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Spend Winter Break in Rio Studying Filmmaking and Musical Theatre

If you’re looking to escape the cold this Winter Break and you’re pursuing a career in the arts, then look no further. In association with Instituto Cal De Arte E Cultura, the New York Film Academy will be bringing its hands-on intensive 4-week Filmmaking Workshop and 4-week Musical Theatre Workshop to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil! The workshop will run from Jan 7, 2013 – Jan 28, 2013.

In case you didn’t already know, Rio de Janeiro is a bustling and exciting city known for its incredible vistas and its sexy beaches including Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Rio’s yearly carnival celebrations in February are world-renown. In addition to Rio’s two most famous landmarks, Sugarloaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain, other fantastic sights include the Sambódromo, the parade avenue with permanent fixed grandstands created specifically for Carnival, and the Tijuca Rain Forest.

Enrollment
The New York Film Academy has an open enrollment. Serious students from all backgrounds are welcome to apply. No previous experience is required. However, all New York Film Academy Workshops are extremely intensive. Students who enroll should be prepared to live and breathe their work during these workshops. Given the nature of filmmaking and the necessity of working in crews, students must be willing to devote themselves not only to their own projects, but to their classmates’ projects as well. As space is limited, we recommend early application to guarantee a place in the workshop of your choice.

Language
All courses are taught in English. However, interested students should take the opportunity to work on their conversational Portuguese during the program. This will enrich their understanding and enjoyment of Brazil.

Daily Schedule
Every workshop is full-time, with classes or shooting organized nearly every day of the week. The schedules are rigorous; however, students will have the opportunity to explore Rio de Janeiro.

Equipment
Students in the Filmmaking Workshops shoot High-Definition cameras and portable Lowel lighting packages for every shoot. All students edit digitally using Final Cut Pro on Macintosh computers. The equipment our Film Academy students use is comparable to that of the leading degree programs in the United States.

Instructors
In all our locales, our eclectic faculty for our Filmmaking workshops and Musical Theater workshops is comprised of experienced instructors who are professional filmmakers and Broadway musical theater actors. Many of our filmmaking instructors have Master of Fine Arts degrees from the most prestigious film programs in the United States. These include New York University, Columbia University, the University of Southern California, and UCLA. Our Musical Theater faculty has equally impressive credentials, and their Broadway experience allows students to learn from people who understand the requirements to work at the highest level.

Just To Let You Know I’m Alive

Italian journalist and former New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism student Emanuela Zuccalà is working on a new documentary, Just To Let You Know I’m Alive, with Italian photographer Simona Ghizzoni (recently awarded at World Press Photo.) The 25 minute documentary covers Saharawi women, both in occupied Western Sahara and refugee camps in Algeria, who have been victims of torture, illegal imprisonment, and enforced disappearances. The project has also been shortlisted at Lisbon Docs.

“We decided to focus on Saharawi women because their issue is severely under reported. Spending time with them in their houses and tents in the desert, we were astonished by a rare peculiarity of these women: being able to speak about the terrible nightmares they have lived always preserving serenity in their eyes and a sincere hope in a better future. Tearing apart any temptation of hatred or revenge.”

In order to complete the production, Emanuela launched a crowd funding campaign on Emphasis. So far, the documentary has been covered on Italian newspapers and a Spanish magazine. The Saharawi ambassadors in Italy have publicly thanked the team for succeeding in recreating interest for their people.

Here are links to some of these articles:

Interview with Director Robert Zemeckis

The New York Film Academy had a chance to speak with A-list director, Robert Zemeckis! Robert Zemeckis owned the 80’s and 90’s with his classic Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away. Zemekis earned respect from critics and colleagues, while grossing quite a hefty penny at the box-office. His direction of Forrest Gump won him an Oscar for Best Director. It’s pretty safe to say that the filmmaker has established himself as one of the elite directors in Hollywood.

The New York Film Academy offers many workshops and programs for those wishing to learn film direction.

Italy’s ‘Clio Make Up’ Shoots in New York

Reality television has caught on all over the world and Italy is no different. One of its popular shows Clio Make Up on Discovery Italy recently finished shooting its second season. In the second series, the famous makeup artist Clio Zammateo continues her journey into the wonderful world of cosmetics. This time from New York City. In each episode, Clio shows two women how to apply makeup in a professional manner, erasing the small imperfections and creating the perfect look for a special occasion.

This past season, New York Film Academy Documentary graduate, Marco Vitale was Media Manager of the popular Italian show. Marco wrapped production on the second season on July 2nd of this year. “It was my first TV experience and it was awesome,” said Marco. “I had the chance to work closely with the director, Angelo Vitale, who directed the first 5 seasons of Big Brother in Italy and many others TV shows.”

While living in Italy, Marco was in search of a prominent documentary school in New York City. Though uncertain of New York Film Academy‘s Documentary program in the beginning, Marco was convinced to join the program by Documentary Chair, Andrea Swift. “I decided to apply for the One Year Documentary Program and after a year since graduating, I’m quite sure that it was the best decision of my life.”

Best Director Sarah Choi

Congratulations to New York Film Academy Documentary grad Sarah Choi for winning Best Director for her thesis film 26 & Never Been Kissed at the Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival. The film revolves around the 26-year-old filmmaker who challenges herself in order to conquer her fear of relationships. As she battles with the issues of self-image and cynicism to find romance, she finds herself morphing into a more confident and radiant woman.

Sarah’s previous documentary, Newtown, premiered at the Brooklyn Independent Films & Media Arts Festival and was featured on the New York Film Academy blog. The film was also recently featured at the Greenpoint Film Festival‘s Environment Program in Brooklyn.

NYFA Filmmaker Nominated for Student Academy Award

Documentary Filmmaker Nancy Hanzhang Shen is in charge of New York Film Academy’s Chinese Social Media and works as a liaison with Chinese colleges. Her latest documentary film Why Am I Still Alive was a finalist for the US Student Academy Awards®2012 and Winner of Best shorts Documentary Festival 2012. The film has screened at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City, White Sands International Film Festival 2012, and the China International Education Fair on Cultural & Creative Industries Exhibition. The film is currently screening at New York City Independent Film Festival 2012.

Here are just a few words of appraisal from respected industry professionals:

“What a beautiful, heartbreaking film. Exquisitely done, and my heart aches for the film’s subject.”— Ilene Starger, member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
“The film is a wonderful piece of work. It deserves to be really widely seen.” —Tom Hurwitz, ASC Four Academy Awards for Best Full-length Documentary
“You didn’t give up! That is what it takes to be a filmmaker. You are only one person and you can and will make a difference.” — Maryann Deleo, ACADEMY AWARD winning filmmaker (Chernobyl Heart)

The NYC Independent Film Festival will screen the film at the Producers Club on Sunday, Oct 21st, 2012.

The Producer’s Club is located at 358 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036 (Between 8 ave and 9 ave.)

For tickets and more information, click here.

Getting a Break at an Early Age

The “calling” often comes at an early age, but it’s not too often that a performer becomes successful until years of persistence and hard work. That’s not to say Victoria Justice didn’t put in her dues, but she didn’t have to wait long for her first break into the business. The teen actress and pop singer is best known for her work on Nickelodeon’s Zoe 101, and her pop album, Victorious. Recently, Victoria made the jump to motion pictures. Her newest film, Fun Size, stars Jackass star, Johnny Knoxville, and Chelsea Lately’s, Chelsea Handler. The film is The O.C. and Gossip Girl creator, Josh Schwartz’s directorial debut, and Victoria’s first real opportunity to make a name for herself on the big screen.

Victoria’s life wasn’t always jumping from show to show, movie to movie, and album to album. She, like every aspiring young actress, began by auditioning for a television commercial. Though, she may have been luckier than most actresses. “My first job ever was an Ovaltine commercial and I was eight years old. I was so excited,” recalled Victoria. “It’s my first audition and I ended up booking it. To me, that was the biggest break anyone could ever have.”

While this certainly put Victoria on the map, it didn’t necessarily start her career as a buzzing teen star. “I remember auditioning for Zoey 101 as their new series regular. They needed a new roommate for Jamie Lynn Spears, who played Zoey. They were auditioning a bunch of girls for that role and I ended up getting it. I remember I was actually on set filming a Hallmark short film for Christmas time called Silver Bells, and my agent called me and let me know I had just booked a new role in Zoey 101. The creator, Dan Schneider called me personally to congratulate me and I was freaking out. It was such a surreal feeling. I was on such a high. I think that’s kind of what started my career.”

From there, Victoria spent her teen years as a child of Nickelodeon. Life was pretty good for the young actress. However, Victoria wasn’t a shoe in for Fun Size, despite its ties to Nickelodeon. “I definitely did have to audition. It was not just handed to me. I had to work for that role. “

It seems Victoria has a knack for performing. After all, she landed her first audition at the age of eight in a national commercial! So, where did this confidence come from? “Definitely my mom. We spend a lot of time together and she’s an incredible mentor. I don’t think I would be at the place I am in my career right now if it wasn’t for her. She’s guided me to make the right choices, she’s helped pick the right team of people surrounding me. She’s just a really smart, genuine, and a great person that I’m very lucky to have in my life.” Based on her personal relationship with her mother, Victoria will have to pull out some of her acting chops for her newest film. She plays the role of Wren, who takes on the responsibility of her brother due to a broken relationship with her mother, played by Chelsea Handler. Wren is your typical teenage girl who happens to have one of her Halloween’s turned completely upside down. “It’s a coming of age story in a lot of ways. I think we can all relate to growing up, learning about ourselves and finding ourselves. I related to her in that way as well.”

See Victoria Justice in the new movie, Fun Size, when it’s released in theaters on October 26.

-Frank Pasquine, Director of Social Media at New York Film Academy

Actors Can Never Stop Learning

After dreaming of studying acting in New York for ten years, South African native, Donnalee Roberts made her dreams come true with New York Film Academy’s 8 Week Acting for Film workshop. However, Donnalee came to NYFA with an already blossoming career in acting and filmmaking back at home. Roberts is a regular on the popular South African soap, 7de Laan, where she plays the vibrant young waitress, Annelie. “It is amazing to play this part,” said Donnalee. “A lot of young girls can relate to the character.”

In addition to her work on the popular television show, Donnalee will star in the feature film, Klein Karoo. The film plays off the central location of the South African town, Klein Karoo. Landing the role was another dream of Donnalee’s, rewarding her the opportunity to work with a director she’s always admired and respected. Though, she wasn’t always lucky in her career. Donnalee spoke about perseverance and maintaining a positive attitude in the highly competitive field of acting. “You can go on 100 auditions and never get the part. It just means the part wasn’t meant for you, but don’t give up.”

Next, Donnalee will be playing the lead in a new romantic comedy, Pad na jou HART (Road to Your Heart), which she co-wrote and is co-producing. “I’m very excited about where the South African film industry is going.”

Aside from her passionate acting and filmmaking work, Donnalee is heavily involved with a charity called Children of Fire. The charity aids young burn victims in South Africa. For more information on how you can help in this cause visit their website: http://www.firechildren.org.

Classic Art in Video Games

This Thursday the New York Film Academy‘s Game Design and 3D Animation program welcomed guest lecturer, Chris Solarski. Chris is an artist game designer and author of Drawing Basics and Video Game Art: Classic to Cutting Edge Art Techniques for Winning Video Game Design. With a Bachelor’s in computer animation, Chris began working as a 3D character and environment artist for Sony Computer Entertainment in London. Later, he enrolled in art classes at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, where his interest in applying classical art techniques to video games began. It was after a lecture by visual artist, Andrew Jones, that Chris found his true calling. “I was so impressed with his ability to create something out of nothing,” recalled Chris. “I knew I needed more training. I had catching up to do.”

The students were treated to an hour lecture that was truly fascinating and well thought out. Chris’ lecture focused on the connection between classic art and modern video games. Yes, that’s correct. While it may not be obvious at first glance, Chris was able to dissect classic works of art to validate his points. Using comparisons from the work of artists like Degas and Boticelli, Chris was able to show the influences these artists have on modern gaming. Much like an intricate painting or drawing, a crucial element in game design is emotion. Emotion can be conveyed through composition, contrast, and the structure of images. These elements are essential in the development of any art, and Game Design and 3D Animation are no different. “The composition and contrasting elements have a very strong impact on emotion.”

One of Chris’ most recent games that he enjoys the most is Journey, mainly due to the composition and emotion of the experience. “It is important to know the emotional experience from the outset and use composition to create the player experience.”

Chris currently develops his own video games under Solarski Studio, with the aim of exploring new forms of player interaction and creating more expressive and varied emotional experiences in games. “My job is to validate video games.”