Hiya fellow dreamers!

I wanted to start a thread for those who are considering/interviewing for the Singapore program. I, myself, constantly go back and forth as to what I think of the program as well as what I think about shipping out to Singapore.
On the one hand I imagine that it would be a pretty fantastical, inspiring, experience and on the other hand, well, going all the way to Singapore for three years is a little terrifying; not to say that I am scared of living abroad, but, more to the point, I am a bit scared of that 100,000+ dept with the increase of plane tickets/taking a somewhat substantial risk as a second run, proverbial, "guinia pig".

So here are my questions (feel free to answer an to add to them!)

1) Are you choosing a phone interview vs video conference vs actually heading to Singapore?

2) As far as I am concerned: a MFA from Tisch Asia is still an MFA from the NYU film program. Do all of you feel the same way or disagree?

3) If given an offer to enroll in the Fall 2008 class would you accept?

Does anyone know what is happening with Tisch Asia?

I'm told that interviews run March 17-21, but yet I haven't heard anything official from Admissions.

Guess I better prepare for the worst...

Hi Bandar,

nope I have not- but I figured that the invite was for people from the NYC applicant pool, who was then invited to interview for Tisch Asia to gauge interest.

For me, I applied directly to Tisch Asia and I actually only submitted my application 2 weeks ago (mine was a special case).

Bandar, do you already have a confirmed time/date for the interview?

Bandar,

Will you be going to the Tisch Asia campus or are you having a phone interview?

Hey Everyone -

I will be boarding soon for my flight to Singapore to interview with Tisch Asia! Please send me your mojo, I'm sure I will need it. When I return I will try to give an honest breakdown of what the program is actually like based on my experience. Hopefully it can add another perspective to some of the other viewpoints floating around this forum.

Wish me luck!

Blueskeyes,

Good Luck! I am curious to hear all about it, what you think about Singapore, the feeling in the interview, the vibe of the students etc.

keep us up to date!

I just wanted to wish everyone luck with their interviews!

Though there are varying opinions - it is still NYU and it is still really fantastical to even get the chance to interview with such a renowned film school!

mine is tomorrow night. ill let u guys know how it goes

oh no, I am doing the video conference

I just finished my interview (via video conference). It was a very enjoyable experience. The most notable thing was that they put me on the spot to come up with the story for a complete film based on a minor detail I was asked to recall, which they quickly switched up on me about 5 seconds in. They asked about character reactions, plot points, everything, from premise to resolution.

Coming up with and telling the story was actually the most fun I've had in weeks (and I just purchased Rock Band!). I suprised myself with how well I did (on another day I might not have fared as well). I am really sad with how well it went, actually, because I am not sure if I would accept an invite to the Singapore campus (I would have a lot of thinking to do if I were accepted), and I wish I could have "performed" as well in contention for the NYC campus.

I had read similar accounts of this challenge (slightly tweaked) from the NYC interview subjects, so I thought I was ready for it. But trust me, there is no way to really prepare for this part of the interview, as they do their best to make sure that everything you say is 100% spontaneous.

Oh, I almost forgot: they told me that decisions would be made on April 15th (same as AFI, man, that is going to be a very stressful day...)

Hey heywetried,

Thank you for keeping us posted. I am super nervous.

has anyone ever balked at the story telling facet of the interview? You have to wonder...

Anyone else have any interview feedback? Anything is helpful!

Good luck!!

quote:

has anyone ever balked at the story telling facet of the interview?

You know, I actually think that it is a little unfair that they spent so much time on that. I did really well, so it benefits me, but fundamentally, I don't know if it's a fair judge of storytelling ability.

Perhaps thinking on your feet is more a sign of whether or not you're ready for the rigor of the program?

Hmm they didn't focus a lot on the storytelling part for me for some reason. I'd say less than 5 minutes.

Perhaps I gave the wrong impression. For me it more than 5 minutes, but certainly less than 10, I suppose, and less than 1/3 of the total interview time, but that still seems like a lot for one part of it.

The other thing I noticed was that I was likely one of the first, if not the very first, video conference interview they did. They commented on how cool it was to be using the video conference system, not to me, but to each other, as if it was the first time they've used it.

Anyone else have their interview yet?

Hey guys,

I am at Singapore airport about to depart back to the states. I will tell you, this has been quite an adventure!

I will give you guys a complete write-up on my experience when I get home... including some pictures . But just as a little preview a few thoughts.

I can't put my finger on how I interviewed. John Tintori and Matt Myers were both very nice, but my third interviewer was Katherine Lindberg and she kept staring at me and giving me strange looks which was incredibly distracting. I don't think she smiled once. Do you think they play good cop/bad cop? Who knows, I spoke with some of the current students and they seem to think she is always like that. I feel like I was able to get across why I was passionate about filmmaking and why I wanted to be a part of NYU, but the spontaneous storytelling was in my estimation a COMPLETE FAILURE. I feel like my creative process requires time to structure my characters and storyline in order to give it beauty and life. It is really frustrating to think that they might make a decision on me based on that question

Other than that the rest of my experience was amazing! The facilities are better than NYC. The students are incredibly welcoming. I spent the other night having a few drinks and talking about film for 3 hours with a couple current students... if only my interview went so well. The city of Singapore is fascinating. Each corner of the city has vastly different cultures representing India/China/and other southeast asian countries.

Anyways, more to come later... I will be boarding this plane uncomfortable knowing that I want to be here next fall, but worried about having not nailed my interview.

Best of Luck to You All.

blueskeyes-
It's so nice to hear from someone who has actually visited the campus in Singapore. I would love to hear more - how the students feel about the program, etc. - if you have time!

Anyone else have any other interview feedback?

I just finished my interview - I really enjoyed it. April 15th will be such an exciting day!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

How's everyone else feeling?

To the ones who had phone interviews. Were yours pretty relaxed atmospheres? I felt like mine was pretty intimidating in person and the guy who interviewed before me came out sweating as well. I wonder if they use a different format for phone interviews?