April 29th, 2009 by admin

Get inspired! Even doing such an exciting and engaging work as 3D animation one can sometimes get a little jaded and overworked so it’s important to know how to get re-energized and excited about your job again. One of the ways I get re-engaged is to look at some of the amazing work available online. Here are some of my favorites.

This is a matte painting sight with some astonishingly beautiful work. Matte paintings are usually digitally made using programs such as Photoshop and Painter and are used as backgrounds in movies and games etc. Visit MattePainting.org

Look at the ZBrush site. This a great way to model for both games and movies. It’s quick and allows for a more artistic and intuitive approach to creating characters etc. Visit Pixlogic.com

If you’re into lighting and shaders look no further than this mental ray site. Visit Mentalimages.com

If you have some sites you’re enthusiastic about please feel free to let me know about them. Good hunting!

Robert Appleton, New York Film Academy 3D Animation School Chair

April 29th, 2009 by admin

American K‐12 education has taken serious steps toward reducing the risk of in‐school violence, yet still today, one in three students report that they do not feel safe in school. How is it possible that our students are no safer now than they were before the horrific shootings at Columbine? The sobering truth is: we have not taken the right steps to make our schools safe, but we do know how.
A recent (May 2008) study by the US Secret Service and the US Department of Education on incidences of planned attacks in our schools concluded that a positive school climate is the central tool in preventing school violence. In particular, it emphasized the importance of ensuring that every student be “connected” to at least one caring and responsible adult and that students are supported to become upstanders rather than passive bystanders when incidences occur. In four out of the five lethal shootings, someone knew that one or more students were on the verge of serious violence, yet they did nothing. We must address that fear if we hope to change the outcome.American K‐12 education has taken serious steps toward reducing the risk of in‐school violence, yet still today, one in three students report that they do not feel safe in school. How is it possible that our students are no safer now than they were before the horrific shootings at Columbine? The sobering truth is: we have not taken the right steps to make our schools safe, but we do know how.
From research and practice, we know that paying attention to social safety (e.g. bully‐victim‐passive bystander behavior) and ensuring that every student feels connected to at least one caring and responsible adult are essential factors to preventing violence in schools. We know how to intentionally promote students’ social, emotional and civic skills, which are the very foundation for violence prevention as well as school and life success. And, we know how to transform schools from a culture of passive bystanders to a culture of “upstanders” who say “no” to bully‐victim behavior and responsibly react to a range of other dangers. However, these research-based social, emotional and civic efforts are not measured or supported by policy, and as a result, they are not taking place in most of our schools.
It’s time we change the way schools recognize and value the social, emotional and civic aspects of school life that direct violence prevention and student learning at every level. The change begins with measuring school climate and engaging the entire school community – students, parents and educators – in using this information, along with other school‐level indicators of success (teacher retention, suspension rates, graduation percentages, etc.), to create safer, more supportive, and inspiring places for our children to learn. School climate essentially refers to the quality and character of school life or how we feel about being in school. More than thirty years of research shows that a positive school climate is associated with and/or is predictive of higher academic achievement, lower student drop‐out rates, teacher retention and a dramatic lessening of violence.
A recent (May 2008) study by the US Secret Service and the US Department of Education on incidences of planned attacks in our schools concluded that a positive school climate is the central tool in preventing school violence. In particular, it emphasized the importance of ensuring that every student be “connected” to at least one caring and responsible adult and that students are supported to become upstanders rather than passive bystanders when incidences occur. In four out of the five lethal shootings, someone knew that one or more students were on the verge of serious violence, yet they did nothing. We must address that fear if we hope to change the outcome.
To reverse the staggering statistics of violence in our schools, we must start by building a community where students are supported, positively engaged, and equipped with the essential problem‐solving and reflective skills that undergird academic achievement and positive youth development. To do this effectively, we need to provide educators and parents with the tools to identify and address issues before they reach a critical level. Measuring rates of physical violence has not and will not make our schools safer. But, in measuring school climate and using this information to understand, address and build on our strengths and challenges, we can and will reduce school violence. Better yet, in promoting those skills and dispositions that support safety, we are maximizing the chances for success at school and later on in life. When America signed the United Nations 2001 “Rights of the Child,” we made a pact to ensure that we would support the “development of the child’s personality, talents, mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.” Now, in the presence of “bullycide”  and amid the prevalence of cyberbullying, we are reminded why there is no greater goal for our children’s education.

April 29th, 2009 by admin

Keeping our kids engaged in learning is a major focus of our work with schools, so we at CSEE were very excited to download ASCD’s new e-book, Engaging the Whole Child: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership. Engaging is 300+ pages filled with inspiration and practical advice for keeping kids engaged in learning, and if you haven’t grabbed it yet, I recommend doing so now while it’s available here for free download.
The e-book contains articles culled from past issues of Educational Leadership, spanning subjects such as engaging the whole child, inspiring trust and confidence, deepening students’ thinking, instilling the desire to achieve, empowering students, and more. As part of their Whole Child initiative, ASCD is also releasing a new podcast on May 7th. They’ll be talking about the importance of student voice and how schools can actively engage their students in the community.
For more resources about student engagement, check out the last edition of School Climate Matters for articles from Howard Adelman (UCLA) and a page of recommended resources… and, of course, please share any of your own resources in the comments below!
Keeping our kids engaged in learning is a major focus of our work with schools, so we at CSEE were very excited to download ASCD’s new e-book, Engaging the Whole Child: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership. Engaging is 300+ pages filled with inspiration and practical advice for keeping kids engaged in learning, and if you haven’t grabbed it yet, I recommend doing so now while it’s available here for free download.
The e-book contains articles culled from past issues of Educational Leadership, spanning subjects such as engaging the whole child (heart, mind and soul), inspiring trust and confidence, deepening students’ thinking, instilling the desire to achieve, empowering students, and more. As part of their Whole Child initiative, ASCD is also releasing a new podcast on May 7th. They’ll be talking about the necessity of student voice and how schools can actively engage their students.
For more resources about student engagement, check out the last edition of School Climate Matters for articles from Howard Adelman (UCLA) and a page of recommended resources… and, of course, please share any of your own resources in the comments below!

April 25th, 2009 by admin

Every summer the New York Film Academy puts on film and acting camps for teenagers throughout the world. Camps are taught by professional actors and filmmakers, the same instructors of NYFA’s Master of Fine Arts programs. At our Los Angeles location during the summer of 2007, NYFA was fortunate enough to instruct Mark Mayfield.

A young, driven and gifted filmmaker and actor, Mark excelled in our program and continues to pursue a career in filmmaking. Recently, Mark was featured in, “The Biz“, a book in a series of stories written for young adults and about young adults by Ron Berman.

About the book…

“Beautiful beaches. Perfect weather. Trendy restaurants. Welcome to Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world. Although the lifestyle may be laid-back, there’s a lot going on. The glitzy and glamorous movie business is the backdrop to one of America’s most exciting cities.

When most people think about the movie business, they picture celebrities, extravagant mansions, designer clothes and stretch limousines. Sure, Hollywood is all that—and more—but it’s really all about the creative people who make the movies we love.

Mark Mayfield, a talented young actor and director from Atlanta, has big dreams. He’s ready to take Hollywood by storm! Mark is determined to succeed in one of the most exciting fields in the world . . . The Biz.”

A photo copied excerpt from the book.

If you are a young adult looking to get into the “Biz”, we highly recommend you pick up this wonderful book for inspiration and guidance. Mark is a shining example of how big dreams can become a big reality with a lot of hard work, dedication and possitive attitude.

You can purchase the book here.

April 23rd, 2009 by admin

What to expect in the first month of the New York Film Academy one-year 3D Animation program and how to plan for it.

The first month of our one-year animation program here at the NYFA will be one of the most intensive learning experiences of your life. During this time you will write a short story, create a storyboard, act out some of the scenes and create videos for reference.

The whole purpose of creating this animation is to familiarize you with the animation pipeline and some of the major components that are required in the production of any animated movie. It’s essential that from the beginning of the course you have a practical understanding of these processes, and with that in mind we learn how to create an organic character, usually a bipedal one made from polygons (polygonal modeling is a major modeling technique used in games and movies), and we will also create some basic props to support the story.

Then we learn how to apply textures to the models, how to rig them (put bones in the character to move it), how to animate it and how to output the final animation in into a movie format such as Quicktime or AVI.

During this first month you will receive allot of support from faculty and teaching assistants in getting you through this extreme learning curve. In order for you to succeed you will need to put in a significant effort and extra hours to achieve the results we expect of you during your course. Please check out earlier blogs for more important information about coming to the NYFA one year animation intensive.

As far as required reading goes a major source of information and inspiration will be found in “The animator’s Survival Kit” by Richard Williams. Williams was the animation director for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, and almost every animator has at some point used this book as a reference and animation bible.

Please refer to my earlier blog posts for more important information on attending the school.

—

Robert Appleton, New York Film Academy 3D Animation Instructor

April 23rd, 2009 by admin

Studying at the New York Film Academy is a great way to learn how to translate artistic inspiration into a well-crafted cinematic artwork.  However, most students desire to have their art displayed on a larger scale, and one of the best ways to achieve that is to enter film festivals.  Film Festivals are a great way to improve your résumé, network with other filmmakers, and, of course, find distributors to pick up your film!  Today, there are thousands of film festivals world-wide, and that means thousands of opportunities each year for you to exhibit your films to new audiences!

The first step for any filmmaker looking to enter a festival is to find the festival itself.  You have probably heard of the bigger festivals such as: Cannes, Sundance, The Toronto International Film Festival, and South By Southwest.  However, just type “film festivals” into a search engine and millions of pages will be available!  There are also myriad online directories for film festivals, such as FilmFestivalsPro.com, and the International Federation of Film Producers Associations website, which are great resources for directors.

These days there are also specialty film festivals that cater exclusively to certain types of cinema.  For example, DocumentaryFilms.net has a plethora of festivals (such as the United Nations Association Film Festival) for documentarians who want to exhibit their films.  Scary movie fans can find a competition for the creepiest creature feature at festivals like the NYC Horror Film Festival.  Directors who want to “go green” will find a home at festivals such as the Washington DC based Environmental Film Fest.  With a little bit of research you can find a festival for almost any genre of movies!

The best piece of advice I can give you is to “choose wisely”. All film festivals are different, with varying entry fees, submission requirements and quality level of works submitted. The larger international festivals receive tens of thousands of entries that include Hollywood casts and have large productions.  This means the competition is very tough, especially for student filmmakers.

Most film festivals have several categories you can submit your film to. Choose the category that best fits your film.

New York Film Academy Students have a lot of advantages when it comes to submitting to festivals.  First of all, there are many festivals set up especially for students, and you can find out all about them at Studentfilmmakers.com.  NYFA now has its own student film festival as well, The New York Film Academy Online Film Festival, where you can compete for up to $5,000 in tuition! Students in New York City can also find plenty of festivals right in their own back yard.  The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcastingc keeps an updated list of Film competitions here in New York City.

New York Film Academy students have a great opportunity to gain exposure for their work by participating in film festivals.  Many of our alumni have won big in film competitions, some with films made at NYFA.  Zac Wong, who took the teen summer film camps, was nominated at the Young Cuts International Film Festival in Montreal for his short film “Not Without My Dog.”  Phillip Dorling produced his short film “Predisposed” while at NYFA and it went on to be officially selected to be played at Sundance!  By entering festivals you can share the successes of many NYFA alums, and share in the experience of having your film be enjoyed by audiences worldwide!

April 23rd, 2009 by admin

ListinDiario.com - DESDE HACE DOS AÑOS SE DESARROLLA COMO DIRECTOR DE EXCEDE Y DESARROLLO DE LA NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY EN SU SEDE DE NUEVA YORK. HA CONSAGRADO 25 AÑOS DE SU VIDA A LA FORMACIÓN DE ACTORES

Académico. El actor Jack Newman durante su entrevista exclusiva para LISTÍN DIARIO.

Santo Domingo.- Es actor por vocación, de esos que en la práctica entregan el corazón con convicción a una profesión a la que ha consagrado su vida. Además de actuar le satisface educar a otros que al igual que él desean encontrar en las tablas o el séptimo arte su “modus vivendi”, de ahí que haya dedicado alrededor de 25 años de su vida a esta labor.

Jack Newman estuvo en República Dominicana durante escasas horas, lo cual aprovechamos para conocer al muy extrovertido director de Excede y Desarrollo del New York Film Academy en la ciudad de Nueva York.

EN SUS PROPIAS PALABRAS ¿QUÉ ES NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY?
Alta energía. Es un programa muy interactivo e intensivo. Es emocionante.

Hay estudiantes de bachillerato y adultos de alrededor del mundo en un ambiente creativo, apasionados sobre lo que hacen. La energía es simplemente electrizante.

¿QUÉ PUEDEN ESPERAR LOS ESTUDIANTES?
Algunos estudiantes vienen a nosotros porque en su corazón quieren ser actores, quieren ser di rectores o cinematógrafos.

Ellos vienen a nosotros para afirmar eso, para decir “ ZX!Sí!, haciendo este programa aprendí que aquí quiero invertir mi futuro en mi educación, para poder trabajar y ser exitoso”. Otros estudiantes vienen a nosotros con una apreciación o amor hacia los filmes o hacia la actuación.

Vienen a adquirir nuevas habilidades, a expandir las cosas que han aprendido o a entender cómo se hacen las películas.

¿HAY DIFERENCIA ENTRE LA NYFA DE LA Y LA DE NUEVA YORK?
La más grande diferencia es que nuestra escuela en Los Ángeles es la única escuela en el mundo localizada en un lot de películas que está en Universal Studios en Los Ángeles. Así que en Los Ángeles los estudiantes pueden filmar en el lot de atrás de Universal Studios. Pueden usar los disfraces y elementos usados en otras películas.

Pueden filmar en el set original de “Jaws”, pueden filmar en donde se filmó “La guerra de los mundos”. Pueden filmar en el set italiano, el mexicano, en el de la Calle Principal de América. Tienen ese acceso a hacer sus proyectos y pueden encajar sus historias de acuerdo con esas locaciones. Todos los estudiantes van a escribir, dirigir y editar sus propios filmes.

Luego en Nueva York los estudiantes están filmando en las calles de Nueva York. Por eso pueden filmar en Chinatown, Little Italy, Central Park o donde sea que su historia tenga lugar.

¿CÓMO LLEGÓ USTED A TRABAJAR EN LA NYFA?
Bueno, yo soy un actor. He trabajado en comerciales de televisión toda mi vida adulta. Yo supe muy temprano que iba a necesitar algo más que me sostuviera, así que educación y administración son cosas en las que soy bueno. Adoro a los estudiantes, adoro verlos crecer, desarrollarse y aprender. Por eso es algo natural para mí estar en un ambiente educacional. Hace alrededor de dos años fui reclutado por NYFA después de que había trabajado por 23 años en otra escuela. Ahora estoy en una organización global, porque fuera de Nueva York y Los Ángeles también tenemos escuelas en Londres, París, Florencia, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai y Beijing. Locaciones excitantes a través del mundo. Todas nuestras clases se dan en inglés y el próximo año también tendremos programas en español en Los Ángeles solamente.

Así LA podrá tener a esos estudiantes, porque tenemos miembros de la facultad que hablan ambos lenguajes. ¡Podremos enseñar en español! Y este verano con Gestur, si tenemos suficientes estudiantes, podremos hacer el programa bilingu¨e.

¿QUÉ HACE A LA NYFA UNA EXPERIENCIA ÚNICA COMPARADA CON OTRAS ESCUELAS?
Creo que tiene mucho que ver con el hecho de que la escuela de actuación coincide con la escuela de filmación.

Así que para los actores de los programas de actuación que duren más de 4 semanas, 6 semanas, un año, dos años, tenemos un postgrado Asociado de las Bellas Artes y un Máster de Bellas Artes.

Los actores de estos programas son los actores en los filmes de los estudiantes. Los estudiantes para actuación y los de filmación están en un set, están trabajando con la conducta en el set, están aprendiendo interactivamente con material original.

Esos filmes son filmes que van a festivales alrededor del mundo. Esto les da una oportunidad a los actores para aprender con directores, productores y escritores jóvenes. También desarrollan relaciones que les son útiles cuando entran al mundo real.

¿PREPARAN A LOS ESTUDIANTES PARA CINE O PARA TEATRO?
Buena pregunta. La respuesta es que nuestro objetivo es entrenar al actor para poder desarrollarse y actuar en todas las áreas. Así que en nuestro Programa de Conservatorio de dos años, el Postgrado de Bellas Artes, a los estudiantes se les enseña actuación, técnica, voz, dicción, movimiento, improvisación, Shakespeare, actuación para filmes hasta técnicas de audición, clases de negocio, y hacen cuatro presentaciones en vivo.

En adición a las cuatro presentaciones en vivo ellos audicionan en un ambiente competitivo para los estudiantes de filmación. Después en el segundo año entrenamos a los actores para voz. Voz para animación, para comerciales de televisión, etc. Nuestro objetivo es que te puedas mover del escenario a la pantalla a actuar con la voz de cualquier manera en la que un actor pueda trabajar…LA NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY EN SU SEDE DE NUEVA YORK. HA CONSAGRADO 25 AÑOS DE SU VIDA A LA FORMACIÓN DE ACTORES Académico. El actor Jack Newman durante su entrevista exclusiva para LISTÍN DIARIO. Santo Domingo.- Es actor por vocación, de esos que en la práctica entregan el corazón con convicción a una profesión a la que ha consagrado su vida. Además de actuar le satisface educar a otros que al igual que él desean encontrar en las tablas o el séptimo arte su “modus vivendi”, de ah