This program is on offer for summer 2021; however, we must remain flexible in our response to changing developments due to COVID-19. The health and safety of our students and faculty are of utmost importance. Decisions regarding summer abroad programs and whether or not they will run will be announced in mid-spring 2021.
Be a Master of Film. Learn 35MM in the Czech Republic.
Carry out the vision for your story in a city whose cinematic history stretches back to the early days of the art form itself. From the late 1800s, when the first Czech films were made in the region of Bohemia, through the political struggles of the 1960s that spawned the Czech New Wave, the film heritage of this country will give you a rich tapestry of material to draw from.
There is no match for the beauty of an image captured on film. The incredible dynamic range and fine grain offered by film stock make it the medium of choice for directors such as Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan, despite the convenience and low cost of digital formats. Learn to harness the visual power of 35mm and broaden your talents as an aspiring director or director of photography. You’ll have the opportunity to complete your project in a supervised post-production session where you color correct and transfer your original 35mm negative. This program is your only opportunity as an undergraduate at Tisch to practice 35mm film production techniques and storytelling.
"When you work with film, every little detail in the frame matters. There is no nonchalance or affordability that permits a third or fourth take, so you rarely press record until what you see on camera is bordering perfection: there is no room for error. To endure this, you adapt. You begin to focus more, to look at light and color with greater precision - things you are taught to do when working with digital but can sometimes become negligent about due to complacency and it’s flexibility as a medium.
When you are stripped off this privilege, you are suddenly forced to reckon with sublimity - there is no other option. As a result, your skills as a filmmaker are strengthened if not tested, and you return to digital filmmaking with a greater reiteration and appreciation of the fundamentals of cinematography."
— Farah Jabir, 35mm Filmmaking in Prague, summer 2018
Program Overview
The Tisch School offers this program in collaboration with one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious film schools, the Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU). FAMU is an independent academy which focuses on audio and visual media. Their alumni include Jiri Menzel (Closely Watched Trains), Milos Forman (Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) and Agnieszkha Holland (Europa Europa). The FAMU faculty are active members of the Czech filmmaking community (including established cinematographers, directors, editors, scholars, and writers). Under their expert guidance, you will have the opportunity to branch out and study 35mm sync-sound filmmaking from an entirely different tradition and culture.
Note: The Prague academic year program varies slightly from the summer program. In spring and fall you participate as director and director of photography, and work on two separate interior and exterior individual projects. For summer, you must indicate your preference for either director or director of photography when you apply, or be open to both depending on which position is available (not all students direct in the summer). You only shoot exterior projects in the summer. (It’s light out until nearly midnight in Prague in the summer!)
It is recommended that students bring their own laptops with the editing software Adobe Premiere installed.
Curriculum
Students will enroll in the following two courses for a total of 8 points
IFMTV-UT 1200 | 4 units | Instructor: Michael Gahut
This is an intensive program, taught by world-renowned faculty of FAMU, including master teachers who are industry professionals. Students receive hands-on training exploring essential elements and tools of advanced sync-sound film production through 35mm filmmaking. Course work covers a detailed overview of screenwriting, directing, and editing, including workshops in 35 mm motion picture camera and lighting techniques. Rushes are screened with intensive critique sessions. Participants finish the course with a final off-line group edit.
IFMTV-UT 1040 l 4 units | Instructor: Michael Gahut
Emphasizing one of the most influential movements in the post-World War II era, the cinema of the Czech New Wave, this course explores the history and development of Czech and Slovak cinema and its impact on contemporary culture. Lectures are supplemented with screenings and field trips. Classes are led by Pavel Zech, a FAMU professor who holds a joint appointment in film and philosophy.
Student Arrival: Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Student Departure: Thursday, July 1, 2021
Arrival and departure dates are tentative and subject to change.
Admissions
Prerequisites:
Film/TV majors: Sight and Sound Filmmaking (FMTV-UT 43) and one more Sight and Sound of your choice, Production Safety & Set Protocol (FMTV-UT 101)
For Tisch Film majors in the cinematography concentration, it is suggested that you participate in Prague after taking Camera I.
NYU and Visiting students:Fundamentals of Digital Filmmaking (OART-UT 560) and Fundamentals of Digital Filmmaking II (OART-UT 561) or college level experience in film production. Production Safety & Set Protocol (FMTV-UT 101) or equivalent.
