What are we looking forward to in May Lots.
Here’s a quick overview of the films, games, and TV shows that we’re most excited about this month. Why? Every week, there’s something awesome coming out that also has that unmistakable stamp: VFS Grads Were Here.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
More to come!
The Electric Playground was on the scene at Game Design Expo 2010. Check out the following video for their interview with Head of Game Design Dave Warfield. The two-day game industry extravaganza garnered a ton of media attention, and we kept an eye on all of it. As expected, Industry Speaker Day was a smash success. Some attendees used Twitter to let everyone know what was happening moment-to-moment. We saved all the Game Design Expo 2010-related tweets — you can read them here. We’ve also compiled the following media articles that preceded and followed this year’s event. Browse through and see how the media and game industry responded to Game Design Expo 2010. Georgia Straight Vancouver Courier Future Shop Tech Blog GameFocus.ca Techvibes Game Architecture Village Gamer NextGen Player Gamasutra Edge Online Gaming Angels Women Gamers To learn more about Game Design Expo, visit GameDesignExpo.com.
VFS 3D Animation & Visual Effects grad Neill Blomkamp, who directed and co-wrote last summer’s District 9, has made the list, which was revealed today. Neill sits at #16 under Artists, in between Elton John and Simon Cowell, and, perhaps most notably, 9 spots ahead of James Cameron. The accompanying writeup about Neill is by none other than Ridley Scott, who calls him a “game-changing filmmaker.” Check out the complete 2010 TIME 100 list here. Congratulations, Neill!
The 2010 Summer Intensive Programs, beginning in July, give you the chance to spend 5 days with us, learning from our top instructors, in one of 9 intense and fun programs. Each Summer Intensive’s curriculum is carefully designed to give you a valuable educational experience, and Summer Intensive fees can be applied toward your VFS tuition if you choose to pursue a full-time program. Week-long programs include Acting, Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Design, Film Production, Foundation Visual Art & Design, Game Design, Makeup Design, Sound Design, and Writing. Last year’s Summer Intensives were a huge hit, attracting students from 18 countries around the world. It was a great time, and participants forged lasting connections while getting an exclusive sneak peek at what VFS is all about. Seats are very limited! (Our Film Production Intensive has already sold out, but if you’re hoping to join us for that program, we highly recommend signing up to the waiting list – more on that soon.) Find out more about the 2010 VFS Summer Intensives and register now at vfs.com/summer2010. Extra! We’re giving one Twitter user a chance to join us for our Digital Design Intensive for free! To find out more about our Tweet for a Seat competition, visit vfs.com/tweet!
“There is an incredible amount of talent and an unending supply of passion in this industry,” says Game Design grad Brian Vidovic. “But somehow there is still a perceived gap between a gamer and a social being.” That’s why Brian’s starting a new venture, EXP Entertainment, with the aim of putting the “party” back into “party game.” The first big event happened last week – we were happy to be a sponsor – at the VFS Café here in Vancouver. It was called the Gaming Night of Awesome, and it lived up to its name. The night featured tournaments, a Rock Band competition, and good, old-fashioned grown-up fun (meaning there was a bar). Photo by Miko Wilson (noobvancity.blogspot.com) We’ve written about Brian a few times, mostly because he parlayed his year at VFS (and his role as one-fifth of the student team behind the game Bloom) into a job as a mission designer at Radical, where he worked on last year’s Prototype. But now EXP Entertainment is his full-time gig – the Gaming Night of Awesome was just the first salvo. “EXP Entertainment is about building a community of awesomeness,” he told us after the first event. “It was created to appeal to the social tastes of the gamer. We’ve grown up with games and love to share our experiences with others. EXP aims to give gamers the social scene they want.” “The average age of the gamer in Canada is 35 and EXP understands this. We are looking to cater to the tastes of mature gamers that have grown up with games and selected them as their medium of choice.” All right. But it begs the question – what happened to the whole game design thing? Brian’s career just began less than three years ago. “I haven’t lost my passion for game design in the slightest,” he explains. “In a way, crafting these events is much like creating a game. Initial concept, finding the ‘X’ of what makes it cool, reward systems, replayability… The reason I chose to pursue this full-time is that I believe in the power of the community that I see in Vancouver and beyond.” Photo by Sander Dijk It’s a lot smaller than, say, a PAX, but the purpose is the same – to bring people together. ”There are movie theaters where you can go and watch a movie with hundreds of other people. There is no place where you can go and enjoy a social environment while gaming with hundreds of other people. There are tournaments that go on for fighting games sometimes, but why not other games? There are industry mixers happening, but why are they without the gaming component?” So, with the Gaming Night of Awesome behind us (check out this Village Gamer writeup), Brian’s looking ahead. But not before some shoutouts: “I want to thank the entire EXP team of volunteers. It wouldn’t have worked without your assistance and dedication. Also a big thanks to all of our sponsors who gave us the prizes, the TVs, and the venue to make it all come together as nicely as it did.” “Keep an eye out for future EXP events – they’ll be spreading like wildfire,” he promises. “A fire that happens to originate from a dragon. That is, a dragon that is part of an intergalactic race of Space-Dragons sent to Earth to show us the true meaning of laser-powered awesome!” EXP – official site
Last year’s summer camp for Teens (ages 13-16) was a huge success and promises to be even better this July, when we’ll also be offering a rare opportunity for Pre-Teens (ages 9-12) to experience the VFS Acting for Film & Television program’s approach to the craft. In a fun and exciting workshop environment lead by top youth acting coach, Mattie Shisko, both groups will work on basic acting fundamentals, audition techniques, improvisation, and much more! Each participant will also receive a DVD of their on-camera work performed during the week. To find out more about each summer camp and how to register, visit vfs.com/summercamps.
Makeup Design for Film & Television instructor Linda Gill-Crone is the very definition of a professional makeup artist. Behind her stories of on-set mayhem and hilarious celebrity encounters is a diverse and successful career that began in Canada in the ’70s. The many film and TV credits she brought with her when she joined VFS three years ago include Alive, Johnny Mnemonic, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Adventures in Babysitting, and Road to Avonlea. It’s no secret that the faculty in Makeup Design is second to none – the collective experience from top to bottom is absolutely staggering, and Linda is no exception. Now, as an instructor in the program, she gets to share her expertise – and anecdotes – with a new generation of artists. So here it is: A Faculty Spotlight on Makeup Design Instructor Linda Gill-Crone. What do you do in the Makeup Design program here? I teach colour theory and oil painting. I have painted all my life. Painting ties in so well with being a makeup artist. How did you break in as a professional makeup artist, and what sorts of projects have you worked on? Linda: I began my career in Toronto over 35 years ago. I apprenticed with George Abbott, a well-known Canadian makeup artist – he was Anne Murray’s makeup artist for many years. I also studied with Jack Medhurst. I received a Canada Arts Council Grant to study special makeup effects in Los Angeles with Tom Burman and his family. His son Barney just received an Academy Award in makeup for Star Trek. When I was there, I helped work on Buckaroo Banzai and Star Trek III. Out of your filmography, is there something that you’re especially proud of, or particularly good stories to tell? Linda: I have worked on so many interesting films and with such amazing actors and crew. I was most fortunate to have worked with Marlon Brando on a film called Christopher Columbus: The Discovery. He was such a wonderful person, and definitely a high point in my career. Another highlight was on a film called Nobody Makes Me Cry, with Elizabeth Taylor and Carol Burnett. I worked with George Abbott, who I first studied with – he did their makeup, I did [Taylor's] nails. She had removed her false nails and had to have them put back on to match a scene… so in the rush, I crazy-glued our fingers together. “Oh well,” she said, “You can be my friend in the restaurant scene with me.” Well, I tripped over a stand and ended up in Tom Cruise’s lap. He was very surprised, to say the least, and wanted to help me. All I wanted to do was get up and out of there as fast as I could. Having managed to also scrape the whole side of my leg in the fall, I limped away totally embarrassed. What excites you most about teaching at VFS? Linda: It is so rewarding to be able to share some of my years of knowledge and experience with the students. I love to see them arrive in class not knowing what it’s all about, and see them grow in confidence, from that first application with shaking hands, to graduation day, so full of knowledge, hands no longer shaking, ready to step out and make their mark. Find out more about Linda Gill-Crone:
Students from the Writing, Film Production, and Entertainment Business Management programs listened in as Niv told the war stories behind making films like Blindness, The Red Violin, and Passchendaele. He’s worked closely with Canadian actor-writer-director Don McKeller on a number of occasions, but most recently on the “rockudrama” This Movie is Broken, which blends live concert footage of Broken Social Scene with a fictional storyline weaved throughout. The project was conceived and executed on a whim — illustrating just how well-connected Niv Fichman is in Canada. According to Niv, This Movie is Broken was dreamt up on a Wednesday, when Don McKeller and Broken Social Scene‘s Kevin Drew were in a bar chatting about how fun it would be to shoot a film using live footage from one of the band’s concerts. That night Don called Niv – who was in Rome at the time – and asked if he could help get this project made. “When are you shooting it?” Niv asked. Niv started making calls and, by the week’s end, he and the rest of the team had raised almost half a million dollars for the film. [Amazing!] While that feature came together at breakneck speed, Niv admits they’re not all so easy. He spent 4 years fundraising for Passchendale. “We have a very particular limit on the level of money you can raise in this country, which you have to live with,” Niv explained. Though that’s not to suggest he’d ever consider working just for the money somewhere else. “I’m a Canadian and I don’t want to betray that,” he said. “I like to think I’m a person of the world, but I’m deeply Canada-centric.” With experience producing films in many Canadian cities, small and large, Niv explained to students that they could make Canadian films without plastering maple leafs and hockey sticks all over the place. Right now in his career, he’s mainly concerned with making accessible films audiences want to see — something he says the younger generation of filmmakers are getting better at all the time. Thanks for your time, Niv!
Although the week’s now coming to a close, it deserves mentioning that it was National Organ Donor Week in Canada – a time to build awareness about the critical issue of organ and tissue transplants. To mark the occasion, here’s Donor, a short drama produced in the Film Production program here at VFS, written and directed by Van Echeverri: Find out more about organ donation in Canada at transplant.ca.
Recently, Ryan accompanied the other major players on the Riese team (including Film Production staff member Nicholas Humphries, series Producer and Director) to Los Angeles, where the web series was up for four Streamy Awards. Riese‘s Director of Photography, Chris Kempinski, took home the award for Best Cinematography, kicking off a chain of exciting developments — from a deal with Syfy, to securing representation with one of the top agencies in Hollywood. We stole a bit of time from Ryan’s busy schedule to get a recap of all the great news: Hey, Ryan. It sounds like your recent trip to LA for the Streamy Awards ceremony was packed with good news. Can you start off by describing what this new deal with Syfy means for Riese and what the next steps are in expanding upon this world you’ve co-created? Ryan: We’re really excited about the relationship with SyFy. They’ve licensed the web content, and have also expressed a strong interest in developing the show for broadcast television. With their backing, a number of other international parties have also expressed interest in the television option as well. Basically, we’re really well positioned to be able to find some option, whether it’s web or television, to keep Riese going. And now you’re being repped by ICM? How did you get signed? Ryan: Yes, I’m currently signed with George Ruiz, probably one of the most brilliant men I’ve met, and a true trailblazer in the new media realm. Another one of his clients, Jeff McPherson (Tikibar TV) put us in contact with him. He’d actually had a number of people send him links to our show prior to speaking with him. We had a meeting with him once we arrived in LA, and by the end decided we all wanted to work together. Are you at all surprised by the growing success of the series, or was this your targeted outcome all along? Ryan: Honestly, it’s all very surreal. I remember being at Comic-Con last year and thinking, “Wouldn’t it be funny if people actually watched our show?” I wouldn’t have ever expected to accomplish all this in a year. Certainly this was our intended trajectory for Riese, but I’m still amazed we were actually able to do it. I think it’s a testament to the power of new media, and taking distribution into your own hands. There are no gatekeepers anymore. It’s really liberating. Are there any other projects you’re working on at the moment? What’s on the horizon? Ryan: We’ve got a number of projects in development, and we’ve been approached by quite a few people to collaborate on their existing properties as well. None are really at a point where I can say much about them, but the success of Riese has definitely opened a lot of doors I never would’ve had access to before. You’ll definitely be seeing a lot more Riese, though. Click here to visit the Riese blog and keep up to date with all the new developments.
Game Design Expo 2010 Media Coverage
“Vancouver Film School to hold fourth annual Game Design Expo on April 10, 11“
“Geek Speak: William Ho, game designer at United Front Games“
“Game Designers Gather to Talk Shop“
“VFS Game Design Expo Set For April ’10“
“Talking ModNation Racers with United Front Games“
“Chatting with William Ho of United Front Games“
“Bringing back zombies with Dead Rising 2 at Game Design Expo“
“Movies, games and the cinematics of Mass Effect 2“
“Making Anonymous Users into Superstars with ModNation Racers at Game Design Expo“
“VFS Brings Back 30K Women in Games Scholarship for 2nd Year“
“Vancouver Game Design Expo 2010“
“Game Design Expo Reveals 2010 Lineup“
“Game Design Expo 2010 Wraps and GDC Canada Ramps Up”
“Game Design Expo Picks Its Dates“
“Game Design Expo Reveals 2010 Lineup“
“VFS to Award Women in Games Grant“
“VFS Offers Women in Games Scholarship for the Second Year in a Row“
“$30K Women’s Scholarship in Vancouver“VFS Grad Blomkamp One of TIME’s Most Influential
Every year, TIME compiles a list of the 100 thinkers, artists, politicians, and heroes who most affect our world: the TIME 100.
Summer Intensives 2010 Are Coming!
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like inside a full-time VFS program, we’ve got just the thing for you.Game Grad Brings the Awesome
The arcade is long gone, ‘social’ gaming mostly happens via headset or Facebook, and there are fewer and fewer reasons to even go to a brick-and-mortar store to get new games. Yet, contrary to popular opinion, gamers do want to get out of their houses from time to time.
EXP – Facebook
Act Out Loud 2010 Summer Camps
This summer, Vancouver Film School is calling all Pre-Teens and Teens to Act Out Loud in two different 5-day acting summer camps, perfect for young actors interested in gaining hands-on experience in front of the camera.Faculty Spotlight: Makeup Artist Has Worked with Brando, Taylor
Introducing the Faculty Spotlight – every month, we profile an instructor in one of the 13 programs at VFS. It’s a chance to look beyond their bios and get to know the industry pros who are a big part of making the VFS experience what it is.
Linda: I work with the students when they first arrive at VFS, for the first half of the program. I start with the basics, or foundation – no pun intended – classes. We follow a course outline, beginning with the proper care and construction of makeup brushes, working with highlight and shadow, sketching, learning about different products, allergy testing, skincare, set etiquette, period makeup from the 1920s to now, goth, avant garde, drag… I do out-of-kit effects, such as black eyes, cuts, burns, frostbite, bullet wounds, and so much more. We also do a film shoot with the students.
I was working on Cocktail with Tom Cruise. He had his own makeup man, Rick Sharp, and I did the rest of the cast. I went in to do final touches on Elisabeth Shue, and it was a very difficult spot to get to. We were at a waterfall, with light stands and flags everywhere…
VFS Faculty Bio
IMDB
Blindness’ Producer Niv Fichman visits VFS
The afternoon before his newest film, Gunless, opened in theatres, Producer Niv Fichman dropped by the VFS Main Theatre for a Q&A session with Writing for Film & Television instructor Kat Montagu.
“Saturday,” Don said.A Film for National Organ Donor Week
Riese Update: “There are no gatekeepers anymore”
In just a little over a year since the birth of the web series Riese, Foundation Visual Art & Design grad Ryan Copple has been riding a steep curve to international success — along with a number of other VFS alumni.