Head of Acting Brad McMurray urges all enthusiastic students to apply. “The Academy is for anyone who has a creative passion, or a burning desire to bring stories to life,” says Brad, “All of us have a story that needs to be told, so if there's that passion in you, I think it throws it pretty wide open for anyone to have a crack.”
The Academy offers courses in Filmmaking and Acting for Film taught by industry experts that offer real world experience from as far as the UK and the US. Brad McMurray has a vast wealth of experience in the film industry, and he says what the academy offers in terms of facilities and equipment is tremendous.
“The equipment they have here as far as cameras, lighting and the studio facilities are just unbelievable. Looking at it, you could make three feature films with what we have here. The lecturers we get on board are from all over the world, in both acting and film. So the key thing for students moving through this program is that all the lecturers on board are very specific, they're not just people who haven’t been involved in the industry. These are people who have many national and international credits up their sleeves, so they're learning from industry professionals.”
Petar Zabic is a current student at the academy, finishing his second year of an advanced diploma in screen and media, and he’s extremely keen to get into the industry. “I’ve just been signed up with an agent and that’s cool, because I’ve recently cut a show reel together and just put my work to the test and there was an agency that was really interested. I'm actually heading over to LA after the course,” Petar says.
“I’ve got a few projects on the go — I’ve got a feature film in the works which I'm writing with my best friend and that's going really well. But the main plan is to be working in the industry so I'll be going and banging out auditions until I succeed. Right now I'm just looking forward to going to Los Angeles and enjoying the ride.”
Petar was looking for direction in his life before finding the academy. “I was going through a rough patch in regards to employment. I was watching the actor’s studio and thinking 'how cool would it be to go to a school and study acting?’ I've always wanted that, and I knew it was the next step for me because my life wasn’t going anywhere. So basically I went in, had an interview, got in the next day and haven’t looked back since.”
Having experienced it first hand, Petar confirms what Brad says about the facilities and teachers. “The teachers are really great, very supportive. They don’t bullshit, they've got so much experience within the industry and it's awesome because they're really open. The teachers I’ve had have all been very thorough, meticulous and good at incorporating all your techniques. Acting in front of the whole class can be very confronting, but they allow you to experiment, they give you the freedom and support you need. It hasn’t been easy but it's been so instrumental in my growth as an actor. The school is still growing so there’s always room for development — they're always incorporating new ideas and new plans for the future.”
The New York Film Academy will host an open day at the Gold Coast on May 17.
