New York Film Academy

New York Film Academy (NYFA) is a degree-granting visual, media, and performing arts college built around an experiential learning model. Founded in 1992 by producer Jerry Sherlock to prioritize practical production over conventional lecture-heavy coursework, the institution confers degrees up to the Master of Fine Arts alongside short-term conservatory workshops.

3D Animation and Visual Effects

NYFA's 3D Animation and VFX curriculum simulates a production studio pipeline spanning modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing. Students engage directly with professional digital toolsets, including Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, Houdini, V-Ray, and Nuke.

Practical assignments move from physical principles to digital execution. Projects include an initial 15-second stop-motion claymation exercise before transitioning into digital environments, UV mapping, polygonal modeling, and scripting in Python and MEL. Visual effects coursework emphasizes match moving, rotoscoping, chroma keying, and multipass compositing, culminating in an original narrative short film and an industry-focused demo reel.

Game Design and Interactive Media

Instruction in game design begins with playcentric design and systems literacy. Before touching software, students build analog paper prototypes to iterate on core rules, user experience, and mechanics.

From there, students translate game systems into digital engines using C# scripting in Unity and Unreal Engine. Advanced students complete a fully playable game each semester and develop distribution and marketing plans alongside their collaborative development projects.

Campuses and Delivery Modes

NYFA operates teaching facilities across multiple locations:

• New York City: Flagship location at 26 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, housing purpose-built production spaces and equipment facilities.
• Los Angeles: Burbank campus serving as the primary base for West Coast animation, VFX, and game design degrees.
• Miami Beach & Florence: Additional production and immersion centers in South Beach and Tuscany.

Remote study is available through NYFA Hands-Online, which delivers live, synchronous digital classes and degree offerings—such as the Online BFA in Film and Content Creation—mirroring the collaborative critique format of on-campus programs.