Page 19 – NYFA

Allan Ungar on Directing ‘Bandit’, an Ode to Toronto

Allan Ungar on Directing Bandit, an Ode to Toronto

Five years ago, NYFA Teen Filmmaking alum Allan Ungar, a new director at the time, was sent scripts for films “people thought [he] wanted to make.” Ultimately, these scripts did not resonate. Ungar, a Toronto native, was searching for a way to incorporate his hometown into his work. “I always wanted to find bold and audacious stories to tell that … [had] some connection to that “home.” He continued to work on developing his skills as a director while searching for that story. “With a country so rich in its history, I felt that it was only a matter of time before I would come across a story that had all the right elements to make a powerful and convincing film that people could relate to.”

In Bandit, Ungar found a story that captured the essence of his home country and captivated him. Bandit is based on the exploits of Gilbert Galvan Jr., an American who escaped from a Michigan prison and crossed the border to Canada. Upon arriving in the northern territory, Galvan, alias Robert Whiteman, planned and executed 59 heists in banks and jewelry stores in almost every province from Vancouver to Halifax. The director shared that he read the Bandit script in one sitting. “I called my agent that night and said, ‘I have to make this film.’

Allan Ungar, the mastermind behind Uncharted: Live Action Fan Film, has always been a fan of the heist genre. The classics “employed an inherent and organic ability to entertain, thrill, and excite audiences. Whether there was action, drama or romance involved, I always felt that there was a heightened sense of authenticity that was relatable.” With Bandit, Ungar found a film that possessed all of these qualities. “It had heart,” he said. In the film, Gilbert Galvan Jr. (Josh Duhamel), turns to robbing banks and jewelry stores after falling in love with a woman (Elisha Cuthbert) whom he cannot provide for. As it turns out, love is what motivated one of the most notorious heist-men in Canadian history. “It was a story about a real human being who had a dream and went for it. No matter the cost.”

Bandit gets its title from The Flying Bandit, the book by Robert Knuckle with Ed Arnold that inspired the screenplay by Kraig Wenman. Gilbert Galvan Jr., was dubbed “the Flying Bandit” because he was a member of a frequent flyer program; and under the pseudonym Robert Whiteman, a computer salesman, Galvan would fly first class to different cities across Canada to rob up to 3 banks in the same day before flying back home to his wife. Galvan was one of the most productive heist-man and still holds the record for most consecutive robberies in Canada’s 155-year history. In his three-year spree, he amassed over $2 million.

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The Toronto native would have preferred to film Bandit in and around Canada, but 2020 had other plans for Allan Ungar and his crew. Due to the pandemic, Ungar was forced to relocate. He had to “recreate 1980’s Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton all in modern-day Georgia.” The task was no easy feat, but Ungar affirms it was “one of the most … rewarding experiences of my career.”

Bandit was purchased at the Cannes Marché du Film, the business counterpart of the legendary Cannes Film Festival, earlier this year. As the world’s largest film market, Marché du Film is where producers, directors and distributors from all over the world gather in droves looking to buy and acquire the rights to the next big film. Highland Group closed on an array of international deals and sold the rights for Bandit to Signature Entertainment for distribution in the UK and Scandinavia, Originals Factory for France and French-speaking Switzerland, Eagle Films for the Middle East and many more distributors.

“I can’t wait to see the way it resonates with [people]. Because at the end of the day, that’s why we make movies.”

Bandit will premiere in theaters on September 23, 2022.

New York Film Academy congratulates Allan Ungar on all of his work and success!

Please note: NYFA does not represent that these are typical or guaranteed career outcomes. The success of our graduates in any chosen professional pathway depends on multiple factors, and the achievements of NYFA alumni are the result of their hard work, perseverance, talent and circumstances.

NYFA New York Photography Faculty: Interview with David Mager

From Diane Arbus to Robert Mapplethorpe, New York has been home to a range of innovative photographers. At NYFA New York, we always add our Chair of Photography, David Mager, to the list. As a native New Yorker and commercial photographer, David has worked in the industry for over 20 years, mainly in the publishing market. His previous clients have included top brands and companies such as Disney, DK, Der Speigel, McGraw-Hill, Parents Magazine, Park Place Magazine Penguin, Scholastic, and Time Out NY.

NYFA CHAIR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (NEW YORK), DAVID MAGER

An Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop Lightroom, David received his Master of Professional Studies from the School of Visual Arts. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University (NYU). We spoke to David about his start in photography, experience, and teaching at New York Film Academy.

NYFA: How (and when) did you first get interested in photography?

It started for me in high school. I had a math teacher who also photographed Ballet. He taught me the basics of darkroom work, and I started working for him, running contact sheets.

NYFA: What have been your favorite projects to work on to date?

I am currently working on a project called 2nd Amenders; it’s a series of portraits of gun owners in NJ. The process has been very eye-opening for me and allowed me to have very interesting conversations with these individuals about the reasons they own firearms.

NYFA: Tell us about your time at NYFA.

I have greatly enjoyed my 10+ years at NYFA. It has been very rewarding to watch and participate in the growth and development of the photography programs. It is also amazing to experience the diversity of ideas that come from the photography students.

NYFA: What are your favorite courses to teach?

Photo II (studio lighting) Imaging I (lightroom).

NYFA: How would your students describe your teaching style/methods?

Open, friendly, fun, tough, but fair.

NYFA Photography

NYFA: What are your favorite aspects of the photography community in New York?

The incredible diversity of work styles.

NYFA: Who do you believe have been some of the most significant individuals in photography?

Richard Avedon, Gregory Crewdson, Irving Penn, Herb Ritts, Erwin Olaf, Latoya Ruby Frazier, Nan Goldin, Lori Nix

NYFA: What are some of your favorite films?

City of Lost Children, Groundhogs Day, Star Wars (Episodes 4,5,6), The Incredibles, My Octopus Teacher, Strictly Ballroom, Cinema Paradiso.

NYFA: What advice would you give a prospective student looking to get started in photography?

Photography takes not only passion, but hard work, commitment, and dedication. Find your passion first, and then bring your A-game every day.

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NYFA New York Acting Faculty: Interview with Josephine Wilson

Our NYFA Acting for Film faculty helps students develop practical acting skills using a hands-on approach. Josephine Wilson, Chair of the Acting for Film department in New York, uses her ten years of experience acting, directing, and teaching at the nationally-acclaimed Shakespeare & Co in Lenox, MA, where she’s a company member, to guide students and help them build confidence in their craft.

Josephine moved to New York in 2015. She’s since been teaching at NYFA and is heavily involved in a number of theatre companies, both acting and teaching in them, and has also co-created and written shows herself.

NYFA Acting for Film Chair, Josephine Wilson

During her time with Shakespeare & Co, Josephine studied under Tina Packer and dove deeply into Kristin Linklater’s work in the place where it was created and developed. Following her move to New York, she helped Lincoln Center Theatre develop its Shakespeare curriculum for schools and has taught in its programs since 2015. She is a member of The Humanist Project, a theatre company that devises new pieces rooted in the classics, and was a part of a five-person Macbeth performed at the Secret Theatre. She was also in Macbeth for South Brooklyn Shakespeare, was a part of the Shakespeare Society’s exploration of Richard III, and co-created a clown show called Quantum Fairy Tales.

She has also written and developed her own show, Psyche, which she performed at Dixon Place, and most recently, she played Dori Mae in Nathan Brewer’s short film, No Loss Here (2020). Her regional performances include Annie in Table Manners, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Miss Jean Brodie in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

We sat down with Josephine to talk about her love of acting, her favorite films and acting performances, and what advice she’d give to acting students looking to get started.

New York Film Academy (NYFA): How did you first get interested in acting?

Josephine Wilson (JW): In 4th grade, I had a teacher that was very excited about Shakespeare and would act out the plays for us in class. She encouraged me, and I began memorizing and acting out scenes in my bedroom in my free time. Out of this, I joined the Junior Musical Playhouse Company, in which I got to act in several wonderful productions. It became a passion and an obsession.

NYFA: What have been your favorite projects/productions to work on to date?

JW: My favorite project was a short film I got to work on called No Loss Here, directed and written by Nathan Brewer. It was an important story about Alzheimer’s that had a wonderful message of love.

NYFA: Tell us about your time at NYFA.

JW: I have been with New York Film Academy as both a teacher and administrator for seven years. I began in the Acting team for the Musical Theatre department and joined the Acting for Film department in 2018.

NYFA: What are your favorite courses to teach?

JW: I love teaching Acting Technique, Scene Study, and Shakespeare. I think these classes are immersive and fun.

NYFA: How would your students describe your teaching style/methods?

JW: I am most interested in playing. How can you create the game in your scene work that brings your acting to life? I also want my students to learn to be very curious about the other actors on stage with them by listening to their whole being. This is where the exciting human behavior begins.

NYFA: What are your favorite aspects of the film and acting community in New York?

JW: New York is ambitious and intelligent, but it is also fun. The film and acting community reflect the vibrancy of the city. You can find any kind of show you could possibly desire to see; turn the corner, and a film is shooting on the block. I love that there is room for creativity and that the actors in the city are highly skilled and trained. It is a wonderful place to work.

NYFA: Who do you believe have been some of the most significant actors/actresses in film?

JW: Marlon Brando and James Dean changed modern acting. Meryl Streep is undisputedly one of the greatest actors to grace the screen. Mark Rylance is the most alive actor I have ever seen on stage and on screen.

NYFA: What are some of your favorite films/tv shows and performances?

JW: I am a true nerd. I love Star Wars (1977-2019), The Princess Bride (1987), Game of Thrones (2011-2019), Labyrinth (1986), and all of the epic adventure movies and shows. I think the best films and tv shows can transport us to another world but still reflect our human needs and emotional life. As for my favorite performances, I will never forget Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting (1997). You can literally see her heartbreak moment by moment when Will tells her he doesn’t love her. That vulnerability and moment-to-moment specificity is something to strive toward.

NYFA: What advice would you give a prospective student looking to get started in acting?

JW: Practice, practice, practice. Get curious about what works and what doesn’t work, get help from others and begin to collaborate with people who share your same passions. Acting cannot happen in a vacuum, so it takes diligent work and a community to grow.

Gain Experience in Acting and Auditioning at NYFA

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NICOLE CLEMENS, PRESIDENT OF TELEVISION AT PARAMOUNT & PARAMOUNT+, TALKS LEGACY IP’S AND INDUSTRY TIPS

New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the honor of hosting a live video Q&A with Nicole Clemens to discuss content acquisition and studio production with NYFA students and alumni. Tova Laiter, Director of the NYFA Q&A-List Series, curated and moderated the event.

Nicole Clemens serves in the dual role as President of Paramount Television Studios (PTVS) and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series. She joined PTVS in 2018 and added the Paramount+ position to her portfolio in 2021.

Clemens’ primary responsibility at Paramount+ is to shepherd original series and formulate programming strategies for the streaming platform. Paramount+ projects include the global hit series Halo for which NYFA alum Andor Zahonyi was a Visual Effects Artist, The Offer, Star Trek franchises – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Discovery , as well as Seal Team, Evil, The Good Fight, and The Game. Some of Paramount+’s upcoming series include Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Fatal Attraction, Rabbit Hole, and Criminal Minds.

In addition, as President of PTVS, Clemens oversees a robust slate of shows for buyers across multiple platforms, including Emmy-nominated Station Eleven, created by NYFA Guest Speaker Patrick Somerville, Reacher and Jack Ryan for Amazon Prime, American Gigolo for SHOWTIME, Defending Jacob, Shantaram and Time Bandits for Apple TV+, and The Haunting anthology series for Netflix.

Before coming to Paramount, Clemens was a producer at Anonymous Content. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President and Head of Series Development for FX Networks, with a roster of original series including Atlanta, Snowfall, Better Things, You’re the Worst, Baskets, Tyrant, Mayans MC, and The Strain.

Clemens is no stranger to the world of content and production, as she was a partner and Head of the Motion Picture Literary Department at ICM Partners for 16 years, a position preceded by tenures at Rod Holcomb Productions and as a television executive at Spelling Television.

The NYFA Guest Speaker shared with the NYFA community that she is in a unique position as “both a buyer and a seller” at Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+. Working at a television studio has afforded her the opportunity to “buy, sell and make things”. At PTVS, the studio can buy their own material, greenlight original pitches, make deals with screenwriters, directors and producers, then sell to either broadcast or streaming platforms. “It is very rare that a show can go everywhere,” says Clemens, so PTVS finds the content a fitting home where it has a real chance of getting made and seen by the target audience.

Paramount’s own streaming platform, Paramount+, is a broader and bigger canvas for a variety of audiences rather than coastal or niche ones, such as 1883, The Wolf of Wall Street, Spongebob Squarepants, and other “crown jewels” that Clemens has sworn to protect.

The “crown jewels” are the legacy IPs. Among them is a groundbreaking film that was produced by Paramount during an uncertain time and catapulted the production studio to great heights, The Godfather . Clemens jokes that as keeper of the jewels, she has sat through more “Godfather 4” pitches than she could possibly share. But meeting with producer Al Ruddy and hearing how the movie got made inspired the series THE OFFER. The series is a hit with audience and critics alike, and Clemens could not have been prouder!

The cultural impact of The Godfather cannot be understated; The Godfather won ‘Best Picture,’ ‘Best Actor’ (Marlon Brando), and ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ (Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola) at the 1973 Academy Awards. The film also won several Golden Globes that year, including ‘Best Motion Picture – Drama,’ ‘Best Director,’ and ‘Best Motion Picture Actor – Drama’. The Godfather trilogy has been lauded as the best and most influential film of all time and influenced Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and David Chase’s The Sopranos – but it was almost never made. The story behind the legendary film and how it almost didn’t make it to the screen is what Nicole Clemens pitched and turned into The Offer.

Clemens also shared insider information about how shows get made and how to break into the industry. She shared that even if aspiring screenwriters send studios work, the studio does not and legally cannot accept unsolicited or unrepresented work. She suggested that writers seek out agents and, better yet, managers for representation. “Everyone wants to find the next big thing,” Clemens said, and agents and managers are looking for new talent to represent. Clemens also encouraged students and alumni to take jobs at agencies to acquire knowledge about the industry, stating that there is great value in work that may, at times, seem unrelated to entertainment but, in fact, is the center of how shows get put together.

She also recommended making as many contacts as possible, especially if, like her at the beginning of her career, you don’t have a direct connection to someone in the industry. The NYFA Guest Speaker shared that “there’s a lot of rejection in this industry” but affirms that “You have to believe in what you believe and just go and go.” Eventually, something will stick. When asked what she believes got her to her position at Paramount today, she replied, “tenacity.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Nicole Clemens for sharing her time and expertise with NYFA students and alumni.

Watch the full interview below:

NICOLE CLEMENS, PRESIDENT OF TELEVISION AT PARAMOUNT & PARAMOUNT+, TALKS LEGACY IP’S AND INDUSTRY TIPS

Watch the full interview below:

New York Film Academy would like to thank Nicole Clemens for sharing her time and expertise with NYFA students and alumni.

Nicole Clemens, President of Television at Paramount & Paramount +, Talks Legacy IP’s & Industry Tips

conversation with nicole clemens

Clemens’ primary responsibility at Paramount+ is to shepherd original series and formulate programming strategies for the streaming platform. Paramount+ projects include the global hit series Halo for which NYFA alum Andor Zahonyi was a Visual Effects Artist, The Offer, Star Trek franchises – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Discovery, as well as Seal Team, Evil, The Good Fight, and The Game. Some of Paramount+’s upcoming series include Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Fatal Attraction, Rabbit Hole, and Criminal Minds.

The NYFA Guest Speaker shared with the NYFA community that she is in a unique position as “both a buyer and a seller” at Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+. Working at a television studio has afforded her the opportunity to “buy, sell and make things”. At PTVS, the studio can buy their own material, greenlight original pitches, make deals with screenwriters, directors and producers, then sell to either broadcast or streaming platforms. “It is very rare that a
show can go everywhere,” says Clemens, so PTVS finds the content a fitting home where it has real chance of getting made and seen by the target audience.

Paramount’s own streaming platform, Paramount+, is a broader and bigger canvas for a variety of audiences rather than coastal or niche ones, such as 1883, The Wolf of Wall Street, Spongebob Squarepants and other “crown jewels” that Clemens has sworn to protect.

The “crown jewels” are the legacy IPs. Among them is a groundbreaking film that was produced by Paramount during an uncertain time and catapulted the production studio to great heights The Godfather. Clemens jokes that as keeper of the jewels, she has sat through more “Godfather 4” pitches than she could possibly share. But meeting with producer Al Ruddy and hearing how the movie got made inspired the series THE OFFER. The series is a hit with audience and critics alike, and Clemens could not have been prouder!

Watch the full interview below:

New York Film Academy would like to thank Nicole Clemens for sharing her time and expertise with NYFA students and alumni.

A TWO FRONT WAR: BLACKNESS & REPRESENTATION IN ‘THE WOMAN KING’

The film Black Panther (2018) laid to rest the myth that Black (especially dark-skinned) leads could not carry feature films to box-office victory. The film earned $1.348 billion at the box office and became revolutionary for its representation and portrayal of a Black superheros and Black excellence. But in 2015, before Black Panther broke box-office records, shattered prejudice conventions about the allure of all-black casts, and before the Black Lives Matter movement ignited the fire in a new fight for representation in Hollywood, Maria Bello pitched The Woman King to the indomitable Viola Davis. The historical action drama is the story of the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s.

Seven years later, The Woman King, starring Oscar, Emmy and two-time Tony Award-winning actress Viola Davis and New York Film Academy AFA Acting for Film alum Masali Baduza in the role of Fumbe, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to unanimous praise.

The road to The Woman King was not an easy one. Early on in the search for funding, colorism (defined by Merriam-Webster as “prejudice or descrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin”) plagued the hunt for production, with studios wanting to cast “light-skinned, well-known actresses” as members of the Agojie army. To do so would have meant sacrificing the integrity and historical accuracy of the film. This film about warriors and women on the front-lines, was fighting a two-front war both on-screen and behind-the-scenes.

Studios didn’t think the film would be successful at the box-office, initially offering only $5 million for the film’s production costs. By comparison, low-budget films are usually made for less than $5 million, while mid-budget films cost anywhere between $5 million – $50 million, with high-budget films costs ranging from $50 million to infinity. To paint a bigger picture, Black Panther’s budget was $200 million and Avengers: Endgame, $365 million. In the end, The Woman King received a budget of $50 million.

A still from The Woman King. Courtesy of PopSugar

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood is familiar with strong female leads and warrior-women. In 2000, she wrote and directed the classic Love and Basketball about Quincy and Monica, two childhood friends and basketball players with league aspirations who begin to fall in love. Love and athleticism are a familiar terrain for the director who herself was a basketball player and track star at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prince-Bythewood joined the cast of The Woman King as they trained for four months before shooting began. The Hollywood Reporterreported, “the training consisted of 90 minutes a day of weight-lifting followed by three and half hours of fight training with a stunt coordinator which included running, martial arts, and working with swords and spears.” Many of the actors performed their own stunts.

A still from The Woman King. Courtesy of Flickering Myth.

The Woman King strives for authenticity and diversity at every turn, with the film’s story carefully researched and the camera crew consisting of Black women and women of color. Prince-Bythewood was committed to hiring Black women and women of color to work on the film citing, “often the résumés are not long because it’s about lack of opportunity, not lack of talent.”

While presenting the film at the Toronto International Film Festival, lead actress Viola Davis said, “This film is for the Thuso [Mbedu]’s, Lashana [Lynch]’s … the Masali [Baduza]’s, the Black women who are out there on the periphery just waiting for the conduit–a vehicle to shine [their] beautiful and glorious light.”

The Woman King premieres a couple of days after tennis titan Serena Williams bid farewell to the game she revolutionized; the same week Sheryl Lee Ralph serenaded us as she accepted the Emmy for ‘Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series’ for Abbott Elementary and Quinta Brunson won the Emmy for ‘Best Comedy Writing’ for the show; the same night Lizzo’s show Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls won ‘Best Competition Program’ and Zendaya took home the Emmy for ‘Best Actress in a Drama Series’ for Euphoria for the second year in a row. Needless to say, we have entered a cultural, creative renaissance and Black women are at the center.

The Woman King premieres in theaters on Friday, September 16th. NYFA congratulates Acting for Film alum Masali Baduza for landing such a critical role in this ground-breaking film.

NYFA Acting for Film Alum Michel Curiel is a Smash in ‘She-Hulk’

NYFA Acting for Film Alum Michel Curiel is a Smash in 'She-Hulk

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand and carry on the legacy of Stan Lee, audiences have found more characters with which to identify themselves. In 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, based on Marvel’s first Asian superhero, was a box office hit. This year, Disney + revealed another MCU adaptation, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, about the Hulk’s cooler female cousin.

She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) first made her appearance in a Stan Lee Marvel Comic in 1980 as a lawyer who acquires a milder version of the Hulk’s condition after receiving an emergency blood transfusion from him. In the Disney+ adaptation, Walters is an attorney who specializes in superhuman legal cases.

New York Film Academy Acting for Film alum Michel Curiel has been booked and busy since graduating from the One-Year Acting for Film conservatory program. This year, Curiel adds She-Hulk’s love interest to his long list of IMDB credits. Curiel spoke with NYFA about his upbringing, auditioning for Marvel and his decision to stay off social media.

New York Film Academy (NYFA): Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

Michel Curiel (MC): I grew up in the Bronx with my mom and two sisters. I lived there for a while before moving to Michigan where I finished high school and joined the military. After completing my service, I attended college and received my BBA in accounting.

NYFA: What has your journey been like?

MC: While in college, I did some commercial and print work and with the little work I booked, I got “the itch” and decided to move to Los Angeles. I didn’t know much about acting, but what led me to the New York Film Academy was their reputation and that they accepted the GI Bill. I completed the One-Year Acting Conservatory. My Meisner class was what really led me to understand what acting is about: living truthfully under imaginary circumstances and not pretending. That’s when I fell in love with the craft. The education that I received in my year at NYFA laid the foundation for my career. I realized that it’s not just, ‘hey, show up to LA and get discovered’, you actually have to put in the work.

Caption: Still from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law courtesy of ComicBookMovieNYFA: How did you get involved with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law? What was the audition process like for you?

MC: I live in Atlanta where auditions are primarily self-tape submissions. The self-tape process is something that I’ve gotten really acquainted with since I moved here in 2017. When I received the audition for She-Hulk, it said “Marvel SVOD (Streaming Video On Demand)”, but the project name wasn’t disclosed. I was auditioning for the role with a friend who’s a comic book nerd and stays up to date on everything Marvel. It had leaked that Marvel was going to be releasing She-Hulk, a show about the Hulk’s cousin who has Hulk-like powers and my friend said, ‘I’d be willing to bet this audition is for She-Hulk, in which case this is a scene
where you’re on a date with She-Hulk herself.” So that’s how I played it for the audition. When I received a call from my team saying I booked the role, I had to sign all the NDAs. But I still didn’t know what it was for, so it was exciting.

NYFA: How do you handle high stake auditions? What’s your secret weapon?

MC: I’ll backtrack to my time in LA. I was attending a lot of in-person auditions. Some were for co-star roles, some were guest stars, and I feel like I had success in booking many of them because I didn’t put the pressure on myself as if it was a “big deal”. Ironically, when I had auditions for big shows with well-known casting directors or producers, or major roles as lead or series regular, I would almost psych myself out of doing a good job because I would put so much pressure on myself. Nowadays, my secret weapon for high-stakes auditions is that I don’t make them high stakes. I don’t consider the production or the size of the role, I just focus on doing my job and on what I can control. [The She-Hulk] audition had Marvel written on it, but I didn’t care. It doesn’t matter if I’m auditioning for Steven Spielberg or for a student film, I’m always going to do my best work.

NYFA: What was your experience working on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law?

MC: My experience was incredible. Working alongside Tatiana Maslany was rewarding. I was a little nervous at first, but she was very welcoming and easy to work with. I also had the opportunity to work alongside Renee Elise Goldsberry, who I am a huge fan of from her work as Angelica Schuyler on the original Hamilton cast. Working with director Kat Coiro was also a great experience. She was very collaborative and gave me a lot of creative freedom to play as an actor. In the trailer when I ask She-Hulk, ‘should we split some fries?’, we did 4 or 5 different takes and Kat playfully redirected my delivery and intention behind that line. Overall, I got an inside look into Marvel’s storytelling. It was truly an invaluable and unique experience to be a part of it all, and now, to see it all come together on the screen…it’s Marvel movie magic. That’s beautiful.

NYFA: What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

MC: I would love to book a role as a series regular. I like the idea of getting to flesh out a character and live in that world over an extended period. I’d also like the opportunity to work behind the camera, either as a director or cinematographer. I’ve always enjoyed filmmaking, and someday I hope to put my own ideas on screen.

NYFA: Do you have Social Media?

MC: I’m a bit old school. I actually don’t have any social media. Honestly, I just can’t keep up with it all. I think that sometimes you can get caught up in the noise and lose sight of what’s really important. For me personally, I want to focus on what matters to me the most – my family, my career, my authenticity. I don’t want to be “insta-famous”. I want to be recognized for my work.

NYFA: Are you working on any other projects?

MC: I just wrapped the new show on Fox, Panhandle. I’m currently not attached to any new projects, but my team keeps me very busy with auditions. So, the work doesn’t stop.

NYFA congratulates Michel Curiel on all his success and hard work!

NYFA Alum Andrea Muñoz Joins Star Cast in ‘Bullet Train’

On October 1,1964, Japan introduced the world to the first high-speed rail system, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, just in time for the first Tokyo Olympics. The Shinkansen, colloquially known as the “bullet train” for the way it resembles a bullet and its high speed, is a network of high-speed railway trains that operate all over Japan.

In 2010, Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka wrote Mariabītoru about the worst-case scenario on board a bullet train: hitmen carrying out their missions. Mariabītoru was adapted for the Japanese stage in 2018. In 2022, the book inspired a Hollywood adaptation, Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt.

The film boasts an all-star cast that includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, Sandra Bullock, and many more. Among this dazzling cast is NYFA Acting for Film alum Andrea Muñoz, who spoke with NYFA about her work on Bullet Train, as well as her role in Hulu’s limited series Pam & Tommy.

Andrea Muñoz, NYFA Acting for Film Alum

Like with most actors, for Muñoz, the work begins way before the director yells “action” on set, it starts at the audition. An actor’s preparation and audition technique is part of their craft. Muñoz said during a conversation with NYFA, “I have an acting coach. One of the things I learnt from NYFA is that your training as an actor will never end. I have an ongoing coach and she helps me with all my acting preparation, whether auditioning or preparing for a role.”

Muñoz shared that the most difficult parts of filming during Bullet Train were the intimacy scenes and insisted that respect is at the heart of intimacy work. “You have to have a high level of respect for yourself and your scene partner to provide a safe space for both. You are jumping into someone’s personal space,” As of late, the work of intimacy directors has been ‘essential’ for its importance in preventing and deterring abuse on set. “It’s known that in this industry, many times those [intimate] moments have been violated.” Muñoz adds, “that was my first kiss on camera, and it was harder than you would think it would be. I promise you a one-minute monologue is easier than that.”

A still from Bullet Train. Courtesy of VultureMuñoz’s preparation for Pam & Tommy was a little different, “One of the things they don’t tell you in school is that there is not such a thing as rehearsals on TV.” The alum goes on to describe the fast-paced nature of television work, “They give your lines, and they expect you to come ready to shoot on set.” Muñoz insists on joy and communication as a prime component of the actor’s experience on set. “It’s important to never forget to have fun and communicate with your scene partners.”

A lesson the alum learned while at NYFA, she notes, was the business of acting.“NYFA taught me how to start my career on my own, how to start putting myself out there, look for an agent, a manager, and how to build material to present myself to this massive industry.” This knowledge gave her the upper hand in many situations, “I’ve met so many actors that don’t know where to start.”

Brad Pitt in Bullet Train. Courtesy of VoxCOVID-19 has had a massive impact on Hollywood and the way cast and crew interact with each other on set. However, Muñoz suggests that the key to being a successful actor at this moment is patience and discipline. “Be very patient, work on your craft and try to keep the inspiration: read scripts, plays, and watch the movies and TV shows that you want to be part of.” She adds, “this is a tough industry, don’t allow distractions to get in your way, don’t give attention and time to anything that doesn’t serve your artistic and human purpose, and always be kind to the people that you work with.”

Andrea Muñoz also gave us the insider’s scoop on what it is like to work with a camera on set. “It’s trickier than we think,” she explains, “if there is a prop on set that you have to work with all the time and be aware of, but pretend that is not there, it’s the camera.” The camera is, in many ways, a scene partner. “The big productions cheat a lot in order to get better shots of actors or because of artistic reasons. In the real world, the camera is not static, it moves a lot, or it’s very close or very far, and you have to work with it. I love it.”

Bullet Train is now in theaters.

New York Film Academy congratulates Andrea Muñoz for all of her hard work!