<p>Most conservatory acting programs I have come across are more stage/theatre oriented than focused on acting for film and television. I would like to know:</p>
<p>What are the (+same adjectives as above+) acting for film conservatory progs are out there?
Are there any good, serious, intensive "hybrid" conservatory programs (meaning they focus on both theatre and film acting)?
and, I've come across the School of Film and Television (aka NY Conservatory for Dramatic Arts), but so far I haven't gotten a clearly positive impression of it from some of the reviews I've read. Any comments on the SFT?</p>
<p>With regard to New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts (formerly SFT), there has been a discussion on this forum in the past few months and here it is:</p>
<p>You are right that most college or conservatory programs focus on acting for theater, not film, but some may have coursework (but not the entire degree) in acting for the camera as part of their theater acting program. Generally speaking, most actor training on the college level is for theater primarily. NYU/Tisch has an advanced studio called Stonestreet Studio that does train in acting for film but that is just part of the four year BFA program and not all four years (just one year of it). </p>
<p>There is one four year BFA program for film and that is Chapman University’s fairly new BFA in Screen Acting program. It seems you may not be interested in four year college degree programs though. But if by chance you are, Chapman requires that you first audition to be admitted into their BA Theater program as an incoming freshman. After one year, you can audition to get into the BFA in Screen Acting. They also have a BFA in Theater Performance you can audition to get into after two years in the BA (by audition) theater program. </p>
<p>If you wish to become a film actor, in my opinion, you would be knocking out terrific training if you knocked out all acting programs for theater as that is what most college programs offer even for those who eventually pursue acting on the screen. What you need to do is to examine the curriculum for the various conservatory and college acting programs and see if any of their acting classes address acting for the screen. Some may include that as part of the training even if the degree is not in film acting (and it usually is not).</p>
<p>Four year degrees, as I understand it, usually include more general education. As compared to two year conservatory programs, do they offer the same exposure and opportunities? (e.g. quote SFT: “On any street, at any time of the year, you can stumble on the lights, cameras and buzz of a movie, commercial or television show in production. The soul of the business is all around us, and you can be a part of it.”)</p>
<p>You see, I’m planning to go study and major in something else later, and just want some high-standard, rigorous acting training (,and opportunities like mentioned above) before I do that. What appeals to me more about the conservatories is that almost all your time is devoted to drama and you seem to be in a better position to do some real work, while four year programs don’t seem as concentrated. Unless a four year program has clearly more benefits (for me), I guess I’d go with conservatories?</p>
<p>Does anyone have any info about the quality of the Colorado Film School program in Denver. The program is very economical and sounds like it specializes in acting for film. My daughter is interested in an acting for film BFA program. I know that Chapman is a great program and that is where she wants to go. However, I don’t think that we can realistically afford it. We live in Florida. Have prepaid Florida and she qualifies for the bright futures scholarships. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>ironically, I think USC’s BFA is more focused on theatre, but a lot of the BFAs are very involved with the film scene on campus and go on to do a good amount of work in Hollywood.</p>
<p>Look at the curricula and department listings at schools you’re considering: if there is a strong filmmaking department, there will undoubtedly be frequent opportunities to work in student films. NYU and USC are the best-known, but many smaller schools for visual and performing arts have thriving programs. Columbia College Chicago has an astonishingly strong film program.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if a scholarship from Chapman is a realistic expectation. My daughter has her heart set on Chapman, which is way too much for us to handle. She is a junior in HS. Has a 3.9 GPA and will be taking the SATs in October. She wants to major in drama, (acting for film). We live in Florida and would love for her to go closer to home, but if she got in and was able to get some scholarship money we would support her decision 100%. Any info please?</p>
<p>Lynne, it is too hard to know for sure whether your D will win a scholarship at Chapman and there will be no way of knowing without applying. I will say that they do indeed give scholarships. Several years ago, one of my students got a $12,000/year scholarship there for acting/theater. Your daughter has a strong GPA and if her record is strong across the board (rest of her “stats” and profile) on the higher end of the range of the accepted student “stats” to Chapman, then her chances would be quite decent to win some sort of scholarship there.</p>
<p>Thanks so much soozievt. This information is most helpful. Maybe it will be a great incentive for her to keep her grades up and prepare for the SATs. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Hi, we are looking for a TV/Film Acting oriented program for my son who is a Junior. It is amazing to me how different the musical theatre people are from regular acting students (he is in an academy now where they are teaching him “ballet”, not a pleasant sight I will tell you). He is great at comedy, not a singer or dancer (unless there is a category for comedy singing), mediocre student but will do well in a monologue and will be way “out there”. Can you recommend?</p>
<a href=“