At New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus, we’re always looking to take advantage of the many great locations here in Hollywood. Recently, the Filmmaking and Cinematography programs conducted two of their intensive workshops at Lincoln Heights Jail. During its heyday, the jail famously housed Charles Manson, as well as legendary actor Robert Mitchum following his conviction for the possession of marijuana in 1948. Lincoln Heights closed its door as working jail in the late 60’s, and has since served as the backdrop for such notable films as “L.A. Confidential”, “American History X” and more recently “Iron Man 2”.
The third semester MFA Cinematography students spent three days at the location for the Advanced Lighting workshop, bringing in a 600 amp generator, heavy duty cable and power distribution. They learned how to properly set up an array of high-powered lights including 10K tungsten fresnels, a 9 Light Maxi-Brute and a 4K HMI PAR. Instructor Jeff Siljenberg presented different challenges and scenarios to the students as the class lit shots in the jail cells, corridors and warden’s office, capturing the scenes on the Red Epic camera. The cinematographers got some great footage for their reels while they learned how to work with big lights in a practical location.
The second semester MA Filmmaking students joined them at Lincoln Heights, shooting scenes for their 35mm Cinematography workshop. During the week-long workshop, the filmmakers learned how to operate and shoot 35mm film using a Panavision camera and lenses. After their initial hands-on training, instructor Matt Kohnen took the students on location to test their new skills shooting different scenes on 35mm film while incorporating dolly moves into the setups.
Lincoln Heights proved to be the perfect setting for both workshops, and the students walked away with memorable experiences and great shots!
There’s no prouder moment for the New York Film Academy than seeing our very own break through the walls of Hollywood to become a household name. Such is the case with Parks and Recreation star, Aubrey Plaza. At a young age, Aubrey has already had the privilege of working with incredible talent like Amy Poehler, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, Nick Offerman, and many others. In addition to her breakout role as April on NBC’s Park and Recreation, Aubrey has worked on major productions, including Funny People, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Portlandia, and is currently in pre-production on a new series called Welcome to Sweden.
While there is never a direct path to stardom, it’s always interesting to hear everyone’s unique path to success. Recently, NYFA had the opportunity to catch up with the former NYFA acting student through an exclusive Q&A, which can be read in its new Student Resources section.
In the Q&A, Aubrey talks about being an actress, her affection for Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh, and which Parks & Rec star she thinks is an asshole. (Hint: it’s not Amy Poehler.)
CLICK HERE to read the Q&A in its entirety.
Students taking New York Film Academy Abu Dhabi’s one-year filmmaking program have dedicated the past semester to their thesis film. They have been editing and polishing their original scripts and story-boarding their movies, which involves organizing visual images in chronological order to show at a glance the progression of the narrative.
Higher percentage of Emirati students (UAE Nationals) than previous years were involved in the films, with new stories and documentaries.
During the One-Year in Filmmaking, Students wrote, shot, directed and edited 8 short films, and their final pieces was on view to the public on the big screen with student’s families, cast, crew, and friends.
The event took the place in VOX Cinema, Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi and welcomed the Emirati filmmaker Nawaf Al-Janahi who always providing inspiration each semester in his Q&A session at the Abu Dhabi campus.
While the New York Film Academy prides itself on its programs in the arts and its creative student body, we are fully aware and supportive of the importance of the sciences. That’s why we’ve been branching out more than ever in a S.T.E.A.M. initiative that allows our degree students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, in addition to the arts.
Recently, students from the New York Film Academy teamed with physicists from California State University, Northridge, to investigate the effects of global warming on the health of Southern California’s natural vegetation. Two weather balloons were launched from Tehachapi, California, reaching altitudes of approximately 90,000 feet. The balloons traveled a linear distance of 35 miles, eventually landing in the Mojave Desert. Through the launch, we were able to capture vast images of vegetation and measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind direction.
See for yourself how NYFA goes above and beyond in this fantastic piece put together by our NYFA Media Content Department.
New York Film Academy Presents Climate Change Experiment from New York Film Academy on Vimeo.
Noted director Doug Liman, whose film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, is currently playing on over 3,400 screens across the U.S., recently appeared at the New York Film Academy as part of the Producing School’s Industry Speaker series.
Participating in a lengthy question and answer session with Producing Department Co-Chair Neal Weisman, Doug spoke about various aspects of his career. The discussion largely focused on his process making such seminal independent films as Swingers and Go. He also gave great insight into the development and production of The Bourne Identity, which spawned the ongoing film franchise. Doug’s perspective on his career, and the current state of the film/tv industry, was truly inspiring for the gathering of NYFA producers, filmmakers, and screenwriters.
