We’re doing a lot of looking back lately, but on this New Year’s Eve, it’s time to start looking to what 2010 has in store for our students, graduates, and the entire VFS community.
We’ve mentioned the epic 10-week streak we had over the summer, with every Friday ushering in another major film release that had VFS grads somewhere in the credits. Amazing! (It’s even longer if you count games and TV premieres.)
Well, we’ve been looking at the schedule for 2010, and we can already tell you it’ll be another year to remember for our alumni. What can we look forward to? A trip down the rabbit hole, a return to the exosuit, titans clashing, a crack commando unit being sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit… That’s only the beginning.
And we’re in for another year of memorable events and new opportunities for talented filmmakers, artists, designers, actors, and writers. To begin with, the lineup for Game Design Expo 2010 (April 10-11) is shaping up – keep your ear to the ground for some exciting announcements! The city of Vancouver is, of course, also hosting a little event early in the year that we’re all excited about – maybe you’ve heard of it?
Whatever happens, you’ll hear about it right here. We’ve got some great stuff planned for January – more interviews and stories about VFSers and their adventures.
From us to you – we wish you a joyous and safe New Year’s!
Such is the case with Ben Sanders, interviewed recently by KRMG in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Listen to the interview here. Ben was an animator on James Cameron’s Avatar, and he explains the role, what it was like working with motion capture, his own path to the animation industry, and he even throws in a little shout-out to VFS. (Thanks, Ben!) We’ve caught up with Ben a few times over the years to talk about his latest gig – there was The Golden Compass and Happy Feet, and finally a video interview discussing his work on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
Sometimes cold, hard facts are comforting. (Hey, for some people, baseball statistics are therapy.) So as we say goodbye to ’09 and look back on the year we’ve had, we thought we’d give you some numbers to chew on. Delicious numbers. 9 – of the top 10 highest grossing films of 2009 had VFS grads in the credits. The only holdout? The Hangover, which we still think was pretty good and we’ll forgive it someday. 10 – That’s how many weeks in a row at the height of the summer blockbuster season major films with VFS grads credited hit theatres. 10! 15 – The number of films shortlisted for the visual effects Oscar. It also just so happens to be the number of films shortlisted for the visual effects Oscar that featured contributions by VFS alumni. (That’s right, all of them.) 18 – The number of countries from which students came to our one-week Summer Intensive Programs in 2009. It was an incredible gathering of talent and passion for the entertainment arts! Fun. 20 – VFS grads on Watchmen, which is pretty great, but then there’s the… 43 – grads on District 9. We’re pretty sure this is a VFS record. 500 – We passed this milestone on our YouTube channel – 500 student films and reels posted. It’s now over 600. Any viewer, no matter who you are, will find something to like here. 204,600,000 – is the worldwide gross, in US dollars, of District 9, thus guaranteeing we’ll be hearing lots more from grad Neill Blomkamp – and hopefully soon. Obviously, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Check out vfs.com/2009 to find out lots more about this landmark year.
In a front page cover story, The Westender described Riese as “an answer to an industry-wide contraction, in that it embodies everything Vancouver has become in its quest for production work – and it utilizes to the fullest the local industry’s unique attributes.” The series has been further profiled by huge media outlets like The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, and The Vancouver Sun, as well as sci-fi genre websites like scifitalk.com and gateworld.net (the main fansite of the Stargate franchise). “We’ve been extremely pleased with the amount of coverage we’ve received, both locally and internationally,” Ryan says. “Exposure-wise, it’s certainly helped to put our show on the map, as well as helping us reach audiences we wouldn’t normally have access to. Production-wise, it made us really feel like we had to step up our game, as it felt like everyone was watching. I believe our team was able to do so, which will be evident in the next episodes airing in February.” “In these new episodes [6 - 10], we really begin to delve into the characters of Riese, in addition to the political and moral strife that riddles the fictional nation of Eleysia,” Ryan explains. “Speaking of characters, our new cast members include Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary), [VFS Acting grad] Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary, jPod), Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Gallactica), and Allison Mack (Smallville).” You’d think all this would keep their hands full, but according to Ryan, there’s a lot more going on: “We also have an iPhone game being released in February as well, which will serve both as a strategy-card game and a means to tell other aspects of the story. It’s all part of our transmedia storytelling strategy, that’s become essential with new media franchises – telling the story on multiple platforms. We’re also working on the next set of scripts, as well as possible comic and book tie-ins. The world of Riese is constantly expanding, and I think we’ll be seeing it stretch beyond just the Internet.” Congratulations Ryan, Miguel, Alyssa, and Emilie — and everyone else on the Riese team. Definitely a great way to end the year! Stay tuned for new episodes at riesetheseries.com and check out the Riese blog for updates. Also, you can currently nominate Riese for a number of categories in The Streamy Awards (which celebrate the best in web television).
Everyone knows Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus as Heath Ledger’s final appearance. Although it came out in October and November in some markets, it sees its North American premiere on Friday. The VFSer behind the scenes is Jami Gigot, 3D Artist, an alum of the 3D Animation & Visual Effects program. At the same time, there’s the much-anticipated Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. We have it on good authority that 3D grad Sveinbjorn Tryggvason did a little work on the production as a visual effects artist.
Those latter skills came together on the 2008 festival darling Summerhood, an independently produced film that explores childhood friendships from a more realistic perspective than you’d find in most mainstream movies. One look at the trailer, and you’ll probably agree. Oh, and did we mention John Cusack is the film’s narrator? And that Joe Flaherty and Christopher MacDonald make appearances too? How about the fact that Pixar requested a special private screening? In colouring outside the lines, Jacob has gained a first-hand education in the barriers as well as the emerging opportunities in independent film distribution. While his team struggles to find the best method of getting the film to audiences, Summerhood continues to gain fans – including a crowd of 800 kids in Italy at this summer’s Italian premiere. Jacob took some time out of fighting the good fight to explain the film’s VFS connections and how he believes indie film distribution methods should change. Hi, Jacob. Congrats on all the success Summerhood has brought you. In a nutshell, can you tell us why you made this film? Jacob: Thank you! A lot of people have worked very hard for a long time. To highlight the real success, when you employ hundreds of people over several years, you come into contact with all that the world offers: births, deaths, marriage, divorce, stress, success, and celebration. So I’m learning to take all of our swings in stride, and that has been the biggest success for me on this project, because there will be a lot more “life” to navigate ahead than the journey of each film experience, and I have had to learn to pace myself. It’s too easy a trap to marinate in the massive effort and then stink of the rewards/failures that come. Why did I make it? I had been animating on “children’s” properties for years – corporate waxed portrayals of families and neutered realities. And nothing out there reflected my actual experiences growing up — wickedly honest, funny, and painful too. I made the film to free my spirit. That was my driving force. And perhaps, even with blurry shots, and thrifty production values – there are people out there who need to be freed from canned life too, and are taking it how they can get it, and some from our film. You’re a Classical Animation grad who has made a live action film. What’s the connection between what you studied here at VFS and what you’re doing now? Jacob: GREAT QUESTION. I missed the point for 25 years. As it turns out, a script doesn’t care if it will be animated, live acted, puppeteered, or made into a graphic novel. Story is story is story. And VISUALLY, all the rules of cinema apply across all mediums. Animation was a perfect education. How did you get John Cusack to come on board? Jacob: Persistance. It took 18 months and a day. For a year, I tried making offers myself. In my apartment. In my bathrobe. I sent letters. I sent camp-1989-themed care packages, mood rings, Big League Chew, ’89 Playboys, unopened vintage Chicago baseball cards, a mixed tape. Yielded nothing. After I shot the film, I wanted to show it to professionals, to show them I had craft, maybe generate some interest in my other projects. So I sent some footage to Michael London Productions (Sideways). They liked the film and asked what I still needed for Summerhood. I replied, “John Cusack”. An hour later the William Morris Agency called and we were negotiating.
John was very generous with his participation and did a perfect job, but his “brand” is worth $10 million – and this was a cash-strapped indie flick. So we came to a solution with his agency whereby he could help us, but I can’t put his name on the poster. But his voice is so iconic that everyone can tell anyway, and people can look it up on the Internet, which is fun. So I got what I wanted and feel like I maybe saved $10 million too.. Jacob: Children are brilliant. Kids just “Are.” Which is what actors everywhere aspire to be. Children are just real little beings. They play. They make believe – so genuinely. They are however also like working with special effects, because of the entourage and coordination required. We only had the young actors for 4 hours during 12-hour days. They needed school and breaks and juice boxes, and all sorts of complicated parameters existed. When you’re only shooting 28 days and all your leads are kids that can shoot for only 4 hours, panic sets in across the team. It’s a RIDICULOUS prospect. We had to stagger them to fill our days fully. And sometimes an actor would be talking to a broom with a sweatshirt on it that bobbed. Anything to finish on time. Brooms don’t need school. So. next film. more brooms in wardrobe perhaps. That said I did audition 4,000 kids across the continent to find these leads. These tiny actors poured their giant souls into the film, and I am indebted to them for a lifetime. What are your plans for distributing the film? Jacob: The million dollar question. If a tree falls in the forest. We happened to make a great fun film that won over audiences and festivals and critics – at the exact same time that the independent film distribution world collapsed. Zac Efron made a film with Richard Linklater and THEY couldn’t get distribution. Unreal. They raised money and released it themselves in theaters. What were we supposed to do?? It cost them more money to release it in 57 theaters than we had to shoot our film. The world is on its butt. We didn’t just need a plan; independent films everywhere needed a new model. While touring the festival circuit an extra year, we built our fan base as I watched the world burn and took notes. And then I came up with an idea. Something radical. We might fail, or we might help a lot of filmmakers. But there are no other solutions yet. We’re going to run an experiment. And a few other films have signed up to be guinea pig with us. The method comes second but as a start – we’re going to help map the land and track the cities to open in first using the “DEMAND IT” feature on the Eventful.com site. If you want to end the tyranny of movies that pander – DEMAND IT. (Click the ‘Demand’ button at Summerhood.com). If you want to see SUMMERHOOD with a hot date – DEMAND IT. If you want Hollywood to make movies YOU want, and not movies THEY think you want – DEMAND IT. We want to come to your theaters. Tell us where to come. Side note: True indie films, and not the studio McLatté look-a-like-indies (the ones that are borrowing hand-drawn titles to fake you out) have the poor but indulgent benefit of being driven by emotional people, and not beholden to the ticker tape trends. These are films by the people for the people. Humor that can cut to the bone, with heart that matters. The world is burning down but it’s an exciting time. Feels like the end of Fight Club, and maybe the beginning of a fresh start for everyone. With star-driven films on the decline and technology letting audiences speak out, it can only benefit the quality of films at every level. Fortunately/unfortunately, it’s time to be exceptional. What was it like to work with fellow VFS grads on Summerhood? Did you make those connections during your time here? What is funny is that I was in Classical Animation and Paul was in Film at VFS. We met when I auditioned for one of his short films. I wanted to prove that animators were actors too. Everyone at VFS helped out on each other’s projects — it was expected, and invaluable. It was like a little artist colony. And it helped cull my autocratic technique, a lonely style which previously had only lead to failure. Teamwork, people. Rub it on your chest. Do you have any upcoming projects you’re working on? Jacob: The circle of it all. I just got hired to write, and then possibly direct, an animated feature. The story is under wraps but I promise you it’s scathing, otherwise it just isn’t worth it to me. Life is short. Say what you want to say. And I’ve finished my next script. Hopefully that’ll go out in the new year. It’ll stab you in the heart and then apologize. Otherwise, we’re really excited and focused on releasing Summerhood, and trying to help put the film distribution world back together so people coming out of school can make films and have them released theatrically. That’s right VFS grads – respect your forebears! It all starts by sharing the trailer – and DEMANDING to see Summerhood. Have fun making your films, VFS. It’ll show. Great success to us all. Thanks, Jacob. Best of luck with Summerhood! Click here to visit the Summerhood website.
As with the first film, Rhythm & Hues provided the animation – after all, the company is particularly renowned for the work it does with animal characters. The film, which opens today, showcases the work of numerous VFS grads by way of R&H – from both Classical Animation and Digital Character Animation, there’s Animation Supervisor Adam Yaniv; from DCA, Technical Animator Nicholas Augello; from Classical Animation, Animator Amy Lu; and from 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Technical Animator Christopher Downs and Digital Compositor Mauricio Monroy.
We’re proud – proud of what our students and alumni accomplished in 2009, proud of their incredible talent, proud of the profound effect they had on the global entertainment industry and beyond. It’s not easy to pick favourite moments of the year. Was it District 9, which truly cemented the VFS community as a creative force to be reckoned with? Or was it those moments that truly inspired us – students shedding light on unrest in Iran, or young women breaking down barriers in the game industry, or emerging filmmakers making a difference in Uganda? 2009. It was big. So big, in fact, that it couldn’t be contained in a blog post. So we’ve put together a page for you: Vancouver Film School in 2009: A Restrospective. It’s a month-by-month celebration of this incredible year – videos we loved, stories and interviews that defined our year, plus alumni credits, trivia… you name it. Check it out: vfs.com/2009 The VFS Blog Team and all of us here at Vancouver Film School wish you and yours a happy, safe holiday season and a very Happy New Year. We’ll still be posting over the holidays, so stay tuned!
The motion design work of Jordan Clarke has a way of finding audiences. And every few months, we discover that we just can’t resist blogging about it. Jordan, whose year in Foundation Visual Art & Design led him to Digital Design, makes ultra-cool video look easy, from the incredible footage of Human Movement and Balloon Flip (both made in Foundation) to his hilarious explanation of Compositing. His most recent work to open eyes ? Box Animation. Don’t let the simple title deceive you – in collaboration with musician Mike Edel, and including cameos by several of his Digital Design classmates, Box Animation perfectly captures Jordan’s skills. Tens of thousands of Vimeo views and countless blog posts later (including Stash Media and the blog of Mike Judge’s The Animation Show) and we’ve got a bonafide hit. Here’s Box Animation in its entirety. Enjoy!
The more trailers we saw for Avatar, the more observers began questioning Cameron’s vision. But the critics are now putting that to rest. Last week in his four-star review, Roger Ebert called it “an extraordinary film.” Avatar‘s world premiere is set for this week, and we can finally see for ourselves. We had Classical Animation and Digital Character Animation grad Michael Cozens, a lead animator on Avatar, in our Main Theatre this past summer to discuss working with 3D stereoscopic tech with students. But the VFS connections don’t stop there – many 3D Animation & Visual Effects grads worked on the film, many out of New Zealand’s renowned Weta Digital: Technical Director Tamir Diab, Layout TD Alfredo Luzardo, Motion Editor Chrystia Siolkowsky, and Animators Aaron Gilman, Ben Sanders, and David Yabu. Congratulations to our alumni who were involved in this groundbreaking new film. We’ll be first in line!
Ben Sanders: “Local Boy Done Good”
They begin their careers in the big film production centres around the world, but our students trace their origins to everywhere imaginable – small towns and big cities around the world. So when they find professional success, they’re often the subject of ”local boy done good” stories in the hometown press.2009: By the Numbers
The Rise of ‘Riese’
We previously blogged about Foundation Visual Art & Design grad Ryan Copple‘s current web series project Riese. A lot has happened since then, including some great media coverage:
With a creative team that also includes Writing grads Miguel Valdez Lopez and Alyssa Cicarelli, four episodes have been posted so far. The final episode of Chapter One goes live on January 4, 2010, followed by a Chapter Two launch in February.A Doctor, A Detective
To wrap up this incredible year of film releases featuring the talent and hard work of alumni, there are two more movies that opened yesterday.The Demands of ‘Summerhood’
Classical Animation grad Jacob Medjuck has created quite a path in his career so far, leapfrogging from animation to acting to directing-producing-writing and editing.
That said — it lifts me right up to see the film in a theatre with a wild audience. Summerhood really is a film for the people, not a film for the math; where a company says, “trends suggest that people want to see vampire dogs.” And the film is connecting, likely because it was truly born of frustration.
Summerhood has a fairly young cast. What was it like working with kids on a film set? 
Jacob: Immensely satisfying. [Film Production grad] Paul McNeill is a great producer, and we met at VFS. What it means to have a great producing partner is this: Paul had my back even when he disagreed with my decisions, and that is rare. Filmmaking can get messy, especially with a tight budget in a tighter time frame with egos crossing. Paul absorbed any brewing frustrations on set and created none. That is the job of a producer. The hot potato of bruised ego has to stop somewhere.
Animating a Squeakuel
When you call something a “Squeakuel,” there had better be animated rodents involved. Fortunately, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel is guaranteed to deliver.2009: A Look Back at an Incredible Year
If you come here often, you know the kind of year 2009 was for VFS. ”Banner year” doesn’t begin to describe it.Animation… Boxed
Avatar: “An Extraordinary Film”
Twelve years in the making. Technology pushed to the absolute edge. Excitement. Doubt. That’s James Cameron’s Avatar.