NY Film Classes

Lately, I was mostly focusing on my work and family, with little time left for video. Artistically, I'm bored and, to spice things up, I'm considering taking film classes in New York vicinity. A quick web search yields the following results:

1. Princeton University - Department of Art and Archaeology
Princeton doesn't seem to offer any (undergrad/grad) Film major programs. The focus seems on screening films (almost nightly; free admission to all students and employees). Section Film and Video offers 4-5 film courses that may lead to a certificate only available to full-time Princeton students. However, these courses may be taken not for credit by qualified non-students through Continuing Education program. The tuition is $4,286 for Princeton-area residents and only $714 for Princeton employees (wow!).

2. Rutgers University- Mason Gross School of the Arts
The school has programs in music, theater arts, and visual arts (drawing, photography, sculpture and video combined). Based on list of required classes, Music and Theater programs seem to be strong because each class focuses on a small aspect of the music or theater career. The visual arts program focuses on all sub-disciplines, and therefore can't cover any of them in depth. Each of the classes may be good, but the combination of them leads to a very high-level degree.

3. NYFA - New York Film Academy
Pay and study school - a personal statement, a portfolio and no standardized examination is required for admission. Many prominent guest speakers. Emphasis on "doing" rather than "learning theory." Offers Bachelor's, Master of Fine Arts degrees. Also offers one- and two-year programs as well as eight-, six-, and four-week day workshops and a twelve-week evening workshop. The school has two divisions: Film and Acting. Many areas of concentration are offered: documentary, acting, animation, editing, screenwriting, etc. Recently offered a one-year Broadcast Journalism. Marian Porges, a senior producer at NBC News, delivers much of the program's curriculum.

4. NYU - Tisch School of the Arts - Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television
Tisch School has several departments, two of which are:

• Institute of Performing Arts which concentrates on acting, dance, design, and recorded music.
• Kanbar Institute, among other departments, has:


• Graduate Film
  
• Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP)

The ITP helps its students develop projects, which explore telecommunications, join design and computers, and don't fit directly into other well-defined categories such as computer science, theater, music or film. All project are listed on IPT's site. Only ~100 full-time students are admitted each year. Admissions requires BA/BS degree, and a portfolio. No results of standardized test are necessary. All full-time NYU students are allowed to register for selected non-degree classes for credit.

5. School of Visual Arts
Interesting program in MFA in Social Documentary Film.
Annual tuition $18,325 per semester (their most expansive Masters program). Admissions require samples of writing and video, no standardized tests. Applications are accepted Jan 15 - April 1 for Fall semester.