I’d like to take a moment, here at the end of my eight-week course, to compliment you on the excellent “boot camp” filmmaking workshop you’ve put together at the NYFA.
I feel my time at your school has been enormously helpful in getting me ready — with additional preparation on my part — to launch into the shooting of a full-length independent feature film, for which I’ve already written the script. In fact, my final film from school is a 12-min trial-run portion of this feature.
Your focus on having your students actually write and direct four films in the eight-week program is, in my opinion, a stroke of genius.
So to everyone, I’d like to say, “THANK YOU.” I wish you all continuing success.

I attended NYFA and I have to say that it was the best experience I have ever had. Not only did it give me a chance to live in New York and meet many people, who I still keep in contact with, but it also opened many doors for my career.
After I finished my two-month course, I immediately went on to work on two feature films in NY! A film called “Fever,” directed by Alex Winter and starring Henry Thomas, and a film called “Other Voices,” directed by Dan McCormack and starring Mary McCormack and the brilliant Campbell Scott. If it hadn’t been for NYFA, I would not have plucked up the courage to try and work on such big projects.
I came back to England about eight months after leaving NYFA and I have to say that the career I had in television before I went to NYFA has become stronger. I was an assistant producer for a major independent production company and one day when our director fell ill, my producer remembered that I had directed at NYFA. He asked me to direct a three-minute comedy sketch in the director’s place, and using the knowledge I received from NYFA, I managed the task at hand. As a result of this “lucky break” I have been directing comedy shows for television ever since.
I am also producing and writing shows. At the moment I am working on a comedy documentary series, which I am directing and helping to write. In the New Year, I will be producing and directing a new comedy program. I am also currently working on a feature film; so all in all, life is pretty d*mn good for me at the moment.
I would like to thank all the staff at NYFA for their great support and knowledge. Especially Adam Stoner, a man who is definitely a giant among giants and without whom I would have nearly packed it all in. Also a big thanks to Geoffrey, in the edit room, for keeping me sane.

Since attending your two-month beginner workshop a few years ago, I’ve gone on to a career in film lighting. Following is a list of most of the projects I’ve worked on:
– “Agnostic Front” – Music Video – MBS Prod. – MTV Top 100
– “Miles From Nowhere” – Feature – Miles Prod.
– “Mortal Coil” – Short – Nico Films
– “Vacancy” – Short – Headroom Prod.
– “The Vegetarian” – Short – Headroom Prod.
– “Yankee Stadium” – Commercial – Adidas
– “Double AA” – Short – Sapphire Films
– “Morgan Stanley All-Stars” – Commercial – Morgan Stanley, Dean Whitter
– “The Jimmy Show” – Feature
– “LIE” – Feature – Alter Ego Prod.
– “Kissing Jessica Stein” – Feature – Foot Pajama Prod.
– “Dead Prez” – Music Video – Broken Records, Inc.
– “Tape” – Feature – Indigent
– “Jersey Guy” – Feature – Jersey Guy Films, LLC.
– “Girlfight” (Pre-Rigging) – Feature – Girlfight, Inc.
– “Recipe for Disaster” (Sub) – Feature – Disaster Films
– “Everlasting Sweet Desire” – Short – Sapphire Films
– “Mudvane” – Music Video – The Shooting Gallery
– “Sex and the City” – Television – HBO
– “Get Well Soon” – Feature
– “Beanie Man” – Music Video – Mars Media
– “Nickelodeon” – Commercial – Viacom
– “Thalia” – Music Video – Sony Music
– “The Brat” – Music Video – La Bouche Films
– “Upright Citizens Brigade” – TV
– Christina Aguilera / Genie Atrapado – Music Video
– “Ropewalk” – Featuer – Ikhan Prod.
– Mary J. Blige – Music Video – La Bouche Films
– “The Day the Ponies Come Home” – Feature – Ponies Prod.
– “Jump” – Feature – Jump Pictures
– “MTV Jams” – Promo – Viacom
– “Personals” – Feature – Personals Prod.
– “Buddha Monk” – Music Video
– “American Gospel” – Documentary – Big Mouth Prod.

Now that I completed the 15-week online NYFA program, it makes me want to work on my projects that I have been saying I want to do. I was a theater major and I didn’t think I would fall in love with film until I held my first camera. It made me realize my love for directing and screenwriting. I learned the difference of what you can create on film, that live shows can’t show. I also learned to respect the time that’s put in when it comes to production for film. If I didn’t attend this program, I don’t think I would have had the push and courage to create anything. I now feel confident that I am just getting started and will do well.

I am proud to be an alumnus of the New York Film Academy Advanced Filmmaking Workshop. Since I’ve come back to Sao Paulo, Brazil, I’ve worked at HBO for two years and I now work at Columbia TriStar International Television (a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company) as a production supervisor in the Channels department of the group. I coordinate all the productions here in Brazil for Sony Entertainment Television, one of the most important pay-TV channels in Brazil.
I also work on productions abroad in Venezuela, Argentina, Cannes, Geneva, Miami, and other cities. It’s really great! I do everything from pre-production to post-production, and I learned it all at NYFA in the best way (meetings, briefings and editing)!
All the instructors I met at NYFA were important for me, and they have real experience to tell us about. They really know the business! Two of them were especially memorable: Tom Schiller and Richard Shore. I am glad to be part of NYFA’s history, and now I advertise my great experience at NYFA wherever I go.