Page 260 – NYFA

Jane Hanson to Speak to Broadcast Journalism School

Three-time Emmy Award winner, and veteran broadcast journalist, Jane Hanson returns to the New York Film Academy 17 Battery Place campus on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:30am. Jane was for many years the anchor of Today in New York on WNBC, then went on to host her own prime time series Jane Hanson’s New York. She will be telling students in the NYFA Broadcast Journalism program the “behind-the-scenes” stories of how she put these programs together, including a “stand-up” that had her leaning out a ninth floor window at 30 Rockefeller Center. Equally important, she will discuss what it takes to be on-the-air, and will offer pointers on what “to do” and “never do.”

This workshop will take place on Tuesday, January 12, and is open to all current NYFA Broadcast Journalism students, as well as incoming and prospective students.

For more information, contact Bill Einreinhofer, Chair of the Broadcast Journalism program, at [email protected].

NYFA Grad’s “Ore Ru” Premieres in Paraguayan Theaters

On December 25th, 2015, the documentary Ore Ru premiered in Paraguay at theaters nationwide. The film, from up and coming director Armando Aquino, captures Pope Francis’ latest visit to Paraguay in July of 2015. Ore Ru was produced by the production company Maneglia Schembori, where New York Film Academy graduate Mariana Pineda was put in charge of production.

The 75-minute film recounts the wait for the Pope’s arrival in Paraguay from the prospective of four different Paraguayans:

Gaby, a 13-year-old girl from one of the poorest neighborhoods in Asuncion
Mafe, a 16-year-old girl who fights a terminal disease
Margarita, a 53-year-old indian native from the Ache community who fights for the survival of her culture
Tati, an 18-year-old survivor from one of the greatest tragedies in Paraguayan history, Ycuá Bolaños

“The film presents these four very different viewpoints that portray how we are and how we feel as Paraguayans,” said Pineda. “And, above all, it shows how far are we willing to go for what we believe. Because this film is more about the four stories that are recounted here than about the Pope itself, we were very involved in these women’s lives. We were very touched because they all fight their own battles and still, they have so much hope and they fight every single day. It really was an amazing, touching and humbling experience. And even though it has the Pope as the main focus, it’s not just a religious movie — people from all backgrounds and beliefs can watch it and not feel as if we are trying to send a religious message.”

As a producer at the production company, Maneglia Schembori, which includes Paraguayan film directors Tana Schembori and Juan Carlos Maneglia, Pindea is currently developing the comedy-adventure film Los buscadores (Seekers), their follow-up to 2012’s box office and festival hit action thriller 7 Boxes.

Highlights from the 2015 NYFA Broadcast Journalism School

You have probably noticed that, as the holidays approach, many news programs are offering “year in review” stories. There are two reasons for this… First, from a news perspective, things are slow. Even the President of the United States is taking two weeks of vacation. Second, among those also on vacation are a large number of reporters, producers and anchors who normally staff TV news programs. Retrospective stories require little new shooting, and can be done well prior to their air date.

In that great tradition, here is a look back at the year 2015 and what it held for NYFA Broadcast Journalism alumni, as well as our current students.

Among the most recent events is NYFA alum George Colli‘s move from NBC-Connecticut to the Washington, DC bureau of Cox Media Group. With 15 stations located across the United States, Cox is a major player in local and regional news. George is going to be in the middle of all the 2016 Presidential year politics. Congratulations, George!

trt turkey — Beytullah Bayar on the set of his sports show on the TRT network in Turkey

Meanwhile, Beytullah Bayar looks great (as usual) on the set of his sports show on the TRT network in Turkey. The network has just gone over to HD, to better feature Beyt’s collection of fine ties. He is also doing a weekly radio sports show.

Celine Liv Danielsen was co-host of the “alternative” coverage of Denmark’s recent national elections.

While Emilie Olsson is working with TV 4 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Andras Takacs was honored, along with his production partner, for their series On The Spot at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Andras — who is from Budapest, Hungary — credits the camera, editing and reporting skills he learned at NYFA for the success of the series.

Closer to home, Dr. Nicole Cross is now at the ABC affiliate in Monroe, Louisiana. She co-anchors the morning news, and anchors the noon news, for a station that covers portions of three states. And she is all over social media. You go, Nicole!

Videographer/editor/producer Liz Rose spent her Summer on the high seas, working with Celebrity Cruise Lines. After a mountain climbing trip with her mother, I understand she will be off to the Rio Olympics next year.

And speaking of Brazil, Flavia Renata Perez proves that you don’t always have to “dress up” to have on-camera impact. (Plus she was nice enough to wear a t-shirt honoring one of the rock bands of my teenage years!)

Patricia Saad was very au courant as she shot a roof-top stand-up earlier this month. (Proving, just like in New York, “black is the new black” when it comes to fashion.)

And Paula Varejao obviously is having no problem getting “air time.”

Over at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street here in Manhattan, Nour Idriss is working on the CBS Evening News. And while she isn’t currently anchoring the show, if I were Scott Pelly I’d be looking over my shoulder…

msnbc with nyfa — NYFA students at MSNBC

As for our current students, we were able to get an exclusive “behind-the-scenes” tour of NBC News, and spent time on the MSNBC set.

whitmore — NYFA students (and super TA Genia Vlasova) also attended a studio session of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore

A number of students (and super TA Genia Vlasova) also attended a studio session of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. There’s nothing like being in New York…

einreinhofer — Broadcast Journalism Chair Bill Einreinhofer

That’s a little bit of what took place this year. We look forward to another strong year from both our Broadcast Journalism students and alumni!

Producer Jack Rapke Brings “The Walk” to NYFA

New York Film Academy students in Los Angeles received a special viewing of The Walk (directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, and Charlotte Le Bon), which is not yet released to DVD or Blu-ray, and afterwards participated in a Q&A with the movie’s producer Jack Rapke. The Walk is a 2015 American 3D biographical drama based on the story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. Producer Tova Laiter moderated the discussion.

Jack Rapke took a rather roundabout path to get to where he is today. After graduating from film school he first aspired to be a cinematographer and tried hard to get into New York’s camera union. Finding it difficult to launch his dream Rapke considered other avenues into the film industry and after a series of loose connections found himself at an interview for a spot in the William Morris agency’s mailroom. A week after he was hired for the job he received an acceptance letter from New York’s camera union. Jack was faced with a life-defining choice—go back to New York and pursue a career as a cinematographer or stay in Los Angeles and try his hand at being an agent. Feeling he had an innate talent for it, Jack decided to pursue a career in representation.

Rapke was quickly promoted from William Morris’s mailroom, eventually became a top agent, was head-hunted by CAA and rose to co-chair of their motion picture department. His client list included some of the biggest names in Hollywood such as Jerry Bruckheimer, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, Michael Bay, John Hughes, Joel Schumacher, and Imagine Entertainment partners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Jack tells people, “The reason I was such a good agent was because I was not an agent.” By breaking the mold clients were comfortable with Jack and found him relatable. As a young assistant at William Morris an agent got in his face one day and told him, “Listen to me, if you want to represent them, you can not be scared of them!” Jack took this principle to heart and as he climbed the ranks he witnessed how every agent and manager surrounding him was deathly afraid of their clients. However, his ability to see his clients as equals gained him the respect of Hollywood’s most powerful players. Another trait that Rapke contributes to his success as an agent is that he always told the truth. He never danced around the issues or got someone else to do the dirty work with his clients—he was 100% up front. But being honest doesn’t mean being harsh, as an agent, and still to this day, Rapke is known as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood and someone who will ALWAYS return your call. Jack believes that if someone calls him they’re essentially saying, “I value and respect you and what you have to offer” and not returning their call, which is the most basic form of respect in return, is a complete insult.

After 17 years of being an agent Jack was faced with another life-defining choice—he could continue as an agent, and probably coast very well at that for the rest of his life, or he could pursue what he set out to do from the beginning which was actually making movies. Rapke was forced to look into the abyss and acknowledge that if he was to take the leap into film producing he risked falling from such great heights as a successful agent and being a massive failure. However, Jack knew if he didn’t answer the call he felt deep inside and continued living on the other side of the glass looking in on those doing what he wanted to do, it would destroy him. So Rapke partnered with director Robert Zemeckis and formed their company ImageMovers. He went on to produce a remarkable body of acclaimed films including Cast Away (starring Tom Hanks), What Lies Beneath (starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer), the Oscar-nominated Flight (starring Denzel Washingtion, Don Cheadle and John Goodman), the Ridley Scott-directed Matchstick Men (starring Nicholas Cage), Real Steel (starring Hugh Jackman) and movies utilizing Zemeckis’s pioneering performance-capture and 3-D technology including The Polar Express, Monster House, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol. He also produced the Showtime series The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons. So to say the least, Jack’s decision to no longer be the guy representing the person who makes films and BE the person who makes films, paid off.

rapke and laiter — Producer Tova Laiter with Producer Jack Rapke at NYFA LA

Jack Rapke’s journey to the successful producing career he enjoys today is as thrilling and twist-packed as one of his blockbuster films. At the end of the evening Jack got serious with the audience and said, “Look, there was always only two paths for me. I was either going to be accepted into this industry whatever form that took by the powers that be, and I still don’t know who those powers are, or they were going to have to kill me. It was binary. There was never any other choice.” While saying this Jack’s conviction, which got him to where he, was felt by everyone in the crowd and they broke out in applause.

We sincerely thank Jack Rapke for stopping by the New York Film Academy to impart his wisdom on our students and look forward to seeing his next epic, inspiring work on the silver screen!

Currently, Rapke is serving as Executive Producer on the upcoming “Untitled Steven Knight WW2 Project” starring Brad Pitt, to be directed by Zemeckis for Paramount Pictures.

Actor Matthew Modine Hosts NYFA Master Class for Veterans

The New York Film Academy (NYFA), the world’s largest and most prestigious visual and performing arts private institution, is a certified and award-winning Military Friendly School committed to supporting this newest generation of veterans. NYFA is proud to serve military veterans and servicemembers in their pursuit of a world-class filmmaking education, through our Veterans Advancement Program Chaired by Colonel Jack Jacobs, Medal of Honor recipient.

Through the generosity of the New York Film Academy Foundation, on December 19 the College provided a free Master Class Workshop to military servicemembers and veterans at the School’s Los Angeles campus. The event featured veteran actor and director Matthew Modine.

The classes offered an exciting and unique opportunity for more than 50 military servicemembers and veterans to learn essential filmmaking and acting principles taught by members of NYFA’s esteemed faculty and Mr. Modine. Several NYFA veteran students served as technical assistants. Each branch of the military was represented including many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and the gathering proved to be an excellent environment for the attendees to network.

Mr. Modine spoke to the group about his 30 years of experience in the industry as an actor and a director. Among his many accomplishments, Modine is known for his portrayal as “Joker” in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Full Metal Jacket. Modine’s role in the military film Memphis Belle also earned him critical acclaim. He has directed a number of short films and is currently in pre-production on a feature called The Rocking Horseman.

nyfa hands-on — NYFA staff demonstrating to veteran different features of the lighting system

The acting class, taught by NYFA faculty Christopher Cass, provided an overview of the Industry and what it takes to “make it” as an actor. The class went over basic principals of acting for the camera — shot sizes, set etiquette, listening and emotional choices for the camera. Actors then shot and played-back the scene for review and critique.

The Filmmaking class, taught by NYFA faculty David Newman, went over the film industry employment opportunities available in the entertainment field. This class also discussed the qualities and skill sets needed to be an effective director. Participants had the chance to act and fulfill key crew roles on set (including directing, camera operator, boom operator). The class then rehearsed and shot a two character scene.

modine group — Master Class Group Shot with Matthew Modine

Jon Garza, US Navy veteran who attended the Master Classes was thankful to have the opportunity attend. He stated that, “this event was a great opportunity to network with fellow veterans and learn from industry professionals.”

Please join our Veterans Facebook group for more information about the 2016 free Master Classes schedule.

Screenwriting Instructor Dan Kay Discusses ‘Pay the Ghost’ and Writing in Hollywood

New York Film Academy screenwriting instructor Dan Kay is making quite an impression in Hollywood right now with the latest Nicholas Cage flick he penned entitled Pay the Ghost. The taut thriller follows a man (Nicolas Cage) who—haunted by eerie images and unexplainable messages—tries to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of his son. The film hit theaters, Blu-ray and digital download just in time for this past Halloween. Kay has also written the horror film Timber Falls (2007), comedy Way Off Broadway (2001), which he also directed, and the revenge thriller I.T. in post production now and set to release soon. I.T. stars Pierce Brosnan as a successful book publisher who is pitted against a young disgruntled I.T. consultant using his tech skills to threaten the author’s family and livelihood. Los Angeles campus’s Dean of Students Eric Conner moderated the discussion. Dan Kay recounted for students the path that got him to where he is today and gave invaluable advice.

Consistent with the NYFA philosophy of learning by doing, right out of college Dan moved to New York and began working on every film set he could find. This helped him to learn the nuts and bolts of film production. Meanwhile, he wrote what was to become his screenwriting and directorial debut Way Off Broadway. It took him two years to find money for the film, however Dan considers this time he spent pitching and rewriting the script to be crucial to the story’s success. Had he gotten money right after finishing the first draft of the script the film would not have been any good. The film is based off of his friends and experiences in college theater. Dan stressed the importance of “writing what you know,” which is exactly what he did in order to break into the biz.

After coming out to Los Angeles Dan was hired to write the sequel and story arch for subsequent sequels to Disney’s Tinkerbell animated movie. The producing team working on the series loved Dan’s work and he was feeling confident navigating the very new-to-him world of children’s movies. However, out of nowhere there was a corporate takeover and everyone who had hired Dan was suddenly replaced and the new producers replaced Dan as well. This had nothing to do with the quality of his work but rather the new producers wanted to bring in their own writers. The entertainment industry is unpredictable and unstable, Dan explained, and you have to be resilient. This is exactly what Dan did in deciding to venture into a whole new genre for him—horror. It wasn’t long until his first horror script Timber Falls was being produced.

Dan described how the making of his movie Pay the Ghost came about which was particularly interesting to producers. A producer Dan collaborated with had been hitting up small literary management agencies looking for good, unpublished stories. Agencies are often more than happy to option these stories for free and forgo payment until and if the story is developed into some medium. This is exactly how Pay the Ghost came about, as it was originally a short story—albeit a very short story. Dan’s producer gave him the optioned short story and he elaborated on it extensively to develop a feature length script. His work impressed production companies and the script was soon bought. Once Nicholas Cage decided to attach himself to the script it wasn’t long before financing came through and the film was made.

The New York Film Academy is privileged to have Dan Kay, such a wonderful real world entertainment professional, teaching our students and we look forward to watching his career soar!

Award-Winning NYFA Grad Directs “Smile” for Rapper Baby Kaely

One of the many terrific benefits of attending the New York Film Academy for aspiring filmmakers is the opportunity to study with other creative people – actors, producers, writers, illustrators and graphic designers. While studying and practicing your craft you can immediately begin building a network of friends in the industry. It is no secret that connections in this business are very important. After graduation, many of our alumni successfully work with their former classmates.

The most resent example of amazing teamwork of NYFA grads is the new music video “SMILE” for a young Hollywood rapper Baby Kaely, who is just 10 years old and already has collaborated with the famous hip hop producer will.i.am. Her new music video “SMILE” was directed by MA Film & Media Production alumnus Mykyta Samusiev and produced by former NYFA student Kelline Kanoui. In addition to them the crew included another one of our graduates, Konstantin Frolov, who worked on the project as Director of Photography and Editor. The video has been on YouTube for just about a month and has already gained over 130,000 views. This proves once again that a great team of professionals can produce a significant product.

Another great example of a successful collaboration between New York Film Academy graduates is the award-winning short “Death of a Government Clerk,” also directed by Mykyta Samusiev. The film recently won an Award of Merit Accolade Global Film Competition, Award of Merit Best Short Competition and Award of L.A. NEO Noir Film & Script Festival Film Festival. To bring this Anton Chekhov story to life, Samusiev teamed up with fellow graduates Sergey Kalvarskiy, Egor Povolotsky, Bogdan Yansen and Alex Lampsos.

As they say, there is no force more powerful than a group of people with similar goals and ambitions. When Mykyta Samusiev came to Los Angeles from Ukraine, driven by his dream to become a filmmaker, he didn’t know a single soul in the United States. By completing a Master’s degree program at NYFA, he not only nurtured his interests in writing, directing and producing films but also met many like-minded people that shared his vision.

We recommend all students to follow his example. Start making connections from the first day of the program. Do not treat your school years as a rehearsal before the real world. Work has already begun!

NYFA Photography Welcomes Digital Artist Pascal Dangin

The New York Film Academy Photography Department’s most recent guest speaker was Pascal Dangin, the world’s pre-eminent post-production digital artist for photography and creative director for advertising.

Dangin is the founder and CEO of Box Studios, where he leads a team of 40 photo post-production experts doing work for major magazines, photographers, and ad agencies. He is the most widely quoted and sought after post-production/digital artist, frequently interviewed in the press regarding the implications of digital image manipulation.

His reputation as a “photo whisperer” has expanded his involvement to encompass every aspect of production on major photography and video shoots. He founded Kids Creative and serves as a Creative Director to top international luxury brands including Balenciaga, Alexander Wang and Prada among others. He advises top tier photographers and artists as a curator and creative director. Pascal commissions world-renowned photographers from the old guard and also collaborates with emerging talent.

Dangin got his start in the art world through his work with hair. His attention to detail while on set was noticed by photographers and directors alike, propelling him into the world of digital photography and advertising.

Like film and television, Dangin stresses the importance of storytelling in his photography and advertising work. If there’s no story behind the images, he admits he’s easily bored.

As for what makes artists successful in his business, Dangin says, “Fear of failure is the biggest stumbling block. There is no such thing as failure. As Nike says, just do it.”

Our photography students learned a great deal from Mr. Dangin, who has had a hand in the production of many of the most iconic images of the past twenty years.

‘Midnight Delight’ Wins Top Honors at the Oregon Film Awards 2015

Midnight Delight, the latest feature from New York Film Academy graduate Rohit Gupta has been honored with the prestigious Platinum award for Best Experimental Film at the 2015 Oregon International Film Awards. “We are highly delighted about such an encouraging honor,” said Gupta, whose third film in a row continues to enthrall audiences around the world. Gupta’s earlier feature Life! Camera Action… picked up the Grand Jury Choice Award, the highest recognition at the same event in 2011.

Tag-lined “Say hi to high…” and “Couch. Conversations. Clarity,” the 85-minute unique comedy film, Midnight Delight, produced by Gupta and Saumin Mehta under the banner of production company Dot and Feather Entertainment, is a composition of nine vignettes of characters at a smoking lounge and their hilarious antics with people they’ve never met before. Gupta shot the entire film over two-nights with a multi-camera set up. Mehta also post-produced the film, including an animated sequence, in only three months. The ensemble cast includes award winning actor Shaheed Woods, Michele Suttile, Alexandra Hellquist, award winning actress Dipti Mehta, John Crann, Maggie Alexander, Bill McCrea, Rachel Myers, Michael Laguerre, Adit Dileep, Sofia Sivan and Michael Lester who is also credited as co-editor. The theme song is I get high by Filo.

When asked Gupta about the significance of the title, Gupta replied, “Midnight Delight has been my all time favorite ice-cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery.” Fair enough.

The Oregon International Film Awards (OIFA) recognizes the very best in contemporary international independent cinema and screenwriting. OIFA presents awards annually to unique and compelling films from around the world. Awards are presented each year in four top recognition levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze and only to those films and filmmakers that demonstrate a superior level of craftsmanship and quality.

Gupta and his team have another reason to celebrate this festival season as Midnight Delight has also been announced as an Official Selection at the Blow-up Chicago International Art House Film Festival 2015, which takes place towards the end of December. The Festival, named after the Michelangelo Antonioni’s iconic film Blow-Up, brings original storytellers together with adventurous audiences for its annual program.

Earlier in 2015, Midnight Delight won the Judges Choice Film of the Festival award at the Cannabis Film Festival in Humboldt County, California, where the jury stated, “Midnight Delight is like smoking a cinematic joint.” At the film’s Washington state premiere at the 2015 Hempapalooza Music and Film Festival, it was said, “Midnight Delight is a pure cinematic aphrodisiac that brings a completely new and unique take on cannabis based movies and culture.”