How to Get Into Film School: Interview with Incoming NYU Tisch Student Arabella Sharkey
New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, high schoolers worldwide made decisions on where to apply for university this year, with New York University breaking yet another record in the number of admissions received.
The university is home to the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, where fewer than 3 in 20 students who apply to study filmmaking are admitted each year.
With an even lower projected acceptance rate this year, we are especially proud of 2 students who were part of our High School Media Team for being accepted into the Class of 2025 cohort of the university’s undergraduate film program.
Over Zoom, we chatted with one of these students, Arabella Sharkey from the Canadian International School of Hong Kong, about why she applied to film school, how she picked NYU, and what made her application successful.
Arabella Sharkey chatting with Jeremy Hung from Babel Film Workshop over Zoom.
Why did you decide to study film in university?
I’ve always liked creating art, so when I entered IB (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme) I chose Theatre, Film, and English as my higher level subjects. I felt that my strength is in telling stories, not just memorizing things. While researching options, I decided if I was really passionate about it and worked hard, filmmaking would be something worth pursuing.
How would you compare IB Film with IB Theatre?
There’s an element of an audience and something you can give them in both. But in IB Film, it’s more about the story that you’re trying to shape and tell, so you get to control the story. In IB Theatre, it’s more about the performance.
What made you choose NYU Tisch?
What helped me decide was research, and talking to you (Jeremy from Babel Film Workshop, who graduated from Tisch). Since NYU is directly in the city, it will inspire me as an artist and help me stay grounded on real-world issues. It also requires more independence and will be good for artistry.
Because New York is similar to Hong Kong in the sense that it’s a big city, I’ll be able to meet people with different perspectives and stories to tell. I’d like to combine these stories and insights to create something unique and diverse.
A more specific reason is that the Tisch curriculum allows us to explore different aspects of filmmaking. Some film schools tie you down really quickly to just one area, but Tisch allows you to explore and become more well rounded.
“Make the application into something enjoyable, since the process itself is creative.”
University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts
What about the film school at USC (University of Southern California)?
I also considered USC since they also have a really good film school. It’s closer to Hollywood, so it may be better for jobs and internships. But then I thought what’s more important is the philosophy of the university I’m going to. I felt that at NYU I’d be more able to be creative and discover my voice as an artist.
What was the application process like as an early applicant?
In the summer after junior year, I looked into the application process, and by the end of summer worked on the written supplements. For the portfolio requirement, I decided to submit a film I made for class in junior year instead of making a new film. For this film, I served as the director, screenwriter, editor, sound designer, and also acted in it. It was made over 4 months.
What’s the requirement for the film in the application portfolio?
You can choose to submit some photos or a film, but I think that submitting a film is the best option. It’s a 5-minute film that captures your skills as a filmmaker. What’s most important isn’t technique, but your ability to tell a story. The best thing would be picking an idea that’s meaningful to you as a person, and not a generic story. It helps them see you as a person.
I also learned at NYU’s freshman applicant seminars that even if you’ve never made a film before, you still have the same chance of getting admitted. They’re looking for storytelling ability, not filmmaking techniques, which you learn later.
Arabella's application film "The Girl Who Could Not See Faces" has won multiple awards at the Shanghai Student Film Festival and Qingdao International Youth Film Festival.
Tell us about the moment you learned about your acceptance.
I was super excited. It was an online school morning, and I checked my email before logging into Zoom. NYU had notified us earlier so I knew this would be the decision email. But it took ten minutes just to log in due to the two-factor authentication. But once I did, I opened a PDF and the first line was “Congratulations on getting admitted.” I was really happy, and recorded the experience. I was just screaming. I might have been late to math class that morning.
My family found out first since we were in the same house. Elio (Kaczmarek) from my school also got in. We had film class that day, and were able to see each other online.
Arabella Sharkey
What are you most looking forward to in film school?
I’m most looking forward to the new environment, new people, and new working conditions which would challenge me. Because of Covid, we might not get to be on campus, which is kinda scary because I wanted to meet everyone, and it’d be hard to go out and make a film. But that’s something I’m still excited for--how we’re gonna work around these barriers and still create while online. I’m sure we’ll find a way.
Do you have any tips for next year’s applicants?
Start early. It could be research or writing the supplements, but make sure you don’t cramp the time. In terms of writing supplements, they want to know you as a person, so try to show your individuality as an artist. That can be done through finding out why you want to do film. Liking films is the baseline. But digging deep down into a personal aspect and stating why you want to create art is good.
Lastly, the application process can be stressful and create lots of self doubt. Even though I did lots of work, prep, and research, I was really doubting myself, and was scared that I wasn’t good enough. But it’s important to stay confident, and know that even if your application isn’t perfect, it’s still okay. We’re all students and are still learning.
Make the application into something enjoyable, since the process itself is creative. If you make it fun, you will start to enjoy it and not see it as a task.
Bonus:
See Arabella’s film that she created for Babel Film Workshop's Film Stylo initiative here.
