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NYFA Australia GC Grad’s Music Video Featured on MTV

Damian Lang is a graduate of the New York Film Academy Australia, Gold Coast. His digital dialogue, “Diamond In The Rough,” has just come off its festival run, screening at four festivals and winning Best Student Short at the Colorado International Film Festival. Damian’s music video production for Gold Coast based DJ duo “Bombs Away” is also currently featured on MTV.

Damian says that NYFA helped prepare him for the real world of the industry through its hands-on approach. “As a filmmaking student, we were constantly creating and learning while performing multiple roles in a film-like environment,” he explains.

Currently working as a Locations Production Assistant on the latest Marvel feature shooting at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, Australia, Damian is also in post production for his latest music video produced for New Zealand rock-band “Mi-Sex,” as well as for his latest short-film entitled “The First Step.”

His advice to aspiring filmmakers is that “no one gets a free ride, the choices you make will define you.”

Check out Damian’s work on the latest music video for “Bombs Away” on MTV Australia’s website, by clicking here.

Victor Okoye Frank’s Award-Winning “Purpose”

Victor Okoye Frank came to the New York Film Academy from Nigeria to further pursue his passion for storytelling. “After college and research, I knew there was no better place to learn the precious art of storytelling than the prestigious New York Film Academy,” said Frank.

His first semester in the 1-Year Filmmaking Conservatory has been selected into a couple of festivals and won six awards including two from “My Rode Reel,” a competition that included over 1,500 submitted films from around the world. Recently, “Purpose” was nominated for Best Short Documentary and Best Director in a Documentary Award at the New York Short Film Awards (SOFI). The winners will be announced in December.

“I was thrilled to receive the announcement from Rode,” said Frank. “Being such a big company and having over 1,500 movies to sort through — mine came in the top 2 in the Judges’ best films. Also, from the SOFI awards, I’m hopeful for the best overall film, but I will find out in the coming month.”

“Purpose” is a personal film, not just of his story, but of countless people around the globe who struggle through daily activities, doing things that barely make them happy. “It’s a story of hope and of a revelation that ultimate happiness can be found in doing what you love, and there’s no better time to get to it than now,” the director says.

“I remember discussing the movie with my directing teacher [at NYFA],” Frank recalled. “He gave me tips of how to propel the story. Overall, my training at NYFA gave me a good boost toward perfecting the film.”

Frank is currently in pre-production on his first feature film “365.” He also runs a vlog about filmmaking, “Fourth Film,” which he says he attributes to the knowledge he received from NYFA.

Guest Lecture from Director Bruce Bilson

On Thursday, October 13^th prolific director Bruce Bilson brought more than just a lecture to the BFA Filmmaking students on the New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus, he brought the history of Hollywood with him. Mr. Bilson took over David Newman’s class for the day and spoke with the students about the “nuts and bolts” of directing.

Bilson’s notable credits include: The Flash (1994), Hogan’s Heroes, The Love Boat, The Six Million Dollar Man, Sanford and Son, Mary Tyler Moore, Get Smart, The Patty Duke Show, Bewitched, Dynasty, The Fall Guy, and Dinosaurs; to name just a few.

Bilson recounted the tale of filming The Andy Griffith Show title sequence. A six-year-old Opi, played by Ron Howard, would stroll in next to Griffith. They hit their mark as they walked down the dirt road, but when Howard had to throw the rock he couldn’t quite make the lake. After several failed attempts, Bilson decided to have the prop guy sit behind a bolder and throw the rock. Bilson said if you watch the opening the timing of the rock hitting the water is visibly off. But, that’s the only tell.

Bilson had some advice for the students. “Learn as much as you can about anything that interests you.” He credits his two years in the Air Force helped him direct an episode of Pensicola. “Nothing’s wasted,” he continued, “Lessons will come back to you.” He expanded by saying he hated taking the class that was most helpful to him, playwriting. Even though he never became a writer, being able to understand what made great storytelling was indispensable.

His final bit of advice was to, “Research your project.” The obvious job is to watch the show and knowing the stats on the most popular episodes. “Do the show you were hired to do.” Perhaps not so obvious is to know who all of the people involved in the show from the Executive Producer to the Office Production Assistant. Bilson encouraged his students to “Get to know the secretary. They control everything.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Mr. Bilson for taking the time to come speak with our students. You can continue to watch Mr. Bilson’s work in syndication everywhere.

Comedy Director Paul Feig Screens “Bridesmaids” at NYFA Los Angeles

On Wednesday, October 19^th, 2016, famed comedy director, Paul Feig, came to the New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his beloved film Bridesmaids. Feig’s prolific film and television directing credits include Spy, Ghostbusters (2016), The Heat, The Office, Nurse Jackie, Freaks and Geeks, and Arrested Development. NYFA’s Director of Industry Lecture Series and successful Hollywood producer, Tova Laiter (Varsity Blues, Glory) hosted the event.

Feig began the conversation by talking about his relationship with Judd Apatow. As the saying goes, “it’s not what you know it’s who you know.” A lot of Mr. Feig’s career has been closely tied with Apatow’s career. “I’ve known Judd since he was seventeen. If he produced something, I’d act in it.” When Feig made a short film, Apatow liked it so much he helped him to get Freaks and Geeks green-lit. And in 2007, Apatow once again called Feig, this time for a table read of an untitled female comedy about a wedding.

Feig said of that first table read, “I remember thinking ‘my gosh this is such a great vehicle for a bunch of funny women.’ Now, of course, this was the early days and the script needed a lot of work so I gave a bunch of notes. I called Judd (several months later) and asked him what happened. He said it was dead, so that was the end of that.”

Three years later Feig got a call from his agent saying they were trying to revive the “bride movie.” The first name Feig thought of was Kristen Wiig. He had cast her in her first film role, “Unaccompanied Minors,” a few years before and “instantly fell in love with her.”

When he started looking at how he was going to approach filming the script he used a standup comedy trick; write a bunch of jokes and then test them on audiences. The jokes with the best laughs stay in the movies, everything else is left on the cutting room floor. “I like doing action stuff. How can I make it physical and suspenseful so you’re scared and screaming at the same time? To get that kind of reaction out of the audience is a good time,” Feig said.

One student asked, “When it comes to directing is there a difference between working with stand-up comedians as apposed to straight actors?” Feig responded, “Most of the funniest people I work with are really funny. If they’re going all out I usually tell them to pull back. [Directing] it’s really kind of guiding them. That safe environment is really important. Actors need to feel they can make mistakes. Let them try everything and don’t ever be punitive with them.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Paul Feig for taking the time come speak to our students. Ghostbusters is now available on DVD, and look out for his next film Song of Back and Neck coming out in 2017.

Drone Presentation at NYFA Los Angeles

On Thursday, October 13^th, 2016 representatives from DJI came to the New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus to talk to the producing students about the opportunities drones bring to novice filmmakers.

The event began with a presentation exploring the different types of drones available for sale and to rent. After explaining the differences between a Mavic and a Phantom 4 it was time to explore how to use a drone in your film. Many think of the aerial helicopter shots being done for less. But, the presentation explored using a drone to replace everyday film equipment like a dolly track, steady cam, and a crane. Individually each piece of equipment could cost thousands of dollars to buy or rent.

After the presentation, the students went to the parking lot to try their hand at flying the drones. Before the test flights began, the importance of contacting local law enforcement and air traffic controllers prior to filming was stressed to the students. Newest drone on the block, the Mavic, was the first out the gate. The stats on the Mavic are impressive: 24 high-performance computing cores, an all-new transmission system with a 4.3 mile range, a five vision sensors, and a 4K camera stabilized by a three-axis mechanical gimbal can be controlled with just a thumb.

Next, students flew the Phantom 4. The drone is controlled by an iPad and attached controller. It was Sherdell Turner’s, 2016 BFA Filmmaking, first time flying a drone. “I want to shoot a movie with nothing but drones. I’m putting my vision together now.” Aysha Radwan, 2014 BFA Filmmaking, said, “I would want to shoot a movie with this. I could replace a crane and a dolly for the interiors of my next film.”

Filmmaking professor, Richard Freidman, originally conceived the idea of bringing DJI to come speak to the students after using one of their drones on his own project. “Drones are an important tool for filmmakers,” he stated. “Not enough people use it. Drones are revolutionizing how people make movies. Any film I’m shooting will have a drone on set at all times.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank DJI for presenting their drones to our students. If you’d like to learn more about the products and services DJI provides you can find more information by clicking here.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY PARTNERS WITH JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY’S SWAN GROUP TO HOST DOCUMENTARY FILM FORUM

The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Women’s Alumni Network (SWAN) of Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the New York Film Academy (NYFA) have joined forces to launch a unique Documentary Film Program. As a start, the partnership has planned for a series of three events that intends to spotlight issues and trends in global development, leveraging the diverse technical expertise of JHU and SAIS alumni, and use the power of documentary film to uncover a featured story. The Forum premiered at NYFA’s Battery Park campus on the evening of October 21, 2016.

“We are so thrilled and honored to collaborate with SAIS Women’s Alumni Network of Johns Hopkins University,” said NYFA’s Senior Executive Vice President, David Klein. “SWAN’s focus on international relations and humanitarian efforts across the globe so closely align with our mission.”

In the first event of the inaugural SWAN-NYFA Documentary Film Forum, award-winning filmmakers Marie-Helene Carleton (JHU ’99) and Micah Garen shared a human perspective of the Syrian refugee crisis in the documentary “Light on the Sea: One Woman’s Story from the Front Lines of the Refugee Crisis.” Following the screening, International Rescue Committee’s Bob Kitchen, Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Sarah O’Hagan (SAIS ’86), IRC Board Co-Chair, discussed the broader repercussions of the refugee crisis and the international humanitarian response. The discussion also included a surprise Skype visit from Neda Kadri, the Syrian American woman in the film, who volunteers in Lesvos, Greece, helping refugees disembark from the inflatable rafts that bring them from the Syrian coast.

Every day, thousands of refugees arrive at Europe’s doorstep by land and sea. According to IOM and UNHCR estimates, one million refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe since December 2015, pressuring governments, humanitarian organizations and the international community to respond.

With over 11 million Syrians fleeing their homes since the start of the war and 13.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance, Syrians comprise the largest group of asylum seekers in Europe.

“Every day we read news headlines peppered with alarming statistics about the refugee crisis. Last night delved deeper,” said SAIS alumna, Emily Howells (’08), who introduced the event on behalf of SWAN. “The filmmakers’ personal accounts and experiences revealed the human element behind the crisis, connecting our relatively comfortable and secure lives in the U.S. to the plight and desperate reality of tens of thousands of individuals and families.”

The SAIS Women’s Alumni Network was founded to position SAIS as a leader on the issue of women’s leadership within the international relations community. Their global network aims to equip SAIS leaders with the skills, knowledge and tools necessary to excel in international careers.

David Klein noted, “The New York Film Academy is dedicated to bringing filmmaking and the visual arts to the far reaches of the world to give people the skills to communicate the immense challenges so many are facing. Examples of NYFA’s efforts in this regard includes recent outreach and training programs for Cuban filmmakers, African filmmakers and Saudi women filmmakers. Often, through this type of communication, people join forces to intervene, lift others up, and even save lives.”

“As our gender inequality in film infographic based on a study conducted in 2012 clearly shows, women are severely underrepresented in our industry,” said Klein. “For example, in 2012, of the top 250 films released, only 9 percent were directed by women. Half of the world’s population are women, and their voices need to be heard.” NYFA Documentary Chair, Andrea Swift, further stated that the “New York Film Academy strives to help alleviate the inequality that exists in the film arts.”

The goal of bringing awareness to and creating dialogue around these pressing issues was certainly achieved in this first NYFA / SWAN event.

The Academy and SWAN aim to have the second part of the series in March 2017.

NYFA LOS ANGELES WELCOMES DIRECTOR PAUL FEIG

The New York Film Academy Los Angeles held an exclusive fifth anniversary screening of the hit comedy, “Bridesmaids,” with special guest, director Paul Feig.

The comedy director has established himself as one of the top comedy directors in Hollywood, having directed such films and television series as “Spy,” “Ghostbusters” (2016), “The Heat,” “The Office,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Freaks and Geeks,” and “Arrested Development.”

NYFA’s Director of Industry Lecture Series and Hollywood producer Tova Laiter moderated the evening’s Q&A.

The opening topic of conversation began with Feig’s relationship with Judd Apatow, as they’ve worked on a number of projects together. “I’ve known Judd since he was 17,” said Feig. “If he produced something, I’d act in it.”

Back in 2007, Apatow called Feig in for a table read of an untitled female comedy about a wedding, which obviously went on to become “Bridesmaids.”

“I remember thinking, ‘my gosh this is such a great vehicle for a bunch of funny women,’” Feig recalled. “Now, of course, this was the early days and the script needed a lot of work, so I gave a bunch of notes. I called Judd [several months later] and asked him what happened. He said it was dead so that was the end of that.”

Three years later, Feig received a call from his agent saying they were trying to revive the “bride movie.” Feig immediately thought of SNL’s Kristen Wiig, who he had cast in her first film role in “Unaccompanied Minors” a few years prior.

Feig implemented a standup comedy trick — write a bunch of jokes and then test them on audiences. The jokes with the best laughs stay in the film; everything else is left on the cutting room floor. “I like doing action stuff. How can I make it physical and suspenseful so you’re scared and screaming at the same time? To get that kind of reaction out of the audience is a good time,” Feig concluded.

Feig’s most recent film, “Ghostbusters” is now available on BluRay and VOD. His upcoming film “Song of Back and Neck” will be released in 2017.

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.

Award-Winning NYFA Filmmaking Alumnus Talks “Money”

UPDATE (10/18/17): “Money” by Martín Rosete is now streaming on Netflix!

Martín Rosete came to the New York Film Academy in 2007 thanks to La Caixa Fellowship Program in Spain. “At that time I could not even dream everything what I was about to learn at NYFA and all the opportunities it would provide me in the professional world,” said Rosete.

After attending the Two Year Filmmaking Program, Rosete went on to direct the short film “Voice Over,” which won numerous awards at festivals all across the world.

From there, Rosete went on to direct the feature film, “Money,” which continues to gain buzz on the festival circuit. The movie stars Kellan Lutz (“Twilight saga,” “The Legend of Hercules”) and Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Cabin in the Woods”).

On November 5th, the film will premiere in NYC at the Big Apple Film Festival, and on November 4th it will play in LA at the Egyptian Theater as part of the Arpa International Film Festival. Next year, the movie will be commercially distributed worldwide.

We had the opportunity to speak with the award-winning director and NYFA alumnus before his upcoming premieres in NYC and LA.

Congrats on all of your success! Can you tell us about your new film, “Money”?

“Money” is an elegant thriller that talks about human greed and how money (and the lack of it) can affect different individuals from different backgrounds. We tried to do it as universal and commercial as possible, and we are really happy with the final movie.

VOICE OVER (English subtitles) from Kamel Films on Vimeo.
How did this film come about?

After directing my short film, “Voice Over,” which won over 100 awards in film festivals and got a nomination for the Spanish Academy Award (Goya), I felt that I was ready to jump and direct my first feature film. I started to read a bunch of scripts that my agent (at WME at that time) sent me and, in the end, I found the script for “Money.” I felt it was perfect for my first feature. It was contained, commercial, fun, with great characters and dialogue. I fell in love with it.

I teamed up with Atit Shah, an American producer based in NY, and we decided to produce it together. It took us a little bit of time to put all the pieces in place, and I have to say that it is been an exciting and fun process, and we are already planning to repeat the team for our next film.

What was the most rewarding aspect of the production?

Probably the cast we got. It was amazing to have the opportunity to work with so many talented actors such as Jesse Williams, Kellan Lutz, Jess Weixler, Jamie Bamber and Lucia Guerrero. And besides the talent they have, I will be always thankful for the professionalism and commitment they showed on set. It was a dream to work with all of them.

How did your NYFA education prepare you to direct “Money”?

I am from Spain, and the time that I spent at NYFA helped me a lot in understanding the way things are in the industry, in the US; and the fact that we were literally shooting every week also helped in having the opportunity to try different things without any fear of failing. That is really important to be prepared for the real world after your studies are over, and I am really happy to have had that opportunity.

You’ve had tremendous success at the film festivals. Can you provide any advice to students about to enter their films into festivals?

Film Festivals are the main door to the professional world. Being in the big ones and winning awards gives you the visibility that you need to find the right producer, agent, or investor interested in your work. My work has been selected in more that 500 film festivals, winning over 200 awards. The only secret is to have something good to show out there and to have the energy to find the resources to distribute your work in order to get as much as possible out of it.

Is there anything you can tell us about distribution for “Money”?

The movie was completed in April 2016 and it is doing great in film festivals. About the commercial life of the movie, it has been sold to many territories and we are negotiating a deal with a studio right now. I would love to be more specific, but unfortunately I cannot reveal more yet. All I can tell you is that in 2017 “Money” will have worldwide distribution.

What kind of advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers and NYFA students looking to direct their first film?

Whatever you do, do it right. Even if you are doing a small practice with no budget. Try your best. Put all the energy and passion to get the best out of it. Sometimes the result won’t be great but you may get a good lesson that you can apply in the next shooting. I always joke with my crew, even on low budget sets, telling them that we have to face the shoot as if we were doing “Ben-Hur,” because that kind of commitment from everyone makes the difference. And besides all that, for me, it is very important to do things this way to show the respect for the profession and for the professionals involved.

Are you currently working on any other projects that you’d like to share?

Yes, as I said, Atit and I are working on a wonderful dark comedy called “Remember Me” written by Rafa Russo. The script was one of the top scripts of the year on The Black List, and it is one of the best scripts that I have read in my life. We are super excited because we know we have another winner on those pages. I cannot wait to start shooting!

GOLDEN GLOBE-WINNING ACTRESS JACQUELINE BISSET
SCREENS “THE LAST FILM FESTIVAL”

The New York Film Academy welcomed Golden Globe-winning actress Jacqueline Bisset to its Los Angeles campus. The Guest Speaker Series event, moderated by producer Tova Laiter and Acting for Film instructor Phil Kaufman, began with a screening of director Linda Yellen’s “The Last Film Festival.” The film revolves around a struggling producer, played by the late Dennis Hopper, who enters an obscure film festival as his last hope for his failing film. Yellen’s film is about passion and hope when everything is going wrong.

“Women directors have to adjust, particularly to the men,” Bisset said about working with the female director, Linda Yellen. “That was a big lesson to me. Female directors can’t behave like me. Their voice level, their tone, their gestures all have to be controlled at all times. The minute she gets a bit wobbly, everyone jumps on her and tries to seize control.”

As an award-winning actress, Bisset broke into the business at a young age in Roman Polanski’s “Cul-De-Sac.” From there she went on to work with many other renowned directors on major motion pictures and television series, including “Bullitt,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” and, more recently, on FX’s “Nip/Tuck.” Given her extensive background as an actor for film and television, she was able to relay some valuable advice to the audience of aspiring actors.

“Educate yourself,” she said. “We are the breath of other people. We have to empathize with the world and people around us. What you have in your eyes will tell a story. You emanate in your energy and passion. It’s about the make-up and the costumes, of course, I think if you educate yourself you become a more interesting person which means you have more to give. Don’t have a silly life. Try to have a deep relationship soon. All of that stuff.”