# Portfolio queries



## soling (Oct 17, 2005)

Good afternoon everyone i am a lady applying for admission into tisch nyu. I believe there is a 10 mins portfolio requirement. 

I have since done several short films for my school, probably about 4 on 16mm and 7 on video. I have also reedited trailers on avid and premiere. The short films looks rather polished. I wonder if i should re edit all those short films into a trailer or select one for submission. 

I plan to include a video and a film short film and a trailer which i edited. Is that too much? I'm afraid the variety may brand me as a jacks of all trade.

i read about film schools lookin for unpolished gems, so should i just make my films as raw as possible.

hope to hear comments from everyone. thank you in advance


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## titaniumdoughnut (Oct 18, 2005)

Hello 

I'm at NYU right now. I sent them a 10 minute demo reel which consisted of a trailer and several scenes from a feature film shot on DV. I think they don't really mind what you send, as long as it shows some talent.

Good luck!


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## soling (Oct 18, 2005)

May i know what format they would accept, could i just send a mpeg file in a dvd or something?


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## titaniumdoughnut (Oct 18, 2005)

Based on this page it looks like the only option is an NTSC format VHS tape. Is that hard to do? I don't know if Singapore uses NTSC or PAL.

So you need the resume, one of those options (obviously the demo reel) and also the third piece, the dramatic writing. Be sure to mail them to the address given there (721 Broadway), and not send them with your regular application.

Are you applying undergraduate or graduate?


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## soling (Oct 18, 2005)

Singapore uses Pal, getting a ntsc format is hard. i'm applying for undergraduate


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## titaniumdoughnut (Oct 18, 2005)

You can try emailing them, and asking if a data DVD with an MPEG on it is ok. They may be able to work with you on that, if it is difficult getting a VHS in NTSC.


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## soling (Oct 18, 2005)

After searching high and low, finally found a link that states that dvds are accepted. Time to digitize my stuff into mpeg.


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## soling (Oct 18, 2005)

> Originally posted by soling:
> Singapore uses Pal, getting a ntsc format is hard. i'm applying for undergraduate



Anyway since your in NYU right now, i would like to ask you a few questions.

1)describe a typical day at school

2)How is the work load like

3)Is nyu well equiped? Cameras, lights, grips and stuff

4)Does all the students have some prior knowledge about film making? Is it competitive?

Thank you


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## Hoeks (Oct 18, 2005)

I can answer you with some of the questions

1)describe a typical day at school

Sit in class and listen to the teacher then go out and film

2)How is the work load like

Academic workload is minimal...film workload is massive (I would highly recommend to work on the weekends and on your free time on any avaiable upper class project)

3)Is nyu well equiped? Cameras, lights, grips and stuff

It's decent. Many students rent equipment for uppper class movies. Yet, you do get a 16mm camera plus some lights. Nothing bigger than a 2000 Watt or 1.2 K HMI though.

4)Does all the students have some prior knowledge about film making? Is it competitive?

NYU is HIGHLY competitive and that is a great thing. I came into filmschool never directing anything, never touching a camera...and now I am doing pretty decent as a DP and my shorts I direct get some attention (http://www.nightfallsfilm.com). You will learn everything there, no need to worry about that..


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## Palm Tree Armada (Oct 18, 2005)

wow! how, i might ask, did you get into NYU Tisch without touching a camera?

Also:
A bunch of the films I make are made with my friend and co-director. We both want to apply to the major film schools. Do you think we should pick a "director" for each (we do pretty much equal amount of work) or just put both our names up there in the credits? are we even allowed to send in stuff that isnt completely made by the applicant?


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## titaniumdoughnut (Oct 18, 2005)

Hoeks is a senior (final year) at NYU, and I'm in the freshman (1st year) class, but I think the basic idea is the same for each level. The classes teach us ideas and techniques, but it's up to us to make films. You need to be really motivated to work on your own projects and make them as good as you can. During class we get some hands on experience and learning with the equipment, and some good solid advice and theories on the art and technology; but we do all the creative work in our own time.

1)describe a typical day at school

It varies, some days I have very little school work and I spend time working on my projects. Editing a sound piece in the editing suites, for example. A typical day for me could be something like today:

-Get up and do some reading for Psychology
-Go to Art & the World from 12:30-1:45pm
-Grab lunch, read some more
-Go to Freshman Audio Colloquium from 3:30-5:30pm and see some films created by NYU students (meet Hoeks there! Good guy.)
-Read some more
-Go to Psych from 6:20-9:10pm
-Work a bit on my idea for my next audio project, watch a movie (very important )

2)How is the work load like

The academic workload is very light. You will hate the mandatory class called "art and the world," but the required General Education classes are very, very good. You get what you pay for, and you pay a lot! The film professors are terrific people, too.

3)Is nyu well equiped? Cameras, lights, grips and stuff

I've only seen the audio equipment so far, and it is fantastic.

4)Does all the students have some prior knowledge about film making? Is it competitive?

While most have some prior filmmaking experience, not all do. Many have only used DV. There are a wide range of us.

The first semester you will study either Sound or Still Photography, and the other next semester. After that you move on to actual films.


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## titaniumdoughnut (Oct 18, 2005)

> Originally posted by Palm Tree Armada:
> A bunch of the films I make are made with my friend and co-director. We both want to apply to the major film schools. Do you think we should pick a "director" for each (we do pretty much equal amount of work) or just put both our names up there in the credits? are we even allowed to send in stuff that isnt completely made by the applicant?



That I do not know. I'd expect schools would much prefer stuff you did on your own. Obviously that doesn't mean you need to be a crew of one, but they want to know what exactly you did. If you were the director of photography, or the camera person, or the director, or the writer they want to know that you did it yourself.


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## soling (Oct 18, 2005)

> Originally posted by Hoeks:
> I can answer you with some of the questions
> 
> 1)describe a typical day at school
> ...



Seems really decent though, thank you for your reply. I have prior knowledge in most of the technical part, 16mm, avid, and hope to really progress on the story telling part in NYU (if i get in luckily) With the lecturers advise i guess thing's won't go much wrong.


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## Hoeks (Oct 19, 2005)

I made a mistake. I got into filmschool without any pior knowledge but that was freshmen year at LIU...then I transfered as a sophomore to tisch.

As for your concerns Soling, if you put a lot of energy into tisch, you will come out as a very good filmmaker (granted there is talent of course). The education is very good.


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## duders (Oct 19, 2005)

I'll answer it from the grad school perspective:

1)describe a typical day at school
-first six weeks are classes: cinematography, editing, directing, writing, aesthetics, sound, production management. Most with recitations. 

They are all very practical and hands on. No essays, except for aesthetics. 

After those six weeks, we start on our production period, where we actually make our movies for a month.

2)How is the work load like

It's a lot. You are constantly writing your screenplay and going to meetings with the faculty and getting their opinions.

Working on directing exercises on the weekend. School is definitely 7 days/week.

3)Is nyu well equiped? Cameras, lights, grips and stuff

The greatest facilities/equipment anywhere. Easily. The lecture rooms are all 5.1 equipped projection rooms.

4)Does all the students have some prior knowledge about film making? Is it competitive?

I didn't have any experience whatsoever. There are others in the class with tons of experience. There are perhaps 3 people with NO experience at all. The rest have all made films/video in one capacity or another. Out of my group of about 30 1st year students, the vast majority have had some experience.

However, they teach you everything you need to know to make a movie in like 6 weeks.


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## Hoeks (Oct 20, 2005)

best equipment anywhere? MHH now I highly suspect that grad school gets more stuff than undergrad

And I am not even going into how unfair that is hahahahaha

Good luck by the way for your first year. What I am curious about: how are the cinematography classes?


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## jdunn555 (Oct 24, 2005)

the grad film program at NYU just bought two Arri 535B 35mm cameras.

I drool.


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## Hoeks (Oct 25, 2005)

Yea,Carmine, our DP teacher was hating on the grad school because of that

Undergrad: 1000 kids who pay the same or mostly more than grad students to be at NYU. Grad: 100?

The UG films kick ass worldwide at festivals and do mostly better at big festivals than grad

UG doesnt get any financial help or good equipment

My take on it: whatever I just go rent a 535B or get a panavision

It is interesting how most filmschools have this jealousy between the UG and master department, instead of working together.

I heard there are not many good DPs in grad but a lot in UG...but we never cooperate...I wonder why


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## dude_dogg438 (Oct 31, 2005)

Just out of curiosity....what is acceptance rate for MFA in Film Production at NYU?


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## duders (Nov 4, 2005)

> Originally posted by dude_dogg438:
> Just out of curiosity....what is acceptance rate for MFA in Film Production at NYU?



From what I understand, it's consistently between 3% and 4%. I think in my class there are 36 people, and there were about a thousand applications. Same can be said about previous years.


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