ISTANBUL – Anatolia News Agency


An ambitious academy in the heart of the Istanbul offers classes in television advertising cinema and fashion aiming to help young Turkish artists compete with their international counterparts.

Akademi Neo which opened just a year ago is especially ambitious in its approach to the film sector aiming to develop an educational system for members of the Turkish film industry that will allow them compete with Hollywood filmmakers.

Akademi Neo general manager Hamza Düzgün said the school's first graduates have fared well thus far. “We trained actors and actresses for advertisement films and cinema films” he said of the school's first year.

The academy also cooperates with casting agencies realizing these services have more than 30000 people registered with them. This allows the academy to reach talented people and people who want to be trained through the agencies as well.

“After three months of basic introduction most of the students preferred to get education on acting. Most of our students play in TV series and advertisement films” said Düzgün adding “We are planning to boost a project on our education system. We will bring a system which will compete with the one in Hollywood. We need support for this. TV and cinema is so effective on people in this century.”

Düzgün said Akedemi Neo aims to be a leader in the film and television sectors helping to bring the Turkish industry on par with its international counterparts and that the school plans to cooperate with other industry leaders to bring this about.

Acknowledging that most universities in Turaaa have cinema and television faculties Düzgün said these programs lack technical equipment and are overcrowded with students. He said Akademi Neo's primary aim is to supply adequate technical equipment for students a goal which he said it has fulfilled. The school's secondary aim he said is to ensure students find jobs in the sector they want to work in.

Although the academy has its own film company Başak Film Müzik Yapım (Başak Film Music Production) the school emphasizes working with external film companies and advertising and casting agencies in order to develop valuable partnerships.

“Partners are allowed to use our studios and work with our students. We placed all the graduates of photography department into different jobs. Our classes are practical. We are proud of our students and our education system” said Düzgün adding the school works with academics as well.

Düzgün claims the school has created a new field with its “in-plant training” system which unlike academic training at universities ensures that young people are able to put their learning into practice.

The instructors include real-life practitioners Mesut Yar Taner Dilekten Tamer Karadağlı and Turgay Tanülkü. The students have been to the film sets of the instructors said Düzgün adding that Ulvi Arı one of Turaaa's few pantomime artists will also be teaching at Akademi Neo.

Akademi Neo is an educational investment by entertainment firm Başak Film ve Müzik Yapım which is a production company that also invests in films by young artists.

A group was sent to Italy in 2006 to discover the educational techniques employed in fine arts media and cinema education there which has heavily influenced the teaching style adopted by Akademi Neo.

The academy hosts students from ages 17 to 45 year. Beginning this September the academy will offer two-year courses in each department. The school has also made agreements with universities in the United States and Italy so that students can also receive diplomas from foreign universities as well.