ACTING & FILM SCHOOL

Doug Liman to Speak at the New York Film Academy

Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Q & A with Doug Liman

Director/ Producer/ Cinematographer
Director of:
Swingers (1996)
Go (1999)
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Jumper(2008)

- FOR STUDENTS ONLY -

About Doug Liman - Liman began making short films while still in junior high school and studied at International Center of Photography in New York City. While attending Brown University, he helped to co-found the student-run cable television station BTVand served as its first station manager. Liman attended the graduate program at University of Southern California, where he was tapped to helm his first project in 1993, the comedy thriller Getting In/Student Body.

Professional career

Liman became attached to direct Swingers when its screenwriter Jon Favreau turned down offers from studios who wanted to cast established actors. The director agreed to cast Favreau and his friends (Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, and Patrick Van Horn) in this comedy about struggling actors amid the L.A. club milieu. The result was a $250,000 dialogue-propelled film that became a sleeper hit and critical success. In addition to establishing a cult following, it jump-started the careers of the featured actors.

Liman’s next effort, Go (1999) tracked the events of one night through three different and points of view as plot lines diverged and reconverged; doing double duty as cinematographer. The film made a profit at the box office grossing $28.4 million worldwide against a $6.5 million budget.

In 1999 Liman shot a commercial for Nike in which Tiger Woods, without letting the ball touch the ground, repeatedly bounced a ball on his club and then drove it into the distance.

Liman enjoyed further commercial success when he helmed the action thriller The Bourne Identity (2002), an adaptation of author Robert Ludlum’s novel. The film that Liman delivered lacked sufficient action sequences to satisfy test groups of young males, so Universal Studios required him to shoot almost twenty minutes of replacement scenes. Liman remained with the Bourne franchise through its next two installments (2004’s The Bourne Supremacy and 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum), but served instead as an executive producer while Paul Greengrass took over directing duties on both films. Building on his success, Liman executive produced and directed the pilot episode (Premiere) as well as the second episode (The Model Home) of the successful Fox prime time drama The O.C. (2003–2007). Liman produced and directed a series of comedy shorts for the Chrysler and Cannes Film Festivals, entitled Indie Is Great.

Liman also directed Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), a comedic thriller about an increasingly distant married couple, both secretly assassins, who are hired to kill each other. The film, his most commercially-successful to date, is also well known for the off-screen romance between stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who developed a high-profile relationship after making the film. In 2005, Liman signed on to direct the pilot episode of NBC’s television series Heist, which is about a season-long attempt to rob three jewelry stores on Beverly Hills’ swanky Rodeo Drive.

His film adaptation of Steven Gould’s science fiction novel Jumper was released in 2008.
In 2009, he co-founded the website 30ninjas.com which is geared towards fans of action movies and television, gaming, extreme sports and viral videos. He also maintains a blog on the site.

He is currently in post-production on Fair Game.

Film School Graduate, Director Madhumita Raman Filming New Movie

The Jakarta Post - At her young age, director Madhumita Sundar Raman, 25, is already carving a space for herself as an artist in the South Indian film industry. The making of her latest movie-the Tamil comedy Kola Kolaya Mundhirika - brought her and her crew members to Indonesia for the filming of a song on location.

“This has never been done before. People don’t know about Indonesia and there is so much beauty here that can be shown,” Madhumita told The Jakarta Post during a recent interview.

Having finished a week of filming in Jakarta, Garut, Kawah Putih, Bandung and Bali, Madhumita (now based in Chennai) confessed she missed Indonesia, since she grew up here attending Gandhi Memorial International School from sixth grade through to high school.

Madhumita went on to pursue a degree in multimedia studies at the La Salle School of Arts in Singapore where she directed two short films on the symbolism of the bindi (a decorative accessory worn on the forehead by women in India) and womanhood. Both projects went on to win awards from the BBC and the Singaporean government.

Encouraged by such early recognition, Madhumita continued her specialization in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles where working on Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and meeting Johnny Depp were just a tiny part of her varied experiences..full story.

Film School Graduate Stephanie Okereke Premiers New Film

Moviedom caught up with the alumnus of the New York Film Academy and star of some of Nollywood’s remarkable works such as Terror, Private Sin, More Than A Woman, Emotional Cracks, Queen Sheba, Together As One, Taste Of Sin, Diamond Lady, Pretender, Sensational Spy, Deep Love and Strength Of A Woman days after the screening and she shared her thoughts with us.

How was the premiere?
It was successful. A lot of people turned out to see the movie; The hall was filled to the brims. I was really excited. I like to thank all those, who found time to be there for their support. I also like to thank all those, who took time out to see the movie for the little time it was screened at the cinema.

Did you anticipate such a huge crowd?
Not really. But I had hopes that the premiere would turn out well. Honestly, I was so amazed at the crowd, the cheering and their enthusiasm.

What was the turn out like on the days of the public screening?
On the opening day, I was told that we recorded over 300 people in each cinema. That is a huge crowd by screening standards, considering that it is a Nigerian production. I heardI just broke the record of box office attendance; the first Nigerian film to achieve that. I am so excited. It means we are getting somewhere and it means that we can actually do works here that will be termed commercial success.

How much did it cost you to produce the movie?
I think I had a reasonable budget and I’m glad at what I was able to achieve with it. I would just leave it at the fact that it was a reasonable budget. I really can’t put a figure to it, but it was reasonable.

For full story click here - The Guardian Life Magazine

Learn more about NYFA Film School.

Joseph Palau’s Filmmaking Journey

Joseph Palau’s herniated disc may have waylaid his high school basketball career, but it led to a career in filmmaking.

The Chester native found himself unable to walk at the age of 16. For three or four months he couldn’t do much else except watch television shows and movies. He found himself becoming increasingly interested in the lighting in films, and decided to find out more about the subject. He began looking up everything that he could find online about lighting and made himself an expert.

After high school he attended Full Sail University, a film school in Florida, and then moved on to the New York Film Academy in Manhattan. He said it isn’t difficult to get into either school if you know what you want to do and are serious about pursuing a career…full story

Scott Franklin to Speak at the New York Film Academy

Scott Franklin, producer of iconic films such as The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream and PI, he has long been a collaborator with one of the great American auteurs Darren Aranofsky.  He continues his collaboration as they prepare for Black Swan with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis shooting in Hungary.  He has worked with A-list talent such as Dakota Fanning, Mickey Rourke, Robin Wright Penn, Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connolly, among many others.  He is currently in development for the much touted Breaking the Bank.

Scott Franklin will be speaking at the New York Film Academy Film School. Be one on one during with top film professionals during New York Film Academy’s Q&A Series.

Monday October 5, 2009 at 7PM at the Union Square location - 17th and Park Avenue. Limited space available! Must RSVP to atovich@nyfa.com
Exact Location:

100 East 17th Street,
4th Fl./ Screening Room,
New York City 10003