Tisch Film Students

<p>How are the classes? what do you learn?
I got accepted and im very curious about how my first year is going to be like in terms of classes and work loads..</p>

<p>In first year, everything is pretty much planned out for you. You don't get much choice in terms of courses. Assuming Tisch doesn't suddenly change the syllabus, this is what your curriculum freshman year will look like:</p>

<p>VISUAL SEMESTER
1.(a) Digital Frame & Sequence - Weekly 6-hour workshop (with 1 hr lunch break somewhere in the middle) where you learn how the basics of photography (in film), and how to tell a story using still photos. Recommended teachers: Chris Chan Roberson, Joanne Savio</p>

<p>-- OR--</p>

<p>(b) Intro to Animation - self-explanatory. I didn't do Animation, so I don't know what exactly the kids do in class, but I'm pretty sure they do a bit of drawing and get to work with certain software (Maya? AE? Someone clarify?)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Language of Film (LEC & RCT) - lectures are 3.5 hrs long, you watch a full-length film or a series of short films, and then discuss general views. The course focuses mostly on the visual properties of a film (i.e. camera movement, animation, lighting, etc). Recitations are 75 minutes long, and you do more in-depth discussions about the films you watched in the lectures. Sometimes you get to watch more short films.</p></li>
<li><p>Colloquium - where everyone sleeps. No-HW class where you just sit and watch whatever Tom Drysdale screens. If your attendance is good, you pass the course. If not, you fail. Most of the stuff screened is pretty awesome tho, so it's worth attending.</p></li>
<li><p>Writing The Essay - HELL!!! You read essays about art, analyze them, "reckon" them, and then proceed to write your own essays about art. Can be hellish, blah or fun, depending on who teaches you. For your first semester I believe you get to pick your lecturer. Try to avoid B.C. Roberts. She's a nice person but a terrible teacher.</p></li>
<li><p>General Education course of your choice.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>AUDIO SEMESTER
1. Sound Image - basically the audio version of DFS... involves telling stories WITHOUT the use of images. You work with a Marantz (sound recording) kit for the entire semester.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Storytelling Strategies (LEC & RCT) - at lectures you watch films, read & discuss screenplays. At recitations you write screenplays. One of the more taxing courses because, even though the workload is relatively light, full-length screenplays can take aaaaages to read.</p></li>
<li><p>Performance Strategies (LEC & RCT) - at lectures you watch excerpts from film, talk about the acting involved, and sometimes do a little roleplaying (where volunteers go up and act out scenes). Recitations are sort of like acting classes, where you learn some basic techniques about getting into your role, and how to direct & cast actors.</p></li>
<li><p>Writing The Essay - hell, a second time round. Second semester you won't know who's teaching you until you go to class........ scary.</p></li>
<li><p>General Education course of your choice.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Tisch splits the freshmen into two groups. One group starts with the visual semester, while the other starts with audio, then in spring they switch around. I would argue that visual semester is considerably easier because you don't really do much homework for any of the film classes except WTE and DFS... but you have to fulfill 12 hours of working with a student crew (and really, that's very easy; you can cover 12 hours in a day). The audio semester is tougher because of the greater workload (homework for EVERY class, including lectures!)... and Sound Image is a b*tch because you have to share a Marantz kit with 3-5 other people, leaving you with as little as ONE day to complete your assignment for the week. Every film kid has to go through both, though, so it's not like it matters.........</p>

<p>Intro to Animation is awesome. You learn stop-motion, scratch and doodle,flipbook, etc using Claymation, Flash, Photoshop, Final Cut and After-effect. Take the class with Laura Margulies. She's so inspirational and tied for the best professor I've had in tisch.</p>

<p>Note about animation kids who do it their first semester: they tend to whine a lot about the weight of the Marantz kits during the audio semester. Not that that's anything to be concerned about, but I find it really amusing!! :p DFS kids on the other hand are, if anything, relieved they're finally done with those mad heavy lighting kits. UGH. Using them was fun, but lugging them around was not. +_+</p>

<p>0_0 That sounds frickin AWESOME. :D</p>

<p>assuming this'll be the same next year...</p>

<p>AH. SO COOL xD</p>

<p>Can you take both Intro to Animation AND Digital Frame and Sequence?</p>