Page 344 – NYFA

Screenwriting Brothers Screen ‘The Conjuring’

The number one movie at the box-office, The Conjuring, screened to a full house of New York Film Academy students with guest speakers, twin brothers and writing team, Chad and Carey Hayes. The horror, thriller is based on actual events and focuses on a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

Chad and Carey began their career as actors and eventually transitioned into television writers. After writing a modern version of House of Wax, the duo found themselves in the midst of “huge buzz” and their screenwriting careers began to take off. They followed the script with the horror films, The Reaping, Whiteout, and now, The Conjuring. “We treat writing like taking the audience to an amusement park,” said Chad. “It needs to be safe, scary and a great ride.”

The writing brothers were thrilled about the box office success of The Conjuring this past weekend and noted that this was the first feature they wrote in which they had total control of the writing process from beginning to end. After a bidding war among the studios, New Line picked up the film. Chad and Carey couldn’t have been more thrilled with them.

When asked about the discipline of writing, Chad responded, “We write everyday. We do it because we like it. If you don´t love it, and you don´t feel that passion, then it´s going to be a long, difficult journey. You must love writing.” Carey added, “We try to build on an initial thought, some of it is technical and about building a rhythm, but character is always at the center. You have to care about the characters.”

Finally, a New York Film Academy student simply asked the question on everybody’s mind: HOW TO GET STARTED. Here was their advice:

1. RESEARCH! Take a trip to India if you have to (they actually did that for a project). Immerse yourself in research!

2. Watch a lot of movies.

3. The Internet! There is so much out there!

4. People share their stories. Find them and listen!

Tips From a Commercial Talent Agent

Jennifer Boyce, the head of the Commercial Talent Department at The Savage Agency for 22 years, spoke to more than 60 acting students in the Welles Screening room at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. The Savage Agency has been one of the top agencies for young talent – from ages 3 to 40 – for over 35 years. They represent actors for theatrical, voice over, and commercials.

Here are some of the facts that she feels are important for new talent to know:

Having an awesome photo is important! If you are not known to the Casting Director, they have no imaginations. Have several pictures with different looks. Once the Casting office gets to know you, they will have an idea of your type.
Be a “CAN DO” client. Jennifer said, “I work for free until you work, so if I worked for a year for you to finally get a job, that’s one day’s work. You will earn $627.00 at scale for a commercial. I will make $62.70. So I don’t make money unless you make it. So I want clients to work. If I make a suggestion you should pay attention to that. You have to show me you are passionate about this.”
An audition is not a pedicure appointment. You have to really want it. If you don’t there are lots of others who do. Every audition is an opportunity! When you are starting out, you should be willing to do everything.
Don’t just rely on your agent. Don’t just sit by the phone and wait, complaining that your agent isn’t doing anything for you. “I make 10%, so I always say I will do 10% of the work, but you have to do 90%. I get you in the door, but after that the rest is up to you.” It’s important to create your own work – be in plays, improv groups, get yourself out there.
If something is not working, don’t blame your agent, look to yourself.
At the end of the day your job is to audition. Some actors hate the casting process. Get used to it. They might pick somebody because they look like their sister or girlfriend, but that is what happens. You can’t control what they are looking for, but you can control what you do in the room. If you’re getting callbacks, you are doing your job. If you don’t get the job, it’s not on you. You can’t get involved in the politics. That’s the only way you can enjoy being in the business.

The audience had many questions for her, including the following:

Q: How do you choose new clients?
A: I usually choose through referral. If it’s not a referral, I go off picture and resume submission. I look for a GREAT picture, lots of training, improv groups, Second City and Groundlings. A lot of commercials are improv and funny, so those skills are especially important to me.

Q: How many head-shots should I have?
A: Have one good headshot to get you to see the agent. But don’t spend a lot of money on it, because most likely your agent will want you to get new ones. Every agents has different taste. A theatrical headshot is different – you need one great one. For commercials, you should have several looks that show different types that you can play.

Q: What do you look for in a headshot?
A: For commercials, I look for a headshot to be well lit. I want it to “pop” and see what role you’re going to play.

Q: How easy is it to get Non-SAG actors into auditions?
A: It’s getting harder to get commercials for non-union actors. A production company has to write an “essay” about why they need to use you for a union production, and if they don’t have a good reason, they will be fined $750. Casting has become more competitive so the Casting Director is not as willing to bring in non-union actors anymore because of this. They are more likely to call in names and their heavy hitters that they know. So new actors have a harder time getting in. Not everyone gets in to every audition – no matter who they are.

Q: What about sending candy or gifts to an agent in order to get a meeting?
A: I never open anything from anyone I don’t know. Better to send a postcard. A postcard is a very nice way to introduce yourself, and I can see it without opening anything.

NYFA thanks Jennifer for taking the time out to provide invaluable advice for our acting students. Her final words of advice could not be more helpful, “Be grateful and thankful for every opportunity you get.”

The Brazilian Invasion

Over the years, the New York Film Academy has welcomed many talented actors and filmmakers from Brazil. This past year has provided much of the same. Acting for Film student, Al Danuzio, has worked as an actor in film, TV, and musical theater, working for Latin companies like Telemundo-NBC. The 24 year old actor, from Maranhão, has lived in the United States for five years now and hopes to eventually return to São Luis after he completes his studies at NYFA in 2015. “My goal is to be able to bring great productions from there (US) over here,” says Danuzio. “Bring professionals from there to here, produce things here to take there.”

When asked about his experience at NYFA, Al says, “[NYFA] The best decision I ever made in my professional life. I feel I am being prepared by some of the top professionals in the film industry – people who are actually working. Also, I am surrounded by people who take the craft as a serious profession.”

Al has also worked as an Assistant Producer of the New York Casting of La Voz Kids for Telemundo-NBC and El Factor X for Mundo Fox – both Spanish versions of the reality shows The Voice and The X Factor.

This September, he plans to shoot a few more films, including How to Kill My Boyfriend, with NYFA director Alfonso Perugini, and Bom Dia with fellow NYFA Brazilian actress, Debora Rodrigues.

Since coming over to study Acting for Film a year ago, Debora has acted in around 37 movies, booked two roles in plays, received an award for Best Short at the “Best Shorts Festival” in California, and performed at venues like Dixon Place, The Players Club, and Ripley Studios.

“NYFA has been an amazing experience where you can make a lot of movies, meet a lot of people with the same interests, learn how to act on a movie set, and literally live your dream!” exclaims Debora. “Since starting, I have raised the bar on my overall goals. I will continue to work hard and apply everything that I’ve learned in class to the real world.”

The two recently attended this year’s Brazilian Film Festival in New York City. The annual event honors the best and the brightest of Brazil’s innovative new cinema. It brings together Brazilian celebrities, actors, musicians, directors, producers, and, needless to say, is a terrific networking opportunity. “The quality and quantity of Brazilian productions have increased a lot in the last decade,” says Danuzio.

Al and Debora are just two of the many talented actors, filmmakers and performers that have honed their craft at the New York Film Academy over the years. We look forward to meeting many more talents in our workshops in Rio and trips to São Paulo, as well as those who venture out to our LA and NYC locations.

NYFA Alum Raises 70k For First Feature

Screen Shot 2013-07-22 at 12.28.06 PM — Abigail Schwarz and Nicola Scandiffo

New York Film Academy alumni, Abigail Schwarz, will be shooting her first feature film, Those Who Wander. The independent comedy, written and directed by Schwarz, is about growing up, growing apart and getting lost along the way. The project recently raised $70,000 through Kickstater and is gearing up for production. Signed on to the project thus far are producer Nicola Scandiffio, executive producer James Frey (Bestselling Author, A Million Little Pieces), cinematographer Elisha Christian (Save the Date), casting director Adrienne Stern (ASC Casting), Emmy Award Winning actress Anna Holbrook, and countless others.

Abigail is currently still casting and looking for crew in NYC and LA, and the project is part of the SAG Ultra Low Budget Indie Agreement for low budget feature films.

If you would like to be involved in the film in any context, please contact [email protected].

Blues Brothers and a Talk with Producer Sean Daniel

On Tuesday, New York Film Academy in Los Angeles welcomed producer, Sean Daniel. Sean provided insight into the life of a producer, both independently and within the studio system. As President of Production at Universal Pictures for several years, he was integrally part of overseeing films such as Animal House, Sixteen Candles, and Blues Brothers, which was screened before the Q&A. Now, as an independent producer and current head of his own production company, Sean Daniel Productions, Sean has brought to life the successful The Mummy franchise, and has several films in development, including a Ben-Hur remake.

His journey to Hollywood began in 1970, when he received a scholarship to California Institute For the Arts, and just so happened to be first in his class for filmmaking.

After college, he applied for a P.A. position at Universal. From there, Ned Tannen, whom he spoke of with great respect and called a “bold studio head,” took him under his wing. He eventually became the youngest President of a studio (at that time) at the age of 34. “I read every script and wrote a lot of coverage,” said Daniel. “Ned liked my point of view. I watched all the dailies I could get my hands on, and eventually got my way onto projects.”

Later, Sean was asked by one of NYFA‘s producing students from Brazil, “What qualities must a good producer possess?” Sean’s response was simple, yet great advice, “One, you must love it. Two, You must not be in it for the money. Three, you must be incredibly stubborn. Four, you should be really skillful at dealing with people.”

It’s no secret that maintaining a career as a producer in Hollywood is a very difficult endeavor. Sean admitted that producing takes extremely hard work. Having been involved in many risky ventures, Sean left the students with these words, “It’s always a fight to get any movie made. At the end of the day, however, I love movie making.”

Michael Cudlitz Discusses His Acting Career with NYFA Students

Last week, the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles screened the final episode of the television series, Southland, and the fourth episode of Band of Brothers. Why you ask? Because of our special guest, actor, Michael Cudlitz. From his introduction to when he left the stage, Michael was very down-to-earth and cordial – something that is truly refreshing in this town.

Michael discussed his fondness for TV work, due to the fact that most series are very character driven. He also talked about coping with the ups-and-downs of being an actor. Even Michael is currently “unemployed” (although, of course, he has prospects) and this didn’t seem to bother him in the least. He encouraged NYFA’s acting students to surround themselves with positive people who motivate, not bring them down, and to always be doing something to progress their career. “I think it’s all hard and it’s all exciting,” added Cudlitz.

Another aspect of acting that Michael stressed was research and “doing your homework.” Michael had been on at least twenty ride-alongs with cops while preparing for his role of Officer John Cooper on Southland. Though, he admits he was fairly unprepared for his role as a World War 2 soldier in Band of Brothers.

“You need to just go with what’s there. You need to live in that moment… What’s important is, whatever work you do at home, trust that it’s going to be there when you’re at work, and forget about it, in a way. I mean, forget about it in the moment. Don’t get so lost in the process, that the process is screwing you up. Because other people, other actors, directors, everyone’s going to bring different elements into it, things that you never thought of, and it’s going to help elevate what you’re doing.”

All in all, his love of acting was very inspiring. He’s truly the kind of guy you’d want in your group of friends. It’s clear that his success was a result of focus and hard work.

NYFA Supports the NIAAA

The New York Film Academy whole-heartedly supports the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). NIAAA is well known as a national leader in research on harmful drinking among college students. The institute offers vital information for students and parents on such abuse. “The ultimate goal of the NIAAA’s efforts in college drinking research is to share science-based information in accessible and practical ways to give college administrators, parents, and concerned students a foundation for alcohol intervention activities.”

NYFA encourages its students to know the consequences of alcohol consumption and the impact excess drinking may have on his or her life. We also recommend parents to visit their website in order to properly educate their child, before sending them off to one of NYFA’s city campuses. Accidents and serious health issues can be avoided with the proper knowledge. So, don’t hesitate to take the time out to discuss this important matter with your loved ones.

For more information on issues related to alcohol abuse and binge drinking among college students, with online tools for parents, students, administrators and more, visit: http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/

NYFA Holds Cinematography Workshop with ARRI ALEXA

Recently, the advanced New York Film Academy Cinematography students in Los Angeles met at Arriflex for a week long intensive workshop on the Alexa. The digital camera marks features modularity, PL mount lenses, a Super 35 sized CMOS sensor shooting up to 2880 x 2160 resolution and supports uncompressed video or proprietary raw (ARRIRAW) data. To put it simply, another monumental step forward in the world of digital filmmaking. The workshop was led by ARRI Inc.’s Vice President of Cameras, Bill Russell, and Stephan Ukas-Bradley, Manager of Technical Services.

During the first day, Cinematography Chair, Michael Pessah’s students received training on brand new Alexa models – even before they were available to the general public!

On second day of the workshop, NYFA students were given a tour of Alternative Rentals, a premiere camera rental house in Culver City. At Alternative Rentals, they spent some time testing various lenses by Zeiss, Canon, Angenieux and Red on the ALEXA. Students checked out and rented the Alexa from Alternative rentals for use in their NYFA projects.

Screen shot 2013-07-08 at 12.45.08 PM — Students filming on set of Desperate Housewive’s “Wisteria Lane”

The third day of the workshop, students designed and photographed an extensive camera test under the supervision of Suki Medencevic, ASC. In this test, the Alexa, the RED Epic, RED Scarlet, 35mm Panavision and the 5D were compared in a travelling dolly shot. The class will grade the camera test at Fotokem, under the supervision of their senior colorist Alastor Arnold (Parker, etc) in Fotokem’s Digital Intermediate theater.

On the fourth day of the workshop, the Cinematography students filmed a practicum with the Alexa, directed by Matt Sarnoff. The practicum was filmed on the Universal Backlot and included professional actors. “An Alexa on the Universal lot?” said Pessah. “It doesn’t get better than that!”

After a day of rest, the Cinematography students teamed up with recent NYFA Producing students for a one-day shoot with the Alexa. They rotated crew positions and were able to DP their own project. All in all, the workshop was an exclusive and incredibly informative experience for all of our aspiring cinematographers.

Larry David Is a Pretty, Pretty Funny Writer

We’re wishing Larry David a happy birthday, even though he hates The Happy Birthday Song. The man wouldn’t even sing for Ben Stiller. Like most things in life, it’s a whole “to do.” This is essentially the core of Larry’s humor. His witty observations about the nuances of life and rules of society are the basis for arguably two of the best comedy programs ever made. Seinfeld, which he co-created with Jerry Seinfeld, revolutionized the sitcom. At a time when sitcoms were churning out an A story and a short B story, Larry was packing in four intertwined character arcs into one episode. Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine were integral parts of each episode. If you dissect individual episodes, you would find that a lazier show runner could have easily created four whole episodes out of one show. Each of those episodes would still be funny, but that’s not Larry’s style. This is what puts Larry above the rest. His show will forever be a part of popular culture. One can compare everyday situations to episodes of Seinfeld, as if the show was a handbook for life. Even quoting Seinfeld is a part of life for some. Here are some of the more popular phrases from the show, in case you’ve been living under a rock.

After Seinfeld, Larry was given a little more freedom with his own HBO show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. Again, breaking barriers. His loose, single camera improv approach to comedy was refreshing and new. We no longer needed the three camera sets and canned laughter to let us know when it was safe to laugh. Plus, Larry brings himself in front of the camera, and he’s actually “pretty, pretty” good at it. The plots and subplots of the episodes are established in an outline written by David and the dialogue is almost all improvised. Much like Seinfeld, the subject matter in Curb Your Enthusiasm often involves the intricacies of daily life and problems of a conventional society. Larry David always has the need to express his feelings of such problems, which almost always leads him into awkward situations. The situations range from absurdity to pure bad luck, and yet we somehow relate. Check out some of these hilarious moments from the show.

After eight seasons of Curb and nine seasons of Seinfeld, there’s no telling where Larry can go next. One thing we can tell you, is the man has made quite a pretty penny on his brilliant comedy creations. But, his unique character can never be swayed by money. He is a true individual with an unmistakable personality that can only be, Larry David.

Tweet us your favorite moments from Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm @NYFA!