Page 24 – NYFA

Q&A with NYFA Australia Acting Alum Prem Sagar

NYFA Australia Acting for Film Alum Prem Sagar is an actor, dancer of various disciplines. Prem Sagar studied at The Temple of Fine Arts in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur. There, he learned and performed a variety of traditional dance forms, including Bharata Natyam, Odissi, Zapin, and many more. After completing his studies at The Temple of Fine Arts, he moved to Kuala Lumpur, where he developed a passion for the stage and began his theater training.

After several years of performing as a dancer and theater actor, Prem Sagar decided to further his education at the New York Film Academy Australia.

While studying at NYFAA, Prem Sagar worked on Dome House Six, a film by NYFAA alum Stephen Osborne that screened at the Gold Coast Film Festival in 2022. Prem Sagar spoke with NYFA about his passion for dancing and acting, the value of a theater background and what his studies have taught him.

New York Film Academy (NYFA): What brought you to the New York Film Academy?

Prem Sagar (PS): My journey has been such a weird journey. I always thought I was going to be a dancer because I was a classical Indian dancer for about 25 years. But I always felt like I was missing something. I got an opportunity back home in Malaysia to be an extra on a movie set and then I was bitten by the acting bug as they say. Everything I have done prior to that, I had trained for. I had knowledge in what I was doing but with acting I was like, I don’t know what I’m doing. It just so happened that NYFAA had an open day, I attended and then I immediately just signed on because I’ve always been a person who loves practical learning more than theoretical learning and NYFAA is very practical.

NYFA: What are some of your artistic inspirations, your favorite actors or your favorite era in cinema history?

PS: Malay actor P.Ramlee is looked upon as one of the legends of cinema and TV back home in Malaysia. He brought a lot of change into the cinema world. Even today you can watch his films and they stand the test of time. Some other actors I loved watching when I was growing up and still do: Denzel Washington, Robert Sheehan, Michael Fassbender.

NYFA: What do you hope that people take with them after seeing your work in Dome House Six?

PS: I’ve always said, even when I used to play characters in stage plays and musicals, I want to be remembered as an actor that played a diverse range of characters and roles convincingly. I hope Micah makes them feel something emotionally and mentally as they are watching Dome House Six; and I hope they remember my performance in Dome House Six for many years to come.

NYFA: What did you like most about the script when you first read it and what stood out the most about your character?

PS: When I first read the script, it was so fresh and so unique. I was blown away. It’s so character driven and I don’t think I have read or watched something like it before. I was like, this is real because trying to find or do something fresh and original is difficult.There’s not so much originality left in the world. Whatever we do, it is basically something we’ve seen or heard from somewhere else but the script it was so fresh and unique for me.

My character Micah is a man of many, many layers, and I love characters like that. It gives you the opportunity to build and add so much of yourself and depth to the character. For example, Micah loves routine, loves to have everything in control and those qualities are very much alive in me: I love my routine, I love being in control of my outcome and everything.

NYFA: What was the audition process like?

PS: Stephen [Osborne] messaged me one day and said, ‘hey, do you want to come over for a read?’ He had written this script and he wanted to hear voices for his characters. So I said, ‘Yeah, cool, I’ll come over and help.’ And then when I got there, he said, ‘Oh, by the way, this is your audition, so no pressure.’ A week or two after that, he messaged me again and asked me to send him a self tape. I did that. A week after that, I had a chemistry read with two different actresses and then after the chemistry reading he reached out and said I got the role.

NYFA: And what was your experience making the film with another NYFAA alum?

PS: It was really just amazing. Stephen is a legend. I’ve known him for almost three years now and even before meeting him, I’ve only ever heard people say amazing things about him. On set, he was very thorough with his work. He gave each of us the space and time to get into character, he was very specific about what he wanted and he gently nudged us where we needed to be. It’s just been a dream to work with him. Look out for his name in the future is what I’m trying to say.

NYFA: What has been your favorite project so far?

PS: Definitely Dome House Six.

NYFA: What did you learn at NYFAA that you applied directly to this project or other projects that you’ve done?

PS: Well, I applied basically everything that I’ve been taught at NYFAA because I came into the acting world with zero knowledge about screen acting.

NYFA: What did NYFA help you understand about acting?

PS: I learned so much. It’s not just learning your lines and delivering it in front of the camera. It’s so much more. It’s building your character, building another human being with the essence of yourself.

NYFA: Anything else you have to say?

PS:I would say that if you’re doing this program, if you want to be an actor, get into theater as well because that has helped me so much. One of my teachers said, ‘it’s easier to bring down an actor that is giving too much. I find it easier to ask him to contain it a bit more; but if the actor is not giving anything at all, it’ll be more difficult to bring something out of them.’ I think theater training helps in that aspect a lot. It definitely gives you a step up one up over everyone else who doesn’t do theater.

The New York Film Academy is proud of Prem Sagar and all of his accomplishments! We look forward to seeing more of his work.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) WELCOMES SCRIPT CONSULTANT MICHAEL SCHULMAN

New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the honor of hosting a live video Q&A with Michael Schulman to discuss his script analysis work for Netflix with NYFA students and alumni. Tova Laiter, Director of the NYFA Q&A-List Series, curated and moderated the event.

Michael Schulman was a script consultant for streaming powerhouse Netflix in the Original Independent Film (OIF) division. He has presented several well-received webinars on the state of screenplay development and acquisition process at Netflix and has been interviewed and frequently quoted in the industry media about the future of screenwriting and filmmaking in the streamer age.

Michael began his career at the longest-running talent agency, William Morris Agency, as an agent trainee and assistant to the worldwide head-of-talent where he worked with top actors including Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage, Denzel Washington, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nicole Kidman. After a move to ICM, and upon promotion to agent in the motion picture literary department, Michael began representing emerging screenwriters, directors, and producers, brokering the deal for Danny Rubin’s screenplay Groundhog Day to director Harold Ramis.

Michael ultimately switched from the agency world to the buyer side as VP of Development for Alec Baldwin’s company, Orion Pictures and then for Dennis Quaid’s company at TriStar. Michael later had a brief stint at Barry Mendel Productions on the Disney lot where he was involved with the acquisition, development and production of Rushmore, The Sixth Sense, and Munich. Michael spent two years as head of development for Michael Mann’s company where he worked on Ali, The Aviator, and Texas Killing Fields.

Schulman began the conversation by walking the audience through the details of his work as a script consultant at Netflix. “It was very simple … I was a story analyst, a reader, I would be one of the first nets of incoming materials that came in from the outside world through agents, management companies or l producers.” After reading the material, he would write a report in “Netflix language” that allowed executives to conceptualize the project and in the report, Schulman would state why the script was (or wasn’t) worth pursuing. “I would be kind of like the first line of defense,” he joked. Due to Netflix’s high-quality mandate, Schulman cites that only a very small number make it to the next step in the production process.

Netflix, led by NYFA Guest Speaker Ted Sarandos, was the first of its kind when it launched in 1998 as a mail-based DVD rental site. The company has since revolutionized movie-watching and streaming. Gone are the days of communal movie-watching, audiences are watching films by themselves. This individual viewing experience plays a huge role in the kind of films Netflix produces. Schulman states “Marvel is a communal experience, Netflix isn’t made for a communal experience. It’s made for sitting alone in your bedroom or with your partner … it makes for a different kind of movie.” The films on Netflix are more intimate “they dig deeper into the character and mine greater drama out of the smaller moments of life.”

When Laiter asked what distinguishes a writer from the pack, Schulman replied, “Writers that have a voice, do original work or think slightly out of the box but with elements that are comfortable and familiar. That gets noticed by Netflix.” Netflix is interested in work that breathes new life into the familiar. He cited Ben Affleck’s, The Accountant as an example.

Schulman also cited Blumhouse Productions’ remake of James Whale’s The Invisible Man as an example of thinking outside the box while using what’s familiar and comfortable. The 1933 film is about a scientist who discovers a potion that makes him invisible and allows him to sneak in and around places undetected. Blumhouses’ version of the film, starring Elisabeth Moss, focuses on the victim who is stalked by the invisible man. The film explores themes of domestic abuse and gaslighting while paying homage to its source material.

The Invisible Man remake (left), original The Invisible Man (right).

Netflix is also interested in diversity but Schulman warned that diversity is not just characters of different races, ethnicities or sexual orientations but also characters that see the world differently. Schulman cited Coda, the English remake of the French-Belgian film La Famille Belier, where a young girl sets out to help her deaf parents with their struggling business while trying to pursue a career as a singer. In Coda, the character’s communication informs the way they see the world offering viewers a fresh perspective in an otherwise familiar storyline.

When asked for advice for emerging screenwriters, Schulman encourages them to “write what you know” and he insists that though the production/pitching process seems daunting, “good material does find a way of getting made.” He also makes a case for writers pacing themselves and their craft, “.. to learn skiing, you start on the bunny hills and conquer those, you don’t get okay on the bunny hills and then go immediately to the black diamond run and start trying to write a big multi-faceted musical, or a big movie, or espionage pieces.”

Another recommendation Schulman provides for up-and-coming screenwriters is to find like-minded creatives whose interests and projects align with your own. Writers, after figuring out their script’s ‘comps’, should seek production from producers who make the kind of work they can creatively identify with and pitch projects to production companies that have a history with the genre they’re exploring.

Michael Schulman closed the session by thanking Laiter for the conversation and encouraging students to reach out to him on his social media channels like LinkedIn and Stage32, where he does script consultations when time permits.

New York Film Academy would like to thank Michael Schulman for sharing his time and experience with NYFA students and alumni.

To hear the full conversation, click the video below:

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 Acting Alum Adlih Torres Debuts in Final Season of This is Us

May 20, 2022

In 2015, writer Dan Fogelman began developing This is Us as an 80-page movie script for ABC Studios. In 2016, This is Us premiered as a series on NBC, focused on the lives of siblings as they combat personal struggles of body image, race, addiction and more while also dealing with the death of their father. The show and its cast have received great praise, winning multiple awards including, an Emmy award, NAACP Image Award, a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performances.

NYFA Acting for Film alum Adlih Torres is a Puerto Rican actress who spent some time in Spain before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Torres graduated in December 2021, a month later she booked her very first role on national TV, Beatriz on NBC’s This is Us. She spoke with NYFA about the work that inspires her and the pursuit of more Latinx representation.

What brought you to the New York Film Academy?

I wanted to study acting and go to Los Angeles. The New York Film Academy popped up as an ad while I was watching a movie on my phone. Once I looked into it, I was convinced it was destiny and I had to go to LA to NYFA.

What made you fall in love with film and TV?

Alot! Starting with Barney and Friends, everything on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. As well as anything Angelina Jolie was in, anything Johnny Depp was in. They made me want to be like them and be a part of their world.

What are some of your artistic inspirations?

Everyday life actually. I find inspiration in everyday life, the people I’ve met around the world, the situations I’ve been in and situations my friends have been in, all of it ties together.

What do you hope people take with them after watching your performance in This is Us?

I want people to know that this is only the beginning and that more representation of Latinx people is on the way.

What was the audition process like for This is Us? How did you prepare?

I believe I had like less than 72 hours before the deadline. I got the audition while I was at work at night and I freaked out. I reached out to my coaches and we got to film the next day late at night but I didn’t get my footage until the next morning when it was submitted. I didn’t hear back until the next day at my other job and I freaked! The process itself, it was fun. I blasted Bad Bunny on my way to coaching and during the self tape, I just had fun. I brought a lot of my own personal experiences to the character.

What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to your work and to your work on This is Us?

I used what I had learned about on-set etiquette. While at NYFA, I learned how a set works, what goes on while shooting and the preparation for a take. Those things definitely helped me feel more at ease, more at home when I got to the set of This Is Us.

NYFA Acting Alum Adlih Torres Debuts in Final Season of This is Us

What was your favorite part of working on This is Us?

Meeting the rest of the cast in the scene with me, meeting the director Zetna Fuentes and the writer of the episode, Jonny Gomez. They are all amazing people and I felt right at home. 12 hours on set felt like 3 hours!

What other projects are you working on or do you plan to work on? Do you have any projects coming up?

As of now, I’m just auditioning and working on my craft. I’m in the pre-production stage of my short film Where The Fish Swim and we’re getting ready for filming.

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

The advice I would give is, don’t worry about other people and what they’re doing. Focus on yourself and your craft. Put in double the work. Go above and beyond, don’t just do the bare minimum. Plan out the props for the wardrobe, trust me it will help! And also, a lot of people will tell you different things, including teachers. Just take it in, see what resonated with you and give it a go! And most importantly, it’s okay to fail. I have failed multiple times in life as well as academically, but I never gave up.

The New York Film Academy is proud of all Adlih has accomplished in such a short time. We look forward to seeing her performance on This is Us on Tuesday, May 24th at 9pm on NBC.

Q&A with ‘Station Eleven’ Showrunner Patrick Sommerville

New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the honor of hosting a live video Q&A with STATION ELEVEN Showrunner PATRICK SOMERVILLE to discuss the writers room, the importance of having a voice in Hollywood and bad drafts, with NYFA students and alumni. Tova Laiter, Director of the NYFA Q&A-List Series, curated and moderated the event.

Patrick Somerville is a successful novelist and screenwriter with a television deal at Paramount Television Studios. His most recent work includes the hit mini-series, Station Eleven, which he created, based on the best selling novel by Emily St. John Mandel. He wrote and executive produced the show and received rave reviews for the series. Station Eleven was nominated for a Peabody Entertainment Award, and Somerville was nominated for
a USC Scripter Award.

He also created, wrote, and executive produced the critically acclaimed Maniac series, starring A-list actors Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. The film received two nominations from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Producers Guild of America (PGA). Somerville also served as writer/producer on the HBO drama The Leftovers starring Justin Theroux and got his start in television writing on the FX drama The Bridge and FOX’s 24: Live Another Day.

Somerville’s writing appeared in The New York Times, GQ, and Esquire. He is a MacDowell Fellow and the winner of the 2009 21st Century Award, an honor awarded annually by the Chicago Public Library.

He grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and later earned his MFA from Cornell University.

During the Q&A, Patrick Somerville shared that as a young boy in Green Bay, Wisconsin he made movies with hi-8 camcorders. He would then edit them using VHS. The guest’s ambitions of being a director started early on, but growing up in Wisconsin, limited in his connection to Hollywood, he transitioned his career ambitions to writing because, “I can do that by myself,” Somerville shared. Fiction did not require the kind of connections necessary to make movies in Hollywood.

Somerville went on to write two collections of short stories, Trouble (2006) and The Universe in Miniature in Miniature (2010) before getting agent representation. He also wrote two novels, The Cradle (2009) and This Bright River (2012). The Cradle was nominated for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Award. It was also a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick for Spring 2009, a Target Emerging Writers Pick, and a New York Times Editor’s Choice. This Bright River was a New York Times Editor’s Choice as well, and The Universe in Miniature in Miniature was short-listed for the 2010 Story Prize.

After cold calling publishers, he got published. He was then contacted by an agent who recommended Somerville try screenwriting. After which, he wrote a pilot out of a short story he had in mind, and submitted it to Hollywood agents and managers who loved it. He won his first writing job for The Bridge, an FX drama series that follows two cops as they hunt down a serial killer.

When asked the difference between a writer and story editor, Somerville stated, “there is none. It means nothing. There’s a hierarchical tier in the writer’s room and the bottom rung is the staff writer followed by the story editor.” After a year in a writer’s room, a writer graduates to story editor, followed by executive producer and co-producer. “It’s a tiered, hierarchical ranking system.”

Hindsight is 20/20; Somerville remarks that what made a difference in his career was: time! “The advantage that I had was that I wasn’t 23, I was 33. I was always very ambitious in my twenties … my ambition outpaced my technical skill.” Somerville spent some of his career as an educator and as a teacher, he exercised skills in listening, collaboration, and group work. It turns out his work as an educator was preparing Somerville for the writer’s room. The
writer’s room is a breeding ground for ideas. Pitching, collaborating and knowing how to navigate group dynamics are essential skills. “I think it’s important to listen to ideas that aren’t yours, a lot; and to ask yourself why you don’t think they’re good or why you do think they’re good.”

Throughout the conversation Somerville encouraged students to have a voice, to bring themselves to the writing, “make sure you’re there in the script somehow … you gotta flash who you are,” stated Somerville. The guest insists on the importance of tone as well, reminding the audience that when a producer is reading a script it needs to be brought to life. Similar to fiction, a good story should jump off of the page.

When asked about writer’s block and how to combat it Somerville said, “On the days when you don’t feel like you’re good enough, write a couple of things anyways. The critic in you should not be empowered to tell you that you’re not a good writer.” In regards to not knowing where a piece is going, Somerville says,
“write a bad draft anyways … When you get to the end of the thing, you learn about the thing and then you go back..”

Somerville was adamant about the contribution of the creative crew behind Station Eleven. Citing the collaboration of the cinematographers, costume designers, lighting crew and music, as a huge component of the show’s success and hoping that both the students and the voting EMMY members will recognize their talents.

New York Film Academy and Tova Laiter would like to thank Patrick Somerville for sharing his time and writing experience with NYFA students and alumni.

You can watch the full conversation in the video below:

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 Filmmaking Alum Sidney Esiri’s First Feature Film

NYFA Filmmaking Alum Sidney Esiri‘s journey has not been linear. Instead, it has wrapped around the Nigerian entertainment industry, health industry and military. Esiri, commonly known as Dr. Sid, is a singer, producer, director and former dentist.

Prior to working in the music industry, Esiri graduated from the Nigerian Air force Secondary School in Ikeja. Shortly after, he attended the University of Ibadan to study dentistry and dental surgery.

Esiri is the son of a Nigerian fashion designer and trailblazing actor, Justus Esiri. Justus Esiri is known as a pillar in the Nollywood film industry with a career dating back to the 1960’s. Most notably, he starred in the film adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. It is no surprise that his only son, Sidney Esiri, took after him. After several years of making chart-topping music, Esiri starred in his first film The Last 3 Digits in 2013 and made his directorial debut in 2015 with The Application.

This June, Esiri debuts his first feature film, The Order of Things, in theaters across Nigeria.

The Order of Things brings humor and levity to the topic of marriage traditions among siblings. The film has been in development since 2017.

Ahead of the release of the film, Esiri shared the trailer for The Order of Things on Instagram. In the post, he references his time at the New York Film Academy. “7 years ago I attended the @newyorkfilmacademy to learn how to be a filmmaker. In 2022, I’m making my directorial debut, Glory to God . Please enjoy the #Firstlook of The Order of Things Movie.

#TOOTMovie”

Sidney Esiri shared with NYFA that the most important thing he learned while studying filmmaking at our NYFA Los Angeles campus was the importance of “putting together the right team with the right work ethic” and the importance of “having the right processes in place to ensure proper workflow. Proper planning and pre-production will make the shooting process easier.”

Lastly, Esiri says “NYFA will give you the building blocks needed to express your imagination as well as put you in a space with other creatives that will challenge you to be better.”

NYFA congratulates Sidney Esiri on all his successes. We look forward to seeing The Order of Things in theaters June 10th, 2022!

NYFA Acting Alum Anatolii Panchenko Stars in French Hit ‘Infiniti’

NYFA Acting Alum Anatolii Panchenko Stars in French Hit 'Infiniti'

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Acting for Film alum Anatolii Panchenko (Анатолий Панченко) was cast in the acclaimed mini-series, Infiniti. The series premiered at the Cannes International Series Festival, an independent association that aims to highlight series from around the world. This year the Cannes International Series Festival celebrates its 5th anniversary but the festival has already climbed the ranks of note-worthy festivals with highly-anticipated premieres. Past screenings and premieres include #FreeRayshawn, Killing Eve, Call My Agent!; and in April, Infiniti, produced by French powerhouse Canal +, premiered Out of Competition alongside Halo.

The mini-series was directed by French director Thierry Poiraud (Black Spot, Don’t Grow Up, and Goal of the Dead) and written by Stéphane Pannetier (Research Unit, Les Ombres Rouges) and Julien Vanlerenberghe (Les Ombres Rouges, Famille d’accueil), the series follows a crew aboard the International Space Station after discovering the murdered corpse of a fellow astronaut on a roof in Kazakhstan. Now in search of the culprit, a French astronaut and Kazakh cop work together to solve the crime.

Poiraud, Vanlerenberghe and Pannetier sat with Canal + to discuss the hit series. Vanlerenberghe says that the series was born out of a shared desire between him and Pannetier to create a project about outer space but from an “earth point of view.” The duo was inspired by spaceports like Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan (leased to Russia) because the spaceport is in the middle of nowhere and is not often depicted in cinema or TV. Poiraud told Canal+ that the trio found it difficult to scale their ambitions for the six-hour long mini-series. Once they began filming, they faced financial and geographical complications: Kazakhstan was far-removed and production was costly. However, Vanlerenberghe insists that constraints give birth to ideas. The show evolved, day by day, until the last day of shooting.

Infiniti is an ambitious series, the show was filmed in France, Kazakhstan and Ukraine and was filmed in three languages: Russian, French and (primarily) English. NYFA Alum Panchenko starred alongside a stellar international cast: Céline Sallette (France), Daniyar Alshinov (Kazakhstan), Vlad Ivanov (Romania), Lex Shrapnel (England), Karina Arutyunyan (Uzbekistan), Ellora Torchia (England), Laurent Capelluto (Belgium), Jarreth Merz (Switzerland), and Samal Yeslyamova (Kazakhstan). There was not a shortage of languages on set, amongst the cast and crew a total of six languages were spoken.

The efforts of actors like Anatolii Panchenko, the creators, and production crew proved to be successful. Since its premiere at Cannes International Series Festival, the show has garnered wide acclaim for its ambitious blend of sci-fi, mystery and romance. Read more about Anatolii’s work on Infiniti as well as his feature in a OnePlus Nord 2 5G commercial.

The New York Film Academy congratulates NYFA Acting for Film alum Anatolii Panchenko for his work on Infiniti!

Q&A with NYFA Documentary Filmmaking Alum Anna Khromova

The boom microphone first appeared on a film set in 1929 and since then it has been an indispensable part of audio film production. Though it looks simple, (holding a boom mic out of frame, making sure it doesn’t fall on someone’s head, etc.) operating a boom mic requires technique and precision. Boom Operators work closely with production sound mixers by operating boom microphones, selecting and placing radio microphones, and maintaining the audio equipment. New York Film Academy (NYFA) 6-Week Documentary Filmmaking alum-turned-faculty Anna Khromova has been working as a boom operator since completing the program. Since her time as a student, her projects include work alongside notable names including Neil Patrick Harris and Gigi Hadid.

Anna Khromova spoke with NYFA about her role as a boom mic operator, her work out routine and what it takes to work on set with boom mics.

New York Film Academy (NYFA): What brought you to New York?

Anna Khromova (AK): At some point in my life, I found myself too comfortable and decided I needed a challenge. So I quit my engineering job at a construction company in Moscow, where I worked as a Project Manager, and decided to explore other places. Moscow is a huge, vibrant city with a crazy fast pace of life. So when I was picking my destination, I looked for a city with the same kind of energy, if not more energetic and energizing. New York seemed like an obvious choice. And as you can see, the city still keeps inspiring me.

NYFA: Do you enjoy being a boom operator?

AK: Being a boom operator is a very challenging job, physically and mentally. You can ask my students and they would absolutely agree. So, it would be impossible for me to do my job without being absolutely in love with it. Production Sound Mixing is a very special profession. We are among a few first people who watch a film before anyone else. It is a truly special moment to witness a great performance so up-close and to be able to hear every little nuance of its sound.

NYFA: What made you fall in love with the boom?

AK: I fell in love with sound while I completed the 6-week Documentary program at the New York Film Academy. I was fascinated by how colorful and magnificent the world around us sounds through a microphone. I was hooked immediately and never looked back. While in school, I realized that something I enjoyed the most was actually being on a film set. So, I started to look more in-depth into the crew positions specifically that were not directing, production, or editing. The production sound team seemed like an obvious choice: I really loved doing it, I could afford to buy the whole sound gear package from the very beginning, and the demand is constant and only keeps growing.

I also love that my job quite literally takes me places; because of sound I found myself standing on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial in front of thousands of people during the historic March on Washington for the feature length documentary Black Girls Ride, in a middle of the desert at the Joshua Tree Park shooting a horror feature film Falling Stars, and in the train that was rented to run between New York and New Jersey for hours to shoot a scene for The Inspection by Elegance Bratton.

NYFA: How did you become a NYFA instructor?

AK:New York Film Academy – NY Chair of Cinematography Piero Basso texted me that the school was looking for a new Sound Instructor and that he and Andrea Swift, the Chair of Filmmaking and Documentary departments, thought that I would be the perfect match. I could not have been more happy and honored to hear that. Andrea always was one of my favorite teachers at NYFA and a role model.

After graduation, I worked on over 300 different projects, including feature-length narrative and documentary films, TV shows for major TV channels, pilots, short films, music videos, commercials, corporate videos. Now, as a teacher, I have all kinds of stories to illustrate every aspect of sound recording and boom operating to my students.

NYFA: What’s the one piece of equipment you can’t live without?

AK: This is the easy one. It’s my “blue” mic or Schoeps CMIT 5U Shotgun microphone. I can change recorders, wireless systems, and boompoles, but as long as I have this microphone on me, I am confident that I will make everyone, including the post-production crew, happy with my sound.

NYFA: What’s the hardest part of being a boom operator?

AK: The hardest part of my job is waiting. Waiting on lights, waiting on talent, waiting on reset of the set. We do a lot of waiting and it’s what I struggle with the most. When I am running behind the Steadicam operator, booming a scene, recording an interview, I am doing the job I love and fully engaged in the process. I don’t have a specific arms routine, but I enjoy climbing a lot. I think climbing and bouldering are two perfect activities for those who want to strengthen their arms and upper body. It’s a great combination of stretching and muscle.

NYFA: Who’s been your favorite fashion icon you’ve worked with on set so far?

AK: This is a hard question since I was fortunate to work with many talented designers and models. But yes, I do have my favorites. Don’t tell anyone. I love working with Gigi Hadid! She is a hard worker and the sweetest person. And believe me, after 12-hour shifts, it becomes obvious who is a nice one. Of the designers, I admire Peter Dundas, who let us in his magical world of fashion for the documentary TV series that we were shooting during New York Fashion Week. It takes a lot of nerve and patience to let a film crew follow your every step during the most important and stressful event of a year.

NYFA: What other projects are you working on right now?

AK:This week, I am covering a statue opening in Madame Tussaud Museum, recording several interviews for the documentary film, and shooting 2 commercials. And I still have one day off, which is exciting because not all of my weeks have days off. No complaints here; as you may remember, I love being on a film set!

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

AK: I would like to say thank you to [New York Film Academy] for asking these questions and sharing my story. I think it essential to share our stories with new filmmakers who are just at the beginning of their careers and might have a lot of doubts about themselves. When I enrolled at NYFA, I didn’t have any experience in film and had very minimal knowledge about the film industry in general. But I dared to try and now, I couldn’t be happier about that decision. I also post a lot of videos from film sets on my social media, not only to share some tips and tricks on recording sound but, first of all, to show that if I could do it, you can do it too.

NYFA Alum Manuel Garcia Rulfo Stars in the Netflix Series The Lincoln Lawyer

NYFA Alum Bill Hader's Barry Season 3 Is Still Killer

The first iteration of The Lincoln Lawyer starred Mathew McConaughey as Mickey Haller in 2011. The film was based on the first book in the series by the same name, penned by acclaimed crime fiction novelist, Michael Connelly (Bosch). The film was successful, it received positive reviews and grossed $87 million (over a projected $75 million) and most importantly, according to Connelly fans, the film was true to the book.

But there’s a new Lincoln Lawyer in town: NYFA One-Year Acting for Film alum Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. Rulfo is Mickey Haller in the Netflix Original Series The Lincoln Lawyer.

The movie’s novelist, Michael Connelly spoke about the new series and its leading man on a blog post and said, “Manuel is the ideal Mickey Haller, who is following in the footsteps of his attorney father with the showmanship of his Mexican movie star mother,” Connelly continued, “He brings a powerful dynamic and dimension to the role — one that aligns with the books and brings authenticity to the Latinx heritage and roots of this Los Angeles-based story.”

The new Netflix series, set to premiere May 13th on the streaming platform, picks up where the first film left off and chronicles the second book in the series, The Brass Verdict. In the book, Mickey Haller is a criminal defense attorney who practices law out of the back of his Lincoln town car, driving throughout Los Angeles; but a new case reveals a conspiracy that goes deeper than he could have imagined. The new series is helmed by legendary producer David E. Kelley (The Undoing, Big Little Lies) known for creating captivating legal dramas. Kelley was himself an attorney before turning to show business and he is the series’ showrunner, writer and executive producer alongside Michael Connelly.

The Lincoln Lawyer series has been years in the making, eleven years to be exact. After the successful premiere of the film in 2011, there was talk of a film franchise for the book series. However, when that fell through the focus shifted to a TV series. The series was originally set to premiere at CBS before landing at Netflix.

Manuel Garcia Rulfo spoke with the former Chair of the Acting Department and current Creative Director of the Acting Department, Lynda Goodfriend, about the upcoming series during a Q&A. He shared with NYFA students that he prepared for the role by reading the first and the second book in the Connelly series. Rulfo shared that although the character Mickey Haller was easy for him to understand, filming the series was a challenge for him. He confessed that is was the hardest project he’s worked on, “The work it requires, the tough hours, everyday you’re shooting long dialogues … you have to go day by day and come home at 9 o’clock at night and try to learn for the next day 11,14 pages of dialogue in a language that is not yours.”

Check out the rest of the interview below!

Q&A with NYFA Acting Alum Danny Olabi

Bobby Diggs, better known as the music artist “RZA,” is leading man to the hop hop music group Wu-Tang Clan and had been in search of a biopic that portrays the legendary music group for almost 10 years before Hulu produced the series, Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga.

The Emmy-nominated series follows the music group’s formation and Bobby Diggs’ original vision for Wu-Tang Clan as he strove to unite a dozen young, black men torn between music and crime. Wu-Tang Clan eventually rose to great heights and became one of the greatest success stories in Hip Hop history. Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga premiered to a sea of great reviews and was recently renewed for a third season.

New York Film Academy Acting for Film 2-Year Conservatory alum Danny Olabi played the role of Poppy in the series’ second season.

Olabi spoke with the NYFA about his work on the set of Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga, his newest projects and his advice on collaboration.

New York Film Academy (NYFA): When did you know you wanted to pursue acting?

Danny Olabi (DO): I have been interested in acting since I was a little boy. I’d watch TV and movies and think to myself, “Wow this is so cool and it looks like they’re having so much fun.” I’d come up with short film ideas and shoot them with my siblings and cousins on my iPad. As a kid I never really dwelled on the idea of actually going for it because it seemed so far-fetched. Around the time of my high school graduation, I started to think about my future. I was watching High School Musical with my mom one day and I just said, “Mom, I think I want to be an actor.” she responded, “well why aren’t you going to acting school?” and the rest is history.

NYFA: What was your first TikTok? What about the TikTok platform do you absolutely love as an actor?

DO: My first TikTok was a repost of an old skit I posted on Instagram. Mostly because I didn’t know how to use TikTok yet and it was a good way to just get some content on there. You know, get myself started. What I love about Tik Tok is that it gave me an opportunity to stay creative when I had nothing else to do. As actors, it can feel like we have to wait to be hired to create. Or if we create our own stuff we need a ton of money. With Tik Tok, all I needed was some ideas and my iPhone. Not only did I build an audience, I was able to generate some income and still do till this day.

NYFA: Who is your all-time favorite actor? Why?

DO: My all-time favorite actor is none other than Will Smith. Growing up, I would watch The Fresh Prince with my brothers. And Will was one of the first people outside of my family that I looked up too and could relate to. To see a young black man who’s from the hood out here chasing and achieving his dreams was awesome! He was cool and funny! I wanted to be like him. Because of people like Will I’ll never give up. Because I never know who I’m inspiring. Just like Will inspired me.

NYFA: How was your experience on Wu-Tang: An American Saga?

DO: Working on Wu-Tang: An American Saga was awesome. I got to meet the director the day before we shot my scene and right away I felt welcomed and comfortable. The first question he asked me was how I felt about Poppy and how I saw things unfolding in the scene. Coming into your first big acting gig is nerve racking, however the team’s openness and collaborative spirit was reassuring.

NYFA: What prepares you to get into character on set or in casting calls?

DO: The process is different for every role. I’ve learned that for some roles, to do as little as possible. If the character resonates with me really well, I just learn my lines, soak up the circumstances, and dive in. Everything I learned in school and in the industry has helped a lot. Beats, actions, objectives, etc. But the main thing that I’ve learned on set and being in audition rooms is to craft and then let the work go and live in the moment. That’s easier said than done, but it’s something I continue to practice as much as I practice technique because it’s just as important.

NYFA: So far, which project has been your favorite?

DO: I’ve been a part of some great sets. One that comes to mind is a short film I did called The Remixes. It was a sleep away set and the cast and crew were so fun to be around. Being away with an amazing group of people for 5 days on a beach house doing what we love. It doesn’t get much better than that.

NYFA: What is one of your fondest memories of your time studying at NYFA?

DO: It’s so hard to choose. My time at the academy left me with priceless relationships and memories that I will always cherish. If I had to choose one it would be the moment after my second-year classmates and I finished our final physical theater performance. Preparing for that performance and learning that craft, although it was fun, was one of the hardest things we ever endured as young artists and we leaned on each other for strength and support during that time. We were like our own little family. After the final performance, we all huddled together in the dressing room and just had a moment of appreciation for one another. We congratulated each other and just loved one another for just being there. This is vulnerable work and having the right people by your side can make or break you. I’m glad I had them.

NYFA: How did completing your Acting For Film program at NYFA support your dreams?

DO: It gave me a foundation. Although nothing is exactly like learning through actual experience, the NYFA instructors did a really good job of giving us an idea of what real set experiences are like in the classroom. So when I went out there and started auditioning and working, nothing was completely foreign. I remember my first time on a TV set. While they were setting up the shot I asked the DP what my frame was. He was so shocked as if he doesn’t usually hear that from a young actor. But based on what I learned in school I knew that the frame size could affect the way I delivered my lines.

NYFA: What other projects are you working on?

DO: Right now I have two short films set to hit festivals this year. I played a supporting role in a French New Wave film called Wet Seal Cigarettes. I also played the lead role in a Brooklyn Western film called Cowboy Killer. I’ve also written a few of my own things to exercise my creative muscles. Some monologues I plan to shoot on location soon. They are characters I could really see myself playing so I will post them on my Actors Access and social media to show casting directors what I can do. I also have a comedy sketch called Women Bring Out The Real You in post production. It was shot by NYFA’s very own Miguel Garzón Martínez.

Wet Seal Cigarettes draws its inspiration from the French New Wave Movement that swept through France in the late 1950s. The movement gave us Francois Truffaut’s 400 Blows, Agnes Varda’s Cleo from 5-7, Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, and many other iconic films.

NYFA: Is there any advice you’d like to share with current NYFA students?

DO: As I have mentioned before, this is vulnerable and challenging work that we do. Trust yourselves, be patient and surround yourself with driven, hardworking, good people. Former AFF chair Peter Allen Stone told me something that has always stuck with me. He said, “Some days things will feel amazing and you’ll feel like the best actor in the world. Other days not so much. You’ll feel stuck and worried about your progress and even question if you’re good enough.” That’s completely normal and every artist goes through it. Just embrace it all and charge it to the game. Positivity is key. Focus on the love for the craft we all have and the amount of work you put into it because at the end of the day that is all we can control.

The New York Film Academy is proud of Danny Olabi’s latest work and wishes him success in his future projects.