Last weekend, VFS Digital Design hosted an Interaction12 IxDA Redux event at the Main Theatre. The event was based on International Interaction12 Conference featured speakers Scott Nazarian (Frog Design), Mike Kruzeniski (Microsoft), and Ryan Betts (Adobe) and attendee Haig Armen, along with videos by Adrian Westaway (Vitamins) and Angel Anderson.
VFS sent students David Calderon, Skylar Lange, and Jeff Chen, and Digital Design’s OOMPH has gathered their impressions. ”Not only did it allow me to stop thinking about my final project for a little bit,” Jeff writes, “but it also enabled me to see what we are learning in school from a broader point of view.”
Read lots more about it at OOMPH, the VFS Digital Design community.
On Saturday, May 12, VFS Digital Design will host IxDA Vancouver’s Interaction12 Redux, a half-day mini-conference with speakers and discussions about interaction design, industry trends, inspiration, and ideas. As Presenting Partner for the event, VFS welcomes local designers to the VFS Main Theatre for a lineup that includes Scott Nazarian (Frog Design), Mike Kruzeniski (Microsoft), and Ryan Betts (Adobe). The event follows the full Interaction12 conference in Dublin, so if you missed it in February, IxDA’s got your back! We’re working with IxDA as part of our ongoing commitment to support the design community in Vancouver and beyond. For a small group of outstanding Digital Design students, it also means the chance to attend Interaction12 Redux. We’ll have a report from one of them next week, so stay tuned. Want to know more about Interaction12 Redux? Get all the details right here. If you’ve already got tickets, we’ll see you at VFS on Saturday! Via oomph, the VFS Digital Design community
This just in from OOMPH, the Digital Design community and showcase: Amrit Pal Singh, Digital Design grad and director of Mr Bumbel’s Museum of Toys, was featured in The Dieline‘s Student Spotlight section for his design project entitled Spooky Chocolates. Visit OOMPH for more about Amrit’s project alongside a fantastic commercial he created for Spooky Chocolates.
Is it possible to have a life-changing experience in just five days? If you were to ask past participants in Summer Intensives at Vancouver Film School, the answer would be a resounding yes! Nine programs. Five days each. A firsthand look inside our acclaimed programs. That’s what it’s all about. In one week with us this summer, you’ll: Best of all, the cost of your Summer Intensive is applied against your tuition if you choose to enroll in a full-time VFS program. If you’re seriously considering an education at VFS, you can’t lose. Visit the Summer Intensives website for all the details and to register right now.
Writing for Film & Television grads led the charge as Dionne Gordon and Jennifer Siddle spoke on a panel about their experiences developing and producing Plaid Men (which we posted about earlier this year). In the Animation or Puppetry category, their series took home Outstanding Series and Writing awards, while two more web series-producing Writing grads, Bob Woolsey and Andrew Menzies, were honoured for their work on the Bob and Andrew series in the Comedy category. They won an Outstanding Writing award and Andrew secured his first-ever Lead Actor award. We asked Dionne to give us a bit more info on the awards and how to get your web series seen. What does this acclaim mean for the Plaid Men team? Dionne: A lot of hard work went into our series, not just by Jenny and myself, but by our Film Production grad director/editor (camera op, focus puller, DOP, one-man film crew) Ryan Jackson, our puppet designer, our sound editor, our theme song producer, Digital Design grad Ian Berg who did the motion design for our title sequence, our actors, our web designer, and the cast of puppeteers who came out for nothing more than baked goods and veggie trays. Everyone was so supportive, and so happy to help, that any acclaim we get is validation of their hard work. As the popularity of web series grows – along with festivals like the LA Web Series Festival – what’s the key to getting your series noticed? Dionne: There is a lot to be said for social networking and really getting to understand how to use all of those tools to the fullest. But I think the other thing we realized is that the LA Web Series Festival, and other festivals like it, are key to getting your work noticed. Not only did we meet a lot of people whose work we wanted to look at, but at the screenings we saw a lot of really amazing web series that made us immediately hit our computers so that we could watch more episodes. Series that we never would have heard of otherwise. And I believe it’s being reciprocated for our series. Thanks, Dionne! And congrats to everyone involved in these web series!
Advisory Board Members are integral to VFS’s mission to bring students the most relevant skills and knowledge that will prepare them to succeed in the industry. Their input can vary from guest speaking engagements to recommendations on aspects of VFS curricula. With extensive experience as a creative executive, Digital Design students will surely benefit from Michael’s enthusiasm for design. “I believe we’re all designers in some respect, capable of shaping the lives we live and the world around us,” he says. “Whether it’s designing interfaces or designing the relationships we have with others, opportunities exist at every turn for passionate, engaged people to co-create the future together. This optimism and passion for design is alive and well at VFS, so I jumped at the chance to contribute to the program; one of the best in the world, responsible for shaping the future of our industry.” Welcome, Michael! Find out more about the VFS Digital Design program.
The Ayogo Games Post-graduate Digital Design Internship program is open to every graduating class. Each intern will be assigned a mentor based on his or her background and role in the company, with ongoing guidance and mentoring by Ayogo Games, Inc. Creative Director, Jesse Spink. “We’re really excited to announce the launch of our internship program with the Digital Design program,” says Spink. “We’ve had a great experience working with and hiring students from VFS in the past and it seemed like a logical next step to better align ourselves with both the school and the program.” Digital Design grad Levente Opelcz has been working at Ayogo since graduating, after they saw his presentation at Appetizers, the Digital Design showcase. To hear about his experience, head on over to OOMPH.
Founded in 1987, VFS has become the destination for amazing artists from all over the country – and around the world. The 2012 Cross-Canada Roadshow is your chance to discover if VFS is right for you, and how you can get started on a rewarding path in the entertainment industry. Sign up to attend one of these free info sessions, where you will: - Hear about an exclusive scholarship opportunity for attendees April 11: Fredericton Click here to find out all the details and register now. We hope to see you this spring in a city near you!
Only two months after graduating, Ryan works for a company that specializes in mobile UI and Matt was placed at a local game company. Their discussion covers a wide array of topics, from working with recruiters to handling interviews to balancing school and looking for work. Read the full story on OOMPH.
When VFS welcomed Digital Design alumnus Peter Jin Hong in November, the user experience expert was working with Google + Photos. He delivered a memorable address at the Appetizers event, illuminating the connection between the sex life of geese with interface design. In between mentoring students and sharing his experiences, Peter kindly sat down to chat about how personal life experiences influence design decisions, and how technology can help tell stories. Check out the video here, or on the VFS YouTube channel!
IxDA Vancouver: Interaction12 Redux at VFS
OOMPH: Dieline Spotlight on Spooky Chocolates
Announcing the 2012 Summer Intensives
VFS Summer Intensives 2012
Winning Big at LA Web Series Festival 2012
We’re proud to announce that a number of VFS grads stormed the LA Web Series Festival recently, bringing home acclaim in multiple categories.The Marketing Store’s Creative Director Joins Digital Design Advisory Board
We’re proud to announce that Michael Oliver, the Vice President, Creative Director of The Marketing Store has joined the Digital Design program’s Advisory Board.Ayogo Games Recruits VFS Digital Design Talent with Exclusive Internship
Ayogo Games, Inc. is known as a leader in the movement to transform health care through the use of games and play, by changing both how we learn and how we engage with our surrounding environment. As part of their ongoing search for the best talent to build their team they’ve created an exclusive internship for graduates of Digital Design. VFS is Hitting the Road From April 11 to May 5, 2012!
We’re celebrating Vancouver Film School’s 25th anniversary by visiting 13 cities across Canada from April 11 to May 5, 2012 – and we’re bringing an exclusive scholarship opportunity with us!
- Get an inside look at student life at VFS
- Discover how VFS prepares you for your career in film, TV, games, and design
- Meet a VFS Admissions representative for application and portfolio tips
April 12: Ottawa
April 14: Toronto
April 17: Winnipeg
April 18: Saskatoon
April 19: Edmonton
April 21: Calgary
April 25: Victoria
April 26: Vancouver
May 1: Penticton
May 2: Kelowna
May 3: Kamloops
May 5: Prince GeorgeOOMPH: Digital Design Grads on Recruiting, Following Passion
“Really be aware, as a designer, of what you’re creating — whether you’re a UI designer or User Experience designer — know the process and be ready to support your decisions if you’re in an interview.” In a recent post on OOMPH, Digital Design grads Ryan Hoback and Matt Dale talk to Mary Blalock, a Talent Manager with Filter. Filter and Digital Design have forged a relationship aimed at helping talented grads start their careers. Video: Digital Design Grad Peter Jin Hong on His Time With Google