The New York Film Academy Animation Department caught up with two former 3D Animation students, Chad Waldschmidt and Scott Cullen. Waldschmidt is a 3D animator living and working in New York City. Over the last eight years, he’s worked on commercials, cinematics, video games, short films, concepts, and online advertisements. His game credits include Just Cause 3, NBA Live ’14, Ben10: Omniverse, Skylanders: Giants, Dance Central, Rock Band: Green Day, Rock Band: The Beatles, and Rock Band 2. Scott Cullen currently works as a professional Previs and Layout Artist in Los Angeles. He’s worked with well known companies like NBC Universal, DisneyToon Studios, Imaginary Forces, and more. He’s also worked on numerous films such as Life of Pi, R.I.P.D., and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

We asked the two alumni one simple question: Do you think having motion capture in the NYFA Animation program is essential, and has it helped you in your professional career as an animator?

Chad: I’ve been working with motion capture since practically the first day I started working in the industry. I’m sitting at work using it right now. If you have your animation basics down, you should be able to pickup motion capture relatively quickly. It’s a different way of working for sure though. And most animators I know usually have a love or hate relationship with it. But the fact is, it’s been an invaluable thing for me to know, personally. I’ve been doing this for a long enough time now, and have been involved with enough projects and studios, to safely say that having a strong knowledge in motion capture is a huge benefit for any animator to have. It’s so widely used now—from films to previs to video games—that I of course think it’s a great thing for students to have a decent understanding of what it is and how to work with it.

And it’s not going away anytime soon. As the technology gets cheaper and better, it’s just going to keep becoming more and more common. It’s an important medium for animators, and it’s used all over the place. It opens a lot more doors for you. And I think these days you’re going to need as much of an advantage as you can get, coming out of school, as more and more people get into this industry.

NYFA throws everything at you in a short amount of time, so you can see how the whole 3D pipeline works. Motion capture is very much a part of today’s 3D pipeline, and anyone studying animation should be at least familiar with it.

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Given the month, it seems appropriate to announce that screenwriting student Andrew Messersmith’s screenplay May is for Mayhem was selected as a finalist in this year’s LA Comedy Fest. Andrew has been developing the screenplay under the tutelage of NYFA instructors as well as student feedback. One of his teachers, Gil McDonald had this to say about Andrew and his development of May is for Mayhem.

For a first time feature writer combining elements of Neo Nazis, Martians, Yeti’s, and 1980’s Arnold Schwarzenegger inspired characters and one-liners, I feared he would become overwhelmed. But Andrew was fearless and used the challenge to fuel his creativity.

There was a no-holds-barred approach to the meticulous execution of his script. I couldn’t be more proud of the way it turned out. It is no wonder to me that his work is garnering attention from festivals. I believe this is the start to something very special for Andrew.

I’m always inspired to see students reach their full potential. When I see real potential in students, I often seek out three positive traits: Passion, Persistence, and Punctuality. Andrew has them all. The best thing I could say about him is that he’s a consummate professional, and I wish him the very best of luck with his burgeoning career. ~ Gil McDonald

The feeling of was mutual for Andrew. He credits his finished product on the environment and advice from the faculty and students at the New York Film Academy. Here is what Andrew had to say about his experience in NYFA’s Screenwriting Program.

May is for Mayhem. It all started as a joke; which is kind of fitting given the nature of my first feature script. I had to write a full treatment as a final project for my Feature Screenplay class.  Months of developing different ideas had gone by, but none of them were anywhere near being close to what I wanted. I thought, “Hell with it. If I’m going to write something it might as well be me being myself on the page.” So, three hours before it was due I sat down and knocked out 8 pages of pure me. When I presented it in class everyone laughed. Well, everyone except for the instructor. That’s how I knew it was something worth developing. I love making people angry with humor — I get a twisted kick out of it.

The next year I had Feature Screenplay II and my new instructor, Andrew Shearer, was a big supporter of May is for Mayhem. I have always loved action movies and today they…well they could be better. There are a few exceptions, of course. But let’s be honest, the standards nowadays are pretty low. This lack of great action films is what partially inspired me to become a filmmaker. I want to make films about great characters that get wrapped up in all this chaos. You know, a lot like how life likes to randomly dump a colossal mountain of hate on you at the worst possible moment.  But the biggest thing missing in action films today are strong characters. That’s what I really focused on with this script: character. Mr. Mayhem isn’t just some invincible commando who gets the chick in the end. He’s a major screw up who must overcome his massive failure before getting the chick in the end. And there are aliens. Lots of aliens.

Anyways…writing action is tough because it’s really easy to get wrapped up in all the action and deviate from the characters and their personal conflicts. Andrew Shearer really helped me keep my focus on the character. I should also note that, since this is also a comedy, I discovered that it’s really difficult to keep the comedy tied in with the characters and the plot; as opposed to just making random jokes that are funny but ultimately have nothing to do with the story.  My fellow classmates were a great help when it came to testing and sculpting the style of humor. So a big shout out to Gabi Zogall, Chris Dias, Ryan Lopez, Luca Brinciotti, Art Vargas, and Massiel Corderita.

Feature Screenplay II ends right when you finish the first half of the script. Feature Screenplay III is meant to help you finish it. The only thing is, Screenplay III is an elective. I encourage anyone who is writing a feature screenplay to take this class like I did. Not just because it forces you to keep writing, but also because it’s a great opportunity to continue getting some feedback and guidance from a good instructor and experienced screenwriter. I had Gil McDonald for Feature Screenplay III, and I couldn’t be more thankful for his help. In addition to finishing my script, I got a lot of great tips on how to stay focused. Gil is all about having a system and being organized. “Look at your treatment and your beat-sheet. You made them for a reason.” That’s what he used to say and he couldn’t be more right. You think you have it all in your head but really you do need to have all of your notes next to you when you write. Gil helped me stay organized and his support for my script really pushed me to finish it.

Back in Screenplay II, Andrew Shearer had strongly encouraged me to send a final draft to the LA Comedy Festival. They have a screenwriting competition that gets screenplays a lot of attention.  The fact that he encouraged me to do this gave me a lot of confidence in my script. Soon enough, I sent it off when it was done. A few months had gone by and I was getting a lot of rejection letters from other festivals I had submitted one of my films to. I was beginning to think that my script would probably suffer the same fate. One late night I was staring at my white board. It had a list of all the festivals I had entered and every name had a big “X” and the word “DECLINED” written in red next to it. It was not a great night. Right before going to bed I decided to give my gmail one last quick look and there it was: an email from the LA Comedy Festival. I thought, “alright let’s get this over with.” But the first thing I saw was “Congratulations.” I had a little freak out and couldn’t believe it. I read that email probably ten times before I accepted it. My script, May is for Mayhem, was a finalist at the LA Comedy Festival screenwriting competition! The first thing I did was email Andrew and Gil to share the good news.

I didn’t really get a chance to attend the festival. I was booked on some shoots practically everyday but I manage to go to the kick-off party and keep the awards night open. To be honest, I’m not a party guy. But I needed to grab my All-Access Passes and they were serving free drinks. I got a few sips before I managed to drop my hard lemonade at the event and break the bottle all over the floor, effectively embarrassing myself in front of many industry professionals. That was around the time I grabbed my complimentary All-Access Passes and snuck out before someone asked me my name. The awards night was happening at the same time as the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. I really wanted to watch the fight but I also didn’t want to miss out on possibly winning and not being there. Sadly, my fate that night was much like Manny Pacquio’s: I didn’t win. But it was announced at the festival that normally there were three screenplay finalists, this season there were EIGHT. Apparently there was also much debate over who should’ve won. Sufficed to say I was up against some pretty tough competition. Nonetheless, it was an honor to be selected as a finalist.  Especially since May is for Mayhem was the first feature screenplay I have ever written, and I submitted the first draft.

Though I did not win I am very grateful for how far I came with this screenplay. I am also very thankful for Andrew Shearer, Gil McDonald and my fellow classmates for all their help and support.  This script wouldn’t be what it is without those guys. Right now I’m still reworking Mayhem and exploring the option of getting it made into a graphic novel. With any luck, it might build a fan base from that and hopefully from there it might one day get picked up and made into a movie. That would be incredible! I’d like to encourage anyone who is aspiring to become a screenwriter or filmmaker to keep your ideas alive; no matter how long it takes! If you’re passionate about an idea, then don’t stop building it. In the end, nothing else will make you happier and being a regretful, sad person sucks. I accomplished a lot with this script in a short amount of time and I’d like to keep that going.  After all, where would the world be without.. MAYHEM?!

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The female cast portrays the young male characters of Blaž, Vid, Krištof, Jurij and Denis, who initially meet up to play in an empty lot. The innocent games they create — superheroes, house, cowboys & Indians — slowly, and inadvertently, expose a deep-rooted legacy to the violence, misogyny, bigotry and homophobia in our modern world. Blending humor, physical action and an unflinching honesty, 5boys invites its audience to view the world as seen through the eyes of 10-11 year old boys.

Photos by Luis Alarcon – Edit by Ellinor Denkert – Poster by Ellinor Denkert and Sandra Herlog – Graphic Design by Linnea Larsdotter

“Last summer while visiting a friend in Norway I came upon 5boys,” recalls Herlog. “Sometimes there’s those special pieces of art that linger, they effect you and they won’t let go, and that’s what 5boys did to me. It’s a brilliant and raw piece—daring, violent, comedic, honest—and it’s written for an all female cast, which is not exactly the most common thing. Realizing it’s never been up here in NYC there was no doubt about it, I had to make it happen. So I got in touch with the author, got the rights, and started the journey of putting things together.”

While the performance is being held for 7 days, Herlog hopes for a second run and perhaps even a tour.

Herlog appreciates her time at NYFA, and admits it was crucial in terms of producing this play. “The networking and the connections I made during my time as a student is what made 5boys become a reality. Rico Rosetti (director, mentor and the one helping me out with exactly everything) was my former teacher. The cast are alumni and current students. The photographer is a TA. The whole crew and everyone building sets is a former student or TA. Yes, 95% of the whole 5boys production is generated through NYFA, and all my questions and concerns have been solved through the contacts I’ve made there. I’m extremely grateful to have found these incredible people.”

5boys runs May 12-17th at the Access Theater in New York City. Tickets are free of charge and available at www.brownpapertickets.com.

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On Wednesday, May 13, New York Film Academy 3D Animation alumnus and instructor Mark Reynolds stormed Baltimore’s prestigious Center Stage Theater — not as an actor or musician, but as a 3D animator.

As a member of the animation team for Center Stage’s production of the new musical Marley, a biography of reggae legend Bob Marley, Mark provided 3D models and animation of numerous locations in the play, from Jamaica’s Trench Town slums to the mountains of Ethiopia, and some very specific locations such as Bob Marley’s house and the breathtaking Bet Giyorgis church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Under the direction of Projections Designer Alex Koch, the team created a stylized look that combines the earthiness of hand-drawn lines and textures with the bold camera movements and dramatic lighting at which computer graphics excel.

“What we accomplished is pretty remarkable,” Mark says. “The projections and animation run pretty much throughout the play. We essentially made a two-hour animated feature in ten weeks.”

Mark, who himself completed NYFA’s one-year 3D Animation program in 2013, now teaches at the school, in addition to working as a freelancer. Most recently, his work was seen projected on the H&M tent ceiling at Coachella. “I spent a week making cartoons of cats shooting lasers out of their eyes. It was ridiculous. This is the kind of gig where you can leave work at the end of the day and say, ‘That was so silly. I love my job!'”

Marley was written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, and runs through June 14.

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NYFA Vice President of Global Admissions and Enrollment, Celina Polanco

The New York Film Academy is delighted to announce the return of Celina Clarich Polanco to its Admissions Team. Ms. Polanco, NYFA’s newly appointed Vice President of Global Admissions and Enrollment, is eager to begin working with New York Film Academy’s sizeable and diverse student body.

“During the past few years that I’ve been absent from the New York Film Academy, it has grown exponentially in more ways than one,” Ms. Polanco states. She continues, “Not only has NYFA continued to position itself as a premier performing arts school on a global scale, offering students one-of-a-kind education, it has also expanded rapidly in student body as well as opening numerous new locations, both domestically and internationally.”

Ms. Polanco has over a decade of experience aiding students’ enrollment in tertiary education. She is a former Director of Admissions at numerous performing arts and filmmaking schools, such as New York Film Academy (New York and Los Angeles campuses), New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, School for Film & Television and TVI Acting Studios and was a founding member of the Executive Team of Relativity School.

As a clinician, Ms. Polanco has taught Audition Technique and The Business of the Business seminars in 30 states and 6 countries. She has also cast projects in New York and Los Angeles for MTV, ABC, FOX, Broadway and hundreds of commercials. As an actor, her favorite roles include “Camila” in the 2nd National Tour of Tony-Award Winning Musical In The Heights, and touring with the USO of Metropolitan NY, opening for Lee Greenwood and Joan Rivers.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to cultivate an admissions philosophy of generosity and thoughtful guidance to a new generation of NYFA students. With over 60 programs in over 15 countries and many new disciplines to offer, at the New York Film Academy I truly believe there is a program for everyone hoping to learn more about this creative world,” concludes Ms. Polanco.

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Gideon Raff

On Wednesday, May 14th students gathered in New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles Theater to view the pilot for the recently released TV series Dig followed by a Q&A with Gideon Raff, the show’s co-creator. Gideon “Gidi” Raff is a film and television director, screenwriter, and executive producer. He is best known for the award-winning 2010 Israeli television drama series Prisoners of War (which he created, wrote and directed) and its acclaimed US adaptation, Homeland (for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012). Raff executive produced and co-created the highly-anticipated series Tyrant in 2014. Gideon directed the award-winning film The Babysitter, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2003, and he is also a bestselling fiction author in Israel. His latest TV project, Dig, a ten-episode archaeological thriller about an American FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem, aired recently on the USA Network. The Q&A was moderated by NYFA’s screenwriting instructor Eric Nelson.

Despite having three shows currently on the the air, Gideon Raff admits that he’s still plagued by the same frustrations and insecurities in writing that he had in film school. Starring at a blank page still intimidates him. He starts to doubt his greatness. Maybe the fact that he’s made a number of hit TV shows is just a fluke… But Mr. Raff does not believe in divine inspiration when it comes to screenwriting; he believes in hard work and perseverance. Gideon pushes those doubts away and ignores the constant stream of excuses his mind makes up to avoid the writing process: “I should go to the gym,” or “I really need to get groceries at Whole Foods.” It’s refreshing to hear that Gideon Raff grapples with the same issues that every writer does and that achieving his level of success is just a matter of… well, hard work and perseverance.

Eric Nelson and Gideon Raff

Gideon starts out with an idea and let’s the story dictate the genre and format. By being sensitive to the needs of the story he’ll know soon if he has a drama or comedy, feature film or TV series on his hands. He often writes alone however on Dig Gideon worked with a co-creator because he was busy also creating his most recent show Tyrant at the same time. Gideon compared the process of writing in a TV show “writer’s room” to group therapy. It’s a very “intimate” process, which can make for an incredible experience or a horrible one. You may spend the day hammering out themes for the season or hearing about a writer’s childhood. Either way it all works to generate ideas.

A very important element of a good story, according to Gideon, is “delicious characters.” When a student asked Gideon how she too could make her characters “delicious” he said to make them HUMAN. By “human” he further explained that they should be complex and flawed. As an example of this, Gideon referenced Claire Danes’s character in Homeland who has bipolar disorder. What makes her interesting is that she’s an unreliable narrator. We never know which version of her is speaking or if that same version will appear again when it’s time to follow through with what she said before.

The students were thrilled to gain such valuable knowledge from an entertainment industry heavyweight. We sincerely thank Gideon Raff for visiting NYFA and wish him the best of luck on future projects!

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NYFA Founder Jerry Sherlock with Jun Yong-bok

This Friday, the New York Film Academy welcomed famous Korean artist Jun Yong-bok, who presented NYFA Founder Jerry Sherlock and President Michael Young with an original piece of art entitled “Mountain.”

While Yong-bok’s art is rooted in traditional Korean lacquer art, he also developed his own unique techniques through his experience of different cultures and their art.

Yong-bok offered the painting, made with pieces of mother of pearl, for NYFA’s New York new 26 Broadway location in the financial district of Manhattan. He hopes to continue see the Academy grow as his son Hyunmin Jun attends a 1 year screenwriting course. From there, his son plans on heading to Los Angeles for an MFA in Screenwriting.

We’d like to whole-heartedly thank Jun Yong-bok for this impressive gift, and wish his son the best of luck as he begins his career as a screenwriter!

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film director Mohamed Luqman and co-director Saleh Bin Hallabi receiving the Award from the Acting Provost of Zayed University Marilyn Roberts and the Managing Director of NYFA Abu Dhabi Imad DeirAtany

Under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khaled Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development, President of Zayed University, the 6th edition of Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) took place on May 17 – 18 at Zayed University Abu Dhabi.

The Awards Ceremony was held on May 18 at 6.30 pm, where the New York Film Academy offered the Aspiring Filmmaker Award in collaboration with the festival.

The award went to The Final Chapter by Mohamed Luqman, who will join one of the New York Film Academy filmmaking programs. The program will provide him with intensive training in filmmaking, where he will write, shoot, direct and edit number of films while crewing on others.

Congratulations to Mohamed Luqman! We’re looking forward seeing him on our set.

-Imad DeirAtany

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This year, we have a number of filmmakers representing the New York Film Academy at the Cannes Film Festival. These students and alumni have the incredible opportunity of networking and screening their short films at the Cannes Short Film Corner, which offers industry meets, workshops and conferences that deal with strategic issues.

Our filmmakers benefit from all the advantages of being a Festival de Cannes accredited attendee, from being able to access the Marché du Film exhibitors or those in the Village International. With the festival officially underway, we’ve been hearing from a number of NYFA filmmakers!

Below is a list of some of these students and their films. We want to wish them all the best of luck in showcasing their films at Cannes!

Francesco Mazza at Cannes

Francesco Mazza, Frankie

Richard Selvi, Datin’ Marvin

Diego Londono, Medley

Denis Kulikov, Nadezhda

Ilya Rozhkov, Sabre Dance

Aditya Patwardhan, Red House by the Crossroads

Luis Christian Dilorenzi, Sináptica

Shantal Freedman, Ticketed

Raquel Bordin, Tip Toe

Ricardo Lopez-Franco, Binary Stars

Gabe Chavez, More than Words

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Inspired in large part by Robert Zemeckis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit, New York Film Academy One-Year Filmmaking alumnus Leonardo Bentes’ film, Whatever You Want, which recently won Best Comedy / Dramedy at April’s Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, combines elements of film noir with slapstick comedy. Bentes even admits his protagonist has influences from the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Hong-Kong Phooey. Indeed, all the makings of a silly comedy.

Whatever You Want, which was Bentes’ NYFA thesis film, focuses on Benjamin Sherman, a clumsy private investigator who begins to work on a case for a beautiful young woman — the femme fatale. As usual, Benjamin doesn’t get things done right.

Director Leo Bentes on set of “Whatever You Want”; photo by Lucia Luben

“Except for some 3D animation training, I hadn’t had any filmmaking background by the time I started my first class at NYFA,” recalled Bentes. “So, basically everything you see in Whatever You Want — not only directing but also writing, producing, editing — came from what I learned in class, workshops and previous projects, classmates collaboration, and some self-study.”

Bentes feels strongly that his thesis film will serve as his business card into the professional world of directing. While he has began outlining a TV pilot for Whatever You Want, he hopes his next project will be a feature comedy with some musical influence.

Whatever You Want (trailer) from leo bentes on Vimeo.

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photo courtesy of ABC

Who can forget the lovable Carlton from the popular 90’s television series, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air? What most of you may not know is actor Alfonso Ribeiro took a filmmaking workshop at the New York Film Academy in 1999 to provide him with additional insight into the creative process that surrounds him on set.

Since coming off the hit show, Ribeiro has acted and appeared in a number of television series, including his most recent stint on Dancing with the Stars. Now, Ribeiro will replace Tom Bergeron as the host of the long running show, America’s Funniest Home Videos. Like the series showrunners, we think Ribeiro will be a terrific fit.

“There’s got to be a sincerity and a connection with the audience,” executive producer Vin Di Bona told Variety. “You’ve got to be someone who cares about kids. That connection you make with the audience is of the utmost importance to me. That’s something you just don’t get by reading copy. In our auditions, it just became very, very apparent that Alfonso is a genuinely nice man.”

Ranked as one of primetime TV’s most family-friendly shows, AFV wrapped its 25th anniversary season this past Sunday.

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New York Film Academy Screenwriting students were treated to Writers Guild of America executive Geoff Betts who visited their Business of Screenwriting class to discuss, contract minimums, protections, residuals and other union benefits as future professional screenwriters.

Betts came into Nick Yellen’s Business of screenwriting class to meet with soon to graduate screenwriters who are positioned to join the WGA in the coming years.

Also discussed were how their union protects them both here and abroad.

Students seemed very interested in the guild’s assistance program that reviews screenwriter’s options and other agreements at no cost to them.

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Since graduating from his MFA in Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy Los Angeles in 2012, Antonio Chavez Trejo has established himself as the Director of Production and Creative Services for a 360 production and social media marketing company based in LA, called Supersonix Media Inc. Having come from a film school background and being well versed in the many facets of filmmaking, Antonio served his hand as producer, co-director and camera-op on his feature film entitled, El Freeman. Antonio and his team are now handling distribution, marketing, and crowd funding.

The film is about El, an immigrant from Kazakhstan who is trying to raise money to hire a lawyer to get his papers in order. He ends up meeting the wrong set of people, and works at a moving company with a few low life criminals who steal from the owners of the homes. During one of his jobs, El meets a man who will become his mentor and help him correct his path. In addition to his eventual brotherhood with his fellow criminals, there’s also a love story that pushes the interior motives of El and his connection with his values and his family.

“Working on El Freeman taught me something very important,” said Trejo. “Im up for the challenge, and I have acquired the leadership I need to run any film I want to make.”

Trejo had been assembling the team for about two years, which includes former classmates of his, director Yelhas Rakhimbekov, director of photography Erik Kjonaas, and 1st AD Carolina Sandoval. This tight group of filmmakers worked arduous schedules to complete production of the film.

“We had days when we had to shoot 6, 7, 8 or 9 pages a day,” recalls Trejo. “With their eyes and ears and my directing keeping the vision of Yelhas, we shot something that looks as beautiful as the script is.”

Trejo and his team finished principal photography, and are currently in post-production.

Aside from this project, Trejo has been showcasing a few of his short films and has a feature script which he hopes will see a green light soon.

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This upcoming Saturday, May 30th, 2015 the New York Film Academy South Beach will be hosting an Open House with special guests: award-winning photographer Ralph Gibson, Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jack Jacobs, as well as Director of Performing Arts Enrollment, Roger Del Pozo and NYFA South Beach Filmmaking Instructor, George E. Fernandez.

Ralph Gibson, who was recently appointed to Chair of the Department of Contemporary Photography at the New York Film Academy, is that rare artist who has touched the masters of the past half century—from the Beat Generation in San Francisco to the vigor of yesterday’s born-digital, cross-media creations. He began his professional career as an assistant to Dorothea Lange and, to date, has published over 40 photography monographs and his photographs are included in over 170 museum collections around the world. Gibson’s awards include fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Leica Medal of Excellence, the Lucie Lifetime Award and the Silver Plumb Award.

photography by Ralph Gibson

Colonel Jack Jacobs, the Chair of the New York Film Academy’s Veterans Advancement Program, served in the U.S. Military for more than 20 years and his gallantry in Vietnam earned him the Medal of Honor — the nation’s highest combat honor — two Silver Stars and three Bronze Stars. Colonel Jacobs is currently a military strategist and on-air analyst for NBC and MSNBC News.

In addition to his work at NYFA, Roger Del Pozo has also been a casting director in New York for the last 12 years. In that time, he has cast over a thousand television commercials, as well as films, plays, voice overs, video games, music videos and industrials for many of the top Casting Companies and Advertising Agencies in New York. Some projects Mr. Del Pozo has cast include national campaigns for Apple, Microsoft, Dunkin’ Donuts, Sony, General Electric, AT&T, Fisher Price, Nickelodeon, Cheerios, Verizon, Ikea, Nintendo, Toyota, Mercedes and Heineken, just to name a few.

G.E. Fernandez started out as a writer. His play, Vietnam Trilogy, was a major hit at the Veteran’s Theater in Los Angeles, winning the Drama-logue award of Best Actor for Richard Chavez. His first feature film, Cease Fire, starring Don Johnson, Lisa Blount, went on to become a critical success. Through the 1990’s he started to make entry into the Television World, by creating and producing the European TV Series Pilot Night Screams. Mr. Fernandez has now moved back to South Florida and has created Magic City Distribution & Production, a marketing and distribution company for Indie Films.

The Open House is open to prospective students and members of the press. If you’re interested in attending or have questions, please email southbeach@nyfa.edu.

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New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles Documentary Department was on display Thursday, May 21st, when their Community Film Project concluded with a presentation at the NYFA theatre, celebrating the MFA Jan ’14 class production of a promotional film for the Burbank Arts for All Foundation (BAFA). The event highlighted the work of writer-director Michelle Flores, sound recordist and mixer Raed Salagoor, and DP-cameraperson Alejandro Talens, who, along with June Zhou, producer, and Omar Monge, editor, created a 3 and ½ minute promo for BAFA as their client.

The Community Film Project was designed to give students real-life experience with a non-profit organization by having them pitch an idea, receive a client’s feedback, and then create a film according to the client’s needs. The class used their documentary film training to create a piece both informational and emotional, as the goal was to educate the public on BAFA’s multiple role in raising awareness and funds for arts programming in Burbank’s public schools.

This very ambitious project involved shooting ten interviews and activities in several public schools over 10 days. “There were several script changes and film revisions along the way, which is typical in a client relationship,” states instructor Denise Hamilton, who supervised the project. The results — a pleased Executive Director of BAFA, Trena Pitchford, who will be using the promo in an upcoming fundraising gala.

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For the history buffs and science nerds in all of us, National Geographic Channel has created a new television series called American Genius. Produced by Stephen David Entertainment, the series captures the story of the unseen forces behind the greatest races for innovation, the moments when the brightest minds were given the rare opportunity to change the world. Be it a problem, opportunity, or call to arms: when key events in our history launched a wave of innovation, genius prevailed in a neck-and-neck competition for technological superiority. Each show is a combination of re-enactment and documentary footage, plus interviews with experts and historians. An example of a show is a discussion of the Wright Brothers vs Curtiss on the invention of the airplane.

New York Film Academy Cinematography Instructor Piero Basso worked on four episodes as director of photography over a four week period in West Virginia last September.

“The production was very challenging and demanding, which made it even more interesting,” said Basso. “We shot 22 days for 4 episodes, which makes it pretty clear why speed was a necessary trait for the DP. I found myself surrounded by a great number of highly trained professionals working very efficiently as a team, and that made everything easier.”

Basso has shot nine feature films — four with very low budgets — showing a great capacity for managing the problems of limited equipment and crew while maintaining a distinctive visual character. His films have screened in major international festivals, including Cannes and Locarno and have received international recognition, including nominations at the European Film Awards & at the David di Donatello, as well as several victories at Festivals around the globe (including Oberhausen, Edinburgh, Turin, and Huesca).

Be sure to check out Basso’s work on American Genius, which begins airing on the National Geographic Channel this upcoming Monday, June 1st.

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One-Year Acting Grad, Nick Allen-Ducat and NYFA Australia, Gold Coast Chair of Acting, Brad McMurray                                                              picture by David Clark; Gold Coast Bulletin

It’s no coincidence that the New York Film Academy Australia’s Gold Coast campus is situated on the backlot of Village Roadshow Studios adjacent to Warner Bros Movie World in Queensland, Australia.

Similar to our Los Angeles campus, NYFA Gold Coast students have access to the movie studios, giving them a truly hands-on, real-world experience.

Given the unparalleled access to the filmmaking community in Queensland, it came as no surprise to find two of our very own in front of the camera for the upcoming blockbuster film San Andreas, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Paul Giamatti. NYFA Australia, Gold Coast Chair of Acting, Brad McMurray and One-Year Acting Grad, Nick Allen-Ducat had roles in the film, and walked the red carpet at the Queensland premiere, which took place at the Roxy Theatre.

pic by David Clark; Gold Coast Bulletin

“Being on the backlot leaves it wide open to massive possibilities as many of our current and former students had on set experience as extras on San Andreas and Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken,” said McMurray. “Having international blockbusters shooting on NYFA’s doorstep creates an industry pulse that is felt by all of the students at NYFA. This creates a hunger that will drive them into this vibrant exciting industry. In securing a role on something as big as San Andreas, it enables me to get in the room face to face with the students and share this valuable experience with them. The class experience then becomes a session of artistic osmosis where the students beliefs and expectations are ramped up ready for the industry.”

In addition to Brad and Nick’s roles in the film, NYFA Australia filmmaking students were able to intern on the production of the film.

Having filmed on the Coast, The Rock, who was in attendance at the premiere, had this to say about his experience: “I had the best time — amazing time — shooting the film on the Gold Coast.”

Look for Brad, Nick, and The Rock in San Andreas, which opens in theaters today!

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New York Film Academy’s graduating Fall Producing class participated in their first annual NYFA Pitch Fest in New York City.

Similar to the PitchFest that our Los Angeles students have been doing for several years now, students pitched their thesis projects to various faculty and notable industry professionals throughout the afternoon on two consecutive days.

Among the many notable guests was Dan Hank, formerly VP of Production for the AMC Network (Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Walking Dead).

Dan was recently hired as President of Production at Marvel Film Studio’s (Avengers, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy) New York office where he is now heading production on all of Marvel/Netflix NYC based new franchises (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, The Defenders).

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On Saturday, May 30th, New York Film Academy Los Angeles students from the Filmmaking, Acting, Producing, Screenwriting, Photography, Cinematography, Game Design, and 3D Animation and Visual Effects disciplines gathered to receive their degrees during two commencement ceremonies at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood, California. Deans Louis Fantasia, Eric Conner, and Mike Civille as well as Department Chairs Lynda Goodfriend (Acting), Tony Schwartz (Producing), Nunzio DeFilippis (Screenwriting), Mark Sawicki (3D Animation and Visual Effects), Michelle Kirk (Photography) and Associate Chairs Mike Williamson (Cinematography), Adam Finer (Screenwriting), and Julia Raz (Game Design) addressed the students, congratulating them and giving personal fair wells and final advice for the future. School Director Dan Mackler and Dean Louis Fantasia presented diplomas.

actor Manish Dayal

Manish Dayal, film and television actor known for his recurring role as Raj Kher in the hit TV show 90210 and starring in a leading role in the film The Hundred Foot Journey, was the Commencement Speaker for the Acting and Screenwriting graduates. Mr. Dayal relayed the importance of having a positive perspective of “failing” in life as every success he’s experienced would not have been possible with the failures that led him there.

David A. Permut, television and movie producer known for creating Richard Pryor: Live in Concert and Dragnet, which was an early example of remaking a television series into a motion picture, was the Commencement Speaker for the Film, Producing, Cinematography, Photography, Game Design, and 3D Animation and Visual Effects Graduates. Mr. Permut stressed the importance of remaining positive and having patience in the film industry as the average time it takes an idea to debut on the screen from conception is seven years, and the time it’s taken for many of his projects to come to fruition has well exceeded that.

After the commencement ceremonies, graduates and their family and friends celebrated at the Riot House Restaurant in West Hollywood’s Andaz Hotel on the Sunset Strip. Congratulations to all of NYFA’s 2015 degree program graduates!

MFA in Filmmaking
Paul Dees
Simeon Flores
Ryan Lopez
Eduardo Michel Piza
Eljazz Rakhimbekov
Alexander Rodriguez
Daniel Zagaevschi

MA in Film & Media
Ahmed Farouk Ibrahim Al Ayooti
Abdullah Bin Kulaib
Paulo Erico Claridades
Ali Farshchi
Krid Krongyuth
Huimin Mao
Andrei Mindru
Varun Verma
Manal Elias

BFA in Filmmaking
Tyrone Breaux
Noe Miguel Obregon Escobar
Joelle Kahn

MFA in Acting
Kankana Chakraborty
David Dasilma
Ricardo Diaz Guillen
Omar-Farouq Ayorinde Edu
Marthe Einseth
David Epstein
Yara Ferreyra
Brandon James Gailliard
Ivonne Garcia Asimbaya
William Justice
Jong Man Kim
Ivona Kustudic
Nenad Nikolovski
Nozipho Jamilah Profit-Mclean
Danielle RowLee
Fernando Quintana Lasso
Chris Ferera
Emre Pala
Dian Yu
Zhen Wang

BFA in Acting
Andras Farago-Szabo
Rebecca Hamilton
Anthony Hubbard
Anthony Kiser
Kristoffer McMillan
Eboni Osteen
William Stavrakos
Diana Valencia Medina

AFA in Acting
Susannah Almer
Blake Altman
Carlos Rodrigo Chavez
Leonardo Diaz
Karen Flores Kauffman
Ryan Harrington
Dylan Jackson
Benjamin Jooste
Michael Brandon Lamkins
Hadas Sima Lev
Kamali Martin
Lucero Rodriguez
Dulce Sosa
Ellinor Taflin
Alexis Taylor

MFA in Producing
Ismelda Cruz Mojica
Marisela de Los Angeles Delgado Fuentes
Carlos Eguiagaray
Melinda Graves
Ana Pou Valeriano
Tripp Townsend III
Meng An
Luoting Jin
Pengchen Li
Phillip Simon
Arthur Smith
Anna Tveritina
Xu Yang
Shijie Zhang

AFA in Producing
Tyler Scheff
Davin Tjen

MFA in Screenwriting
Ray Cadiz
David Ephraim Cantor
Yanwen Guo
Christopher Hayes
Dakota Klaes
Xiaoxiu Li
Thomas Saetveit Jensen
Agosto Silveira
Angelina Tala
Pallavi Vaidya

AFA in Screenwriting
Quintin Allen Bell
Tevin Knight
Daria Leshchenko
Jamaul Phillips

MFA in Photography
Sultan Al Rubayq
Khulud Albati
Mihaela Belichovska
Walla Jarallah
Yisen Li
Pavlinka Popovska
Elli Tashkandi
Qian Zhe

MFA in Cinematography
Peng Ding
Nelson Javier Flores
Kevin Gillingham
Leandro Moura

MFA in Game Design
Omar Ahmedien
Ohoud Ali
Kevin Newton
Zheng Qin
Chad Robinson
I-Chieh Shen
Yufei Zhao
Ziyi Zou

BFA in 3D Animation & Visual Effects
Arjun Nair

The post New York Film Academy Celebrates its Graduating Class on May 30th appeared first on New York Film Academy Blog.

The New York Film Academy South Beach Photography department, led by Photography Co-Chair Paul Sunday, held a “Movie Madness” event with Bloomingdale’s Miami in The Falls. The photography event created a movie-like atmosphere in the cosmetics department, giving ladies the opportunity to feel what it’s like to be prepped before a photo shoot. Many of the people we met were naturals and shined behind the camera!

“I’ve collaborated with Bloomingdale’s many times over the years.  It’s always been fun and inspiring,” said Co-Chair of NYFA’s Photography Program, Paul Sunday. “The Hollywood makeup event at the Falls was no exception. The beauty team at Bloomies was stellar. They embodied what we teach our photography students; vision, style and professionalism are ingredients for success.”

Since 2013, the 10,000 square ft. South Beach location, with facilities on the second floor and in the Penthouse Suite of 420 Lincoln Road, has quickly become a desired home for aspiring photographers, actors and filmmakers to truly hone their craft in a hands-on learning environment.

Catered to all levels of expertise, the NYFA South Beach Photography program offers short-term, long-term and degree programs. Each curriculum is designed to allow students to develop their own unique voice so that they can build a photography portfolio that is immediately recognizable as their own.

If you’re interested in learning more about the New York Film Academy South Beach Photography School, visit https://miami.nyfa.edu/photography/.

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