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NYFA Grad Rohit Gupta Honored by the Limca Book of Records

Rohit and Ravi — Rohit (Left) and Ravi Kumar (Right)

Acclaimed filmmaker and New York Film Academy graduate, Rohit Gupta has been honored by India’s renowned Limca Book of Records for his award-winning feature film Life! Camera! Action. The film sets a new record being the first full-length motion picture shot by a two-person crew: producer/director Rohit Gupta & Ravi Kumar R. It is also the first film to be released via facebook.

Since its release, Life! Camera! Action has received wide critical acclaim, earning over seventy international accolades in various categories including the prestigious Top Nine Most Popular and Board of Directors’ Special Awards, 28th Goldie Film Awards (USA), Orson Welles Award-California International Film Awards, Royal Reel Award-Canada International Film Festival, Grand Jury Award-Oregon Film Awards (USA), Best Feature Film-IFFPIE (Official World Peace Film Festival) (Indonesia) and many others around the world. Renowned news producer Silicon India listed the film as One of the 10 Outstanding Movies by Indian American Filmmakers. The list includes Hollywood blockbusters such as The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan, Mississippi Masala and Namesake by Mira Nair, and Fire and Earth by Deepa Mehta.

This inspiring ninety-minute quasi-autobiographical family drama features the struggle of the protagonist Reina – played by award winning actress Dipti Mehta – who sets off on a career in filmmaking against parental consent. Running the risk of being disowned for going against the norm of pursuing a future in engineering, medicine or architecture, the film celebrates the strength of the central character to challenge the rules regardless of the consequences.

Gupta’s journey and the process of his work is widely considered a major source of inspiration to aspiring filmmakers, students of cinema and youth at large the world over. Gupta who has co-written, produced, directed, edited, written lyrics, shared credits in music and photography, marketed, branded and distributed his work, commented that, “It has been a marvelous journey and the road ahead looks equally interesting.”

Rohit first forayed into films with a four-minute American suspense-thriller film, Another Day Another Life, which also received tremendous acclaim from around the world including an Official Selection at Cannes in 2009. He is currently working on the post-production of his highly anticipated upcoming American comedy feature titled Midnight Delight, due for release in 2014.

Editor of iMediaEthics Website to Participate in Seminar with NYFA Broadcast Journalism Students

Ethics form the essential foundation for effective journalism. Yet in the current hyper competitive media environment, there is often a temptation to “move” a story before it has been fully vetted. That’s what happened at CBS News when ’60 Minutes’ broadcast the dramatic story of an alleged “eyewitness” to the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The story turned out to be false, and resulted in the suspension of the CBS correspondent responsible for the report.

On Wednesday January 29, Rhonda Roland Shearer — editor-in-chief and publisher of iMediaEthics, a media watchdog website — will conduct a seminar for Broadcast Journalism students at the New York Film Academy. A project of the Art Science Research Laboratory, which was co-founded by Ms. Shearer and her late husband, Harvard Professor and scientist Stephen Jay Gould, iMediaEthics regularly explores the “hits and misses” of the news media. The winner of a 2012 Mirror Award from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, the website provides a lively forum for the exploration of high-profile media issues.

This seminar will take place on Wednesday morning, January 29 on the 17 Battery Place campus of the New York Film Academy. All current, and potential, NYFA students are welcome to attend. The discussion will be moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist Bill Einreinhofer, Chair of the NYFA Broadcast Journalism department. For more information, contact him at [email protected] or 862-755-1203.

NYFA Documentary Dept. Well Represented at Sundance

The Sundance Film Festival is one of the premier film festivals that takes place annually in Utah. If you’re a documentary filmmaker, this is where you want to premiere and showcase your film. The New York Film Academy is proud to announce that several members of the Documentary department — including faculty and students — will be representing NYFA this winter at Sundance!

Starting off with NYFA graduate, Muhammed Hamdy, who will be premiering We Are The Giant, in which he was the cinematographer. Hamdy accepted the Audience Award last year for his work on The Square, which is now on the Oscar’s short list for Best Documentary Feature.
Master Class Faculty professor, Tony Gerber will be showcasing his film, The Notorious Mr. Bout (in competition).
(Credited Graduates: Camera Operator and Production Coordinator, Todd Leatherman; Production Coordinator, Ilaria Polsonetti; and Production Assistants, Lena Vasiliou, JR Cronheim, Daphne Yaeger-Ostendorf, Katarina Strazdig, Mark Craig and Gaby Lozada)
Master Class Faculty professor, Hilla Medalia is also in the mix with her film, Web Junkie (in competition).
(Credited grads: Francesca Pagani, Production Assistant and Andrea Blake, Production Intern) Graduate, Andrea Blake, is credited as Production Coordinator on CHICAGOLAND, an 8-part CNN Documentary series Executive Produced by Robert Redford. She is also credited as Production Intern on Life Itself, a film about Roger Ebert, directed by Steve James (Hoop Dreams).
Finally, graduate Todd Leatherman crewed on the fiction feature, Obvious Child, which was selected for Sundance’s NEXT section.

Best of luck to all of our NYFA members representing us at Sundance!

Emmy Award Winner Jane Hanson Speaks to Broadcast Journalism Students

We had an early Christmas present recently, as three-time Emmy Award winner Jane Hanson visited New York Film Academy‘s Battery Park campus to meet with our Broadcast Journalism students. Jane brought along samples of her primetime reporting, drawn from her WNBC-TV series Jane’s New York.

The students were fascinated by the “behind the scenes” stories of how Jane put together these exciting programs. (One involved Jane recording a “stand-up” sitting in a chair bolted to a piece of plywood, hanging out the window of an office at 30 Rockefeller Center. It was an amazing shot!) Still, they appreciated even more Jane’s insights into real-world Broadcast Journalism, and the struggle many women often have finding a balance between family and a successful television career.

We’re deeply indebted to Jane Hanson for taking time out of her busy schedule to visit NYFA. Thanks Jane!

-Bill Einreinhofer

MFA Cinematography Students Get Hands-On Lecture at Sony Studios

Thanks to New York Film Academy Instructor Suki Medencevic, the January 2013 MFA Cinematography students had a rare and amazing opportunity to travel to Sony Studios where they had a seminar on Sony cameras. While at Sony, they went to the Digital Motion Picture Center (D.M.P.C.). The seminar educated students on Sony’s top of the line 4K digital cameras: the F55 and F65.

At the DMPC, the two main instructors for the seminar were Curtis Clark, an A.S.C. director of photography, and Kazuo Endo, the F65 engineer who created the camera. The first part of the seminar began with a lecture from Kazuo Endo going over the capabilities and specifications of the cameras. Following Kazuo’s lecture was Curtis Clark, who introduced the students to a universal color space reference tool called the Academy Color Encoding Specification or A.C.E.S. A decade in the making, A.C.E.S. will be the new industry standard for motion pictures and television. A.C.E.S. was created by the combined efforts of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the A.S.C.

After Curtis taught the students about A.C.E.S., they had the opportunity to shoot two different night and day shots using the F55 and F65 on set in the sound stage of Sony. Before the test shoot, Curtis introduced everyone to an application engineer/D.I.T. by the name of Steve MacMillan, who then presented the digital workflow of the F55 and F65 using A.C.E.S. as a color reference.

The cinematography students jumped right in to shoot their two shots showing skill, resourcefulness, leadership, and creativity that they learned from their schooling at New York Film Academy, which impressed both Curtis and Kazuo. When they were finished shooting, the footage was handed off to a colorist by the name of David Burnstein. David projected the RAW footage in 4k in the DMPC Theater where they had a color grading session with David.

When the color grading session was over, Curtis and Kazuo gave closing remarks and thanked everyone for coming to Sony. Curtis and Kazuo also gave the students a parting gift and wished them all luck with their future projects. “The students showed considerable skill and resourcefulness in the way they approached the two scenes they shot on the DMPC set,” said Curtis. “I’m sure it reflects the high quality of instruction and training they receive from NYFA. Kazuo and I very much enjoyed having them take part in our seminar and look forward to continuing working with NYFA cinematography students in 2014.”

Needless to say, all of the students were thrilled about their wonderful learning experience at Sony.

If you’re interested in NYFA’s MFA Cinematography program, CLICK HERE for more information.

NYFA Grad Julie Pacino Looking for Interns for Production Company

Former New York Film Academy student, Julie Pacino, is looking for creative interns for her Production Company, Poverty Row Entertainment. Poverty Row produces feature films, music videos and commercials from their location in New York City.

“We are a serious, legit, and very busy producer team in need of an intern who can support us in the day to day, both logistically and creatively,” says Julia.

Tasks include: management of schedules, running errands, and thinking creatively as they prepare to release their feature film and enter into pre-production on their next.

A candidate is potentially, but not limited to, someone who is interested in and/or currently studying Marketing and Business Communications.

Skills preferred: Photoshop, Adobe, Excel, blogging sites like Tumblr and WordPress.

Logging receipts and some book keeping will be necessary, as well.

It is important to understand that the work will not always be exciting, but it will be a fun environment as the company is for innovative independent filmmakers with a true passion for the business.

The office is located in Chinatown, New York City and they are looking for someone with an open schedule that they can count on. There is no pay, but student credit can be discussed.

If you’re interested, send your resume and cover letter to [email protected].

NYFA Abu Dhabi Acting Grad Stars in Dubai International Film Fest’s ‘Best Film Award’ Winner

Congratulations to New York Film Academy Abu Dhabi Acting graduate, Fatima Al Taei, for her role in Don’t Leave Me, directed by Khalid Al Mahmood. The film received the Best Film Award in the Dubai International Film Festival.

Fatima plays the role of a woman in her early twenties, Layla, who meets Aisha while at school. Layla is on the verge of losing her eyesight while Aisha is on medication to prevent her from losing her memories. While they don’t recognize each other, they share a connection.

Be sure to check out the trailer of this award winning film below.

NYFA Grad Wins Best Director for ‘The Duck Diaries’

Digital Filmmaking Graduate, Matt Twomey, recently won the Best Director award at the NYC Independent Film Festival for his feature documentary, The Duck Diaries: A Cold War Quest for Friendship Across the Americas. The Duck Diaries is a true-life intercontinental adventure about the importance of intercultural outreach in a troubled world, and the astonishing power of a never-say-die spirit. The story is about a group of young American guys who, in 1961 at the height of the Cold War, took it upon themselves to spread Yankee goodwill in Central and South America. For the 27,000-mile journey, they acquired a surplus Army amphibian “Duck.” But the vehicle wasn’t quite up to the seafaring they intended to get them from Panama to Colombia, and they ended up marooned. Fortunately, President John F. Kennedy took an interest in their mission. “In making it, there were numerous times when I met dead ends, blind alleys, and technical catastrophes,” said Twomey. “I needed to take inspiration from the very story I was telling.”

Matt grew up in West Virginia and set out for Tokyo, Japan after graduating college. After he came up with the idea for the documentary, Matt left Tokyo to come study at the New York Film Academy in Union Square, New York City. He wanted to be in New York, and NYFA offered an intensive workshop in digital filmmaking that he could squeeze in before his production. “Having had no background in film, my NYFA course was a good, hands-on primer in the basics of camera, lighting, sound and editing. Somehow my fellow students and I each managed to make three shorts, which is the best kind of learning.”

Matt continues to showcase his film at a variety of film festivals. “It’s been extraordinarily gratifying to witness the crowd response to my film. I had an incredible turnout for the screening at the NYC Independent Film Festival, and I was floored to win Best Director — there was such great competition among both narrative and documentary films. In Mexico, at the Oaxaca Film Festival, I met so many great filmmakers.”

Matt is now developing documentary shorts, one specifically focuses on the fossil fuel divestment movement that is growing across the country. He is also interested in partnering with other filmmakers in a collaboration or in a collective. “The best documentaries are truly more compelling than fiction, and watching them can change a person’s perspective or even spur him into action. I hope to keep discovering and telling such stories.”

Head of Casting for Paramount Pictures Gives Advice to NYFA Acting Students

Tuesday night, Producer Tova Laiter brought us Casting Director Joseph Middleton to Warner Bros Theater 4 and we had yet another full house of New York Film Academy students. Middleton is one of the most celebrated and established casting directors in the United States. He began his career casting for ensembles, so that the films he worked on would garner more attention. He was an independent Casting Director for years after starting out in the business and is currently the Executive of Casting at Paramount Pictures. Middleton is always on the look out for undiscovered talent, and has an uncanny ability to spot the next big thing. Some of his most recognized credits include Old School, American Pie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Bring It On and Legally Blonde.

Joseph says casting is often about looking for organic, truthful and talented performances. He also talked about the “3rd eye” — a gift that you likely either have or you don’t have when it comes to spotting talent.

He playfully compared casting to the culinary arts, saying it’s like looking at different flavors and styles. He admitted he had had some luck with his career and how one project leads to another, but stressed that one must really stay on top of their game in order to stay relevant. You need to be constantly looking for talent, watching films and plays, seeing what is out there.

Joseph accidentally fell into casting. He went to American University to study International Relations and had a dream of going into the service as a secret agent. He came out during his college years and admitted that being gay wasn’t exactly conducive to the culture of the service at the time. Someone suggested he take a gig as an assistant accountant on the film Mississippi Burning and off he went. One day he found himself telling the Director Alan Parker that he thought someone looked “too contemporary” for a scene in the film. Parker told him he had “a keen eye.” From there, the career of a Casting Director was born.

So what is it that Joseph is looking for?

“I may be looking for something specific, but if the actor can make me pick their view or vision, then that might be it. Guide yourself toward the Casting Director’s tone, and if you have done your homework, you know what that is.”

Deal-breakers or examples of such are when actors come in to audition and do not pay attention to what feedback they are getting from the Casting Director. Also, having good energy is quite important, Joseph notes. And don’t try to read the room too much – focus on your job – acting!

How can an actor get discovered with no real credits or an agent?

“Don’t wait, create something! Make content, build your reel, develop it if you have to. Nowadays it’s all about having footage or ‘tape’.” Joseph also advised students to get a good headshot that “really looks like you.” Attach video to anything online and figure out WHAT IT IS THAT YOU SELL!

Any advice for minorities trying to break into the acting business?

“We just had a ‘China Week’ at the studio. China is a big market for Hollywood studios and I’m always looking for Chinese actors who speak English. The movies are now global and the opportunities are there, but it is not the accent that is the problem, but the diction (so the audience can understand you). Focus on what you have and can offer. If you are young, beautiful and athletic, work on those skills, because stars (like Tom Cruise) often prefer actors who can do their own stunts/ action.”

Can you give actors some general advice?

Stay healthy – set hours are long and you must be fit for all that work!
Educate yourself in the craft, take classes
Know content, watch films and plays!
Learn letter-writing skills and remember that people like sincerity
Keep your energy good, loosen up if needed
Remember the assistants and associates in the business and BE NICE to them!

Overall, Joseph was a truly great speaker: informative, sincere and fun.