Page 297 – NYFA

Military Student Michael Valenzuela Overcomes the Odds

As an extremely talented musician at a very young age, Michael Valenzuela learned to play over 20 instruments. Performing in diverse ensembles comprised of choir, musicals, marching, jazz, rock, folk and contemporary bands, Valenzuela was nearly a prodigy. Despite that, his artistic talent took a back seat after graduating from high school due to his life-long dream of serving his country as a Naval Aviator.

Valenzuela enlisted in the United States Naval Academy, even though he could’ve attended the Berklee School of Music. “I joined the Navy because I wanted to be a fighter pilot since I was a little kid and serve our country,” said Valenzuela.

In 2000, Venezuela received his wings of gold and began a career as a carrier-based F/A-18 Strike/Fighter Pilot. Over the course of his military career between combat operations, Valenzuela was given the unique opportunity to be a Demonstration Air Show Pilot, VIP Liaison, and was introduced to the art of filmmaking by working in front of the camera on over 20 episodes of dramatized training films for the Naval Aviation community.

His passion for the arts continued while stationed in San Diego. While taking commercial and acting for film workshops, Michael appeared in numerous television shows, movies, commercials, as well as documentaries, which inspired him to work on a travel series called Aviator’s Paradise. It was from there where Valenzuela’s life would take a drastic turn.

“Unfortunately, both my aviation and acting careers were brought to a sudden and tragic halt due to a work accident that left me paralyzed from the waist down for a span of two years,” recalled Valenzuela. “After two major reconstructive surgeries and years of rehabilitation, I returned to the cockpit as an Advanced Aerobatic and Emergency Maneuver Training Instructor. During my recovery, I discovered Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP), becoming a Professional Athlete in the arena of SUP and Snowkiting, and recently became a Crossfit instructor.”

Turning his life around tenfold, Valenzuela found a new calling in athletics and reaching out to other Disabled Veterans. He began volunteering a considerable amount of his time mentoring and coaching other disabled athletes. He essentially became an ambassador for Disabled Veterans in local and international competition and his accomplishments were featured on an AT&T Uverse Sports series about inspirational athletes.

With a diverse range of hurdles and accomplishments behind him and with the help and guidance of the staff and students at the New York Film Academy, Valenzuela is enthusiastic about returning other passions of his: acting and filmmaking.

“I wanted to continue working in the film industry and improve my skill set from a reputable institution. I am looking forward to exploring my passions for motion picture storytelling and have the ability and desire to not only act in front of the camera, but I look forward to collaborating with other artists in a creative environment, obtaining the all-around filmmaking experience to ensure my success within the profession.”

As a current student, the sky is the limit in terms of what projects Valenzuela would like to pursue after graduation. Though, his interests as of now lie in commercials, travel shows, adventure documentaries and feature films.

With Valenzuela’s proven track record of overcoming arduous obstacles, we believe he has a bright future ahead of him in the sometimes daunting pursuit of filmmaking and acting.

Documentary Community Film Project Screening

nyfa documentary — Sept ’13 MFA Documentary class in Los Angeles

On Friday January 22nd, the Sept ’13 MFA Documentary class in Los Angeles presented its two final films as the culmination of their Community Film Project class. The semester-long project centered on selecting a non-profit organization and producing a promotional film for them.

The two films created in the project were a 3-minute piece focusing on a participant in the Urban Possibilities twelve-week empowerment program and a 5-minute film overview of Urban Possibilities. Both films aimed to capture how UP’s multi-dimensional workshops assist homeless people on Skid Row.

Producer Ivoree Myles and Writer-Director Abi Prieto began the screening with a Powerpoint presentation, taking the audience through the process that culminated in the creation of the two films. Urban Possibilities was represented at the screening by its founder and CEO, Eyvette Jones-Johnson.

One crew member in the audience freely admitted he was moved to tears watching the films. Everyone who worked on the film echoed Ivoree and Abi’s sentiments that while the shooting schedule was a difficult one, the experience they gained on the project was invaluable.

Women and Film Roundup: Disney Announces Latina Princess; Soloway and DuVernay Get New Shows

Disney princess Elena of Avalor — Elena of Avalor

A big day of news for women in Hollywood as two female directors who had massive 2014’s land new shows while Disney announced the roll-out of their first-ever Latina princess.

Starting with Disney, they recently announced that they will be introducing a Latina “princess” into their world of female protagonists with the creation of Elena of Avalor. However, unlike her fellow minority princesses such as Mulan, Pocahantas, and Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, right now Princess Elena will stay confined to the small screen as she will first appear on the immensely popular series Sofia the First before receiving her own show on the Disney Junior channel.

With Latinos still drastically underrepresented on both film and television—while they make up 16% of the US population, they only account for less than 5% of speaking characters on screen— this is certainly a step in a better direction.

Meanwhile, Transparent creator Jill Soloway, who recently won a Golden Globe for the show, is reported to be developing a new feminist-themed buddy comedy starring Ashley Skidmore and Lyle Friedman as two women who seek to save womankind after being struck by lightning. Both Skidmore and Friedman will also write for and executive produce the show.

In the case of Selma director Ava DuVernay, who also just announced plans to direct a film about Hurricane Katrina, she is also now writing, directing, and executive producing an original series for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network. The show is based on Natalie Baszile’s novel Queen Sugar about a woman who uproots her teen daughter from their posh L.A. community to an 800-acre sugar cane farm in Louisiana. Production on the show is slated to begin later this year.

SNL Uses Super Bowl to Share Super 40th Anniversary Lineup

Saturday Night Live’s 40^th birthday is fast approaching—its Anniversary Special is set to air on February 15. If the celebration is anything like it’s star-studded 25^th Anniversary, expect a mix of best-of clips, new material from a mix of former & current stars, and some touching tributes to cast members who’ve since passed. Considering that three out of the four new Ghostbusters came from SNL, expect at least a couple proton pack jokes, maybe even with the two former Ghostbusters who also got their start in studio 8H.

While some of the lineup was already public, including Eddie Murphy’s surprise announcement that he’d be returning to the show for the first time in thirty years, a more extensive list was given out during the Super Bowl’s premium ad time.

Confirmed for the big night are Fred Armisen, Dan Aykroyd, Alec Baldwin, Jim Carrey, Dana Carvey, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Robert De Niro, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Zach Galifianakis, Bill Hader, Jon Hamm, Derek Jeter, Norm Macdonald, Peyton Manning, Steve Martin, Melissa McCarthy, Paul McCartney, Seth Meyers, Garrett Morris, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Laraine Newman, Jack Nicholson, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Molly Shannon, Martin Short, Paul Simon, David Spade, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Walken, Kerry Washington, Kanye West, Betty White, and Kristen Wiig. Tom Hanks will also take a break from his new project at HBO to join the festivities.

If you’re so excited you can’t wait two weeks, you can check out VH1 Classic’s current marathon of the entire series.

Netflix Raising $1.5 Billion; Analysts Don’t Like It

Shortly following an announcement that they want to produce 20 new original shows per year, Netflix announced that they will be raising $1.5 billion worth of corporate debt.

This is a half billion more than was originally reported. $700 million of the notes will mature in 2022 and another $800 million in 2025.

As officially described, the company will use the proceeds for “general corporate purposes.” There’s a good chance that a portion of that money will go towards producing these new original shows. However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Netflix may try to make some strategic transactions in terms of acquiring other platforms.

While Netflix has been hugely successful in the streaming space, there are plenty of competitors vying for a portion of the audience. One way to acquire a competitor’s audience is to simply purchase the competitor.

It’s likely that Netflix is betting on their original programming to help them grow, as well. Original content is something that they have had success with in the past with shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. More original programming would also instantly give Netflix differentiation from any competitors.

However, there is a danger that the platform is going for quantity over quality. So far Netflix has been great at producing a few high-quality shows. It may become difficult to keep those same quality standards as the quantity of programming increases.

While raising debt for corporate operations isn’t uncommon (Apple made a similar announcement on the same day), the debt rating agencies don’t seem too impressed with this move from Netflix. Moody’s sees the investment as too risky and Standard & Poor’s has downgraded the Netflix bonds to junk status.

Of course, a debt agency’s rating has nothing to do with how the company will actually operate. So it will be interesting to see what Netflix does with this new cash infusion and what kind of programming they can create on a larger scale.

Producer Mohammed Al Turki Visits NYFA and Brings Special Surprise Guest Michelle Rodriguez

arbitrage — *(from left to right) actress Michelle Rodriguez, producer Mohammed Al Turki, director Nicholas Jarecki, and co-star Nate Parker*

Last night, Thursday, January 29th, students gathered in the New York Film Academy Los Angeles Theater to view a screening of the financial thriller Arbitrage (Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling, Tim Roth), for which its star Richard Gere was nominated for a Golden Globe, and participate in a Q&A with film’s executive producer Mohammed Al Turki. Making impressive moves in the very competitive Hollywood scene, Mohammed Al Turki is quickly cementing himself as an ambitious producer, actor, and philanthropist in the industry. Born in Saudi Arabia and educated in London, Al Turki’s call to film caused him to move to Hollywood and launch his career there.

His executive producing credits also include What Maisie Knew (Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård, Steve Coogan), Adult World (Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, John Cusack), and At Any Price (Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Kim Dickens). His newest film, Desert Dancer, which follows an Iranian dancer who risks everything to start a dance company amidst his home country’s politically volatile climate and the nation’s ban on dancing, is set to release on April 10th. The Q&A was moderated by producer and NYFA instructor Saga Elmotaseb.

The event was advertised as a Q&A with Mr. Al Turki alone, however, to the audience’s surprise Mohammed brought a couple of friends with him. Added first to the Q&A panel were Arbitrage‘s director Nicholas Jarecki and co-star Nate Parker. Nicholas Jarecki, a prodigy who graduated college at age 19, is a director, producer, and writer best known for directing the film The Informers and documentaries The Outsider and Tyson, in addition to Arbitrage. Nate Parker is an actor and musical performer who has appeared in Beyond the Lights, Red Tails, The Secret Life of Bees, The Great Debaters, and Pride. Mr. Jarecki announced that he is a New York Film Academy alumnus himself, having attended a filmmaking workshop as a young man at the Princeton campus. Nicholas raised his fist in the air and yelled “Go NYFA!” as the students applauded and cheered.

But the surprises didn’t stop there. Shortly before the Q&A Mohammed Al Turki notified NYFA that he was bringing yet another special guest with him but wanted to keep their identity a surprise for everyone. Moments before stepping on stage NYFA was notified and the announcement was made during the Q&A panel’s introduction that the secret guest was, in fact, actress Michelle Rodriguez! Known mostly for playing tough-girl roles in Hollywood blockbusters, Michelle Rodriguez has starred in Resident Evil, S.W.A.T., and the Fast & Furious series, of which the latest installment, Furious 7, will be released on April 3rd. A trailer for Furious 7 is set to air during the Super Bowl.

What followed was an all-star panel of artists who engaged in exciting discussions on filmmaking from every angle. After all there was a Hollywood mogul, a genius director, and two A-list actors on stage. Mohammed Al Turki proved to be a man of many resources, much generosity, and a lot of surprises! Like his films he seeks to satisfy, and then some. There’s no doubt that Mohammed Al Turki is the man to watch as he continues his mission of producing meaningful and relevant stories in Hollywood.

And Woody Allen’s Next Film is Titled…

Due to the amount of films consistently being churned out by the prolific writer / director Woody Allen, his upcoming projects are often coined Woody Allen’s untitled project. For some of the more hardcore Allen fans, the announcement of the title is an event in itself. As thus, we give to you the upcoming title of Mr. Allen’s next film, which will star Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey, and relative newcomer Jamie Blackley — Irrational Man. The plot supposedly centers on a small town college campus, in which a philosophy professor with an existential crisis gives his life new purpose when he enters into a relationship with his student. Allen will remain behind the camera in this one, so it seems he won’t be the older professor paired off with the young Emma Stone.

While the title is a bit more vague than some of his previous titles — in which one could perhaps ascertain more of the plot — like Manhattan Murder Mystery or Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Too Afraid to Ask, we are aware of a production location in Rhode Island. No more Europe?

Sony Pictures Classics has once again acquired all North American rights to the film, which isn’t too surprising.

Between Irrational Man and Woody Allen’s new deal with Amazon Studios to produce a television series, as usual, the filmmaker has his plate full. Speaking of his television show, we’ll have to call it Woody Allen’s Untitled TV Project for now.

Tom Hanks, Edward Norton, Brad Pitt Team Up for New HBO Mini-Series

While networks are trying to jump on board the limited mini-series trend, HBO continues to lead the pack by green-lighting yet another mini-series that will depict the expedition of Lewis & Clark to explore the area west of the Mississippi River.

A start-studded team including Tom Hanks, Edward Norton, and Brad Pitt will lead the production of the series, but unfortunately you won’t be seeing them on screen. Casey Affleck will portray Meriwether Lewis and Matthias Schoenaerts will take the part of William Clark.

Joining the A-listers in executive producing roles will be Gary Goetzman, Dede Gardner, Tim Kelly, and Adam Leipzig. Edward Norton will also play a part in the screenwriting portion of the project, along with John Curran and Michelle Ashford. Curran will also be responsible for directing the series.

The series will be based on Undaunted Courage, Stephen E. Ambrose’s biography of Meriwether Lewis, published in 1996. It aims to provide a depiction of the American spirit, as well as the tragedies and human impact during the expedition.

This also marks Tom Hanks’ return to producing historical dramas. He was formerly a producer on series such as John Adams, From the Earth to the Moon, and Band of Brothers, the last of which was also based on a book authored by Ambrose.

The project is set to start filming this summer so we likely won’t see anything until 2016. And although the biggest names associated with the project will be off-screen, there’s still enough star power on-screen to make this exciting and potentially attract more big names to other roles.

Weekend Round-up: American Sniper Keeps Shooting and Sundance Awards Announced

January continued to be a month full of box office excitement and big movie news as the month wrapped up with American Sniper coming in first place at the box office for the third week in a row since its debut, picking up $31.8 million and setting a new Super Bowl weekend record. Overall, it was a tough weekend for new films, with Paddington edging out new film Project Almanac for second place with $8.5 million. The other major two new films failed to make a major dent in the box office with the Kevin Costner vehicle Black or White coming in at fourth place with $6.5 million and The Loft rounding out the top ten with $2.9 million.

In other news this weekend, the 2015 Sundance Film Festival wrapped up over a week of premiers, deals, and gossip with its annual award ceremony hosted by comedian Tig Notaro. Nabbing both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for drama was the coming-of-age film Me & Earl & the Dying Girl. The unique and powerful The Wolfpack, which tells the story of a family of six siblings whose only connection to the outside world comes through film, picked up the U.S. grand jury prize for a documentary while Robert Eggers won the directing award for his film The Witch. To see the full list of winners from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, please click here.