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8 Hilarious Commercials From Super Bowl XLIX

For a lot of people, the best part of the Super Bowl are the commercials. After all, companies pay millions of dollars for just seconds of screen time, so of course try their darndest to make them count. This year had commercials of all kinds, including movie trailers and ads ranging the spectrum from dark and gritty to sexy to somber and sad. Fortunately, a lot of them were just downright funny, usually thanks to some well-cast celebrity casting. Here’s eight Super Bowl commercials from last night that we’re still chuckling from. List your favorites in the comments!

1. Esurance

Fans of Breaking Bad were pretty disappointed when they found out Bryan Cranston wouldn’t be reprising his legendary role as Walter White in the new spinoff Better Call Saul. They were probably ecstatic to see his surprise return to TV in the Esurance ad, where he works over the counter at a pharmacy.

2. Nationwide

Mindy Kaling wonders what a lot of us do sometimes—are we invisible?—and concludes that yes, yes she is. To the sounds of “Pretty Woman”, she takes advantage of her superpower in many ways, until she finds out—from a foiled attempt at smooching silver-haired Matt Damon—that she is completely visible.

3. Snickers

Snickers has made a great long-running campaign out of showing characters transformed into famous celebrities by their hunger. For the big game, they used footage of The Brady Bunch to present Machete star Danny Trejo as a hungry, grumpy, nose-bruised Marcia Brady. If that wasn’t hilarious enough, they throw in Steve Buscemi as jealous Jan.

4. Kia Sorento

Like a fine wine, Pierce Brosnan just gets classier with age. Never afraid to send up his image as James Bond, the commercial for Kia shows the former 007 imagining his Kia road trip filled with snipers and explosions. Instead he gets owls and log cabins. The ad has a happy ending though because Brosnan still gets his “fireworks.”

5. T-Mobile

T-Mobile doubled down on its funny, beautiful women by having Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler team up for their ad. Both comediennes compete over the increasingly ridiculous rooms in their mansions where they can get Wi-Fi service. The episode ends with Chelsea trapped under the floorboards with a possum, or as she calls it, a rabbit.

6. Avocados from Mexico

The healthy green fruit didn’t need any celebrities for its commercial. Instead it used a very clever riff on sports drafts. In the very first draft ever, various animals and plant life are drafted by nations. Australia’s pick—the kangaroo. The ad succeeds in making its guacamole look delicious, though you can’t help but feel bad for that poor polar bear that wanted to hang out at the beach.

7. BMW i3

BMW was smart enough to use history for the bulk of its ad, playing a vintage clip of Today show hosts Katie Couric and Bryant Gumble showing their complete ignorance of the @ sign and the Internet. The ad then jumps to present day where the real-life personalities poke fun at themselves and struggle to understand the advanced technology of BMW’s latest model.

8. Clash of Clans

Tower defense game Clash of Clans shows how dedicated its players can be by casting Liam Neeson as a gamer who vows revenge on his conquerors. He also doesn’t like it when baristas mispronounce his name. Who would’ve thought that nothing could be funnier than Neeson denying mercy to BigBuffetBoy85.

Which commercial was your favorite? Share in the comments below!

IFP Devotes 4 Months to Women Filmmakers

IFP, the Independent Film Project, is using its Screen Forward program to push the works of female filmmakers for the next several weeks. Filmmakers with projects that are self- or micro-distributed can apply for Screen Forward. Those chosen are given a week’s distribution on the big screen at the Made in NY Media Center in Brooklyn. IFP’s team then works with the filmmakers to assist in publicity and getting the film out to wider circles.

The monthly program has chosen four films by women filmmakers to screen from February to May of this year. Each screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

Approaching the Elephant is the debut documentary by Amanda Rose Wilder chronicling the Teddy McArdle Free School. She’s Lost Control is Anja Marquardt’s debut feature about a sexual surrogate in New York who establishes a complicated relationship with one of her clients. I Believe in Unicorns is the debut feature by Leah Meyerhoff and tells the story of a young woman’s mix of fantasy and scary reality. L For Leisure is the sophomore effort by Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn, a period comedy set in the 1990s.

Tickets for the first feature will be available in February. If you’re interested in attending any of the Q&A’s the dates are:

Amanda Rose Wilder’s Approaching the Elephant – February 20th

Anja Marquardt’s She’s Lost Control – March 20th

Leah Meyerhoff’s I Believe in Unicorns – March 27th

Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn’s L for Leisure – May 15^th

NYFA supports filmmakers of all genders and races. If you’ve ever thought about making movies but thought the industry was wrong, think again. Check out information on our hands-on classes here.

Australian Film Awards 2015: Russell Crowe, Rose Byrne and NYFA Australia

4th Annual AACTA Awards 2015 — 4th AACTA Awards Red Carpet (Image from AACTA Facebook)

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards 2015 second star-studded awards event last night announced Russell Crowe directed film The Water Diviner and The Babadook (debut film for director Jennifer Kent) dual winners for ‘Best Film’. CEO Damian Trewhella considering this unusual, but not unprecedented.

The big names kept coming, with AACTA president Geoffrey Rush awarding Rose Byrne the ‘Inaugural Trailblazer Award’.

The Babadook , as expected, cleaned-up on the night, taking home three of the total four nominated categories (how they didn’t win an Oscar is beyond us). Other multi-award winner also included:

The Code for ’Best Television Drama Series’, ‘Best Direction in Television Drama or Comedy’, Ashley Zukerman for ‘Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama’ and Chelsea Preston Crayford for ‘Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama’
Please Like Me for ‘Best Screenplay in Television’ and Debra Lawrence for ‘Best Performance in Television Comedy’

This year nominees and winners definitely raised the bar for the Australian film and television industry.

On the night, a group of film and acting students from our very own New York Film Academy Australia had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with their idols. They walked the red carpet and took part of all the events of the ceremony including meeting with the actors, directors, produces and influential industry professionals. They took advantage of the opportunity to network and collated their own celebrity snapshots.

NYFA Australia offer a range of industry related hands-on courses including Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting and many more. The programs are designed to allow students hands-on and real-life industry experience and this particular event is the perfect example of what the Academy has to offer.

For further details on New York Film Academy courses throughout the Australian and abroad, contact us.

Acclaimed U.K. Series Black Mirror to Come to U.S.

Since it first became available in December on Netflix, the British anthology series had long been the province of very committed fans of dystopian, technology-focused drama since its debut back in December 2011. This all changed when Netflix began streaming the existing two seasons and buzz started rapidly building about the show as new fans learned that Robert Downey Jr. had beat out George Clooney for the film rights to the episode “The Entire History of You.”

Now it seems that Americans will have even more chances to explore the series’ parallel worlds, created by English satirist and broadcaster Charlie Brooker. Endemol Shine, which produces the show, has announced plans to create a U.S. version of the show. Endemol co-CEO Charlie Corwin told Variety that both Brooker and producer Annabel Jones “have really touched on something and I agree – we need more.”

While Black Mirror is the most recent of a large amount of U.K. shows that have announced plans to branch out to the U.S.—the Idris Elba-led detective thriller Luther recently got picked up—it is a show that could translate quite well to American televisions as Brooker has credited The Twilight Zone as an inspiration for the show and is a fan of such vanguard U.S. shows as The Wire and Breaking Bad. Either way, it’s clear that Americans are certainly taking to the show as Mad Men’s Jon Hamm recently starred in the series’ Christmas special.

Super Bowl Means Super Movie Trailers

For a lot of folks, the Super Bowl is more about the commercials in between plays than it is about the actual pro football going down. For movie buffs, the best commercials are always for new movies, usually summer blockbusters. Recently, these commercials have transformed into full-blown trailers, revealing new and exclusive footage deserving of the hype Super Sunday brings with everything else.

We’ve got a breakdown of all the major release trailers you can expect this weekend during the game. Some trailers even came with their own teasers, previews of the previews. Consider this a preview of the previews of the previews. There’s no business like show business.

1. Tomorrowland

Brad Bird’s anticipated science fiction adventure stars George Clooney and debuts this May. Disney released a ten second teaser for the 30 second commercial this Sunday.

2. Kingsmen: The Secret Service

Matthew Vaughn is following up his well-regarded comic book adaptations Kick Ass, X-Men: First Class and Kick Ass 2 with another comic blockbuster: Kingsmen: The Secret Service. The high-tech spy flick has a thoroughly British cast including Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine and Sir Samuel L. Jackson.

3. Minions

The Despicable Me spin-off stars everyone’s favorite little yellow things that make noises and are funny. Kids are very, very happy this is a movie that is real. Minions is out July 10.

4. Jurassic World

The dinosaurs Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg made famous return to the big screen after sixteen years in the Chris Pratt-starring Jurassic World. Expect some glimpses at mega-dinosaur Indominus Rex before the film’s June 12 release.

5. The Divergent Series: Insurgent

The sequel to young-adult dystopian adaptation Divergent is exciting a lot of fans of Shailene Woodley, whose star power grows brighter by the day. Insurgent arrives with the dawn of Spring, on March 20.

6. Ted 2

Seth MacFarlane’s adorably crass teddy bear is back with pal Mark Wahlberg for the comedy sequel. Expect some crude jokes and/or lounge singing sometime during the game and see the movie in full when it comes out June 26.

7. Seventh Son

You won’t have to wait long to see Seventh Son in theaters—it’s slated for release February 6. But if you’re that impatient, you can get a sneak peek this Sunday. The movie stars Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Djimon Hounsou and Julianne Moore.

8. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Everyone’s favorite square-pantsed cartoon character is back with all his friends in this sequel. Expect hijinx both underwater and on land, with new CGI buffed up looks. The film is out February 6.

9. Terminator: Genisys

Finally, expect a big show from the next Terminator entry and the return of ultimate cyborg Arnold Schwarzenegger. Also starring are Emilie Clarke, Jason Clarke, and Oscar nominee J.K. Simmons, who could be Oscar Winner by the time of Terminator’s July 1 release.

Interested in making movies that might be previewed during the Super Bowl one day? Check out our filmmaking courses here.

The 10 Best Super Bowl Commercials of All Time

Super Bowl Sunday is that magical day during the football season when sports fans and media nuts join forces for an evening of advertising heaven and often it’s the Super Bowl commercials that are better remembered than the games themselves. After all, you might not remember who won the 1995 Super Bowl, but you probably can recall a certain commercial with three frogs uttering the iconic syllables “Bud,” “Weis,” and “Er.”

Whether they’re funny, emotional, or simply just bizarre, watching Super Bowl ads has become almost as popular of a pastime as the game itself and many reputable filmmakers have used an amazing Super Bowl ad as a career launching pad. And this year, NYFA is getting in the game with two entries amongst the ten finalists of Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest; tune in this weekend to see if their ads get chosen!

So in honor of Super Bowl XLIX taking place between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, we decided to take a look at those Super Bowl commercials that are still impossible to forget. And let us know in the comments what your favorite Super Bowl commercials are!

Apple – “1984”

One of the most ambitious and successful Super Bowl ads of all time, this Ridley Scott-directed commercial from 1984 took George Orwell’s 1984 novel as its inspiration for announcing the new Macintosh computer. While most Super Bowl ads go for goofiness over gravitas, Scott’s miniature epic shows just how powerful an ad can be when all the elements come together perfectly.

Pepsi – “Cindy Crawford”

Though employing beautiful women to sell products has been a hallmark of the advertising industry seemingly forever, Pepsi managed to capture the 90s supermodel zeitgeist with this 1992 commercial showing a pair of young boys ogling legendary model Cindy Crawford. Pepsi offered up the commercial’s counterpoint a couple years later with their equally famous commercial featuring women admiring a shirtless construction worker.

McDonald’s – “The Showdown”

Who would have thought one of the most popular Super Bowl ads ever would be about basketball? However, when football fans saw NBA’s top stars Michael Jordan and Larry Bird taking their “rivalry” to the court in the most epic game of “HORSE” ever, advertising history was made.

Coca Cola – “Mean Joe Greene”

A commercial that helped pave the way for future athletes to poke fun at themselves via advertising, Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive tackle Greene starred in this heartwarming short in which his icy exterior is melted by a bottle of coke, offered up by a young fan, who he rewards with a jersey with the timeless line “Hey kid, catch!”

Budweiser – “Bud” “Weis” “Er”

While Budweiser has essentially “won” countless Super Bowl commercial breaks with their many iconic ads, this out-of-left-field spot showcases a trio of frogs harmonizing together to complete the company’s name. If you were able to get out of the mid-90s without hearing some random stranger utter this famous catchphrase, well, you probably didn’t live in the 90s.

Reebok – “Terry Tate”

While you can be forgiven for forgetting that this was in fact a Reebok commercial, the company was able to create a truly viral ad featuring the tough love dished out by “Terry Tate, Office Linebacker” who kept wayward office employees in line, no matter how brutally.

Volkswagen – “The Force”

Sometimes all you need is to evoke a solid “Awwww” to make your mark on the annals of Super Bowl ads and this 2011 commercial. Showcasing the foiled attempts of a toddler-sized Darth Vader attempting to use “the force” to move objects, by the time the commercial reaches its HaHa/Aw Shucks moment, you’ll have a hard time suppressing a genuine smile.

Old Spice – “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

Signaling the mainstream acceptance of advertising’s “odd” age as commercials started to siphon the surreal humor of internet videos as Old Spice created a new advertising star by lampooning the traditional machismo of men’s scent ads…and don’t forget there’s a horse!

Doritos – “Goat 4 Sale”

Continuing Super Bowl commercials’ penchant for the peculiar, this 2013 Doritos ad is arguably the best of the bunch as a man inexplicably purchases a goat who develops a very serious Doritos addiction.

Wendy’s – “Where’s the Beef?”

Hard to believe as it may be, 1984 featured not just one but two of the most memorable commercials of all time with this goofy ode to beef that features three extremely funny older women repeatedly saying the still-classic line, “Where’s the Beef?”

Music Video Students Visit Rolling Stone HQ

For many decades, Rolling Stone Magazine has been a leading force in music and entertainment culture. Its ability to catapult an artist’s career is quite remarkable. The same could be said for the music video and its ability to launch the careers of so many talented directors. In fact, a slew of today’s top film directors like David Fincher and Spike Jonze began their careers by making music videos. In the New York Film Academy’s Rolling Stone Music Video Workshop, we provide that very same training ground.

This week, our music video students had the privilege of visiting the world-famous headquarters of Rolling Stone Magazine in New York City. As part of the tour, students had an opportunity to gawk at the Hallway of Covers, which displays every Rolling Stone cover since its inception in 1967. As you can imagine, our music video students were in awe of the massive display. Our hope is that it was also inspiring for the young artists. You never know, perhaps their face could be on the cover someday.

Got Your 6 Campaign Launches New Certification For Veteran Films

A panel of entertainment industry leaders, joined by First Lady Michelle Obama, announced today a new certification program to promote a fair portrayal of veterans in film and television.

The Got Your 6 advocacy group created the “6 Certified” label, which can be earned by works that depict veterans in a balanced way. The work must meet at least one of six pledges:

Research or consult with veterans, family members, or experts on the topic.
To cast a veteran in the project.
To have a veteran as a writer on the project.
To portray a veteran character in the work.
To tell the story of a veteran in the project.
Or, to use veteran(s) as a source during the writing process on set.

“Got Your 6” comes from the military term that means “got your back.” The campaign aims to help with the reintegration of military veterans into civil life. And the organization, in partnership with other nonprofits and Hollywood, recognizes that the portrayal of veterans in mainstream media and entertainment has an impact on the reintegration process.

The “6 Certified” label aims to promote works that tell stories of veterans in a more representative and accurate way, and prevent extreme stereotypical representations of veterans as either just “heroes” or just “victims.”

The two headliners of the event have had plenty of experience working to promote veteran stories.

The Got Your 6 campaign was launched in 2012 shortly after Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces initiative called for more positive representations of veterans.

Along with doing USO events for over 8 years, Bradley Cooper recently starred in the hugely successful and award-nominated American Sniper (which would no doubt earn the 6 Certified distinction).

This seems like a great step for the entertainment industry, as it is a push towards better storytelling and away from stereotypical portrayals. And, more importantly, this could represent a positive change in the public perception and reintegration of veterans back into civilian life.

Selma Director and Star to Reunite for Hurricane Katrina Film

Selma director Ava DuVernay and the film’s leading actor, David Oyelowo, continue their winning partnership following a recent screening of the film at the White House. The director recently announced that she will be writing, producing, and directing an untitled film about Hurricane Katrina that will star British actor David Oyelowo, making for the pair’s third film together following her breakthrough indie Middle of Nowhere and Oyelowo’s critically-praised turn as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma.

The film will see DuVernay also working with another frequent partner, Participant Media which distributed Middle of Nowhere, for a film reported to circle around a grand love story and intricate murder mystery that takes place during the 2005 hurricane.

In a quote given to The Hollywood Reporter, Participant Media’s Jonathan King praised DuVernay’s ability to infuse epic events with contemporary relevance while DuVernay emphasized her eagerness to re-team with both Participant and Oyelowo. In addition to starring in the film, Oyelowo is also in talks to come on board as a producer on the film.

Check out our 2013 profile of DuVernay in our Gender Inequality infographic to learn more about this fast-rising force in film.