TEACHING

William Tyler Smith has been teaching since he was the film post-production TA at UCLA Graduate School of Theater, Film and Television.  At UCLA, Smith also served as a TA for other directing, cinematography and sound classes.  He is a directing instructor held in high esteem at The New York Film Academy (NYFA).  He is known for his "unorthodox" and inspirational teaching style.   Many of his ex-students are enjoying successful film careers in their respective countries. 

He was recently named one of the top 15 most notable art professors in New York City by the artcareerproject.com.

Smith is also available as a consultant for your professional productions.  Everyday I comment and critique on screenplays, rough cuts, pre-production, production and post-production, whether it's a fiction or documentary or experimental film.  

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

 STUDENT: “I didn’t like you at first.”

WTS: “I am sorry to hear that. May I ask you why?”

STUDENT: “Well, from the moment I walked into class on day one, you pushed me out of my comfort zone, way out of my comfort zone and never let me back in.”

WTS: “Fantastic!”

STUDENT: “But now, I get why you did it.”

WTS: “Why’s that?”

STUDENT: “Because it made me into a better filmmaker and now I must thank you.”

WTS: “You are welcome but you are the one who made the choice. I simply showed you the way.“

At the New York Film Academy, I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences, and hopefully in turn inspire a new generation of independent filmmakers. For me, the key pedagogical question has always been, do you create students who perfectly fit into the industry or do you create students who can change the industry? It’s not an easy balance to strike but I encourage my students to see themselves somewhere in between the two, but knowing when to emphasize one over the other.

Students seem to respond well to my “no-nonsense, theo-practical” approach to filmmaking. It’s heavy “hands-on” but deeply rooted in film grammar and theory. It emphasizes making films from “the inside-out” not from the “outside-in.” All creative decisions should be story motivated (the inside) rather than imposing unmotivated story shots (the outside).  People have labeled me a “unique and motivational” teacher. I strongly believe in an inspirational teaching approach whereby the teacher’s passion is an important part of instruction. I have learned that if I share my own passion, it is infectious and the students as a whole learn more and work harder.

Please see what students are saying about me on RateMyProfessors.com at http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=646089.

Over the years, I have taught students from all over the world. Everyday is an international day for me. Many of my ex-students have gone on to direct features, television commercials and documentaries. Their films have been screened at festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, and Henri Langlois. In 2011, one of my past students produced a short film that was nominated for an Academy Award.

Last year, I was honored to find out that I was included on a list of the 15 most notable art professors in New York City by TheArtCareerProject.com.

While I was a graduate student at UCLA, I was very fortunate to have studied under Gil Cates (Producer: The Academy Awards), Gyula Gazdag (Director: Hungarian Fairy Tale), Jerzy Antczak (Director: Nights and Days), Richard Marks (Editor: Apocalypse Now, Godfather II) and Jorge Preloran (Documentary Filmmaker). I believe these mentorships provided me with an understanding of international film language, and greatly influenced my own teaching and filmmaking styles.