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9 Great Pirates Movies That Beat Walking the Plank

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Pirate films aren’t as ubiquitous as westerns, but they’ve been a key part of Hollywood adventure films for just as long. Between the high seas action and swashbuckling anti-heros, audiences can’t resist a good pirate movie. 

Whether you’re celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day or just looking for a fun popcorn adventure, here are some of the best pirate films Hollywood has to offer:

Muppet Treasure Island

When Robert Louis Stevenson published his novel Treasure Island in 1883, he practically invented the entire pirate genre, including such staples as treasure maps, buried treasure, peglegs, parrots, and “X marks the spot.” The novel has been adapted countless times and in nearly every medium, so it was natural for Jim Henson’s Muppets to tell the story in their own charming way. Brian Henson, Jim’s son, directed this musical adventure comedy, which featured live-action stars Jennifer Saunders, Billy Connolly, and Tim Curry as Long John Silver.


Pirates of the Caribbean

Disney executives weren’t sure what to make of Johnny Depp’s one-of-a-kind performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in a movie adapted from a theme park ride, but once the original Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl became a monster hit in 2003, what they thought didn’t really matter. Depp’s performance instantly minted a new iconic character, and earned him an Academy Award nomination. The film and its four sequels set a high standard for incredible special effects and epic filmmaking, and have earned several Oscar nominations in addition to Depp’s.

The Pirate

If you’re looking for a romance from Hollywood’s Golden era, this is the pirate film you want. Judy Garland and Gene Kelly teamed up for Vincente Minnelli’s 1948 musical romance, which tells the tale of a woman who dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and poses as the pirate to win her heart.

Waterworld

Waterworld, the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release in 1995, takes place in a dystopian future when the ice caps have melted and all of Earth is covered in ocean. The villains of Kevin Costner’s action epic are a mix between classic pirates and apocalyptic oil-slicked Mad Max villains, raiding what little remains of civilization from weaponized jet skis and the Exxon Valdez to pirate and plunder food, gas, and fresh water. Hopper relishes his role as a futuristic pirate, giving maximum intensity in his performance and even sporting an eyepatch.


Captain Blood

Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood for many cinephiles, but for many he’s also the definitive pirate. In fact, Captain Blood, directed by Michael Curtiz, was Flynn’s first Hollywood role. Captain Blood is one of several adaptations of the 1922 novel of the same name, and tells the story of an enslaved doctor and his fellow prisoners who escape imprisonment and become pirates in the West Indies. The 1935 film made stars of Flynn and his then-unknown romantic lead, Olivia de Havilland, and was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The Goonies

Produced and based on a story by Steven Spielberg; director/producer Richard Donner and screenwriter Chris Columbus paired for this family adventure comedy, now a modern classic and launching pad for familiar faces like Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, and Martha Plimpton. The story focuses on poor kids from Oregon who attempt to save their homes from foreclosure with an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate.

Hook

Master director Steven Spielberg was also able to indulge in the pirate genre through the meta sequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Hook’s plot concerns a middle-aged Pan (Robin Williams), who is forced back to Neverland to rescue his two children from the clutches of stereotypical pirates led by Dustin Hoffman’s Captain Hook. Bob Hoskins makes a memorable impression as Hook’s first mate, Smee, and the film includes numerous high-profile cameos, including Glenn Close as the bearded pirate, Gutless. Everyone delights in chewing as much scenery as possible, which made the pirate antics all the more fun.

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips is most certainly not a popcorn movie, but rather the harrowing true story of real-life pirates who, to this day, prey on tankers containing millions of dollars of cargo. Paul Greengrass directs Tom Hanks as the captain of the Maersk Alabama, who was taken hostage for days along with his crew. The film received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Barkhad Abdi, who in his first role ever, improvised the now-infamous line, “I’m the Captain, now.”

Treasure Island (1934)

Since this list began with a Treasure Island adaptation, it might as well end with one, and a great one at that. The black-and-white film was directed by Oscar-winner Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz) and starred Jackie Cooper, Wallace Beery, and Lionel Barrymore. While the special effects aren’t quite as sharp as today’s CGI, you’ll still find all the thrills that come along with a solid pirate adventures.

Ludovic Coutaud is a NYFA alum and writer. For more information, click here. 

7 Great Live Action & School Shows TV Series  

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It’s been said most television sitcoms can fall into three categories–shows about friends, shows about a family, or shows about a workplace. Many dramas typically fall under one of these categories as well. One location that’s seen it’s fair share of television series is the school, which can be a mixture of all three.

Here are some of the classic live action television series about school:

Community

Dan Harmon’s show about a group of misanthropes who form a study group at a community college quickly became a cult favorite, and lasted five seasons on NBC before getting cancelled and renewed for a sixth season by Yahoo! Screen. The show, which revelled in both referencing and subverting all things pop culture, launched and boosted several careers, including comedy veteran Chevy Chase, Alison Brie, and Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino.

Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks, a period drama about high school outcasts in 1980, also launched multiple careers, including Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, producer Judd Apatow, and creator Paul Feig. No wonder the one-season wonder picked up an Emmy for Outstanding Casting in a Comedy. The show had the hallmarks of Apatow’s and Feig’s future work–pop culture-referencing humor with a ton of heart.

Glee

The memorable pilot for Glee launched a new wave of musicals on television, including Smash, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and live performances of famous musicals. The show worked with high school stereotypes like jocks, cheerleaders, and nerds, but over six seasons it shaded its characters with a ton of depth. Glee covered nearly every social issue a high schooler might encounter, as well as covered hundreds of famous pop, rock, and musical numbers. The show, which included NYFA alumni Chord Overstreet and Naya Rivera–the latter as the deviously talented Santana Lopez–also wore its progressive heart on its sleeve, and was praised for its three-dimensional LGBTQIA+ and other diverse characters.

Friday Night Lights

Adapted from the 2004 film by Peter Berg, itself adapted from the nonfiction book by H.G.Bissinger, this NBC drama ran for five seasons, earning critical acclaim throughout its run. Like its source material, the show was based around a Texas town’s obsession with high school football, but quickly transcended that material to become a grounded, fully-realized portrayal of working class families. The show, and its characters, wasn’t afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve, and from time to time punctuated its character drama with breathtaking football action and laugh-out-loud comedic beats.

Saved by the Bell

Originally a workplace vehicle for Hayley Mills about middle school called Good Morning, Miss Bliss, the show was renamed Saved by the Bell in season two and re-tooled to be about the students, now in high school, led by the charismatic Zack Morris. The show became both a syndication and Saturday morning staple for an entire generation, and has persisted in pop culture through TV movies and spin-offs like The College Years and The New Class.

My So-Called Life

In 1994, ABC aired this teen drama that lasted for only a season but dealt with several major issues for teens in the 90s in its short time, from drug use to alcoholism to school violence. The show launched the careers of Jared Leto and Claire Danes; the latter winning a Golden Globe for her lead role. 

Veronica Mars

The first season of Veronica Mars was a murder mystery whodunnit with a clever gimmick–what if the hard-boiled private eye was a teenage girl? Suspects and witnesses came from every clique in high school as the title character navigated a murder investigation with her homework and dating life. Kristen Bell’s winning performance as well the show’s shocking twists and clever, snappy dialogue, made the show a cult hit. It lasted another two seasons before being cancelled, but was brought back to life as a feature film and most recently with another season of TV.

Ludovic Coutaud is a NYFA alum and writer. For more information, click here. 

8 Books Every Screenwriter Should Check Out

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Screenplays, whether for short student films or Hollywood epics, typically follow a fairly rigid format. However, the art of screenwriting, and what you’ll learn in screenwriting school and by workshopping your scripts with your instructors and fellow students, comes down to mastering all the nuances that reside within that format.

A great supplement to the hands-on, intensive training you’ll receive at screenwriting school is of course a good book—after all, who better to write about writing than, well, writers?

screenwriting competitions

There are countless books on screenwriting so it can be hard to choose ones that are worth your time and that will complement your in-class training. Here are a few tried-and-true books that won’t waste your time:

The Tools of Screenwriting: A Writer’s Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay
by David Howard and Edward Mabley

David Howard and Edward Mabley get to the very core of screenwriting with this book, focusing on the principal elements of a script, like plot, structure, dialogue, setting, character development, and imagery, and how they specifically relate to the medium as opposed to other forms of writing. By using specific examples found in famous scripts like Citizen Kane, E.T., and The Godfather, they show how these elements look when masterfully applied.

The 21st Century Screenplay: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Tomorrow’s Films
by Linda Aronson

While many, if not most, books illustrate screenwriting through the traditional three-act structure, with some going as far as telling you where story beats should be page by page, The 21st Century Screenplay focuses on breaking the rules once you’ve mastered them. By using popular, contemporary examples of Hollywood films that employ various types of alternate screenwriting techniques, including–Pulp Fiction, Memento, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind–the book shows you how to write unconventionally in a way that makes sense and doesn’t alienate your audience.

Psychology for Screenwriters: Building Conflict in Your Script
by William Indick

One of the first things any writer is taught is that conflict is the core of drama, so it goes without saying that a good screenplay needs good conflict. Psychology for Screenwriters focuses on this specific goal, instructing writers how to better understand human behavior to drive their script, and providing readers with theories of personality and psychoanalysis, along with writing exercises, guidelines, and a ton of examples from classic movies.

The Nutshell Technique
by Jill Chamberlain

Unlike most screenwriting books, which teach you the beats of a story linearly, producer Jill Chamberlain (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Crimson Peak), offers The Nutshell Technique. The heart of her technique involves eight core elements of a story that all tie into one another. Cracking the code will crack your story, and Chamberlain demonstrates this with infographics that break down the stories of famous scripts like Pulp Fiction, Casablanca, Juno, and Little Miss Sunshine, using her patented technique.

Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screenwriting
by William Goldman

Screenwriting legend William Goldman is behind some of the biggest and best Hollywood movies of all time, and readers were eager to read his insights when he first published Adventures in the Screen Trade in 1983. However, instead of getting a step-by-step writing manual from one of the masters, they got a personal, fascinating look at the mechanics of how Hollywood worked, from the Golden Age studio era to its transition into New Hollywood and beyond. The book is considered a must-read not just for aspiring screenwriters but anyone who ever plans to step foot in the Los Angeles movie-making machine.

Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business
by David Mamet

David Mamet made his name on his unique style of dialogue-heavy writing, including his Oscar-nominated screenplays for Wag the Dog and The Verdict. His book, Bambi vs. Godzilla, offers an insider look at Hollywood written with his trademark subversive wit, but with a focus on screenwriting, including who in the studio system actually reads your script. It is incredibly informative, but not afraid to have fun, asking questions like “How is a screenplay like a personals ad?”

Writing Movies for Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too!
by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant

Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant met in film school, where they and their friends co-founded the comedy group The State, which spawned a generation of film and TV stars like David Wain, Michael Ian Black, and Ken Marino. While also starring as sketch actors and on shows like Reno 911!, Lennon and Garant became successful Hollywood screenwriters, penning many big budget action-comedies and other films, including Night at the Museum and Baywatch. The book offers insight in how to make blockbuster screenplays for Hollywood while also keeping the reader entertained with the hilarious joke-writing skills they bring to their comedy careers.

Our intensive 1-Week Screenwriting workshop teaches students the fundamentals of screenwriting and enables them to develop a fully structured outline for a feature length screenplay. Aspiring screenwriters are encouraged to visit our 1-Week Screenwriting Program page to learn more and apply today.

Getting Yourself Ready for Your International Acting Audition

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) boasts a diverse, international student body with aspiring performers and visual artists coming from over 120 countries, with campuses and locations around the globe. Students studying at NYFA are gaining experience from day one that will help them later on as professionals in the industry–working with international collaborators.

Whether Americans auditioning abroad, or international actors auditioning in the United States, there are certain extra steps to take when preparing for your international acting audition. Here are some of them:

international map plane

Your website

A personal, polished website is incredibly important as your digital calling card, and you should make sure it is available to the most amount of people. Since Hollywood, New York, Australia, and the UK are major hubs for film work, it goes without saying that in addition to your native language, your website should be available in English. Ideally, you can even add extensions that translate your site into multiple languages, in case any auditions pop up in Paris or Tokyo, for example!

Your reel

The same goes for your reel. Adding subtitles is a smart idea and relatively simple, but you can do more. A reel should broadly showcase your talents, and for international auditions, you should include various accents as well, to show you are adaptable to projects in different locations. Put all your talent out there for the industry to see.

Familiarize yourself

If you are auditioning in a location you’re not too knowledgeable about, you should familiarize yourself with major works and names from that region. For example, if you are auditioning for a French production, learning the masters of French cinema, as well as contemporary French actors and actresses, will be a huge plus because it will allow you to be on the same page when communicating with producers, directors, and casting directors. 

Use the internet

While sites like Backstage.com are an invaluable research tool in New York and Los Angeles (and even London), it’s not as useful in locales like Paris or Sydney. Don’t despair though–every major city and region will have similar sites to help you find auditions and gigs. Using a search engine to find these services shouldn’t be too difficult, but you can always start simple with Craigslist, Facebook, and other international websites that know no borders.

Get your passport ready

Make sure you have a valid passport that hasn’t expired, because you never know when your agent might call with the perfect gig. It would be a shame if it turns out you’re unable to fly to the shoot and perform, so always be prepared to jump on a flight–you can learn your lines overnight, but you can’t get a passport that quickly! 

If you’re interested in attending the acting school at New York Film Academy, you can find more information on our programs here.

Ludovic Coutaud is a NYFA alum and writer. For more information, click here. 

Exciting, But Competitive Graphic Design Jobs

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Books, apparel, marketing, product packaging, and magazines are just some of the things graphic designers are getting paid to create. Often requiring both hand-drawing skills and computer software knowledge, these graphic design jobs will test your skills.

Web Design

These days it’s almost impossible for a business to gain credibility and instill confidence in potential clients and customers if they don’t have a good website. Of course, it’s often just as damning to have a poor website that leaves a bad impression via terrible user interface or an unattractive look.

Thus, most companies are willing to pay good money for talented graphic designers that know their way around computer graphics and modern internet tech, as well have a good eye for appealing visuals. As a web designer, you’d help develop the graphics, layout, and overall structure of a site. 

Brand Identity

Today, the average person uses the internet and social media more than ever before. Companies are very concerned about how they’re seen in the eyes of countless online viewers. Graphic designers are brought in to help said company establish their visual identity and use it to keep their image fresh in people’s minds. 

Since companies are constantly fighting for attention, graphic designers who can follow successful trends while also creating unique and innovative designs that both stand out and convey the right message are the ones who will have greater success.

Graphic Design Jobs Graphic Designer

Photo Editor

You’d be hard pressed to find a major eCommerce business that doesn’t have a graphic designer with photo editing skills in their ranks. By using powerful software like Photoshop, photo editors are able to enhance and transform digital content into whatever suits the company’s needs.

Considering that Photoshop is hands down the most widely used photo editing program, every graphic designer in this day and age should have at least some familiarity with it.

Logo Design

We live in a time when companies and products are often represented single image, making their logo more than simply just a symbol. Whether it’s Nike’s swoosh created by Carolyn Davidson or Mcdonald’s golden arches recognized across the globe, history has shown that graphic designers can play a massive role in a company’s visual image. Because of this, businesses put a lot of effort and energy into finding graphic designers who have proven track records of creating memorable new logos or giving existing ones a modern facelift.

If you’re interested in pursuing jobs logo design, a good way to get your foot in the door is by working at an advertising agency or graphic design firm. 

Art Director

This is one of the more sought after roles in publishing, fashion, theater, and many other fields, including video game development. That said, the functions of the job title also differ depending on what industry you’re working in. If you’re on the hunt for an art director job that requires graphic design training, a good fit would be in the marketing field.

As an art director, you’d lead a creative team to produce artwork and designs for magazines, television, billboards, and/or websites. Although art directors usually spend their hours overseeing others’ work, having the ability to whip up your own designs is a huge plus

Graphic Design Jobs Graphic Designer

Multimedia Design

From film and television production to animation and theatre set design, companies in the multimedia field are dependent on good multi-media design to create images, video, sound, and more.   

Although multimedia design jobs are pretty competitive, especially in popular fields, if you can land a job as a multi-media designer, you’ll have an exciting opportunity to apply your varied skills.

You can find more information about the graphic design school at New York Film Academy here.

9 Hilarious Animated Films for the Whole Family

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When it comes to animated films for children, parents resign themselves to watching the same few entries over and over and over again. That’s why they are always thrilled to find something that is hilarious for both children and adults, and more importantly, has replay value.

Here are nine hilarious animated films the whole family can enjoy, even if they end up watching it dozens of times. 

Frozen

Two very different sisters – one ordinary and one with magical ice powers – are emotionally separated after an accident as children. With the help of some new friends and a sister’s big heart, they learn that love can thaw the “iciest” of situations.

This blockbuster hit was popular with viewers of all ages. Not only is the lovable, huggable snowman Olaf full of little quips to keep viewers giggling, but Anna is by far the most awkward and relatable Disney princess to date. Fans of the film will be glad to hear its sequel, Frozen II, worked on by NYFA Animation instructor Kelley Williams, will be released later this year.

Shrek

Dreamworks release three sequels and a spin-off to Shrek in less than a decade, so fans of ogres with Scottish accents have their options, but the original has a level of hilarity that is nearly unmatched. The groundbreaking film created a brand new subgenre of CGI kids films brimming with modern pop culture references that parents could laugh along to.

Austin Powers star Mike Myers is a comedy natural, but even his scenes are stolen by fellow Saturday Night Live alum Eddie Murphy, as Donkey, and Antonio Banderas’s adorable-but-deadly Puss in Boots.

The Lego Movie

President Business is out to destroy the world, but not if the prophecy of the Piece of Resistance is true. Can an ordinary construction worker truly be the special master builder who has the power to stop an evil tyrant from freezing the entire Lego world in time?

Combining amazing animation that mimics stop motion, laugh-a-second gags, a surprisingly heartwarming story, and an all-star stellar cast, The Lego Movie was a gigantic hit upon release as well as a critical darling. Accolades include a BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, and countless other nominations.

 

The Secret Life of Pets

What do your pets do when you aren’t at home? Some may laze around; others may go on an adventure to find their lost friend while avoiding a band of “flushed pets” who hate both humans and their beloved animals.

Made by the artists behind the Despicable Me series, this film offers a fun-filled time by depicting pets as very human-like while also keeping their animal-specific personalities intact. The Secret Life of Pets provides lots of laughs while also featuring relatable, adorable characters that even the youngest members of your household will be able to giggle at.

Minions

The title Minions’ sole purpose in life is to serve the biggest, baddest badguy boss in existence, but their clumsiness makes it difficult to keep their jobs. A prequel to the hit movie Despicable Me, this story follows three brave minions who venture off to save their tribe by searching for a boss that will cherish and need them for years to come.

Minions most impressive achievement is sustaining 90 minutes of fun and story despite the constant warbling of the characters’ gibberish language. Indeed, not only was the film a success, but cemented the little yellow creatures as animation icons.

Despicable Me

There would be no Minions if not for the success of the original Despicable Me, which won audiences over with a modern style of humor, a subversive take on superhero tropes, and a hilarious leading performance by Steve Carell at the height of his comedic powers. But the movie is also a perfect family film, as the supervillain Gru (Carell) becomes a surrogate father to three daughters and finds true meaning in a suburban family unit.

 

 

Wreck-It Ralph

Poor Ralph never wanted to be a video game villain; he just wants to be accepted by his fellow game characters. Eager to prove himself more than just a villain, Ralph leaves his home game in hopes of showing that he can be a hero. His plan backfires–if he doesn’t return to his game in time, it will be unplugged and shut down forever, leaving him and all his friends without a home.

Wreck-It Ralph is a blast from the past for parents who grew up playing vintage video games during the 80s and 90s. But you don’t need an interest in Nintendo and Atari to enjoy this fantastic film, especially considering it was directed by Rich Moore, director of iconic comedy shows like Futurama and The Simpsons.

Toy Story

The original Toy Story transformed the animated film genre with its computer animation, but the impressive artistry and technology would not have captivated audiences the way it did without an, imaginative story, gut-busting one-liners, and a lively cast voiced by some of Hollywood’s top talent, including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.

Twenty-five years later, the iconic Pixar characters Woody and Buzz Lightyear are still dominating the box office, along with all their old friends as well as new ones, including Toy Story 4’s breakout character Forky, played by recent New York Film Academy guest speaker Tony Hale.

The Incredibles

Toy Story walked so The Incredibles could run. The 2004 Pixar film depicted a family of superheroes and perfectly captured the love (and hostility) that exists between a mother, father, and their children living under a roof, whether they have superpowers or not. Every member of the family will find something to love from this action/comedy/family drama and it’s must-watch for parents and their children.

If you’re interested in studying animation and visual effects at New York Film Academy, you can find more information on our programs here.

5 Books Every Graphic Designer Should Read

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Graphic Design is one of the most exciting fields to work in these days, and while there are plenty of YouTube tutorials to supplement your graphic design studies, it still pays to read good, old-fashioned, books on the subject.

Graphic Design

Here are some of the books (whether it’s in print or on your e-reader), that every graphic designer or aspiring graphic designer should read:

Thinking With Type
by Ellen Lupton

Perfect for editors, typographers, writers, publishers, and students who want to learn the best use of font for branding and other uses, this beautifully written visual guide provides the latest information on style, font licensing, captions, lining, and details such as the use of small caps or enlarged capitals–all neatly organized in three chapters that are easy to consume. 

A Smile in the Mind
by Beryl McAlhone 

London-based writer McAlhone has a special interest in design that makes this an essential and resourceful book. Highlighting esteemed works from international designers from Japan, Europe, United States, and Great Britain, this entry takes you through hundreds of visuals and illustrations that will no doubt inspire the reader.

Multicolour
by viction:ary

A marvelous source for both amateurs and masters, Multicolour showcases an expansive library of themes, titles, and more. Like many of the books on graphic design, turning each page offers an emotional voyage of color that is as much fun for your eyes as informative for your brain. The palette series includes black & white, gold & silver, neon, and its most recent, pastels.

Logo Modernism (Design)
by Jens Müller

This book focuses on the architecture, art, and product design, of the modernist movement that had its peak from 1940 to 1980. Using around 6000 brand names and their history, Logo Modernism is an incomparable resource for designers, publicists, and brand specialists, as well as those who have a passionate interest in the social and cultural history of 20th century corporation and consumerism. 

Drawing Type: An Introduction to Illustrating Letterforms
by Alex Fowkes

An impressive showcase of the work 72 typography creators who have designed a diverse array of fonts for posters, packaging, boards, and more. At the end of the publication, a notebook can be found suggesting exercises that graphic designers will find incredibly useful.

Ludovic Coutaud is a NYFA alum and writer. For more information, click here. 

5 Books on Photography Everyone Should Read

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While there are plenty of YouTube tutorials and other digital media on every minutiae of photography, sometimes it helps to turn to good old-fashioned books. Whether it’s on equipment, fundamentals, or specific artists, there are countless books every photographer can learn from. Here are just a few you should check out next time you’re at the library or browsing through Amazon:

Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment
by National Geographic Society

Women of Vision showcases the stunning work of women photographers from the first decade of the 21st century, from the Iraq War to the Jersey Shore and everything in between. The riveting results of photo assignments presented here are introduced by National Geographic editor-in-chief Chris Johns, with a foreword by journalist Ann Curry.

Vivian Maier: Street Photographer
by Vivian Maier

Many people discovered photographer Vivian Maier through the 2013 documentary Finding Vivian Maier, but this book allows you to spend as much time as you need with each of her indelible images. The street photographer with a one-of-a-kind point of view only became well-known posthumously, but her work is now immortal in the pages of this work.

Yonkeros
by Jaime Permuth

For those looking for a more specific collection of photos, look no further than Yonkeros, a series of works by New York Film Academy instructor Jaime Permuth documenting the “Iron Triangle,” an area of New York filled with scrapyards. The photos bring to life an overlooked world where first-world trash is recycled and handled by working class people who live and work in the Iron Triangle.

The Lens: A Practical Guide for the Creative Photographer
by N.K. Guy

This simple yet informative book is a straightforward guide for all types of photographers looking for the right lens for the right image. While it may not serve as a beach read, it’s a great reference to keep on your shelf that you can turn to when planning your next shoot.

The Photographer’s Story: The Art of Visual Narrative
by Michael Freeman

Once you’ve mastered the technical fundamentals of photography, you’ll still need to learn how to present your art in a meaningful and engaging way that does your images, and your story justice. The book is a thoroughly modern one, working in how digital media, online galleries, tablets, and the trend of photo-essays all come into play when figuring out how to showcase your work in the contemporary scene.

photography tips and hacks

Keeping photography books in your library is always a good idea–but of course everything starts with a solid background in the art and craft of the medium. If you’re interested in studying photography, check out the programs New York Film Academy has to offer here.

Ludovic Coutaud is a NYFA alum and writer. For more information, click here. 

Phase 4: What’s Next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

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[warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home]


This summer saw the end of an epic run of films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), that began in 2008 with Iron Man, and finished with the epic crossover Avengers: Endgame and its follow-up, Spider-Man: Far From Home. The 22 MCU films ended with a goodbye to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, coming full circle.

But of course, like any good comic book storyline, the end is never really the end. While for the first time in a very long time Disney’s Marvel Studios currently doesn’t have another movie in the can and ready to go, it does have multiple projects in pre-production. It won’t be long before Phase 4 and Marvel dominate the box office once again, with both brand new characters as well as some familiar faces…

Black Widow

The long-rumored solo film for Scarlett Johansson’s original Avenger, Black Widow, is finally coming to pass. A key difference between Phase 4 and the first three MCU phases (besides a lack of Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans) will be the clear push to bring more diversity to a franchise that saw 20 out of 22 (that’s 91%) of its films helmed by and starring white men. Black Widow was one of the major casualties of the war against Thanos in Endgame, but it’s presumed this film, co-starring David Harbour (Stranger Things), Rachel Weisz (The Favourite), and Florence Pugh (Midsommar), will be a prequel about how Black Widow was originally trained as a Russian spy and first earned all that red in her ledger. The film will be one of the first for Phase 4, expected to release sometime next year and continue a streak the MCU hasn’t broken since 2009.

Eternals

Another of Phase 4’s earliest projects is Eternals, which is based on one of Marvel’s more obscure cosmic, space-based properties. The last time the MCU announced they were making a big budget adaptation of weird space creatures no one ever heard of, many assumed it would end in dismal failure—however Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be one of Disney’s greatest hits. This film may prove the same, and fills the star power vacuum left by Robert Downey, Jr. by putting Angelina Jolie front and center. Jolie will be joined in the cast by Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kumail Nanjiani. The lineup isn’t just racially diverse and full of women—rumor has it the film will also feature the MCU’s first openly gay superhero.

Thor: Love and Thunder

One of the most beloved films of the first three phases was Thor: Ragnarok, written and directed by New Zealander Taika Waititi. Waititi will return for Thor 4, along with Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and Natalie Portman, who hasn’t prominently featured in the MCU since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. Portman is rumored to be playing the Jane Foster female version of Thor, wielding Mjölnir in a plotline from the comics. And while, because of confusing rights issues with Universal, there’s still no second solo Hulk film in the works, here’s hoping Mark Ruffalo and Professor Hulk will return to the MCU to re-form The Revengers with his old pals Thor and Valkyrie.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

That’s one kooky title but we’ve come expect the unexpected from one of the MCU’s trippiest franchises, Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumerbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme had a great run in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame arguably saving the day by saving Tony and showing him how to beat Thanos, so it’s no surprise Doctor Strange 2 is a priority for Marvel. He won’t be alone either—Elizabeth Olsen will be joining him as the Scarlet Witch, another powerful superhero whose powers defy conventional science. As for the Multiverse in the title? That opens up a lot of possibilities—Mysterio’s claims of a multiverse turned out to be a ruse in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but if parallel universes do exist in the MCU, maybe we’ll even get to see an alternate Earth where Tony Stark still lives and breathes…

What If…?

Speaking of a multiverse… While the Netflix MCU-adjacent shows have all come to an end, you’ll still be able to find Marvel on the small screen when the release of Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, comes out later this year. One of these shows will be anthology series What If…?, which will show one-off alternate versions of the MCU. It’s not yet known if the animated series will simply be “what if” fantasies or if they will be actual alternate dimensions that co-exist within the MCU—but with Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) voicing the all-seeing Watcher, the latter is certainly a possibility. So far the series has lined up many familiar names to reprise their roles in alternate versions; the pilot will feature Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter and ask, “What if Peggy had taken the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers?”

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

The first MCU series debuting on Disney+ will be The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, who have become close buddies since the events of Captain America: Civil War. The question is if this show be taking place after the events of Avengers: Endgame, when—just like in the comics—Steve Rogers retired and gave Sam Wilson, the Falcon, the mantle of Captain America, along with his vibranium shield. One thing we do know is that supervillain Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) will be returning from Civil War in one form or another.

Loki

Another returning character getting his own Disney+ series will be Tom Hiddleston’s fan favorite Loki. The trickster god and brother of Thor has alternated from good to bad several times within his several appearances in the MCU, so it remains to be seen what exactly the series will be about, especially considering Thanos strangled Loki to death in the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. But considering the time travel shenanigans in Endgame led to Loki escaping with the Tesseract Space Stone, there’s a good chance an alternate Loki is still alive, and, if set photos are to be believed, possibly living in the 1970s!

WandaVision

WandaVision is perhaps the most perplexing of the announced Phase 4 titles. We know Wanda, aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), will be appearing in Doctor Strange 2, but her artificial lifeform lover Vision was one of the major casualties of Avengers: Infinity War, and was never resurrected by the end of Avengers: Endgame. So what will this show about the pair be about? The title, a very weird pun with a 50s style logo, gives nothing away.

Blade

1998’s Blade, starring Wesley Snipes as the half-vampire, half-human swordsman, is considered the first modern superhero movie and which kicked off the Hollywood comic book fascination that is still burning strong today. So it was a big surprise at this year’s Comic Con when Marvel head Kevin Feige announced that a rebooted Blade will be joining the MCU, with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as the title Daywalker. Ali is no stranger to the MCU—he played the villain Cottonmouth in the first season of Luke Cage. But when you have an actor as good as Ali, you can’t blame Marvel for using him as much as they can.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi is a lesser known Marvel superhero, but that’s about to change. The film will be the first from the MCU to be directed by an Asian American and star a mostly Asian and Asian American cast, including Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and Tony Leung. Leung will be playing the Mandarin, a supervillain teased since the very beginning of the MCU when a terrorist with ten rings first imprisoned Tony Stark and inspired him to become Iron Man, and who Ben Kingsley very famously turned out not to be in Iron Man 3.

Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye came back from the brink as the murderous Ronin by the end of Avengers: Endgame, but he may not be the focus of this Disney+ series. Lila Barton, his daughter, became Hawkeye in the comics, and as the MCU pushes to bring in more diverse and female superheroes, she may end up taking the mantle of her father. The very first scene of Avengers: Endgame shows Lila’s amazing archery skills, no doubt inherited from her dad, before she was snapped out of existence for five years by Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet.

And then what?

These have all been announced and are all in some form of pre-production or production, but there’s other projects we can safely assume Disney will produce as long as Marvel keeps making them billions and billions of dollars. These include sequels to smash hits Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain Marvel. And since Disney recently bought Fox and most of its properties, eventually we may see the Fantastic Four and even a new version of the X-Men join the Franchise That Tony Built.

MCU Phase 4