In 2022, the global media and entertainment market was valued at approximately $2.32 trillion and is expected to grow to $4.2 trillion by 2031. For aspiring filmmakers, content creators, screenwriters, and performers, this is great news – the industry is thriving! It’s the perfect time to pursue that passion project, write that screenplay, or brush up on auditioning and acting skills. With opportunities like NYFA’s short-term workshops, it’s possible to gain hands-on, practical experience in a number of creative disciplines.
Why Attend A NYFA Short-Term Workshop
From Aubrey Plaza to Bill Hader to Issa Rae, a number of high-profile visual storytellers honed their craft in a short-term program at NYFA. Over the years, NYFA has expanded its short-term workshop offerings to include programs at our New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Florence campuses, as well as online programs and additional international satellite locations.
Here are some reasons creatives choose to attend New York Film Academy for intensive workshops.
Essential Storytelling Skills
When it comes to a successful film or television show, the story is essential. The story is at the heart of some of the most recent award-winning and highly acclaimed films and shows, such as The Book of Clarence (produced by NYFA alum Tendo Nagenda) and Oppenheimer (starring NYFA board member Matthew Modine, amongst an all-star cast).
Nour Idriss, who completed a short-term Broadcast Journalism workshop at NYFA New York, cited hands-on storytelling as a strength of her program. “I was able to learn how to make a story,” Nour said in a review for NYFA. “You have to shoot it, write it, edit the story, produce it. This challenge and this short deadline it keeps you in the run, it keeps you creative.”
Flexibility for Working Professionals
NYFA’s evening part-time workshops accommodate creatives with responsibilities during the day. From our 12-Week Evening Filmmaking Workshop to our 12-Week Evening Photography Workshop to our 12-Week Evening Acting For Film Workshop, creatives can acquire a lot of knowledge in these programs, which likely include time spent on the weekends. Depending on the discipline, evening workshops are offered at NYFA New York, NYFA Los Angeles, and NYFA Miami throughout the year.
Ability to Foster Creative Community
The film, media, and entertainment industry is highly collaborative, and fostering a supportive creative community is key. Take the directing duo known as “The Daniels,” Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who made history with the film Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (2022). The collaborative Oscar-winners once worked together as NYFA camp counselors at our Harvard location, making their first short film during a summer camp.
For Niki Landella, a short-term musical theatre workshop alum, it was the people she met at NYFA, especially instructors, who were keys to a positive experience. “Each and every teacher encouraged me to trust myself more, and I think this has something to do with the success that they have already experienced in their lives,” Niki wrote in a review for NYFA. Both our in-person and online workshops are great for creatives looking to meet possible connections, whether it’s fellow students or faculty.
Master Basic Skills
From vital film vocabulary to essential skills, NYFA workshops can provide students with confidence that they’re learning a new skill or interest effectively. While there are ample resources out there, a short-term workshop at NYFA ensures that aspiring storytellers learn the fundamentals the right way from the start of their creative journey. Lana Osicka, who attended a short-term workshop in Acting for Film, “learned about movement, film and television, monologues, comedy and improvisation, and scene study.”
“I even starred in several student films,” she said. “I learned so much that I never knew about the art of acting.”
Hands-on Projects and Exercises
NYFA’s workshops are designed to help students create a lot of creative content in a short amount of time. During the programs, students work independently and collaboratively (depending on the program type and disciplines) on short films, scenes, scripts, games, and more. For creatives looking to add more to their portfolio or make their first reel, a workshop can be a great way to get started.
Perfect for Exploring New Interests
For creatives between jobs or students taking a gap year before college, workshops can be great for exploring new interests and strengthening technical skills. Workshops can also be incredibly useful for finding new inspiration and making progress with creative projects. Isabelle Ajemian, a NYFA acting for film workshop alum who studied at NYFA Florence, admits that before her program, she “was strictly a live theatre actor with an interest in film.” After her program, she wrote in a review for NYFA, she gained experience in film with “an understanding of cinematography, footage for reels, and network connections with classmates and professors.”
“Studying in Italy has been incredible and it was the perfect place from which to draw inspiration as an artist and see how impactful art can be to our culture and history,” she said.
NYFA also offers study abroad programs during the academic year and in the summer.
Learn To Create Online Content
In the modern age of branding, filmmakers and performers need more than just talent to find success. In many cases, they also need to have a significant online presence. Many of our workshops teach students basic video content skills, including filming, editing, acting, and much more, helping actors and directors create their own short clips.
A number of our alumni, including Photography alum Bonnie Rodriguez, have gone on to develop robust social media followings. Rodriguez has over two million followers on TikTok, and almost 800k followers on Instagram, where she posts photography tips. In 2020, Rodriguez and fellow photo alum Alejandro Ibarra collaborated on a virtual talk for NYFA about creating and defining your online brand.
Strengthen Practical Transferrable Skills
NYFA’s workshops are great for creatives looking to make a name for themselves across industries. While directors are drawn to filmmaking classes and actors are drawn to acting classes, there are a range of additional workshops that can aid in the development of a visual artist. NYFA’s Digital Editing workshops, for instance, are extremely useful for content creators and actors. As students learn how to use software such as Avid (depending on the program), creatives and performers can make and edit their own reels, video content, and portfolios.
NYFA’s Producing workshops can help content creators and filmmakers gain an introduction to the business of film, providing priceless insight into marketing, budgeting, distribution, and financing.
Go Beyond DIY Learning
So many tutorials and videos online teach everything from filmmaking to photography – but DIY skill-building can only go so far. In a short-term workshop, students can build on their natural talent and elevate themselves professionally. NYFA teaches industry standards and best practices, and students can acquire vital knowledge about permits, applications, fellowships, grants, and more.
Nathan Williams, who took a “non-traditional route to directing,” credits NYFA’s short-term workshop in Cinematography with helping him “learn the craft and allow me to have more knowledgeable conversations with DPs. It expanded my knowledge, inspired me creatively and gave me more confidence on set – an invaluable resource,” he wrote in a review for NYFA.
Add Structure to Your Creativity
It can be challenging to turn a hobby or interest into a lifelong skill. In a workshop, students can learn how to apply structure and a framework to their creativity. Screenwriting workshop alum Russell Ince, who studied at NYFA Los Angeles, was able to complete his screenplay during his program. “With regards to my screenplay, I owe an awful lot to you,” he wrote in a review for NYFA. “After two more re-writes and some lengthy editing, it all fell into place.”
Get Hands-Online
Online workshops and courses can help aspiring storytellers from all over the world. However, unlike other online courses, in NYFA’s workshops, students meet professors and classmates in the virtual classroom, sharing ideas and collaborating on projects. The online workshops are not just a series of videos to watch and prompts to answer like many other online courses, NYFA’s hands-on workshops are real studio courses in an online environment.
Try Before Making a Bigger Investment
Higher education can be costly. Before signing up for a degree program, a NYFA workshop can be a great way to get a feel for a chosen discipline. The flexibility and hands-on nature of NYFA’s workshop also ensure that students can get a step ahead before pursuing their undergraduate or graduate degree. Depending on the field of study, some workshops may be taken for credit (not guaranteed, please request info to speak with admissions).
Pursue Your Passion at NYFA
Attending an in-person workshop at NYFA offers a unique and intensive learning experience that can significantly benefit aspiring filmmakers, actors, and other creatives. The combination of hands-on training, professional instruction, networking opportunities, and access to top-notch equipment makes these workshops a valuable investment for anyone looking to advance their skills and career in the visual and performing arts.
Ready to learn more about our workshops? Explore our in-person programs, and online workshops, or request more information today!