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Yianni and his educational team can help
you realize your video, film and web dreams in Manhattan. Call 212-252-3636 or email info@videofilmweb.com to set up an interview!

ABOUT

About VFW Academy: College of Digital Marketing

THE INSPIRATION

Founded by Yianni Stamas, a New Yorker who got his start in Hollywood. He works as an apprentice for the filmmaker who made the “Godfather” movies. VFW Academy draws its inspiration from Yianni's experience in the '80's learning from mentors/brothers Dr. August Coppola (Nicolas Cage's father) and Francis Ford Coppola.

WHAT IT IS NOW

VFW Academy: College of Digital Marketing is currently a work study internship program that integrates media tools and publicity strategy curriculum components. The program presently functions with the student receiving college credit from TCI College of Technology Digital Media Arts Program (Coop Ed). While the actual classroom and on site media education work is conducted and administered at the VideoFilmWeb.com Inc. Studio. This includes working on actual VIdeoFilmWeb.com Inc. client projects including those of businesses, services and celebrities.

INFLUENCES

In developing the VFW educational forum and learning center, Yianni draws from influences that include growing up with a mother who is a PHD in Education and with a grandfather who wrote one of the most famous Western novels of all time that was made into a classic movie "Shane"..

FILLING A NEED

An entire Northern NYC and Inwood Manhattan community is waiting with anticipation and hope as the accreditation process goes underway. Dozens upon dozens of Upper Manhattan-ites are keeping their fingers crossed that accreditation goes through quickly so that at least by mid 2011 they can embark on the path of empowerment they so desperately crave. This results in making a difference for their families and themselves as well as inspires feelings of self respect.

THE AWAKENING

Late in 2007, Yianni Stamas, who founded his internet publicity and advertising company VideoFilmWeb.com Inc in 2001, is on the cover of the Northern NYC publication the "Manhattan Times". He is seen on the cover holding his digital camcorder.

The enclosed article - which is written both in English and Spanish - talks of his role as a guest educator at George Washington High School in Washington Heights, Manhattan as well as his community activisim. Yianni is an advocate for local residents, regarding challenges in the community including children's deaths due to playing in the streets in fire hydrant spray.

The mayor responds and addresses the problem and Yianni, inspired by how his camera had been able to make a difference, works with Samuel Akel, assistant principal at Washington Height's George Washington High School YABC (Young Adult Borough Center) to attain New York City Department of Education vendor status.

TCI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY JOINS IN

This segues into VideoFilmWeb joining forces with cooperative education's Luis of TCI College of Technology.

ADD TO THE MIX:
LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER

Next Yianni contacts his comrade, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts producer Alina Bloomgarden. Yianni has worked with Alina for more than 5 years producing monthly live multimedia educational kids shows at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater. Yianni edits the onscreen content and films the events plus partners as a creative collaborator.

AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY

Yianni quickly invites his friends into the creative educational mix including Jason Kendall (of Inwood Astronomy fame) and Jerry Marco (a business consultant) both with graduate degrees and the eclectic backgrounds of combining computer technology with theater and arts and sciences.

These two individuals impact the educational exploration with their scholarly approach to helping VideoFilmWeb develop its entertainment products division, later resulting in a DVD distribution company via Amazon and called "Broadway Blast".

EDUCATORS

Other educators who participate are the founders (and clients for more than a decade of Yianni's) of Manhattan's most successful salon chain Dramatics NYV with a ninth location just opening in the West Village. The Village location is a current campaign and promotion integrated as an intergal l part of the learning work.

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNERS

Dramatics founders Larry "Rock" Kolber and Ace Miami combine their acting and music performing backgrounds with their expertise in hair to create a new and unique "dramatics" experience for clients. The two admit that much of their success is due to their collaboration with Yianni as head internet marketer - a collaboration more than ten years old and still going strong.

SMALL BUSINESS AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION

Students learn at VFW Academy - that if they choose the entreprenuerial path - when starting a business you need to understand your particular problem and solution. In other words, who wants the solution you are providing for a specific problem? This is explored in niche demographic development classes and business empowerment.

Plus students explore the importance of making sure that what you do is unique as well as has some kind of competitive edge. In the case of Dramatics NYC, bringing a show business feel to their business is one of the key components for success.

LIFE COACHING, MOTIVATION &
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Also from the Dramatics family comes to VFW Jamie "Safari" Kolber, who is a certified life coach and the GM of Dramatics. She teaches the life and career coaching to students of media and marketing.

MORE COACHING AND EDUCATION

Still another life coach and teacher is Lon Blais (Platinum Pia "Making a Difference" Award winner), who is elected New Yorker of the week on the popular NYC cable channel NY1 for his work bike riding for charity. Lon, a former school teacher with a MA, teaches the Group Dynamics Media Class in which the dynamic of a group using media communications can achieve common goals. He runs workshops in a salon environment.

THE EDUCATION EXPERIMENT

Seeing a need for education that combines training for job security with a mandatory for success entrepreneurial spirit, Yianni spends two and a half years lliving out his mission. This mission is to use digital media marketing education to transform the lives of those who live in Northern NYC, Harlem, Inwood Manhattan and the Bronx. This area is Yianni's his home and he wanted to empower his neighbors.

SUCCESS STORIES

Through TCI many residents of Upper Manhattan become a part of VFW Academy: College of Digital Marketing's cooperative education and internship program. Several students enter the program, do the three month intensive, next graduating and going on too job success.

The discovery is made the the over 25 VFW Digital Marketing classes available to students help them - not only if they are entering the secure job market for marketing, but it also gives them the skill set they need to succeed with employment or business development in ANY field!

3 MONTH PROGRAM AND
TWO YEAR PROGRAM GRADUATES

Some of the students remain for the next few years while one in particular, Joseph Ramos fulfills the entire two year (or 4 semester program). He is a 2009 graduate from VFW Academy, receiving his diploma and award on Friday, January 15th at The Platinum Pias Awards at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Screening Room.

OVER 25 CLASSES

The program consists of over 25 core classes that were developed through trial and error and facing real world challenges of providing businesses, entertainerst and celebrities with digital publicity and advertising products.

The real world successes of the group in 2009 includes making promos for Reshma Shetty in front of the media studio green screen that directly assists in her getting cast as a lead regular in a hit USA cable show "Royal Pains".