Program Overview

Producing is a craft that brings together the many disparate facets of filmmaking, covering both creative and business-focused skillsets. Simply put, no other position in film or television has more to do with the technical, creative, and financial aspects of making a film or TV show than the producer does, and it is he or she who sees a project from the very beginning to the very end.

Over the course of two semesters, students learn what it means to think and act like a producer. From day one, students are treated as producers and are challenged to develop the creative and technical skills producers must have to successfully navigate the entertainment industry. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, and coursework, students will become familiar with the different roles, tasks, and obstacles that producers encounter and learn how to manage them.

In addition, students are expected to hone their abilities as writers, learning the fundamentals of the craft in order to write their own original feature treatments, and business plans. Students also receive extensive practice in the art of pitching, learning how to best craft a compelling sales pitch for their project. Furthermore, students obtain a working knowledge of finance, marketing, and distribution strategies while analyzing media trends in the industry. Ultimately, students will complete their studies with the creation of their Thesis, which will explore a key element of their feature film treatment.

Producing students graduate from the Academy’s MA Producing program well-versed and experienced in the role of the producer. From learning the foundations of Entertainment Law to mastering industry standard software used by producers, students interested in the MA Program in Producing at NYFA will leave the Academy ready to enter the entertainment industry and achieve their professional goals.

SEMESTER ONE OVERVIEW
Today’s producers face a number of dramatic, logistical, and managerial challenges in an ever-changing industry. In semester one, students develop fundamental creative and technical skills producers must have to successfully navigate the entertainment industry. Through lectures and seminars, students are immersed in the world of the producer. Students will also gain an understanding of the history of cinema and the evolution of emerging media. They will develop effective pitching techniques for their original concepts while evaluating the role of media in today’s society and examine their role and responsibility in that world.

SEMESTER TWO OVERVIEW
In semester two, students will broaden their understanding of the role of the creative producer and analyze and master key elements of the effective producer’s craft. From working with unions and guilds to understanding the financial and legal challenges faced by producers, students will learn strategies for working in today’s industry, including techniques in marketing themselves in the most effective way. Students will gain a theoretical and stylistic understanding of genre and film aesthetics. They will also look beyond film to examine new media trends in the entertainment industry. The semester culminates with students creating a complete business plan and packaging their treatments into marketable projects. Finally, they will compose a well-researched Thesis and extrapolate upon a certain aspect of their feature film treatment.