COMPOSER SABRINA PENA YOUNG | MUSIC TECHNOLOGY | FILM | CLASSICAL | OPERA

Starting Your First Short Film “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds…Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul…always remember what Jean-Luc  Godard said. ‘It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.’ – Jim Jarmusch Filmmakers, much like novelists or composers, bear their souls within their films, especially in the earliest stages of filmmaking, before the lights of Hollywood dazzle them with wealth and fame. Yet, to be successful in film/media/video production, there is a combination of inspiration and sheer grit.  You have to know how to create something incredible within a deadline, with a tight budget, with that actress that can’t seem to remember her lines but can’t be fired because she contracted t...

Kid Friendly Family Films today Sunday November 4 at 11AM at Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival Our muti-genre fest will run Fri Nov. 2nd - Thurs Nov. 8th at Dipson Theatres' Eastern Hills Cinema, located in the Eastern Hills Mall, 4545 Tansit Road.Seven days, 102 films! MORE Film Festival  INFORMATION:   https://www.facebook.com/BuffaloDreamsFilmFestival/posts/1360427634088341?__tn__=K-R Sunday, Nov. 4th 11:30 pm Block 11 Family Films (60 mins) The Girl Who Talks to the Moon (Canada, animated, 6 mins) The Friend (WNY/Young student, 6 mins) Lily Goes Fishing (USA/Young Student, 18 mins) The Hood (WNY/Young Student, 15 mins) More Films! 12:45 pm Block 12 Murder In High Heels (Canada, Noir, 63 mins) USA Premiere of Brett Kelly's loving tribute to classic film noirs. Q&A. Shorts: New York Song Series (18 mins) 2:45 pm Block 13 Batraticus (USA, Comedy/Horror, 80 mins) Camp comedy about a Bronx community facing a zombie outbreak and a giant...

FILMMAKER BOOT CAMP: BITTER. Directed by Aaron Webb.  Written by Waymon Brown and Sarah Jeanne. Produced by Sabrina Pena Young. Part of the Buffalo Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp in Buffalo, New York. Filmed at Kenmore Middle School. SIGN UP FOR JAN 11 2019 BUFFALO FILMMAKER BOOT CAMP NOW OPEN:  https://register.ktufsd.org/wconnect/ace/ShowSchedule.awp?&Search=INSTRUCTOR&Target=MzA5NDUxNzYxODMz&Title=Courses+Taught+by+Sabrina+Pena-Young Ages 18 & up Budding filmmakers and professionals alike will work together in this collaborative class to write, film, act in, and edit an original short film written by the class. Learn film production basics in screenwriting, filming, sound and video editing, special fx, makeup fx, and more. Students will each take on a specific role in the short film production that will be filmed during class. The final film will be screened the last day of class. Students are encouraged to bring any camera/film equipment available to c...

The Noise Within LAST CHANCE to sign up for the GROUNDBREAKING Buffalo Filmmaker Boot Camp! NEW YORK Budding filmmakers and professionals alike will work together in this collaborative class to write, film, act in , and edit an original short film written by the class. Learn film production basics in screenwriting, filming, sound and video editing, special fx, makeup fx, and more. Students will each take on a specific role in the short film production that will be filmed during class. The final film will be screened the last day of class. Students are encouraged to bring any camera/film equipment available to class . A supply fee of $10 to be paid to the instructor the first day of class. REGISTER TODAY!

Buffalo Composer Finalist in CINTAS Foundation Composer Fellowship for 2018-2019  in Miami Miami, August 2018 – The CINTAS Foundation announces this year’s finalists for the annual CINTAS Fellowship Competition and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. A reception and awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, October 10th, at the University of Miami’s Lowe Art Museum. An exhibition featuring works by each of the finalists will be on exhibit at the Lowe Art Museum beginning on Wednesday, October 3rd. Buffalo Composer Sabrina Peña Young is among the finalists for this year's Cintas composer fellowship. If she wins, Young hopes to use the funds to produce her upcoming children's opera Alica and the White Rabbit , a futuristic opera loosely inspired by the work of Lewis Carroll and a precursor to her animated opera Libertaria. The CINTAS Foundation oversees two important art collections in the United States. The Master Paintings from the Spanis...

Cast and Crew of Welcome to Space Force Buffalo New York Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp Registration OPEN!  The incredible Filmmaker Boot Camp that brought you The Noise Within and the upcoming Welcome to Space Force has open registration TODAY. Create an incredible short film in just SIX WEEKS! A class for both amateurs and seasoned professionals alike, Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp is growing to be a filmmaking staple in Western New York.  Hosted by award-winning composer and filmmaker Sabrina Peña Young , the camp has brought together filmmakers, writers, actors, and cinematographers from all over the Western New York region.  REGISTER TODAY AT: https://register.ktufsd.org/wconnect/ace/CourseStatus.awp?&course=18FDA02 Cast and Crew of Welcome to Space Force created this short film during Buffalo's Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp in Western New York. Filmmakers write, film, and edit a short film in just SIX WEEKS! It's an incredible hands-on experience...

Sergeant Singer (Christopher Fire) & Captain Flinger (Sebastiano Spurio) discuss the new recruits of Space Force. Welcome to Space Force Movie Wraps in Buffalo New York After six weeks of writing, pre-production, filming, and editing, "Welcome to Space Force" finally wrapped in Buffalo, New York.  Space Force drafts an unlikely band of crazy recruits in this original zany short film directed by Chris Thomes for Buffalo’s Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp. Producer Sabrina Peña Young hopes to premier "Welcome to Space Force" in the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival , hosted by filmmakers Chris Scioli and Gregory Lamberson, of "Slime City" and "Killer Rack" fame. Aaron B. Webb, director of  the award-winning short film Last Trip, plays Mullitch. Become a part of the Space Force team and join the "Welcome to Space Force" official Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/spaceforcemovie/about/?ref=page_internal ...

Buffalo Filmmakers Wrap up ROGUE Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp - Welcome to Space Force! This past Friday excited Buffalo filmmakers wrapped up the final day of shooting for Sabrina Peña Young' s ROGUE Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp. The group had five weeks to write, plan, and shoot a short film. The subject - Space Force - lent itself to some hilarious antics from the diverse cast and crew that included both seasoned veterans and newbies to filmmaking. As part of the camp, many filmmakers had a chance to try new aspects of filmmaking that they had never tried before like acting, camerawork, and sound. The result was a short comedic film full of shenanigans and fun.  "Welcome to Space Force" will be screened locally on August 17th.  More information about Welcome to Space Force can be found on our NEW Facebook Page!  Let's make Space Great Again!  Cast and Crew of Welcome to Space Force, Photo Credit: Aaron Webb

NOW OFFERING PRIVATE LESSONS, GROUP LESSONS, and WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN WESTERN NEW YORK!  CONTACT ME AT Spenayoung@Gmail.com to Schedule Your First Lesson! Homeschooling Families Welcome! Experienced with Special Needs and At-Risk Students. Contact for more information. PRIVATE LESSONS  IN NORTH BUFFALO ($25/Half Hour; $40/Hour; $125 Monthly for 3 Months) (Ages 10 to Adult) Filmmaking and Video Production Writing Screenwriting Songwriting Composition Music Production GROUP LESSONS  IN NORTH BUFFALO ($75/Hour Class; Includes Supplies) (Ages 5 to 18, 2-5 Children/Teens; At least 1 Parent/Guardian must be present) HOMESCHOOLERS WELCOME!!! Classes can be weekly, monthly, or one-time workshops Pop Art and Mixed Media Music History (Middle Ages/Ancient Music, Baroque/Classical Era, Romantic Era, 20th Century, Jazz/Blues, World Music, Electronic Music) World Art (Choice of Africa, Australia/Polynesia, Asia, Latin America, North Ameri...

Buffalo Filmmaker Boot Camp Channels their inner Space Force with "Welcome to Space Force", Directed by Chris Thomas  What happens when a bunch of Buffalo Filmmakers decides to get together and create a new zany film in only SIX WEEKS? Well, you get "Welcome to Space Force". Hosted by local filmmakers and music producers Aaron Webb and Sabrina Pena Young, "Welcome to Space Force" is a crazy and ambitious short film project.  Part of Young's Indie Filmmaker Boot Camp challenge, the film production moves from concept to realization in six weeks. Usually hosted in Kenmore, this became a "Rogue" Boot Camp when the group found themselves without a location due to a paperwork error. Nonplussed, the group decided to get together anyway and met in Webb's basement. There they brainstormed ideas and came up with a concept centered on Space Force. The first day of production went smoothly, with actors and crew alike almost literally dyi...

LAST CHANCE to sign up for FILMMAKER BOOT CAMP in WESTERN NEW YORK - BUFFALO SIGN UP TODAY Ages 18 & up Budding filmmakers and professionals alike will work together in this collaborative class to write, film, act in , and edit an original short film written by the class. Learn film production basics in screenwriting, filming, sound and video editing, special fx, makeup fx, and more. Students will each take on a specific role in the short film production that will be filmed during class. The final film will be screened the last day of class. Students are encouraged to bring any camera/film equipment available to class . A supply fee of $10 to be paid to the instructor the first day of class. Dates: July 6 - August 10, 2018 Meets: F from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM,  6 sessions Hours: 12.00 Location: Kenmore Middle rm 231 - computer lab Instructor: Sabrina Pena-Young SIGN UP TODAY WATCH THE NOISE WITHIN, AWARD-WINNING SHORT MADE IN FILMMAKER BOOT...

Howard Shore: A Composer's Dream This short film demonstrates how Howard Shore has distinguished himself as one of Canada's most accomplished - and versatile - composers. During woodland rambles with his beloved dogs, Shore gives free rein to his ceaseless creativity. Whether composing delicate counterpoint or Oscar®-winning movie music, Shore is keenly tuned to a remarkable range of musical expression. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2011 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

Horror Buffalo Films - Screening Room Cinema Cafe - June 10th @ 6:30pm Come see the premiere screening of award-winning short film Last Trip along with other local short films such as Delivery from Hell, Murder Zone, The Noise Within and more. Recommended $5 minimum donation at the door to support local art/film. Anything larger is even more greatly appreciated!  MORE INFO HERE The night will include: Last Trip  Attempting to impress the new girl, an awkward teenager agrees to a camping trip but it could be their last when they come across two hillbillies in the woods. 2018 NCCC Film & Animation Festival People's Choice Award

How to Become a Film, TV, and Video Game Music Composer Greg Edmonson shows you what it's like to be a Film, TV, and Video Game Music Composer, why he loves his job and what steps you need to take if you would like to be a Film, TV, and Video Game Music Composer too!

Spitfire Audio presents a rare insight into the workings of some of the finest film composers. A round table discussion with (From left) Ramin Djawadi, Jacob Shea, Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer, Ben Wallfisch, Andy Page, David Fleming. Libraries Mentioned:

Vocal Recording for New Science Fiction Film Spiritus

Sound design tutorial - How Sound Can Ruin or Make a Film

Upcoming in 2018: Science Fiction, Animation, Zombies, and More Thank you so much for visiting my blog today! This year promises to be a very exciting year with new works like my science fiction film Spiritus and Resurrection Day. Spiritus is the story of a young orphan who jouraneys to the dying exoplanet Spiritus to escape the truth about her parents. It is an exciting animated film that I hope will be done in the next few months. Resurrection Day is a graphic novel inspired zombie microfilm that I'm hoping to shoot in my attic, of all places! It will combine live action with animation. I can't seem to get away from that animation!  Recently I had an interview with "Big Words I know by Heart" here in Buffalo New York. It was an exciting episode and we chatted about everything film, music, and weird. I hope you enjoy!  Keep checking back for more great content on music, film, songwriting, opera, composition, sci-fi, and animation.  Check it out! 

Filmmaker, composer and author Sabrina Pena Young takes us on a fascinating journey while narrating through her past, present and future projects along with some insight into her process and an exclusive sneak peak at her next science fiction machinima opera 'Spiritus'.

There are many things that I don't do, and typically acting is one of them. However, I enjoy doing voice acting for animation. What's nice about voice acting is that you don't really have to look like anything in particular to play a voice, and since I was a kid I enjoyed coming up with weird and goofy voices. So as for being the lead actress in a film, yeah, never going to happen, but I do enjoy playing strange characters behind the scenes.