On Campus News

Niki Bhattacharya, the Director of Operations for The School of Visual Arts' Social Documentary Film MFA program, discusses the strengths and opportunities the course provides its students and the advantages the New York-based school has to offer.

Your website says the school values the freedom of expression and the freedom to takes risks in art-making. How do you encourage this among your students?
We encourage this by not dictating the content of our students' projects. We let them explore the documentary film form and the art of storytelling by making the films that they want to make. We teach them the tools, share the documentary history and tradition and then let the students take their films where they want them to go.

What would you say is one of the biggest advantages of your MFA in Social Documentary Film program?
The biggest advantage is the strong support network that students develop during their time here. They are supported by the faculty, who are all working professionals in the film industry, dedicated staff, fellow students, alumni and a host of guest lecturers who are at the top of the documentary film industry.

Could you share with us some of your insights into documentary film making and crafting stories?
At SocDoc we are all about story telling and crafting stories. We feel strongly that software, equipment and technology are storytelling tools, but they should never overshadow the story. It is important to know the technology as a filmmaker, but it is more important to know how to tell a good story. Just because you have Final Cut Pro on a fancy Mac computer, that doesn't make you a filmmaker -- at SocDoc knowing how to tell compelling stories is what is important.

What direction do you see documentary film making going in these days? The industry is changing and shifting constantly, and that is why it is so important that all of our faculty are working professionals in the non-fiction film industry --they have their fingers on the pulse of the industry in ways that others don't. They know the trends in the documentary film industry because they are the industry. That said, all signs point to fully utilizing transmedia platforms (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, Blogs) to get stories out there, non traditional distribution methods like online/mobile devices, as well as an ever-growing world of new camera & sound equipment and digital storytelling tools (animation and graphics programs).

What specific cameras, equipment, and editing systems do students have access to?
Cameras:
10 Sony EX1s, 5 Sony EX1-Rs, 3 Sony EX3s, 32, 16, and 8 gig SxS cards

Tripods:
Sachtler FSB-6 Fluid Head Tripods, Bogen 501HDV Tripods

Audio:
Sound Devices 302 3 Channel Mixer, Sound Devices 442 4 Channel Mixer, Sound Devices 702T 2 Channel Time Code Recorder, Sound Devices 744T 4 Channel Time Code Recorder, Rode NTG-3 Shotgun Microphones, Sennhieser 416 Shotgun Microphones, Sennhieser MKH-60 Shotgun Microphone, Audio Technica BP4025 Stereo Microphones, Neumann TLM 103 Large Diaphragm Microphone (Booth Mic), Lectrosonics UCR 400 Series Wireless Packages, Sennheiser Evolution G3 and G2 Wireless Packages

Lighting:
Kino Flo Interview Kit, Kino Flo Diva 200 Lights, Litepanels 1X1 LED Lights, Litepanels on-camera lights, Assorted Fresnel Lights

Editing Suites:
5 edit suites, 10 stations, Final Cut Pro 7, Avid, Duel Monitors, Mac Pro Towers, HD Flat Screen Monitors

Theater Specs:
48 Seats (can add more), 5.1 surround sound with 150 watt JBL speakers, Panasonic PT AE 3000U 1920 x 1080, LCD Projector, Full 1080/60p resolution, 1600 ANSI Lumens, CPU Power Point/Presenation (Mac preferred), 16' by 9' DA-LITE Screen

Supported Formats:
VHS, DVD (up-resed to 1080), Blu-Ray, MiniDV, DV Cam, Digibeta, HD CAM

What advice can you give to students and new documentary filmmakers looking for MFA programs in documentary filmmaking?
Choose a program where you will be supported and encouraged and not isolated from the film industry. Location is important for making connections and not feeling separate from the industry you are learning about and hoping to get access to.

What do you look for in your applicants?
We look for students who have a passion for the documentary tradition and non-fiction stories. We don't require prior filmmaking experience or the knowledge of cameras or editing software -- that we can teach, but the love for the form, must be there from the get-go.

The school lists one of its recognized strengths as being a city school. What strengths do you feel your school provides your students, from being placed in New York City?
Any day of the week our students can see an amazing film, go to an art opening or event. They can live an unbelievable life here in NYC -- while attending an amazing film program. Not to mention the fact that NYC is the home to almost 8.5 million people -- that is a lot of stories to be told. Our students are never wanting for film topics. There is a rich story idea around every corner.

Resources:

School of Visual Arts

Sign up for the StudentFilmmakers E-Newsletter today!

Enjoy the StudentFilmmakers Enewsletters on your computer, mobile phone, or iPad! Click here to get the latest News and Updates.