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:
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.
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!
Recently, she’s performed on Vancouver’s Urban Rush talk show (watch the performance here) and was profiled in Vancouver View magazine. We asked her about how her year at VFS is wrapping up, and how the future looks to a multi-talented up-and-comer like herself. What is your final project and why is it important to you? Tonye: My final project is a 20-song music compilation called The All Love Album, dedicated to the memory of my friend and bandmate, Randy Ponzio, who passed away in November 2011. Following his death, I reached out to the Vancouver music community and used the skills that I garnered at VFS to license original material from them to create an album that could be sold to raise money for Randy’s three children. The album features 20 heartwarming contributions from some of Vancouver’s most-celebrated artists, including Juno Award-winning rapper Shad, 2012 Juno nominee Mario Vaira, rising Vancouver star David Morin, and Randy’s sister, Valerie Ponzio. The album was a cathartic and important activity for me to undertake as it helped me find healing in a time of pain and sadness. Randy was an incredible spirit, and his death had a profound effect on the music community, so to see all the artists come together to work on tribute songs was really amazing. The support for the album has been incredible, and I couldn’t be more proud of the finished product! The album has been featured on Shaw TV’s Urban Rush, and I was pleased to perform my contribution “Safe From Harm” on the show! You’ve been pursuing a career in the music industry for a little while now. What drew you to Entertainment Business Management? Tonye: I was drawn to this program because I am a firm believer that the key to success is no longer artist management, it is artist empowerment. As an independent recording artist and record label owner, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that in order to attain real success, I must stay on the cutting edge of all aspects of the industry and move into the realm of trans-media production, working on many platforms and expanding my reach. The music industry has changed so much in the last few years, and the former models that have been an accepted standard have slowly become antiquated and irrelevant. The entertainment industry is an exciting place to be right now, but you’ve got to be on the pulse of rising trends in order to find real success! Tonye: I have surprised myself in the last year by developing a real interest in Alternate Reality Gaming! I find this unexplored territory so exciting, and the possibilities are absolutely endless for integrating social media and physical marketing campaigns into the ARG landscape. I truly believe that in the future, this will be the most effective way to engage audiences and I plan on exploring the ARG space in more depth once I leave VFS. What do you see yourself doing one year after you graduate from VFS? How about five years after? Tonye: One year from now I see myself celebrating the one-year anniversary of my record label, Living Society Records, and operating a successful production house specializing in developing conscious artists that are dedicated to spreading a message of love, peace, hope, and unity through their art. I see myself hiring a team of skilled professionals who share my personal beliefs, and using entertainment to inspire, motivate, and encourage others. Five years from now I see myself returning from a tour of the world, performing on each continent (including Antarctica!). Thanks, Tonye! Good luck with the world tour! Find out more about Tonye Aganaba, or check out her final project, The All Love Album, on Facebook.
It’s an exciting time at VFS right now! We’re kicking off our 25th anniversary celebration this year with an amazing opportunity for the storytellers, pioneers, innovators, and creatives who are looking to transform the entertainment industry over the next 25 years. If that sounds like you – and you’re ready right now to take the first big step in launching your career in film, TV, games, or design – then you may be eligible for a scholarship of up to $25,000 for specific full-time programs starting April 30th or June 25th, 2012. This is a limited time opportunity, so don’t delay. Visit the 25th Anniversary Celebration site now and get started!
2011 has been a year of incredible accomplishments by VFS students and alumni. For the first time, we saw a Writing for Film & Television student screenplay produced on a global stage with grad Seth Lochhead’s Hanna. A team of Entertainment Business Management students took their Compendium short down to Screamfest LA and beat out seasoned pros for the Best Short Film award. And Digital Character Animation grad Rafael Cardenas took home his first Ariel Award – Mexico’s answer to the Oscars. As any regular reader of this blog knows, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for VFS alumni achievements this year. Students and grads from all programs raised the bar even higher for the next wave of artists to come out of VFS, and we’ve pulled all of their stories together at vfs.com/2011. Browse through the milestones of 2011, month by month. You’ll see a special video feature, VFS Blog and In Focus magazine stories, YouTube highlights, and what the wider VFS community had to say about it all. Congratulations to everyone on an amazing year – and thanks for letting us tell your inspiring stories!
VFS recently hosted Imaginism Studios‘ Bobby Chiu, who shared his experience, techniques, and inspiration with students from the Animation & Visual Effects programs after years working as an illustrator for film. Classical Animation grad – and now current Entertainment Business Management student – Sheryl Vedamani was there with pen in hand to catch some of the advice. Guest Post by Sheryl Vedamani Bobby Chiu, an illustrator, educator, and creator of Imaginism Studios and Schoolism, visited VFS to guide students and, in his words, “show you guys what I wish I could tell my old self.” Within three hours, he had covered lessons ranging from motivational tricks, his method of sketching, what makes art popular, how to achieve a strong online presence, and how to close a deal with a potential employer. One of Bobby’s strongest suggestions was to “visualize yourself doing something before you do it” to create a habit of visualization. It’s one of the hardest things to learn but he said, “once it’s mastered, anything is possible”. He reinforces this by drawing in Photoshop while explaining that low contrast helps you see more. “Sketching is like taking notes for an essay”, by keeping things fuzzy and light, it allows the imagination take over and will train the mind to understand the steps needed to get from point A to point B. When asked about how to get recognized in sea of artists, he explained that it isn’t enough to just create a blog and post your work; you need to be present in anything related to your medium. Do it all – books, conventions, release art often, forums, live broadcasts, etc. He stressed that ‘going viral’ is the new ‘great’ and to do that, you must have a strong online presence. It’s not enough just to post a work of art online but now it has to offer something more to the viewer. To create something different and special so that others who come across that piece will turn to their friend and share it. In discussing how to become a successful artist, Bobby chuckled to himself and explained that there was no one way of doing it. Not every artist has the same story but all our role model artists have 2 things in common: they were motivated and they went out to get the knowledge they needed. Thanks for the recap, Sheryl!
Sandra took the time to answer some questions and talk about her career. Take us back to your time in Entertainment Business Management. How did you decide on a film for your final project? Sandra: To be honest, the project changed into a film a few weeks before going to picture; it started as a pilot for a web series. I knew the kind of story and lead character I wanted to create, since I have always loved to tell stories that leave a positive message, and I wanted to bring back a strong female role to the media. I just didn’t know the best way to present it, since must of my background experience comes from advertising and live events. But after working and producing Compendium Vol. 1 and watching the reception it got, I realized I wanted to do a film but I didn’t want to leave behind the concept for a series. After talking with Nick Humphries (my mentor for the project), he suggested the idea of shooting a short film of 10 minutes that, in the future, if I still wanted to procede with the series, I could break down into 3 short episodes. How did you get in contact with director Juan Reidinger and writer Nuno Soler? Sandra: When Nick and I talked about possible directors, we both agreed that the candidate needed to be someone creative and eager to work in the fantasy genre. Nick suggested Juan because he knew he was looking for a fantasy story to direct. So I contacted him, and he liked the concept and was really eager to come on board. I met Nuno on Compendium Vol. 1 when he wrote the script for the short film Patsy Tomkins and I did. I loved his style since the begining and his creativity just blew my mind. So in the meeting before our shooting of “The Call of C’Thulhu”, he told me if I ever need it a writer I could always contact him. Sandra: It was so unexpected and surprising. I’m a dreamer by nature and I like to dream big. At the time of filming I was just too happy thinking that I was doing something good by providing or at least trying to provide a strong role model for girls; that was the only thing I wanted to do and I fantasized about the story reaching and touching people, but I never thought of actually winning awards. When Juan told me the news about the festival, it just blew my mind. I was so in shock and happy that I couldn’t sleep! It’s nice when people close to you understand your purpose of creating a story and like it, but when people you don’t know see your work and like it and recognize it, it’s amazing. Producing an award-winner film is really a rollercoaster of emotions. You have to have a cold head to make the best decisions but also a heart filled with passion for the project, to help you continue on the road to reach your ultimate goal What’s next for you? Sandra: I have a couple of projects that I’m working on: I’m helping with two features and a short film that I wrote and am directing, but the must important one is the feature film of Growing Up Julianne now called Tales of Fairies. At the moment, Nuno and I are working on the third draft of the script and have already attached key positions to the crew. I’m approaching investors and companies and hopefully it will start filming next summer. Why was this project so important to you? Sandra: I feel that most media is missing a strong female role model. We live in a time full of stereotypical female models, where the beautiful girl is always a type of damsel in distress or a complete evil queen. We need a new heroine, a character that speaks to women, a character that is strong enough to stand for herself but at the same time is vulnerable to her world. A heroine who defends her beliefs, who accepts who she is despite what others think, who no matter how many times life brings her down she stands up every time. In a world where unfortunately stereotypes, sexism, and bullying still thrive, girls need a heroine. Congratulations, Sandra and Nuno! You can watch the trailer for Growing Up Julianne below.
Part 2: The Makeup and The Script. The work of Makeup Design students and grads has found a high-profile home in the Compendium film series. They’ve given us the blood and guts of H.P. Lovecraft, the sirens of Homer, and the unforgettable Tinkerbell. Now, for the fourth volume of Compendium — dubbed “Psycho Princess” for its reinvention of female-driven fairy tales — VFS makeup artists turned their attention to a whole new set of challenges. The Little Mermaid makeup team was lead by Makeup Design grad Sarah Elizabeth. She worked closely with the EBM student producers to come up with a design that suited the vision everyone shared: “We wanted her to be something that was aquatic, but not the regular beautiful mermaid. To do this we decided to stay away from the usual colours for sea creatures (blue/purple) and looked at using colours that maybe suggested she was beautiful once, but almost as if she was rotting and falling apart from her long captivity — so pink, yellows, and browns.” “We also wanted to find ways to change her appearance and make her look more “deep sea” and fish-like than mermaids regularly look, so we came up with the prosthetic for her face and the webbed hands and fins.” It didn’t hurt that the actress playing this mermaid was Acting grad Jovanna Huguet, who was joined on screen by fellow grad Trevor Gemma. After Sarah developed the initial concepts for the tail, webbed hands, nails, arm fins, teeth, hair, and face, she brought on two additional makeup artists. “It wasn’t until I shared parts of it with my two stellar makeup assistants (Makeup Design grads Susan Manning and Krysten Merrick), that the character really started coming to life. I gave each of them different areas to work on individually and then as a group, the three of us would meet, share ideas, help trouble shoot and critique what was being made.” “The idea was always kind of there for me, in part due to my innate (and often disconcerting) love of circuses, and perhaps due to the association of mermaids to sideshows, like the Fiji Mermaid. It instantly clicked for me.” As far as the win at Screamfest? It’s obviously a great honour shared by the entire team. For Meagan, it’s been a surreal experience: “I feel like we just partook in the underdog story of the year, us being the student film with the teeny-tiny budget that managed to surpass all, even despite the star power behind some of the other films. It’s an indescribable feeling and I’m not sure it’s completely set in yet.” “Even when they announced we won I was too shocked to do so much as cry. I could only flail around squeaking for half an hour, but I think any visible ridiculousness was forgiven.” Thanks for the insight, Sarah and Meagan. And congrats again on the big win at Screamfest!
But a lot of work went into creating The Little Mermaid. A lot. So much so, that we’re going to give you two back-to-back posts’ worth of info on how this project came to be. Part 1: The Producers. Where did this project come from, how did the team come together, and how did it all get completed on time? (Part 2 will focus on the makeup and the writing.) Obviously, there’s lots more to talk about when it comes to creating a Compendium short – which is where this handy “making-of” video comes in. Samantha Jewell, Lindsey Mann, Aliya Tarmo, and Justin Simon make up the team behind The Little Mermaid, one of four festival-level films produced inside the Entertainment Business Management program. You can find out more about each team’s production journey on the student development blog here. How did the concept for the short come together? Samantha: After sending out a call for script submissions we received a flood of amazing content – the first of which was actually “The Little Mermaid” by [Writing for Film & Television grad] Meagan Hotz, which was the one we chose. Lindsey: We all took a strong liking to this first script, and became set on the circus/freak show concept, which in all honesty made it difficult to look at any of the others. Aliya: It was more the way that Meagan painted the setting, so visually with her words. I was seduced. You know you have a talented writer on your hands when you can’t read a word of another script without hers in your head. Samantha: Once we had the approval to move forward (with the script), everything seemed to just fall together in a practical and creative sense. The entire team fell in love and we did what it took to stay as true to the story as we could, which meant cutting some dialogue to get to the heart of the story. It worked out incredibly well, giving our actors a lot of room to play out their emotions on camera. Justin: The one thing I really wanted to do with the classic Little Mermaid tale was do the exact opposite of what was expected. I would say we’ve accomplished that. Every script we read had some direct link to the Disney tale – a prince, the ocean, etc. Meagan’s script didn’t, and we loved it. What were some specific challenges you encountered in producing this project? Aliya: The one that stands out in my mind the most was the tank. Budget restraints, safety regulations and finding one, period, was collectively the biggest challenge. So we went with our contingency plan: the bathtub. Samantha: I had been a huge advocate of the tank, as I had such a specific vision after reading the first draft of the script, so it was hard to let go, but I am so incredibly thankful that we went with the tub. It was beautiful, fit the story exceptionally well, and was ultimately way less of a hassle. It was the right and best choice. Lindsey: The French reverse was also an enormous challenge, with one person, [Film Production grad] Sean Young – our set designer – and us four producers, we got direct insight into the art direction side of film. Justin: It wasn’t a challenge per say, it was more… necessary, so we went with it. Samantha: Clomping around in heels, carrying a stage around in a pile of mulch was not as glamorous as producers are typically painted. But it was an unreal experience to be a part of and also to just to witness, on and off camera. Lindsey: Building the set one way, then 360° changing it to look like an entirely different side in one day of filming, within one hour, was definitely a challenge and it definitely paid off. What was your reaction to getting screened at Screamfest (and winning!)? Lindsey: *Expletive* awesome. I can’t even describe it in words. It felt so surreal, and still does. Knowing that this film was at the start of something big, and would continue to go on, was unbelievable. Aliya: I agree. As the first film that we were a part of being a success like this, whilst still in school, is something you only really ever fantasize about in terms of such a far-fetched fantasy. So it is definitely a dream come true. Samantha: Established filmmakers submit to festivals like these without ever getting selected – filmmakers with real time and real money. So, to know that all of our extreme hard work – along with the donation of time and beautiful work done by our cast, crew, and team – was being recognized at this level was something that blew us completely away, even if we knew what we had was something special. We were taken by surprise. That establishment got several decibels higher in volume for the rest of the evening. So amazing. Justin: Graduating from VFS as an award winning producer is unheard of. You hear of paying your dues over and over again just to get recognized, let alone being award worthy. The fact that it’s happened is surreal. Samantha: Being able to actually be there in Los Angeles, to see our film up on the Grauman’s Chinese Theater screen is something that I will never forget. I mean, it’s legendary. Then winning, sitting there, in Hollywood and having them state that your film was the “best” of the bunch, it was incredible. The look on Nick’s [Humphries] face was priceless. Then it all happened so fast, his speech, going up to receive the skull, taking pictures – it’s a blur. Malcolm McDowell had a film screen with ours. Who does that happen to? And we beat him… Where do you go from here in the program and your careers? Aliya: My second film project was a passion piece, inspired by my previous career ambition to be a stunt woman. I’m a strong advocate for the often-overlooked stunt profession and I wanted to do a piece about the stunt community’s 20-year-long struggle to gain Academy [of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] recognition for their work. After graduation, I will be focused on finding a job in casting and plan to create unique and eclectic entertainment properties. Lindsey: Compendium gave me the confidence to take on a project that allowed me to solely produce a music video. Beyond school, I would like to continue into 360° converging media. I want to be involved in everything from film to music and marketing. Embracing the current media and moving forward is definitely something I intend to do. Samantha: Back to LA, right next door to Grauman’s… I’m following this bad boy to the Oscars. But as far as my career and post-graduation plans go, I plan to participate as much as I can within the industry. My passion lies within creation and being part of a team getting things done, so I plan to proceed within as many opportunities I am lucky enough to have. Whether it be within talent management, casting or any other facet of production, I am up to the challenge and plan to bring the same level of commitment to future projects as I did with Mermaid, hopefully with the same success. Congrats again, everyone! Watch the teaser for The Little Mermaid above, or on the VFS YouTube channel, and check out all the behind-the-scenes photography on the EBM Flickr profile. Click here to read Part Two of this story!
Announcing the 2012 Summer Intensives
VFS Summer Intensives 2012
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 GeorgeRising Music Star Builds Up Business Skills
Entertainment Business Management student Tonye Aganaba is nearing the end of her year at VFS, but she’s got a clear idea of where her career will be taking her in the coming months and years. Before she decided to delve into the business side of entertainment at VFS, Tonye’s music was being heard online and around Vancouver at live events.
Students here often discover skills they didn’t know they had. How have you surprised yourself this last year?Celebrating 25 Years with Over $1,000,000 in Scholarships!
2011 Retrospective: Looking Back on an Amazing Year
Guest Post: Imaginism Studios’ Bobby Chiu Visits VFS
Student Project Wins at Hollywood Festival
This is apparently the season for Entertainment Business Management projects to win big at American festivals. First the Compendium project The Little Mermaid took the top student prize at Screamfest LA, the same festival that launched Paranormal Activity. And now, alumna Sandra Rojas Gonzalez‘s final project, Growing Up Julianne, has been named “Best Fantasy” at The International Student Film Festival Hollywood. (The film was scripted by Writing for Film & Television grad, Nuno Soler.) 
The film has just won in the “Best Fantasy” category of the International Student Film Festival Hollywood. Did you know you were making award-winning material during filming? How to Make an Award-Winning Short Film: Part 2
As promised in our last post, this is the second part of the story behind The Little Mermaid, the award-winning short film project lead by Entertainment Business Management students that brought together talented contributors from Digital Design, Writing for Film & Television, Makeup Design for Film & Television, Film Production, and Acting for Film & Television.
Of course, all this amazing makeup was created to tell a story, and that story began with Writing grad Meagan Hotz. “Coming up with the story for The Little Mermaid wasn’t a particularly long or convoluted process,” she says. “I got the prompt for the Compendium shorts and wrote it either that night or the next night.” How to Make an Award-Winning Short Film: Part 1
We were over the moon when we heard the news that The Little Mermaid – a short film from Compendium IV: Psycho Princess – had won at Screamfest LA, the festival that helped launch Paranormal Activity and stakes its name upon screening the best in horror.
Justin: I am currently still weighing my options as there are so many things that I would like to do with my career. One passion project is a collaboration of seven short films in a documentary highlighting First Nation dance. Post-graduation I will be looking to enter the VFX side of film and television. I am looking to upgrade/update the aboriginal presence in modern media.