Diablo III, one of the most anticipated – okay, quite possibly the most anticipated – games of the year finally landed at midnight, after over a decade of development. Early buzz is positive for Blizzard’s action RPG – with some even proposing that it’s a crucial release for the entire industry.
The Lead Sound Designer on Diablo III is none other than Sound Design for Visual Media graduate Joseph Lawrence, so when you play the game be sure to open your ears. Joseph also worked on Diablo II. How’s that for continuity?
Last week, Destructoid posted an amazingly in-depth series of interviews with the Diablo III sound team, including Joseph. And if that isn’t enough, how about this hour-long panel from BlizzCon 2011? It includes a behind-the-scenes featurette about the game’s audio as well as Joseph addressing the audience beginning around the 8:36 mark:
Joseph wasn’t the only VFS grad to contribute to the game. Digital Character Animation‘s John Miller was an Environment Artist, and here’s a blog post from way back in 2008 touching on the contributions of two 3D Animation & Visual Effects alumni!
Several 3D Animation & Visual Effects alumni were involved in realizing Burton’s vision for Dark Shadows, working as far afield as MPC in London and Method Studios here in Vancouver. They include: CG Supervisor Dan Mayer Well done, guys!
The Avengers assemble today in North America after a strong international release, weeks of great reviews, and months of fan buzz. For us? Apart from being big Marvel and Joss Whedon fans here at the VFS Blog, we’re also looking forward to seeing the work of Makeup Design for Film & Television grad Jackie Adamson on the big screen. She worked as a makeup artist on Avengers and had the opportunity to do it alongside veteran department head John Blake. Since graduating in December 2010, Jackie’s done all kinds of stuff: on top of Avengers, she worked on Cleveland, I Love You and Fun Size, and is a full member of the Ohio IATSE Union – a big deal for a working makeup artist. Her IMDB profile will be worth keeping an eye on. As for other programs’ grads on Avengers, they’re well into the double digits, including industry vets like 3D Animation & Visual Effects alumni Aaron Gilman (Animation Supervisor), Stephen King (Lead Animator), and Nicholas Markel (Previsualization Supervisor), working out of companies like Weta Digital, ILM, Digital Domain, and Third Floor. Here’s more: Louis Cox, Camera Technical Director
The Little Mermaid, one of the short films produced as part of Entertainment Business Management‘s groundbreaking Compendium series, has just earned four Leo Award nominations! The Little Mermaid was nominated for Best Short Drama, which means nods for producers and EBM grads Samantha Jewell, Lindsey Mann, Aliya Tarmo, and Justin Simon. Film Production alum Sean Young is a nominee for Best Production Design in a Short Drama, and Makeup Design for Film & Television grads Sarah Elizabeth, Krysten Merrick, and Susan Manning are up for Best Make-Up in a Short Drama. The Little Mermaid director and VFS instructor Nicholas Humphries is also nominated for Best Direction in a Short Drama. The Leos, which celebrate BC-made films, TV shows, and web series, has a special student category, but The Little Mermaid is swimming in the grown-up pool with these nominations. That’s a real testament to the collaborative Compendium, its resourceful producers, and the talent found across VFS. This follows the film’s big win at Screamfest last fall. Find out about the making of The Little Mermaid in our two-part behind-the-scenes blog feature, and then get the details on the Compendium project in EBM. Want to get a firsthand look inside the EBM program at VFS? Join us this July in our Entertainment Business Management Summer Intensive. Here’s the mind-blowing teaser for The Little Mermaid:
Grayson Scantlebury – Design Scripter Good work, everyone!
Remember Death Do Us Part? It’s the upcoming indie horror featuring the work of a group of talented VFS graduates — from Acting for Film & Television and Film Production through Makeup Design for Film & Television. The film stars Acting grads Peter Benson (also writer/producer) and Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary) alongside Julia Benson (Stargate Universe), Christine Chatelaine (Riese), and Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica). And that’s not all. Death Do Us Part was directed by Nicholas Humphries, who teaches in several VFS programs, produced by Foundation Visual Art & Design alum Ryan Copple (Riese), and had Film grad Chris Heffernan as production designer while Makeup Design grads Sarah Elizabeth and Malin Sjöström-Ewan formed the makeup department. The list goes on. The movie had a debutante ball of sorts recently at Vancouver Fan Expo, beginning with a panel with the cast and creative team. That led to a hot little Electric Playground behind-the-scenes video profile. And today, we get the premiere of the full trailer for Death Do Us Part. Behold: Check out the official Death Do Us Part website and stay tuned for more about the film!
A dramatic feature that opens in Vancouver this Friday shows the effects of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in a new, much more personal light. Snow, written and directed by Film Production alum Rohan Fernando, tells the story of Parvati, a young woman who loses her family in the tragedy and must adapt – with great difficulty – to a new life in Canada. The trailer tells it better than we ever could: Rohan originally hails from Sri Lanka, a country that suffered tens of thousands of casualties on Boxing Day 2004. A year later, he was visiting relatives who had suffered personal losses. That’s when it all truly hit home. Snow was a salve for the desensitization of distance and a 24-hour news cycle, a way to look at the tragedy’s aftermath through a more intimate lens. “Having a personal connection to the Asian tsunami compelled me to be as honest as possible to the kind of journey Parvati goes on,” Rohan tells us. “I didn’t want to make a film that gave pat answers or reduce her suffering into melodrama.” “I felt the most powerful thing a film like this could do is to create a character we could inhabit and empathize with as an audience, so my approach was to make a film that is an intensely subjective point of view of our main character. The camera work, sound design, and music all work toward this end. Her suffering has made her compassionate rather than angry and she brings that compassion to the various characters she meets on her journey – who have all suffered loss in their own way. Ultimately, I believe this is what connects us all.” Find out more about the making of the film at the official site. Also well worth watching is this video of Rohan explaining his motivation for making Snow. Snow is showing at Vancouver’s Granville 7 Cinemas beginning Friday, April 27. See showtimes and buy your tickets now.
Game Design grad Nick Yonge has a full-time job: being indie. It keeps him plenty busy. A few days ago, Nick released i saw her standing there… but then she was a zombie, an utterly charming platformer about the insatiable undead and the men who love them. It made waves right away – on Newgrounds, on Kongregate, and in a long discussion on Reddit. It’s short, easy to learn, and flat-out adorable. Nick’s previous title, Beloved, is a simple puzzle game with a big message. Before that? Eunaborb in all its retro glory. And that’s just what he’s done in 2012 so far. But i saw her standing there has struck a particularly powerful chord. “I did not expect it to get as many hits as quickly as it did,” he says. “I’m not trying to be polite or modest or anything, but I’m literally dumbfounded by how well the Flash gaming community has received this game.“ How to Make an Instant Flash Darling: Just Add Love… and Share Buttons How does a game like i saw her standing there, in all its unassuming simplicity, make waves? Although Nick’s been surprised by the response, he has some theories: “First, I managed to get featured on several major Flash portals. Being on the front page of those sites massively increases the number of hits.” “Second, the game’s ending. The ending leaves on a very positive note. It’s enjoyable, funny, and light-hearted. That coupled with the relatively short-but-sweet length of the game results in players rating the game highly. A lot of games suffer from overstaying their welcome, or setting too large a scope for their mechanics. i saw her was the right length, and the last moments of the game are very satisfying.” “Third, perhaps most importantly, there are integrated social sharing buttons on the end-game screen, for things like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. Since those are right at the game’s ending moments when the player is feeling the most elated, they are really likely to hit a ‘share’ button and send it to their friends. And they definitely have! My @krangGAMES twitter feed is almost nothing but people sharing the game and referencing me.” No Game’s Too Small for a Story Beloved and i saw her standing there have something important in common: They’re about love. Silly love, powerful love, difficult love, transcendent love. The games are short, maybe only a few minutes long, but they’re driven by text and mood. That was a conscious choice. “I love creating games that have meaning behind them,” he says. “And especially in the case of Beloved, games with a social message.” “The design of both those games is based around the story. Gameplay supplements the story while a text-based narrative reads the story out.” “I guess I’m drawn to these things by their unique ability to almost ‘talk’ to players, people from all over the world I’ve never met. It’s unreal.“ Bringing Zombie Love to the Masses in 40 Hours or Less Total development time for i saw her standing there was about 40 hours. And while Nick sometimes reaches out to collaborators, this one was a solo effort — including the much-loved original soundtrack. (Download it for yourself.) Cranking out several games a year means he’s honed his process. “I’ve now gathered enough experience and tools at my disposal that making a game can be a very rapid process,” Nick says. “I’ve developed all the skills necessary to make a simple Flash game alone, but I definitely do need external help if I want any good art in my games. One of my alternative projects I’m working on, a sci-fi action game, is collaborating with a musician who’s created some phenomenal techno-sounding tracks.” “I’m also lucky enough to live with three other Game Design graduates – Ryan Pelcz, James Morgan, and Kelly Wright – so if I ever need feedback on any designs or some simple playtesting I can usually get experienced help pretty quickly!” “Though it does get pretty nerdy here,” he adds. So, what’s next for Nick? Well, there’s the fast-paced Ludum Dare competition, which he calls “virtually a religious holiday,” plus that sci-fi action game and a mobile title. Oh, and a sequel to i saw her standing there. The people demanded it. Play i saw her standing there on Newgrounds Discover what students learn in Game Design at VFS Update! The AV Club offshoot Gameological Society reviews i saw her standing there.
Digital Character Animation grad Borae Jungsuk Cho came all the way from South Korea to study in what was then known as our Maya program. He was recently interviewed by his VFS Advisor, Hakyun Lim, about how things are going in his career since graduating. Hakyun: Tell us about where you’re working and what your role entails. Borae: I’m working at Blue Sky Studio as a Pipeline Technical Director. For your information, a Pipeline Technical Director plays a pivotal role in computer graphics while creating necessary tools to make each part connected and function effectively and safely. Originally I had worked in Lighting and Compositing departments, and nowadays I am working as a pipeline artist because I am more interested in this area. Blue Sky Studio was founded by FOX and has been rapidly growing in the industry after the big success of the Ice Age series. Hakyun: Could you tell us about your career in the companies that you worked for previously? Borae: I was with various studios working on famous movies such as TRON: Legacy, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Thor, Space Chimps, Thomas & Friends, and some European animated TV series. I also worked as a lighting artist and compositor and a Pipeline Technical Director creating the game cinematics in 50 Cent, Fear 2, and Ghostbusters. Out of all the companies that I have worked for in the past, I most enjoyed working for Rainmaker Entertainment and Digital Domain, two of the best studios in North America. Rainmaker is busy working on many feature film, animation, and video of games and Digital Domain is more known as a strong VFX house. Hakyun: You have worked on many Hollywood blockbuster movies. How does it feel to join such large-scale productions? Borae: In the beginning, I started working on local TV shows and small projects and worked my way up to the bigger projects just like everyone else. Words can’t describe how excited I was when I started working on the big projects, but when I became a part of these projects, I got more surprised than excited. What struck me the most is that they put the most emphasis on the storytelling component. If they [the producers] thought there were unnecessary scenes in their scenario, they would omit them without any hesitation. They want the movie to have strongest impact on the audience. Borae: There were cultural and language problems in the beginning. On the language side, it was just a matter of time, but the cultural difference was a big thing for me to overcome. In the animation and CG industry, there are people from all cultural backgrounds and experiences and it is like a big melting pot. Nothing really shocks me anymore but if you encounter certain things for the first time, you may get thrown off. Every company has its own culture and everybody is different. The most important thing is your attitude in dealing with these problems. For me, I tried to remain open-minded and put on smiley face. When I first came to Vancouver, I couldn’t really speak English and had no aptitude for learning a new language. I thought that the best way to improve English was to learn from real life, so I started working at Starbucks to improve my English skills while meeting a lot of customers and getting used to day-to-day English. During that time, I tried to familiarize myself with the cultural expressions, both verbal and non-verbal. I was gaining self-confidence while I was working there and communicating with locals. I worked up to become a Supervisor and it was time for me to quit. I was a very introverted person before this job and by the end of my career at Starbucks, I was a totally different person. I think the culture in Canada changed me in a positive way. Hakyun: What are the major systematic differences between Korean companies and international companies? Borae: When I was in Korea, I didn’t work in this industry. I had worked as a web designer for two years, then decided to study English in Vancouver to rest my mind, then finally became a CG artist soon after graduating from VFS. So I can’t really tell you how they are different from my own experience. However I have some friends working in the industry telling me that while Korean companies are focusing on their deadlines but Canadian companies focusing on the quality. This is the biggest difference. And also working environment in Canada is much better than in Korea. I recently watched a documentary about the Korean CG industry, and their working environment is poor. I guess it’s because many Korean companies don’t produce their own movies, but taking orders from bigger companies in North America. Borae: As I answered before, the artists in North America are working in better condition compared to Koreans. In terms of treatment, we get a fair shake. For example, Supervisor, Lead, and Senior positions get almost the same salary. The biggest difference in the workplace is that you can freely express your opinions to your senior director or lead director without fear. In Korea, there is a certain cultural rule which you have to listen to the director and no suggestions are welcome. I think this small difference in workplace make a big difference. Hakyun: Do you think it’s necessary to have a degree to work in Hollywood? Borae: You don’t need to have a degree to get a job in Hollywood. You need to have a good portfolio to showcase your ability and a professional network. VFS is the perfect place for this. VFS instructors are working professionals who gave me the feedback and network that I needed to work in the industry. Hakyun: Can you tell us how VFS helped you to get to where you are today? Borae: I got everything I needed. Working professional instructors and mentors gave me timely feedback and crucial information to find a job. VFS Student Services team helped me tremendously to get a work permit and even held meetings with Human Resources department of the major studios. Hakyun: Do you have any advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps? Borae: I still have lots to learn and experience but what I can say is that don’t rush into anything and invest your time. Once you set a goal, take the necessary steps and do your best and you will find yourself closer to your goal. Thanks for the guest interview, Hakyun! And all the best for your career, Borae!
The film casts 35-year-old star Park Hae-il as a man in his seventies. Behind the aging makeup used to make that astonishing transformation? A team of VFS Makeup Design alumni. “This was quite an overwhelming job for a team just starting prosthetic makeup,” writes grad Jonghee Song. There were challenges, of course, but “good teamwork helped us survive to the end.” It’s no wonder, considering their shared origins at VFS. “We executed the aging makeup in three stages whereby individual pieces were created for each section,” she says. “Prior to the film shoot, numerous aging makeup tests took place. Eventually, due to time constraints, the director decided to omit pieces applied to the neck (front and back), nose, ears, chin, etc.” For the team, Eungyo was a golden opportunity to keep learning and testing their professional limits. “Leanne Mikyong Choi acquired silicone fabrication training through Michael while Bora Jin, who joined the team last August upon her graduation from VFS, had the opportunity to participate in creating silicone pieces. Elly Lee was in charge of punching eyebrows… She did quite a good job. In terms of the on-shoot applications, I was responsible for the face while Leanne and Bora worked on the hands.” Discover some of the amazing aging makeup techniques these talented students learned at VFS. Eungyo is scheduled for release in South Korea on April 26. Here’s a trailer:
Grads (Re)animate Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows, Tim Burton’s adaptation of the 1960s/1970s TV series, descends ominously into theatres today. The gothic fish-out-of-water horror/comedy stars Johnny Depp as vampire Barnabas Collins and, promisingly, the New York Times hails it as “Mr. Burton’s most pleasurable film in years.”
Senior Compositor Christine Peterson
Compositor Farhad Mohasseb
Visual Effects Artist Klaus Skovbo.Assembling the Avengers
Andrew Park, Animator
Roland Vallet, Animator
Daphne De Jesus, Senior Digital Paint Artist
Chrystia Siolkowsky, Roto Artist
Henri Tan, Creature Technical Director
Santhoshi Balasubramanian, Digital Artist
Mary Margaret Conley (Hill), Data I/O Administrator
Cedric Lo, Lead Animator
Scott Jones, Creature Technical Director
Juani Guiraldes, Animator
Josh Lange, Previsualization Artist
SriKalyan Tallapragada, Technical Director
EBM’s The Little Mermaid Scores 4 Leo Nominations
Prototype 2 Kicks the Doors Down
Good news for fans of throwing helicopters at tanks – Prototype 2 hit shelves this week, and promises to be a “sequel that is everything the first game wanted to be.” Helping you to tear New York apart was a team that included 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Design, and Game Design grads.
Kevin Maloney – Design Scripter
Laurie Kindiak – Senior Environment Artist
Miko Wilson – Mission Designer
Scott Morin – Design Scripter
Jamie Currie – Senior Interface Artist
Tomo Akiyama – Senior Animator
Harry Ahn – Lead Cinematics Animator
Ivan Mickovic – Art Director
Christopher Power – Senior QA TesterTrailer Premieres for Death Do Us Part
Canadian Film Reveals Personal Side of Tsunami Horror
Is This Zombie Flash Game the Most Surprising Love Story Ever Told?
International Student Profile: Borae Jungsuk Cho
As nearly half of Vancouver Film School students know from experience, our International Admissions Advisors play an extremely important role for those artists coming to Canada from countries around the world. They’re stationed in India, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan.
Hakyun: You’ve worked in a different environment than what you were used to back home. Has it been difficult to be a foreign worker? 
Hakyun: Many Korean CG artists want to work in North America because they work in better surroundings. What do you thing about this?Aging Makeup Highlights Korean Film’s Premiere
Not long ago, Makeup Design for Film & Television grad Michael Nickiforek told us about his trek to South Korea to help a fellow grad with the makeup on a shoot. That film, Eungyo (“A Muse”), is now just days away from its Korean release.