New York Film Academy’s Australia location has a wide array of course offerings beginning this February including one-year filmmaking, one-year acting for film, and short term and evening workshops!

Learn filmmaking and acting at the most hands-on school in the world! No university entrance mark is required to attend! 

Courses are located in Brisbane, Australia, the heart of Queensland’s cultural scene. With theatre, international music artists and the Brisbane International Film Festival, and over 1000 parks and gardens at its center, Brisbane is a green and vibrant city that will provide a great backdrop for your films! To learn more or apply today, click here.

Tippi Hedren with her New York Film Academy Degree, photo by Bill Dow

New York Film Academy was thrilled to bestow an Honorary MFA Degree on Golden Globe Winner Tippi Hedren, the only woman to have been directed by both Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin. The event took place on Friday, January 20th, following a screening of The Birds and a Q&A with the incredible actress.

In a packed house at Universal Studios, New York Film Academy students asked Tippi questions about her prolific film career and animal rights work. Check out this excerpt from BroadwayWorld.com on the exciting event!

Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock film The Birds

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One of the few remaining and working “Hitchcock blondes,” Hedren told the story of getting her start in modeling and commercials before being discovered by Alfred Hitchcock. Despite having an often-difficult relationship with him, she spoke highly of the director, saying, “I was so fortunate because I had him, not only as my director, but as my drama coach, which was an absolutely wonderful experience.” She added, “He spoiled me terribly. You almost didn’t know he was directing.”

New York Film Academy Instructor Rodney Ascher premiered his documentary at Sundance this week

New York Film Academy Editing Instructor Rodney Ascher is the subject of The New York Times article, “Cracking the Code in ‘Heeere’s Johnny!’” for his feature length documentary Room 237, which examines the multiple theories surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 masterpiece The Shining. The theorists claim the film is ostensibly about the Holocaust, the genocide of American Indians, and most bizarrely, all a veiled confession that Kubrick helped NASA fake the Apollo Moon landings. The result is a two hour documentary that Rodney premiered at Sundance Film Festival this past Monday.

Images from 1980 film The Shining

Rodney initially envisioned the project as a series of shorts when he discussed the project with friend Tim Kirk, who later became the film’s producer. However, he comments in the article (the interview took place close to New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles - Universal Studios location):

“On paper it seems like a very specific niche…The Secret Meanings of ‘The Shining’ — we should be able to wrap that up pretty quick. But the thing kept growing and growing.”

Rodney’s film includes an interview with veteran ABC News correspondent Bill Blakemore, a subscriber to the Indian genocide theory. However, the film’s strongest opinions come from Jay Weidner, who believes The Shining is really “the story of Kubrick making the Apollo footage and then trying to hide it from his wife, and then her finding out about it.” Rodney does an excellent job of exploring all options - but leaving the film without a definite conclusion on which (if any) of the theories are correct.

New York Film Academy applauds Rodney for his Sundance premiere and can’t wait to screen the film at on campus!

Brett Ratner

New York Film Academy students and alumni packed the room to capacity on the Tuesday, January 24th talk with prolific filmmaker Brett Ratner, director of films Rush Hour 1, 2, & 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand. “How many people are at this school?” Brett joked as more students poured in, grabbing floor seats and standing room only space.

Madonna “A Beautiful Stranger” video directed by Brett Ratner

Brett started the event by screening his student films, providing hilarious commentary on the trepidation of the actors to kiss, the out of focus shots and the many overexposures. Brett advised students you have to start somewhere as he continued through his body of work, explaining the evolution of how he got better (Brett’s films have grossed over 1.3 billion dollars). Some of his key points to success:

• Filmmaking is about persistence, not just talent. If you need more practice, work harder. If your films aren’t as good as your classmates, make more of them.
• Realize what you are good at it and find people to fill in the gaps. If cinematography isn’t your strength, bring on a DP.
• Learn to get the best out of your cast and crew.
• Maintain good mentor relationships with people whom you admire and respect.
• Be convinced of your own worth. People will doubt you. Be fearless.
• Don’t make films just for a few people. It is the film business. Make sure your films are for a large audience.

The room was captivated by the time Brett talked about getting started in music videos, including working with Public Enemy and Madonna. Tweeted @ErickaPeace from the event:

One of the most touching moments came when Brett talked about the importance of mentors. Brett pulled up one of his personal mentors, James Toback, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Bugsy, onto the stage. Brett explained that you need to find people in the industry you trust who want to see you succeed and are willing to have a conversation with you about your work.

The event concluded with a Q&A where students had the opportunity to ask questions. Many New York Film Academy fans also tweeted their questions in advance to @nyfa using hashtag #nyfa. Congratulations to the winner of our tweet up contest @ErickaPeace who will be receiving an autographed Brett Ratner DVD! 

New York Film Academy looks forward to our upcoming February 1st LA guest speaker, Producer David T. Friendly (Little Miss Sunshine, My Girl) and February 3rd New York guest speaker, Casting Director Amy Gossels, who cast the Student Academy Award Winning film Zen and the Art of Landscaping.

Acclaimed cinematography Claudia Raschke

New York Film Academy Master Class instructor Claudia Raschke received a 2012 Oscar nomination in the Best Short Documentary category for God Is The Bigger Elvis. Claudia was the Director of Cinematography for the short, which is the third Oscar-nominated project Claudia has been attached to. Hours after hearing about the nomination, Claudia screened feature documentary Mad Hot Ballroom for students in the documentary department at New York Film Academy, another project that Claudia filmed.

Claudia was the cinematography on the hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom

Other notable documentaries Claudia has worked on include ESPN Black Magic (2009), What’s Your Point, Honey? (2008) The Shoot Down (2008), The Music In Me (HBO series 2008), Oscar-nominated My Architect (2004) (add’l DP), Oscar-nominated Small Wonder (add’l DP), Oscar nominated Sister Rose’s Passion (add’l DP) as well as indie features including Kiss Me Guido, Walking in the Sky, Frame of Mind.

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New York Film Academy Acting Instructor Valorie Hubbard

New York Film Academy acting instructor Valorie Hubbard can add another credit to her extensive résumé: actress in an Oscar-nominated film. Valorie played a supporting role in A Better Life, the touching drama whose lead, Demián Bichir, received a Best Actor nod on Tuesday.

“I’m so excited for him. He’s such a great actor. And I think it’s really important for Latino talent,” said Valorie. On working on the set, Valerie comments, “I was working on 2 movies the same week, both small productions. They had me come for 2 hours in a costume fitting for my 3 lines in the film. What that tells me is that they care about their project.”

Valorie said, “When I got to the set, Jami Gertz [who was a producer on the film] welcomed us and thanked us for doing their movie. I was made to feel like it was an ensemble event. I was excited about telling the story, because it’s a story that needs to be told.”

A Better Life tells the story of an illegal immigrant and his struggles to improve life for his teenage son while working as a gardener in Los Angeles. After the nominations were announced on Tuesday, Bichir sent out a press release, stating, “I dedicate this nomination to those eleven million human beings who make our lives easier and better in the U.S.” He added, “I’m overwhelmed for having my name among those incredible actors. This could have never happened if Chris Weitz had not been the head of this film. He is my brother and I thank him deeply.”

Director/producer Chris Weitz brought the film for a screening at New York Film Academy in November as part of his Oscar campaign. At the Q&A that followed, Weitz said he was really hoping that Demián Bichir would be nominated for the Academy Award for his stunning performance in the film.

Valorie on the set of Billy Bob Thornton film Manure

Valorie, “I’m really happy that I’m a part of it. I’ve dreamed of accepting an Oscar since I was a little girl, and now I feel like I’m closer to my dream.”

Valorie has been an instructor with New York Film Academy for 12 years, starting at the New York City campus before moving to the campus at Universal Studios. In addition to teaching her NYFA classes in Scene Study, Business of Acting, and Text Analysis, Valorie recently completed the film A White Trash Christmas with Eric Roberts and Beverly D’Angelo, and plays Richard Kind’s wife in Divorce Invitation, alongside Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Both films are currently in post-production. The busy actress is also currently working on a web series, and is doing motion capture for a big-budget video game.

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