Page 44 – NYFA

More Than a Career Move: Filmmaking as a Medium of Truth With NYFA Documentary Alum Jia Wertz

Canadian native Jia Wertz exited a 20-year career in the fashion corporate world to dive into the filmmaking industry. With a background in photography and a passion for social issues and bringing a voice to the voiceless, Wertz decided it was time to answer her calling – becoming a storyteller.

“I didn’t want to simply work at a job that was focused on making profits for a corporation without doing any good in the world for other people,” shared Wertz. With the decision to make a career shift, Wertz remembers the moment it all changed for her. “ I was at Adnan Syed’s post-conviction hearing in Baltimore and Amy Berg’s team was there filming the HBO docuseries The Case Against Adnan Syed and a light bulb just went off.”

Wertz realized that filmmaking would be something that she could do to reach a large audience and impact social change by speaking on the conflict of the institutional correction systems and the wrongfully accused.

“I have been passionate about wrongful convictions since I was in my twenties,” revealed Wertz. “My interest in this cause began when I read Rubin Carter’s book The Sixteenth Round, and I’d wondered ever since what I could do to help people who have been unjustly imprisoned. There is something about an innocent person being silenced that really shakes me to the core. After hearing Adnan Syed’s story on the Serial podcast, I was really motivated to do something.”

And she did. Wertz took a 6-Week Documentary Filmmaking Workshop at NYFA and went on to direct the true-crime documentary Conviction, now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. The documentary short follows the wrongfully convicted Jeffrey Deskovic of the rape and murder of a fellow classmate at the young age of sixteen and how he fought the justice system against all odds to prove his innocence. “The film tells his story, in his own words, and sheds light not only on the shortcomings of the justice system but the physical and emotional impacts that wrongful convictions have on the lives of innocent people,” revealed Wertz.

“I was inspired to work on this documentary because I thought it would be an effective way to spread awareness about wrongful convictions, and also because Jeff’s story is so inspirational – it’s truly a testament to the human spirit. Jeff now has a non-profit organization that helps other people who are wrongfully convicted, and by sharing his story I am able to support his organization and the work he does.”

With a crew of NYFA students and the encouragement of NYFA instructor Kuldeep Sah Gangola, Wertz worked on the documentary during her course. “From the very first day shooting the film while I was attending NYFA, it just felt right – like I was in the right place, doing exactly what I should be doing,” shared Wertz.

“Every part of the process has been a learning experience and extremely enjoyable – from filming with Jeff who is such a great interviewee, to the excitement (and surprise) of being officially selected at eleven film festivals, and now to have the film streaming on Amazon Prime. I would’ve never thought that we could’ve accomplished all of this in a short year after finishing the documentary program at NYFA.”

The documentary is a testament to Wertz’s hard work and dedication on transitioning into her true calling – being a storyteller and advocate for the unheard. “My hope is that the film spreads awareness of a cause that I think often goes unnoticed. Unless it impacts you personally, you may not even think of wrongful convictions as a major issue in our country. A very conservative estimate is that about 2-5% of people incarcerated in the US are wrongfully imprisoned. At this rate, it could mean tens or even hundreds of thousands of people – the numbers are staggering.”

Jeffrey Deskovic and Jia Wertz (“Conviction”)

People are beginning to take notice of Wertz’s Conviction. From the multiple festival laurels Wertz has received to the Emmy Award-winning show The List, people are taking note of Jeffrey’s story and Wertz’s passion to bring his voice to the forefront – and she isn’t done yet. The NYFA alum is currently in post-production of a feature-length version of Conviction and aims to finish and distribute the film this year.

New York Film Academy celebrates Jia Wertz’s work for her applauded first film Conviction and looks forward to seeing what story Wertz will focus on next. Conviction is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) WELCOMES SCREENWRITER TOM SCHLESINGER TO THE 20/20 SERIES

New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the honor of welcoming screenwriter TOM SCHLESINGER as part of The 20/20 Series, created by NYFA’s Creative Director of Filmmaking and Cinematography, Liz Hinlein. The conversation was moderated by Hinlein and was held virtually, allowing individuals to join NYFA and the special guests from all over the world.

The 20/20 Series, created by Hinlein, is a virtual pop-up event that takes us into the homes, hubs, and workspaces of an array of dynamic creative visionaries to allow for relaxed, engaging conversations on craft, creation, and artistic vision.

Liz Hinlein (Left) and Tom Schlesinger (Right) for The 20/20 Series

Tom Schlesinger was writer-consultant on HBO’s Prom Night in Mississippi featuring Morgan Freeman, and the follow-up, The Last White Knight featuring Harry Belafonte. He was a story mentor on Caroline Link’s Nowhere in Africa, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and also on Caroline’s Beyond Silence, nominated for Best Foreign Film.

Schlesinger wrote and is co-producing the feature films Second Line West, which will start shooting this upcoming June, and Thief River, scheduled for pre-production next October. He wrote the feature screenplay Chappie and Me, with Morgan Freeman attached to play baseball legend, Chappie Johnson. Schlesinger has also facilitated storytelling workshops for Pixar, Lucasfilm, the AFI, the Banff Centre, the DGA, and throughout Europe.

Schlesinger is what some in the writer’s room call a story architect, someone who works with the creative team to help visualize what the film could be when it’s finished. An intuitive role, Schlesinger explained this role is important for when the script is being developed or the film is being shot.

Hinlein asked Schlesinger if there was a way to separate the role of an architect and a screenwriter, to which Schlesinger responded: “There isn’t such differentiation of roles. Following some of the rules of improv, everyone in the writer’s room is supporting everyone else to do their best work.” In that same vein, more screenwriters and architects are starting to become producers as well as it allows screenwriters to also see their story evolve into the final product, working alongside as a collaborator from beginning to end.

Salma Hayek (Left) and Tom Schlesinger (Right)

One member of the audience probed Schlesinger to give the secret sauce every screenwriter wants to know, how to write a good story. “You have to give yourself permission to write a bad first draft. You have to get the paint out on the canvas before you can work with it, it’s kind of like sculpting,” he remarked. “Then there are certain things to look at for the story to function. Your character needs an outer goal that relates to a passion or freedom and something relating to a relationship. Also, ask what is my character’s dilemma.”

Schlesinger also encouraged aspiring writers to not design a story to fit a particular genre but rather focus on what is important to the writer. “Rather than pick a genre that is popular right now, for me, a genre is based on how you see the world and find meaning,” he began. “You can work within a genre and attract a big audience, but on the other hand, you can focus on creating transformative characters that can have a social impact.

Breaking down the process further for those in attendance, Schlesinger broke down his process for ideating scripts and storylines. First, he explained that you always need to start out with a step outline (your story without dialogue). Then, you break that down into a one-page synopsis, the logline, and then can begin to write. “If you have a tentative structure to begin with, wonderful things can happen.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Tom Schlesinger for joining the NYFA global community to discuss how to build out stories for The 20/20 Series, created by and moderated by Liz Hinlein.

These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.

“Invisible Love” From NYFA’s Bill Einreinhofer Wins Big at Paris International Film Festival

Chair of the Broadcast Journalism department at New York Film Academy, Bill Einreinhofer has a lot to celebrate after his film Invisible Love won three major awards at the Paris International Film Festival in February.

Bill Einreinhofer on set of “Invisible Love”

Coming off on its premiere at the Marche du Film, associated with the Cannes International Film Festival, in 2020, Invisible Love has racked up three awards including Best Narrative Feature Film, Best International Actor (Hoang Phuong), and Best International Collaboration.

In addition to Einreinhofer executive producing Invisible Love, NYFA’s roots run deep in the film, with Acting for Film alum Kazy Tauginas playing one of the male leads and former NYFA staffer Nancy Hanzhang Shen serving as both a Producer and the 1st AD on a set working in three languages (Vietnamese, Mandarin, and English).

Invisible Love takes place during the 1930s during the era of French Indochina and follows the story of one woman’s search for love, and how time and again her dreams are betrayed. “The subtext of the film is the nature of colonialism, and the corrosive effect it has on both the colonizers as well as those colonized,” explained Einreinhofer. “There is plenty of melodrama in this film and enough plot for perhaps three movies. While in North America and Europe Invisible Love is considered an ‘art house’ film, in Vietnam and China it is popular entertainment.”

Einreinhofer is no stranger to working heavily with international markets and met the film’s director, Guo Xiang, while working on Einreinhofer’s documentary Shanghai 1937: Where World War II Began. “We found we had a lot in common, even though we are totally different and each doesn’t speak the other’s language,” recalled Einreinhofer. “Director Guo valued my experience in international co-production and distribution while I admired his cinematic vision and resourcefulness. He wanted to bring authenticity to this period film [Invisible Love], and my background in non-fiction video and familiarity with Asian cultures helped to ensure historic elements of the film rang true.”

Nancy Hanzhang Shen (Left) and Bill Einreinhofer (Right)

The Broadcast Journalism Chair even makes a cameo appearance in the film as Dr. Sawyer, the director of a Western-run hospital in DaNang, where two of the key characters work. “It [acting] helped me better appreciate the ability of the actors to do the same scene time after time, with no slip-ups in dialogue and always hitting their marks, which I find challenging,” he shared.

Einreinhofer also explained that he was able to rely on Tauginas while on set to give him a quick tutorial on the do’s and don’ts of film performance as well as Shen, who served as a producer and 1st AD on the film. “I was also much taken by the sheer beauty of Vietnam, and how welcoming the people there are to Americans. For my generation, Vietnam was a war, not a place.”

For those who see the film, Einreinhofer hopes that Invisible Love will speak to the notion that, regardless of culture or societal norms, love knows no barriers and surpasses all universal emotions.

The film now continues on the festival circuit for the next six months, after which Einreinhofer and the crew hope to sign agreements with distributors to get into the prime markets and platforms for a larger audience to view the film.

New York Film Academy would like to congratulate Broadcast Journalism Chair Bill Einreinhofer on his continued success with Invisible Love and looks forward to announcing when the film is available to view for the public.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY INSTRUCTOR TIM FIELDER FEATURED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES

In a February profile piece, The New York Times (NYT) penned a profile citing a boom in comic books and graphic novels that focus on Afrofuturism, a cultural aesthetic that describes the intersection of African diaspora culture with technology. The term was originally coined in the 1990s and for decades has been used by Black creators to envision an alternative present and future that celebrates the African diaspora.

Among those creators is NYFA 3D Animation & VFX instructor Tim Fielder, who NYT included in its latest article about the boom of Afrofuturism that goes beyond the popular Marvel comic Black Panther.

Illustration by Tim Fielder for Aja Oba, an African king cursed with eternal life (Harper Collins)

Fielder is an illustrator, concept designer, cartoonist, animator, and creator of the graphic novel series Matty’s Rocket and the critically acclaimed INFINITUM: An Afrofuturist Tale. He has worked over the years in the storyboarding, film visual development, gaming, comics, education, and animation industries. Fielder has served clients such as Marvel Comics, The Village Voice, Tri-Star Pictures, Ubisoft Entertainment, and New York University. He is an active contributor to the body of work surrounding Afrofuturism, citing Samuel R. Delany, Octavia Butler, Pedro Bell, and Overton Lloyd as his major influences.

Fielder recently released his latest book INFINITUM in January, which melds a tale of African kings and space battles and journeys from the creation of the universe and the dawn of mankind to the rise and fall of great African kingdoms. Fielder’s new release was mentioned by The Times as a body of work that contributes to the boom of Afrofuturist titles being released this year.

Fielder, who illustrates his work on his computer, is also the creator of Matty’s Rocket, a graphic novel series following space pilot Matty Watty. The story was inspired by Fielder’s parents and grandparents who never saw themselves represented in films or books in fantasy or sci-fi situations. “I wanted to restore parity in that area while I am blessed to still have my parents, both born in the 1930s Mississippi,” he shares on his website. “My art gives me the power to fill that void with an adventurous narrative.”

New York Film Academy is proud of the well-deserved recognition of instructor Tim Fielder and looks forward to seeing the reception of Fielder’s latest book INFINITUM and for what’s to come from the talented author and illustrator.

Actress Alaina Huffman Studies Filmmaking With New York Film Academy

Veteran actress and producer Alaina Huffman is no stranger to the film business and has appeared on some of your favorite shows and films over the past couple of decades. From Smallville and Painkiller Jane to Amber Alert and Netflix’s The Perfection, Huffman has a long list of film and TV credits that have allowed her to see the filmmaking process from both in front of and behind the camera.

Huffman recently decided to take the time to expand her technical skills by taking one of NYFA’s Online Filmmaking Workshops, allowing her to take classes to study the filmmaking craft more in-depth.

“I’ve had the desire to direct for some time,” Huffman shared. “I had a short I was set to direct last April but I had to postpone due to COVID. Between working and being a single mom of four, I never really felt I could fit school into my life. With all this downtime and watching my kids do homeschool, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to take classes.

With a career spanning television fan-favorite titles to her indie film background, Huffman learned a lot during that time beyond being an actor, including what it takes to produce, direct, and work alongside the crew. “Once my career started to move into television, I was working with more established crews and actors. Every day on set is an education if you pay attention. You not only learn what to do, a lot of times you learn what not to do. Now 25 years into my career, I’m still learning along the way.”

In addition to the teachable moments presented to Huffman on set, being in front of the camera over the years has brought her so much joy in collaboration. “I have a fondness for all the characters I’ve played, they are so special to me,” she revealed. “Being a part of a series is like being part of a family. There’s a closeness and special bonds that form. I have lifelong friends from my time on Stargate Universe, Smallville, Supernatural, and The 100. For me, I like when a character creates themselves. It’s almost effortless, they just come to me like it’s meant to be.”

Like Huffman shared, even professionals who have been in the industry for years are constantly absorbing information and learning along the way, which is why coming to NYFA was another resource for Huffman to explore all the aspects of the filmmaking craft.

“My advice to incoming students [at NYFA] would be to have fun! Ultimately filmmaking is a joy. Remember why you love movies and television and enjoy learning the tools to aid your creative process. It always amazes me that we all have access to the same equipment, the same information and yet we all come up with such diverse ideas. Enjoy learning from each other as much as the professors.”

Alaina Huffman in “Stargate Universe” (Syfy)

What’s next for Alaina Huffman? While we wait for her upcoming horror film Deep Focus, Huffman is slated to direct. “I’m shooting [a movie] next month called The Missing Twin and I’m super lucky in that in addition to playing the lead character, they’ve offered me the opportunity to direct the second unit. Once I finish that I’ll go on to direct my short film that got delayed.”

New York Film Academy thanks Alaina Huffman for taking the time to share more about her thoughts on continuing her education at NYFA and looks forward to sharing more about her upcoming projects in the future.

NYFA Documentary Filmmaking Instructor Lizzie Gottlieb Featured by ‘Insider’ to Talk About New Film “Turn Every Page”

NYFA Documentary instructor Lizzie Gottlieb has been directing film and theater in New York for the past couple of decades. As a director, Gottlieb has worked with Peter Dinklage, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Amy Ryan, Michael Ian Black, Justin Kirk, Francie Swift, Josh Hamilton, Sara Ramirez, and more. Recently, Gottlieb got to work with another talent, notable editor, writer, and father to Gottlieb, Robert Gottlieb.

(L-R) Robert Gottlieb and Robert Caro (Photo courtesy of Lizzie Gottlieb)

The documentary, Turn Every Page, follows Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro and his 50-year argument and relationship with his editor, Robert Gottlieb (Robert), as they work towards completing a final book. The documentary from Gottlieb is an ode to the work of Caro and Robert over the last 50 years as Robert (89) awaits Caro (85) to complete his much-anticipated fifth volume of The Years of Lyndon Johnson.

“They are not slowing down because of their age,” Gottlieb told Insider in an interview about the project. “I think they both feel the enormous weight to finish [the final LBJ] book. I very much wanted this to be a story about them finishing their life’s work, not just a retrospective of their lives and how impressive they are.”

The documentary film will also feature interviews from Ethan Hawke, Conan O’Brien, The New Yorker editor David Remnick, and former president Bill Clinton, who will make remarks of the impact of Caro and Rober’s work over the past 50 years. Gottlieb shared that most of the filming of the documentary was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the interview featuring former president Clinton was done recently over Zoom.

NYFA instructor Lizzie Gottlieb

Gottlieb is also known for her documentary Today’s Man, which aired on PBS and screened at festivals and conferences all over the world. Her film Romeo, Romeo was honored with the prestigious Excellence in Documentary Award by the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association (NLGJA).

New York Film Academy congratulates Documentary Filmmaking instructor Lizzie Gottlieb on her latest achievement, Turn Every Page, and encourages everyone to check out her latest documentary when it becomes available later this year.

ACTRESS ALAINA HUFFMAN STUDIES FILMMAKING AT NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY

Like Huffman shared, even industry professionals who have been in the industry for years are constantly absorbing information and learning along the way, which is why coming to NYFA was another resource for Huffman to explore all the aspects of the filmmaking craft.

NYFA South Beach Instructor Daniel Abrusci Wins Gold Promax Award

New York Film Academy is excited to share that Filmmaking instructor Daniel Abrusci has won a Gold Promax Award for outstanding achievement in sound design and mixing on the Cbeebies segment Christmas Lights for BBC Latin America.

The Promax Awards are the world’s premier celebration of outstanding achievement in entertainment marketing and design, honoring teams of creatives harnessing passionate fandom to drive audiences, create value, and build the biggest brands in entertainment.

The one-minute animation Abrusci worked on in his home studio was extremely heavy in sound design. “When working with animation, sound design plays a huge role because there’s no audio to start with,” he explained. “I edited three different pieces of music into a one-minute spot in order for the music to be dynamic and help boost holiday emotions.”

The South Beach instructor had to recreate the ambiance needed for the TV spot to feel a bit more realistic, adding in stylistic sound elements to elevate the story visually. “There’s plenty of creativity involved due to the fact that a lot of these actions might sound different in real life,” shared Abrusci. “Once we have all the different sound design, voiceover, and music elements, mixing is all about making things stand out and giving everything character and space in the frequency spectrum.” Essentially, sound mixing in itself plays an important role in fully forming a character, space, or idea.

Abrusci urges anyone who is looking to hone their craft to “keep practicing” as it’s practice, trial, and error that allow you to master your skills. “The more time you put into something, the better you’ll become at it. Stay passionate and make it happen!”

New York Film Academy congratulates Daniel Abrusci on his outstanding achievement and looks forward to what’s next from the talented South Beach faculty member.

To view the Christmas Lights spot, view the video below.

NYFA Photography Alum Jon Henry Named on The “TIME 100 Next” List

New York Film Academy (NYFA) is excited to announce that Photography alum Jon Henry has been featured in TIME Magazine’s TIME 100 Next list for 2021.

Last year, Henry won the prestigious Arnold Newman Prize for New Directions in Photographic Portraiture and the Kodak Film Photo Award—for his series “Stranger Fruit.” The alum also had his photographs from the series displayed on multiple pages in the October 2020 National Geographic issue.

Cover of the ‘TIME Magazine’ issue featuring the ‘Next 100’ (TIME Magazine)

TIME reporter Josiah Bates, who wrote the profile on Henry for the Time 100 Next issue shared that Henry’s prolific series “Stranger Fruit” is weighted with significance: “In visual artist Jon Henry’s series ‘Stranger Fruit,’ sons pose with their mothers as if they are lifeless, re-creating scenes of mourning. The mothers stare through the camera’s lens as if holding onlookers accountable for threats their sons could one day face. In 2020—after the killing of George Floyd by police—the series took on new poignancy.”

The alum was featured alongside other artists who made the list including director Boots Riley, Lakeith Stanfield, Florence Pugh, and more. Henry shared his gratitude for being included in the list on his Instagram account: “Honored beyond measure to be included in #time100next. The 2021 TIME100 Next list highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science and activism, and more. Crazy.”

Henry was also featured on the cover of JRNL 4 and was also profiled by Photograph Magazine. The NYFA alum and Photography instructor’s “Stranger Fruit” series is currently on display in Portland at BlueSky Gallery through March 27, 2021, and will also be featured in Miami from March 11 – May 21 at DotFiftyOne Gallery. The series has also gone international and is currently on view at the KP Gallery in South Korea, the first international solo exhibition for the project.

Untitled 60, St Charles, MO (2020) – Photo Credit: Jon Henry

New York Film Academy is thrilled to congratulate one of its own for being among those selected for TIME Magazine’s TIME 100 Next list for 2021 and is proud of the recognition that Jon Henry is receiving for his body of work and the “Stranger Fruit” series.