Page 232 – NYFA

Pokémon Go Hunt with Creative Director and NYFA Instructor John Zuur Platten

New York Film Academy hosted its first ever Pokémon Go hunt this month at the Los Angeles campus. About one hundred students, faculty, and fans joined Creative Director at Niantic Labs and Game Design Instructor at New York Film Academy, John Zuur Platten, to try and catch ‘em all.

Throughout the evening shouts of, “I leveled up,” “I just took this gym,” and “Oh my god, it’s *insert favorite Pokémon here*” filled the air. In the end, someone took over two gyms, several eggs were hatched, and a Bulbasaur made a surprise appearance just as the event wound down.

The event then moved inside for an industry meet and greet. Game Design students snacked on Poke Ball pizza while talking shop. Ideas for future games were exchanged as well as talk about whether virtual reality or augmented reality would be a better sell to the gaming community.

Finally, it was time for the main event. Platten threw away the traditional Q & A process and instead decided to have an open forum, allowing anyone to ask a question as it came up. An excited buzz ran through the audience as Platten began to break down the ins and outs of Niantic.

The majority of the talk was focused on Niantic’s breakout game, Ingress. Ingress shares many similarities with Pokémon Go, but instead of three teams, there are two: The Enlightened and The Resistance. Each team is trying to own portals that pop up all over the world. The Resistance wants to keep whatever’s trying to come through the portal out of their world. The Enlightened believe there’s something to be gained from whatever’s trying to come through.

There’s no violence within the game and, like Pokémon Go, the players don’t have to interact with one another to play. In fact, many fans of Ingress don’t play the game. Instead, they head online, where Niantic has created a wide series of gaming extras. This includes YouTube videos, comics, and short stories that tell extra parts of the story. This media is often cryptic mysteries that participants can solve, netting their team extra points.

Like Pokémon Go, Ingress has lots of fanatics. People make flags, costumes, and pins with the team’s sigils and show up for mass real world meet ups. Fans also have a civil service side. Many have seen encouraging memes asking players to drop lures outside of children’s hospitals so the very ill can play. Platten recalled a story where a famous Ingress player in need of a wheelchair received one through community donations and support. He recalled another story of an autistic teen who was barely able to leave his room until Pokémon Go was released. That teen’s mother said she felt as if she had gotten part of her son back. “That’s a pretty great magic trip,” Platten stated.

NYFA Instructor’s “Summer of 8” in Theaters Sept. 2

New York Film Academy Los Angeles instructor Ryan Schwartz’s debut feature film, “Summer of 8,” is scheduled to be released in select theaters and all VOD platforms on Sept. 2nd, 2016. Schwartz has also recently started a new production company, Object In Motion, which is producing a true crime documentary, and he is currently attached to direct “Cadence,” a character driven sports drama set in the world of ultramarathons.

A Santa Monica, California native, Schwartz remained close with his high school friends and says his film is about that time in his life. “‘Summer of 8’ is about eight best friends sharing one last summer day together before heading off to college,” said Schwartz. “It’s a special day because they all sort of intuitively know things will never be the same again, so they really try to soak it all in.”

“Summer of 8” stars Shelley Hennig as well as Carter Jenkins (from the upcoming MTV series “Sweet/Vicious”), Matthew Shively, Natalie Hall, Michael Grant, Bailey Noble, Nick Marini, Rachel DiPillo and Sonya Walge. The film has already been written about in Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, which wrote, “With an appreciation for the bittersweetness of summer’s last rays, first-time director Ryan Schwartz celebrates youth, beauty and mixed emotions over a daylong gathering at the beach. [SUMMER OF 8] strikes universal chords…the cast of twentysomethings deliver effective moments and a credible group chemistry…alive with flirtatious uncertainty.”

With Schwartz’s release less than a month away, we thought we’d have a chat with the filmmaker to get a little more insight into his debut film.

NYFA has a special thanks credit for the film. What was your reasoning behind that?

NYFA is great about encouraging and supporting its faculty. They also provided grip and electric equipment, which I will be forever grateful for.

Can you tell us how you secured distribution for this film? What was that process like?

We shot most of film in Newport Beach, CA, and fittingly we premiered in April at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It was a blast. Most of the cast and crew came out and we sold out both shows. After our screenings we had several sales agents and distributors approach us. We were absolutely thrilled that FilmBuff decided to take us on.

Were there any lessons you learned from making this film that you were (or will be) able to pass on to your students?

I would say there’s two things that really crystalize for me. The first lesson is quite simple: there is no magic fairy dust secret to making good movies. People make movies. If you want to make a good movie, you need to surround yourself with talented, smart, generous, wonderful people. If you do that, you have a chance. If you don’t, you don’t. I am so grateful to my unbelievable cast, and to my entire crew who worked tirelessly for very little money.

Which brings me to my next lesson: in the world of low budget filmmaking, the most important currency you have to offer is your passion/energy for the project and your gratitude for those who have rallied around you. That passion and gratitude is really the fuel that keeps everyone going.

What advice do you have for filmmakers who are getting ready to shoot their first feature?

Take a lot of deep breaths and trust that you’re ready. We shot “Summer of 8” at a lightning pace…10 days! Things were moving so fast. The key for me was to stay calm and collected, stay truly ‘in the moment.’ And to remember, I’ve spent my entire life fighting for this opportunity. It was finally here, so I made sure to enjoy every moment of it. And I did. It was an absolute blast.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY SCREENS “SAUSAGE PARTY” WITH SPECIAL GUEST SETH ROGEN

The New York Film Academy Los Angeles had the privilege of hosting an evening screening of “Sausage Party” with the incredibly talented Seth Rogen. The versatile actor, writer, director, producer reinvented the animation genre with his R-rated take on humanized food that soon discover their inevitable fate of being eaten by humans. The idea for this film could only come from the mind of a man who has spent nearly his entire life honing his craft while collaborating with some of the most brilliant comedic minds in the business.

Beginning early on in his career as a teenager from Canada, Seth Rogen first began developing his comedic chops on the stand-up stage. It wasn’t too long until he was discovered by Judd Apatow for the role of Ken Miller in the critically acclaimed “Freaks and Geeks,” which has since garnered a large cult following. From this show, Rogen developed close bonds with Apatow.

“Most of the people I’ve worked with, I’ve known since before I was 20 years old,” said Rogen to a packed theater of NYFA students and alumni. “When you find people that around whom it feels good, you desperately want that. It’s like an insulation. Nothing makes me more secure creatively than seeing basically all these people in this movie in close vicinity to me. If I’m on set I feel so much better if Jonah or Franco or Craig or Danny are there. They’re just incredible at their jobs.”

Following “Freaks and Geeks,” Rogen’s career continued to excel at a rather rapid pace eventually leading to his leading role in Apatow’s “Knocked Up.” The film was both a critical and financial success, opening the doors for Rogen and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, to work on almost anything they wanted to. As we witnessed with the controversial and national security fiasco, “The Interview,” and now “Sausage Party,” there is nothing off limits for these two innovative minds.

Rogen said the initial idea for “Sausage Party” came about almost as a joke between him, Goldberg, and friend and collaborator Jonah Hill. From there, it blossomed into something that could actually be produced.

“Honestly, it came about from a love of Pixar movies,” said Rogen. “Let’s do a really [screwed] up version of that.”

In addition to Pixar movies, Rogen recalled some of the more raunchy comedy films that he admired in high school like “There’s Something About Mary,” and “South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut.” Somewhere in the mix of these two genres, Rogen and his team came up with “Sausage Party,” which wasn’t necessarily easy to pitch at first.

Even with all of the success he’s had, Rogen and his team spent almost ten years trying to get someone to finance the film. Luckily for him (and us), he found Megan Ellison from Annapurna to help make their hilariously original idea come to life.

The entire evening with Rogen at the Warner Bros. Theater was like being in a live version of one of his films, with off-the-cuff jokes and, sometimes unconventional, advice that was both beneficial and laugh-out-loud hilarious.

“Feeling confident in what you’re doing is the most important thing,” Rogen concluded. “Just never stop. [Screw] it. That’s the idea, I guess.”

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.

NYFA Doc Grad Justin Young to Tour with Colbie Caillat

One of the more enticing aspects of the New York Film Academy’s short-term programs is the fact that students can learn an artistic craft that may be outside of their main creative focus. As for NYFA Documentary grad Justin Young — who joined the program with such a strong background in music — the 6-Week Documentary Film Workshop was exactly what he was looking for. Faced with a hectic schedule of touring as a musician, Young was able to gain the knowledge he’d hope for within the time frame of the short-term program.

Young, who is very well known in the Hawaiian music scene, has released several albums to date. He’s also toured with his girlfriend Colbie Callait, as well as Gavin DeGraw.

We had a chance to catch up with Mr. Young before heading off on another US tour with Colbie called The Malibu Sessions Acoustic Guitar.

What made you decide to join the New York Film Academy Doc program?

I’d been trying to find another creative outlet, besides music, for a while. Always loved non-fiction form of storytelling — books, radio programs and of course documentary films. The fact that NYFA offers a 6-week course was really appealing. I could totally immerse myself and see if it was something I wanted to pursue without the long commitment.

Were there any films or influencers that made you decide to learn documentary filmmaking?

There have been so many. As a kid, I remember watching Hoop Dreams many times and wanting to find more movies like that — not knowing exactly what documentaries were. Later, Capturing The Friedmans was one that totally floored me. More recently, a movie like Keep On Keeping On, that really shows some beautiful human connections made me want to contribute something like that to the world.

How would describe your overall experience? What did you achieve or produce during your time at NYFA?

It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It was really bittersweet when the program ended. We got a lot of info and tools jammed into the first week and then were sent out to make things. Personally, I learn best this way and with no filmmaking experience, this really shortened the initial learning curve for me. It also bonded all of my classmates. We all became very close and still keep in touch and joke of a reunion someday. I also felt like the teachers took the time to get to know us and help us individually, meeting us wherever we were in our filmmaking.

You have a very strong background in music — do you have any ambitions to bring your musical background to a film or documentary project?

Definitely, plan on doing some scoring for some of my own projects. I think that’s something I can uniquely bring to the table – and it helps with the budget!

How did your relationship with Colbie Caillait come about?

We met through mutual friends in the LA music scene 10 years ago. Shortly after that, Colbie asked me to join her band and I became her guitarist and eventually Music Director. After a few years of working together we started dating and are now engaged. It’s great to be able to travel and work with your best friend.

Can you tell us about this current tour / publicity (Billboard Live, Rolling Stone, etc.) w/Colbie for GOLDMINE?

We’ve been out and about promoting Colbie’s new single, Goldmine, which took us to The Today Show and performances at Billboard, Rolling Stone and Paste, to new a few. We are doing a US tour in October called The Malibu Sessions Acoustic Tour. I’ll be opening the shows with my own set, as well as playing with Colbie.

Any personal meaning behind the song? Or do the two of you have a personal favorite song?

I wrote and produced one song on her new album entitled Runnin’. It’s about her struggle to adjust to life on the road, and on stage, and finally finding a comfortable place to be with it.

With social media being the force it is, where do you see the future of music going for you and other artists?

Hard to say. Things are changing so fast for all of us creative people. It is important to stay up on the latest ways to share your work and engage your fans. But really I think what doesn’t change is people will always crave real stuff. Express something that’s honest and truthful and there will be an audience for it.

When and where can we see you and Colbie sing?

All tour dates are up at colbiecaillat.com, and I have new music and a new website launching soon at kawikayoung.com

Summer Camp Students Film on Universal “Western” Lot

The New York Film Academy had a huge day on the Universal Backlot last Thursday as the tweens, teens, and Young Storyteller summer camps hit the Western lot to shoot twenty different films in just eight hours. Universal is the largest studio in the world and the Western set is one of their oldest and most recognized.

Students gathered on the set at 8am and were led a thorough safety meeting. Once the meeting wrapped, students broke into groups and set out across the lot to location scout. Potential sets included a saloon, stables, an apothecary, and façade of a stately home.

Stories ranged from a tale of a sci-fi superhero, who’s been pushed around one too many times, to a standoff in a barn. The students explored every genre from romantic comedy to horror. The films shot on the lot will be screened at New York Film Academy for students and their families.

One of New York Film Academy’s acting students, Katisha Sargeant, said of her experience, “These kids humble me. Watching their passion for film has renewed my desire to pursue this craft.”

One student said of her experience, “I’m glad we had a lot of time to think about the story before we got here. You just have to trust in your training and your crew and hope for the best.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Universal Studios for their support and use of their lots.

NYFA Attends Fox 2016 Television Critics Association

Twice yearly the Television Critics Association gathers to cover the upcoming Fall and Winter programming from major television networks. This year, the New York Film Academy attended the Fox 2016 TCA tour. Fox is putting a more diverse network in its sights this Monday at the Beverly Hilton. The new line-up goes way beyond racial diversity. Fox is expanding the idea of animation on television, the roles women might play in major league sports, and who can play traditional roles.

Pitch

With Fox’s new show, Pitch, starring Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker the first female pitcher to play on a major league baseball team. Creator and Executive Producer, Dan Fogelman, believes it’ll only be a matter of time before we see a woman in one of the four major sports currently played in America. Fox also brought us the first Black President in the early two thousands with their show 24. Tony Bill, Executive Producer, said the show was pitched ten years ago and predicted the future we live in now, where it’s just a matter of time before a woman plays in the majors.

The show isn’t just about baseball. What drew many of the creators to the project is the character of Bill Baker, played beautifully by Michael Beach, who is the show’s “sports dad.” Think about Serena and Venus Williams’ father or Tiger Woods’ father. Who are the men behind the child? What do they sacrifice and what drives them? For Bill Baker, it’s the fact that his father wasn’t there to help him get to the majors. He topped at the minors. Baker swore that he would be there for his son. He has a daughter.

This is where the story begins, a father making sure his daughter has everything she needs to be the very best. So, the show wouldn’t be too bogged down in men, Ginny is given a publicist, Amelia Slater, played by Ali Larter. Both women have to navigate male dominated industries as women at the top of their game.

Son of Zorn

Son of Zorn will join The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and Family Guy on Fox’s Sunday night lineup. The show is a family sitcom about a divorced dad trying to reconnect with his estranged son after ten years. One caveat: Zorn, played by a subdued Jason Sudeikis, is an animated barbarian. Yes, you read that right. In the live action world, he is the only animated being. Instead of slaying dragons, he’s trying to land a steady job. His son, a shy kid, and his ex-wife, re-married to Tim Meadows, aren’t too interested in having him back around. Zany antics are sure to ensue in this very weird and bizarrely brave new show.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Fox is also pushing the envelope with The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Televised musicals have been prime time gold for network television companies trying to find their way in a streaming dominant world. Rocky Horror is taking a very definite step away from the original by embracing the camp cult culture that has surrounded the film since its original release in 1975.

Costumes are adorned with bright sparkles and lots of feathers; the album is brighter with a stronger emphasis on rock music. One reporter asked point-blank why have a transgendered woman play a transsexual? Lou Adler, Executive Producer, said that Dr. Frankenfurter is an alien. Both Cox and Curry played the role as a person from another world. That’s what they wanted to focus on.

Victoria Justice said of the opportunity to play Janet Weiss, “Another generation will be singing Time Warp…I get to sing Touch Me. This is so exciting.” Executives clearly have the Rocky Horror fans, and the soon to be fans, in mind when crafting this film. They employed the fan club president to make sure the film stayed authentic.

They also added a crowd to the film. This is a weird kind of experimental twist on Mystery Science Theater 3000. It allows fans that love to participate in the action a chance to do so in their home. It also introduces new fans to crazy traditions of the fandom.

Live social media interaction and the buzz around theater trained Lavern Cox, who has a five-octave range and will be playing the lead, nearly guarantee a high viewer turn out. Whether it’ll be a hit or not is something for which we’ll have to wait to see.

The Exorcist

Next on Fox’s plate is the television remake of The Exorcist. Creator and Executive Producer, Jeremy Slater, said he knew right off the bat he couldn’t write each season about a newly possessed family. No one tunes in for jumps and gore. The story has to come first. Evil has larger ambitions. They’re not just after one girl.

There will be Easter Eggs for fans of the original series, and Slater insists that this is a continuation, not a remake. In his version, there are two priests, Father Tomas Ortega, Alfonso Herrera, and Father Marcus Keane, Ben Daniels, who are fighting to save the daughter of the Rance family. The matriarch of that family is Angela, played by Geena Davis. Davis said The Exorcist (1973) is the best horror film ever made.

Gotham and Lucifer

The Gotham and Lucifer panels went up at the same time. Immediately there was some concern about why Clara Foley had been replaced with Maggie Geha as the shows’ Ivy Pepper. Producers, Ken Woodruff and John Stephens, said the show is about growth and it was time for Ivy to grow from a timid fifteen-year-old to a sixteen-year-old who might be more willing to hurt people. (I could write about reactions here, but they’re mixed and I don’t know if we want to upset any potential future guests.)

Lucifer will continue its exploration of adult children trying to work through familial issues, this time by introducing Lucifer’s mom into the mix. Some in the crowd voiced skepticism when they learned the actress playing the role, Tricia Helfer, was only a few years older than Lucifer actor, Tom Ellis. Show Producers insisted that Helfer was the best actress for the job, not to mention the supernatural aspects of the show allow for the suspension of disbelief.

Finally, the time came to showcase the number one show on basic cable, Empire. Taraji P. Henson was there, along with Executive Producers Ilene Chaiken and Sanna Hamri. Season three’s focal point will remain on the Lyons, however, this time Cookie is determined to leave Luscious.

Taye Diggs will enter the series as a potential love interest for Cookie. To which Henson responded, “…he wished.” Mariah Carey, who has already finished filming her role, will play Kitty a, “mega-superstar who comes to Empire to collaborate with Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett) on an explosive new song.” Carey also has a story with lead character Jamal, played by Jussie Smollett, where she helps him acknowledge some personal difficulties.

With its Fall 2016 line-up Fox continues its push for more diverse content. A mix of strong new content, listening to fan reaction, and a dedication to reinvigorating long-standing projects, Fox has set itself apart from other networks who’ve decided to stand close to their traditional programming; a gamble that’s already netted Fox big viewership rewards.

NYFA LOS ANGELES INSTRUCTOR TO DEBUT “SUMMER OF 8”

New York Film Academy instructor Ryan Schwartz’s debut feature film, “Summer of 8,” is scheduled to be released in select theaters and all VOD platforms on Sept. 2 , 2016. The film stars: Shelley Hennig, Carter Jenkins, Matthew Shively, Natalie Hall, Michael Grant, Bailey Noble, Nick Marini, Rachel DiPillo, and Sonya Walge.

A Santa Monica native, Schwartz remained close with his high school friends and says his film is about that time in his life. “‘Summer of 8’ is about eight best friends sharing one last summer day together before heading off to college,” said Schwartz. “It’s a special day because they all sort of intuitively know things will never be the same again, so they really try to soak it all in.”

Schwartz shot most of the film in Newport Beach, CA, and fittingly it premiered in April at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

“If you want to make a good movie, you need to surround yourself with talented, smart, generous, wonderful people,” said Schwartz. “I am so grateful to my unbelievable cast, and to my entire crew who worked tirelessly for very little money.”

Schwartz continues to work on projects under his new production company, Object In Motion — which is producing a true crime documentary — and he is also currently attached to direct “Cadence,” a character-driven sports drama set in the world of ultramarathons.

NYFA Australia Instructors to Join Port Shorts Young Filmmaker Masterclasses

New York Film Academy Australia and Port Shorts Ambassadors will be participating in Port Shorts Young Filmmaker Masterclasses with teams of high school film students in Cairns and Mossman on August 18th and 19th. New York Film Academy Australia instructors Brian Vining and Dean Mayer will join Screen Queensland production incentive and attractions Manager Gina Black.

2016 Port Shorts Film Festival Call for Entries with Ambassador Stephen Curry from Port Shorts Inc on Vimeo.

Port Shorts Film Festival ambassadors Stephen Curry (The Castle, The Cup), Wolf Creek EP Matt Hearn and screenwriter Kier Shorey (Blurred), will deliver a free workshop in Port Douglas later this month. With a prize pool worth more than $15,000 up for grabs, the Port Shorts Film Festival shines the spotlight on the imagination of Australia’s most creative minds, with a support network geared to stimulate the next generation of filmmakers.

Port Shorts Film Festival Director Alison George said organizers were delighted to bring up such a well-credentialed film industry panel for the benefit of the Far North Queensland filmmaking community.

“Port Shorts is very proud to present the free Port Shorts Masterclass Series and we would like to thank Festivals Australia for helping to fund the workshops as well as our Ambassadors, New York Film Academy Australia and Screen Queensland for supporting us with their involvement,” said George.

The main Port Shorts Film Festival is held in Port Douglas October 28-29. For more information, please visit www.portshorts.com.

Broadcast Journalism Update for Mid-August

Investigative journalism is difficult. Not only do you have to uncover facts that some people (often many people) want to keep secret, but it can also be expensive. Committing limited resources to a story that may never see air is a bold move. Yet more and more U.S. TV stations are getting back into the investigative reporting business, and according to a recent article in the Washington Post, it could help save local TV news. That’s because unique stories like these differentiate a station from its many competitors, and are far beyond the scope of online aggregators and digital news platforms.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention NYFA graduate and award-winning investigative reporter George Colli. Colli mounted an amazing probe into how defective concrete resulted in the collapse of the foundations of hundreds, perhaps thousands of homes in Connecticut. While he is now a Washington, DC correspondent for Cox Media, NBC-Connecticut is still pursuing the story.

We should also acknowledge WNBC reporter Lynda Baquero, who visited NYFA earlier this year. The station has built an entire consumer protection unit around her, and has pledged to investigate every consumer complaint that it receives.

If you are a regular reader of these updates, you know we often discuss the impact of Vice Media. This time, however, we’re not talking about its business model. Instead, we want to emphasize just how adept they are at getting “the story behind the story.” In this case, it is a feature on how reporters (especially freelance reporters) learn basic combat first-aid before they venture into war zones. As the headline accurately states, it is the kind of training that could help them stay alive. Similarly, it might allow them to save the life of an injured colleague.

On a far happier note, NYFA Broadcast Journalism grad Gillian Kemmerer is down in Rio covering the Summer Olympics. As Asset TV looks at the world through the lens of business and finance, that means stories about ratings as much as gold medals.

Staying with the Olympics, the New York Times produced a fascinating hybrid-journalism story on American swimmer Ryan Lochte. (You know, the guy who is really sick and tired of being compared to Michael Phelps, and for good reason.) Part print report, part new media, part full motion video. It is a great example of how the lines separating different forms of journalism have blurred.

Great to see NYFA alum Emilie Olsson’s latest story for TV Expresse/Nyheter in Sweden, even if it is about a guy who burned down his neighbors’ home while they were away…

NYFA graduate Bryanna Reynolds had a lot more fun covering The Helpmann Awards, where Australia’s outstanding stage performers are honored. And once again it was a “sister act,” with Bryanna doing the interviews and her sister Alaina Reynolds shooting. (But who did the editing, Bryanna?)

Finally, following her graduation from the NYFA Broadcast Journalism summer session, Grace Shao is back in Beijing. She is in the process of completing her financial journalism Masters degree program at Tsinghua University. Once that is wrapped, she will be joining CCTV as a reporter/editor in their English language news unit. It’s a real accomplishment to land a job like this before completing a degree program. Grace says she learned a number new skills during her stay with us. 祝贺! (Congratulations!)