Hello Everybody

I have some questions about Tisch which by the way seems to be very popular in here! I am a Danish girl (for the past year I have been living in Barcelona though) and I was wondering if any of you guys know how the school would judge my grades (something that seems to be very important for this school) since they obviously don´t know the Danish grading system nor our education system?

Are the grades really that important compared to your experience within the film business?

Do you know if foreing students need to provide the school with an English test or diploma of some kind? I have been using and working with the English language for the past 3 years so I feel quite comfortable with it but I have never actually taken a degree in English.

My very last question is if any of you have an opinion on the New York Film Academy compared to Tisch? Which one is better?

Welcome.

The grades are quite important to NYU, so they must have some way of understanding foreign grades. I would suggest giving them a call, or an email, to see how everything works as a foreign applicant. There are a good number of students from abroad, and they are very friendly toward them.

Grades have nothing to do with the real film world of course, except to show that you care about your work, I guess.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but you probably need to take the TOEFL or something similar. Your english is good, so I wouldn't worry about that. Again, best to get the facts from the NYU admissions office to be sure.

THe New York Film Academy is a technical school, primarily. They don't offer 4-year degrees, and the program is (from what I hear) very good, but only as a precursor to a more traditional film school. Everyone who went to a NYFA program loved it, but they're all very clear on the fact that it doesn't replace film school at all. Many techs, for example sound recordists or gaffers working professionally, are fine with a NYFA program, but they're not in the creative end of film.

Of course, it's also possible to argue that it's totally unnecessary to go to school for film at all, but I would never agree with that.

Tisch is "THE" film school, Brix. NYFA is more of a Workshop school because the courses are very short - 2 years max.

I am foreign like you (Portugal)and also thinking of applying to tisch.

About the grades...
Did you contact your college student support?
Maybe they could call Tisch themselfs.

Good Luck. Cheers

Thank you both for the quick reply. Reading your replies I´m thinking that maybe I am actually too experienced for NYFA?? I already did a 8 month intensive course at an international film college in Denmark. The courses were very basic but in the end it gave you a very broad knowledge about the whole filmproduction from start to end.
I am actually looking for two things in New York:
1)A school that can give me even more technical knowledge (meaning as many hands-on courses as possible - for me that is the best way to learn).
2) I am being dead honest now! Something that will look really good on my resume. I know for a fact that in this business going to NY or basicly any part of the Sates looks really good on the resume in the rest of the world and especially in Europe. People are much more interested in you if you have been in NY.

Fellini77 how on earth are you going to pay for this school?? That is my biggest problem. In Denmark we have quite high salaries but we do not save up our whole life to go to college like the Americans do because our education system is free!!
And good luck to you too!
PS. Lisboa is a wonderful city..I have many friends there

Hi there once again.

1st- In my opinion, if you have already the technical knowledge of cinema you should try applying to Tisch.
NYFA, is great, I also have friends that went there, but they are going to teach you the same things that you learned in Denmark Film School -the basics.

Tisch is more academic but more difficult to get in.
Dont forget that names such as Scorsese, Spike Lee and Peter Bogdanovich are, in some way, associated with the school.
Personally, Iam thinking of applying just to: Tisch, USC, Afi, London Film, Czech Film School and I heard that the Denmark Film
is also very good but Iam not going beacause of the language.
All the directors I Know, they all say that these are the best Film Schools.

2- The "Money Problem"

I have the same problem.
I know its hard as hell to enter Tisch but is also very expensive to study in america, so what can we do?

- I could try applying to a Scholarship.In Portugal 200 students get one evrey year. Its very hard to get one so you have to be really good.


- In Portugal, The National Bank gives loans to students who want to study overseas. I bet in denmark you also have that. You guys are more developed than us

- Get a part time job. Its not legal for a foreign student to work in america but what tha hell, every foreign student finds a restaurant
to work in.

- Family Support.



Good Luck and Sorry for possible spelling mistakes, english is not my native language.


PS- I´ve been in Denmark also. I did a eurotrip and really liked it. The women are gorgeous in denmark, guys
Besides that, dreyer, one of the best directors of all time, is danish!

quote:

Originally posted by Brix:
In Denmark we have quite high salaries but we do not save up our whole life to go to college like the Americans do because our education system is free!!

Our public education system is free, too. NYU is a private school. Every private school in the world costs money.

Fellini77 sounds like you have done a lot of reseach...I have only just begun. Thanks for al your infomation!
In Denmak we can get loans as well and even the state pays us an amount of money every months for studying which I think is quite amazing but still it is not enough. But of course you are right - there are lots of ways to do this like loans, scholarships, working on the side etc.

Josh. I know private schools cost money but I think you have a lot more schools and universities which are private in the States than we have in Denmark so I am not really used to that. I payed for my film studies as well in Denmark but not nearly as much as you pay in the NY...probably because your educations and equiptment are better than ours ;-)

NYU is absurdly expensive, and most people are either there on their parent's savings, or on a giant bank loan. It's the sad truth of the matter.

If you have such a large amount of experience in film already, it might be in your best interest to either go to NYU for graduate school, after a 4-year degree somewhere else, or try to transfer in and skip the first year or two. Make sure you talk to them about that option before deciding to do it, if you do, because transferring in requires better academic scores.

titaniumdoughnut. Yes maybe that is a possibility for me - haven´t thought about that.

Well it sounds like I should probably start contacing the schools and ask for some more information.

Another reason NYU is so expensive is maybe because film is expensive.
In my country to shoot on film is very expensive and maybe in america is the same thing.
The nyu students shoot on film right?

Brix, what about Barcelona Film School?
Barcelona nightlife rocks

It is very expensive to shoot on film, but NYU can't use that as an explanation. It costs only a few hundred dollars more for film majors than for anyone else to go to NYU. A few hundred out of nearly $50,000 (including room/board). That's just the cost of a prestigious college in a big city these days.

I'm considering going to grad school to delay payment on my loans

50.000 USD for all 3 years?
I dont think is very expensive mate. Plus, if I have the name NYU on my resume I probably can find work anywhere in my country.
NYU Its the best school in the world people
I paid 40.000 Euros (without room) for my 5 year journalism degree and I regret every cent.

Brix, are you going to send a short film next to your portofolio?
I have one shortfilm that I did in college but it has subtitles.
I dont know if they allow films with subtitles.
What do you think titaniumdoughnut?

Cheers!

No no... it's $50k for EACH year...

They will absolutely accept a film with subtitles. Just make sure you check with a native English speaker who will read them thoroughly, because it always looks unprofessional when simple mistakes make it through in subtitles.

Also, make sure it fits in their format requirements. I forget if it's VHS or DVD, but I'm pretty sure it has to be NTSC. If yours is in PAL, it might be worth checking if they'll take it before you try to convert it.

holly sh*t! Thats expensive alrite!

150 000 the all 3 years without daily expenses.

You are absolutely rite. I also made a R1 Dvd version.
I shoot it with 8 mm black and white film with a narrator.
It looks like that old french nouvelle vague films. I like it very much.Its a simple 8 min story of a guy searching for a girl in the city.
I hope that Tisch dont find it pretentious.

Cheers and thanks a lot for the help!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Fellini77,

Yeah many of the schools shoot on film - that is why I wanna go to NY. I want to learn to shoot on film.

Ok I am out of the game!!! No way I can find 150.000 dollars! But they have different programs don´t they? Maybe I could do some smaller intensive courses just to get something on my CV that says NY and if it is only part time studies you could easily work at the same time.

The format thing is a big problem. It is so ****ing stupid! Why even have different formats!!! It doesn´t make any sence. There are ways of converting though but it is not easy.

I made a short film last summer and I would probably send this one together with the application. It is in Danish and I have a copy with Spanish subtitles but that doesn´t get me anywhere in NY so I would have to make English subtitles. I am also working on a documentary and I think later this year I will do another short so maybe I will use these instead..don´t know.

And yes barcelona night life rocks!
The film school is very good..or so I hear! But I don´t like the system. You apply for the school but not a specialty. Then you all have the same classes and after two years (I think it is two but I am not sure) the teachers choose which specialty you should study the rest of the time in the school. So maybe you really want to become a director but they think you would be a better producer and then you actually have to study production in your last two years!! What a waste of time and money!

Maybe we should all put our money together that was ment to be spend on film schools and then make a feature instead

Brix, About the format...
I use a program called "Sonic Dvd", It burns your Dvd into Region 1 also.
second, If you like barcelona nightlife, you should try lisbon, especially "bairro alto" .

titaniumdoughnut, please for the last time mate, tell me if I am right:

1- the Tisch degree is 3 years but with the thesis film it could last 4 or 5.

2- You pay 50 000 a year (at once) with campus.

3- the graduate program is more for older people that are allready working in the industry.

4- they accept 250 students per year but they only keep 30

thanks, cheers!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Fellini77,

Fellini77 I´m so confused about all these schools and different programs!!

I have been to Lisboa many times and Bairro alto is my favourite place to go out. I love that all the people are standing out in the streets. I have been to the Lux, Capital, Up Arte etc. By the way my friends are playing in a band you might have heard about them. They are called MAU and at the moment the have a single out called I need a priest. Also they have one of their songs in a comercial for one of your mobile companies.

Okay I think I am starting to give up on the NY film schools..soooo expencive!

By the way thanks for the tip on the format! Or should I say Obrigada

Yes I heard about MAU! Its kinda of electronic music rite.I like them.
Iam suprised you know so much about Lisbon.You travel a lot, thats important for someone who wants to be a filmmaker.To know different cultures and all...
A litle trivia about lux...john malcovich and michelle pfeiffer are part responsable for the night club.
Cheers!

Almost right.

1- the Tisch Graduate degree is 3 years but with the thesis film it could last longer. The Undergraduate degree is 4, but can last 4 or 5 with the thesis.

2- You pay 50 000 a year (at once) with campus.

3- the graduate program is more for older people that are allready working in the industry. Not necessarily. Just for people who already have an undergrad degree somewhere.

4- they accept around 250 students per year to the undergrad program, and a much smaller number to the grad school. Somewhere in the 10s.