses in your second year (but the program as a whole is aimed at film, not tv).
* curriculum (writers, directors, producers): http://arts.columbia.edu/curriculum

 

[mike8163]

Thanks, Fred.

I think you've characterized the three programs very well. Very consistent with what I've learned from my visit to Columbia and AFI, and what I've read about NYU.

Thanks again.

 

[Guest]

Columbia: I don't think there is much tv writing here, no playwriting - it's all about feature film making

There are actually some classes just for TV writing at CU. Just go to their homepage and you'll find the screenwriting / directing curriculum ( http://arts.columbia.edu/curriculum ).
The TV classes are called:

Television Writing - The Pilot
Television Writing - The Spec
Television as a Dramatic Medium

You're right about playwriting though, however, Columbia University offers that in another MFA.

 

[dmtr]

That is a nice synopsis. I'd add for NYU that you can take production courses as electives if you so choose. I think I also read somewhere that NYU does some readings and other showcases for agents, etc.

 

[Fred Flintstone]

ok i updated the afi/nyu/columbia screenwriting mfa comparisons post using contributions from kaschko and dmtr.

 

[dmtr]

Here is a link to the graduate course offerings at NYU:

http://ddw.tisch.nyu.edu/object/grad_ddw_courses.html

Also, if you follow the link below you can download a sample NYU graduate course progression (right side of the page under "Downloads"):

http://ddw.tisch.nyu.edu/object/ddw_graduate.html

 

[Fred Flintstone]

dmtr,
Thanks for those links. Very cool. I can get a better sense of the program. Definitely a lot of playwriting required even for screenwriters. Basically, if you are a screenwriter and you do not want to write plays, don't go to NYU DW. Most of the faculty seem to be playwrights, also.
F.F.