There’s lots of wrapping up still to do for Game Design Expo 2009, but here’s a quick one: VFS 3D Animation & Visual Effects grad Scott Dossett, Epic Games Senior Animator (mega-blockbuster games Gears of War and Gears of War 2) and Game Design Expo speaker, was interviewed by NextGen Player, and the result is now up for all to read.
What a weekend! Game Design Expo 2009 saw game industry professionals and enthusiasts from across North America converge in Vancouver, BC February 7 and 8 for a sold-out schedule of lively talks and panel discussions. Keynote speaker Clint Hocking (Ubisoft) gave the packed house an exhilarating start to Saturday’s Industry Speaker Day. His ambitious and provocative presentation, The Next Generation of Player, set the tone for the rest of the day’s exciting lineup: “Today I’m not going to talk about the formal aspects of game design. Today I’m going to talk about the future of game design.” He led the audience through a rapid-fire rundown of console history, leading us to an impending “massive demographic shift” and the question that should be on every game designer’s mind: who is Generation Y? The keynote gave way to a day that ran the gamut from far-reaching explorations of how games are designed and played to behind-the-scenes looks at hit titles like Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2, from abandoned concepts to audition footage. On the event’s second day, VFS’s Game Design campus opened its doors to more than 400 registrants in a free, day-long Open House. Aspiring game designers and their families were treated to a hands-on slate of sample classes, interactive gameplay, and exclusive industry presentations, which featured a special Women in Games Panel and scholarship announcement. Thanks to all of our event sponsors for helping to make this event such a success: G4techTV, EA, Ubisoft, Annex Pro, Big Fish Games, Obsidian Entertainment, Radical Entertainment, The Georgia Straight, Biz Books, Vancouver Siggraph, Women in Games International, Vancouver, and TechVibes. Here are some photo highlights from Industry Speaker Day on Saturday: And some from the Open House on Sunday:
We’ve looked at how the game industry is affected by the world economy, but what about the local film and television industry here in BC? Global BC laid it all out in a recent broadcast. And it looks like the local film industry can survive – and even thrive – in the current economic climate. Check it out:
That’s the question we asked when we started compiling The Game Industry: Now & in the Future, a report on the state of the game industry which also features the results of our VFS Game Design Graduate Survey, covering job satisfaction, earnings, and more. The report finds that game designers and industry observers remain extremely optimistic about the game industry’s long-term health. And we learn that 84% of our Game Design grads are currently employed in the game industry, and 93% enjoy their jobs, among many other findings – encouraging news! Click here to download the full report in PDF format.
The play’s been met with acclaim, especially for Naomi’s performance – Vancouver weekly paper The Westender called her a “bright spot” and said that “she infuses the character with lovely doses of defiance and vigour.” The story follows a five-year relationship told in opposite directions, almost entirely in song. It ends its run at the Jericho Arts Centre this week and tickets are selling fast, so this is the last chance to check it out. Tickets for the two remaining shows – Tuesday, February 10 and Wednesday, February 11 – are $18 for adults and $16 for students. For more info and tickets, visit last5yearsVancouver.com. Of course, producing a play is no small feat, and Naomi gushes about the support she’s gotten from VFS: “All along the way everyone at VFS has been a huge support to me, from the marketing team who helped with the poster design and sponsored the printing, to moral support and encouragement, and mentorship from [Acting for Film & Television Head] Bill [Marchant]. “ Naomi, who’s acted in film and television (including a recent guest spot on Stargate Atlantis), mounted the play because she “missed the thrill of live performance.” “Alisa Kort teaches ‘Performance of Singing’ at VFS,” she explains. “It was one of my favourite classes when I was a student. It’s not about how well you sing or about hitting the notes, it’s about telling a story through song. I knew from the moment I decided to do this play that the focus had to be about telling the story. Otherwise, it would be two actors making some nice music, and wouldn’t have much of an impact on the audience.”
Now he’s breaking into the sound side of the industry. We first mentioned Craig when Hail Mary, a film he helped do the sound design for, premiered at the New York City International Independent Film and Video Festival. Since graduating in 2007, Craig has been racking up credits in TV and film, freelancing as a Sound Designer through Rain City Sound – a company he started with fellow Sound Design grad Chris Ray – and as an Assistant Foley Artist for Boardwalk Foley, where he works with award-winning Foley artists Cam Wagoner and Shane Shemko, walking minor characters and backgrounds, and gathering props that he thinks they can use. So far, he’s worked on episodes of The Guard, Sanctuary, and Stargate Atlantis, as well as numerous movies of the week (MOWs). “VFS gives a good grounding in a lot of different areas of sound design. As far as Foley goes, they teach the theory quite well,” Craig says. “But it’s a long road to walk to get really good at it … Generally, I look at every opportunity I have to work with Boardwalk as continued education … I love it and hope that I can continue to have the good fortune of working with them.” “I still work as a journalist and … as a portrait photographer. If a good book comes along, I will help publish it,” says Craig. “But I never had it in me to work full time as a reporter … I recently spent a week researching and writing a 1,000 word article for the Vancouver Sun. They paid me the princely sum of $200 for it. So, sound design will be what I do full-time. More than anything I want to love what I do for money. So, that’s it. I focus on learning and becoming good at things that I love. It’s starting to pay off.”
Discover sound editing, field recording, Foley, game audio, and cutting-edge software in our one-year Sound Design for Visual Media program. Join us for our Sound Design Open House on March 18, 2009, to find out how. At this hands-on evening at our Sound Design campus, you will: - Learn about our acclaimed one-year program - Participate in an interactive recording session, a very popular feature from the last Sound Design Open House - Meet Head of Department Robert Grieve (Zoolander, The Big Chill), Supervising Sound Editor on over 65 films - Explore VFS’s state-of-the-art Sound Design campus VFS Sound Design for Visual Media Open House Register for this Open House at vfs.com/openhouse or call 604.631.3591. Hope to see you there!
Inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s most memorable roles in My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Roman Holiday, Suhyang designed the three sub-brands of Eliza, Holly, and Ann and their packaging to appeal to urban working women “for whom the bathroom is a relaxing and sophisticated retreat”. Sounds positively posh, eh? If only it were real… See more images of Suhyang’s Isola designs and other student work at the Digital Design branding page.
Film grads Chris Levesque, Anthony Epp, Dave Charles, and Tyler McPherson have all secured jobs with the help of EBM (and sometimes Film Production) instructor Shel Piercy. Chris was brought on as the assistant for Shel’s company Infinity Films, where he’s producing the 2009 Canadian Business Hall of Fame Awards, shooting the mini-docs for Global TV’s Courage to Come Back Awards, and helping develop the documentary Room 1742 and the feature film Unquiet Dead – both of which will go to camera this fall. Anthony was hired by Shel to produce a feature length documentary about violence in hockey and the “code” players fight by, called Unspoken Rules, which will go to camera this April. “I hire VFS kids because I know that their education is well-rounded,” says Shel. “They can use a camera, load footage into an edit suite, and they are familiar with releases and set practices. And because I have been privileged to be their instructor, I am familiar with their strong work ethic and reliability.” And Shel’s not just keeping his knowledge to himself. Shel recommended Dave for a research position at Paperny Films, which grew into an AD position on the company’s new series Chop Shop, and also gave Tyler a recommendation for a job as a grip on a new comedy pilot that was shot by producer Cynthia Chapman (The Guard) for CBC. And that’s the way the VFS network works. We help one another out, and everyone wins!
Covering communication design, interactive and web design, motion design, and video production, our world-class, one-year program is geared toward giving you all the tools you need to find the best solutions for your industry clients, to prepare you for life as a professional designer. The results are everywhere – from the award-winning portfolios our students have produced to the great design jobs they’ve landed – and at the Open House, you’ll be able to see firsthand what it took to achieve those results. You’ll also have the chance to – - Meet Head of Department Sebastien de Castell and key faculty members, and hear about the philosophy and curriculum of Digital Design at VFS - Experience the interactive revolution with our multi-touch display – imagine the technology of a 27-inch iPhone – built in the school’s own labs - Talk with students and graduates about life during and after the program - See examples of student work that will both challenge and inspire you Digital Design Open House Register for this Open House at vfs.com/openhouse or 604.631.3590.
Game Design Expo 2009 a Hit!
This was a triumph
We’re making a note here -
“Huge success.”
State of the B.C. Film & TV Industry
The Game Industry: A Report
With world economies in turmoil, what’s the outlook for the video game industry?The Last Five Years – The Last 2 Days!
Acting for Film & Television grad Naomi Dayneswood produced and is starring in a Vancouver production of the hit Broadway musical The Last Five Years.Breaking into the Sound Biz
Sound Design grad Craig Carpenter had already established himself in the written and visual side of the entertainment arts industry before enrolling at VFS: Among other things, he’d been a freelance journalist and portrait photographer, worked for a radio station and a publishing house, and authored two published books.Sound Design Open House, March 18
Behind every great moment in film, TV, and video games is a sound designer crafting everything you hear.
Wednesday, March 18, 6pm
Sound Design Campus
1380 Burrard St. (3rd floor)Grad Featured on HOW Magazine
Capturing the style of Audrey Hepburn isn’t easy, but HOW Magazine agrees that Digital Design grad Suhyang Jung has done a fantastic job of conveying the elegance of three of the star’s most famous movie counterparts. HOW has named Suhyang a winner of a How Promotion Design Award for Student Promotions for her final project, Isola Bath & Beauty, a “Living Like Audrey Hepburn”-themed design for a fictional line of bath products.Working the VFS Network
Some students who come to VFS see it as a year-long job interview. It’s entirely plausible, given the well-connected industry professionals they have for instructors.Digital Design Open House, March 4
If you have an eye for design, now’s your chance to see all the great things you can do with it, at our Digital Design Open House, on Wednesday, March 4.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
6pm – 8pm
VFS Café
390 West Hastings St.
(Corner of Homer & Hastings)