<p>My high school freshman son is a professional film/TV actor. He has voiced interest in majoring in film acting in college. It seems most schools have theater/drama BA and BFA degrees. Are there schools that just concentrate on film acting studies?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Chapman University in Orange, CA, has one of the only two Screen Acting BFAs in the country. I’m not sure where the other one is, but Chapman’s is part of two of their top colleges-- the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, and the College of Performing Arts, and it’s a fantastic program.</p>
<p>Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>I believe at NYU students still have the option to apply to enter Stonestreet in the junior year. The first 2 years would be spent in one of the primary studios.</p>
<p>Many very successful film/tv actors did not major in film acting in college. Since he is already working in film and will be familiar with the style shift to the small screen and the technical issues surrounding film acting he may also want to look at programs that are not film acting specific but have a record of graduates working in film and TV. Syracuse, NYU, USC, UCLA, and CMU come to mind off the top of my head.</p>
<p>Meant to say “style shift to the small and big screen…” above :)</p>
<p>Thank you both for sharing this info.</p>
<p>A lot of theatre BFAs and some BAs have ‘Acting for the Camera’ classes.</p>
<p>Many BFA and BA programs are at universities that also house film programs and students who look for actors to act in their student films. When I was an undergrad at Syracuse I was in a few student films. Students where I now teach (James Madison) are often in student films. If at a program in NYC (and permitted by his schedule) he may also be able to audition for student films through NYU, SVA, etc… and independent film work.</p>
<p>NYU – Tisch Primary Studios – [Primary</a> Training: Tisch School of the Arts at NYU](<a href=“http://drama.tisch.nyu.edu/object/dr_curprimary.html]Primary”>http://drama.tisch.nyu.edu/object/dr_curprimary.html)
NYU – Advanced Studios – [Advanced</a> Training: Tisch School of the Arts at NYU<a href=“Stonestreet%20is%20not%20listed%20here…%20but%20on%20the%20Stonestreet%20website%20it%20still%20mentioned%20an%20affiliation%20with%20NYU,%20so%20it%20is%20worth%20asking%20about.”>/url</a></p>
<p>Stonestreet Studios – [url=<a href=“http://www.stonestreet.co/]Stonestreet”>http://www.stonestreet.co/]Stonestreet</a> Studios](<a href=“http://drama.tisch.nyu.edu/object/dr_curadditional.html]Advanced”>http://drama.tisch.nyu.edu/object/dr_curadditional.html)</p>
<p>the University of Southern California doesn’t have a film acting major, but lots of film classes (acting for commercials, acting for film) and the film school. you can also be a film major/minor to learn about all other aspects besides acting. and with the film school, there are lots of student films to act in</p>
<p>Agreed with clspangler. USC has a great reputation for training screen actors, despite their lack of film-specific acting major. I have a close relative who’s working on camera out in LA (he didn’t graduate with an acting degree at all, either!) and he says a great deal of his colleagues are USC graduates. USC and UCLA.</p>
<p>I would agree but both USC and UCLA are very hard to get into requiring very high gpa’s and sat/act scores. And we can through NYU into the same boat too.</p>
<p>Chapman University in California has a program that is probably a bit easier to get into than NYU, USC or UCLA.</p>
<p>Actually UCLA only needs a 2.0 gpa if they like your audition.</p>
<p>Amtc do you think there is a chance the program reps were being dramatic when they said you only need a 2.0. A student needs to pass non acting related classes.</p>
<p>It was 5 years ago, but no, I don’t think they were being dramatic. If they want you, they will admit you with a 2.0 gpa. And by the way, UCLA is not alone in this attitude.</p>
<p>UNCSA also has opportunities for “acting for film” training as they too have a pretty robust film dept.</p>
<p>Researchmaven: “Easier” is a relative term, but to suggest that getting into Chapman is easy is just plain false. Chapman is getting progressively tougher to get into. They’ll be accepting between forty and fifty this year. Those who make it through the first year of the program have to audition into BFA Screen Acting in the spring of their freshman year, where only about 16 make it.</p>
<p>Stangebro are auditions for chapman on campus only?</p>
<p>Shacherry, my senior auditioned at Chapman on campus and had a great experience. It may be possible to send a taped audition. Check the website. </p>
<p>Since we are West Coasters, we made the trip and auditioned for Pepperdine and Chapman on the same weekend. Pepperdine doesn’t have a Film and TV BFA, but a good theatre program. My son had a great experience there and felt the program would be a good fit for him. It is close to LA, and I think many kids who are interested in the industry head to any number of these LA schools: USC, UCLA, Chapman, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount. Since my kid isn’t counting on the showcase thing to jumpstart his career, we are looking for a good fit and connections on the West Coast if he decides to go the BFA Acting route (he’s also an MT kid with good choices in that area). Pepperdine theatre has a rigorous liberal arts education, really interesting faculty, study abroad, small class sizes, and a beautiful location.</p>
<p>That said, we also loved loved loved Chapman. The difference between the two is that the auditioned BA in Theatre Program (freshman year) leads to another audition for either the BFA in Theatre or the BFA in TV and Film. The BFA in TV and Film, in addition to acting classes, offers all kind of other classes related to film which are taken with students from the Dodge School which is amazing! We hear that it is a up-and-coming program. We walked around the Dodge School and were very impressed with the building and facilities.</p>
<p>Although my son didn’t apply, we’ve heard that Loyola Marymount also has a very good program for TV and Film. Just missed that deadline.</p>
<p>I would really advise making the trip to audition although I know that all this can really add up cost-wise. Oh, I see you are from New Jersey, that’s far. Well, I hope this helps a bit with your decision. Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions.</p>
<p>Thank you Ewanes. Your info is very helpful. My son may be taking the same approach as yours in terms of finding a school near LA that has a good film and acting rep but is not the norm like UCLA or USC. My son did already look at Loyola Marymount online and really liked what the program looks like. He really wants to be right in or really close to LA and so this school could be perfect.</p>
<p>Pepperdine has a combo BA with Theatre and media/communication that interests him. My only concern is that it may be too religious of a school for him. </p>
<p>Have you also looked at Occidential. The training there seems different but it might speak to the more quirky side of him. We are heading to look at the LA schools in the fall.</p>
<p>Yes, USC and UCLA are just too big. Something like 72,000 applicants. That’s just mind-boggling to me. When we asked my son’s LA manager her recommendations in LA and asked her about Occidental, she said, don’t go there. No why or wherefore — she’s a busy person. That’s her opinion, of course. Her top suggestion for us was Loyola Marymount, great for film/tv acting. </p>
<p>My kid will probably double major in a language, and that language is offered at Pepperdine, another reason that we are interested in that school for him. Great music program there as well. </p>
<p>We didn’t get a super religious vibe at Pepperdine, although I have to say, as we chatted with the other families while all the kids were waiting to audition, there were a few religious families there. But none seeming over the top. Actually, the warmth of the faculty and staff was quite palpable. A caring and supportive atmosphere. </p>
<p>I’ve read that Chapman may be a bit of a commuter school, but Strangebro could speak to that better than I can at this point. It was quiet on campus the Saturday when we were there, but the town is just adorable with a lot of shops and was pretty busy. Very walkable, campus to town.</p>