David Fincher’s critically-acclaimed Netflix series “Mindhunter” has been described by Slant Magazine as “addictive and resonant,” and features the work of two New York Film Academy (NYFA) instructors.
In the wake of David Berkowitz (aka “Son of Sam”), Charles Manson and others, a new team within the FBI was formed to psychologically analyze the minds of killers. “Mindhunters” focuses on the early days of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as its members struggle to understand the minds of serial killers, a term which had not yet been coined. The series stars New York Film Academy Musical Theatre Master Class lecturer Jonathan Groff, while veteran actor and NYFA instructor Happy Anderson is featured in two episodes of Season 1 in the chilling role of imprisoned killer Jerry Brudos.
Jonathan Groff and Happy Anderson in a still from “Mindhunters,” via IMDB.
This week, Anderson will return to NYFA’s New York City campus as a special guest in the New York Film Academy’s Guest Speaker Series, to share insights with students and discuss his career — which has included roles on acclaimed shows such “The Knick,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “The Deuce.” He will also be featured in “Bright” alongside Will Smith, which will be released December 22nd, 2017. Episode 7 of “Mindhunter,” in which Anderson guest stars, will be screened for students prior to a Q&A. NYFA Chair of Acting in New York City Peter Stone will be moderating the Q&A.
“Mindhunter” has recently been renewed by Netflix for a second season which was announced in a tweet by the show’s official account:
Miami: home of bikinis, sunshine, and Art Basel. Sure, Art Basel happens in other cities around the world, but nothing beats the annual event that takes over the city of Miami each winter, drawing artists and visitors from around the world to explore new themes and cutting-edge creations in contemporary art. Up-and-coming artists, celebrities, and everyone in between make their way to Miami in order to take part in the numerous events, private showings and parties, the VIP after parties and more every December.
This year New York Film Academy (NYFA) South Beach was proud to collaborate with two of the biggest Art Basel events, Spectrum and PULSE.
During the Spectrum event, NYFA South Beach had the privilege to showcase some alumni and faculty work. We also hosted an incredible panel with featured artists Naomi White, Angelika Rinnhofer, and Jon Henry, which was lead by New York Film Academy Chair of Photography David Mager. The panel and photography showcase created a buzz throughout the Spectrum/Red Dot event for the rest of the week.
NYFA South Beach also partnered with Pulse, creating visual work for their Perspectives project, featuring private interviews with this year’s presenting artists Mindy Solomon (owner of the Mindy Solomon Gallery), Carolina García Jayaram (CEO of the National YoungArts Foundation) and Donna Ruff.
NYFA South Beach’s Perspectives video spotlights were a part of an installment at the entrance of the Pulse VIP area. Viewers were able to enjoy the video one at a time, creating an exclusive experience while still channeling the fun and artwork that surrounded the venue.
Celebrity sightings were another exciting feature of Art Basel this year, with Jonathan Cheban, Scott Disick, Alec Monopoly, and Owen Wilson winding their way through the exhibits. New York Film Academy’s very own Sally Nieves was also interviewed by a local television show called Vibes and Views Miami!
Between Spectrum, Pulse, Art Basel and New York Film Academy, social media was buzzing all week long. If you missed out, make sure to stay tuned for next year’s Art Basel events, which we hope will be even bigger and better!
NYFA South Beach is proud to participate in PULSE and Spectrum, and looks forward to next year’s Art Basel festivities.
The New York Film Academy (NYFA) Australia welcomed Academy Award winner and former NYFA Australia instructor Ben Osmo to its Gold Coast campus for an exclusive event as a part of its continuing Guest Speaker Series last month.
Osmo received the Academy Award for his work as production sound mixer on the critically acclaimed international Blockbuster hit “Max Mad: Fury Road,” a much-anticipated reimagining of the 1980s apocalyptic action thriller directed by George Miller and starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy.
The veteran sound mixer and recorder also picked up a BAFTA Nomination and ACCTA Award for his work on “Mad Max: Road Fury,” but these recent accolades are only a small part of his impressive resume. His other credits include Hollywood Blockbuster “Alien Covenant,” directed by Ridley Scott; family features “Babe” and “Happy Feet Two”; and beloved Australian films including “Strictly Ballroom” and “Dead Calm.”
Hosted by Deputy Chair of Filmmaking Brian Vining, the Guest Speaker event commenced with a Q&A session followed by a special screening of Osmo’s documentary on the making of the sound for “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
NYFA Gold Coast students and staff alike were thrilled at the opportunity to delve further into the realm of sound design and editing for film, an often under-appreciated yet integral component of a great movie masterpiece.
Students described the event as “very informative,” with September Advanced Diploma acting for film student Tommie Thomas explaining, “As an actor, you don’t realize how much collaboration goes into making a film until you are able to hear it from someone of this caliber.”
New York Film Academy Australia prides itself in offering students the opportunity to develop their own technical and creative abilities through continued mentoring and master classes with illustrious members of the film and entertainment industry.
Last month, New York Film Academy (NYFA) Film Festivals Advisor and Liaison Crickett Rumley brought an expert panel to the NYFA Los Angeles campus for an in-depth discussion on the process of getting a film into festivals.
In her opening remarks, Rumley shared that while many NYFA students are interested in applying to film festivals, she found that not many had actually attended one. The panel of experts was formed to help demystify what can be an intimidating world for newcomers, and help answer their questions. “We need to start talking about film festivals,” Rumley said. “Los Angeles has a lot of festivals, so we have no excuse to not be attending and submitting.”
Sharing their insights and experiences with NYFA students were industry experts including producer and NYFA Chair of Industry Lab Kim Ogletree, Senior Cinematography Instructor Matt Kohnen, Emmy Award nominee Alexandra Chando, NYFA Senior Directing Instructor James Rowe, and NYFA alumnus Raphael Bittencourt. Each panelist has premiered a film at major festivals including Sundance, LA Shorts Film Fest, Shanghai Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival.
Kickstarting the discussion, Crickett asked the panel, “Why should you attend a film festival, even if you don’t have a film?”
Rowe began by sharing his reasons for attending the Toronto Film Festival as a non-participant. “I went as a scholar delegate for NYFA to kind of scout things out and see what the landscape is right now for short films in particular.”
Chando, who represents the Mammoth Film Festival’s Women in Film Initiative and is perhaps best known for her work in “As the World Turns,” pointed out the need for diversity and representation in film festivals across the board. Attendees, filmmakers, and festival organizers all play a role in supporting diversity in the film industry. “Recently, within the last year, I have seriously begun working on the other side of the camera,” she explained. “Especially now, there has been a big push for diversity and, of course, women being behind the camera.“
Encouraging diversity in film festival representation is a part of the reason why Chando was invited to be a part of the Women in Film initiative of the Mammoth Film Festival, which was founded by a NYFA alumna.
Rumley spoke about her experiences with Telluride, a renowned festival she began attending even before she had started making movies. She described the education as invaluable. “I was learning so much as a writer just by watching a ton of films,” she shared, “And I was able to watch them in a festival setting. I could figure out what kind of writer I wanted to be by exploring all of these international and independent domestic films.”
New York Film Academy panelist Alexandra Chando.
With thousands of film festivals worldwide, these dynamic events can serve as an essential launchpad for up-and-coming filmmakers. Genre film festivals provide an especially great environment for new cinema voices to be discovered.
“The major festival will take everything; drama, narrative, documentary,” said Kohnen, “But then, there’s this whole other subset of festivals that are just genre.”
Choosing to submit to a genre festival can help a film find a more specific audience and make valuable connections with likeminded people in the industry. Knowing his way around the festival circuit helped spark the chain-reaction of success that Kohnen enjoyed with his 2007 film “Wasting Away,” also known as “Aaah! Zombies!” The film won the audience award for Best Film at ScreamFest, and after that its sister festivals began seeking opportunities to screen the film, too.
New York Film Academy panelist and Chair of Industry Lab Kim Ogletree.
For his part, Bittencourt said he used his time at film festivals as an opportunity to observe how different audiences connected with his film as well as to forge connections within the industry.
“It gives me a sense of where I’m going,” he said. “It was part of my strategy to use two different kinds of film festivals to get more attention on my film. … It’s a huge chance to defend your film and get to know other filmmakers. You can also meet the organizers of the festival.”
Bittencourt encouraged students that even if they may not have been chosen to screen their film in a particular festival, they can still try to shake hands with those in charge. “[Festival organizers] tend to be really sympathetic to you if they know who you are,” he said.
Ogletree agreed. She explained to students that film festivals provide opportunities not only for submitting work, but also for gaining direct access to creators from all walks of life. From her time behind the scenes in film festivals, she shared, “We were open to having discussions with students, with other executives, with producers and directors. At the time, folks would just bring their iPads up to speakers after the Q&A and show us their film. That was a way of getting their films out there without even being in the festival.”
With these networking opportunities in mind, Ogletree went on to highlight the marketing opportunities students should prepare for when attending a festival. “There are certain things you need,” she said. “You need a business card. You need both a press kit and an electronic press kit. You need to have the bios of your key crew members. You need to have conversations, and that’s not something I see happening a lot anymore.”
Ogletree suggests that when attending a festival with a family member or friend, students remember not to isolate themselves from what is going on. Instead, they should make sure to join outside conversations with members of the industry and to try and meet new people.
To help get the conversation started at film festivals, Ogletree noted that it’s important to think early and often about where the film will show and how best to promote it once it has aired. Gimmicks also don’t hurt, according to Ogletree, who says that it’s important to find ways to make your film stand out from the crowd at a festival. Hats, pins, and t-shirts are always great and inexpensive options. Budgeting for these products and preparing for film festival conversations should be something students bear in mind even in the pre-production stage of their film.
The New York Film Academy would like to thank Matt Kohnen, Alex Chando, Kim Ogletree, James Rowe, Raphael Bittencourt, and Crickett Rumley for participating int his in-depth discussion on film festivals.
New York Film Academy (NYFA) Documentary Filmmaking Conservatory student and Spanish Fulbright scholar Pedro Peira produced the film “Soul,” completing its post-production while he studied at NYFA Los Angeles and seeing the project through to fruition in its digital premiere across North America early this December.
Following its successful premier at the opening night of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), “Soul” has now found online distribution with not one, but three major streaming platforms: iTunes, Amazon Video, and Google Play.
For those who loved 2011’s “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” Peria provides a thoughtful and delicious follow-up in the documentary “Soul.” Taking viewers behind the scenes of two of the world’s most-coveted restaurants to learn from two of its greatest chefs, “Soul” draws interesting parallels between Basque and Japanese cuisine, through the work of 3-star Michelin-rated Spanish chef Eneko Atxa, and the legendary Jiro Ono, one of the last practitioners of the fine art of traditional sushi making in Japan.
While many people may not immediately see parallels between Basque and Japanese cuisine, “Soul” makes an appetizing case that these geographically unrelated regional cuisines share something very important in common: family secrets, soul, and fresh seafood.
As the Hollywood Reporter (THR) described the film, “Soul” is a foodie’s dream that takes viewers to Spain, Japan, and even Paris, where the head of Michelin offers insights into the world of haute cuisine. THR notes that “Soul” comes at a time where the world is seeing “certain Spanish chefs are now famous enough to open up restaurants in Japan, while Japanese chefs are seen making a pilgrimage to Spain.”
In such an increasingly international world, the New York Film Academy congratulates our Spanish Fulbright alumnus Pedro Peira for the success of “Soul.”
This month, degree students in New York Film Academy (NYFA) Los Angeles’ Western Art History Class visited the Getty Villa in Malibu, California. They were interested in seeing how the ancient Greeks and Romans developed their depictions of humans and gods, and whether these early creators sought to mimic nature or to reflect individuals in their most ideal forms. There were a lot of surprises to be discovered in the museum.
The Getty Villa was designed to recreate the experience of seeing art in an ancient Roman home. After looking at these art works for weeks on a screen, students were excited to see how the mass and volume of the figures affected them in person.
Through the trip, students learned that ancient Greek art was actually very diverse. Students saw stylized early Greek burial sculptures from the Cycladic civilization, painted burial masks, numerous portraits, busts of Roman rulers and the upper class, and a special exhibition of Roman mosaics. Another highlight was the chance to get up close to a Romano-Egyptian mummy with an intact portrait from 120 CE.
Said one participant, “[My favorite part of the trip] was seeing how there were rings with art in them. It was shocking and interesting to see the different representations of art, beyond the sculptures.”
Each student was assigned to choose one sculpture and write a formal analysis, contextualizing the piece both historically and stylistically, which meant that students had to look at the art rather intentionally and up-close — an experience that was a little unnerving for some students.
“It felt weird lingering to stare at the cloth on a lot of the sculptures,” said one. “How did they make it look so thin?”
Another student was left in awe. “I’ve always been amazed by art, but every time I go to a museum, I have more and more respect and appreciation towards it.”
Students come to NYFA from all over the world and their experiences in the classroom tend to reflect that. For several of the students in the group, this was their first time in an art museum of the Getty’s status, while one student had never seen sculpture of human bodies before.
One student said of their experience, “There is nothing like seeing a sculpture or painting live in front of you. It was my first time being at a place where all sorts of art was right there for your eyes to see.”
When the class discussed their experience afterward, it turned out they learned a lot. Some of the students were impressed with the accuracy of the recreation of Roman society. Comments like, “I was able to see the craftsmanship up close and now have more respect for the artists,” and “I used to just appreciate art, but now I think about who made it and why,” were common among the group of excited scholars. The day was an incredible success.
The New York Film Academy is grateful to the Getty for continuing to curate such important art pieces for our students to experience. One student walked away stating, “I learned that art serves a bigger purpose in a society than it shows. It makes us think more critically.”
This Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 5 p.m., the New York Film Academy (NYFA) will host esteemed documentary photographer Nina Berman as a special guest in the ongoing Guest Speaker Series. Students, faculty, and alumni will gather in the main studio space in the New York City campus for this exclusive event, moderated by NYFA instructor Nancy Burson.
“Nina Berman is regarded as a highly praised documentary image maker and educator, whose work is shown and published worldwide,” explained Nancy Burson. “We’re honored that she will be presenting her images to the photography students at NYFA.”
Known for her arresting work in documentary photography, NinaBerman is an award-winning multimedia artist who has also created extensively as a filmmaker, author and educator. An associate professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a member of NOOR photograph/film collective based in Amsterdam, Berman turns a distinct and probing lens toward investigating American politics in contexts such as militarism, trauma and resistance. Social justice and violence — and their human toll — are eloquently explored in her imagery.
Spc. Adam Zaremba, who lost his leg in combat Iraq, photographed at Ft. Riley Kansas at the Cavalry Museum on base. 2004
Last month, Berman was featured in the New York Times in the article “A Photographer and Her Subject Share a Journey Over the Decades,” which spotlighted her recently published book “An Autobiography of Miss Wish.” The book chronicles Berman’s 27-year relationship with Kimberly Stevens, who has survived a life of poverty, homelessness, and sexual abuse. The book explores not only the effects of violence and trauma, but how memory of these things are treated externally. On the timely release of the book amidst a season full of headlines regarding survivors, trauma, and allegations, Berman told the Times, “Women of a certain privilege are speaking out in every industry. It is tremendously important, and hopefully people will start to understand that this is endemic.”
Muslim Day at the Texas State Capitol draws counter demonstrators who assert that Sharia law is coming to the US and condemn Muslims refusal to “assimilate”
“An Autobiography of Miss Wish” is one of three noted monographs Berman has published, while the others are “Purple Hearts – Back from Iraq,” and “Homeland.”
With exhibits held worldwide at more than 100 venues — including the Whitney Museum 2010 Biennial, the Brooklyn Museum, and Dublin Contemporary — Berman will provide a truly remarkable insight into the realities of today’s documentary photography industry for NYFA Photography students.
The New York Film Academy (NYFA) was delighted to pass along some holiday cheer in the form of the T. Douglas MacPherson Scholarship, which was graciously gifted from the New Jersey Association of Veteran Service Providers (NJAVSP), and awarded to a NYFA veteran student in recognition for outstanding service to the veteran community.
The recipient — professional actor, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and current NYFA Producing student Caleb Wells — was all smiles as he accepted the token of gratitude from NYFA’s President Michael Young and Senior Executive Vice President David Klein.
@PaulaRey
“Our student veterans are a well of talent waiting to be discovered,” remarked New York Film Academy’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Jim Miller. “Caleb exemplifies a committed student of the arts in both words and deeds.”
The performance was hosted at the New York Film Academy Theater in October, to a packed house. Caleb spoke candidly about challenges and perceptions he encountered after returning home from the experience of combat and war. During a recent NYFA-hosted Hire Heroes USA professional development workshop for veterans in film and television, Caleb brought his experiences as an actor, director, and producer to service members aspiring to enter the industry.
Caleb has teamed up with fellow military veterans to start Tomahawk Pictures, a production company formed through the values of shared military culture.
New York Film Academy is honored to count Caleb among its diverse array of students and is proud to serve military veterans and service members in their pursuit of a world-class education in filmmaking — and related disciplines — through its Veterans Advancement Program, Chaired by Colonel Jack Jacobs, Medal of Honor recipient.
In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the devastation of a massive storm is a familiar story in the news. Now, thanks to the first-ever, multiple Tony Award-nominated Broadway revival of Ahrens and Flaherty’s musical “Once on This Island,” Broadway audiences can glimpse another powerful side of such disasters: rebuilding, sacrifice, and renewal. “Once on This Island” is revived at Circle in the Square thanks to the dedication and hard work of its cast and creative team, which includes New York Film Academy (NYFA) Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre graduate Yael Silver.
Yael Silver is a producer and activist who graduated from NYFA’s 1-Year Musical Theatre program in 2015, and in that short time has built quite an impressive C.V. as a producer and co-producer. In addition to helping to bring the Broadway revival of “Once on This Island” to life, she is an associate producer at Grammy and Tony-winning Broadway Records, head of artist development at Yellow Sound Label, and is on the board of directors at Sokoloff Arts. It is through a production company she co-founded, SilverWalport Productions, that she became a co-producer on the “Once on This Island” team.
Along with the entire cast and crew, Silver is now celebrating a staggering eight Tony Award nominations. In the Musical category, “Once on This Island” is nominated for: Lead Actress, Revival, Direction, Costume Design, Scenic Design, Orchestrations, Sound Design, and Lighting Design. The 72nd Tony Awards will be held live on CBS Sunday, June 10, 2018, at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
This vivid one-act musical first opened in 1990, introducing the world to the poignant story of Ti Moune, a young woman whose destiny hinges on a bet between the gods of love and death. Recalling “Romeo and Juliet,” the 2017 revival reimagines the original Calypso score with new orchestration, choreography and staging that places it on a Caribbean island immediately following a devastating hurricane.
Discussing this production of “Once on This Island,” Tony-nominated director Michael Arden was quoted in Playbill as saying, “We are taking a look at disaster, like we’ve seen in Haiti, and how that can be a metaphor for how we all rebuild.”
Along with the themes of renewal, love, fate, and rebuilding, “Once on This Island” explores race and class divides, offering a nuanced look at the resilience of a young woman’s spirit in the face of many obstacles — whether they are natural, divine, or human.
The New York Film Academy congratulates Yael Silver and SilverWalport Productions for their achievement.
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The New York Film Academy (NYFA) Australia welcomed Academy Award winner and former
