Graduate Film Students ‘Chat’ Between New York and Singapore

By Richard Pierce

    Earlier this month, the Graduate Film Division in the Tisch School’s Kanbar Institute of Film and Television held its first-ever International MOS Celebration, a video event for first-year graduate film students at the New York and Singapore campuses. The idea was for students in the same program but on opposite sides of the world to connect via video chat and screen some of their work.

      “MOS” is used to denote a segment of film without a synchronous soundtrack.  First-year grad film students are required to make one silent, four minute, black-and-white 16 mm. film with exterior daylight by the end of the first semester.

      “It was interesting to compare and contrast the assignments from our Singapore students with those from our New York students,” said John Tintori, grad film chair.  “Not only was the event a good occasion for an exchange of ideas but it was a terrific opportunity to foster a relationship between our students at opposite sides of the world.”

      The event got underway in New York on Friday at 9 p.m. and in Singapore on Saturday at 10 a.m., using an iChat™ linkup between campuses. There are 33 grad film students in Singapore and 37 in New York.  Both groups then watched 10 MOS films, followed by receptions in which students chatted with one another using Skype™ stations.