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Navigating the Maze of VR Scriptwriting & Storytelling for New Writers

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Where Do I Begin?

Virtual Reality is an immersive computer technology allowing its participants the opportunity to partake in a simulated environment. The chance to immerse ourselves in a uniquely alternate reality certainly is enticing — but how do you construct the skeleton of a story for the meaty VR body to hang on, and hold your audiences’ attention?

A lot of the same principles of storytelling apply to VR storytelling and scriptwriting, as they do to its conventional counterpart. Yet in VR storytelling you must consider your audience as an immersed participant. What pitfalls do you need to look out for? That is the right question!

Storytelling Checklist

Pacing

The pace by which you reveal your VR world to your audience is crucial. For the vast majority, VR will be an entirely new experience — and at first, an uneasy one. You need to allow them time to adapt, ease them in gently so to speak. Oculus Story Studio suggest a 30-second settling in period, as most viewers will be more familiar with flat screen viewing. This time period is enough for the participant to relax into the new VR environment.

A slower, introductory pace at the beginning will allow the narrative to shine at the more important, later stages. If you rush your audience into the narrative immediately, the unfamiliarity with their VR surroundings will give them a sensory overload, causing many audience members to just walk away.

The Audience

VR is the medium for audience autonomy and freedom. Instead of writing your script with a confined narrative, your storytelling should embrace the space and explore the world you’ve built.

“There are, of course, plenty of tricks to use to navigate this pitfall  and their use depends on the autonomy you as a creator wish to relinquish to your audience,” explains Andy Hays, a Game Writer at UK Top Writers and Study Demic contributor. “Lighting cues, sound cues, the character’s POV, and especially the arc of additional characters can all aid in directing the attention of your audience along the path of the narrative.”

First Person POV

One of the more challenging aspects involves writing a narrative that a participant can lose themselves in, remembering that we still naturally assume ownership of the virtual environment with which we’re engaged. First person POV is certainly the more difficult choice, but has the advantage of looking through an active participant’s eyes.

The Reality of VR

This is not just important in navigating the pitfalls of POV, but we cannot forget that the participant must actively believe the environment they are immersed in. The reality of their Virtual Reality must be engaging.

Writing a story where supporting characters break the fourth wall, engaging directly with the participant, adds a sense of realism to the participant’s experience. The intimacy of these moments is more likely to leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Player Decision-Making

Nowadays, giving autonomy to your audience in terms of story is common practice — particularly in the gaming industry. VR should be no different.

If your audience desires freedom and autonomy of the world, give it to them. Ensure the character arc is engaging and the narrative is constructed with arc-altering decisions. Not only do these decisions develop a believable reality by giving your participant personified responsibility, but it also allows you to retain control over the story and direct your audience once more.

Spatial Storytelling

The key thing to remember here is that the VR space is not just background, or filler. It is an active component in your immersive environment. The world must shift around the participant. Use it to drag their attention in the direction the narrative desires; this again relates to the cues we mentioned earlier.

It is important to note the reverse sensory action of behaviours: How does entering a café, library, or school, affect you on a sensory level, and what then do you add to it to make it distinguishable?

Formatting

Regardless of the media you’re writing for, formatting should always be top of your list. If you wish to write in POV, you can add it to your scene heading. Others choose to write with a more theatrical freedom. Whatever your preference, there are some great tools to assist new writers in polishing off your VR script:

What Next?

Following these tips will set you on the right path to successfully navigating the pitfalls of VR scriptwriting and storytelling. The reality of VR is essential to your audience. And though they seek autonomy and freedom within the world, using the outlined tricks and skills above allow you to retain this power via the narrative, dynamic spatial design, and immersive character arcs you’ve written.

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The future of video game design lies in alternative realities. VR, AR, and MR are revolutionizing the video game industry. Enroll in our 8-Week VR Game Design Workshop page to learn more about VR and gain valuable hands-on experience in game design.

NYFA guest author Freddie Tubbs is a script writer at Paper Fellows. He regularly takes part in film conferences and writes posts and guides for Big Assignments and Write my Australia.

Are you ready to fully immerse yourself in the world of VR world-building? Check out our Virtual Reality page to learn more about our VR workshops and how you can sign up today.

Actors With the Best Fake Accents in Films

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Props, costumes, production sets, and CGI can only do so much to transport audiences to a different time and place; the rest of the work lies in the actor’s ability to truly inhabit a narrative, and invite the audience to believe their character and their milieu. Adopting a specific accent is one of those abilities that allows an actor to create a believable character, and while it may seem like a common enough challenge for an actor, excelling accents can be tough. Given the underestimated skill it takes to convincingly pull it off, it’s only fair to give credit where it’s due, so here’s a list of actors with the best fake accents in films:

Meryl Streep

Throughout her illustrious career, Streep has taken up more accents than the average person could recognize. However, her Polish accent in Sophie’s Choice was one of perfection. Being Meryl Streep, practicing lines with a dialect coach was not enough, so she took it upon herself to learn Polish (and German in the last few weeks before shooting!) for the role.

Not only did Streep manage to speak Polish in the film, she also flipped between English and German with a Polish accent.

“I thought if I learned to speak Polish, then the diphthongs and the sounds of that language would be in my mouth,” she said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Another noteworthy Streep accent we just couldn’t leave out of the discussion was her Australian dialect for Lindy Chamberlain in A Cry in the Dark, the true story of a mother who lost her baby to a dingo (yep, the line “a dingo ate my baby” is, in fact, about a tragic true story).

The general consensus when it comes to mimicking the Australian accent is that it’s bloody hard (see what we did there?), and non-Australian actors who’ve tried it are almost always criticized for it. Streep, however, managed to take it up a notch. Not only did she study the Australian accent with a fine-toothed comb, but she also mimicked the New Zealand-born Chamberlain’s idiosyncratic enunciations -– a result she admits she “sweat bullets” trying to achieve.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

In the biographical film Capote, based on the life of Truman Capote, the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman shined in his portrayal of the famous journalist, winning him the Oscar for Best Actor.

Capote’s unique vocal inflection was incredibly difficult to impersonate without it becoming a parody, and according to dialect coach Erik Singer, Hoffman pulled it off exquisitely: “The accent is dead-on perfect, and it’s totally integrated. It’s integral to the character and what the actor is doing as the character.”

Leonardo DiCaprio

Not one to shy away from adopting accents in films, the Los Angeles native has adopted accents from all over the United States through several eras for his films, from a Brooklyn native in The Wolf of Wall Street or a mid-19th century Irish-Catholic in Gangs of New York.

What really impressed a vast majority of audiences, however, was DiCaprio’s flawless accent in Blood Diamond, where he portrayed a man from Rhodesia, or modern-day Zimbabwe.

As a South African critic put it for Vanity Fair, “Leo is unbelievable … I could believe that he was a South African (as Zimbabwe borders South Africa, the accents can be very similar). Leo gets every word right.”

Hugh Laurie

If you were shocked that Hugh Laurie is actually an Oxford-born Englishman, you can join the estimated 81 million viewers of House who watched him play a gifted, foul-mouthed American doctor for eight seasons and were none the wiser. Moreover, prior to being informed on Hugh Laurie’s nationality, House’s executive producer Bryan Singer was incredibly relieved to have finally found what he believed was an American actor, after auditioning so many foreigners who just didn’t sound right.

“When you’ve got this volume of dialogue and this kind of complexity of writing, you really want to find an American actor,” he told The Paley Center for Media before admitting his shock when told by the casting directors that Laurie was, in fact, British.

Laurie’s American accent was so flawless, Google manages to churn out an overwhelming amount of blog posts and discussion forums dedicated to variations of the words “Hugh Laurie,” “accents,” “American,” and “British.”

Idris Elba

The London-born actor, who in real life has a distinctive Hackney accent, has wowed critics and audiences with two particular accents worthy of a mention; first, when playing drug kingpin Stringer Bell from Baltimore in The Wire, and second, as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

To perfect his Baltimore accent, Elba admits to spending lots of time in a barbershop to familiarize himself with the slang and particular nuances exclusive to Baltimoreans. The result was virtually spot-on.

Perfecting the accent for Mandela, however, came with a little more intense, technical training, as Elba had to embody the specific vocal qualities of Mandela along with a South African accent.

His dialogue coach on the set of the film told The Telegraph that his accent “is one of the closest to the original I have heard. This, coupled with his great technical acting skill and considerable emotional resource, makes for a compelling and brilliant performance.”

Cate Blanchett

Though an Australian herself, Blanchett is renowned for her chameleon-like performances, accruing such a long list of accents you’d be forgiven for not knowing her true national origin without double-checking an interview. Even then some may be confused, as her own Australian accent has morphed; Her ability to instinctively pick up the accents she’s surrounded by in real life has become so habitual for the actress that she admits it’s “politically incorrect” and embarrasses her children much of the time.

Blanchett’s many memorable character accents range from 16th century British to Brooklyn-American, Southern-American, Irish, French, German, Ukrainian, and even Elvish — but from her long list of impressive vocal accomplishments, her remarkable impersonation of Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator deserves an honorable mention.

Director Martin Scorsese had been impressed by Blanchett’s precision and boldness since Elizabeth, and knew if anyone could take on such an iconic character it’d be her. As the New York Times described, “Hepburn’s distinctive voice, loud, clipped and with a pronounced upper-class New England accent … became crucial to her performance.”

Blanchett pulled it off so well, it won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

What are your favorite performances where an actor pulled off an impressive accent? Let us know in the comments below! Learn more about Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy.

17 Great Silent Movie GIFs from @SilentMovieGIFs

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You might be following Puppy Twitter, Weird Twitter, or Cupcake Twitter, but are you following Silent Movie Twitter?

If not, you might be missing one of its best accounts, @silentmoviegifs. Created in January 2016 by Don McHoull (@dmchoull), @silentmoviegifs is literally what it says it is: GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) of visually compelling or hilarious moments from the earliest days of film. These GIFs include everything from stop-motion animation, to the earliest camera tricks of Hollywood’s first cinematographers, to epic stunts by Buster Keaton and sleights-of-hand by Charlie Chaplin.

McHoull first got the idea of making these GIFs available to the wider internet after seeing a trending GIF on Reddit from The Bellboy, featuring Buster Keaton cleaning a nonexistent window. McHoull, a film buff, was excited to see a century-old comedy still attracting millions of views, but was dismayed at the poor image quality of the GIF.

Since he possessed a Blu-ray set of high-quality Buster Keaton short films, and Photoshop, McHoull took it upon himself to provide the internet with better-looking GIFs from the Silent Era. After all, the two types of media are a match made in heaven: “Silent movies translate really easily into GIFs,” McHoull told NYFA, “because the jokes and the ideas being expressed are all being done a purely visual way.” He made sure to add, “Not to discount the role of music in the silent cinema experience.”

McHoull quickly found an online audience eager to see highlights from the Silent Era they may have otherwise never thought to seek out. As of June 2018, @silentmoviegifs has nearly 60,000 followers, including Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne, Taika Waititi, Edgar Wright, Patton Oswalt, Seth Rogen, and Neil Patrick Harris.

He continues to source his GIFs from Blu-rays and DVDs, proving that the preservation and restoration of older film is essential to remembering the art form in its very beginnings. He uses YouTube and other lower-res sources if he must, but adds that Toronto’s video stores are a “secret weapon” of his.

“In particular one, Bay Street Video, has a very good selection of silent films for rent,” McHoull revealed. “Video stores and silent films are both things that a lot of people would regard as obsolete, but for me at least they still offer something that their supposed replacements don’t.”

Not all of his GIFs are straight clips from silent films. McHoull will also take the time to painstakingly create supercuts of particular actors or genres. One of his latest projects includes a supercut of elaborate train stunts from the Silent Era, before CGI and other special effects could really be used to simulate such sequences. When asked if he had a favorite GIF, McHoull told us it was difficult to say, but named one of his most time-consuming supercuts — an evolution of Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp character.

Starting with McHoull’s Evolution of the Tramp then, here is just a small sample of some of our favorite GIFs from @silentmoviegifs:

Charlie Chaplin

Buster Keaton

Clara Bow

Louise Brooks

Willis O’Brien

Charlie Chase

Laurel & Hardy

Gloria Swanson

Mary Pickford

Charley Bowers

Fritz Lang

Dorothy & Lillian Gish

Auguste Lumière

Lois Weber

Sessue Hayakawa

Greta Garbo

Harold Lloyd

These are just a few gems from @silentmoviegifs. NYFA encourages everyone to check out the account for the rest. McHoull is the first to tell you he isn’t in this for fame and fortune, and recommends other Twitter accounts to silent movie buffs as well, including @MoviesSilently and @silentlondon.

He’d also tell you not to limit yourself to Twitter, recommending YouTube as a great source for silent movies, as well as Imgur and Reddit (including his own subreddit), telling NYFA that when it comes to GIFs, they have several technical advantages over Twitter.

Watching the earliest movies put to film is a great way to study and learn the art of cinema, and any serious film student should consume as many silent films as they can, however they can. And the next time you’re in Toronto, maybe rent a few from Bay Street Video.

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How These 6 Actors Prepared for a Role

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Preparation is as much of an actor’s job as a performance itself, particularly when a character’s physicality, speech, or persona are vastly different from your own. Whether an actor’s challenge is primarily physical, mental, emotional, or even vocal, truly embodying a character’s traits in all their nuance produces the most memorable and admirable performances (not to mention benefits come Award season!).

Consequently, great transformations require great dedication, with some actors taking it upon themselves to go to famous extremes to prepare for their roles. Here are some of the most noteworthy examples:

Ben Platt – Dear Evan Hansen

The Tony-winning lead actor of Dear Evan Hansen delivers a gut-wrenching performance, displaying an incredible amount of anguish through the anxiety-ridden teenager, Evan, eight times a week. This kind of repetitive emotional and physical exertion can prove exhausting for the best of us, and among the many differences between acting for camera and acting on stage is the exaggerated movement and vocal projection required for stage actors.

In this New York Times article, Platt talks of the “monkish existence” he has in order to prepare for each show. In addition to losing 30 pounds for the role, Platt gives precedence to solitude and silence in order to rest and recover, notoriously turning down every opportunity for social gatherings. He also refrains from gluten and dairy, takes supplements, and attends physical therapy sessions twice a week that regularly involves the practice of cupping. Much to his chagrin, he’s also developed a habit of nail-biting and obsessively cracking his knuckles — habits he picked up from his character, Evan.  

Charlize Theron – Monster

A former model, Theron had become typecast as the “sexy blonde” before landing the 2003 role of real-life-prostitute-turned-serial-killer Aileen Wuornos.

The statuesque actress famously transformed her physical appearance to such an extent that audiences found her unrecognizable; she gained 30 pounds; dyed and thinned her hair; partially shaved and bleached her eyebrows; layered tattoo ink on her face for the weathered pallor of Wuornos’ skin; and donned unflattering dentures and contact lenses.

Theron devoted five whole months to researching Wuornos’ life in order to truly become her, resulting in a win for the Best Actress category at the Oscars (there’s a theme here). Fifteen years on, Theron continues to make drastic physical transformations, recently gaining 50 pounds for her role as Marlo, the overwhelmed mother of three in Tully. Admittedly, Theron says she struggles a lot more to shed the weight at 42 than she did at 27.

Jamie Foxx – Ray

Foxx went from Booty Call to winning an Oscar for his portrayal of the legendary blind musician, Ray Charles. To transform into the iconic musician, Foxx shed 30 pounds through a weeklong fast, followed by a painfully strict diet and daily workouts — though in this New York Times article, Foxx said that the weight loss was the easy part.

In addition to eyelid prosthetics and sunglasses modelled on Charles, Foxx had his eyes glued shut for 14 hours a day, calling it “a jail sentence.” He also suffered panic attacks for the first two weeks, and crew members would sometimes forget and leave him behind at restaurants or around the set.

Leonardo Dicaprio – The Revenant

The seasoned actor was nominated for an Oscar six times before winning his first in 2016 for his portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant — and rightfully so. Shooting on location for nine months in Canada and Argentina in freezing wilderness was “a living hell” for cast and crew members alike. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki were intent on creating the most realistic aesthetic for the film, using minimal CGI and only shooting with natural daylight.

As such, an incredible amount of rehearsal went into schedule, to maximize the one hour of optimal light they had per day whilst subjecting DiCaprio to “agonizing” feats against mother nature.

In an interview with Yahoo, DiCaprio refers to some 30-40 sequences involving going in and out of freezing rivers, sleeping in an animal carcass, and, of course, that bear scene, as “some of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do.”

Although the horse carcass was a prop and the bear a product of CGI, eating a raw bison liver was 100 percent real. The vegetarian actor volunteered to make the edible sacrifice to serve Iñárritu’s immersive vision, concerned the faux liver provided wasn’t authentic enough.

“When you see the movie, you’ll see my reaction to it,” he says. “It says it all. It was an instinctive reaction.”

Jared Leto – Suicide Squad

No list about method acting and extreme transformations is complete without including the controversial antics of Jared Leto. Known for his over-the-top commitment to roles, the naturally slender actor seems to be constantly starving or gorging, having lost 25 pounds for Requiem for a Dream, gained 67 pounds for Chapter 27, and most recently lost 40 pounds for his 2013 Oscar-winning role as Rayon, a transgender HIV-positive woman in Dallas Buyers Club.

Besides his physical appearance, however, Leto truly immerses himself in his characters by never breaking off-camera. His Suicide Squad co-star Will Smith famously said, “I’ve never actually met Jared Leto. We worked together for six months and I’ve only ever spoken to him as The Joker.”

Leto also sent Smith bullets with a love letter — similar to what fellow castmate Margot Robbie received, only instead of bullets, there was a live rat. All Suicide Squad castmates received dubious gifts from “The Joker,” and these details served to renew a public debate about the nature of authentic method acting and its value in contemporary film.

Hilary Swank – Boys Don’t Cry

In 1999, Swank played a groundbreaking role of a real-life transgender youth who was born female but lived as a male, until he was killed in 1993 for that reason. The tragic true story prompted Swank to commit everything she had to the role. She took on the persona of Hilary Swank’s brother, James, for four weeks prior to shooting. Roaming around Santa Monica in disguise, with stuffed her pants, flattened breasts, and a lowered voice, the actress said she was treated differently in public and felt like she lost every ounce of her femininity.

She told EW, “It put me in a state of real hopelessness. I cried a lot for days.” The tears didn’t last long though: she won the Best Actress Oscar that year for her work.

What are your favorite stories of famous actor preparation? Let us know in the comments below! Learn more about Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy.

Sound in Filmmaking: How to Use Sound to Heighten Emotions in a Film

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The introduction of sound in filmmaking was perhaps the most dramatic advancement in the history of movies. From chilling sound effects and atmospheric music to the witty dialogue between two characters, our favorite films just wouldn’t be the same had they been made in the silent era. Just like the tremendous effort it takes to get the right shots and put them all together in post, adding sound effectively require immense creativity, skill, and attention.

Sound design and scoring add a powerful layer of meaning to what we see on screen, creating a mood and making the story more impactful and memorable. For both the aspiring filmmaker and sound expert looking to work in film, here’s how the three major types of sound in film are used to heighten emotion — and remember, sometimes there’s no better way to get a response from the audience than by having moments with no sound at all:

1. Sound Effects

The world is full of sound, and we as humans are very sensitive to what we hear. One of the most powerful uses of sound in film involves simply interpreting and conveying how natural (or everyday) sounds affect how we feel. Sound also works to affect mood by simulating reality and creating illusions.

For example, if a woman is shown sitting alone in her room with a book, the average viewer will absorb a completely different mood if 1) we hear children playing in the background or 2) we hear loud thunder and rain. Pouring rain accompanied by frightening thunder makes us feel anxious even though they are sound effects added by a talented editor. When the woman then hears a booming knock on her door, you can bet a sound designer chose the perfect sound to give viewers a startling, curious effect.

2. Dialogue

You may not have realized it, but dialogue is a very powerful way in which sound is used to heighten emotions in film. Dialogue is an incredibly effective way of getting the audience introduced to a character, hooked into a story, or transported to a different state of mind. The way two or more characters on screen speak to one another makes all the difference for your audience, and it’s an important consideration if you want the right mood for your story. It’s not only what your characters say, but how they say it.

We can’t think of a better example than when we first meet Vito Corleone in The Godfather. After the balding man explains the awful situation about his beaten daughter, we might expect Corleone to show some sympathy, maybe even outrage. Instead, Marlon Brando’s excellent voice and line delivery helps give the immediate impression that Corleone is no ordinary man; he is actually insulted by the man’s request. The manner of speech in which dialogue is delivered, and Marlon Brando’s iconic vocal choices in character, are great examples of how dialogue can serve as an essential tool if you’re using sound to influence a scene’s atmosphere.

3. Music

Close Up Shot of Girl Wearing Black Wired Headphones Photo by Gavin Whitner (musicoomph.com)

Music is one of the most powerful elements a filmmaker can call upon when it comes to leveraging sound to craft atmosphere in film. Audiences may have grown accustomed to hearing moving symphonies during war scenes, and completely different music when the secret admirers finally confess their love to one another, but the fact that in reality we don’t have music accompanying major moments in our life makes this film convention all the more compelling. It’s a powerful way to tap into the emotion you’re trying to convey.

Use music carefully in your film to not only cue viewers into how to feel, but to also get an emotional response. For example, horror movies are famous for using music to create tension just before a jump scare or horrifying moment, and pacing the music of your film score with silence can have a profound effect. If you really want to play with the audience’s emotions, consider mixing things up to. For example, Scorsese’s brilliant choice of an upbeat song during a montage of corpse after corpse in Goodfellas made those scenes more jarring and impactful than if a somber track had been played.

What are your favorite examples of a powerful use of sound in filmmaking? Let us know in the comments below! And and head to our Filmmaking page to learn more at the New York Film Academy.

The 6 Latest & Greatest Trends in Animation

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The art of putting together images to depict a sequence of events is much older than we think. Egyptian murals with carvings showing the steps to wrestling moves have been found in tombs left behind more than 4,000 years ago. A thousand years earlier, someone in the area of modern-day Iran painted sequential images of a goat leaping up to bite a tree leaf on a pottery bowl.

Today, animation continues offering us a captivating way of telling stories and providing information. Thanks to advancements in techniques and technology, here are the latest ways you can impress with your own animation talents:

  1. 3D Looks to Retro & Vintage

To keep their content fresh and unique, many 3D animators are looking to art styles from the past for inspiration. One of the more popular trends looks to Gouache, a ’60s era water-based painting style which involved heavy use of color layers and dry brushing. Another cool 3D animation style that’s becoming popular again is retrofuturism. This makes use of sci-fi aesthetics from what people in the late ’70s and early ’80s thought the future might look like. Use of lush lighting effects and pixelated digital elements serve to create places and characters that feel both retro and sci-fi.

  1. High Contrast Cel Animation

Converse Chuck Taylor II Shield Canvas from Golden Wolf on Vimeo.

This is an animation trend that’s been on the rise for a few years now and has been used by some of the top companies in the world, including Nike, Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network, and even fo the Winter X games. Vibrant, contrasting colors combined with an angular design are used to give the animation a simplified, almost cel-style look. The result is a fun, in-your-face sequence that’s hard to look away from. Some of the best examples are from Golden Wolf, an animation production company based in London.

  1. 2D and 3D, Together

A trend that began in recent years and has continued picking up steam is creating animations that look like a mix of 2D and 3D. You don’t have to look far to find a tutorial that shows you how to end up with a flat 2D look by using a cel shader to render 3D. By giving 3D objects a 2D look, animators are able to make expressive, illustrative elements that immediately attract a viewer’s attention while delivering information in a clear and colorful way.

  1. Hyper-Surrealism

HONDA “The Dreamer” from Roof Studio on Vimeo.

If there’s one great animation trend that makes full use of the power of CGI imagery, it’s this style. The effect of hyper-surreal animation relies on combining photo-realistic elements with fantastical imagery to create dreamlike worlds and action. There are few examples better than Roof Studio’s “The Dreamer” add for Honda, which takes viewers along a whimsical journey as a realistic vehicle drives across outlandish locations.  If you’re interested in an animation style that lets your creativity and imagination run wild, look no further.

  1. Dynamic Function Animation in Apps

App developers are also now seeing the power animation can have to give users a memorable experience. Instead of using static images or just text, many apps in 2018 are using functional animation that keeps a user’s attention with a vibrant, interesting user interface. This includes using animation to brighten navigational elements, confirm user input, zoom in and out on content, and more. Since there’s nothing better than motion, mainly because our eyes are designed to follow it, 2D animation offers an unmatched level of visual feedback.

  1. Resurgence of 2D Animation in Marketing

In entertainment industries like film and video games, 2D animation took a back seat when 3D arrived. Since then, companies have felt there’s no better way to captivate audiences, players, and potential customers than with 3D animation, even if it requires more time and effort to create. But now that more people are using the internet like never before, be it on their smart devices or computers, companies need attractive yet cost-effective ways to grow their marketing brand. Thus, a big trend in animation these days is having the ability to whip up simple, attention-grabbing 2D animation videos for use in mobile and web advertisement.

Our variety of animation programs are flexibly designed for students with busy schedules interested in gaining an understanding of the world of animation. Visit our 3D Animation School page to learn more about our offerings and apply.

5 Things Old School Games Mastered

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Today’s video games offer some of the most captivating worlds and stories one can experience. From incredibly realistic environments to impressive artificial intelligence, games have evolved at a faster rate than perhaps any other entertainment medium.

It’s hard to believe that, a little over two decades ago, the gaming industry was just transitioning from 2D to 3D. Of course, games couldn’t have gotten to where they are today without the old-school classics and the innovations they contributed to the field, still used by game designers today.

Here are five notable contributions the retro games mastered, that made lifelong gamers out of us:

Rewarding Skill

Game development was a different beast back in the ‘80s and ‘90s; teams didn’t have millions of dollars and years of development. Instead, you were required to create a game — sometimes in less than a year — that would convince people to drop their hard-earned cash. This meant crafting worlds and gameplay that was not only captivating but also challenging. Otherwise, gamers would fly through in a few hours and want their money back.

Thus, many retro games are masterpieces when it comes to providing a satisfying level of difficulty that, rather than frustrating players, made them want to get better. Instead of having to get through thoughtless quick-time events, players were pushed to memorize enemy spawn locations, boss patterns, and power-up locations, increasing their skill through gameplay to unlock rewards and advance.

Providing Unique Experiences

There’s a reason why many of the most popular gaming franchises today got their start back in the “golden age” of video games; although there have always been copycats and clones, developers making old school games had comparably less time and money riding on one project, which meant they could take more risks. Those risks led to lots of creativity, with games within the same genre full of variety. For example, if you wanted a change from your favorite beat-’em-up, you had everything from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Golden Axe to Battletoads and Streets of Rage 2.

In contrast, you can take several of today’s first-person shooters and find that they look remarkably similar. If you don’t agree, consider how every developer is at the moment scrambling to cash in on the very popular “battle royale” style game after the success of Fortnite.

Immediate Attraction

Game developers were limited in a number of ways in the ‘80s and ‘90s, compared to today’s studios. Visuals, of course, could only handle so many pixels, as devs also had to create fun experiences with controllers and arcade machines with far fewer buttons. Because of this, old-school games feel like compact, thrilling bursts of fun that you can pick up and play without the need for tutorials or getting used to complicated control schemes, etc.

Even a complete gaming novice can pick up an NES controller, boot up Mega Man and have a great time. Compare that experience to Assassin’s Creed, where novice players must familiarize themselves with lengthy story scenes and tutorial segments before they can get to the meat of the gameplay.

Old-school games also didn’t require signing into an account or having an online connection to play — just another way these games remain accessible and simple to enjoy, no matter your level of expertise.

Offering Fun With Friends

On the other hand, we have to acknowledge that many of the multiplayer games we enjoy now let us do things we could only dream of in our wildest imagination, back in the day. Fortnite, for example, lets you play against a whopping 99 other players in a world where you can destroy almost everything in the environment — all while building massive towers and bridges. The only downside is that if you want to play on the couch with a friend, they’ll need to bring their own TV screen and console; like most modern big-budget titles, there’s no local multiplayer.

Before the advent of high-speed internet, devs were almost obligated to make fun games that friends could play together. Arcade cabinets were surrounded by teens watching players duke it out in Mortal Kombat or unite to tear a city apart in Rampage.

As most of today’s developers realize the ever-existent hunger for couch co-op games, we can’t help but recall the hours of enjoyment old-school games gave us alongside friends and family.

You Could Play ASAP!

Remember when you could play a game without having to wait for console boot-up times, long loading screens, or new patch updates to download? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Learn more about Game Design at the New York Film Academy.

Photography Hashtags to Increase Your Reach on Instagram and Twitter

Posted on by nyfa

Few could have expected the # sign, previously called pound or number sign and only recognized on a phone, would become an important part of social media.

Hashtags are used to identify a message on a specific topic, allowing people with similar interests to discover each other’s content in the expansive sea that is the internet.

The Power Of The Hashtag

As a photographer, you naturally want other fans and professionals of the art form to check out your work, especially if you’re confident in your abilities and seeking exposure. By using the right hashtags, you’ll increase the number of people in the online photography community who come across your stuff. Many popular pages even look to hashtags to select what photos they share or add to their featured pages, which inevitably increases your social media reach.

Choosing The Best Hashtags For You

From professional to amateur photographers, many have made a name for themselves on Instagram and Twitter with the help of well-chosen hashtags. While it’s not a death sentence, some people are put off by posters who get carried away with how many hashtags they use. In fact, a big mistake to avoid is using hashtags that aren’t relevant to your photo or just aren’t trending.

Instead, your best bet is to carefully choose relevant hashtags while also keeping an eye on whatever is trending. To help you find the best, here are some excellent hashtag choices for some of the most popular categories in the photography world:

Niche Hashtags

Arguably the best hashtags you can use are the ones where people with the same interests will discover you. Although you’ll reach less people, they’re likely to appear on someone’s relevant search who will continue revisiting your pages and follow you.

Trending Hashtags

Sometimes, all it takes is a well-timed post that uses a hot hashtag to earn tons of exposure. If you hop on Twitter or Instagram and see that the latest trend is photos of funny old people, sand castles, or whatever, there’s nothing wrong with jumping in to see if your stuff becomes popular.

Generic Hashtags

These are the hashtags everyone uses and for good reason: everyone follows them. For example, the most basic and timeless photography hashtag is simply #photo. It’s harder to stand out from the crowd with a generic hashtag, but you still have a chance of getting your work on people’s devices. These are best mixed with trending and niche hashtags.

Most Popular Photography Hashtags

Photography Hashtags

#photo #photogram #photographer #photooftheday #pictures #photographyislife #capture #instalove #picoftheday #keepitsimple #exposure #collectivelycreate #instagood

Wedding Photography

#Beachwedding #Beachwedding #weddingcake #Weddingphotography #Weddingphotographer ##Engagement #weddingideas #weddingdress #beautiful #gorgeous #bride

Urban / Street Photography

#urbanphotography #streetphotography #urbex #buildinggraffiti #shoot2kill #graffitiart #streetmobs #instagraffiti #urbanandstreet #guerillaart #urbanromantix #spraypaint #urbanphoto #wallart #streettogether  #streetart #streetartistry #streetexploration

Portrait Photography

#postmoreportraits #portrait #photooftheday #portraits #portraitmood #feelgoodphoto #portraiture #makeportraits #selfshot #vsco #vintage #selfportrait #portraitphotography #selfportrait #selfie #selfies #myself #face #lips #hair #me #eyes #mouth #cute #pose #moi #closeup #model

Nature Photography Hashtags

#nature #naturegirl #awesome_earthpix #discoverearth #earthfocus #mothernature  #naturesbeauty #sky #wanderlust #natureseekers #sun #summer #wildlifelovers #explore #birdphotography #wildlifephotography  #photooftheday #skylovers #animalsofinstagram #wildlifephoto #natureisbeautiful #travelphotography #wildlifeplanet #picoftheday #traveling #summer #wildlifeonearth #naturelover #wildlifeperfection #sunset

*Top 5 Pieces of Gear You Need for Travel Video and Photography

Landscape Photography

#landscapephotography #travelphotos #nationalgeographic  #nakedplanet #places_wow #optoutside #earthofficial #natgeo #beautifuldestinations #pixel_ig #landscapelover #amazingplaces cityofdreams #landscapephotomag #natgeoyourshot #exploretheglobe #landscape_hunter #splendid_earth #ourplanetdaily

Travel Photography

#travel #travelphoto #worldtravelpics #getlost #travelphotography  #travelscenes #thegoodlife #instatravel #explorer #travelworld #instapassport #hdriphonegraphy  #travelingram #mytravelgram #keepitwild #mytravelgram #traveladdict #arountheworld #travelwithkids #paradise #travelawesome #wonderfulview  #travelstoke #lifeisbeautiful #adventuretravel #goodoldmemories

Food Photography

#Chefmode #foodoftheday #foodaddict #onthetable #hautecuisines #chefsofinstagram #foodpost #foodlife #foodie #hungry #sweet #fresh #homemade #foodgasm #yummy  #foodphotography #foodpics #foodstagram #instafood #Eatingfortheinsta #foodgram #nomnom #cleaneating

Black & White Photography

#blackandwhite #bnw #monochrome #instablackandwhite #bwstyleoftheday #monotone #monochromatic #bnw_society #bw_lover #bw_photooftheday #photooftheday #bw  #instagood #bw_society #bw_crew #bwwednesday #noir #insta_pick_bw #bwstyles_gf #irox_bw #igersbnw #fineart_photobw #monoart #insta_bw

Fashion Photography

#fashionphotography #fashionphotographer #FashionDiaries #Ootd #Liketkit #StyleTheBump #fromabove #outfitinspiration  #todayiwore #lovethislook #streetfashionstyle #newshoes #shoesday #makeyousmilestyle #howtostyle

*7 Fashion Blogs Aspiring Photographers Should Follow Now

Don’t have the ability to attend in-person programs? At NYFA, we offer Online Photography workshops to help you build your skills as a photographer. These workshops are hands-on and cover a variety of techniques and disciplines.

A Guide to The Most Important Film Award Shows

Posted on by nyfa

It’s in our nature as humans to appreciate things that stand out from the rest. Whether it’s a sports victory or a notable scientific accomplishment, we love appreciating exception talent and hard work — and the film industry is no different. While there are quite a number of amazing awards shows that every fan of film should check out, below you’ll find a breakdown of perhaps the most-anticipated and important annual film award shows:

The Academy Awards

If there’s one film ceremony that’s more celebrated and anticipated than the rest, it’s the Oscars. Even the trophy itself — a gold-plated bronze figure atop a black metal base — is recognized across the world as arguably the most prestigious award in the industry.

The first Academy Award ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929, and since then has been overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As one of the original celebrations to entertain people worldwide, the Academy Awards helped give the talented, hardworking people in the industry the attention they deserve.

It also paved the way for other top ceremonies such as Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Emmy Awards. You can watch awards in all 24 categories annually, when the ceremony is nationally broadcast. The ceremony is usually held during the early months of every year.

BAFTA Awards

This annual awards show, considered the British version of the Academy Awards, honors the best international and British contributions to film.

The event saw its beginnings in 1947 with The British Film Academy, but then the organization merged with The Guild of Television Producers and Directors in 1958, before becoming the The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in 1976.

Supported by more than 6,500 active members located across the globe, The BAFTA Awards are celebrated for rewarding the best in the industry while also providing special recognition to British films in the form of awards that only UK films are eligible to win. This annual award show has been held in February for the last two decades.

Golden Globe Awards

The Golden Globe Awards are one of the most important film award shows for a number special reasons. Not only are both film and television productions recognized, but it also honors projects from foreign countries as well as from the United States.

The 1st Golden Globe awards were held in 1943 after several writers united to form the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a non-profit group designed to promote and conduct the ceremony.

Golden Globe winners, which are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 93 members, receive their awards during an event viewed by more than 160 countries. The Golden Globes can be seen annually and are responsible for helping to fund important scholarships and programs beneficial to future stars, including the Young Artist Awards presented by the Young Artist Foundation.

Cannes Film Festival Palm D’or Award

Held annually in France, the Cannes Film Festival is renowned for giving new films of all genres, including documentaries, a chance to be seen by important industry professionals for the first time. From the early 1930s to today, Cannes has continued making an impact on Europe and the international film industry by serving as a place for filmmakers to show off their work and talent to an invite-only crowd.

The highest prize — the Palm D’or — is a prestigious award given to the best film of the year. A 24-carat gold palm encased in blue Morocco leather is given to the winner, which is chosen by juries appointed by the Festival’s board of directors. The jury and its president, selected from a body of respectable international artists, meet annually at the historic Villa Domergue to choose the winner.

Filmfare Awards (Clares)

If there’s one international film industry that’s impossible to ignore for its continued growth and relevance, it’s India’s. Comprised of several film markets including Bollywood, the Hindi-language film industry, India has become one of the largest film producers on the planet with ticket sales by number oftentimes surpass Hollywood. The Filmfare Awards were founded in 1954 to honor the talent and brilliance of the Hindi language film industry.

Those awarded the “Lady in Black,” the iconic award statuette of a woman performing an upward dancing motion, are chosen by both the public and a committee of professionals. The Filmfare Awards are presented each year by The Times Group and are considered the Hindi film industry’s equivalent to the Oscars. As of 2016, a total of 31 awards are given during the show.

What are your favorite annual film, television, and media awards? Let us know in the comments below! Learn more about Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy.