Jennifer Mackie, Raine Anderson, and Brad Pitre of Pixar Canada recently visited VFS to share their thoughts and experiences with our students from 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Classical Animation, and Digital Character Animation. Pixar Canada produces animated shorts and television specials featuring characters from Pixar’s prior films. Those who saw Finding Nemo 3D in theatres last Fall will remember Partysaurus Rex, the animated short featuring characters from Toy Story that ran before the film. That was produced at Pixar Canada, right here in Vancouver, BC.
Pixar has the creative chops to make things great and they employ talented artists and animators to bring their stories and characters to life on-screen. From idea generation to completion, the team operates by the following adage – “It looks good but can we make it better?”
Brad, Raine, and Jennifer were kind enough to provide some further insight on their success. Brad, a Modeler/Rigger previously with Digital Domain, suggested that keeping it simple is key. He also advised that you should always have your work reviewed and be open to constructive criticism.
“You learn from failure. Success is great but you don’t learn from it,” said Raine, an Artist previously at Weta Digital.
Jennifer, a Lead Layout Artist formerly at Axis Animation, maintained that story was paramount. “Everything leads back to the story – it’s the most important thing. The animation can be beautiful but if the story isn’t good then people aren’t interested.”
Jennifer, Katie, Brad, and Raine pose for a quick photo.
VFS Animation student Katie Williams was at the presentation and has some highlights to share.
Guest Post by Katie Williams
Listening to Pixar Canada team members Brad Pitre, Raine Anderson, and Jennifer Mackie was truly an excellent and inspirational experience. Not only were we able to learn about their specific positions at the studio and the hugely cooperative Pixar pipeline, but we were privileged to witness genuine humility.
It is the latter detail that is perhaps the most impressive and encouraging. In so many ways, Pixar is the dream studio of any 3D artist. We look at the work that they do and hope that one day we can be a part of it. Meeting three individuals who live that reality and realizing they still feel the same was wonderful.
Pixar, as all three mentioned and as we can easily observe, is about quality over quantity. In their talk, Brad, Raine, and Jennifer brought up the idea of plussing, making the most of their allotted time, perpetually iterating on assets, and progressing as a collective and holistic creative force as opposed to working in separate departments. It was this concept that was maybe the most valuable to acknowledge, at least for me, because it makes you realize how truly cooperative the industry is, and how interdependence and constancy are vital to success.
Another invaluable practice they touched on was that of referencing in order to stylize reality, maintaining true cinematic language while bringing every part of a world to life, and taking the time to tell a story and to tell it well.
It is that last point that proves the most inspirational and the most motivational. To know that the story is alive at every stage of their process, and to know that it can be, makes everything we are doing now as students so worthwhile and on course.
A huge thank you to Brad, Raine, and Jennifer for taking the time to speak with our students and to Katie for sharing her thoughts about the presentation.
He’s back! Tony Stark aka Iron Man aka Robert Downey Jr. returns today for the third installment of the Iron Man franchise, aptly titled Iron Man 3. This time, Iron Man faces off against a terrorist named The Mandarin, played by Oscar-winning actor Ben Kingsley. Working behind the scenes were a number of VFS grads, from programs like 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Classical Animation, Digital Character Animation, Digital Design, and Foundation Visual Art & Design. Below are a few of our grads who lent their talents to the film. Great work, everyone!
We all know that person – everything they touch seems to turn to gold. They’re gifted, driven, positive, inquisitive. Yet, in reality, they’re just like the rest of us – at times insecure as they wend their way through an unknown future. Still, it’s a wonder how people like Sarah Jolley do what they do. Hailing from Cheshire, England, Sarah graduated from the Classical Animation program in 2011. Her final VFS project, Skip, featuring a Buster Keaton-esque hero and ’60s blacksploitation heroine tripping from film strip to film strip, continues to earn acclaim both online and on TV stations like Washington and Oregon PBS affiliate KCTS9. In person, she speaks at a lightning-fast clip about Grand National horse racing and the hyperbolic nature of animation. She eschews straight lines because, in her words, they “tend to lie”, and draws with the desperation of a distance runner – she simply cannot stop. When we ask her to list her current projects, she rattles off an animated feature, a book, an online comic book, an online chapter book, plus other mysterious “bits” – it’s a laundry list. She says “some of the best work I will ever do” was storyboarding after graduation at Vancouver’s Rainmaker. She later created D&D-influenced character designs for another client, and is now back in the Rainmaker fold. Which isn’t to say she doesn’t have the same moments of self-doubt as the rest of us – doubt eased by the help and support of a devoted online community on her blog, other blog, Tumblr, and comic series. “Tumblr is quite interactive,” she explains. “I was hemming and hawing and wondering, ‘Guys, should I maybe do this?’ If I hadn’t had the encouragement from my friends, I would never have started. And that’s where my audience has come from and it’s grown – I’ve been astonished at how much people like it, which is really touching.” “It took me the longest time to accept that doing this was something I loved and I could do it for a living,” she says. “And I’m very, very happy that I did because it’s exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life, you know? Find what you love and let it kill you.”
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!
Producers Skye Radies, Zach Hill, and Sheryl Vedamani, with Child's Play's Jamie Dillon A compilation album of game-inspired music, produced by VFS Entertainment Business Management students, has done what it set out to do, raising $15,000 for Child’s Play. The release of Power Up: Music to Game By, featuring artists like Freezepop and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, culminated in an online Twitch.TV gaming marathon in December. That took the fundraising to the next level, marked the album’s decommissioning, and led to the presentation of a cheque to Child’s Play. We caught up with the masterminds behind the campaign, grads Skye Radies (EBM, Foundation) and Sheryl Vedamani (EBM, Foundation, and Classical Animation), to hear about these most recent developments – and what’s next. How did it feel to present the cheque as a culmination of the project? Skye: A release. Finally, after over a year and a half, this project came to a definitive conclusion. We didn’t have any other divisions of it to worry about beyond that one moment – no more charity events, no more broadcasters to contact and liaise with, no more coordination or scheduling… Everything had finished. It is one thing to deliver a cheque to a charitable organization but to have the opportunity that we had to physically go to Seattle, Washington, and hand-deliver our cheque… was amazing. There was definitely a feeling of elation, satisfaction, and pride. A chapter of our lives had concluded. Sheryl: Handing over the giant cheque to Jamie Dillion, the project manager of the charity, created a sense of ambivalence. On one hand, it was a celebration of success for our team and everyone involved in raising funds for Child’s Play –I was happy to see so much money go to such a worthy cause. Yet I was sad watching the project I had put my heart and soul into for the last year and a half finally come to a close. From the very beginning of this project, I pitched that approaching the online gaming community would be the right choice for our marketing campaign – however, I never expected it leading to Power Up gaining a community of its own. The enthusiasm, generosity, and support they provided throughout this entire project was inspiring and probably the reasons we continued working on Power Up: Music to Game By so long after our graduation. What’s next for each of you? What have you got in the hopper? Skye: Lots in the works lately! I’m branding and marketing my two companies, submitting a short film to various festivals, as well as working on a children’s book, another short film and a web series. First and foremost, I’m producing a science fiction web series entitled GAIA_TheSeries. We are currently in post-production for episode two, pre-production for episode three, and developing a complex funding and marketing strategy for the release of the second episode at the end of May. This plan incorporates some of the tactics used to raise $15,000 for Child’s Play, by using Twitch.TV to fundraise money for a charitable organization. There is also a large screening event happening at a non-traditional location… There may even be a mob of sorts involved – more to be revealed shortly! Sheryl: After much discussion, Skye and I have decided to continue working with that growing community and raise funds for various charitable organizations with a new campaign called PowerUp4Charity. In addition to this project, I’ll be continuing my work as a freelance animator and storyboard artist. I’m currently working on two classically animated shorts, three commercials, a children’s book, and the art for a Sherlock Holmes themed video game. In my spare moments, though rare, I’ve taken to working on the branding and marketing for two gaming communities and have recently become inspired to begin creating a point and click adventure game of my own. It’s been a busy year and I don’t see it slowing down any time soon but as my three years at Vancouver Film School have taught me –the only way to get where you want with your career is to work as hard as or harder than those around you and learn as much as you can along the way. You heard ‘em, readers. Here’s where you can go for more: Sheryl Vedamani on the web
When Zoink Games set out to bring the surreal world of Adventure Time‘s Finn the Human and Jake the Dog to life in the new iOS title Rock Bandits, they turned to 2011 Classical Animation graduate Ebba Edenström for a little help. Ebba would animate both of these iconic characters for the game – we were lucky enough to ask her about it. Where are you from? What prompted you to come all the way to Vancouver for the Classical Animation program? Ebba: I’m from the wonderful city of Gothenburg, Sweden. I was looking around for animation education here in Sweden, but there wasn’t really much to choose from. I somehow stumbled upon VFS and thought it would be a fun experience trying something outside my country! Did you have art or animation experience before you came to VFS? Ebba: Only self-taught in drawing, but I’d been doing a two-year game development education before that, with focus on 3D animation. That’s how my interest in animation began. How did you come to be working on Rock Bandits? Is it your first shipped game? Ebba: Yes, it is! It feels really cool. I was looking for work and just happened to stumble upon an open position at Zoink Games here in Sweden and got hired to animate on Rock Bandits, and I’m still here animating on the next project! People might not think that skills in “traditional” 2D animation could be applied to something like an iOS game. How does your animation experience allow you to work in a digital medium? Ebba: It’s not that much of a difference, I think. It’s more about getting to know the program, but the process is pretty much the same. Were you a fan of Adventure Time before working on the game? Ebba: I had seen a few episodes of it before but really not that much. But working on this game, I of course had to do quite a lot of research to get to know Finn and Jake more, and started watching it more seriously, and quite the fan of it now! What was it like to work with two phenomenally popular characters like Jake and Finn? Ebba: A lot of crazy fun! They’re both great and it was a lot of fun experimenting with their characters and abilities. Thanks, Ebba! Readers can see more of her work at her site, and be sure to check out her amazing VFS film, Vit Fågel:
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.
After graduating from the 3D Animation & Visual Effects program, Maia Neubig spent some time at Digital Domain, working on Jack the Giant Slayer, in theatres today, and Ender’s Game, which arrives later this year. Maia recently landed a position with Walt Disney Animation Studios and is heading to California to start work on Frozen, the story of a mountain climber and a young girl who attempt to end the perpetual winter that has fallen over their kingdom. In the midst of packing for her move, Maia took the time to speak with us about her experience in the animation program, life since graduation, and landing her dream job. Why did you choose to study 3D Animation & Visual Effects at VFS? Maia: I had wanted to work in animation and visual effects for a long time. Since I knew fairly early on what I wanted to do, it basically just came down to choosing the right school to get me started. I did research on quite a few different schools and was attracted to VFS in part because of the short length of the program and the reputation of the school. What really appealed to me was the quality of work that came out of the 3D program. I watched the demo reels of students from many different schools and was most impressed by those of the VFS students. What were some highlights from your time in the program? Maia: I had a great experience at VFS. It’s quite intense so of course it was stressful at times, but overall it’s a great program. There are tons of resources at your disposal and if you use them to your advantage, you can have a really positive learning experience. The best part for me was the people I met. My class was comprised of students from all over the world, and they became like a family to me. I loved getting to know them and work beside them every day. It’s amazing how diverse and interesting the student population is at VFS. I loved meeting so many different people from so many different places. How did you find the transition from student to working in the industry? Maia: Transitioning from being a student at VFS to working in the industry is interesting because you learn so much at your first job and it’s very different than school. At work, you can’t procrastinate and you really learn how to optimize your time and work on a schedule in order to hit deadlines. VFS is similar to working in the industry in the connections you make with the people around you and the amazing friends you find in your co-workers. What did you do at Digital Domain? Maia: I was hired as a Rigging Intern but actually ended up doing cloth setup and simulation for Jack the Giant Slayer. I didn’t have much previous experience with cloth so I learned pretty much everything on the job. Luckily for me, I actually ended up loving cloth and decided to stick with it! After that, I did rigging on Ender’s Game, as well as a little bit of cloth development work. You recently got a job with Disney and are heading to California. Can you tell us anything about the position? Maia: I am very excited to start at Disney. Working there has been a dream of mine since I was really little. I will be working as a Character TD, doing cloth and hair setup and simulation on their new movie, Frozen. I have loved Disney movies since I was tiny and have been fascinated with 3D animation ever since I saw the first Toy Story. Needless to say, getting a job at Disney is a pretty exciting opportunity for me. Best of luck to you at Disney, Maia! Thanks for speaking with us. If you want to see Maia’s work on the big screen, check out Jack the Giant Slayer, in theatres today. Along with Maia, the film had nearly 50 VFS grads working behind the scenes, from programs like Foundation Visual Art & Design, Writing for Film & Television, Film Production, Digital Character Animation, Classical Animation, and 3D Animation & Visual Effects. The film is based on the classic fairytale, Jack and the Beanstalk, and stars Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, and Stanley Tucci. Check out the trailer below:
If you’re reading this, well, you probably know a thing or two about VFS. But we have another side, too. It’s our new viewbook - a different look and a fresh angle on the people, places, and history that make up our DNA. It’s a chance for us to wear our true colours, to show you what we believe, and to share students’ stories – because they’re the ones who make VFS go. Got a few minutes? Explore, download our student manifesto, say hello, and meet us again for the first time at vfs.edu/MyYear. Ready to take that first step right now? What are you waiting for? Speak with an Advisor!
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!
Iron Man Returns, Again
Aaron Gilman, Animation Supervisor
Alex Berson, Senior Digital Paint Artist
Amir Ronen, Animator/Rigger
Andrew Park, Animator
Casey Rolseth, Visual Effects Artist
Cesar Rodriguez Bautista, Senior Paint Artist
Chrystia Siolkowsky, Rotoscope Artist
Clement Yip, Lead Animator
Daphne De Jesus, Compositor
Diego Piccinato, Lead Compositor
Joshua Herrig, Lighting Artist
Juani Guiraldes, Animator
Kieran Tether, Lighting Technical Director
Kiran Menon, Compositor/BG Prep Artist
Max Vogt, Character Modeler
Michael Miller, Modeler/Texture Artist
Moises Flores Cabrera, Stereoscopic Compositor
Nicholas Markel, Previsualization Supervisor
Paul Copeland, Visual Effects Artist
Tamir Diab, Lighting Technical Director
Tuba Yalcin – Effects Technical Director
Fun Fact: VFS grads also worked on the original Iron Man film as well as its sequel Iron Man 2.
Sarah Jolley on Animation, Inspiration, and Overcoming Doubt
She began her adult education studying Biology and Zoology, and took notes in class using viking runes. She explains, “In cases where the teacher was going particularly quickly I could just… They have entire words in symbols and more. You can just write them faster. Plus, they’re just really easy to draw. Although now I can’t read them anymore!”
How You Can Connect with the World at VFS Summer Intensives
Grads Raise $15,000 for Child’s Play
Skye Radies on the web
PowerUp4Charity on Twitter
Animating Finn and Jake for Adventure Time: Rock Bandits
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!Animation Grad Lands Dream Job at Disney
There’s A New Way to Get to Know VFS: Check Out Our Viewbook
Meet 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, Texas