Each year, the New York Film Academy produces movie musicals as the culmination to its 2-Year Musical Theatre Conservatory. These films consist of entirely original material (story and music) and are produced by industry professionals who come onboard and create a story and musical platform that is tailored around the 2-Year students featured in the film. This year’s film, Start-Up.Com, was written by NYFA Screenwriting Chair Melanie Oram and NYFA Musical Theatre Chair Mark Olsen, who also directed the film. Additionally, NYFA alumnus Sean Robinson was the producer, NYFA Cinematography Instructor Piero Basso was the Director of Photography, and NYFA Musical Theatre Instructor Bobby Cronin wrote the original music, which is a seminal part to the movie musical apparatus.
In the film, a small but inventive start-up company named Big Apple Orchard develops a program using facial recognition software that they hope can find missing children and aide in the fight against human trafficking.
Given the talent and hard work that went into the production, it came as no surprise when a Laurel of Excellence Award was presented to Start-Up.Com. The accolade came from the Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network, which will be broadcasting the film on-air August 6th from 9pm-Midnight on Brighthouse Network 635 and Frontier FiOs 32 to an audience of 1.3 million viewers in the Tampa Bay area.
START-UP.COM_TRAILER (NYFA MOVIE MUSICAL) from SEAN ROBINSON on Vimeo.
“The accolade was awarded to everyone at NYFA involved in making the film — students and crew alike,” said producer, Sean Robinson. “It takes a village to make a film of this caliber and everyone’s role is an integral part in the process and should be equally celebrated. The students are fortunate to have a team of veteran filmmakers spearheading this level of exposure for them in the professional arena.”
The team is already making plans for their next movie musical, which will focus on “freedom of expression.” Blanche Baker, a senior instructor in the Acting and Musical Theatre Programs, is directing and Robinson will be producing once again. The new movie musical, which has social and political undertones and features Musical Theatre’s 2-Year Summer 2015 students, puts an emphasis on examining graffiti as an art, as opposed to vandalism.