Page 103 – NYFA

Q&A with New York Film Academy (NYFA) Screenwriting Instructor Paul Salamoff, Writer/Director of ‘Encounter’

On Saturday, April 13, New York Film Academy (NYFA) hosted a screening of new sci-fi/drama Encounter, the award-winning directorial debut of industry vet and NYFA Screenwriting instructor Paul J. Salamoff. The screening was followed by a Q&A with actors Anna Hutchison, Glenn Keogh, Vincent M. Ward, Christopher Showerman, Wendy David, and Peter Holden, and co-moderated by writer/director Paul J. Salamoff and Chris Showerman. The film also stars Luke Hemsworth (Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok) and Tom Atkins (Lethal Weapon, Escape from New York).

Salamoff has been working for almost 30 years in film, TV, video games, and commercials as a writer, producer, director, executive, comic creator, storyboard artist, and make-up FX Artist. He is the author of On the Set: The Hidden Rules of Movie Making Etiquette (now in its 4th Edition) and the graphic novels Discord, Tales of Discord, Logan’s Run, and issues of Vincent Price Presents. His short stories and essays have been included in acclaimed anthologies including Midian Unmade: Tales From Clive Barker’s Nightbreed and The Cyberpunk Nexus: Exploring The Blade Runner Universe and he is a two-time Bram Stoker Award Nominee.

He was recently named one of The Tracking Board’s Top 100 up & coming Screenwriters and has developed projects with Mosaic Media Group, Hollywood Gang, Blumhouse, Wigram Productions, Silver Pictures, Valhalla Motion Pictures, Vertigo, Unstoppable Entertainment (UK) and Eclectic Pictures.

Encounter has already picked up several awards, including Closing Night Film at the Other Worlds Austin Film Festival, Best Director at the 44th Boston Sci-Film Festival, and the Audience Award and Best Supporting Actor (for Tom Atkins) at the Miami International Sci-Fi Film Festival.

Salamoff began the Q&A with a discussion about the unique way each of the actors became involved with the film. Some were actors that Salamoff had known and written roles specifically for while others were ones that he had admired and wanted to work with.

The most notable story was from Glenn Keogh who got a call three days before filming to replace one of the actors who got stuck in the UK because of a work visa issue. Salamoff remarked how generous it was of Keogh to step in so late and how remarkable a job he did, and in hindsight he “can’t even imagine the role being played by anyone else.”

Showerman followed up with a question about Salamoff’s mature directing style despite being a first-time director. Salamoff cited the fact that he has been a fan of movies since he was five years old and still sees “tons of movies” as well as jokingly claiming to be the reason why Moviepass failed. He went on to say that he was heavily influenced by directors such as David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan, and most recently Denis Villeneuve.

When asked about the story itself, Salamoff discussed his desire to tell a story “where the science-fiction and fantastical aspects are important, but it’s more about the characters.” He cited films like Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris and Stalker as well as the films of Brit Marling (Another Earth, Sound of My Voice) as having influenced the screenplay.

The big takeaway from the Q&A was that Salamoff tried to create an environment on set that was highly collaborative with his cast and crew. Wendy Davis pointed out that even though the film was on a tight schedule, “it felt very safe and free for the actors” and that Salamoff would “allow us time to play and discover things.”

Peter Holden added that “If you’re going to try to pull things off on a shoestring, then you better have people be on your side,” which prompted the cast to reminisce about how well they were taken care of especially in regards to food.

A number of the film’s producers owned local restaurants and supplied them, according to Anna Hutchison, “with as much crab legs, steak, and oysters as they could eat.”

Vincent Ward followed that by saying “they never had to worry about anything” and could just focus on their craft.

Keogh went on to say that they’ve “all worked on projects where the camaraderie was not there,” but it was there on Encounter because Salamoff set the tone from day one.

Salamoff remarked that this was always the plan and “at the end of the day, I made the movie that I wanted to make,” before adding “but it’s always interesting the road it takes to get there.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank instructor Paul Salamoff and the cast of Encounter for sharing their experiences and advice for filmmakers as well as details about the development and production of the film.

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New York Film Academy Chinese Students and Scholars Association (NYFA-CSSA) Awarded ‘Excellent Student Home’

On May 19, the New York Film Academy Chinese Students and Scholars Association (NYFA-CSSA) was presented a Certificate of Appreciation and awarded the title of Excellent Student Home for outstanding contributions to the Southwestern Chinese Students and Scholars Association.

The Southwestern Chinese Students and Scholars Association is an organization under the management from the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles. The group organizes clubs for students from China studying in the United States—the Chinese Students and Scholars Association—around college campuses nationwide.

NYFA-CSSA is based at the NYFA-Los Angeles campus and boasts around 30 students. The club has hosted two events so far this year, including the Chinese Spring Festival Gala in February. The Gala involved different shows and an authentic Chinese dinner for guests.

In May, NYFA-CSSA hosted the LA Chinese Student Film Screening. The event showcased films from Chinese students—not only from NYFA but also from other distinguished schools in the area, including Chapman, AFI, and USC—making NYFA and NYFA-CSSA a central hub for Chinese students in the greater Los Angeles area. The LA Chinese Student Film Screening also invited the film directors to have a Q&A with the audience, and was a very well-received event by all.

Because of these two events as well as other contributions by NYFA-CSSA, the Southwestern Chinese Students and Scholars Association awarded the club the Certificate of Appreciation. New York Film Academy congratulates the members of NYFA-CSSA on the terrific achievement!

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) WELCOMES ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR SIR BEN KINGSLEY

On Thursday, May 23, New York Film Academy (NYFA) hosted a screening of the first episode of the new Epix series, Perpetual Grace, LTD, followed by a Q&A with Academy Award-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley, moderated by NYFA admissions specialist, Chris Devane.

Kingsley began his career by studying theatre in Manchester, England and eventually acted professionally in the West End in London and then on Broadway in New York. After establishing himself on the stage, Kingsley began working as an actor in television and film in Hollywood and quickly drew acclaim.

Kingsley has starred in a number of films, including Gandhi (for which he received an Academy Award), Schindler’s List, House of Sand and Fog, Hugo, Iron Man 3, Ender’s Game, Night at the Museum, and The Jungle Book. In 2002, he was named a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the British film industry.

Chris Devane opened up the Q&A by inquiring about Kingsley’s initial interest in acting as a profession. “My absolute desire was to be seen and heard,” said Kingsley, adding, “impersonation gave a great comfort in that I could—for a fleeting moment—acquire an identity and a voice … and entertain and connect with people.”

“Eventually,” he continued, “it was clear to me that I could, in fact, turn what one could call … an urge … into a craft … Without the urge to connect, one isn’t really an artist.”

One of the students in the audience asked Kingsley how he is able to switch from one role to the next so quickly. Kingsley brought up the fact that, when he was acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was playing multiple roles each week. He responded, “As a matter of survival, you [learn], you [have] to get off that horse and get on another one and you know the horses are very different; it simply is practice, but, unless you have that muscle that’s practiced in you that can switch from one role to another, it’s going to be very difficult.”

Kingsley added, “I have learned, onstage, through my work in the great rehearsal room … after each take … I let go … I’m constantly letting go … I do not stay in character between takes and I do not stay in character when I go home.”

Another student asked what Kingsley has learned from his many years as an actor. “When one was younger, one did an awful lot of acting and, as one matures in the craft, paradoxically, you do less and less and less and less acting … and, hopefully, you embark on a process of being.”

New York Film Academy thanks Sir Ben Kingsley for sharing his insights about the craft of acting and anecdotes from his prolific and renowned career in the entertainment industry.

These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Graphic Design Graduates Reflect On Their School Year

The Graphic Design School at New York Film Academy (NYFA) is committed to imparting the expertise and experience necessary to develop the next generation of well-trained and successful designers. Students are prepared for an industry that has grown exponentially since the turn of the century, with more opportunities than ever for skilled graphic designers to find professional work while also expressing themselves in an artistic, creative fashion.

Through intensive in-class instruction and hands-on education from a seasoned faculty of working graphic designers, students gain a fluency in industry-standard software and equipment that will help them compete across a variety of industries in the design field.

Three recent graduates of the NYFA Graphic Design School have spent the past year learning and improving on these skill sets, and have built themselves impressive portfolios as they start their professional careers as designers.

NYFA spoke with these grads—Carl Dempsey, Cheryl Lin, and Jose Taira—about their time at the NYFA Graphic Design School:

New York Film Academy (NYFA): What drew you to the New York Film Academy Graphic Design program?

Cheryl Lin (CL): I previously attended NYFA’s 4-week photography program and really enjoyed the courses. After my last year of college, I decided to deepen my knowledge in design, as I had majored in fashion business back in college—I thought graphic design was something that always sparked my interest.

My love for art and design really inspired me to enroll in the course. I always enjoyed beautifully designed things so I was able to collect a collection of wrappers throughout the years. I really wanted to create products and designs that people want cherish for a long time.

Carl Dempsey (CD): I actually found the program when searching for accelerated graphic design programs. It seemed most fitting after [NYFA Chair of Graphic Design] Debra Drodvillo and I spoke on the phone and I saw it would be tailored to my needs.

NYFA: How has your experience been in the program?

Jose Taira (JT): More than I expected, the teacher were great, you can see that they know about the field.

CD: I’ve learned an immense amount of varied skills. It has changed my entire perspective on the world. It sparked interests in me that I did not have before.

CL: The program is amazing! I’m very happy I was able to keep up and grasp so many design concepts and strategies in a short amount of time.

NYFA: How would you describe the NYFA Graphic Design faculty?

CL: The teachers are fantastic! They are really helpful and give us the right amount of feedback. They always manage to leave room for our minds to be creative and explore new ideas.

CD: Experienced industry professionals who understand what is needed to succeed in the industry. They all are really good people who want the best for you.

JT: It’d a small faculty, but they have all the knowledge of what you need to be successful in the graphic design field.

NYFA: What were some of your favorite projects in the Graphic Design program?

CD: My favorite projects we worked on: book covers, climate week posters, and the “how to” video.

JT: Elaborate a magazine, animation, and branding.

CL: One of my favorite projects has to be the editorial design project; designing a magazine from scratch and curating your own selection of images really trained my eye and taught me to pay extreme attention to detail.

NYFA: Has the program exposed you to the larger Graphic Design industry in New York City?

JT: Yes, we went to several companies like Lippincott, Gensler, and Penguin, and we also met Milton Glaser and Mirko Ilić, two of the greatest graphic designers in New York.

CL: Yes, definitely. I didn’t know there were so many design firms in the city; I also was not aware that graphic design is such a broad field. It’s amazing!

CD: I’ve been introduced to events and people I would have never been able to have met outside of the program. It’s broadened my perspective.

NYFA: Do you feel prepared to enter the Graphic Design industry?

CD: One hundred percent. I know my capabilities and what is expected. I am excited to get the ball finally rolling.

JT: Yes I do, they teach us everything that’s trending in the graphic design field.

CL: I definitely feel excited to get out into the field and start creating … I’m one hundred percent ready to face all the obstacles ahead of me.

NYFA: What are your goals upon completion of the NYFA Graphic Design 1-year conservatory?

JT: Get a good job and keep learning,

CD: Hopefully get a job in motion graphics and continue to do what I love to do.

CL: Getting a chance to work at MoMA or 2×4 is on my list of goals. I also really would love to create a book cover for an author of any sort, as well as partner with filmmakers to design their title sequence and movie poster.

New York Film Academy congratulates the graduates of the NYFA Graphic Design 1-year Conservatory and wishes them the best of success as they grow and expand their careers and artistic horizons!

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Welcomes Academy Award-winning Actor Sir Ben Kingsley

New York Film Academy (NYFA) hosted a Q&A with Academy Award-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley last Thursday, May 23, following a screening of the first episode of the new Epix series, Perpetual Grace, LTD. The event was moderated by NYFA admissions specialist Chris Devane.

Other notable film roles include Schindler’s List, House of Sand and Fog, Hugo, Iron Man 3, Ender’s Game, Night at the Museum, and The Jungle Book. In 2002, Kingsley was named a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the British film industry.

Moderator Chris Devane began the Q&A by asking what inspired Kingsley to become a professional actor. “My absolute desire was to be seen and heard,” answered Kingsley, adding, “impersonation gave a great comfort in that I could—for a fleeting moment—acquire an identity and a voice … and entertain and connect with people.”

“Eventually,” he continued, “it was clear to me that I could, in fact, turn what one could call … an urge … into a craft … Without the urge to connect, one isn’t really an artist.”

One student in the audience asked what Kingsley has learned from his many years as an actor. “When one was younger, one did an awful lot of acting and, as one matures in the craft, paradoxically, you do less and less and less and less acting … and, hopefully, you embark on a process of being.”

Kingsley was asked by another student how he is able to switch from one role to the next so quickly. Kingsley replied that when he was acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was playing multiple roles each week. He elaborated, “As a matter of survival, you [learn], you [have] to get off that horse and get on another one and you know the horses are very different; it simply is practice, but, unless you have that muscle that’s practiced in you that can switch from one role to another, it’s going to be very difficult.”

New York Film Academy thanks Sir Ben Kingsley for sharing his insights about the art and craft of acting as well as anecdotes from his renowned and prolific career in film, theatre, and television.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) MFA Documentary Filmmaking Student Drama Del Rosario In Doc Edge Pride Festival

In This Family, the BAFTA-shortlisted documentary film by New York Film Academy (NYFA) MFA Documentary Filmmaking student Drama Del Rosario is now an Official Selection of the Doc Edge Pride Festival. The prestigious festival is Oscar-qualifying and one of the biggest events In This Family will screen at to date!

The Doc Edge Pride Festival is held in New Zealand and is celebrating its fourteenth year. Its mission is “to lead and support filmmakers to develop and make compelling documentary films and to inspire the creative, business, and wider communities to celebrate local and international documentary stories.”

The fest will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from May 30 – June 9 and then in New Zealand’s capital city Wellington from June 13 – 23.

Drama Del Rosario is a documentary filmmaker originally from Manila, Philippines, whose film focuses on complex themes surrounding culture, religion, commercialization, and LGBTQIA+ issues. In Fall 2017, he began studying for his MFA in Documentary Filmmaking from New York Film Academy at our Los Angeles campus.

In This Family is a 12-minute short that tells the story of one Filipino family’s reaction to finding out their son is gay, while weaving in the filmmaker’s own story to offer an eye-opening perspective into the process of coming out to and finding acceptance from a very traditional Catholic tradition. Last year, the film was shortlisted for the BAFTA Student Film Awards.

New York Film Academy congratulates MFA Documentary Filmmaking student Drama Del Rosario on the latest success of his film In This Family and looks forward to seeing where his journey takes him next!

Q&A with New York Film Academy (NYFA) Screenwriting Alum Maria Minguez

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Screenwriting Alum Maria Minguez started out as a 2nd AD and assistant director in her home country of Spain, but her true passion was writing and storytelling.

Minguez decided to move to New York and attend the Screenwriting school at NYFA’s New York campus, where she learned the skills necessary to begin her new career as a writer.

Since then, Minguez has found success back in Spain, and has written the upcoming feature film Vivir dos veces, directed by renowned Spanish filmmaker Maria Ripoll and starring Inma Cuesta, Nacho Lopez, and Argentinian star Oscar Martinez.

NYFA recently spoke with Maria Minguez about her film, her life before screenwriting, what drove her to become a storyteller:

New York Film Academy (NYFA): First, can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, and what brought you to New York Film Academy?

Maria Minguez Vivir dos veces — ‘Vivir dos veces’

Maria
NYFA: Can you tell us about your film Vivir dos veces?

MM: Vivir dos veces is a script I started to write at NYFA for the Feature Film workshop. So the first draft was built on the notes my teachers and my classmates gave me. When I returned to Spain I continued working on it, writing more drafts, until I sold it to a producer. It was shot in October 2019 and it comes out at the end of 2019.

NYFA: What do you feel most comfortable writing, whether themes or elements of a screenplay? What do you feel least comfortable writing?

MM: The genres I feel more comfortable writing are dramatic comedy, such as Little Miss Sunshine; and dramatic thriller, such as Mystic River. It doesn’t matter if it is TV or film. The genres I feel the least comfortable writing are action movies and horror movies.

NYFA: What other projects are you working on or do you plan to work on?

MM: I have another feature film which will probably shoot at the end of 2019. And I have also been working on a miniseries for Tele 5, a Spanish TV channel, which is going to shoot in two months.

NYFA: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to your work on Vivir dos veces, or your work in general?

MM: During the program we worked a lot on the structure of movies (three act structure, the eight sequencing system, etc.). It has been very useful to me. It is not easy to face a one-hundred-page script, but if you know how to structure it, you at least know the way you have to follow.

NYFA: What advice would you give to students just starting out at NYFA?

MM: To screenwriting students I have just one piece of advice: to WRITE.

NYFA gives you the opportunity to have people giving you notes all the time, and that is something not that easy to find outside of school. The best way to learn how to write is writing. So write a lot, all the time, and take the material to class so teachers can read it and give you notes.

NYFA: Anything I missed you’d like to speak on?

MM: I would like to add that when you become a professional screenwriter, you realize that it is not just important to know how to write. You also have to know how to handle producers, contracts, etc. So I encourage the students to pay attention during the business courses of NYFA’s programs.

New York Film Academy thanks Screenwriting alum Maria Minguez for taking the time to speak with us about her career and her film Vivir dos veces. You can check out the film, now with its English title Live Twice, Love Once, on Netflix!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Cristian Prieto Takes His Talents to Australia

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Cristian Prieto and his wife have moved to Byron Bay, a coastal town in Australia that is a hot spot home and vacation spot for many of Hollywood’s biggest names. This includes Chris Hemsworth and his wife—actress, model, and Fast and the Furious star Elsa Pataky. Pataky is the sister of Cristian Prieto, so the move to Byron Bay is bringing the Spanish-born siblings closer than ever.

In June 2010, Prieto graduated the 1-year Filmmaking program at NYFA-Los Angeles, where he received over a thousand hours of hands-on instruction and actual production experience in a curriculum that integrates intensive study in cinematography, directing, screenwriting, producing, and editing.

Prieto’s thesis film was titled Bye By Baby and starred Pataky. Prieto wore multiple hats on the film—writing, directing, and producing the short. A year later, he worked on the film Prodigal, starring Kenneth Branagh.

Shortly after that, Prieto worked on 2012’s The Avengers, which co-starred his brother-in-law as the hammer-wielding superhero Thor. It wouldn’t be the last time Hemsworth and Prieto worked together—Prieto also served on the production crew for 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok; the film was shot in Queensland partially at Village Roadshow Studios, where NYFA Gold Coast students also have the opportunity to shoot their films.

Prieto has also acted, including a role in Giallo, starring Adrien Brody and Elsa Pataky, and also works as a photographer. He recently shot an editorial for fashion brand Spell Byron Bay, featuring his sister.

New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Cristian Prieto and his wife on their new home and looks forward to his future projects, whether they involve filmmaking, photography, acting, or whatever passion he chooses to follow next!

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) INCLUDED ON VARIETY’S TOP FILM SCHOOLS LIST FOR THIRD YEAR RUNNING

In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, New York Film Academy (NYFA) has been included on Variety’s list of the best film schools in the world. The Entertainment Education Report: The Best Film Schools of 2019 lists the industry’s top 50 academic institutions and educators that offer “cutting-edge instruction” and offer students the tools needed to create, innovate, and influence the industry. This is the third time NYFA has received the honor.

Variety’s yearly list of schools is seen as the definitive guide to the best institutions in the business, and is carefully reviewed by both prospective students and industry professionals alike. NYFA’s inclusion is a clear sign that the college has earned both the attention and the respect of the film industry.

“We are honored to be recognized once again with inclusion in this list,” said Michael Young, President of NYFA. “This is a real testament to the efforts of our outstanding faculty and staff. Our team is always looking for innovative ways to serve our students, and it’s wonderful to see those efforts getting recognition at this level.”

The article addressed the school’s filmmaking programs, but it was the forward-thinking technological programs that gained the most interest. NYFA’s game design, virtual reality, and 3D animation programs were dubbed “innovative and timely,” and stood out amongst some of the more traditional offerings mentioned.

Also important was the level of flexibility NYFA offers to students. Variety highlighted the wide range of degree, conservatory, and workshop options, which make it easier for students to fit their education into busy schedules, as well as the wide range of locations around the globe.

NYFA’s first entry on the list was in 2017, when the magazine named it a “stellar” school for film students. The article made special mention of the school’s alumni projects, calling out, “Work produced by NYFA graduates has been screened at Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice and SXSW film festivals.”

Variety is widely regarded as the authority in news, insight, and analysis for television, film, theatre, music, and the digital space. For more than 100 years, it has overseen every aspect of the entertainment industry, giving it a unique perspective on the academic programs and institutions that will be most helpful to students looking to work in media.

The New York Film Academy congratulates all its faculty and staff, whose efforts have helped the school earn this honor!