Continuing in southern hemisphere, Vanessa Lorenzini is now working as a reporter at TV Cultura in Brazil. Headquartered in Sao Paulo, the network specializes in educational and cultural programming, but also has sports and entertainment offerings as well. One of my favorite stories from when Vanessa was a NYFA student is a charming report on how to take care of the family dog during a cold New York City winter. (Little kids and animals, you can’t go wrong…) A portion of that story is included in her 2015 Resume Reel.

Finally, Broadcast Journalism alum Myla Kucherezhko was so inspired by what she learned at NYFA that she made a total career change. She left the world of high finance and is now focusing entirely on being a multimedia journalist. One of her recent projects is a profile of Swedish fashion icon Gudrun Sjoden. (You can see the story on aol.)

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Graduating MFA, AFA and BFA New York Film Academy Screenwriting students recently attended their culminating Industry Pitch Fest Event, held at the penthouse ballroom of the Andaz Hotel up on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The event was live-Snapchatted by Spring 16 MFA screenwriting student Lindsey Hall. NYFA can be followed on SnapChat at NYFilmAcademy.

A catered event and mingling opportunity for the students, executives, and faculty alike, this capstone evening celebrated the New York Film Academy’s graduating Screenwriting students, offering them a professional outlet to jumpstart their careers by pitching their film and TV thesis projects to industry executives.

These writing students spent their final semester in their Business of Screenwriting classes working with Business of Screenwriting Instructors David O’Leary, Ashley Bank, and Doc Pedrolie, in conjunction with Faculty Chair Nunzio DeFilippis and Associate Chair Adam Finer, preparing and fine-tuning their pitches.

They shined on this pinnacle evening, leaving with new professional contacts and a wave of interest in the scripts they’d worked so hard on all year.

Considered by the school to be their first night as professional screenwriters, this group of bright students brought their A-game, as they pitched agents, managers, studio, and TV and film production company execs in a relaxed, round-table environment.

Organized and hosted by David O’Leary, the event featured representatives from 25 Hollywood companies, including —

AAO Entertainment, Blumhouse, Blumhouse Tilt, Canny Lads Productions, Dino De Laurentiis, Elevate Entertainment, Imagination 9, Ineffable Pictures, International Film Trust, Intrigue Entertainment, Left Field Pictures, Link Entertainment, Macro Management, Madhouse Entertainment, Manifest Talent, NBC Universal Digital, Nightshade Entertainment, No Bull Script, Okay Goodnight, Orchard Farm Productions, Primary Wave Entertainment, Quadrant Pictures, STX Entertainment, This is Just a Test Productions, and Universal Pictures International.

NYFA wishes to thank all of its participants, particularly our industry guests, without whom this evening could not have been possible. Also, we’d like to extend a big congratulations to all of our MFA, AFA, and BFA graduates!

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With experience covering the Syrian War and training at the Documentary School at the New York Film Academy, director Ida Theresa Myklebost takes us up-close and personal into a makeshift refugee camp in Greece where a young boy, Menwar, and his family face the biggest decision of their lives. “Unwelcome” captures his emotional journey and his flight from the devastating conditions in Syria. His story will turn everything you thought you knew about the Syrian refugee crisis on its head. And now, the film will have its North American Premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 27, 2017 at 6pm.

“In times when people become overwhelmed with negative media and fear for potential terrorist attacks, it is important to remember who the actual vast majority of these refugees are, and who really gets their lives destroyed by the terror organizations,” says Myklebost. “The children of Syria have had their lives turned completely upside down. These are the real victims of ISIS and the other terrorist organizations. They are the ones who are being pulled into this war completely against their will, and who have no power to escape.”

Myklebost is a Norwegian journalist, with background from some of the country’s largest TV-stations. She wanted to go deeper and explore the human stories behind the state news. In 2015 she moved to New York to pursue documentary filmmaking at New York Film Academy.

“Although I have a lot of experience in the media world and have worked under high pressure situations covering among others the Syrian war, the knowledge and training I got from NYFA was indispensable,” said Myklebost. “Mainly, I learned to organize on a larger scale, planning a three continental shoot.”

She traveled directly from New York to India to shoot a film that had to be coordinated with her later shoot in Greece. Once in Athens, she led a team, keeping a cool and organized head under high pressure.

Myklebost listed some of the complications, saying, “The police tried to take our passports away, the camp got cleared, we met a few threatening characters who didn’t like us filming, human smugglers and frustrated people talking about ISIS, planning a budget, dealing with many people in chaotic and sometimes dangerous situations, and planning a film while in the field.”

I am really content with how I went over all the shots every night, and saw what we had and didn’t have,” said Myklebost. “I thought out what stories we might be onto and made detailed storyboards, so when I got back to New York, there were no surprises and I could just stitch the film together. These are the skills NYFA taught me. I’ve always been a go-getter, and a hard worker, but NYFA pushed me further. They took the skills I already had and offered me an opportunity to see how far I could go with this. They became a platform where I could bounce my ideas, discuss solutions, learn from the professionals and their experiences; and thus enter the field that much more prepared. The true lesson I take away from NYFA is to finally understand the value and importance of good and thorough pre-production. If you know what you want and how to get it (and how to get it if the first plan doesn’t work, or the second or the third), then the process of making movies in the field, and on the run, becomes that much more enjoyable. It’s hard work, but it feels like play if you’re well prepared.”

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New York Film Academy Hour on Popcorn Talk recently featured New York Film Academy Los Angeles Chair of Acting for Film Lynda Goodfriend, who shared her experience working on the iconic American Television Show “Happy Days,” as well as making the shift from actress to talent manager, and what inspired her to teach.

One of the best stories Goodfriend shared was how she helped Robin Williams get his start in the industry. Williams and Goodfriend were in an improv class together. “He was either great or he was terrible,” Goodfriend said of watching an early and unpolished Williams leave it all on the stage. His talent was apparent but he never stayed on script, a large faux pas in television, where the writer is king.

Goodfriend saw an opportunity to help the struggling actor when “Happy Days” was having trouble casting a new frazzled alien character, Mork. “We were shooting the scene on Friday. It was Wednesday and we still hadn’t cast the role.” She told the producers about Williams and his wild and hysterical performances.

“He came in for the audition. He didn’t stay on book but what he brought to the performance was even better than what was on the page. He was booked immediately.” The role led to a spin-off series that launched Williams into superstardom, and the rest is history.

To watch the NYFA Hour tune into Popcorn Talk on YouTube every Thursday at 4:00 PM PT. You can catch up on previous episodes with amazing guests like film critic Peter Rainer, who discussed the legacy of Marlon Brando.

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Queensland, Australia, home of the New York Film Academy Australia Gold Coast, continues to cultivate film production and acting jobs, with last year being its best year attracting production expenditure of more than $200 million. “Aquaman” is currently being filmed in south-east Queensland and the location also hosted the international and domestic productions of “Pirates of the Caribbean 5,” “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Pacific Rim 2.” The most recent announcement of Netflix’s newest Australian series, “Tidelands,” adds to the list of yet another major production in the region.

“Tidelands will be the very first Netflix Original Series to be commissioned and made completely in Australia, with all filming to take place in south-east Queensland,” said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“Tidelands,” which is expected to create eighty jobs for Queensland acting talent and crew, was written and developed through Brisbane-based production house Hoodlum.” Set in the fictional Australian sea-side town of Orphelin Bay where the residents harbor deep secrets and nothing is as it seems, the series plays out with a supernatural undercurrent. Production will begin in early 2018.

“Screen Queensland is committed to investing in innovative projects with international appeal and ‘Tidelands’ will deliver great opportunities for Queensland. The series will film ten 50-minute episodes in Queensland for its first season,” said Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira.

NYFA Australia Gold Coast students filming on set

“High-profile filmmakers now consider the Gold Coast as a world-class destination with excellent filming options and multi-skilled crew,” said NYFA Australia Gold Coast Director Tasha Cooper. “I don’t even bat an eyelid these days with the amount of blockbusters filming in our very own backyard. It’s become very much like living in Hollywood. It’s great for the local industry. ”

NYFA Australia maintains exclusive premises, located at Village Roadshow Studios. NYFA Australia alumnus Damian Lang has worked on both “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Aquaman,” both of which were filmed in the Gold Coast. Between his on-set experience and filmmaking background, Lang is currently working on an idea for his first feature film.

“It makes us proud and acknowledges what we’ve always known — our unique learning style offers students incredible training that set them up for life — whether on small scale productions or massive blockbusters,” said Cooper.

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On Friday, May 12 five students from the New York Film Academy showcased their short films at the Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival. Held at the beautiful Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Hollywood, select filmmakers were paired with composers to create an original score. The scores were performed live as the films were projected on a screen above the players.

The following students represented the New York Film Academy:

• Naimah Hawsah, “Bicycle”
• Nani Li Yang, “The Most Beautiful Woman” 
• Jessica Chung, “Sushi Man” 
• Tiffany Paulsen, “The Swan”
• Zesheng Gao, “Trio”

The New York Film Academy is especially pleased and proud of this collaboration with the Festival, as Tiffany Paulsen’s “The Swan” won the Audience Award for Best Film, and Jessica Chung’s “Sushi Man” won the Audience Award for Best Score.

Hawsah said, “I felt like I was inside the film,” while watching her movie “Bicycle.” Happy with the reception Hawsah said she plans to submit to many more festivals as she hopes her story of a shy young boy will influence children across the globe.

Myriam Frankel, Head of Festival Department at the Los Angeles Campus, created the partnership with the Live Score Film Festival in hopes of elevating the film projects being created by students. NYFA offers degrees in nearly every aspect of filmmaking, but music composition has to be sought outside of the school. Frankel hopes that by building solid bridges with composing communities like fellow sponsors Helix Collective, Megatrax, and the Academy of Scoring Arts students will encourage students to seek original, high quality and customized music scores for their films, as well as facilitate opportunities for fruitful collaboration with composers.

One of the students in attendance, Furaha Bayibsa, described the experience as, “Incredible.” She was particularly taken with a cellist player who received a standing ovation when introduced at the end of the show. “She played with such passion. At one point it looked as if she was going to cry. It was wonderful.”

The New York Film Academy would like to thank the composers: Jane Lin, Benjamin Hoff, Annie Rosevear, Bronson Buskett, and Wei-San Hsu for creating beautiful and lasting scores for our students. Congratulations to all of our participants on an amazing showcase.

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On Monday, May 8^th New York Film Academy students from the Documentary, Game Design, and Filmmaking gathered to do a one-on-one meet and greet with composers from the Academy of Scoring Arts and the Los Angeles College of Music.

Students went round robin style as they interviewed with the twenty different composers. They described their projects, what they hoped the music would achieve, listened to samples, and spoke about the best way to connect and communicate with composers when working on a project.

Head of Documentary and organizer of the meet and greet, Barbara Multer-Wellin, was excited to have students explore original music for their projects. “A good score can change the way an audience feels about what their viewing,” she said. “A great score can make a picture. Cultivating these relationships early is vital for our students.”

One student, Juanita Alvarez described the experience as one her favorite opportunities at NYFA. “The only thing I can’t get at NYFA is a film score,” said Alvarez. “Originally, I had placed fair use music I found online over the film. But after meeting not one, but four great composers tonight and hearing what they could do for my project, I’ll be making room in my budget for an original score.”

The New York Film Academy would like to thank the composers who took the time to speak with our students.

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“There’s no relationship between New York now and in the 70s,” said New York Film Academy’s recent guest speaker, filmmaker Amos Poe. This became apparent for incoming New York Film Academy students who were fascinated by Celine Danhier’s documentary “Blank City,” which captured New York’s indie filmmakers of the 70s, who were inspired by the burgeoning underground art and music scene.

The era included this cross-pollination of art, music and film. Filmmakers with hardly enough money to pay their Con-Ed bills would hit the streets to shoot guerrilla-style movies while unknowingly influencing the highly regarded No Wave movement. Danhier’s film examines the events that led to No Wave’s creation, in which the city itself, which was in decay at the time, plays a significant role. Danhier, who came to New York from Paris, interviews such filmmakers and artists as Jim Jarmusch, John Waters, Amos Poe, Thurston Moore, Debbie Harry and Lydia Lunch.

“I didn’t know how to make movies but I had a camera,” said Poe. “I thought: I’m never going to make a movie that anyone is going to see, so why not make a film movement.”

Danhier, who spoke to NYFA instructor Ben Maraniss and students after the screening, became interested in the lawless and desolate city streets of New York’s No Wave movement after seeing Poe’s “The Blank Generation” and Edo Bergoglio’s “Downtown 81.” In the spring of 2007, after meeting with producers, she began shooting her first movie, a documentary on the films associated with the No Wave movement and the city that set the backdrop.

“I was charmed by her and her interest in our work,” said Poe. “Celine was dealing with a lot of difficult people and she stuck with it — even though it took four years.”

Celine’s documentary screened at both the Tribeca Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival, where she eventually found a distributor.  

Poe and Danhier are now working on their own project, which deals with their admiration for French New Wave cinema.

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As the New York Film Academy enters its second year of Community Outreach partnership with the Bill Duke Media Foundation, we would like to congratulate all of the graduates of this program. In attendance were Mr. Duke, himself, Chair of Community Outreach Mason Richards, and Dean of Students Kelly Gardner. Karen A. Clark, Senior Vice-President of City National Bank and the Finance Literacy Instructor of Duke Youth Media gave special remarks.

Students within the program wrote, directed and held various positions of three to four-minute silent films which they developed for NYFA and shot on the Universal backlot. Students tackled issues facing teens and young adults including first love, tested friendships, bullies, and confidence issues.

During the ceremony the students “Who Am I?” projects were screened. The projects were done in conjecture with the Community Outreach film camp. The goal of the exercise was to get the students to be more comfortable with telling their own stories. Each participant was given a mini camera and instruction to record their life at home, school, and their communities.

Mr. Duke, Founder, President, and CEO of the Duke Media Foundation was the keynote speaker for the evening. He interviewed Eric Dean Seaton on stage. Seaton is a two-time NAACP Image Award nominated episodic director. He’s worked on numerous hit shows such as CBS “Life in Pieces,” ABC’s “Dr. Ken,” Netflix’s “Fuller House,” NBC’s “Marlon” and “Undateable,” Nickelodeon’s “School of Rock” and “The Thundermans.” Seaton is also the creator of the critically-acclaimed “Legend of the Mantamaji” graphic novel series, the upcoming “Legend of the Mantamaji: Bloodlines” series and director of the award-winning “Legend of the Mantamaji”: Live Action Short.

“We’re so proud of all the graduates of this Bill Duke Outreach cohort,” Richards said of his students. “The program just doesn’t focus on filmmaking, but on all the essential skills that are important to successful filmmaking; skills like collaboration, communication and of course a strong sense of storytelling. We are pleased with this community outreach partnership with the Bill Duke Media camp, and look forward to our next cohort of students.”

The New York Film Academy would like to thank the instructors who made this a standout experience for all those involved. Thank you, Matt Kohnen, Jason Ornelas, Leander Sales, and Mr. Richards.

If you’re interested in more information on the Bill Duke Media Foundation click here.

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“Christmas Eve,” a film made in collaboration with the New York Film Academy’s Industry Lab, had its debut screening at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus. The red carpet was rolled out for Director Richard Freidman and the cast of the film including Mary-Margaret Humes, Scott Bailey, Vince Lozano, Anthony Emerson, Aaron Parilo, Bethany Caroll, Sarah Castro, Mark Adair-Rios, Hailey Garibay, and Ashley Romans.

“Christmas Eve” is a dark comedy that takes place over the course of a day and follows a heap of interlinking characters. A botched robbery, a detective trying to reconnect with his mother, a down on his luck photographer, and a drug addicted mall Santa.

Not only was this “Christmas Eve’s” debut, but also a special ending was cut together that turned out to be a huge surprise for the actors. Friedman wanted to end the film on a more upbeat note than originally planned. Using clever editing techniques he re-worked the ending but didn’t tell anyone in the cast.

“Watching their reactions was one of my favorite parts of the evening,” Friedman said.

Every crewmember in attendance took to the stage to answer some questions from the students. One student wanted to know about the rehearsal process. Freidman explained that a tight budget did not allow for a rehearsal schedule. In fact, the film, which originally had a twelve-day shooting schedule, was filmed over ten days. Friedman credited the actors with the fast turn around stating, “I’m telling you the key is to get actors you can rely on. These guys all brought it. We never did more than two takes.”

The New York Film Academy would like to thank Richard Freidman and the amazing cast of “Christmas Eve.” To learn more about the film, click here.

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Cineaste

Growing up in a working class family in London, New York Film Academy Los Angeles Cinematography Chair Tony Richmond recently discussed his long-standing career as well as the new 4k digital restoration of “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” with Cineaste, a leading magazine on the art and politics of cinema.

Beginning with his first gig as a news runner on London’s Wardour Street, Richmond chronicles his rise in the business. Early in his career, Richmond had the extraordinary opportunity to work with Jean-Luc Godard on “One Plus One” (“Sympathy for the Devil”), followed by three groundbreaking films for Nicholas Roeg, including “Don’t Look Now,” “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” and “Bad Timing,” among many other films.

“The greatest thing about Godard, for me, and this has resonated throughout my career, is that, as he once said, movies have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order,” said Richmond about his work with Godard. “I think that’s fantastic…bloody fantastic!”

As to his work with director Nicholas Roeg, Richmond said, “The cinematographer’s job is to put the director’s vision on the screen and maybe enhance it. But Nic has a very strong vision for the movie. What I’ve always found is that as a cameraman, or as a cinematographer as we’re called, we want to learn from the director exactly how he wants his movie to look, feel, and smell. Some of them know what they want, but they can’t put those feelings into works, whereas Nic can.”

To date, Richmond has worked as a cinematographer on more than ninety films from all genres, including “Men of Honor,” “Candyman,” Legally Blonde,” “Dumb and Dumberer,” and recently completed “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,” with NYFA alumnus Jeremy Harris working as his personal assistant on the film.

Having worked on a variety of genres, Richmond says he has now reached a point in his career where he will only work with friends. He’s currently working on a movie a year while serving as the Chair of NYFA LA Cinematography.

“It’s wonderful watching these new kids coming up,” said Richmond in his interview with Cineaste.“

Richmond will be heading east to NYFA’s New York location for an exclusive Cinematography Master Class on June 16, 2017.

The post NYFA LA Chair Tony Richmond Interviewed by Cineaste appeared first on New York Film Academy Blog.

New York Film Academy instructor and NYFA Podcast Host Eric Conner was recently honored with the Burbank Leadership Award. The Mission of Leadership Burbank is to identify, educate, and motivate current and emerging leaders in Burbank to develop ideas and solutions that make Burbank a strong, sustainable and vibrant community.

Conner recently stepped down as Dean to spend more time with his growing family.

“I’ve raised my children and they don’t need as much of my constant attention,” Conner said. “This was something a little bit different. I wanted to serve the whole community not just a piece of it.”

As a citizen of Burbank, he began looking around and seeing an opportunities to connect more with the community. As VP of Education for the Temple Emanu El, he started building relationships with individual citizens. Conner chaired their platinum anniversary, which included esteemed guests U.S. Representative Adam Shiff, Senator Anthony Portantino, Former Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes, and Councilman Bob Frutos.

Leadership Burbank was, in essence, a class. I’ve taken classes once a month since September. The class was two-dozen people representing the police department, fire department, clergy, local school district, and Salvation Army.

“I think what they’re trying to do is cultivate the next batch of civil leaders. For me, since I grew up in Delaware, which is so small, it didn’t take much to get involved in things. Delaware has one governor and my mother was his treasurer. She helped raise money for a retirement board while still working a full-time job. My father was an aide to Biden when he was still a lawyer there.” Community Outreach runs in Conner’s blood.

Classes were held all over town including the Burbank airport and churches in order to introduce members to key organizations in Burbank. “There are so many elements of an airport that you don’t think about until you’re in there,” Conner stated. A few years ago there was an accident at the airport. A plane skidded off the runway and through a gate. “We studied what changes were made to make the airport safer. I really liked that class.”

Part of his leadership included building a Wellness Center for Burrow’s High School. “The Wellness Center is a place where high school students with mental health issues, gender identity issues, anxiety, or depression can congregate and seek help. The space is conducive to helping mental health victims through art therapy.”

The New York Film Academy donated Summer Camp experiences to both the Emanu El 75th Anniversary Celebration and the Gala to support the Wellness Center. Conner was touched at the gesture. “This is something I sought on my own. To have NYFA to two separate organizations was really cool. The school’s been doing a lot to connect to the community.”

Conner intends to use the lessons learned from this course to one day apply for a cabinet seat or chair a board in the near future. “Burbank has its foot in Mayberry. There are two VCR repair shops within walking distance of my house and they advertise themselves that way. Burbank Leadership is trying to push and expand Burbank. These are things I’ve started to think about after I became a homeowner here.”

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On Wednesday, May 17 graduating Producing students gathered in the grand Panorama Ballroom at the Andaz Hotel on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood for the New York Film Academy’s annual Pitch Fest. Veterans of the Hollywood film industry spread across the hall to hear what could be their next project. The extravagant evening was organized by Rich Thorne, Producing Department Faculty Chair and Heather Ritcheson, Producing Coordinator.

Each student was allowed three minutes to present their films to each professional volunteer. They could pitch one project with a teaser presentation or pitch two projects. Afterward, students had twenty minutes with their professional advisor for critique, advice, marketing advice, and possible partnership. Volunteers were asked to hold nothing back from the students. Only honest opinions and expertise were acceptable.

At the end of the night, there was serious interest in three projects from visiting producers. “For those who didn’t get interested in their projects they got the benefit of real-world advice and a lot of them said the difference between pitch fest with the faculty two semesters ago and this one with the professionals was immeasurable,” Richeson said.

When asked her thoughts on the evening, Volunteer April Wright, Programmer for Sundance and AFI Fest, Foundation Manager at Women in Film said, “I was impressed with the professionalism of the students and the caliber of their ideas.”

Marlon Schulman, Founder, and CEO of Horror Equity Fund, Producer and Attorney felt similar stating, “Thanks for the terrific education and prep the graduates clearly had experienced. It allowed us to hear pitches that were interesting, well-prepared and yet open to suggestion, perspective, and possible improvement. Great!”

The New York Film Academy would like to thank Michael Barlow, Kimberley Browning, Brian Herskowitz, John Morrissey, Diana Romero, Arnold Rudnick, Marlon Schulman, Rich Thorne, Russ Ward, and April Wright. We’d also like to congradulate all of our graduating producers including Amari Agee, Batool Hassan Alarfah, Mujahed Aljumaiaah, Larissa da Rosa Beck, Xiangrong Du, Thomas Freeman, Yizhen Hou, Ah Reum Jung, Jianhyue Lin, Junhao Ma, Zoe Pelloux, Nikita Sapronov, Yoselin Pamela Solorzano, Huidi Sun, Zhikun Yu, Jihan Zhang, Ziyi Zhao.

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photo by Pascal Lebegue
http://www.pascal-lebegue.com/

New York Film Academy recently collaborated with director and instructor Adam Nimoy, known both for his work as a director of prime-time television, and the success of his recent documentary “For the Love of Spock” about his father Leonard Nimoy and the iconic character he created.  Adam is currently working on “What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Deep Space Nine,” his second documentary about the Star Trek franchise that is currently in post-production.

In need of promotional photos for the film, Adam approached NYFA’s Photography department in Los Angeles about creating a series of stills. He proposed a shoot involving actress Terry Farrell, who starred in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” as the character of Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax. In the frame, she is surrounded by a group of Tribbles, the beloved furry creatures that multiply all too quickly, first featured in the iconic “Trials and Tribble-ations” episode from the original series.

NYFA instructor Pascal Lebegue, AFC stepped in to work with Nimoy on the project. Pascal is known for his high-end commercial work as both a photographer and cinematographer, recently photographing Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Garner for Neutrogena’s latest campaign. He was supported on the shoot by a select group of Photography students, including Fulbright scholars Monika Sedziute (MFA) and Lotta Lemetti (BFA), as well as Jeffrey Johnson and Tanne Udden (both Two-Year Certificate).

Pascal Lebegue
www.pascal-lebegue.com

The shoot took place in the brand new 3,000 square foot studio at Burbank Studios, where Photo students often meet for their lighting classes.  Along with help from department staff members Brendan Baker and Kristine Tomaro, the students assisted Pascal in creating an elegant soft light setup that would flatter both the star and her flock of Tribbles. Working side by side with Pascal, the students had the opportunity to execute a professional beauty lighting setup with high-profile talent.

Thanks to the hard work of all involved, the shoot was a success, yielding a variety of stylish images capturing Terry’s striking natural beauty amidst a sea of furry Tribbles. Pascal’s photographs elegantly combine the elements of star power and fantasy that have been the hallmark of the Star Trek franchise from the beginning.

The New York Film Academy wishes Adam, Terry and their team continued success as they work to complete this new documentary.

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Beginning her career in Los Angeles as a literary agent assistant at the William Morris Agency in 1982, Denise Meyers always felt the drive to pursue screenwriting as her main career in life.

“I thought that since I’d watched hundreds of movies growing up, I understood what went in to a good screenplay,” said Meyers in an interview with the Black List. “I wasn’t a terrible writer, but I wasn’t a great writer either.”

still from “The Dark of Night”

After 12 years of exhausting her contacts with her material and getting nowhere fast, Meyers moved onto a different career as a gourd artist, but, at the end of the day, her heart wasn’t in it as much as screenwriting.

“I set a goal for myself to learn how to write screenplays the way they are supposed to be written, with no expectation that I would ever get any farther in the film business than I had ever been before,” said Meyers. “I wanted to master the art form, in the same way I taught myself how to work with gourds.”

Meyers took advantage of an 8-Week Screenwriting scholarship at the New York Film Academy Los Angeles, where she hoped to truly master the craft.

“I won an eight-week screenwriting scholarship to NYFA a few years ago, and the experience was invaluable,” she said. “I use everything I learned at NYFA in every script I have written since then, and it has helped elevate my career beyond what it was before.”

Since attending NYFA, Meyers has won a number of screenwriting competitions, including a spot on the Athena List (with a script she wrote at NYFA), the Atlanta Film Festival, Table Read My Screenplay Austin, and several others.

From there, she wrote a short screenplay called “The Dark of Night,” which won the grand prize at Table Read My Screenplay Austin in 2015.

“Denise Carlson, an instructor at NYFA, told me about a short script writing contest she had plans to participate in called the NYC Midnight Short Screenwriting Contest,” Meyers recalls. “Twelve hundred people from across the globe signed up to participate, so there were groups of 40 people each who were given a genre, a character and a setting. My group received the following prompts; suspense, a diner, and an unemployed man or woman. We had eight days to write 12 pages, then, if we survived each heat, we were given a new genre, character and setting. I came up with the idea almost immediately, though God knows where it came from. The story is set in 1930. A woman on her way to Chicago for a job interview seeks refuge in the diner where she encounters a waitress, a drifter, and a cop, each with dark and dangerous secret.”

Meyers gave the script to Robin Wright’s assistant and, before she knew it, she was getting a call from Wright who wanted to direct the film, along with some of her cast members from “House of Cards.” In fact, 80 crew members from “House of Cards” signed on to work on the film including the director of photography, Dave Dunlap, and costume designer, Jessica Wenger. Boris Maldin, the producer of “House of Cards,” loaned his cameras and equipment.

Robin Wright with Denise Meyers

After that, Leslie Bibb, Sam Rockwell, Callie Thorne and Michael Godere signed on to act in the film for scale.

Meyer’s “The Dark of Night” recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The black and white film noir is about a woman seeking refuge from a storm who takes matters into her own hands when she encounters a drifter and a waitress at an isolated diner where everyone has a secret and nothing is what it seems.

Meyers says she just finished a one-hour pilot episode based on “The Dark of Night” that she is developing with TV producer Michelle Rubenstein. She also completed a new feature about Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney that she hopes to get in front of Brad Pitt, and is currently working on a World War II drama about a battle in the Pacific that only a handful of people know about. Finally, she’s working on a web series based on her experiences as an award-winning screenwriter who still fixes toilets for a living.

The post Robin Wright Directs NYFA Alumna’s “The Dark of Night,” Which Premiered at Cannes appeared first on New York Film Academy Blog.

Last week the New York Film Academy held its commencement and final film screening for the Summer 2016 Section A & B Filmmaking students. Students had the opportunity to work on eight films over the year, including a thesis film, which screened at the NYFA theater in Battery Park.

Following the reception, introductions were given by Senior Executive Vice President David Klein, Filmmaking Chair Claude Kerven, and Directing Instructors Brad Sample and Paul Warner.

“On behalf of all the staff and teachers at the New York Film Academy, we would like to offer our sincerest congratulations on your competition of this very difficult, very rewarding year. As instructors and administrators, we witness firsthand the effort you all collectively put in to create the astounding number of films required in this program,” said Kerven. “This isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. The fact that you are here today to screen these cuts of your thesis films is a testament to your hard work, your commitment, and your desire to excel in filmmaking.

Graduates of the program join a large international network of alumni who have gone on to much success in the industry.

The following films screened over a two day span at the Academy.

The post NYFA Filmmaking Summer 2016 Final Screenings and Graduation appeared first on New York Film Academy Blog.

Over the long weekend, the Los Angeles campus of the New York Film Academy saw two hundred students turn into graduates as they crossed the stage of the Harmony Gold Preview House to collect their degrees.

Three separate ceremonies were held to accommodate the large student body and their families. Mike Seville, Anne Moore, and Rich Thorne each presented an Address to the Graduates sending messages of pride and hope one last time to their students.

World-renowned talent came to NYFA to give the commencement speech to the graduates. The woman responsible for the “Murder House” finale of “American Horror Story,” Jessica Sharzer, gave one of the speeches. Sharzer won a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Screenplay for the episode entitled “Afterbirth.” Sharzer, a former NYFA student, spoke highly of her time with NYFA where she also taught at its Princeton, New York, and Paris locations. She encouraged students to have a value system in place. Know what’s working and what stakes are worth risking.

Joshua Bitton gave the first commencement speech of the day. A common thread throughout his speech was having the confidence to pursue one’s dream. Bitton is perhaps best known for his role as Sgt. J.P. Morgan in “The Pacific” on HBO, but many outside of the industry might be surprised to learn Bitton is also a sought after acting coach.

Bitton ended his speech by saying, “An MFA program is tough. I’ve been there. But it’s also an artist’s dream. You wake up and every day you create. You focus on furthering your expression. Out there it’s a business. You must learn how to play that game or get a team around you that can do it for you. But always remember what drew you to this — the desire to express yourself and create. It is brave and it is beautiful. It is you and you are enough.”

The final Commencement Speaker was Martha Coolidge. The pioneering director of “Valley Girl” and “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” shared her pioneering experience of breaking into the industry stating, “Although there was no working female directors in Hollywood or anywhere I could name in this country. I did have women in my classes and the world was changing. All of us filmmakers were very excited about that and felt it would be very quick. We’re still talking about what it’s like to be a woman director. So it wasn’t quite as quick as we’d hoped.”

The speed was slow but Coolidge was not content to conquer just the silver screen. She’s been dominating the television screen, as well as having directed stand out episodes of “Angie Tribeca,” “The Night Shift,” “Madam Secretary,” and “Sex and the City.” She advised students to strengthen their relationships, never be afraid to ask questions, and embrace competition. “You can’t just sit and wait. You have to be a self-starter or it will never happen.”

The New York Film Academy would like to congratulate all the graduates who crossed the stage over the weekend. As you enter the phase of your professional career we hope you come back to the place where it all began and that you share your knowledge with the next generation. Good luck in all your future endeavors.

Graduating Class of 2017

MFA in Acting

Areg Antonyan, Youn Hee Cho, Claire Xuewei Cui, Roberto Jadue, Zijing Ke, Yulia Konashevich, Kensiwe Mathebula, Paul McKenna Jr, Daniella Mendoza, Jonathan Neal, Anastasiya Serada, Alina Smolyar, Yifan Xu, Zheyu Zhang, Zandi Zim

BFA in Acting

Maria Fernandez Arras Salvoch, Christina Barron, Kiara Beltran, Kassie Bey, AnnaLuisa Capasa, Calvin Ripley Chelberg, Tiffany Alexis Clare, Daniel Colt, Kevin Dary, Chiara Sofia Ferarro Brenner, Atli Fjalarsson, Ximena García Gonzalez, Miranda Guzman, Kira Hagi, Alessandra Hajaj, Alston Huff, Pilar Irigoyen, Dominique Jeswal, Finoa Ketter, Alvin Lee, Kylar Miranda, Stefanie Morosini, Ella Mun-Gavin, Jonas Olsen, Masato Di Santo, Stephanie Quintero, Micaela Reis, Juan Felipe Restrepo Salamanca, Eric Ronn, Jose Francisco Saldaña, Bianca Schrader, Josephine Marie Siwko, Dulce Sosa, Jahnessa Vasquez, Justin Michael Vasquez, Victoria Watlington, Tyler Williams, Casey Wohlgemuth, Jazell Young, Damir Zharkimbekov,

AFA in Acting

Daniel Annerl, Mack Bates, Kate Bolshakova, Corinna Marianna Camero Gonzalez, Selma Cisneros, Camila Echeverri Duarte, Nicole Fahel, Kevin Flores, María José García, Lika Idrisova, Newton Benjamin Kitaura, Joao Pedro Lopes Paneguini, Damon McKinnis, Emily Morrison, Kyle Promisson, Cam Rafidison, Victoria Ribeiro, Nuria Roca, Marie Senghore, Qusay Sultan, Shantell Woods, Alissa Ylitalo,

MFA in Producing

Amari Agee, Batool Hassan Alarfah, Mujahed Aljumaiaah, Larissa de Rosa Beck, Xiangrong Du, Thomas Freeman, Yizhen Hou, Ah Reum Jung, Jiagyue Lin, Junhao Ma, Zoé Pelloux, Nikita Sapronov, Yoselin Solorzano, Huidi Sun, Sventlanova Natalia, Zhikun Yu, Jihan Zhang, Ziyi Zhao.

BFA in Producing

Magnea Helgadóttir, Davin Tjen, Lok Kwan Woo

MFA in Screenwriting

David Castillo, Zenana Coombs, Lindsey Hall, Anna Kriegel, Antonina Kshanovska, Tiffany Lewis, Queenian Nneka Okagu, Rachna Sukuru,

BFA in Screenwriting

Jordan Chyzowski, Elias Kofoed-Hansen, Michael Levin, Zara Lewes, Daniela Mayorca, Anastasia Mezikaeva Cermeño, Michael Sweeney, Doug Terra

AFA in Screenwriting

Audrey Cornett, Sergio Cox, Eric Obaro, Adam Zagri

MFA in Photography

Sara Al Sahaly, Ebtehal Farhat, Chun-Hsun Huang, Alejandro Ibarra, Silvia Catalina Quintero Torres, Seham Sultan,

BFA in Photography

Kivansh Choksi, Edward Vincent Rubia, Mengmeng Lu

MFA in Game Design

Zhongpeng Shao

BFA in Game Design

Junliang Zhang

MFA in Filmmaking (Feature Track)

Yesser Laham, Rafael Nani Pires

MFA in Filmmaking

Musab Omair Alamri, Gabriela Bueno, Yue Chen, Valéria Costa, Yiheng Guo,

Hu Yiduo, Hawar Karim, Kuan Wen Wei, Yu Liu, Chiyuan Ma, Joshua Tre Van, Tianze Wang, Xiao Zi Jun, Yao Yu, Yuehan Zhang, Dulat Zhumagazin

MFA in Film and Media

Joud Al-Rashid, Syed Ahsen Ali, Qiuyu Chen, Jasmine Chiswell, Carlos De Anda, Jiufang Ding, Victoria Gagieva, Ashley Hargrove, Fang He, Yanzhu Li, Christina Nijim, Farid Rasul, Sommer Saqr, Twisha Thakar, Yuheng Tong, Nataliya Tsvetkova, Cheng Yang, Yumeng Zhang

 BFA in Filmmaking

Jaquece Jamaar Abraham, Edoardo Achilli, Issa Al-Zadjali, Khalid Alahmari, Fernando Amarante Ibarra, Bakyt Angsabay, Talha Bin Abdulrahman, Shu-Chieh Chu, Fady Elmankabady, Trokon Victor George, Rochel Goldsmith, Anatole Lardeyret, Brandon Lee, Matheus Ronn Leite, Xuejiao Liu, Emmanuel Maldonado, Bruno Paolucci, Chang Hyun Park, Dominic Polito, Aysha Radwan, Alejandro Seri, Tianzuo Zhang

AFA in Filmmaking

Peter Farquhar, Brooke Marshal Hagen

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Born in Izmir and growing up in Istanbul, Turkey, Didem Civginoglu says she has always wanted to take the photos that she had imagined in her mind for so many years.

“I had been working in corporate life for the last nine and half years and I was feeling as if I was missing something in life,” said Civginoglu. “I wanted to be out there to catch all of those instant unexpected moments, knowing life changes in an instant. I wanted to be present in the moment.”

Miss Vogue Turkey

In order to accomplish her photographic aspirations, Civginoglu decided to move to New York where she attended the Photography School at the New York Film Academy.

“I was lucky to be a part of an amazing class of talented people who were so willing to learn and share and be as curious as I am,” said Civginoglu about her experience at NYFA. “They were all from different disiplines and cultures, so it made it even more authentic. In addition to our creative and supportive spirit in our class, our instructors and teachers were very open and tolerant. They shared their attention with us generously and patiently.”

Didem Civginoglu

Since graduating, Civginoglu has worked for Miss Vogue Turkey and Xoxo Guillaume Canet. “My agency 85|90 Projects showed my portfolio to the Vogue team and they offered to do the photo shoot with Sima, Miss Turkey,” said Civginoglu. “For the XoXo Guillaume Canet photo shoot, they needed a photographer together with an interviewer, so my journalist friend who was assigned to do the interview recommended me as a photographer and it happened.”

While she continues to work in Turkey, Civginoglu is currently based out of New York. She says she’s working on a cookbook project called Teldolap, where incorporates backstage photos into a story, as well as a documentary called “Kim Mihri” and another publishing project with a fashion designer.

For more of Civginoglu’s work, visit her website at didemcivginoglu.com.

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The Los Angeles campus held an exciting showcase of the New York Film Academy’s top BFA and MFA graduating photography student’s work entitled Tracing Nuance. Held at the historic Bergamot Station in Santa Monica from May 27^th to June 7^th the exhibition highlighted the range of talent emerging from NYFA’s student body.

MFA graduate Alejandro Ibarra’s, “Piece by Piece,” challenges the terms “traditional” and “non-traditional” families and addresses the irrelevancy of sexual orientation as it pertains to what constitutes a family. His work explores the themes of equality, sexuality, family and identity.

This is Ibarra’s first gallery showcase. He said of the experience, “Exhibiting in a gallery is a new experience for me, and it’s mind-blowing to see how different the work feels as a proper object hanging on a wall; it becomes more real somehow and elevates the piece. Seeing people react to your work as they make their way through the gallery is slightly nerve-racking because you keep wondering what they’re thinking and if the message of the work is being conveyed.”

Though his nerves may have been on edge the experience has been eye-opening, “It’s also incredibly inspiring to be in a group exhibition because you can find relationships between your work and another artist’s work, while also noticing the uniqueness in the artist’s voices.”

MengMeng Lu, BFA Photography, is also showcasing for the first time. Her series of photographs explores visual dichotomy. She said of her work, “My project explores the connection between external appearance and internal sense of self… searching for a common ground among a diverse group of people. Each photograph proves that it is impossible to replicate perfectly. We are each our unique selves.”

MFA Silvia Catalina Quintero Torres was also moved by seeing her art hang at the Bergamot. “Having this piece shown in a gallery means more than I can put into words,” she said. “It shows me, and others, that work that makes a statement against the status quo is not only relevant but also interesting. It shows that the boundaries of the art world are still yet to be determined and that we all have a space in that world.”

Torres selection entitled, “Tras los Muros,” is a collaborative piece that explores the concepts of shared authorship, social commentary and a critique towards the prison institution; by allowing people who have been in prison to photograph their realities after being released.

There are many more outstanding artists being featured. The exhibit closes today (June 7) so don’t delay in getting to Santa Monica to see all of our talented graduates.

Featured Artists:

MFA

Alejandro Ibarra

Silvia Catalina Quintero Torres

Seham Sultan

Sara Alsahaly

Ebtehal Akram Farhat

Chun Hsun Huang

BFA

Wai Yan Lau

Edward Vincent Rubia

Kivansh Choksi

MengMeng Lu

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