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Program Description
The Graduate Division of the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts is an intensive three-year conservatory graduate film production program that trains students in the art of cinematic storytelling. We focus on helping writer/directors develop a narrative voice and the technical virtuosity to express that voice in cinema. Our students learn by doing— writing scripts, directing and producing films and exercises, and shooting and crewing on each other’s projects. Every student has an opportunity to make a minimum of five movies while at NYU.
The program confers a Master of Fine Arts degree. The Graduate Film Program encompasses both fiction and documentary filmmaking. Each semester, courses in screenwriting, directing, aesthetics, acting, cinematography, editing, producing, and sound design complement specific filmmaking projects that provide hands-on training. Our students are well-prepared to transition into the professional world with a range of technical skills which often lead to employment in the industry, a reel of short films that can serve as calling cards, and a feature film script or television bible.
Admissions
All graduate applicants to the Tisch School of the Arts are required to submit the General Graduate Application, as well as a department-specific portfolio or creative supplement. Each of these can be submitted online.
See Graduate Admissions for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
For international applicants, see International Applicant Requirements. Applicants with international credentials should be sure to check to see if their credentials are equivalent to an American Bachelor’s degree before applying.
Dual Degree
This program offers a dual degree with the NYU Stern School of Business. See Admissions for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
General Program Information
First Year
First-year students are immersed in all aspects of film production, attending classes that explore aesthetic principles as well as technical applications. In addition to their course work, students write and direct three short films in their first year, working on each other’s projects by rotating crew positions.
Second Year
Course work continues through the second year and culminates with each student directing a 10-minute second year narrative film, and also crewing on five of their classmates’ second year films, which culminates in a year-end Second Year Showcase of all the completed films. While most students will graduate as writer-directors, they can begin to specialize in the areas of Editing, Cinematography and Producing in the spring of second year.
Third Year
The primary focus of the third year is the development of a thesis project, which can be a narrative or documentary film, a TV pilot or web series, a feature screenplay or TV/web series written pilot and bible; or an editing or cinematography reel of work done on other students’ projects. Students may also graduate as producers, with a producing thesis portfolio. During this third year, students are also able to participate in collaboration classes with students from other Tisch School of the Arts programs, such as the Design, Graduate Acting and ITP departments. Students undergo rigorous training in and out of the classroom in preparation for their thesis project. Several advanced courses are also available as electives in the third year that prepare students for their transition to the professional world. Students may elect courses in feature screenplay writing and are encouraged to complete a feature-length script by graduation. Each thesis is reviewed by a faculty committee, which then recommends the student for graduation.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Understand the technologies involved in making narrative films including film and digital cameras, AVID editing systems and workflows, audio recording and mixing, lighting instruments and related grip equipment.
- Understand dramatic structure and dialogue in writing of short and feature-length narrative scripts.
- Understand the stages and elements involved in the safe production of short and feature-length narrative films, including development, financing, budgeting, scheduling, set operations, post-production, marketing and distribution. Also includes learning how to use industry-standard software for budgeting and scheduling.
- The understanding of the director’s role and capacity to execute same with originality, including drawing out and shaping performances from actors, design and direction of mise-en-scene (camera and staging), and the use of design and location elements appropriate to the original telling of the author’s narrative, in a cinematic (as opposed to theatrical) way.
Policies
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Tisch Policies
Additional academic policies can be found on the Tisch academic policy page.