When our filmmaking students graduate from the New York Film Academy, they bring with them a thesis film that they can be proud of. Often the short film will be his or her calling card to the professional world. But before that happens, we encourage our graduates to enter his or her thesis film into as many film festivals as possible, giving him or her and the film the proper exposure needed.

One of our recent BFA Filmmaking graduates, Diego Andres Londono, has followed this advice, and has already seen success at the festivals with his thesis film, Medley. He’s won awards at two film festivals, California International Shorts and LAArthouse Filmfest, both as Best Experimental Film. Medley has also been selected into the biggest University level Film Festival in Colombia and was a part of the Cannes Short Film Corner.

Now, Diego’s film is a finalist in the CineGear 2015 Film Series, which will take place at the famous Paramount Studios. Diego is competing for $5,000 in equipment for his next project against two other student thesis films from AFI and USC.

We had a chance to ask Diego a few questions about his film and his young career before his upcoming GineGear screening on June 4th.

Congrats on the success of your thesis film! Can you tell us what the film is about?

It wasn’t the first idea that I had and it was born kind of in the middle of turmoil, as I didn’t know if I was going to be able to shoot a thesis film at all. Nevertheless, one night of May 2014, Matías Piegari, a very good friend and composer, whom I met at NYFA, showed me an amazing piano recital experiment called: “4’33.”

The experiment was conducted by John Cage, and in it, Cage brought a world-renowned piano player and made the audience believe that he was about to play a sonata. The curiosity would build up as the piano player sat down in front of the big audience, but when the time to perform came in, the player would start his metronome and remain motionless until the metronome hit an entire movement. It is what’s called a symphony composed of silence.

To me, it challenged the very definition of art because it shows that art is not just this thing that is created by a human being for others to judge, it exists on its own. And in the context of Medley, it exists in nature. I went back home and began writing with extreme passion about a piano concert in which the piano didn’t produce the sounds that it was expected to produce, but sounds of nature. Nature for me is what drives my creativity — as I see it — it is in nature where art resides in its pure form and in its universal state.

Can you tell us a little bit of how this film came together?

I got an amazing support from Asaph Polonsky and Tony Schwartz, my directing and producing instructors. They knew of the effort I put on my first thesis idea and the reasons why it didn’t come through. At that time, they put a word in with Mike Civille, who was the head of the filmmaking department at that time. I was asking for an extra semester to be able to shoot my thesis, but Mike gave me an extra month; and he was right: an extra month was enough for me to conceive the idea and shoot it. I had to resource to my own creativity, the producing and directing tools that I had acquired with years and to my friends — the people who I spent three years of my life battling side by side in the sea of projects that is the BFA program.

I will be eternally grateful to Melissa Inzunza, our Producer, and Yana Surits, our AD: they are not only just classmates, they are my true friends. After the initial struggle, we managed to get Jordan Black on board, an amazing Director of Photography and an equally talented Production Designer, Kalise Wallace (Star Trek: Renegades, Bound). And just like that, we rented a small studio in Glendale and began dressing up the atemporary world where the concert had to take place. A lot of friends came forward and helped in the dressing of the place. To help in the construction, Kalise brought a master threader who works with ‘Cirque du Soleil’ to build their tents and scenery in Vegas. (Only in LA do you get to meet people like that.) He congratulated us for the amazing production value that we were capable of generating with a minimal budget.

A month after principal photography was completed, we shot the nature sequence. I wanted to contrast the arranged concert as an art form with the pure art that exists in nature. But I knew that I had to choose a place equally beautiful to what we had created artificially. This is why we chose Big Sur as our location for the nature shots. This magical place on Earth is one where Ansel Adams decided to inspire himself and represent his work. At Big Sur, the majestic sequoia trees die by the sea. I’ve never seen that spectacle elsewhere. We hiked for two days with a skeletal crew of five. We captured mesmerizing imagery that, in the words of many photographers, rival those of the National Geographic.

What do you hope to achieve with this film?

I wanted to try new approaches to filmmaking by conveying emotions through the creative use of sound and image. I learned heaps in the process; and most likely will affect my future films. As for our audience, I would like to generate questions about what is art, and where does the concept comes from. I would like for them to feel and experience an experimental journey that hopefully will trigger their creativity.

Would you say your training and education at NYFA was useful in terms of directing this film?

I am grateful for the education and hands-on training that I received at NYFA. I learned from working on all of my friend’s projects and also from great instructors who taught me to strive for greatness and to stand behind my vision and get my collaborators involved in it. Throughout the time that I spent at the school, we constantly changed and evolved and towards the end of my BFA program I was able to put together all of the directing lessons that I received and implement them in the natural way that I imprinted in Medley’s actors.

NYFA is a young school but it has an international quality to it that gives you a sense of global perspective that other schools might not give you. This helped me in writing Medley out of a traditional way, and go for an avant-garde style. All for all, I had awesome experiences that allowed me to see the world through other scopes. Being surrounded by different cultures allowed me not only to receive an ‘American Education’ but also to share my cinematic experience with people from around the world. I am proud to say that my film is the first NYFA film to compete in the ‘2015 Cinegear Film Series’ at Paramount Studios, alongside of AFI and USC thesis films, because my school is at that level.

Are you currently working on another project?

Currently, I am working on developing a feature film about a murder case in Pleasanton, California, in which authorities work in a crooked way because of the victim being an African American and because of the sense of ‘small town’ that NorCal communities have. We can use all the help that we can get and of course we where planning on coming to NYFA, as we know of the good relationship that the school has with its alumni. I also have projects in development in Colombia and México, which I’m already in conversations with production companies back home to produce in the upcoming years. I say ‘years’ because it seems like feature filmmaking is a marathon and not just a sprinting race, but I’m enjoying the ride.

Medley has been selected to compete in the Student Film Category for the ‘CineGear film series’ at Paramount Studios on June 4th of 2015. For more information visit: http://www.cinegearexpo.com/category/film-series/fs-screening-schedule/

Have a look at Diego’s trailer for Medley below!

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Last month, Musical Theatre students, alumni and faculty put together another fantastic performance in the MainStage musical, Chess, which was held at the American Theatre of Actors. The show included 27 performers and 6 orchestra members.

Chess is a pop opera that had its original broadway production in 1988, which included two NYFA Instructors, Rosemary Loar and Wysandria Woolsey. There was also a famous London concert of the show in 2009, starring Idina Menzel, Josh Groban and Adam Pascal.

Though the production is not very often produced and includes some extremely difficult music, NYFA faculty members were not disappointed with the amazing singers and actors. Under the direction of Chad Larabee, choreography by Chad Austin and music direction by Joshua Zecher-Ross, the cast and crew put together NYFA’s third successful musical, and will now be preparing for a fourth.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work of our students and creative team,” said NYFA’s Creative Director of Musical Theatre, Kristy Cates. “Chess is a really difficult show and our singer/actors nailed every moment. As a producer, it was so exciting for me to watch our audience members — many of whom know nothing about the musical theatre program at NYFA — leave the theatre inspired and very impressed by the quality of the work. The Musical Theatre Department at NYFA is making an amazing name for itself, and that’s such an awesome thing to be a part of!”

Our next MainStage show will also be at the American Theatre of Actors, November 20-22nd.

Cast (in no specific order):
Kylan Ross
Emma McGlinchey
Christopher Viljoen
Malie Thekiso
Paul Moore
Rodrigo Carter
Bruno Uribe
Thomas Walsh
Anthony Lalonde
Felipe Carrasco
Cullen Shirtz
Will Van Moss
CorBen Wright
Charles Engelsgjerd (NYFA Alumnus)
Jonina Bjort
Melissa Gonzalez
Kia Laitakari
Myms Rouelle
Akhia Andersson
Emily Caroo
Beatriz Cavalieri
Stephanie Sequeira
Katie Wright
Kodi Lynn Milburn
Alli Ryan Motley
Yasmin Schancer
Jessi Shannon

Directed by Chad Larabee
Music Director, Joshua Zecker-Ross
Choreography by Chad Austin

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Photographs with the image printed on a metal service are called tintype. The process behind this is called wet plate collodion; it is a mixture of chemicals that are light sensitive. This mixture coats the glass plate — which is now the negative — then the negative turns into a positive when mounted on a reflective surface.

Starting in the late 1800’s, it is one of the first affordable photographic processes, and because the tintype was such a cheap process and usually low quality, anyone could get an inexpensive picture taken at the beach or carnival by itinerant photographers.

Luthar Gerlach is a master practitioner of the wet plate collodine process and theory. He is recognized and used by the Getty Museum for their demonstrations and workshops in the medium. Luther is also the owner and operator of the world’s largest “mammoth” wet plate collodine camera.

Every semester our photography students are invited to Luther’s studio in Ventura, CA for a demonstration of the process and tour of his studio or they meet him on location. The students are always taken back in time as Luther sets up his camera — in a field, beach, house, street or his studio — and composes the photograph with the students in it.

Luther then goes to his truck, which is his custom-built mobile darkroom, and prepares the plate to make the exposure. First, he pours the collodine over a piece of glass. He then immerses it in a tray of silver nitrate. While damp, the plate is put into a light, tight box to be transferred from the mobile darkroom truck to the camera. Here it is put into a special plate holder inside the camera for the exposure. The cap is taken off the lens and the plate is exposed to light. The exposure times range anywhere from 20 seconds to ten minutes, depending on the light. Once the time is up, the plate is removed and the photo is ready. If a subject moves during the timed shoot, it will blur them in the final image. Once dry, the image is then varnished to preserve it

This historical process is difficult, frustrating and slow, though it creates a final image that is eerie yet aesthetically beautiful.

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New York Film Academy will send a crew of top graduates to the Metropolitan Museum tomorrow to create a documentary/promo of their signature teen event, TEENS TAKE THE MET.

The event, which starts tomorrow, Friday, June 5th and runs from 5:00-8:00pm, is sponsored by dozens of arts-related non-profits, and of course the New York Film Academy. The evening is expected to draw at least 4,000 local teens from all around the New York City area.

Teens Take the Met is free and open to all teens 13+ with a middle or high school ID. No RSVP—just show up!

And while you’re there, be sure to look out for our talented documentary filmmaking students!

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After the overwhelming response from the New York Film Academy’s infographic on gender inequality in film, we decided to touch on another film related topic that deserves a similar debate. Do movies and television influence drug use? Through a narrated videographic, the New York Film Academy brings viewers on a journey through the years, analyzing how film and television has shaped our perception of drugs, as well as its possible effects on the viewing audience.

Enjoy our video below and let us know what you think in the comments below!

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With summer approaching, we’ve been looking back at what some of our High School Summer Camp graduates are working on today. Last week, we stumbled across a “Short of the Week” from New York Film Academy Summer Camp alumnus, Eli Shapiro. His award-winning film, Ike Interviews God, tackles the potential apocalyptic doom of our society in a somewhat dark yet comedic way. As the director puts it, the initial premise of the film was quite simple: if you could have a private conversation with God, what would you ask Her?

“I wanted to make fun of what would actually happen during a major religious event today,” said Shapiro. “How news stations would exploit it, how people would try to make money out of it, how they’d cast Ryan Gosling for the movie adaptation.”

While Shapiro practices the Jewish faith, he wanted the film to make people laugh regardless of his or her beliefs. “I think everyone — atheists and religious people — have these cosmic questions.”

To date, Shapiro’s short has screened at several film festivals, including the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival 2014, Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation Film Showcase 2014, DC Shorts Film Festival 2014, Montclair Film Festival 2014, and Hollyshorts Monthly Screening Series 2015.

Have a look at his award-winning short in its entirety below.

IKE INTERVIEWS GOD from Eli Shapiro on Vimeo.

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Michelle Cassis and her crew on set

Queens of Flesh & Blood is a fashion piece statement that celebrates the hard-working women who inhabit one of the toughest cities in the world. Shot in the streets of New York City by New York Film Academy Cinematography alumna Michelle Cassis, the film is an anthem to real, persevering women who strive daily to conquer the concrete jungle. It is a film that captures and showcases New York City in its essence — by telling the story through New York’s most iconic signs and billboards.

“This film is dedicated to real women, with the hopes of inspiring them,” said Cassis. “My goal was to shoot a fashion film with a strong story and message — not just pretty shots — but an inspiring film to the audience. I wanted to jump out of the glamor of couture and editorial and come up with a down-to-earth fashion film that women all around the world could relate to.”

Cassis creates an homage to strong women while at the same time using New York as a character of the story. “These women, these queens, are out there, we see them everyday,” Cassis concludes.

The video was shot in New York last October. The crew consisted of other NYFA graduates:

• Producer Anthony Argento
• Jieun Shim and Mihyun Park from South Korea, both assistant cameras and graduates from the Cinematography course
• Tomas Velasques, from Colombia, who helped Ming as his gaffer
• Mariana Araujo, from Brazil, was assistant director
• Jorge Godinez, from Mexico, was the production designer

“I’m really grateful to the entire crew,” added Cassis. “Without their hard-work and help the film wouldn’t be what it is today.”

Shot with the Arri Alexa and the Optica Elite Anamorphic Primer lenses in 50mm and 70mm, cinematographer Ming Jue Hu said, “The look for each character is inspired by the space they live in. We were going for a romantic realism.”

In regards to the casting process, Cassis said while she wasn’t necessarily looking for a specific look, diversity was the main goal. The team ended up casting Darin Itdhanuvekin from Thailand, and Lidiia Vidrenko and Alexandra Chelaru from Russia.

Have a look at Michelle’s video in its entirety below.

Queens of Flesh & Blood from Michelle Cassis on Vimeo.

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Ralph Gibson and Colonel Jacobs

In a full room of prospective students, the New York Film Academy South Beach hosted an Open House with award-winning photographer Ralph Gibson and Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jack Jacobs. Both Gibson and Jacobs have recently joined NYFA — Gibson as Chair of its Department of Contemporary Photography and Jacobs as Chair of Veteran’s Advancement Program.

Gibson spoke intimately, offering his advice and beliefs on photography as an art form, as a career and as a philosophy on how it relates to society and culture. He commanded the room for two hours while taking questions from students who were looking for insight and opinions from the prolific Gibson. He also spoke candidly about trends in photography like the popularity of instagram and shooting from your iPhone. In his own charismatic way, Ralph provided a fresh prospective on the techniques and style that will last as long as still photography remains a popular form of expression.

“It was great to have Ralph speak so candidly to prospective students about the world of photography and how our programs here at NYFA teach you in an immersive and practical environment — as oppose to the traditional, sit, listen and watch approach,” said NYFA Photography Enrollment Advisor, Evan Leone.

Jacobs, who spoke one-on-one with prospective veteran students, emphasized his belief that military men and women are the most competent and hard-working individuals in society, and that hiring a veteran is not an act of charity, as many feel, but a benefit to the employer. Jacobs was able to provide each student with his own first-hand experience of transitioning from the military to a career in the media. This was Jacobs’ third NYFA campus visit, as he previously spoke at NYFA’s Los Angeles and New York City locations.

Next on the Open House tour for Gibson are Los Angeles and New York City. Gibson will be conducting his special “Natural Light Portraits” Workshop at NYFA Los Angeles on June 20th from 1:00pm-2:30pm. Following that will be a New York Open House on July 11th at NYFA Battery Park, located at 17 Battery Place in Manhattan, from 12:00pm – 2:00pm.

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New York Film Academy students worked with survivors of homelessness to present a spoken word and musical performance at the NYFA Theater at the Los Angeles campus in May. Urban Possibilities is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring the homeless and working poor. Urban Possibilities’ alumni performed spoken word pieces about their lives developed during one of UP’s writing workshops. NYFA Acting students Fernando Sambora and Roman Arnaize performed a musical interlude for the full house of enthusiastic NYFA students and faculty.

The next day, NYFA screenwriting, filmmaking, and documentary students participated in a unique daylong workshop facilitated by Urban Possibilities. NYFA students were paired with Urban Possibilities students to interview one another and share their personal stories. After an hour of heart-to-heart conversation, each person was asked to write a profile of the person they’d been speaking to. Touching, surprising and sometimes extraordinary bonds between the pairs were revealed. One NYFA student called it “an unforgettable day of learning and feeling and writing a truly original piece.” Another said, “I loved it. It was enlightening, inspirational, transformational and eye-opening.”

Eyvette Jones Johnson, Founder and CEO of Urban Possibilities said, “When we exchange our stories, bonds are created and biases begin to melt away no matter what our zip codes may be. That’s important in a world often violently divided by race and class — one that our students navigate daily.”

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Directing commercials can not only be a creative and rewarding career, it can also propel directors into the world of feature directing. Just have a look at David Fincher or Michel Gondry’s early career in the film business.

One of our 8-Week Filmmaking graduates, Francisco Miranda, directed a commercial in his hometown of Portugal, which recently won the grand prize in the prestigious “Galp Create” publicity contest. The video is a 30 second spot for Tangerina.

“I attribute a huge part of this success to the New York Film Academy,” said Miranda. “Back in the school, I gained a lot of knowledge in the classes that I was part of. The movies that I made at NYFA with my colleges were very important to improve my craft and become a director.”

Have a look at Miranda’s award-winning spot below!

Galp Tangerina from Francisco Miranda on Vimeo.

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Already with a successful novel under his belt, American-based Jamaican novelist, Roger Williams, came to the New York Film Academy to expand his creative writing abilities in the field of screenwriting. Williams’ book, Turn Back Blow, made him the first Jamaican author to advocate animal rights and bring awareness to animal cruelty. The novel was inspired by a real-life event where a dog was being used as bait to lure a crocodile in a Jamaican community. Since releasing the book, its become a part of the catalogue at Yale, Princeton and England’s Oxford University.

Now, with his sights set on the film world, Williams is working on two screenplays that he began developing at NYFA. His first full-length screenplay is an action/drama called Murder For Sale, which he intends to shop to Jamaican producers.

“The experience with NYFA was great,” said Williams. “I learned so much — things that I wouldn’t have learned from a book about screenplays. The knowledge from NYFA will be very valuable when it’s time for me to adapt my book into a screenplay.”

In addition to his writing, Williams took an acting course at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. While there he wrote and acted in a short film called Redemption Irony. From there, he took his hand at directing while at a course at NYFA New York. His short was entitled Shutdown, and was well received, especially by women.

“I never dreamed of working behind the camera, and working on Shutdown was a tremendous experience. The short has been receiving great feedback from women on Facebook and YouTube, because they can all relate to what is taking place in the scene.”

On the whole, Williams hopes to not only entertain his audience with his work, but to educate them in the same way he did with his novel, Turn Back Blow. We look forward to seeing his adaptation, as well as his original material in the near future.

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The New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism program attracts students from across the United States and around the world. NYFA grad Andras Takacs is returning to New York in early July for a film festival screening of his video On The Spot: Gaza – Chronicles of a Conflict.

Andras, who comes from Budapest, tells me that he took the skills he learned at NYFA and used them to build a powerful first-person video series. He, along with collaborator and On The Spot co-founder Eszter Cseke, has traveled far from his native Hungary. (Currently the two are shooting in Thailand.)

At NYFA, we train multimedia journalists. Being able to “do it all” makes our grads valuable contributors at American networks like CBS and NBC, as well as Agence France-Presse, TRT (Turkey), Ten Network (Australia) and Glitz (Brazil). It also gives them the skills necessary to embark upon bold, independent productions.

The On The Spot series has won numerous awards, including one at the Monte Carlo Television Festival. On The Spot: Gaza – Chronicles of a Conflict will be shown as part of the Rooftop Film series in Brooklyn on Friday, July 2. (Isn’t everything in Brooklyn, these days?)

Tickets are available online and at the door. Both Andras Takacs and Eszter Cseke will be at the screening, as will I and several current NYFA students.

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A young Adam Nimoy with his iconic father, Leonard Nimoy (AKA Spock).

In memory of Leonard Nimoy, his son Adam Nimoy, will be dedicating his next production For the Love of Spock to his father. Adam, who is an acting and directing faculty member of New York Film Academy in LA, will continue the work on the documentary he started with his father (who sadly passed early this year). Although it will not be considered a “Spockumentary”, it will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek (first aired September 8, 1966).

According to Variety, William Shatner, who played Enterprise captain James T. Kirk, had agreed to appear in the doc.

The new Star Trek’s Spock, Zachart Quinto, is expected to narrate the film.

You can support Adam Nimoy’s documentary by visiting the Kickstarter campaign below.

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As a nationally accredited and degree granting college, the New York Film Academy has been privileged over the last few years to enroll hundreds of veteran students at our campuses in both New York City and Los Angeles. To further give back to our veteran and military community, the New York Film Academy in Battery Park held an event exclusive for veterans from the Wounded Warrior Project.

The mission of Wounded Warrior Project is to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured servicemembers, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.

The daylong event began with a speech from Colonel Jack Jacobs, NYFA’s Chair of the NYFA Veterans Advancement Program. Jacobs has served as a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division, executive officer of an infantry battalion in the 7th Infantry Division, and commanded the 4th Battalion 10th Infantry in Panama. A member of the faculty of the US Military Academy, Jacobs taught international relations and comparative politics for three years, and he was a member of the faculty of the National War College in Washington, DC. He was in Vietnam twice, both times as an advisor to Vietnamese infantry battalions, and he is among the most highly decorated soldiers from that era, having earned three Bronze Stars, two Silver Stars and the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest combat decoration.

Jacobs spoke in depth about the importance of veterans in Media and Film, and joined the Warriors for lunch after his inspirational speech. After that, the Warriors were given two truly hands-on workshops in both filmmaking and acting for film.

“It was an honor and privilege doing this event for the Wounded Warrior Project,” said Director of Performing Arts Enrollment, Roger Del Pozo. “They did a fantastic job in the workshop, and they were very inspiring — it was an amazing experience.”

An award-winning Top Military Friendly School, the New York Film Academy is dedicated to helping veterans achieve their educational and career goals. Many of NYFA programs are approved for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the New York Film Academy proudly participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

For more information about NYFA’s Veterans Benefits, Resources and Alumni, please visit https://www.nyfa.edu/veterans/

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NYFA President Michael Young congratulates Robert Gregson

The New York Film Academy is proud to be a Supporting Sponsor at the 18^th Brooklyn Film Festival. This year, the festival received 2,331 films coming from 114 countries and selected 109 film premieres coming from 26 countries.

“Our film competition has been incredibly successful,” said Brooklyn Film Festival Director, Marco Ursino. “The great thing is that our audience, professionals or not, truly enjoyed all of the films.”

As part of our sponsorship, NYFA’s President Michael Young was on hand to present a tuition scholarship to the Best New Director Award-Winner, Robert Gregson, for his film The Refrigerator. The Brooklyn-based filmmakers’s film focuses on the lives of Howie and Mark, two broke friends who happen to find a refrigerator on the street. Inside the fridge, they discover the way to another dimension. Greed, drunkenness and hilarity ensue.

We’d like to congratulate Mr. Gregson, as well as the other winners and competitors in the festival. Mr. Gregson’s scholarship entitles him to attend an 8-Week Workshop to one of our many locations around the world. For a full list of this year’s winners, visit the Brooklyn Film Festival’s official website at http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/winners/.

We look forward to supporting next year’s Brooklyn Film Festival!

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Miss Teen USA K. Lee Graham

On Friday, June 12, New York Film Academy hosted a shoot for the Miss USA pageant, which is set to be telecast during the 64th Miss USA pageant at the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Our on-camera talent for the spot was former Acting for Film student and Miss Teen USA 2014, K. Lee Graham from South Carolina.

After the shoot, Graham had some time to reminisce with former classmates in her old classrooms.

“NYFA taught me so much in the time that I was there,” said Miss Graham. “I made great relationships with my teachers and classmates, and learned more about myself than I ever expected to. It was great to be reunited with my class. I can’t wait to see all of the success that is sure to follow my fellow actors! Thank you NYFA for an unforgettable and invaluable experience!”

NYFA has been the school of choice for numerous Miss Universe and Miss USA winners in the past, including Olivia Culpo, who has since been seen as a co-host on Extra with Maria Menounos. Additionally, Acting for Film graduate, and former Miss USA Crystle Stewart plays the role of Leslie on Tyler Perry’s television show, For Better for Worse.

Be sure to tune into the Miss USA pageant on NBC on Sunday, July 12th.

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Students from the New York Film Academy Los Angeles campus Photography BFA and One-Year Programs spent a week on the Big Island of Hawaii, engaged in a variety of tours and activities.

Monday, the students met with Chef Allen, who owns HUGGOS restaurant. Chef Allen was kind enough to let the students shoot in his restaurant from 10:00am until 2:00pm, where they shot models (from Premiere Modeling Agency) in the restaurant. The restaurant is on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The rest of the day was spent organizing the week.

Tuesday was the Circle Island/Volcano Excursion. The all day tour took them to the island’s most popular sight seeing locations. They visited Kilauea Volcano, Hilo Town (the floral center of the islands), a stop at Akatsuka Nursery and Big Island Candies (known for its chocolates). From there, the photography students went to Rainbow Falls and past sugar cane fields to Parker Ranch, which takes up approximately 250,000 acres of the island. Parker Ranch is also one of the nation’s largest cattle ranches.

Wednesday the students met and worked with the Focus Model & Talent Agency. They sent a toddler, teenager and an adult. Everyone met on the beach, and the challenge for the students was a location they had never seen before with outdoor conditions and a time restrain. While on the beach, the locals were friendly and gave out excellent advice on where to eat and shop!

On Thursday, they participated in a tour that began at Kona, along the beautiful coast of Hawaii, wandered through ancient lava fields, and ended at Mauna Kea Summit — over 13,000 feet altitude and has 13 telescopes from over 11 countries. High above the cloud cover, students photographed the stunning views at sunset, then traveled down to the Mauna Kea Visitors Information Station for a Star Gazing party, learning about the night sky and constellations while being treated to home made brownies and hot chocolate.

Friday was spent going to Kole Kole beach, where a fresh water river meets a saltwater ocean. Although the water is clear and there are rocks on the bottom, they all joined in swinging off the rope from the cliff and into the water.

Students treked to Waipio Valley, childhood home of King Kamehameha, where they hiked down the lush valley with local birds and bugs (and no cell phone service) to Hillawe Falls. When hiking back up, a tropical rain soaked them all!

Saturday, there was a modeling agency workshop with the Focus Modeling Agency owner, Swan. The “new face” models were there to meet Peter Baratti, Hollywood guest photographer, and the students were invited to join and shoot with him.

Saturday night they all went back to the hotel to enjoy the local poke (fish salad) and get ready to head home.

All in all, the photography students first one-week exotic trip was a huge success! We look forward to providing the same experience to our next group of students.

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Lassana Bathily

A hero is often born in moments of selflessness and quick-thinking in situations that require immediate action. Earlier this year in Paris, Malian-born Lassana Bathily was simply working at a stockroom in a kosher grocery store—a typical day for the young man—when two gunman burst into the store and opened fire, killing four people. Without regard for his own life, Mr. Bathily swiftly hid fifteen customers in the basement of the market, eventually sneaking them out through a back exit to freedom. Mr. Bathily’s heroic act saved those fifteen lives from inevitable doom. It’s likely that without his help, there would have been a massacre at the kosher market.

What we didn’t know was how Mr. Bathily was temporarily arrested by police immediately after freeing the fifteen hostages. Due to the confusion and chaos around the market, the Paris police had to be very cautious. Fortunately, after surveying the situation, Mr. Bathily was released after an hour and a half, having realized he was not a criminal but rather a hero.

After reading the story of this courageous young man, New York Film Academy’s founder Jerry Sherlock made a personal commitment to locate Mr. Bathily and provide him with a generous donation as well as offer him a scholarship to NYFA’s Paris Workshops.

Lassana Bathily with NYFA VP of Strategic Initiatives, Jim Miller

Earlier this month, we had the privilege of meeting Mr. Bathily at NYFA’s Battery Park campus. Mr. Bathily humbly spoke of his heroic actions on that tragic day in Paris, as well as his hopes for the future. Having received many accolades and generous donations, Mr. Bathily hopes to use his newfound “fame” to better his small hometown in Mali. While the overall attacks in Paris were devastating, it’s touching to know there can be some positives to come out this tragedy.

We wish Mr. Bathily the best of luck with his future, and hope to someday see him at our location in Paris.

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At a gala sponsored by the San Angelo Library, former New York Film Academy student Cody Broadway, director of the film She Rides Bulls, pulled back the curtains on his new dramatic short film, to a crowd of over 200 well wishers, crew members and public. The film was produced in and around San Angelo with a cast and crew from all over Texas, including seasoned professionals and amateurs all drawn to the project by its unique, thrilling story and the dynamic will power of its director.

The project began back in 2008, when the writer, Greg Mcgee, was a commercial producer at a San Angelo TV station (not coincidentally, where he met Cody Broadway).

“I had always been a fan of the rodeo — especially the bull riding competitions,” said Mr. McGee. “I’d been looking for a script idea to sink my teeth into, and for some crazy reason I came up with the idea of a girl going toe to toe against all those macho cowboys in the PBRA. It was just outlandish enough…but not something I figured any sane woman would actually DO anytime soon. I sat down one Friday night and started writing. The words were leaping on to the page. I knew I was onto something, because the script was virtually writing itself.”

The first person Greg showed it to was Cody. Greg was something of a mentor to Cody at the time, as this was Cody’s first industry job, and it was a “late career” job for Greg. “When I read the script, I literally BEGGED Greg to let me direct it,” said Cody. “It was such a great story. As a country boy from San Angelo, the rodeo setting and the strong family values in the story had a strong impact on me. It was something I knew I could do better than anybody else in the world, if I was given the chance.”

“I couldn’t pass up commitment like that,” said Greg. “Of course I promised him he could direct it, with one caveat. He’d have to raise the money to get it done, because I was a writer, not a producer.” It took a few years, but Cody never forgot that promise, and never forgot the script She Rides Bulls. Flash forward to 2015. Cody was a producer at the CBS affiliate in San Antonio with all his ducks in a row to make a short promotional film for She Rides Bulls. He called in favors from cameramen and lighting professionals, make up artists, designers and props people. Everybody in San Angelo wanted go get involved, so before you knew it, Cody had a herd of bulls, some stunt cowboys and wranglers, horses, locations — everything fell into place perfectly.

“I have a fantastic amount of support from my friends and family. It was sort of like a snowball effect. First, they read the script. Then, they saw my determination in my eyes. And then, they were on board.”

The film was shot over a long weekend in and around San Angelo, Texas. Working from a 20-page script provided by Greg McGee, based on the original screenplay, Cody used up to 4 simultaneous cameras to capture all the bull riding sequences. “We had some really talented riders from the local rodeo circuit. They were willing to do just about anything to get the shots we needed. It was really exciting to work with these guys,” said Broadway.

Mr. Shawn Berryhill, who raises bulls and runs a bull riding school in San Angelo, furnished the bulls. “These weren’t amateur bulls,” says Mr. Berryhill. “They’re the same bulls I supply to rodeos all over Texas. They’re professionals, with over 100 years of breeding for one thing: to hate having a man on their back.

The star of the movie is Melina Lyon, playing the role of Darlene, our bull riding diva. Melina is an accomplished horsewomen as well as a talented actress, but she’d never ridden a bull before. “This was a great role for me. Working with Cody and Michael (Lukaszewskyj, the Director of Photography) and the rest of the crew was an awesome experience. But, in real life, I think I’m going to stick to riding horses. Bulls are just too freakin’ crazy!”

Cody was not only the director and the producer; he was also the movie’s editor. In less than 30 days, Cody had it finished and ready for the big screen. “We shot most of it on 4K video, which is a huge frame,” says Cody. “It gave me a lot of options in the editing room, such as cropping in on various parts of the picture to get the composition just right, and not sacrificing image quality. There was a lot of footage from multiple cameras, so it was a complicated editing job. It helped a lot to be the guy who shot it as well. I didn’t have to waste time figuring out where all the shots were. I already knew.”

After a very successful first screening in San Angelo and San Antonio, Cody has entered the short movie in numerous festivals in the U.S. and Europe. “We’re hot on the trail of funding for the full feature film. There’s a lot of interest. I can’t say any more or I’d have to lock you in the stall with my favorite bull. Just kidding.”

Announcements are forthcoming about major talent being attached to the project!

She Rides Bulls Trailer #1 from MUSE studio + gallery on Vimeo.

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Luisa Parnes being interviewed by GloboTV

One of our former students from Brazil, Luisa Parnes, who currently teaches screenwriting at New York Film Academy in New York, was hand picked to be highlighted on Brazil’s largest television network, TV Globo International. The satellite channel is the largest television network in Brazil and 3rd in the world, reaching over 2 million viewers across the world in 115 countries. The show, Planeta Brazil, features successful Brazilians living abroad.

“When GloboTV reached with the hopes of doing a story on me, I was terrified,” recalled Parnes. “I hate being on camera! It was all very last minute, they called me one day and we shot the next, which was better since I didn’t have too much time to fret over what could go wrong. In the end, I worried for nothing. The reporter and camera were real professional, and NYFA provided a lovely studio in which we could tape the interview. The whole experience was easy and relaxed!”

In addition to her teaching at the New York Film Academy, Parnes recently published an e-book in Portuguese called Pensando Alto, which roughly translates to “thinking out loud.”

We look forward to seeing Luisa on GloboTV this summer!

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