New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism student Ljuba-Lada Marinovic believes capturing a good story requires both diligence and a sense of urgency. When she and classmate Kyle Morris learned of a devastating auto accident in New York City’s iconic Times Square, they knew they had to leave NYFA’s downtown Manhattan campus immediately. In fact, they left so quickly the only “cameras” they had were their mobile phones. Later, Lada recalled, “I remembered how, in one of my first NYFA Broadcast Journalism classes, the instructor pulled out his cell phone and told us that ‘in an emergency, this is all you need.'”
One person was dead, and 22 others injured in Times Square. Was it an act of terrorism? Or a tragic accident? In fact, it turned out to be a case of drunk driving.
A TV news reporter in her home country of Croatia, Lada came to NYFA to become a multimedia journalist. So did former Alaska resident Kyle Morris. Fortunately Lada still had a microphone windscreen emblazoned with the letters RTL — the initials of well-known European broadcaster Radio Television Luxembourg. Lada did an on-the-scene report direct from Times Square for RTL, with Kyle shooting her stand-up on her iPhone. The story first aired in Croatia, then went viral online.
“It was all super stressful, but super exciting! If somebody told me a few months ago that I would use my phone to report for a TV station, I probably would not have believe it. But with the knowledge NYFA gave me, it felt completely normal.”
According to NYFA Broadcast Journalism Chair Bill Einreinhofer, “Lada and Kyle are examples of the highly motivated, truly creative students who attend the New York Film Academy. The storytelling skills they learn prepare them for careers in a wide range of news formats. But the key to their success is the passion they bring to their work.”
Now in its 25th year, the New York Film Academy has established itself as one of the premier visual and performing arts schools in the world. It has campuses in New York City, Los Angeles and South Beach, as well as locations in Australia, Florence and Mumbai. Information about the NYFA Broadcast Journalism program can be found at www.nyfa.edu/