FTC Film and Television Division Faculty

Michael Prywes

Film and Television Division Chair; Professor – Law, Producing, and Writing 
B.S., Northwestern University, J.D., Hofstra University School of Law

Michael PrywesMichael Prywes, a Long Island native, is a writer, producer, teacher, and attorney for artists and entrepreneurs. His bestselling business book “The Gasp: How to Seize that A-Ha! Moment and Turn It Into a Winning Business” teaches creatives how to launch and grow a creative enterprise. He has also written a book for filmmakers and television producers about the law and practicality of producing projects based on real life.

Over the past two decades, Michael has taught at Touro Law Center, CUNY Queens College, LIU Brooklyn, St. John’s, and has guest lectured at NYU and UCLA. He has also been a producer on a number of feature films, including his award-winning theatrically-released PG-13 comedy “Returning Mickey Stern,” starring Joseph Bologna, Tom Bosley, Renee Taylor, and Connie Stevens.

As an undergraduate Performance Studies major at Northwestern University, Michael was one of twelve students selected for the two-year intensive Creative Writing for the Media Program, alongside some of today’s most renowned Hollywood writers and producers. He also launched Chicagoland’s still-thriving “Jewish Theatre Ensemble” in 1995. Michael later attended Hofstra’s Maurice Dean School of Law on a full merit scholarship and was selected as a Dean’s Scholar and Dean’s Ambassador. He has also completed UCLA’s yearlong professional screenwriting program.

Michael is primary counsel to the non-profit Long Island Film/Television Foundation and he continues to serve New York City and Long Island entrepreneurs, filmmakers, creators, recording artists, writers, and innovators.

Robert DiGiacomo

Head of Cinematography, Professor – Cinematography
B.F.A., Cornell University

Robert DiGiacomoRobert DiGiacomo has spent over thirty years working professionally in both photography and cinematography. He has worked on a diverse range of projects with world-renowned directors, directors of photography and photographers. Feature film credits include: Shine A Light (featuring The Rolling Stones) directed by Martin Scorsese, and filmed by three-time Academy Award winner Robert Richardson, ASC; Big Fish filmed by Oscar winner, Phillipe Rousselot, and directed by Tim . Additionally, he has worked on over 600 television commercial productions, documentaries, and a variety of music videos with: Diddy, Bon Jovi, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Carole King, U2, and Britney Spears (featuring Madonna). Robert is an active member of the International Cinematographers Guild, on the Industry Roster, and is CSATF Safety Passport certified.

 

Daniel Galiardi

Adjunct Professor – Television
B.S., SUNY Buffalo, B.A., SUNY Buffalo, M.S., Hofstra University

Daniel GaliardiDaniel Galiardi is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600 IATSE. He has worked as a camera assistant in the film industry and is proficient in the use of various motion picture cameras (both 16mm and 35mm: Panavision, Arriflex, Aaton, Moviecam, and Photosonics. He has administered the Local 600 entrance exam on several occasions. Daniel has worked on many major motion pictures including: Batman Forever, Major Payne, Conspiracy Theory, Independence Day, The Truman Show, and Jungle 2 Jungle. His network television credits include: Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and Time of Your Life. His national commercial campaign credits include: AT&T, Smith Barney, Avon, and more.

Harold Naideau

Adjunct Professor – Photography
B.A., Antioch College, B.F.A., Brooks Institute of Photography, M.F.A., LIU Post

Harold NaideauHarold Naideau teaches Digital Imaging, Film Aesthetics, Film Classics, Film History, Art History, Photojournalism and Documentary Film/Television. Harold Naideau is an accomplished portraiture photographer who has photographed: David Bowie, Andy Warhol, Catherine Deneuve, Gina Davis, Robin Williams, KISS, the Mayors of New York, the NY Giants and the NY Jets, as well as the citizens and inhabitants of the boroughs of New York. Harold’s fashion and beauty photography has appeared in the world’s top fashion, style and beauty publications including Vogue, Town & Country, Marie Claire, and The New York Times Sunday Magazine.

Harold Naideau has published two books: “Women on the Wall: Graffiti’s Urban Mythology” (2015) and “The Still Life” (2016). His Portrait photograph of the Chef Felipe Rojas-Lombardi was used by the U.S. Postal Service for a Forever stamp as part of their series on Celebrity chefs. Harold’s fine art photography has been published in ArtForum and Studio Photography magazines. His commercial work is represented worldwide by Corbis / NYC and Adobe Stock. www.naideauphoto.com

David Grotell

Adjunct Professor – Writing & Directing
B.A., Wesleyan University, M.F.A., Columbia University

Mahnoor KhanDavid Grotell attended Wesleyan University, where he majored in film, and Columbia FIlm School, where he studied screenwriting and directing. His thesis film, “Melvyn Schmatzman Freudian Dentist,” played in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. From 2000 to 2005, David made four short films in the Navajo language, on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, as part of a project that brought together high school students and tribal elders to preserve indigenous languages through filmmaking. These works were shown at the Smithsonian Native American Film Festival, the Santa Fe Film Festival, and at the Heard Museum in Phoenix Arizona. He has taught at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Franklin and Marshall College, Northeastern University, and the University of Alabama. David Grotell’s feature film “The Wish Makers of West Hollywood,” which he wrote, produced, and directed, premiered at the Brattle Theater in 2011, and was picked up for distribution by Ariztical Films. It was subsequently seen on Netflix.

Chistopher Chan Roberson

Adjunct Professor – Cinematography
B.F. A., New York University

Chris Chan Roberson is a 15-year veteran editor, digital content strategist, cinematographer, college professor and project manager. He has been teaching cinematography and editing at Tisch School of the Arts since 1999 and served as NYU’s Executive Director of Post-Production for over two years. Chris is a contributing writer for Comic Book Resources. He also edits professionally and has worked with such talents as Sting, Billy Eichner, John Mulaney and Christian McBride. Currently he edits for the YouTube channel Screen Rant and produces content for Kung Fu Tea and the New York Historical Society. In 2006, Chris won a Telly Award for his editing work with Robert Small Entertainment, where he edited for Comedy Central, Nick at Nite and The Biography Channel. From 2012 through July 2014, Chris worked at YouTube. He helped emerging partners devise channel strategy, increase production value, and develop their brand. On a regular basis, Chris worked with such YouTube channels as “The Key of Awesome” and “VSauce3.” In 2014, Chris conducted a TEDx Talk, titled “Modern Mavericks”. Chris is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

John Marean

Adjunct Professor – Art Direction
B.A., SUNY Binghamton University, M.F.A., Yale University

John Marean, co-owner of Intention Films and Media, graduated with his MFA in Technical Design and Production from the Yale School of Drama. He started his career as the Technical Director of the Hudson Guild Theater, then became Production Manager of Playwrights’ Horizons/Scenic Central and built sets for Nickelodeon, as well as many other Broadway, off-Broadway, television and feature film productions.
John has taught almost every subject invented by the NYCDOE since 1991. In 2006, John became the Technical Director of the Long Island Film/TV Foundation and began video editing shortly thereafter.

In 2012, John became Technical Director at the LaGuardia High School (the “Fame” school) of Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC until 2019. John has acted in several independent feature and short films. He has been working as a Director of Photography, Assistant Camera, Grip, Gaffer, an on-set Sound Recordist, Production Manager, Assistant Director and as a Covid-19 Compliance Officer.

Barry Hartglass

Adjunct Professor – Audio
B.M., University of Miami, M.A., CUNY Hunter

For over 20 years, Barry has been actively working as a producer, engineer, composer, arranger and musician (bass, guitar, piano and saxophone). Barry received a Master of Arts degree in Music (composition) from CUNY Hunter College and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Engineering Technology from the University of Miami. He also studied Music (composition) at the Juilliard School and Music for Film at NYU. Barry is also currently teaching electronic music, audio production and sound design courses at Mercy College, CUNY Hostos Community College and Hofstra University.

Ashish Pant

Adjunct Professor – Production
B.A. University of Delhi, M.B.A. Harvard University, M.F.A. Columbia University

Ashish Pant is an Indian filmmaker based in New York, where he teaches film. The Knot (Uljhan) is his debut feature film that he also wrote. The Knot premiered in Asia at Shanghai International Film Festival where it was nominated for Asia New Talent Award and in International Competition at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in the US. The Knot was one of twenty works in progress selected for the “Goes to Cannes” section of Marche Du Film at Cannes Film Festival, 2020. The Knot received nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Actor at the Shanghai International Film Festival and New York Indian Film Festival. Ashish completed his MFA in Film in screenwriting and directing from Columbia University in New York and MBA from Harvard Business School.