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Newbie
Picture of Ace.the.Actor
Posted
Hi,

Just wondering if anybody have something to say about the NYFA acting program. They charging 13k for one semester. Is it worthed? or is all just marketing and stealing?

Ace
 
Posts: 2 | Location: HOllywood,Ca | Registered: May 11, 2008Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Harrison Ford
Picture of CSilvera
Posted Hide Post
In my opinion you could do MUCH better esp in New York.
 
Posts: 636 | Location: New York | Registered: May 25, 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Kevin Bacon
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NYFA -

1) They advertise for teachers on Craigslist.
Need I say more?

2) When a class gets full, they simply open another class. i.e. Totally commercially driven and will take as many students, who want to pay, as they can.

3) School is primarily focused on filming end of the business and not the acting end. Actors end up being there for the sake of those who want to MAKE films and actor training is minimal.

Is this what you are looking for in a program?
 
Posts: 27 | Location: MA | Registered: August 28, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Hilary Swank
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rfan is right on with the points he made.

I have not taken classes there, but I have met actors from the school, and they think they are much better then they are... probably because they paid so much for their classes.

There are countless better options for an actor.
 
Posts: 262 | Location: Hollywood, CA | Registered: August 10, 2005Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Kevin Bacon
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PS. Aside from what has been said about quality...

They have schools in NY, LA, Philly, Chicago, (and numerous other US Cities), not to mention Paris, London and other European cities.

They clearly have the quantity (both in terms of locations and number of classes that can potentially run at one time at each location).

Wherever you are, I'm sure you could find a more personalized program that focuses on the actor's art.
 
Posts: 27 | Location: MA | Registered: August 28, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Newbie
Picture of Ace.the.Actor
Posted Hide Post
If theres somebody that knows anybody that had gone to the acting program at nyfa? I just dont want to waste 50k dollars on that 2 years program they have.
 
Posts: 2 | Location: HOllywood,Ca | Registered: May 11, 2008Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Newbie
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If you are serious about acting in any shape or form, stay away from this place like the Plague. After dropping everything I had to pursue my dream, I moved to NY and fell for this trap of an acting school. This school is simply the most for-profit acting school you could ever come across. They simply open campuses around the world and spend all their money on marketing versus quality. Both campuses in NY are located in high traffic areas. Union Square and Soho, with giant flags displaying the schools names so everyone can see them. They have ads on subways and every medium possible. I went to this school and still am devastated by my experience. Since there is no interview, or audition, there is no quality control, you simply get stuck with many Rich Kids from foreign countries who simply want to live in NY with the visa NYFA granted them.

The school does not follow its supposed strict policies of attendance. Kids can come and go as they please. I had a couple mini-celebrities in my class (part of marketing) and they were allowed to use chairs as a bed and sleep!!!! No joke. The attendance was about 50%....No lesson plans, no nothings simply many of the staff were people who were struggling, and taking the job as side income. They are now hiring teachers on craigslist, The requirements are simply as long as you have a MFA, they will hire you.... that should not qualify you as a teacher.
I could write a whole report on this sad sad place (actig segement).
Basically it goes like, as long as you pay, they don't care what your history is, they are so money driven it's scary.
I have spoken with some of the best acting teachers in NY along with casting directors, and yes the school you went to won;t guarantee anything, but if you say you went to NYFA, you will be put on the bottom of the list. Think of this school almost like a fat camp for acting....kids are bored and simply want to mess around and what not.
This school advertises that Paul Dano attended....(the only really big success of the acting portion of the school) yet he does not visit, give the school credit, or is listed as attending on IMDB or anywhere on the web. if was truly grateful to the school and it helped him in any way shape or form, would he not mention this and come to the school as a guest speaker such as Edward Norton at Terry Scheiber Studio as one of the many examples. NYFA is simply an incredible textbook definition of what wonderful marketing and nice facilities can do to persuade a number of actors. Stay away from this place, please.
 
Posts: 1 | Location: NYC | Registered: June 09, 2008Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
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