New York's always had a big part in film and TV production, but in recent years business is booming. Boardwalk Empire, The Good Wife, Inside Amy Schumer, Divergent, The Normal Heart —mainstream or not, it's hard to watch anything without a glimpse of the city.
There's a lot to thank for the tidal change, but 2015 marked a big year: CUNY and Brooklyn College officially welcomed its first class at the Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School for Cinema. This is huge.
Located in Brooklyn, the school's made waves with a brand-new 68,000 sq ft facility located on the largest soundstage complex on the East Coast. In other words: students go to film school on a working film lot, making it the only school of its kind.
Aiding Feirstein's success is its commitment to students of all kinds, a commitment to accessibility: tuition is 1/3 less than other private film schools in the city, while numerous scholarships help even more to lessen the financial burden. One of the biggest challenges facing students attending film schools, apart from the cost of tuition, is the cost of producing their thesis projects. But at Feirstein, every project is eligible for production funding up to $10,000 or a research grant up to $2,500, provided by the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME) Creative Fund. Additionally, 50% of Feirstein's students are women 45% are from underrepresented groups.
Attending Feirstein in 2016 is a rare opportunity to join a prestigious, public program as technologically advanced as any film school in the country: facilities include an incredible 4,000 sq ft soundstage, a foley stage, 4k surround sound screening room, a motion capture studio, and ADR studio, among many others. An advisory committee including Darren Aronofsky and Steven Soderbergh, Fisher Stevens and Ethan Hawke, as well as Robert Richardson (the only American with three Cinematography Academy Awards, for JFK, The Aviator, and Hugo) and Founding Director Jonathan Wacks (Repo Man, 21 Jump Street) add to an environment that's well-rounded, collaborative and inclusive.
Choose from two programs: the master of arts (M.A.) in cinema studies and the master of fine arts (M.F.A.) in cinema arts.
M.A. IN CINEMA STUDIES
The master of arts in cinema studies is a two-year program offered on a full- or part-time basis. The program offers a comprehensive education in cinema history, theory, criticism and aesthetics, and encourages the scholarly exploration of cinema as a form of art and a social communication.
M.F.A. IN CINEMA ARTS
The master of fine arts in cinema arts is a three-year program that accepts students on a full-time basis only. It offers a highly specialized education in a collaborative hands-on learning environment in six filmmaking specializations:
Cinematography
Directing
Post-production
Producing
Screenwriting
Digital Animation & VFX (begins in fall 2016)
The Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema is the best way to break into entertainment. Apply for Fall 2016 for your chance to be part of the new wave of New York cinema.
This post is a sponsored collaboration between the Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and Gothamist staff.
