All Hail the Foursquare Mayor!
A native of Indiana, Alex Dykes caught our attention with his digital savvy which earned him the Foursquare crown. After graduating from Purdue University, he came to New York City in order to complete the One Year Filmmaking Program. Although he has a background in 3D Animation, Alex developed an interest in filmmaking. After careful consideration of schools, he decided on the New York Film Academy due to the hands-on educational model and the flexibility it provides. As he says, “I had no idea what to expect but the hands-on training off the bat helped me see the mistakes and learn from them.”
Alex remarked that there were so many projects to work on. Students are encouraged to help each other in getting their work to completion. Thoughtful and inquisitive, Alex pointed out the common struggle every aspiring filmmaker must face. As much as the school stands out for its technical approach to the art of cinematic creation, Alex believes many students focus too much on technicality versus creativity. He noted that many of the students are younger and get dazzled by the equipment and the frenzied energy on the set. Alex believes a balanced approach to filmmaking is best. Yes, the equipment is important but the tools serve a greater purpose. “Good story trumps all.”
What are Alex’s next steps? After graduation, he plans to go back to Indiana and build his reel. But with all the students he is meeting and collaborating with, Alex may stay in NYC if the right networking opportunity presents itself.
Don’t forget to check-in on Foursquare and have your chance at usurping the throne currently vacated by Alex Dykes ‘12.
Congratulations to @bonjourkatia on being our winner for our Twitter Party on March 18th. Her passion for filmmaking was absolutely infectious as she amped up the digital festivities with her mass campaign to win the 1-Week Filmmaking Workshop. Hundreds of people tweeted us to show who really loved the New York Film Academy the most. It was a close race but we decided Turkey was the winner for this contest. So Istanbul? Ankara? Turkish fans, we’re coming soon. To our fans in other countries, don’t be sad. We’ll be having another #NYFA party soon!
Brazil Loves the NY Film Academy, Do You?
New York Film Academy has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We got a few special things planned.
- Facebook Trivia! Every day of this week, we will be quizzing you on your cinematic knowledge when it comes to all things Brazil. We will randomly select one participant who will win NYFA merchandise which will be shipped to you from our campus in New York City.
- Spotlighting Brazilian Students! While we’re holding auditions down in Rio, we want to make sure actual Brazilians tell you their NYFA experience. We’ll be spotlighting students from Brazil in order to hear their stories about coming to America to fulfill their cinematic dreams.
- International Twitter Contest! We will be live-tweeting during our Open House on Sunday, March 18. We want you to join us. Are you from Netherlands? Does the Netherlands love NYFA? Does South Africa love NYFA? Does France love NYFA? You’ll get to decide where our admissions team is headed next for one of our future tours. Moreover, one special person will win a 1-week workshop scholarship certificate!
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR AUDITIONS AND OPEN HOUSE IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL!
