Page 89 – NYFA

New York Film Academy Filmmaking Alum Hannah Lux Davis Directs ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Music Video

The music video for “Don’t Call Me Angel,” the tie-in single to the latest Charlie’s Angels film performed by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey, and directed by New York Film Academy (NYFA) Hannah Lux Davis releases tomorrow, September 13.

The song, released by Republic Records, is the first single off the Charlie’s Angels official soundtrack album and serves as the film’s main theme. The latest entry of the popular franchise about three crime-fighting women stars Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska, and was written and directed by Elizabeth Banks.

Davis originally hails from Bellevue, Washington, and attended the 1-Year Filmmaking Conservatory at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus in 2004. Since then, she has directed music videos for such high-profile musicians as Whitney Houston, Lil Wayne, Halsey, and Drake. She has frequently collaborated with Ariana Grande, and directed the hit videos “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings.”

For her work, Davis has been nominated for multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and has won twice—in 2013 she won Best Hip-Hop Video for “Love Me” by Lil Wayne, and in 2014 she won Artist to Watch for “Miss Movin’ On” by Fifth Harmony.

“Davis has a uniquely colorful style that can be seen in her videos for Hilary Duff’s ‘Sparks’ and David Guetta’s ‘Hey Mama’ featuring Nicki Minaj,” writes Lucy Binetti in a profile on Davis for Substream Magazine.

In the article for Substream, Davis talks about her commitment to following her own instincts and style, as well as her passion for filmmaking. “I really do think this is the only thing I’m meant to be doing,” says Davis.

New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Hannah Lux Davis on her successful career as a music video director, and encourages everyone to check out her latest project, “Don’t Call Me Angel” by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey.

New York Film Academy at 2019 Venice Film Festival: Master Classes and Student Film Screenings

New York Film Academy’s (NYFA) kicked off a successful partnership with Giornate degli Autori, at the Venice Film Festival with an all-day event on September 4, 2019.

NYFA 3D Animation & VFX Chair, Craig Caton (E.T., Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park) kicked off the day’s events with a private Master Class for the jurors of Giornate degli Autori. The 1-hour talk focused on motion capture and augmented reality was attended by all 28 jurors of the Giornate degli Autori, each of whom is a film student from a university in each European Union nation.

“I had an amazing time learning about motion capture from one of the leading film professionals teaching at the New York Film Academy [Craig Caton] and I am very thankful I could take part in this event,” said Mladen Pechevski, the Bulgarian student ambassador.

Craig Caton held a second Master Class open to the general public, press and festival-goers in the afternoon. The packed house participated in a live, interactive facial recognition demonstration. Following the Master Class, NYFA screened three student shorts indicative of the quality of work NYFA students produce. Two of the students, directors Gabriele Fabbro and Alex Cvetkov, were present at the screening and answered questions from the audience about their experiences at NYFA.

“Having been selected and showcased at the Venice Film Festival is a true pleasure, and the feeling can’t be expressed properly […] Venice is a festival attended by worldwide film industry reps, they are all in one place, at the same time; this is where opportunities can happen, and I was at the right place, at the right time,” shared Cvetkov. “The more people I meet, the more people see my movie, the more your name resonates and people talk about your work. There is no better promotion than mouth to mouth, and at the end of the day this is all happening at one of the biggest film festivals in the world. Just being surrounded with the world-class filmmakers gives me the motivation to keep on chasing my stories and my creativity […] There goes big thanks to the New York Film Academy for the knowledge and for the support they provided me as a filmmaker!”

Upon reflecting on his own experience at the event, Master Class presenter Craig Caton expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to attend the festival and the students with whom he engaged while there.

“Being at the Venice Film Festival was very rewarding. Sharing my experiences was met with great enthusiasm,” said Caton. “It was nice to hear several times how NYFA has internationally acclaimed instructors who really care about their students and teach with great passion! I am honored to be part of such an incredible organization!”

New York Film Academy alumni were prominently featured at this year’s edition of the Venice Film Festival. NYFA Screenwriting alum Shahad Ameen screened her film Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr in Arabic). The film tells the story of Hayat, a young girl who lives in a poor fishing village in which every family must give one daughter to the sea creatures who inhabit the nearby waters. Ameen’s film is the first narrative Arab film to premiere in Venice.

As part of a special Giornate degli Autori event, NYFA Filmmaking alum Stefano Cipani also screened his film, Mio Fratello Rincorre i Dinosauri. The star studded cast features stars Alessandro Gassman, Isabella Ragonese and Rossy de Palma. The film recounts the relationship between two brothers, the younger of whom has Down Syndrome.

New York Film Academy faculty, students and alumni are honored to have partnered with Giornate degli Autori, and look forward to the opportunity to engage with attendees in years to come.

New York Film Academy Photography Students Showcase Work at Photoville

Seventeen talented photographers from New York Film Academy (NYFA) will be showcasing their work at this year’s Photoville, the annual photo festival held at Brooklyn Bridge Park. The fest will take place from September 12 – 22.

Photoville, produced by United Photo Industries, is currently in its eighth year, The free festival is built from over 65 re-repurposed shipping containers to create physical platforms from photographers of all kinds, providing them a unique opportunity to engage with a diverse audience in view of the city skyline and Brooklyn Bridge.

Photography students studying at the Photo Arts Conservatory at New York Film Academy (PAC at NYFA) are immersed in the industry, and are encouraged to participate in the larger world of photography by attending showcases like Photoville. This year continues a tradition of PAC at NYFA has exhibiting work at the annual Brooklyn event.

The NYFA exhibit at Photoville is curated by David Mager and Joan Pamboukes, and features works from NYFA students, alumni, and faculty. On Saturday, September 14, Photoville is conducting a guided tour and visiting the NYFA container from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

NYFA’s container exhibit this year will be made up of art from FAYN, NYFA’s collaborative photography magazine. FAYN, produced by PAC at NYFA, is published three times per year, and features students, faculty, and alumni whose work explores contemporary concepts in art and culture.

“It is incredibly exciting that NYFA will be represented again for the fourth year in a row at Photoville NYC,” says David Mager, NYFA Chair of Photography. “This year’s show pulls work from an amazingly diverse group of artists–spanning ideas of race, deconstruction, collage, fashion, and sexuality.”

Among those featured at this year’s Photoville is NYFA alum EnLin Qing. Having attended NYFA’s Photography and Fashion Photography workshops, Qing is a dancer and psychologist, as well as a photographer. Qing prides himself on his creative process and his ability to draw inspiration from both his environment and through his dance and psychology studies.

Here is the complete list of PAC at NYFA photographers featured at this year’s Photoville festival: Kevin Abangu, Um Kulthoom Alnasri, Angel Chestnut, Juan Sebastián Echeverri, Arthur Hylton, Lotta Lemetti, Jackie Neale, Oluwasegun Oladele-Ajose, EnLin Qing, Mariangela Quiroga-Castillo, Amanda Rowan, Natasha Rudenko, Jennifer Siemsen, Maddie Smith, Katerina Stratos, Edolia Stroud, Tanne Willow

You can check out the photographs being exhibited by PAC at NYFA here, and we encourage everyone to see them in person this September at Photoville!

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT EXHIBITS WORK AT PHOTOVILLE

The NYFA exhibit at Photoville is curated by David Mager and Joan Pamboukes, and features works from NYFA students, alumni, and faculty. On Saturday, Photoville is conducting a guided tour and visiting the NYFA container.

You can check out the photographs being exhibited by PAC at NYFA here, and we encourage everyone to see them in person this September at Photoville!

New York Film Academy Game Design (NYFA) Welcomes Disney Imagineer Jonathan Ackley

On August 15, 2019, New York Film Academy (NYFA) hosted Disney Imagineer Jonathan Ackley.

Ackley spoke at NYFA’s Burbank-based campus as part of the school’s Masters of Game Design series. The Masters of Game Design speaker series hosts distinguished members of the gaming industry visit for an informal chat with NYFA Game Design instructor Scott Rogers and NYFA students about their careers in gaming.

The event was attended by over 50 students and industry professionals who had been invited to the school. Rogers spoke with Ackley about his 27-year career, including his transition from the video game industry into creating experiences for theme parks.

Also discussed was Ackley’s work on LucasArts adventure games, Lego Mindstorms, and Disney Parks and Resort projects including Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, and the Disney Play app. After the hour-long conversation, audience attendees were then invited to ask Ackley questions in an insightful Q&A session.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) thanks Disney Imagineer Jonathan Ackley for speaking with students as part of our Masters of Game Design series!

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NYFA Animation Alum Adriano Araujo Works on The Magical ‘Harry Potter and The Cursed Child’ Display for Times Square

Harry Potter fans were amazed at the newly unveiled promotion for the new two-part Broadway play in New York’s famous Times Square. The billboard takeover took up every display in Times Square to show Harry Potter and The Cursed Child’s bright colors, followed by a dark disturbance of animated dementors and darkness across each screen.

Times Square is overrun by ‘The Dark Mark’ (Photo credit: AKA NYC)

Fans of the Harry Potter franchise can only guess what this means if they haven’t read the play or seen it yet on Broadway; darkness is afoot in the Wizarding World yet again.

The new design celebrates Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s as the eighth story in the canon by incorporating J.K. Rowling’s name and the iconic lightning-bolt logo. NYFA alum Adriano Araujo was a Junior FX artist on the project that was helmed by NYFA Animation instructor Boaz Livny.

Passers-by and assembled fans watched in amazement as the show made the big reveal in Times Square on September 5. For more information about the show, click here.

To learn more about NYFA’s Animation programs, click here.

Full Credits for the Times Square Display
Production Company: Nathan Love
Executive Creative Director: Joe Burrascano
Director: Ellen Su, Anca Risca
Executive Producer: Jon O’Hara
Producer: Anna Toyama
Design: Claire Kho, Ellen Su
Layout: Tim Probert
Animatic: Andy Kennedy

CG Lead: Boaz Livny
3D Animation: Hee Jin Kim, Han Hu, Thomas Shek
2D Animation: Peter Ahern
AE Animation: Sam Feske, Jeff Dragon
Compositing Lead: Kristjan Zaklynsky
Compositor: Matt DeFranco, Jeff Dragon, Eric Concepcion
Junior Compositor: Emily Mai
Look Development: Christine Kim
Lighting & Rendering: Mirelle Underwood
FX TD: Hassan Taimur, Boaz Livny
Junior FX Artist: Adriano Araujo Dos Reis Botega
Modeling: Krista Albert, Ellen Su
Groom TD: Jin Fang Jiang

Editing: Asher Horowitz
Rigging Studio: Kippcase
Producer: Juliane H Barone
Rigging: Rijah Kazuo
Rendering: Aardman Animation
Producer: Emily Stone
Head of 3D: Ben Toogood
CG Supervisor: Rich Spence

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY AUSTRALIA FILMMAKING ALUM JOSH HALE SHOOTS SECOND FEATURE ON GOLD COAST

Australia’s Gold Coast is known for its beautiful natural scenery, so it might not be the first place you’d think of when choosing a location for a creepy horror film, but that outside-the-box thinking is part of what makes New York Film Academy (NYFA) Australia alum Josh Hale such a talented filmmaker.

Hale is directing his second feature film, House of Inequity, in two distinct locations on the Gold Coast—Jacobs Well and Helensvale. The independent film is being financed by an American investor; Hale also received a film grant from the Australian Government. The US-Gold Coast film is being produced by Hale’s company, Halestorm Productions.

Hale attended New York Film Academy Australia in 2014, taking the Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media in Filmmaking program at the Gold Coast campus. Before then, he was shooting skateboard videos, but felt inspired to do more with the medium.

“I tried to make my own film in 2009 and failed miserably,” Hale tells the Gold Coast Bulletin. “I was overly ambitious. I didn’t know anything except I wanted to make a film. I always loved writing so it was a natural progression.”

After graduating, Hale wrote and directed his first feature, a comedy entitled Digital Athletes: The Road to Seat League, which won several awards at multiple festivals, including the NYC Indie Film Awards, Festigious International Film Festival, IndieFEST Film Awards, and Los Angeles Film Awards.

*(from L to R) Josh Hale, David Cook, Brittany Bell, Todd Leigh; Photo credit: Glenn Hampson*

“Josh utilized his hands-on training with NYFA Gold Coast to go make a feature film right out of college,” declared NYFA Gold Coast Director Tasha Cooper after the North American premiere of Digital Athletes. “He’s one of our success stories and we’re very proud of his recent achievements.”

His sophomore effort, House of Inequity, was written in 16 days, and shot over several months across both Gold Coast locations. Filming recently wrapped on the US-Gold Coast co-production, and House of Inequity is expected to premiere later this year. And Hale isn’t slowing down—he is currently producing two other films, including a documentary.

New York Film Academy congratulates NYFA Australia Filmmaking alum Josh Hale on his latest work, House of Inequity, and looks forward to seeing the completed version later this year!

Please note: NYFA does not represent that these are typical or guaranteed career outcomes. The success of our graduates in any chosen professional pathway depends on multiple factors, and the achievements of NYFA alumni are the result of their hard work, perseverance, talent and circumstances.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY AUSTRALIA WELCOMES ACADEMY AWARD WINNER BEN OSMO TO GOLD COAST CAMPUS

On Thursday, August 22, New York Film Academy Australia (NYFA-AU) hosted a master class with former NYFA-AU instructor and Academy Award winner Ben Osmo.

Osmo, a sound recordist and mixer, is known for his work on films including Dead Calm (1989), Strictly Ballroom (1991), Alien: Covenant (2017), and Peter Rabbit (2018). His work on 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Roadearned him the Oscar for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing at the 88th Academy Awards, which he shared with Chris Jenkins and Gregg Rudloff.

Speaking at length with NYFA-AU students at the Gold Coast campus in an intimate setting, Osmo shared the knowledge he gained over a career of almost 30 years in the sound industry and that includes an Oscar and 13 other award wins and nine nominations. Osmo began the master class by sharing his journey working on Mad Max: Fury Road, telling NYFA-AU students: “To be a good filmmaker, it’s good to know all the phases of filmmaking, and sound—it’s one of the important ones. You can’t get good sound unless you get cooperation from all the film crew, we are all in it together, and to succeed we need each other.”

Students listened intently as Osmo talked about the importance of how sound can make or break a film, and how to be flexible with film crews. He also shared some personal experiences both technical and related to the profession.

“The master class with Ben Osmo was insightful, inspiring, and gave an incredible perspective into the importance of sound for our students,” says Patrick Ryan, NYFA-AU Deputy Chair of Filmmaking.

New York Film Academy Australia thanks former NYFA-AU instructor and Academy Award winner Ben Osmo for taking the time to share his expertise and experiences with our NYFA-AU students!

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.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Producing Students Shoot Webseries ‘Over Coffee’

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Producing students headed across the river to Greenpoint, Brooklyn to produce two episodes of Over Coffee, a new webseries featuring women in most of its prominent roles both on- and off-camera.

Over Coffee, by New York-based screenwriter Nefertiti Warren, tells the story of three contemporary urban women, sharing their trials and tribulations. The production was shot by a current NYFA Cinematography student, and directed by recent NYFA Filmmaking graduate Ellinor Skeppström.

Production was held in Greenpoint, a neighborhood of Brooklyn located on the East River, where one of New York’s largest production communities has evolved over the past decade as studios both small and large have set up shop in the area.

The webseries is the fourth project produced by NYFA Producing students as part of their 1-Year Conservatory studies. Previously, they honed their craft producing short films, reality television sizzle reels, and commercials.

“It was a new experience for me,” says NYFA Producing student Emilia D’Agata, “because I had never worked on a webseries. It was very nice to work all together as producers and deal with a screenwriter, director, and cast who are all women. I hope that in the future we can continue to work on this project. It was an amazing experience.”

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