Questions for current NYU Tisch students

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
1

<p>Hey guys,
So I will be entering NYU as a freshman this fall into the LSP program and later transferring to Tisch after my freshman year. </p>

<p>I have a project planned that I want to shoot in October the latest, and I was wondering what type of equipment Tisch had available for use (especially for film). I can't find much information relating to the type of cameras etc available.
I'm currently planning on renting equipment from outside sources, but I mainly would like to know if NYU had any lighting available for me as well as maybe a studio. </p>

<p>Also, this is probably a stupid question but is there a fee? Since I won't be directly in Tisch my freshman year is this a factor? Thanks</p>

2

<p>Even if you’re in Tisch and in a film production class, you have to have your script approved by the insurance company before they’ll even let you touch a camera, not even to mention the required safety courses you’d need to take. NYU is full of frustrating bureaucracy, so you’d need to rent externally. There is (or at least was) a way that you could use the insurance that you need to buy for non-school projects, which would allow you to go to a rental house.</p>

<p>That being said, here’s the gear that you’d have access to in classes or at least what it was:</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
Sony FS100 with Zeiss ZF Primes (21, 35, and 85) for Sight and Sound Filmmaking
Sony EX1 for Sight and Sound Doc
You get a small light kit for both classes</p>

<p>Junior Year:
For Intermediate Narrative, you get the same FS100 package from Sight and Sound or if you want, you can shoot on film using an Arri SR or SRII modded out to shoot super 16mm</p>

<p>You also have a lot more lighting and sound gear, including Kino Divas, Sound Devices Mixer and Recorder, some open faces, and fresnels</p>

<p>Senior Year:
Advanced classes are the only classes where you’re allowed to use outside gear. You can’t use non-NYU gear for intermediate shoots, although many people do.</p>

<p>Anyway, in advanced I’ve heard they now have Sony F5s with Zeiss CP2s. Obviously you get more lighting and I believe they have HMIs you can use.</p>

3

<p>Wow thats sounds a lot more anemic than I was hoping, but thanks. </p>

<p>And all that I really need are the lights, I have a camera and can rent everything else. Is it really that hard to get a basic light kit from a film school as prestigious as Tisch? </p>

<p>Where do most students rent externally from? And what do you think about a ballpark price? I have a completely different hurdle since I’m not an actual Tisch student… yet. </p>

4

<p>Yeah, it’s pretty bad. A student died on a shoot several years ago and in order for the school to be able to have insurance, they had to agree to all of these crazy conditions.</p>

<p>I’d say your only option if you want to get stuff from Tisch is to get the light kit from somebody who is in a Tisch production class and use it while they’re not shooting a project. Also, you could potentially have the person say that they’re shooting pickups and then get the gear from them. I know I did this to help a friend who wasn’t in a production class.</p>

<p>There are a bunch of rental houses in NYC that people rent from, such as Adorama, Hand Held Films, AbelCine, and Arri CSC. A lot of times you can get a single day rate for a weekend, so that saves a bit, but they still aren’t cheep.</p>

<p>Alternatively, you could start building your own light kit, using things like Chinaballs and photofloods. </p>

5

<p>Just a little perspective </p>

<p>Sony NEX-FS100 Rental Packages</p>

<p>Daily price: </p>

<p>“Body” Package - $200</p>

<p>“Docu” Package - $550</p>

<p>“Cine” Package - $800</p>

<p>Weekly Price: </p>

<p>“Body” Package - $500</p>

<p>“Docu” Package - $1,500</p>

<p>“Cine” Package - $2,200</p>

<p>Basic 3 point lighting kits run in the $500 - $2,000 range *not for renting, for owning (no sharing required). Digital audio recorders fall in the $200 - $400 range, depending on quality. Sound mixers fall in the $400 - $2,000 range depending on quality. Microphones won’t cost more than $200. Extras, like china balls, reflector boards, or filters, won’t cost more than an extra $100 - $300. Once again, you’d own all this stuff.</p>

<p>As for a camera, there are plenty of amazing DSLR’s indie filmmakers use today that are relatively cheap. Blackmagic is a more recent model, it’s making waves in the indie community - and it costs $1,000 - $2,000. The camera I have, a Canon EOS Rebel Sl1 (I think it came with a 35mm lens), cost less than $1,000, and it’s been used to shoot independent films like “like crazy”. There’s nothing wrong with practicing shot composition with cheaper digital cameras, and then renting out a more expensive, professional camera for a real feature shoot. </p>

<p>And what would you be spending at NYU? Let’s see (from the website)</p>

<p>Tuition and fees
(two semesters full-time) $36,516
Room and board $11,780
Books and supplies $700
Personal expenses $1,000
Total budget $49,996</p>

<p>Not to mention that NYC is not a cheap city to live in anyways. </p>

<p>I’m not jumping to any conclusions here. I’m just SAYING, that you could technically buy a very, very nice set of film equipment several times over with your tuition for NYU. I mean, you could even BUY a Sony Fs100 kit for less than the cost of attending NYU. The only difference is that when you graduate NYU, all that fancy equipment isn’t yours anymore, but if you pay for it yourself, you’ll own it forever. You won’t have to sit on your hands waiting for permission, you won’t have to share with a hoard of other students, and you certainty wouldn’t need permission to shoot an “appropriate” and approved script (shoot whatever the hell you want, whenever the hell you want - no censoring or limitation on your ideas).</p>

<p>It’s up to you. If you like the idea of jumping through hoops for the clout, go for it. But I’m just saying. If you’re frustrated with your options, there are other avenues. </p>

<p>Good luck with NYU and shooting your film! </p>

6

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows the current equipment available at Tisch or if there was any change since the last info was posted. Also, I’m interested in knowing what equipment is available to freshmen (specifically cameras and G&E equipment).

Thanks!