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Hands-on-Moviemakers
New York Film Academy students discuss the film school experience
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| Students take part in a New York Film Academy acting course. |
Deeming itself the "hands-on film school" since opening its doors 10 years ago, the New York Film Academy has been dedicated to the belief that "a top-quality education in filmmaking should be accessible to anyone with the drive and ambition to make films." Though the film boasts its lineage as the alma mater of many Hollywood moviemakers and their families (with Steven Spielberg's son and Sergei Eisenstein's son being just two of their attendees), the school is dedicated to helping anyone interested in cinema-famous or not-achieve their cinematic potential. Just how widely the backgrounds of their students differ is evidenced by the two individuals interviewed here: Don Boner, a 59-year-old information technology professional from the Midwest, and Peter Cohen, a 26-year-old former production assistant and short moviemaker, discuss their NYFA experiences.
Jennifer Wood (MM): When did you first begin attending classes at NYFA, and how many classes have you taken so far?
Don Boner (DB): I attended the four-week workshop in April, 2002. The four-week workshop covered all aspects of film production.
Peter Cohen (PC): I did the one-year directing program starting January, 2001. I did the one-month acting program in September, 2001. They also created an advanced program for me, which I just finished.
MM: What has been your favorite class, and why?
DB: All classes and instructors were great, but I especially liked the directing class that Bryan Norton taught and the production class that Heng-Tatt Lim taught.
PC: Probably the general directing classes, as this is most specifically relevant to what I want to do-direct. But I found all the classes really useful, as everything (lighting, sound design, etc,) is important to a director-and they covered all of that.
MM: When deciding on a film education path, what led you to NYFA? What were some of the major concerns and considerations you had, and how did NYFA address those?
DB: I narrowed down my choice to the summer, six-week workshop that NYU offered or the workshop that NYFA offered. Because the four-week workshop started every month, I selected NYFA. I had some concern about my age-that is, being able to keep up physically with the rigors in regards to a six- or seven-day study week.
This is a true story: on the last weekend we were shooting, we worked all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A cold front and moved into NYC and on Saturday and Sunday it was cold and damp. Sunday we walked all over the East Village shooting this person's film. On our way back to the apartment where I was staying a young man from India turned to me and told me that he was beat and looked forward to soaking in a hot tub. I turned to him and said 'Wait 30 years and then tell me you're tired!' (He was 30 years younger than me.) So I was able to keep up with the 'kids' in the program. I remember my directing instructor telling me I wasn't the oldest person to take classes at NYFA by a long shot.
PC: A number of people recommended the NYFA to me. When the president of the University College London Film Society and a director who I was working as a production assistant for said I should go (Philip Goodhew, who directed the features Intimate Relations and Another Life), I thought it seemed like a good option. Also, I checked up on all the top films schools and this seemed the most intensive and hands-on.
MM: In one sentence: why New York Film Academy?
DB: NYFA offers a convenient, accelerated exposure to all aspects of film and digital production as well as acting and other aspects of the film business.
PC: I like the NYFA because it is very hands-on and the instructors are great.
MM: You've talked about specific instructors, but how would you rate the overall quality of instruction at NYFA? They refer to themselves as a "Hands-On Film School." How else have you seen that claim play out in your own experiences there?
DB: The instructors were all terrific. They all had impressive credentials as well as real world experience. On the first day of class I had a camera in my hands and shot some footage, learning about focus, setting the aperture, etc.
PC: It's very hands-on. You get your hands on equipment the first day. You get to direct your first short film in the first week. There is a huge amount of equipment-I never had the problem that I wanted to shoot but there wasn't a piece of equipment available. The instructors are great. They are all working professionals, so they know the industry well. They are all very enthusiastic.
MM: How would you describe the general philosophy of the school, its students and its staff?
DB: The school, that is the instructors and staff, all want each student to succeed in their efforts to learn about film production.
PC: Again, it's just a hands-on film school with high quality instruction.
MM: The NYC moviemaking community is famous for being a very tight-knit group. What sort of effect do you think NYFA's location has on its students-and the creativity and/or inspiration of those who attend classes here?
DB: Of course NYC is a great place to find locations, stories and inspiration. I used some great aspiring actors in my films. NYFA found me a wonderful apartment near the school and close to all the action of Union Square and the East Village.
PC: Union Square is a good location and there are so many facilities nearby. It feels very much in the heart of things.
MM: What are you hoping to do with your film education in the future? How is NYFA helping you address those goals?
DB: That's tough to answer. I am not sure if moviemaking will be a vocation or an avocation. All I know is I am hooked on moviemaking. I've written, produced and directed two short films and one feature since returning to Indianapolis last May. My education didn't end at the NYFA-it started there. With each project and each filmmaking book I study, I continue the process of honing my filmmaking skills.
PC: I want to launch myself as a full-time director immediately. And the NYFA has given me everything I need in order to do that. They even did these useful classes on 'Life after the NYFA.'
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Posted 05.8.08 | News/Commentary | No comments yet...
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