Todd Masters, the founder and President of MastersFX, gave a special talk last night to current students in Makeup Design for Film & Television.
“I don’t sleep much,” Masters joked from the behind the podium. Wearing a tie-dye Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, he clicked through decades’ worth of amazing, high-profile makeup work – from his teen years inside his workshop/bedroom, all the way to his two studios in Vancouver and Los Angeles.
An artist first and foremost, Masters broke into the industry at a young age (12 years old!) because he was so motivated to create – and it didn’t matter if it was aliens, puppets, or gore-y prosthetics; he just needed a three-dimensional craft to keep his attention.
“I’ve always loved sci-fi movies,” he said. “As an artist, you get excited by creation.”
And create he has: Big Trouble in Little China, Tales from the Crypt, Predator, Look Who’s Talking, Star Trek: First Contact, the Stargate franchise, Six Feet Under (for which he won an Emmy), Twilight: New Moon, and True Blood (to name just a tiny selection of his credits).
“I started working for free, and a lot of people still do,” he said. “I had a big mouth and could talk myself into certain situations.” Because he also had a deep voice from a young age, people often mistook him for being older than he actually was. That meant he was able to join pro-level production crews a lot earlier in his career than most.
Masters mostly attributes his success to allowing himself to make mistakes and continue moving forward. Throughout the evening, he consistently mentioned that he didn’t feel he was ever that good of a makeup artist, but his stubborn perseverance got him to where he is now.
“He or she who makes mistakes and keeps trying will succeed.”
On the topic of what he looks for when hiring new makeup artists, he said that above all he looks for good personalities – people who can handle pressure and not lose their cool. Often, he explained, you’ll be on set dealing with others who have a lot of stake in how a production looks or how they appear on camera. It’s up to you, the makeup artist, to not take anything personally and focus on doing your job as professionally as possible.
And the reverse is also true: “Leave your home life where it belongs. Come to work with confidence,” he said. Probably the most impressive part of the night came in just appreciating Masters’ work. You can see it on display in the Masters FX website demo reel.
Many thanks to Todd Masters for a great presentation!
Check out images from his visit on the VFS Flickr profile.
As a producer of creative-technical productions, the games industry “cultivates and develops a wide range of skills in technology, creative arts, and management”. Bottom line: The games industry has an impact of $1.7 billion on the Canadian economy, has experienced a growth of 11% annually over the last two years, with an estimated growth increase to 17% for the next two. All in all, it’s a good time to be in the entertainment arts. You can read the entire report on the ESA Canada website.
Trained as both a writer of fiction and films, Rudy has become a great resource for student filmmakers and screenwriters looking to make the most impact with their stories. His writing has been anthologized and taught in schools and produced for the big screen. You can see a short film adaptation of Rudy’s short story “Goalie” at the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival. (Interestingly, both “Goalie” and Rudy’s first feature The Rhino Brothers are steeped in the world of hockey.) What do you do in the Writing for Film & Television and Film Production programs? Rudy: I teach screenwriting in both the Writing and Film Production programs. In Film Production, I concentrate on short films and in Writing, my main focus is features. I also teach a course on the Second Act. How did you first break in as a writer? Rudy: I was in my 20s. My girlfriend at the time was going to visit her family for the long weekend and, as she went out the door, she handed me an ad for a short story contest. Something to keep me busy while she was gone. Over the weekend, I wrote the short story “Goalie”, which not only won the contest, but went on to be published over two dozen times. It was a great success, but it taught me some bad lessons. For a long time afterwards, I thought, well, that’s how you write. You take a weekend, rattle something off and it gets published. Turns out it’s a lot harder than that. Looking back on your career so far, are there certain projects you’re especially proud of? Any highlights you’d like to share? Rudy: My second feature Chicago Heights came from a script I co-wrote with the director in the ’90s. It was based on the classic early 20th century book Winesburg, Ohio, a book widely considered unfilmable. The project went nowhere and I figured it was pretty much dead. Then the director, Daniel Nearing, went to work at a film school outside of Chicago and resurrected the project as a student/faculty production, updating the story to the present and setting it in the largely African-American exurb of Chicago Heights. He shot the feature with a production budget of — I’m not kidding — one thousand dollars. And this film, which I thought would never get made, ended up playing at festivals all over the world and even got a glowing review from Roger Ebert. The lesson there was, no project is ever dead if you’re passionate, clever and determined. (Dan also directed a short based on “Goalie” playing at VIFF this year.) The upcoming project I’m most excited about is a web series I’m developing with Dwayne Beaver called “Coma State”. It’s a sci-fi series that combines live action, animation, puppetry, comics, and gaming (and anything else we can think of). We started out thinking of a web series as a film, cut up into bite-sized chunks or a mini-version of a TV series, but working on this project taught us that a web series is a whole different creature. The potential for what can be done with a web series is only just beginning to be explored. Figuring it all out has been a blast. What excites you most about teaching at VFS? Rudy: Working with the students on their scripts. I love story editing, which is basically just figuring out what writers want to do with their stories, then helping them reach those goals. And since we have such an amazing diversity of students at the school, the stories are incredibly varied. It’s fun watching the students grow into the writers they’re going to become, discovering their voices. Thanks, Rudy! Update: While playing at the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), Goalie received this glowing write-up in The Vancouver Courier, describing Rudy’s story as “rich and complex”.
Hey, Craig. Your online profiles are packed – can you give us a brief rundown of what you’re up to these days? Craig: I freelance for numerous AV companies both in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. Generally, I work as an audio operator for live events. But I do a couple of location sound gigs every month; the most recent was an Island Farms commercial. Work is always different. One day I may be setting up and then running the audio for Rick Mercer who is speaking at a convention, the next day I will be mixing a 16-piece salsa band outside, the next working as an A2 at a Canucks game, and the next flying the PA system for the Black Keys. How did you get started in the industry? Was it hard breaking in? Craig: It was hard. It still is. But I think I got started by saying “yes” a lot. One thing that always stuck with me was something Bob Grieve said, “Always say yes ’cause you never know where it’s going to lead.” And I’ve continued to do that. I had been working as a backup A2 for Dome Productions on NHL games. With the Olympics fast-approaching everyone was securing the best deals for themselves for the Olympic run. When Dome asked me to call a guy from CTV Sports in Toronto, I said, yes. I called him up and could tell he’s in the middle of five other things while he’s talking to me. And he boomed: “Craig Carpenter, I’ve worked with you before right. Right. Great. Listen I’ve got a great gig for you here: ENG Audio with NBC for the whole Olympic run.” I haven’t said a word, but the first one I said was, “Yes.” Next thing you know I was eating ice cream sandwiches with Tom Brokaw and Jimmy Fallon. I had never really done ENG audio before. But I knew the basics from the experience of doing location sound and was somewhat confident I could do it. It was a bit of a risk. If I hadn’t had the background from VFS I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. The other local guy NBC hired to work as an audio assist was let go after taking one look at the equipment, knowing he was in over his head. I took one look at the sound devices mixer, wireless kits, and shotgun mics and smiled. I was also very lucky to have made friends with Robert Porter, who had worked something like the last ten Olympics doing ENG audio with NBC. A Texan in his 60s, he had been around and was able to give me the kind of support necessary. He’d drawl, “Remember, always start from the camera and work back.” He also taught me how to wield a boom in a scrum. I owe him a lot. I see that at one point you were a reporter. What drew you to sound design, and VFS? Craig: Emmy. Yes, I won an Emmy. Can’t believe it. Mind you, the entire team I worked with at NBC also won an Emmy for their outstanding work. Working in television at that level, there’s no room for error. So, when I win an Emmy for sound assist as part of an “outstanding studio team” I basically win an Emmy for not messing up when it mattered. For getting the sound clean when interviewing the Great One at a very loud Canada Hockey House, for offering my own SFX of a seaplane to use in post, for warming up the wireless pack before concealing it down Billy Bush’s backside. It really does go back to saying, “Yes”. You never know where it’s going to lead. But it’s also about never saying yes to something you know you can’t do. You never want to say you can do something you can’t to get a job because reputation is everything as a freelancer. What’s next for you? Craig: What’s next? I am continuing to work as a freelance AV tech in Vancouver and Victoria, looking for location sound gigs that pay well, and hopefully doing some more ENG audio work. There is a good chance I will be working 2012 with NBC in London for the Summer Olympics. One of my passions in post is Foley and I’d like to open a Foley studio up in Vancouver in the coming year. Two of my former classmates from VFS, Chris Ray and John Sawa, are always busy with post gigs and I plan to work with them as much as possible. But first of all, when the gold-winged babe arrives in about 6 weeks, I’m going to have an Emmy party. Thanks, Craig!
Three Acting for Film & Television grads have been cast in an upcoming independent feature film, The Dead Mile. Set in Calgary, Alberta, production of this “romantic zombie-horror” film begins this month and focuses on the annual Zombie Walk in Calgary. Featuring plenty of gore – by the looks of the film’s Facebook page photos – VFS grads Sean Dykink, Wade Sun, and Angelica Janik will likely be zombie grub before shooting wraps. Sean says he’ll be playing “a somewhat cocky farm boy who loves slasher flicks” while Wade describes his character as “the lead character’s boss, Kevin, who has a napoleon complex.” (No word yet on Angelica’s character. which might mean she’s been turned into one of them already.) “I got the part by sending in an audition tape that I filmed when I was visiting family back home in Edmonton,” says Sean. “I received the audition from my agent halfway through vacation and got help from friends and family with running the scenes and then finally taping the audition.” Break legs, everyone! (And don’t get bitten!)
The last time we wrote about Digital Design grad Joshua Michie, he had just completed work on a high-profile video project for Starbucks at Blast Radius. He’s now only been out of VFS for a year and a half, and already he’s made the jump to working in London, England at flashy new startup Neon. Here’s how Joshua described working at Neon on his own blog: This place is great! It’s a studio with some old school talent that’s quietly making some big ripples. Like every other studio in London, I showed up at their doorstep and introduced myself. That introduction lead to some pretty impressive portfolio pieces, such as the one he posted about yesterday on Digital Design’s Oomph blog. “This was my first national broadcast project and a watershed moment in my career,” Joshua writes. “Overall, I had the privilege of working with an A-class team and look forward to doing it again in the near future.” Congrats, Joshua. We can’t wait to see more of your work! See the video and full story on Oomph.
News of her win was announced over the weekend on Teletoon at Night, and Sheryl was kind enough to carve out time in the chaos to answer a few questions. First of all, congratulations! Tell us how this came about. Sheryl: Thank you! I sent my short film in on a whim thinking there was no way of winning and that it would just be another place my film was on the internet. I actually forgot all about it until I received an email telling me I was one of the five finalists in the competition. I finally convinced myself that even if I didn’t win, I’d rather lose knowing I had tried my best than if I lost and always wondered what would have happened if I HAD tried. I then started to inform my friends and family of the competition and proceeded to post the link to the five finalist videos in all the sites I was a regular at. It was great because it got more people involved in picking out their favourites and also gave a chance for people who were curious about the process of classical animation to ask questions. Then one day I turned on my computer and opened my email account to find a message titled “Teletoon at Night Pilot Project: Congratulations!”. I didn’t end up opening the email for a few minutes because I just sat there, staring wide-eyed at my computer screen. Where did you get the idea for the short? How did you go about developing the story? I had 3 days to do the boards, make a recording of myself doing the dialogue on my cellphone and throw it all into a leica reel in time for the presentation. Luckily I made it. It was rough around the edges – a mess of doodles, a horrible audio recording – but the audience laughed at all the right spots and applauded at the end, so I guess that meant it was good. Worried by the warnings our teachers gave us about how everyone started off loving their film and ended up hating it by the time they get to the clean-up stage of animation, I decided to make it interesting for myself by making the zombies in my film my classmates and one of my teachers (Senior Instructor Dieter Mueller). It worked. I loved working on my film. I even got all my friends in my film to voice all the zombies. Well, all except Dieter. I had my friend Rob do an impression of him. I sort of hoped he wouldn’t find out that I turned him into a zombie until the actual showing of my film at graduation. Can you tell us about your decision to take Entertainment Business Management after finishing Classical Animation? Sheryl: Well I did the Foundation Visual Art & Design program and discovered how I really loved the creative and planning portions of making both animation and live action films. As the time to choose our preferred streams grew closer, I had a meeting with Ted Jones, the Head of the Foundation department, to help me figure out what I would be best suited for. I decided I was more interested in animation so I took the Classical Animation program. During the program, however, I became more confused. The creative part of me was definitely being fulfilled and I felt I was really learning a lot, but I still wanted to handle the planning, business, and marketing side of things. I talked to a few people about my future in the industry and how I might have a better chance of starting my own animation company in the future, be a production manager in a studio, or be a successful artist if I knew how the business side of everything worked. I then decided that going into Entertainment Business Management after Classical Animation would probably be worth the time and money for me. Any insight you can give us on the show as it develops? What’s going to happen to these two characters? How about some advice for aspiring animators? Sheryl: Remember, you’re not Frank or Ollie yet. There’s still room to improve so be sure to ask for help. Whether you think you need it or not, get some feedback and advice. Sometimes you get so close to your work that you don’t see it from the audience’s perspective anymore and you either overlook something or spend too much time on details that aren’t very important. Thanks, Sheryl! You can find Sheryl right now at the Ottawa Animation Festival, on from September 21 to 25. And if you’re there, visit VFS at “Table C”. Also, be sure to check out her winning short Great Minds Taste Alike on the VFS YouTube channel, or right here on the VFS Blog.
Now, having returned back to New York, Natasha’s been making headway in her career by dint of networking and making opportunities happen for herself. She gave us an update on how things have been going since she graduated in December of last year. Hi, Natasha. Can you start off by talking a bit about what drew you to screenwriting? Natasha: I’ve been telling stories long before I knew what screenwriting was. Being accused of being overly emotional since I was a child, everything always seemed heightened to me. Therefore, whenever I spoke about my day, all the events transpired bigger than life, at least that’s how my parents put it. But for me those events really felt that epic. I think screenwriting, or rather teleplay writing, became my love after the series finale of Dawson’s Creek. All who know me know not to get me started on how much I disagreed with the ending. I’ll go on for hours. Nonetheless, it was the first time I became involved with changing the way a series ended when I joined the fan fiction site Dawson’s Creek: Virtual Season 7 as a staff writer. From that moment on, I’ve never found anything that makes me happier than writing for television. I think it’s because you grow and change with these characters, they develop before your eyes, and there are many times when their storylines reflect your own life. That’s why I love what I do. How do you think you grew as a writer during your year at VFS? Natasha: There are no words to describe how much the program gave me. Being the Scr(i)pt Magazine full scholarship winner gave me this opportunity and there’s no way I would have learned half so much in such a short amount of time, if it weren’t for this opportunity afforded to me. I look back at that moment and I know it’s forever changed my trajectory as a writer and storyteller. Back to being overly sensitive, the idea of being critiqued on a daily basis sent shivers down my spine. I was the kind of writer that wrote solitary, in a nook somewhere. It wasn’t really for anyone else to see until I was ready. By the end of the program, that protective nature barely fazed me. As a writer, you have to be willing to share your work, you have to be willing to accept critique and improve. It’s the only way. I’ve gone from being guarded with my writing to starting my own writing group where my work is critiqued on a bi-weekly basis. While this is the biggest change, I also have a greater understanding of developing characters, understanding motivations, and how plot must be driven by character. It’s no longer, “oh what a cool idea”, but more so, “all right, now that I have this cool idea, how can it reflect my characters; how will they move within this plot?” Sometimes, that plot has to change because of them. VFS gave me the tools, but also friendships and connections. Some of my classmates are now my dearest friends, and no matter how embarrassed I am by an idea, how silly I think it is, I know that I can still run it by them without being judged. I think it’s priceless as a writer to have that sounding board. You’ve got a TV pilot that’s garnered some attention recently. Can you fill us in on what’s going on? Natasha: I started reading for a New York City-based writing competition called The Big Idea Writing Challenge. This was back in January when I first arrived in the city, didn’t have a job, but wanted to keep the momentum going after being at VFS for a year. The feedback I provided was greatly appreciated by the company; so when Paul Walton, the creator of a series called Shrank, needed a writer and approached them; they included me in their suggestions. Paul quickly narrowed down the applicants when I provided him with my Fringe spec, which was written at VFS. Shrank is essentially Law and Order meets House, and was a concept I found extremely compelling. Paul already had connections at United Talent Artists as well as with Morris Ruskin, the Executive Producer of Glengarry Glen Ross, which featured such talent as Alec Baldwin, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, and Alan Arkin. Morris loved the script and decided to pitch it to FOX. It did quite well, making it up the ladder of decisions. Though it was eventually passed on, I couldn’t believe that my writing was being read at FOX. It was overwhelming in many ways. Paul, Morris, and I are now back to the development stage in trying to find a way to make the main character truly unique as that was where the majority of critique was focused. I seriously never thought I would go so far right out of the program. It’s really a testament to the kind of education you get from the Writing program and to the amazing instructors. To all of them, I am forever grateful. Morris, who runs Shoreline Entertainment, has been nothing but supportive and will continue to push the project. I’m beside myself in thinking how far this project can go, how far it’s already gone. Paul and I also have another pilot in the works. What is C3Stories and how did it come about? Natasha: C3Stories is a production company started by co-founder, Greg Payton, and myself. Before VFS was even a possibility, Greg and I completed a number of video projects together. One night, while working on a contemporary retelling of Anne of Green Gables for an online competition, Greg and I decided to form C3Stories. After the short won first place, we knew we were onto something and launched a website where all our content now lives. C3 stands for consistency, clarity, commitment, which are qualities we both feel are essential to the success of any project and qualities we saw within each other. Most recently, Greg and I have started Story on Story, which looks at a variety of local artists sharing a little bit about their crafts, how they support their art financially, and their plans for the future. We hope to not only inspire other artists though this web series, but also inspire and educate ourselves. We also have many other projects in the works and can’t wait to share them. What kind of scene is there in New York for young screenwriters? Natasha: This is a question I’m still exploring; so not so sure my answer will cover it all. So far, there have been plenty of opportunities, but none of them really pay right away. Therefore, as is the story with so many, you have to find a way to divide your time between making money and working your craft. However, there’s plenty of occasions for exposure and plenty of people looking for a well-written story. The trick is finding the time to write those stories. Overall, I’m finding the making of less feature films, but more shorts and television pilots. One good way to stay current and on the scene is to volunteer at film festivals. I did Tribeca this year and those connections were amazing. It kept me inspired as well. What I will warn against in general is that the world of VFS is like a bubble. When you’re done, you feel as though you can take on the world. It’s important to hold onto that feeling, because you will be challenged and there will be obstacles. Remember that feeling of accomplishment because that is what will keep you focused, and please stay in touch with your classmates. They are reminders of how much you can accomplish, your craft’s lifeline in many ways. Thanks, Natasha! Check out C3Stories on Vimeo.
Inspired by the insanely popular (and consistently sold-out) Writing for Film & Television Summer Intensive program, VFS is now offering aspiring film and television writers with busy weekday schedules an opportunity to experience a barrage of screenwriting tools, techniques, and exercises that closely represent what students learn in the one-year Writing for Film & Television program. Things kick off over the weekend of October 21-23. You’ll hear from guest speaker – and VFS Advisory Board Member - Jim Jennewein (The Flintstones), and take classes on Story and Structure, Character, Dialogue, Pitch, and Formatting. You’ll then have the week to take on a writing assignment that will be workshopped on the second weekend, October 28-30, when you’ll also hear from VFS grad and Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Terri Tatchell (District 9) in a special talk. One script will then be chosen for a day-long shoot where everyone participates. Find out more and register here. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the program that’s launched rewarding writing careers in film, TV, video games, and more!
The video was seen 24 times as it played for every time zone in the world. Watch it below, and head over to Oomph to find out more about Mark’s work.
Canada’s Entertainment Software Industry Continues to Grow
According to a report prepared for The Entertainment Software Association of Canada, things are looking good for graduates of the Game Design, Animation & Visual Effects, and Sound Design for Visual Media programs. The report, published in May of 2011, indicates that “Canada has secured an international reputation as a source of high skilled talent with the third largest number of employees in the world”. Part of that is the result of our “made-in-Canada” industry, where a game can be developed and tested in its entirety within a single city. Faculty Spotlight: Writer Brings Fiction to the Big Screen
VFS faculty member Rudy Thauberger teaches in both the Writing for Film & Television and Film Production programs.Always Saying Yes Leads to Sports Emmy
If you work in sound and cover sports on television, there are few higher accolades than a Sports Emmy. Sound Design for Visual Media grad Craig Carpenter recently joined such luminaries as Howard Cosell and Vin Scully for his work on the coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. In the following interview he discusses working as a freelancer, breaking into the industry, and what it’s like to win that elusive golden statue.
Craig: I worked as a reporter for 10 years before going to VFS. What drew me to VFS? Opportunity to get into a career that excited and challenged me. I was never a “techy” guy but loved recording. I would always have a portable recorder when I worked for CBC up north and after getting the interviews would invariably just start recording random things, from ravens to snowmobiles to the really drunk, rough looking characters in the bar. I love stories but I also just love sound. Working as a reporter wasn’t that fun after a while. People would always say, “What a great career”, but I was miserable because I would rather be producing a show about that raven, not about what the Minister of this or that announced yesterday. I like the freedom of being on the technical side. There were times working at NBC when I’d think, “I should be the guy in front of the camera or the producer”, not the guy holding the boom. But it turns out, the guy holding the boom makes more money than the guy writing the story.
Tell us about the Sports Emmy you recently won for coverage of the Olympic Winter Games.Acting Grads Walk The Dead Mile
Big City, Neon Lights
Zombie Bromance Wins Teletoon Pilot Project
A small idea can sometimes go a long way. When Classical Animation and Foundation Visual Art & Design grad — also now an Entertainment Business Management student — Sheryl Vedamani first conceived of the idea for her animated final project, a conversation between two friends about dealing with a zombie apocalypse, she couldn’t have known it would one day lead to her winning the Teletoon Pilot Project, $10,000, and a trip to the largest animation festival in North America. 
Sheryl: I’m a pretty nerdy person. I tend to spend a lot of my free time on the internet, playing games and watching sci-fi films (when I’m not watching animated movies frame by frame). We had about a week left to finish off our first storyboards and leica reels for the class pitch day, but I hadn’t come up with anything good. I had thrown a few story ideas around about animals and children and monsters and so on but nothing had really stuck. I was starting to get nervous. Then at two in the morning, three days before the pitch, I woke up with an idea – or rather, a punchline. I stumbled out of my bedroom to my desk to find a pen. I scribbled down the words “zombies, sister mom douchebag, epic lolz, axe, bat?, weapons?” on the corner of an old assignment sheet and went back to bed.
Sheryl: They’re best friends and roommates who love games, sci-fi, and the internet, so there will be a ton of references for the nerd/gaming community. This show idea is sort of based on just their friendship (or bromanship) and how approaching life in a way that would normally work in a game or on the internet can, in fact, only end badly if attempted in real life. From Fan Fiction to Fox
We last heard from Writing for Film & Television grad Natasha Hall last year when the department was visited by two Emmy-winning writers, Maria Jacquemetton (Mad Men) and Anne Beatts (SNL). Natasha gave us a full scoop on how the visit went in a special guest post.
Additionally, we’re also part of a larger creative collective known as Double 7 Images, that’s comprised of professionals in a variety fields: directing, writing, editors, audio engineers, cinematographers, etc. C3Stories with Double 7 Images brings a plethora of resources that Greg and I are blessed to have. After graduating from VFS, I’ve returned to the company eager to really start stretching my writing and producing many more works.Sign Up for Two Weekends of Immersive Screenwriting!
Announcing the Writing for Film & Television Two-Weekend Intensive!Design for (Climate) Change
As Al Gore continues to raise awareness of climate change through his Climate Reality Project, he’s getting help from VFS Digital Design grad Mark Miller (pictured to the right of Al Gore). Co-founder and Creative Director of Dark Igloo, Mark and his team recently created a video explaining green house gases that played before Gore’s global talk last night, and was narrated by Mr. Science Guy himself, Bill Nye.