Tisch Special Programs

More from Tisch Dublin screenwriting student Monica Shorn:

Thanksgiving came at the perfect time for all of us here in Dublin. The twelve kids in the music video program and the twelve screenwriters have been working feverishly (with all of the delirium and hilarity that comes with any fever), and it all came to a head this past week. Pretty much everyone has been working on the music video shoots this week, running around Dublin with camera equipment and giant dice and knitted trees and paint-filled water balloons.

In case you were worried, the bear heads came out just fine. And the last-minute bear paws look great. If I never see another bear again I will be a happy, happy person.

Here's my theory on sets, though, and I think it'll help everyone not familiar with film shoots understand what it's like: being on a shoot is like going to summer camp. Except you're both the counselor and the camper.

You've got to be mature enough to keep chaos at bay, but irresponsible enough to throw any dignity in the garbage and make a fool of yourself. You hardly ever sleep, you get weird rashes, you eat nothing but peanut butter and chips for weeks at a time, and everyone smells funny. If you aren't keeping the campers from drowning in the lake, you're earning badges in bridge-painting or knot-tying or stiff upper-lip-keeping. There are rival cabins, and homesick bunkmates, and lots of secrets and gossip. After the week, you have a whole host of new memories and scars and friends. Sometimes you say never again, you'll never spend another summer locked away with such nutjobs, but then you remember about the time Joe got his sleeve stuck in the electric saw or Ellen accidentally knocked over the whole set trying to get apple slices to the actor, and you know you'll beg your parents to send you back. That's my two cents, anyway.

Also, if you're ever in Ireland and wondering what flavor of Disco Chips to buy: BBQ Beef Flava makes everything smell like cat food. Keep the morale up, and stick to Salt n' Vinegar.

Excerpted from Monica's blog Life by the Liffey.

Aly Rose, Open Arts instructor at Tisch School of the Arts, will speak at the symposium Rediscovering China's Cultural Revolution: Art and Politics, Lived Experience, Legacies of Liberation at 12 Noon on Saturday, December 13 at New York University Silver Center. Ms. Rose is part of the panel discussion "The International Impact and Historical Significance of the Cultural Revolution." The symposium is sponsored by Revolution Books, Set the Record Straight Project, and the Institute for Public Knowledge, New York University. For more information, visit http://www.revolutionbooksnyc.org/.

Aly Rose is teaching Steps, Rhythm, and Movement of Chinese Dance at Tisch in spring 2009.

Are you interested in taking classes at Tisch but are not an NYU student or even a college student? Well then, Summer in New York City is your answer, and this breakdown will show you how easy it is to enroll in classes at Tisch School of the Arts (if you are an NYU student, that's easy too; just register as you would normally via Albert):

Step 1) Download the registration form from this website (available soon!)

Step 2) Select the classes you want (also coming soon) and fill out the registration form accordingly

Step 3) Mail or fax it in along with payment for the selected course (plus any fees) to

NYU Center for Study Abroad and Special Sessions
110 East 14th Street
New York, NY, 10003
Fax: (212) 995-4642

It's that simple!

If you're going to be traveling to New York to take classes at Tisch next summer then you'll need a place to live. Luckily, we make it easy for you with options aplenty.

Want the safety and convenience of living in NYU housing? No problem, just get in touch with the folks over at NYU Summer Housing and they'll hook you up. Know friends or relatives that live in the city and want to stay with them? That's fine with us. Want to find your own digs in Brooklyn, Queens, or the Bronx? For an avalanche of options, your best bet is to check out craigslist for sublets or temporary housing (just watch out for scams and fraud).

Worried about getting around the city if you have to live off campus? Rest assured, New York has an excellent public transportation system that runs steadily day and night. Just $2 gets you a ride anywhere you need to go in the city with unlimited transfers.