Visitors to TheSuperVillain.com will find a new — and consistently weird — comic posted every weekday. You can catch Classical Animation grad Mike Geiger‘s work on Tuesdays, when his “Stump” series is usually posted alongside the other talented artists he’s joined up with to create an online home for comic artistry.
How did TheSuperVillain.com come together?
Mike: The site was created as a little place to bring together a few artists and friends with an appreciation for each other, and just try to do something for the enjoyment of creating artwork.
What’s the goal of this project?
Mike: The goal of the site for us is really just to be able to bounce off of one another’s achievements and hopefully create an inspiring place to visit online, whether it be for us or anyone else visiting the site for the first time.
Thanks, Mike. Good luck with the site!
Click here to visit TheSuperVillain.com.
Left to right: Students Alonso Castillo, Natasha Hall, and Amy Roy, with Maria Jacquemetton, Anne Beatts, and Michael Baser Last week, the VFS Writing for Film & Television program had the pleasure of hosting two true TV luminaries: Anne Beatts, who wrote for Saturday Night Live during its heady early days, and Maria Jacquemetton, writer and co-executive producer of AMC’s Mad Men. Both Emmy-winning women are members of our Writing Advisory Board, and were on hand for a few days to visit the program and spend some quality time with students. Four of those students had the chance to get to know them over lunch. This is student Natasha Hall’s take on that one-of-a-kind experience. Guest Post by Natasha Hall Leading up to the lunch, both Anne and Maria held a panel where they shared their experiences and stressed the importance of thinking outside of the box. Consider your unique qualities. Of the many trying to become a Writer’s Assistant, how many tap dance, speak various languages, or even play basketball? It’s those unique skills that will distinguish you, especially if you tailor your job searches. So, if basketball is something you know well, try to get onto a sports show, make those contacts, and then maneuver yourself to where you actually intended. Bottom line, Anne and Maria stressed that all experience is valid. Then, before I knew it, Sunday’s panel became Monday’s lunch and I was thrilled to sit down with these two prolific writers. As the conversation went on, both spoke about how they had years of “down time,” when their careers may have been at a standstill and yet both continued to write through the hiatus. This also meant that they remained in contact with their writing friends, providing and giving feedback on various projects. So, when Matthew Weiner got the green light for Mad Men, Maria and her husband, Andre Jacquemetton, were some of the very first people Matthew decided to contact. After the lunch, both women held in-class information sessions and conducted one-on-one talks. I happened to be in Anne’s sketch class, and there we wrote commercial parodies. We also spoke about Anne’s experience with censorship while on SNL and how that censorship has changed and morphed over the years. Her sentiment – comedy shouldn’t be censored because subjects that remain taboo also remain empowered. The entire week, simply put, was an eye-opening conversation that made many of our goals seem just a bit more tangible. Thanks to Anne, Maria, and VFS for hosting such an incredible week. It was a great opportunity to gain insight into the business from two women who are making strides! Check out some photos from Anne and Maria’s visit on the VFS Flickr profile.
The spotlight shines brightest on their final projects – complete games that small teams of Game Design students create as the centrepieces of their portfolios – but before they go all-out in those last two terms, they’ve already experienced a full development cycle by creating a Flash game, from initial concept and gameplay to art and sound. It’s a process that’s resulted in dozens of standout student Flash games, and that list definitely includes Tideturner, a fast-paced sidescroller that has players controlling water levels to guide a jetski-riding character past marine obstacles and through hapless civilians. Tideturner was a hit at the VFS booth at this year’s PAX in Seattle, and this fall the team sold it to MaxGames for a modest sum. So, for Nick Yonge, Darryl Spratt, Luis Melgar, and Jack Nilssen, Tideturner wasn’t just a great hands-on development experience – it was a firsthand introduction to the business of indie games. We had the chance to talk to Nick about the game’s genesis and the experience of its development and sale. Nick: In our first meeting, we had to create a high concept, and though some of our initial ideas were pretty different from Tideturner, we all liked the idea of a fast-paced game where the character is always moving. After we decided to try our hand at programming a water physics system, we eventually narrowed our design down to what Tideturner is now. Even though the game was sold to MaxGames, you still have the rights to the Tideturner IP. Any sequel plans? Nick: Yes and no. After graduation, all members of our team have gone our separate ways to try and fulfill our own agendas. However, we’re still all in contact, and the idea of Tideturner 2 is pretty amusing to us. We’re not sure when development might be, but it’s pretty likely that the game will see a second iteration. Has this experience – both the game’s development and the sale to MaxGames given you any new insight into the market for casual games? Something you know now that you didn’t know before? Nick: Quite a bit. We all learned a lot from the Flash course, both in dealing with the Flash engine and designing a video game – in our year at Game Design, the Flash project is the first “full” game experience we create from start to finish. As far as the game’s sale is concerned, I handled most of the negotiations with MaxGames and other potential buyers and relayed that information to the team. The experience was invaluable, especially learning how exactly the bidding process through FlashGameLicense.com – the site used to sell Tideturner - operates. I’m now an indie Flash developer, and the knowledge I got from that experience was great. Plus, student life is tough, and a couple extra bucks is a nice bonus! Play Tideturner at MaxGames.com Play more Flash games created by VFS Game Design students Want to see what else Tideturner’s creators have done, and what they’re up to now? Visit their websites: Nick Yonge, Darryl Spratt, Luis P. Melgar, Jack Nilssen
3D Animation & Visual Effects grad Christian Smith must have been excited to wake up to the news today; early this morning his VFS student short, The Room, cracked 1 million views on YouTube! Currently working in Brazilian television as an Animator and Generalist, Christian is obviously quite happy with the exposure his work has been receiving: “It does feel great when such a huge amount of people get to see one’s work,” Christian says. “It means they relate to it in a way, which I think is the best reward an artist can have.” After The Room was first uploaded to VFS’s YouTube channel in August of 2008, it took less than a month to reach 100,000 views and was subsequently featured in YouTube’s worldwide Animation category. It has kept growing in popularity since then and we’re very much looking forward to the next milestone. 2 million? Check out The Room embedded below, or visit our YouTube channel for more amazing student work.
Projects like the interdepartmental Comic Book Collaboration between the Writing for Film & Television and Foundation Visual Art & Design programs has been quite successful, both as an opportunity for students to broaden their skill sets and as a way to make important contacts that may be called upon after graduation. This initiative was spearheaded by Writing instructor Kesley Kirvan who recognized the student demand in both programs to learn more about the process of creating comics. As a self-described “comic book geek” who originally became a writer because of his love for the form, Kelsey helped develop a course that would allow the more visually-minded Foundation students to work together with the narrative-centric Writing students. Goals of the Project “What we wanted to do was integrate visual communication with written communication,” says Kelsey. “And that has a lot of benefits outside of just writing for comics. It teaches the Writing students how to, in a very concrete form, express visual ideas using words, and it teaches the Foundation students how to communicate ideas through visual information.” “We’ve had some really good successes with it. My personal favourite part of it, as a Co-Editor with [Foundation instructor] Chad Costen, is when I see an anthology volume that is something that would make me stop in a comics store and pick it up and flip through it. And we’re getting stuff that is that cool.” Chad admits that, compared to Kelsey, he wasn’t as well-versed in comics, but that he is a “die-hard Spider-Man fan” and has been drawing for as long as he can remember. “I think our hope was that, through setting out to make an anthology collection in each term with very different and original stories,” says Chad, “the students would learn to develop their writing and drawing skills (respectively) and end up producing something that would really show off their combined talents.” How it All Comes Together The process begins separately in the two departments. By the second class, the Writing students are pitching their story concepts to Foundation students in a speed-dating atmosphere. Foundation students respond to the ideas that speak to their interests, and for the next two classes, the writer-artist teams work to develop each story. While the Foundation artists are working to finalize the visuals, the writers go on to write a full 22-page comic script for their own portfolio. The finished product will be used as a jumping off point for each student to delve into the comic industry after graduation. The Student Perspective Now VFS graduates, Paola Ferrari (Writing) and Jamie Mathieson (Foundation/current Classical Animation student) teamed up to create a graphic throwback to the Jack the Ripper tale. but with a twist. “Jackie originated from a very simple idea,” says Paola. “What if Jack the Ripper was a woman? ‘Jackie’ is the story of a prostitute who’s driven by insanity after a violent attack from her fellow sisters in arms. Her story is told from the point of view of Max, a Scotland Yard detective who falls in love with her, not knowing that she is the killer he is hunting.” “Working with Jamie was amazing. He’s the most talented artist I’ve ever met. He had a very clear idea of how Jackie should look, how the city should look, how the panels should be laid out to create that film noir atmosphere we were going for. After he presented me with – no joke – over 16 fully lined and coloured sketches after our first meeting, well, drafting the script was a piece of cake!” The resulting comic (partially represented throughout this story) is a gruesome mystery that both can be proud of, and just one of many developed through this initiative. We’re looking forward to see the next batch! Many thanks to Kelsey, Chad, Paola, and Jamie for their thoughts. We hope to see everyone’s work in a comic book store soon!
By chance, they’ve both landed in Vancouver – Josh at Pixar Canada and Yuta at Image Engine - which meant they could reconnect with their former school for a guest talk this week. In reality, it was more of a casual Q&A and fireside chat, a chance to share their experiences from the perspective of pros who were once in today’s 3D students’ shoes. “Hopefully you guys can ask any question,” Josh began. And those questions ranged greatly: the two touched on demo reels, the state of the industry, who’s hiring, working internationally, contracts versus staff jobs, small studios versus big ones – their war stories and advice gleaned from their years in the field. As a self-described “nomad”, Josh has seen the value of the professional network he created at VFS, and that was something the pair emphasized early and often: take advantage of this opportunity, make the most of your time here, and remember that it’s about people. 3D is a competitive industry, he explained – “There’s a lot of people out there who want to do what you do” – so it’s important to turn an environment like VFS into an advantage. Yuta agreed. “At school, when you look around right now, you have connections all of a sudden.” Throughout their year at VFS, they both supported and pushed each other. It made for better reels and was, in some respects, their first taste of a close-knit industry where relationships matter. They also discussed the industry in Vancouver and worldwide. It’s no coincidence they’re both in town now: after years of commercial work, Yuta wanted to move on to big films. Those opportunities are available in Vancouver. Josh, who’d experienced the gradual slowdown in Los Angeles and the boom in London, sees this city as a rising star in 3D. “Now it seems like Vancouver’s the next one.”
That’s a lot of kudos, and 3D Animation & Visual Effects grad and Tangled Supervising Animator Lino DiSalvo was a big part of the team that made it happen. Lino graduated from VFS in 1998 (in the same class as Neill Blomkamp, as a matter of fact) and has been with Disney for 12 years now. His last feature was Bolt, for which he also voiced Vinnie the Pigeon. In an interview with the LA Times late last month, Lino shed a little light on the process that went into Tangled‘s two principal animal characters, Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the horse. Full text here – check it out! Update: Also on the Disney team who brought us Tangled: 3D grad Serguei Kalentchouk, who’s working on feature films after many years in the game industry, was the Character TD responsible for Maximus! Update #2: They just keep coming! We’d also like to send a shout-out to Classical Animation grad John Wong, an Animator on the film, and fellow grad Jessica Chan, who did a stint Tangled as well! Trailery goodness for Tangled:
Accepted wisdom is that live animals and children spell disaster for any filmmaker. Leave it to Film Production student Isaac Carter to put that to the test… in a period film, no less. But that’s what the Independent Project – a relatively recent addition in the ever-evolving program – is about. It encourages exploration and discovery by putting as much control into the hands of the student as possible. As the year in Film Production goes on and projects get more complex, students tend to specialize – but this means they can realize their own vision early on. “All types of films came from the class, especially since 26 films were made,” Isaac says. Isaac with one of his stars. Pendant is a short film about a 1750s Highlander who’s surprised to find himself caring for the granddaughter he never knew existed. As the unlikely pair bonds, the girl is stolen, spurring the man to don his battle gear and head off in pursuit. “I came to Vancouver Film School to direct films that I would want to see, many of which are period-oriented,” he explains. “The idea that we were allowed to steer the direction of what we wanted to learn was both a frightening and liberating feeling.” That’s not to say he didn’t know all about the pitfalls – something that was driven home whenever he pitched his idea. “Understandably, I got more than a few raised eyebrows,” he says. But Isaac was undaunted. “First came script, then came set, then came all the other little pieces that make the film a legitimate period-looking film.” If anything, Pendant is something of a triumph of production design – requiring a scratch-built set that could convey the setting, including an aged Scottish roundhouse. “I thought for a long time on how to accomplish this, whether it was by using movie trickery and using flats, pre-made structures, even a studio. In the end, I decided to take the most direct route, and one that I believed I could accomplish – to make it as real as it could be.” Isaac set to assembling the manpower needed to build everything he needed – including a 20-foot tree they cut from the yard they were building in to serve as the main beam. “From there ,we were able to scrounge smaller pieces ranging from 11 to 16 feet to act as the roof. The concept was basically to create a teepee and secure it with a wall underneath.” “After days of dirty, scary labour we finally got the finished product, something that one of our instructors called ‘a $100,000 set’ all done within a budget of $500.” “Saying that, I’m proud of it all. For the first drama I have done, I’m glad I did such a grand project and was able to learn the copious amount that I did.” “Taking on a large project like Pendant was without a doubt a brilliant opportunity for me,” he says. “I find it odd when students want to make films about what I call ‘boy and girl talking in apartment’. If I’m going to make a film, regardless of what it is, I’m going to make it awesome in every single manner I can. It doesn’t take a lot of money, either. It takes dedication, vision, and most importantly- contacts. You would be amazed at who’s keen to invest their time and energy in making your movie.” To see behind the scenes of Pendant – with a focus on the horse scenes – check out this slideshow:
Never come between a monkey and his banana. This is the message Jeff Merkel is sending out to the world with his hilarious – and bizarre – spoof of big-budget revenge movies. For his final project in 3D Animation & Visual Effects, he went big and created an epic trailer for a totally ridiculous movie concept. Check out the finished video for yourself first. Fun, right? Ambitious too. Given that VFS students are always working under the gun and have to learn to balance big dreams with production realities — just like it is in the real world — we wanted to know how Jeff was able to not only complete, but perfectly nail the look, tone, and pacing of this silly, silly trailer. He’s been kind enough to provide us with a detailed look behind the scenes of the creation of “Le B’anana.” Hi, Jeff. Could we start off with a little bit about you? What drew you to animation? To be honest, I never really saw myself doing animation. I’ve been drawing my whole life and I’ve noticed it really helps with posing, which is key for any animator. Animation seems hard at first and I know it’s an intimidating thing for a lot of people just starting out. I didn’t even know I had a good ‘feel’ for it until my instructor told me so. I found that I enjoyed the actual process of animation more than anything else we were learning so I stuck with it. What kind of experience did you have with 3D software and techniques before VFS? Jeff: None. I came in fresh with really only a basic understanding of how to zoom and pan in Maya. The first couple months were tough as a result, but I owe a LOT to my classmates for the help I received on a daily basis. Can you explain how the concept for Le B’anana came about?
It marks another milestone in a banner season for Sound Design for Visual Media grad Jordan Fehr, too. As a freelance sound designer based in the U.S., he did the SFX for the XBLA title Super Meat Boy, which is both highly acclaimed and brutally hard – the recipe for a lasting cult classic. On Donkey Kong Country Returns, he contributed his talents as a sound effects designer. A great couple of months!
Guest Post: Lunch with Two Emmy-Winning Writers
Student, Writing for Film & Television 
When Head of Writing Michael Baser pulled me aside to tell me that I was going to have lunch with executive producer Maria Jacquemetton of Mad Men and comedy writer Anne Beatts of SNL, my first reaction was “What you talking ’bout, Willis?” But once he assured me that it wasn’t some cruel prank, I was honoured to share that experience with three of my peers: Amy Roy, Alonso Castillo, and Bobby Henwood.
One area of curiosity posed to Anne and Maria – What are the positives of having a writing partner? One, you have someone to bounce the “stupid” ideas off of, and two, the best ideas are usually a synthesis. For Mad Men, Maria and her husband tend to break up the episode by A, B, and C storylines. One person will go off and work on just the A story and the other will go off and work on the B and C storylines. However, Anne and her writing partner write everything together. They sit in a room and hash out all the details until done.Tideturner: Flash Game Jumps from VFS to Browsers
How did Tideturner come about initially?The Room Hits 1 Million Views on YouTube
Writing and Foundation Team Up in Comics Collaboration
Departments at VFS are constantly looking for ways to spur collaborative experiences for students, in and out of the classroom.
Each team creates a 4-5 page teaser, or “cold open” (to borrow an expression from television), and all the teasers are compiled into an anthology volume with every other team. Each department is currently looking at ways to get these anthologies out into the public world.
“I have been reading comics from a very early age,” says Jamie. “When I met Paola, she had her vision set right away, but didn’t know how to translate that from the written word to visuals. I am studying to become a storyboard artist, and I have drawn many comics in my own time, so we were able to connect very well.”Homecoming for Pixar, Image Engine Artists
As professionals, Josh Herrig and Yuta Shimizu have travelled the world, working as far afield as Germany, London, LA, and Toronto. But the two – friends since orientation day in 3D Animation & Visual Effects five years ago - have a way of ending up in the same place.
Josh’s recent credits include lighting and look dev on films like Iron Man 2 and Clash of the Titans (the Kraken). Yuta’s work is even more varied, spanning commercials (one of his reel’s highlights is a gorgeous manta ray sequence for a Visa spot), TV series, and film.
3D Grad Was Supervising Animator on Tangled
Critics are heralding Tangled as another major milestone for Disney – the reimagined Rapunzel has a tough act to follow in last year’s fine The Princess and the Frog, especially among old-school animation fans, but by all it accounts it’s an excellent film in its own right. “I don’t feel like writing a review of Tangled. I feel like throwing it a parade.” That was the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “An uncommonly pretty visual experience,” says the Washington Post.Film Student Takes on the Impossible in Pendant
The film itself is a major point or pride, but the hard work that went into set construction may be Pendant‘s crowning achievement. “Being able to get the compliment of ‘this is an amazing set’ by everyone who arrives really drives home the feeling that you have done something both unique and challenging,” he says. And he wasn’t the only one who benefited. For several weeks, the set was still standing in Coquitlam, just outside Vancouver. ”One of the greatest parts of making this film was that two other classes since have been able to make use of the set.”Peeling Back the Layers on 3D Grad’s “Le B’anana”
Jeff: I come from a creative background, from drawing comic books to traditional painting and sculpture. That was my thing.Donkey Kong Country Returns
In a year that’s seen a number of very respectable remakes, reboots, and reimaginings of classic games, Donkey Kong Country Returns might be one of the best. The Wii exclusive now in the hands of developer Retro Studios (Metroid Prime) is drawing rave reviews ahead of tomorrow’s North American release.