| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Am I on track to graduate? How do I make an Advising Appointment? | Would you like help evaluating your degree progress report? The Office of Advising and Integrated Student Services (OAISS) is your destination for undergraduate advising with personalized guidance around your degree requirements as well as resources, workshops and information to support you throughout your degree. To book an advising or petition advising appointment, please visit OAISS at 322 CFA or call (416) 736-5135 between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Please make sure you speak directly with the receptionist to book your appointment. OAISS is unable to book appointment requests left in voicemail. |
| Do all production students get to make films? | Answer Yes, they are required to. Screenwriting students will also make films in their first year. |
| How do I add a course that is restricted or reserved? | Undergraduate students can request enrolment into a course that requires departmental permission by completing the MachForm at ampd.yorku.ca/permission This form may be used up until the last date to add a course without permission (refer to registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/dates under Add/Drop Deadlines to find the dates for the current academic term). After such time, students need permission of the instructor to add a course. AMPD Departments handle these permissions differently and it is best to ask the Department for advice or to get copies of the required paperwork (if by voicemail or email, always include your full name, student number, the course code and instructors name) |
| How do I apply for Cinema & Media Studies? | https://cma.ampd.yorku.ca/how-to-apply/ba-cinema-and-media-studies-how-to-apply/ |
| How do I apply for Film Production? | https://cma.ampd.yorku.ca/how-to-apply/bfa-production-how-to-apply/ |
| How do I apply for Media Arts? | https://cma.ampd.yorku.ca/how-to-apply/bfa-in-media-arts-how-to-apply/ |
| How do I apply for Screenwriting? | https://cma.ampd.yorku.ca/how-to-apply/bfa-screenwriting-how-to-apply/ |
| How do I get in touch with my Professor? | You can find your professor’s email address by looking them up in the York Atlas or your course syllabus. You can also contact your professor to find out what their office hours are to talk in person. |
| How do the Film degrees differ? | cma.ampd.yorku.ca/undergraduate/ |
| How is York different from other film schools? | Our program is distinctive due to:
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| How large are Film classes? | Most of the classes offered in the Department of Cinema & Media Arts are small. Studio (production) courses range between about 15 to 25 students. Studies courses vary from very large courses with tutorials to small, intensely focused seminars in the upper years. |
| How many film productions are made in the program in a given year? | Every year approximately 175 undergraduate student works are produced in our department. |
| How will studying Film at York prepare me for a job? | BFA graduates are known and respected throughout the Canadian industry for their technical and creative proficiency. As active professional filmmakers and media creators, the faculty are involved in the industry, allowing us to bring that experience and understanding into the classroom. The size of the department, its extensive facilities, its broad curriculum, the scale of student productions and perhaps most of all the extraordinary talent and dedication of our student body, all combine to create an accelerated learning experience like no other. York is located in the heart of the GTA, one of Canada’s primary film centres, and our Department is actively involved in the Canadian film, television and media industries. Professionals from all sectors of the industry regularly make their way up to visit our students. Upper level students may participate in a summer internship program that gives them on-the-job experience. For a significant number of students, their internship has led directly to employment with prominent companies in the film and television industry. Every year the Toronto International Film Festival includes York talent, with features and short films produced by alumni, faculty and often also current students. A university is very different from a training program which focuses solely on technical instruction. York faculty are not only active in the industry but have chosen to work within the university setting because we like to think about what we do. The university experience is about much more than finding a job. At the same time, we believe the all-around experience York offers makes our graduates employable in a wider range of positions. This is demonstrated by the successes of our alumni, who include not only prominent directors, cinematographers, producers and editors, but also industry executives, casting directors, special effects designers etc. Our BA/Cinema and Media Studies graduates have gone on to positions as film critics, publicists, curators, educators, film festival organizers, book and magazine editors, teachers and professors. They have found a variety of jobs in the cultural industries working for film production houses, museums and galleries, in the broadcasting sector (TVO, History Channel, VisionTV, CBC etc) and (in two recent cases) setting up their own publishing company devoted to independent cinema. Some of our students have received prestigious scholarships to go on to graduate school to train as cutting-edge media researchers and film scholars. |
| I am a York Student, how do I change my major or minor? | If you are currently enrolled and registered as an undergraduate student and wish to request a transfer to a different academic program/degree, please review the information at: https://myacademicrecord.students.yorku.ca/program-change and submit your program change request via the following link: https://passportyork.yorku.ca/ppylogin/ppylogin. A number of AMPD programs require an audition/interview/portfolio review before you can be admitted. When you submit your program change request, you should also contact the Department office (if by voicemail or email, always include your full name, student number, the course code, and instructors name) Cinema & Media Arts (Film) CFT 221 or 416-736-5149 or cma@yorku.ca Computational Arts (Digital Media) GCFA 232 or 416-736-5187 or comparts@yorku.ca Dance ACE 301 or 416-736-5137 or dance@yorku.ca Music ACE 371 or 416-736-5186 or musicprg@yorku.ca Theatre CFT 322 or 416-736-5172 or theadept@yorku.ca Visual Art & Art History GCFA 235 or 416-736-5187 or vaah@yorku.ca Please note: Design is unable to accommodate Internal York Transfer students for 2019/20 and 2020/21. |
| I have completed previous education, will I receive transfer credits? | Students who have completed previous college, university or IB credits could be eligible for transfer credits. After you apply, your transcripts will be evaluated and you will be notified of your transfer credits with your offer of admission. More information is available here: futurestudents.yorku.ca/transfer |
| If I’m a Cinema and Media Studies (BA) Major, can I take production courses? | Production courses are reserved for Production students. |
| If I’m a Production (BFA) or Cinema and Media Studies (BA) Major, can I take screenwriting courses? | All film students are eligible to take introductory screenwriting courses, and all production students are required to take screenwriting courses in first and second year. Admission to upper level screenwriting courses is extremely competitive and is based on submission of a writing portfolio. |
| If I’m a Screenwriting (BFA) Major, can I take production courses? | Screenwriting students take the first year production course. Outside of class they are encouraged to work on the shoots of upper level production students to become more familiar with the production process. |
| Is it possible to see the film productions made by students? | All student films are screened on campus during a two-week period in April at an event called The Finish Line. The screenings are free and open to the public. From these screenings, CMA faculty members select the strongest work produced in the department that year. A external jury of prominent figures in the film and television industries looks at the work, selects the best productions for a showcase screening, and designates awards. This special screening, titled CineSiege, takes place each year in October at the Hot Docs Bloor Cinema in downtown Toronto. |
| What can I do to improve my chances for being accepted into Film? | Immerse yourself as much as you can in thought and activity related to film and media! Watch films outside the mainstream. Learn about the Canadian film industry and film communities. The students who do best in our admissions process tend to be those who have tested their own interest and discovered that it is a passion. |
| What courses would I take in Media Arts? | In the BFA Media Arts program, the first two years include survey courses in cinema and media studies, introduction to screenwriting and 9 credits in Media Practices I, which provides creative exploration in a wide range of media, from Print, Web, Sound and Video, to AR, VR, 360 cinema, games, digital fabrication and other cutting edge technologies. In the third and fourth year, students take advanced courses in cinema and media studies, as well as specialty courses in transmedia storytelling, producing, digital culture, and interactive documentary, as well as further instruction and mentorship in creative media practices. Fourth year students may choose between creating a personal final project, a collaborative cross-university capstone project, or field placements with professional media organizations and businesses, which provide a springboard to graduation and beyond. You will also take courses outside of the Cinema and Media Arts Department, drawn from the rich offerings of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (visual arts, theatre, music, design, digital media, dance) and the University at large. |
| What courses would I take in the Film BA/Cinema and Media Studies Program? | The first two years focus on survey courses, which introduce students to a broad knowledge of film history and theory. The upper level courses specialize in a range of topics. Students can take courses in such areas as the role of film in society, gender and sexuality studies, national cinemas (for example Asian studies) , digital film and new media, television studies, Canadian cinema, film history, experimental and alternative cinemas, documentary, contemporary theory and more. You will also take courses outside of the Cinema and Media Arts Department, drawn from the rich offerings of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (visual arts, theatre, music, design, digital media, dance) and the University at large. |
| What courses would I take in the Film BFA Production Program? | The first two years include 12 credits in film production, 9 credits in screenwriting and 12 credits in film studies. In third and fourth year, the students choose from over 100 credits of offerings in production and screenwriting courses. These include project workshops, which provide creative mentoring in the making of narrative, documentary and experimental film and video projects, and specialty courses which provide advanced instruction in the various craft specializations of filmmaking: cinematography, editing, sound, directing, producing, screenwriting. Production students may also choose to take advanced cinema and media studies courses. Through their choice of courses, students at the upper level may specialize in one particular area or diversify, as they wish. Whichever program you are in, you will also take courses outside of the Cinema and Media Arts Department, drawn from the rich offerings of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (visual arts, theatre, music, design, digital media, dance) and the University at large. |
| What courses would I take in the Film BFA Screenwriting Program? | The first two years include basic courses in production and screenwriting, and survey courses in cinema and media studies. In third and fourth year, screenwriting students take up to 36 (but at least 18) credits in screenwriting, including up to 12 credits in feature film screenwriting, 9 credits in writing for television, and courses in story editing, transmedia storytelling, scene writing, and the history of screenwriting. Screenwriting students may also choose to take some advanced cinema and media studies courses. You will also take courses outside of the Cinema and Media Arts Department, drawn from the rich offerings of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (visual arts, theatre, music, design, digital media, dance) and the University at large. |
| What does guaranteed consideration mean? Can I apply or complete my audition/interview/portfolio review after the deadline? | Anyone who completes their application before the deadlines listed for their application cycle will have their application reviewed. Applications may be accepted after the guaranteed consideration deadline on a first come first served basis until the program is full. |
| What exactly are you looking for in Film BA prospective students? | We are looking for students who are creative and inquisitive, love cinema and media, and who have superior analytical abilities and excellent writing and research skills. We want students who are eager to join a community of scholars seeking to understand the art and culture of cinema, and who can meet the rigorous challenges of our program. |
| What exactly are you looking for in Film BFA prospective students? | We are looking for students who are passionately creative, have inquiring minds and think critically, have already given serious thought to their impulse to study film, and who are self-motivated and good collaborators. In short, we are looking for students who are a good fit and likely to thrive in our extraordinarily demanding program. For students applying to the Screenwriting program, we also look for demonstrated writing talent. |
| What Film degree would I obtain? | The Department of Cinema & Media Arts offers the following degrees: Production students obtain a BFA Honours Degree (120 credits, of which at least 60 credits are in Film). Screenwriting students obtain a BFA Honours Degree (120 credits, of which at least 48 credits are in Film). Media Arts students obtain a BA Honours Degree (120 credits, of which at least 54 credits are in Film). Cinema and Media Studies students obtain a BA Honours Degree (120 credits, of which at least 48 credits are in Film). There is also a Cinema and Media Studies BA (90 credits, of which 42 are in Film). |
| What happens after I apply to Film? | BA applicants are admitted based on their GPA. Once BFA applications have been reviewed and assessed, we invite a portion of the applicants to the campus for an in-person interview. The interview day also includes a tour of our facilities and screenings of students’ films. If you are invited for an interview but live more than 300 km away and are unable to come, we will arrange a phone or Skype interview. |
| What is a 1900 course and why is there no scheduled time? | Six credits from the AMPD 1900 3.00 series of courses, outside the major, are required of all School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design degrees. These courses may be used toward satisfying the humanities general education requirement, the in/out requirements or an AMPD elective. For students admitted to the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design with a minimum of 54 transfer credits, the six credits from the 1900 3.00 series of courses outside the major are optional. Only courses with FA/_ _ _ _ 1900 in the course code fulfill this requirement. You can find them in the York University Courses website by searching School of the Arts, Music, Performance & Design, the Department and 1900 under 'Faculty, Subject and Number.' Some 1900 courses such as Dance have online lectures so when you add them to your schedule there won't be a scheduled time for class but there may still be a scheduled tutorial. |
| What kind of film equipment is available? | cma.ampd.yorku.ca/about/facilities-equipment/ |
| What media do Film production students work in? | Students start off in first year working with 16mm film cameras as well as digital cinema cameras. Because many of our incoming students have no previous experience in film production, this allows them to encounter the particular challenges of the both film and digital media. For the next three years students follow digital workflows from camera to the screen – moving from Black Magic Pocket Cinema Cameras to Canon C300 MkII and Sony F7 4K cameras. |
| What programs does York offer in Film? | The Department of Cinema & Media Arts, which is part of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, offers four distinct undergraduate courses of study: Production, Media Arts, Cinema and Media Studies and Screenwriting. For more info visit https://cma.ampd.yorku.ca/undergraduate/ |
| When is the application deadline? | https://ampd.yorku.ca/apply/ |
| Who owns the films made by students? | Answer Students own their own film works. They are required only to acknowledge the department’s participation in an on-screen credit |
| Who pays for the cost of student films? | The department provides equipment, facilities and support. Students crew on one another’s projects. In general, hard costs are borne by the students. Students who enroll in the BFA program can expect to spend $500 in their first year and $1000 in second year. In third and fourth year, costs depend entirely on what projects students choose to undertake. Costs are generally shared between key crew members who are gaining academic credit for a production (usually 4 or 5 key crew positions); the director has primary overall responsibility. The approved spending cap for third year and fourth year productions is $ 4000 |
| Who teaches in the Department of Cinema & Media Arts at York? | cma.ampd.yorku.ca/people/full-time/ |
