The New York Film Academy's Los Angeles campus sits in Burbank's Media District within sight of Warner Bros. and Disney, and its acting programs are built entirely around the camera. Founded in New York in 1992 by producer Jerry Sherlock, NYFA became a WSCUC-accredited college in 2019, and the Burbank campus hosts its Acting for Film degree ladder: a one-year conservatory-style program (published at $41,790 total tuition), a two-year AFA ($85,000), a four-year BFA ($143,197), and an MFA that compresses five semesters into about twenty months ($101,902), the MFA being exclusive to the LA campus.
Curriculum names its lineages: Meisner, Hagen, and Adler technique feed scene study and on-camera work, and students shoot production workshops on the Universal Studios backlot. Every acting applicant submits two contrasting recorded contemporary monologues along with an application essay; admissions are rolling with multiple start dates per year. Shorter workshops, from twelve-week evening programs down to one-week tasters, offer lower-commitment entry points.
Budget carefully: fees add several thousand dollars on top of tuition, rates step up with each intake term, and health insurance is extra. This is a for-profit institution with conservatory pricing, so compare the one-year program against the studio-based schools in this directory before committing. Teen and kids camps run across NYFA locations in summer.
Techniques taught
- Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
- Meisner: Listening, repetition, and truthful response under imaginary circumstances, in the lineage of Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse teaching.
- Hagen: Uta Hagen's substitution and object exercises, grounded in truthful behavior.
- Adler: Stella Adler's imagination-first approach: given circumstances and script analysis over personal memory.
Class types
- audition
Enrollment and schedule
Admission requires an audition. Application + essay; acting applicants submit two recorded contrasting contemporary monologues; high school diploma and English fluency required; rolling admissions; deferral up to 1 year ($500 deposit + $500 fee). Schedule: Multiple start dates per year (e.g., Jan, May, Aug/Sep semester starts); rolling admissions; 12-week evening workshop exists for part-time study. Duration: Options range from 1-week workshops to 8-semester BFA; MFA compresses 5 semesters into under 2 years.
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Year Acting for Film (LA), total tuition, Spring 2026 start | $41,790 ($20,895/semester); est. total w/ fees before insurance $44,740 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| AFA Acting for Film (LA), 4-semester total tuition | $85,000; est. total w/ fees before insurance $90,718 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| MFA Acting for Film (LA), 5-semester total tuition | $101,902; est. total w/ fees before insurance $109,004 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| BFA Acting for Film (LA), 8-semester total tuition | $143,197; est. total w/ fees before insurance $154,706 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| MFA Acting for Film per-semester (Fall 2026/Jan 2027 starts) | $20,500/semester + $1,000 departmental fee/semester | source 路 2026-07-16 |
Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.
Instructors
- Lynda Goodfriend, Creative Director, Acting for Film. Highlighted on MFA Acting for Film page
Location
Questions actors ask
Where is New York Film Academy, Los Angeles located?
What acting technique does New York Film Academy, Los Angeles teach?
Is New York Film Academy, Los Angeles suitable for beginners?
Does New York Film Academy, Los Angeles offer on-camera training?
How much do classes at New York Film Academy, Los Angeles cost?
Does New York Film Academy, Los Angeles offer online classes?
Does New York Film Academy, Los Angeles teach children or teenagers?
Is admission to New York Film Academy, Los Angeles by audition?
Who teaches at New York Film Academy, Los Angeles?
When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- NYFA's Los Angeles Campus, accessed 2026-07-16
- NYFA Acting School programs, accessed 2026-07-16
- MFA in Acting for Film, accessed 2026-07-16
- NYFA Spring 2026 Tuition (official PDF, linked from nyfa.edu/tuition/), accessed 2026-07-16
- NYFA Tuition page, accessed 2026-07-16
- About NYFA, accessed 2026-07-16
- NYFA Admissions Requirements, accessed 2026-07-16
- WSCUC Statement of Accreditation Status, accessed 2026-07-16
Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.
Guides for choosing a school
- Acting for beginners: how to start
- How to choose an acting school in LA
- Types of acting classes, explained
- What acting classes cost in LA
Career resources for LA actors
Practical next-step guides from the LA Actor Guide.
- Actor headshots: the complete LA guide
- How auditions and casting work in LA
- How to find and sign with a talent agent
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Related by technique
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