Digital Film Academy


The Digital Film Academy is a for-profit art and design college with locations in Manhattan, New York and Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 2001.

History

DFA was established in 2001 by film-maker Patrick DiRenna in the historic Film Center Building in Manhattan. DiRenna was inspired by the evolution of digital cameras which he saw as a democratization of filmmaking. Digital Film Academy provides year long conservatory programs and 16 month Associate Degrees in digital filmmaking, both at a beginner level and an advanced level. In April 2020, a new branch was opened in the downtown area of Atlanta, Georgia.
As of 2018, the school has over 200 students every year which includes both American students and international students.. The school is also authorized to enroll veterans as students under the GI Bill. DFA was also named as Best Film School in NYC by Village Voice.

Admission

Students can only be directly admitted into the Advanced Year Program by submitting a portfolio of previous work.

Curriculum

DFA offers both full-time and part-time programs. In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, in March 2020 the school switched to an online remote delivery method to prevent any interruption to the student learning experience. The institute offers One Year and Advanced Year Certificate programs in Digital Filmmaking, as well as a 16 month Associate Degree in Digital Media. The core classes include screenwriting, directing, cinematography, sound recording, production management, pre-production, video editing, sound editing & design and applied post production. The elective classes include After Effects, Maya 3d animation, Web TV production, D.I.T., Documentary film, color correction, steadicam.

Notable alumni