You: “I’d love to attend the VFS Game Design Program, but I just don’t know if I can swing the tuition…”
Us: “Quit saving your quarters!”
At this year’s Game Design Expo, Electronic Arts announced their uber-generous $25,000 Scholarship to attend Game Design at VFS. The April 30th deadline is approaching fast. Don’t miss out on the chance to get educated debt-free!
Big congrats to the winners of the 2007 VFS Student Filmmaker of the Year Awards! The ceremony was held on April 13th, and VFS flew the winners back to Vancouver from their homes in Halifax and Los Angeles so they could receive the awards in person. Class of ’06 was one of the most creative Film Production groups the school has seen, but the winners both made such exceptional films, it’s easy to appreciate the judges decision. Jessica Greenwood won the CTC & Clever Women Award for Outstanding Female Filmmaker for her work as producer on the very first VFS short film in Farsi, titled The Shade. The winner of the Lenhoff & Lenhoff Award for Best Director went to Paul St.Amand for the terrific film Grover’s Mill which he wrote and directed. Also pictured are VFS President James Griffin, Managing Director Marty Hasselbach, Head of Film Production David Hauka, and representatives of CTC/Clever Women (with Jessica) and Lenhoff & Lenhoff (with Paul).
It’s free Friday at the VFS blog. We love contests, and we love music. We already posted a wicked contest, so here’s two new exclusive downloadable mp3s by Colin Janz, one of our award-winning VFS Sound Design graduates. You might already love Janz’s music after you downloaded off us his soundtrack to Piece of Mind. But if this is your first time sampling his styles, well, let’s wager it won’t be the last you hear from him. The first track, “Falling Forward,” is sure to find friends among those fans of U2, Radiohead, and Postal Service. The second track is more abstract, gritty, and granular like the darkest moments in the music of Aphex Twin, Disjecta, or Amon Tobin. Enjoy! Falling Forward
FK Melod
Congratulations to Film Production grad Mohammad Gorjestani, whose VFS film The Shade is screening at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival later this month! The film will screen five times between April 26 and May 5, so if you’re in New York, you really have absolutely no excuse to not check it out on the big screen. For the rest of us: So, Mo, what do you hope the reaction to the film will be?
April 11th & 12th Sketch Night sketches are written by current Writing students. The event’s producer (and Writing grad) Robert Woolsey explains: “In the Sketch Comedy course the writing students learn to maximize their Not sure what that looks like? Check out this documentary on the sketch-com process.
One project undertaken in the Digital Design program is for teams to come up with a full press kit for a film. Press kits are sent out to international festivals and industry rainmakers in hopes of gaining support for the film as well as financing for future projects by the team, especially the director. Working with Beckum as their client, Digital Design students Dave Murawsky, Robyn Haddow, Ryan Uhrich, Marcos Ceravolo, and Elsie Lee came up with this kit, currently being sent to film festivals (yes, we’ll update you on future screenings!). The kit, like the movie, is a complete original. The heavy-duty wood shipping crate is a particularly nice touch, and kudos for adding a little American flag cloisonne pin, too! And we at Blog HQ are giving away one press kit (DVD included) to a lucky reader. Swag city!
Ever been broke, in love, and in need of a good pair of pants? Film Production student Aaron Beckum wrote and directed Pants of Exceeding Consequence, a hilarious story of a man who so badly wants to impress the girl at the espresso shop (the back of an ambulance) that he gets involved with the wrong pair of slacks. Fans know the YouTube controversy surrounding Beckum’s other short film Who Wants to Be An Amerikan (and check out our contest to win one of the press packs for the film crafted by our Digital Design students!), but Pants is just as witty and wonderful. Awesome acting, perfectly ridiculous premise, and top-notch production makes this short film an instant favorite.
The packed tournament and judging by pros from companies like Relic was this past Saturday night. Game Design student Charles Robert Simmons (on the left, with fellow student Mack) entered with the evening’s only Robotron-inspired game. So, Charles, tell us what you spent your Saturday night learning…
Keith Shaw (Writer & Story Editor) and Brad McAfee (Executive Producer) at Insight Films, producers of the Sci-Fi network’s much-anticipated Painkiller Jane series (hence the photo on left) which debuts April 13th. Candice Elzinga, an Emmy-nominated casting director who spoke to writers and Acting students about the art of casting. Bill Boyle, a 25 year screenwriting veteran with tons of produced credits in Canada and the U.S., who spoke to writers about visual metaphor. and Tim Brown, currently in distribution with Keystone Entertainment, who has worked in every aspect of production from concept to production to distribution for companies like Universal, WB, Disney, Sony, Miramax, Lions Gate and Paramount. Tim spoke to senior writing students and alumni, and then heard and gave feedback on writers’ pitches. (Lucky!) Were you one of the masses? Drop us a line and let us know what you thought!
Student Filmmaker of the Year Awards
Mpfree Friday
Enjoying The Shade
Join Us in Heaven & Hell
It’s Sketch Comedy time again! Come on down to the VFS Cafe for two nights of laughs — Heaven-themed Wednesday and Hell-based Thursday. (We’re sure they’re equally hilarious.)
VFS Cafe – 390 W. Hastings St.
Doors: 7:30 pm both nights
Admission: $5
Licensed – 2 pieces of I.D. required Who Wants To Win An Amerikan Press Kit?
The phenomenal reaction on YouTube to Aaron Beckum’s short film Who Wants To Be An Amerikan? has inspired our Digital Design students.Laugh Your Pants Off
Homework & Play
A few weeks ago we mentioned a contest to adapt an old-school arcade game (Space Invaders, Joust, or Robotron) into a board game. The contest was hosted by Strategies Games and the IGDA.Guest Speaker Palooza
Well, never let it be said nobody visits. Over the last few weeks, the Writing program has had a number of guests come and share their wisdom. In March, we got to hear from: