Here’s something surprising about the VFS Summer Intensives. Every year – every year – people come from all around the world for one (or more!) of the 5-day programs.
This is what we mean. Behold:
It’s kind of astonishing, when you think about it. We all know that VFS is something of a global village, but how exciting is it condense that experience into a single week? We’ve heard from past Summer Intensive students that they’ve made lasting friends and professional contacts in those five lightning-fast days. Now imagine that network extending around the globe.
Live far away and thinking of making the trip? Based nearby but want to work alongside talented new friends during a week-long creative boot camp? Seats in our ten programs are limited and going fast, so register today!
VFS Advisory Board Member Matthew Lillard (The Descendants, Scream), was in Vancouver recently for a special workshop with our Acting for Film & Television students. Student Emma Brandrup-Wognsen was there and shared some of the highlights with us. Guest Post by Emma Brandrup-Wognsen Two days have gone by since the workshop with Matthew Lillard ended, and I am feeling what I can most accurately describe as a sense of loss. I went in to the weekend very apprehensive about being face to face with someone so successful, but one of the first things Matt talked about was his belief that he is not more talented than anyone else. He is just a normal person with a very strong work ethic and an endless passion for the craft who just absolutely refuses to give up. He said that if we are all willing to put in the time, each hour another rung on the ladder, we are all enough. I experienced so much that I feel like I spent a week in that room rather than just two days. When it comes down to it, the most significant thing that I learned was the importance of community – having a place to come back to when the industry is getting the best of you. A place where you can let your light shine when there’s no other outlet, where people thrive and live off of that light, instead of trying to cover it up. Where you get a chance to inspire and be inspired. A place where you are safe to give up all pretensions of who you need to be and where you need get to and just play again, have fun, and be reminded of why you are in this business in the first place – for those simple magical moments of real contact. However, it is very easy to get caught up in the romantic side of acting, and reading through what I just wrote I realize that I’ve let myself get swept away yet again. The reality is that this is a hard business and the only way to survive it is to keep working, keep collecting those long hours. So let it be this time. Let it be my time, let it be your time, let it be our time. To quote Matthew Lillard, “All of this is very Kumbaya but tomorrow I want you to actually do stuff.” Thanks for sharing this with us, Emma. For more photos from the workshop, check out the Acting for Film & Television Facebook Page.
A big congratulations to Makeup Design for Film & Television grads Caitlin Groves, Isabelle Champigny, and Dora Chang for their wins at the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) in New York this past weekend. Dora graduated from the program last August and placed third in Saturday’s Beauty/Fantasy Competition. Caitlin, who graduated last April, placed first in the Character/Prosthetic Competition on Sunday while Isabelle placed second. Isabelle graduated from the program last August. This is the second win in a row for Caitlin, who also placed first in the Character/Prosthetic competition at IMATS Los Angeles earlier this year. Above photo courtesy of VFS Makeup Design. Check out their Facebook Page for more great shots from the weekend.
We’re excited to announce Vancouver Film School’s Summer Intensives are back this July and August! These five days could be the experience you need to prove you’re ready to start your path towards a demanding and rewarding career in the entertainment industry. And if you apply to a full-time VFS program, the cost of your Summer Intensive will go towards your tuition. For anyone seriously considering VFS, this summer is going to be your best. You can also save 10% on your fees by taking two or more intensives. Find out more about VFS Summer Intensives 2013 and register today! Want to learn more about what it’s like inside VFS? Download our new viewbook, inspired by the passionate and dedicated students behind all the jaw-dropping portfolios and reels we see every day.
This March, join VFS in Toronto and Seattle for a Free Writing for Film and Television Workshop. If you’re looking to kick-start your screenwriting career, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to get a preview of the one-year VFS Writing for Film & Television program. Throughout the weekend, you will work with closely with Head of Department Michael Baser, and Senior Instructor Rodger Cove, to craft your pitch and then workshop your ideas in a classroom setting. Toronto Weekend Seattle Weekend Click here for more information and to register.
This March, VFS will be at South By Southwest (SXSW), the annual music, film, and interactive conference and festival in Austin, Texas. If you’re interested in VFS Game Design, you’ll want to join us at the SXSW Gaming Expo to learn more about our world-renowned one-year program. A VFS Unity Instructor will be on hand to offer demos, and we welcome participants to stop by our booth and help us build a Unity game. At the end of the event, we will be able to show off a Unity game, created by the attendees of SXSW! Event: SXSW 2013 Gaming Expo You can also visit us at the SXSW Trade Show to meet with a VFS representative, as well as Michael Baser, head of the Writing for Film & Television program. For those looking to kick-start their writing career, Michael be sharing his insights during one on one and group consultations throughout the event. To book a session in advance, please contact eventinfo@vfs.com. Participants are also welcome to book their time while at the event. Event: SXSW 2013 Trade Show We’ll also be sharing a number exciting scholarship opportunities that will be available to potential students enrolling in any of our 13 programs. We hope to see you there!
Join us on Friday, March 15 as Blackrock Films presents VFS’s first feature-length film, Captive! 13 students came together and made something extraordinary. Now, these successful alumni are empowering the next generation of filmmakers. The creators of Captive will be awarding full and partial Film Production and Entertainment Business Management scholarships, and offering an inside look into how they made VFS history. Don’t miss this opportunity to: - Be among the first to see Captive Check out the trailer below: Join us at the VFS Main Theatre on Friday, March 15 at 6:00pm. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
Game Design Expo 2013 has come and gone, but if you couldn’t be there, here’s your chance to see what you missed. We’ve just launched hours of free video presentations captured at Industry Speaker Day. What’s in store? That’s on top of an archive of talks from 2012, 2011, and 2010 – it’s a whole lot of insight and inspiration. Check it all out at gamedesignexpo.com.
The Acting for Film & Television program is hitting the road this February – and coming to a city near you! If you’re an actor who’s passionate about pursuing a career in film and television, then you’ll want to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to: We’ll be in the following cities this February: Calgary – Tuesday, February 19 Regina – Wednesday, February 20 Winnipeg – Thursday, February 21 Edmonton – Friday, February 22 Victoria – Saturday, February 23 Click here for more information and to register now.
Game Design Expo 2013, the seventh annual gathering of professionals and gamers hosted by the VFS Game Design program, has come and gone – and what a memorable weekend it was! Hundreds of people came together for an entire weekend of learning, playing, and networking. A foggy morning gave way to a gorgeous winter’s day at the Vancity Theatre as a sold-out audience of game professionals and enthusiasts united to hear from industry luminaries at Industry Speaker Day. As speaker Clive Downie, CEO – Americas and Europe for leading mobile game company DeNA, said in his talk, “In the new world order, engagement is the key.” Downie would go on to describe how his company leverages market research and user patterns to craft successful mobile experiences, but his words could just as easily be applied to the entire weekend. It was a chance for attendees to engage directly with six speakers – from Halo 4: Spartan Ops Lead Designer Chris Haluke to Far Cry 3 Creative Director Patrick Plourde – and two panels. Great gathering, excellent game design conversations #gdexpo shining moment @ Vancity Theatre instagr.am/p/Ur8MQcv5yS/ — John F. Gray (@grayspective) January 20, 2013 “I want to try to propel our industry forward,” Haluke said – and the sentiment was echoed throughout a day that showed how mobile and social games are evolving into market drivers and ways AAA console developers are keeping up. In his thought-provoking presentation, which posited that designers fundamentally limit how they think about games’ true thematic and technological possibilities, Plourde said, “Every time it’s risky, it means it’s an opportunity for something to change.” The panels included a deep dive into the making of Halo 4, with Narrative Director Armando Troisi, Mission Designer Cory Hasselbach, and four members of the audio team – all VFS alumni from Game Design and Sound Design for Visual Media – alongside a panel moderated by Electric Playground‘s Scott Jones about the intersection of the gaming media and small devs struggling to be heard in a crowded marketplace. conferences at the @gamedesignexpo have been amazing. it’s crazy what you can learn in 1 hour of listening to the pros. priceless. #GDExpo — Cariño Mastretta (@manekicaro) January 19, 2013 A sincere thank you to our speakers, panelists, exhibitors, volunteers, and attendees for taking part, as well as our generous sponsors for making Game Design Expo possible. Stay tuned for full video of the day’s presentations! Sunday saw the one-year VFS Game Design program open its doors to the public in a packed Open House that picked up where Industry Speaker Day left off, as aspiring game designers and curious gamers checked out the campus, met faculty, played award-winning student games like Pulse, and took classes that included Storytelling and Level Design. Well over 200 guests – along with a CBC news crew – took in a sampling of what the program offers. It’s always fun to welcome such a diverse group into our home. If you missed it, you can learn more about the program here. The weekend culminated in the official unveiling of new Game Design scholarships for 2013, including: These scholarships can be applied to the February, April, or June 2013 start dates in Game Design. Scholarships are very limited so don’t wait - Find out more and get started!
A Weekend With Matthew Lillard
VFS Makeup Grads Celebrate Big Wins at IMATS New York
How Can One Week Change Everything? Join VFS at the 2013 Summer Intensives
VFS Summer Intensives 2013
Art, Film & Design – July 8-12 *Offered at a $400 discount when paired with a second intensive!Screenwriting is Not a Hobby: Turning Pro in Film & TV
Saturday, March 16 & Sunday, March 17
9am – 4pm
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Saturday, March 23 & Sunday, March 24
9am – 4pm
Washington State Convention CenterMeet VFS at SXSW 2013
Date: Friday, March 8 – Sunday, March 10, 2013
Time: March 8: 3:00pm – 9:00pm • March 9 & 10: 12:00pm – 8:00pm
Place: Palmer Events Center, Booth #131
Address: 900 Barton Springs Road, Austin, Texas
Date: Sunday, March 10 – Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Time: March 10 – 12: 11:00am – 6:00pm • March 13: 11am – 4:00pm
Place: Austin Convention Center, Exhibit Halls 3 & 4, Booth #14
Address: 500 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TexasYou’re Invited to an Exclusive Screening at VFS
- Meet the creators this groundbreaking film
- Unlock $250,000 worth of scholarship opportunities
- Get a preview of the VFS Film Production StudiosVideo: Experience Game Design Expo with Hours of Fascinating Presentations
Acting for Film & Television Roadshow: February 19-23
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Calgary Telus Convention Centre
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Queensbury Convention Centre at Evraz Place
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Winnipeg Convention Centre
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Shaw Conference Centre
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Victoria Conference CentreHundreds Get a Glimpse Into the Future at Game Design Expo 2013
Industry Speaker Day
VFS Game Design Open House
Don’t Miss Out on Exclusive Scholarships