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Every Ending is a New Beginning

January 5, 2022Courses, DFA Alum, DFA Students, Digital Film Academy, Film School, Post Production, Uncategorizedafter effects, atlanta, avid media composer, blackmagic, equipment, film gear, film school, film student, media, new york city, open house, pro tools, producingsoftsystemsolution

“Every story has an end. But in life, every ending is just a new beginning.”
Dakota Fanning as Ray From the movie: Uptown Girls

As we begin a new year, we reflect on the past. This past year was challenging and full of ups and downs. For some, the end of 2021 may have felt like a huge relief. For others, this ending may have felt bittersweet.

What goals did we have for ourselves that we didn’t quite meet? Is there something missing in our personal or professional lives that we want to incorporate into this new year?

As we reflect on our goals for 2022, the question of training and honing in on our talents might arise.

Digital Film Academy is here to help you meet your professional filmmaking goals and fine-tune your talents to become a better filmmaker.

For instance, if you are interested in pre-production, we offer lifetime access to our equipment, saving you time and money when producing your own projects.

We also have an equipment kit included in our Associates Degree program featuring a Blackmagic 6k Camera, Tungsten and LED Lights, and more, yours to keep.

For post-production, we have cutting edge technology available to you such as Davinci Resolve, Avid, Pro-Tools, After Effects, and many other softwares.

DFA’s training is geared towards giving you all of the tools and resources you need to succeed in the film and media industry.

While new beginnings aren’t always easy, taking this step for your career could be very rewarding. Many students have taken this leap with our programs to become a more well-rounded film professional.

You can take a look at what some of our students and alumni have said about our school here: DFA Students and Alumni.

If you are ready for a new beginning, consider attending our Open House on Thursday January 6th at 1pm EST. You can add your name to the guest list here: https://www.digitalfilmacademy.edu/open-house/

We look forward to starting this new year with you.

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Do It Yourself

December 21, 2021Blog, Courses, Digital Film Academy, Uncategorizedadobe premiere, avid media composer, connections, DSLR, education, equipment, experience, film industry, film student, filmmaker, free lifetime access, hands-on experience, independent filmmakers, information, learning, online learning, open house, professionals, programs, protools, red camera, youtubesoftsystemsolution

Woman sitting in front of a computer screen while wearing headphones, learning online.

Nowadays, we have a wealth of information at our fingertips. Websites like YouTube provide resources on topics we never thought possible! You may find yourself asking, why do I need a film school when everything I need to learn is online? Doing it yourself can be helpful in many ways, but you’ll need a little more to be a successful professional in the film industry. We give you (at least) three reasons:

Connections

Attending Digital Film Academy will expose you to professionals in the industry. Our instructors are working film professionals with firsthand experience in the field. There are people to support you before, during and after completing the program.

Hands On Experience

YouTube is great for visual learning but sometimes you need hands-on experience. At Digital Film Academy, we put equipment in your hands and teach you how to use it correctly. Our online classes are engaging and interactive, no more boring zoom classes…

Equipment

Digital Film Academy offers FREE lifetime access to our production equipment and facilities including our RED Cinema cameras. This means no more paying for rental equipment, ever. In the classroom, Digital Film Academy uses state-of-the-art industry equipment to make sure you receive the best training possible, including DSLR’s, RED Cinema cameras, Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere and Protools just to name a few.

Doing your own research and learning online can be fun and valuable but it cannot replace a quality education from Digital Film Academy. Our goal is to give you all the tools and resources you need to succeed in this industry. If you are ready to take the next step, join us at our Open House on Tuesday December 21st at 6pm EST.

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Top 5 Take-aways from the DFA Open House

March 10, 2014Audio, DFA Instructors, DFA Students, Directing, Editing, Events, Sara McDermott Jain, Web seriesaccredited, additional digital recording, ADR, AMC, avid media composer, Corey Christian, DFA, Digital Film Academy, directing, film school, Guy Mor, NYC, Patrick DiRenna, web tvadmin

True to form, the DFA Open House did not disappoint! The two hours were packed with three informative demos that gave attendees a wealth of information.

Here are the top 5 take-aways from the open house:

1. “The director is king… but the audience is GOD.”

This is at the core of what the DFA advocates and how they teach their students. As DFA President Patrick DiRenna says, “The most important ‘person’ to a production is not the star or the DP or even the director… it’s the audience.” The entire goal of film is to get the audience to feel what you want when you want them to feel it – and the DFA is the place to help students figure out how to do just that!

Patrick DiRenna teaches the DFA philosophy.

2. Film requires skill sets – including how to be a business person.

People sometimes forget that, in addition to being an expert in a particular craft or skill set (lighting, camerawork, audio, etc.), they also need to be great business people in order to succeed in film.

Attendees got a taste of how to think about and market their work and themselves.

3. First Accredited Web TV Production Program!!!

In huge news, the DFA now has the country’s first accredited Web TV Production program. In an age where entertainment is moving online – and the opportunities for development in that area seem endless – this presents a major opportunity to enterprising students.

Corey Christian walks the room through the finer points of editing.

4. Avid Media Composer (and RED camera footage) are AMAZING.

You probably knew this already, but Equipment/Facilities Manager Corey Christian showed attendees why. AMC not only has an amazing ‘warp stabilizer’ feature which can help filmmakers steady shaky camerawork after-the-fact, but it can also take wide shots and turn them into excellent close-ups. Corey taught attendees how to use these features.

Essentially, filmmakers now have the option to take previously unusable footage and sculpt it into great shots – saving time and money.

A volunteer becomes Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. — A volunteer becomes Dorothy in *The Wizard of Oz*.

5. ADR is not as hard as you may think!

Director of Operations and audio wizard Guy Mor handed out flash drives and guided attendees into the world of additional digital recording. One lucky volunteer got to replace the voice of Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, saying “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Mor showed the class how to replace Judy’s original line and make it sound seamless – in less than fifteen minutes.

All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what students could learn when they enroll at the DFA. So what are you waiting for? Sign up today!

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain.

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Why the DFA Open House is a Must-See!

March 1, 2014DFA Instructors, Events, Sara McDermott Jainadditional dialog recording, ADR, automated dialog replacement, avid media composer, Corey Christian, DFA, Digital Film Academy, directing, director, dubbing, editing, film school, Guy Mor, New York, NYC, open house, Patrick DiRenna, red, red camera, workshopadmin

You know the regular school open house drill: sit in a chair with some strangers, hear a few words from a professor about what you would do in his class, maybe hear some success stories about former students…

But the Digital Film Academy Open House is no regular open house.

The DFA is all about getting students working in film – and their open house on Saturday, March 8th from 3-5pm in NYC is no different.

At this totally free event, attendees won’t just get to see the facilities and network with current/former students and professors. They’ll also take part in three hands-on demonstrations:

Directing Demo: Ever dreamed of commanding your own set as a director? Taught by Patrick DiRenna, the President of the DFA, this directing crash course gives attendees the “magic formula to create the perfect shot.” Guests will learn how to set up two different, dramatic SteadyCam shots and will also be taught the primary functions of a director.

ADR (Additional Dialog Recording) Demo: Imagine this: you’ve yelled “Cut!,” you’re bursting with excitement over what you filmed, and you get into editing – only to discover that the sound is a garbled mess. Something went wrong – so now, is your project dead?

Absolutely not, because you can replace that original dialog – if you know what you’re doing! Guy Mor, the DFA Director of Operations and an audio wizard, will show you how to both replace bad audio and record audio for animation… the best part? Attendees can take part in a fun exercise, re-recording audio for famous movie lines such as “Hasta la vista, baby” – and enjoy the results.

Avid Media Composer Demo: Two things are hot right now in the world of film: Avid Media Composer, the most widely-used non-linear editing program for professional film, and the Red camera. (In fact, most DFA grads report being able to easily find work after graduation thanks to their continued free access to the expensive Red camera through the DFA membership program.) In this demo, DFA Equipment/Facilities manager Corey Christian works with both, showing how to load footage from the Red camera into Avid Media Composer and use the software to create a perfect final image.

If you’ve ever considered a career in film, what are you waiting for? Come to the DFA Open House to make connections, learn tricks of the trade, and see if you’re ready to take the next step to “monetize your media!”

RSVP today at DFA Open House.

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain