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!
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!
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!
What brought you to Vancouver Film School, and what started your interest in sound? John: My decision to go to VFS was mainly centered on the Sound Design program. As I mentioned in a recent article, I have always had a hobby and definite interest in sound and that lead me to Sound Design for Visual Media. My main experience in sound prior to that was strictly in the live context and I found it very appealing to explore the other worlds of sound and see what was possible. You also took Foundation Visual Art & Design. John: An unexpected pleasure during my time at VFS was being able to experience many different facets and disciplines through Foundation Visual Art & Design. I must say not everything was to my interest. However, I firmly believe that I would not have nearly the same level of professionalism and ability today in working on media-based projects without the Foundation program. Having the ability to coordinate with completely different disciplines through the basic understanding of how different departments work, and the necessary processes to contribute accordingly, is invaluable. This continued through the Sound Design for Visual Media course as they introduced numerous different areas of specialization and opportunities in the sound world. Tell us about your company. John: MILE Studios is primarily a boutique studio concentrating on digital colour grading and essentially everything sound, from pre-production through post and delivery. Our aim is to provide dedicated finishing services for the media industry in the UAE and hopefully the surrounding media areas. We have recently been working on a number of commercials from the region and a few short films from the initiatives taken by governmental agencies to help develop and promote the film industry in the UAE. Our colourist has recently begun grading a feature film from Jordan and hopefully soon we will be starting on a Chinese feature. That’s a lot of work for a new company. What kind of opportunities exist where you are? John: Perhaps the greatest benefit of working in the UAE is the unique opportunities that arise. Since I have been back in the UAE I have been able to become a teacher for sound in the local film schools, which has allowed me to help educate a very young industry taking its first baby steps. This then led me to explore video and film editing, and I’ve since become an Apple software trainer. Above all it has given me the chance to help create and establish standards of work in the region. Any particular challenges? John: In terms of challenges the sheer lack of standards does hurt. For the last 3 years I have been the Compilation Supervisor for a section of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, taking the films from the EFC (Emirates Film Competition) and creating master screening tapes. The volume of films from the region has been steadily increasing and the storytelling aspect is improving with the actors and actresses, cinematography, editing, etc. However, each and every film arrives in a different frame rate, aspect ratio, resolution, codec – you name it. I get a significant amount of material arriving in NTSC, even though they were all shot PAL from the region. And then there is the sound, which hurts. Any favourite sounds when it comes to recording? John: I don’t think it is possible for me to have a favourite sound. I am continually fascinated by the unique variations a simple choice of microphone can have on the quality of a sound, let alone the different types of performance. At VFS I once went dumpster diving in front of a building being renovated with a classmate and came back to the Sound Design campus with a shopping cart full of large panes of glass. I then sat in one of the Foley rooms and recorded for a full five hours straight with multiple mics. I only stopped because my time slot had been far exceeded and I was running out of drive space. If I absolutely had to say a bandwidth of sound that is my favorite, it is definitely bass. I am obsessed with power of sound in the low frequency spectrum on large scale systems. The ability to find that unique resonance point of the woofers depending on the speakers and room, finding out what surfaces and materials vibrate at what frequencies – I could sit there till either my eardrums explode or the speakers give out. Thanks, John!
While Dionne Gordon and Jennifer Siddle, the Program Managers for Writing for Film & Television and Entertainment Business Management, respectively, are amongst the many Mad Men fans who can’t wait for season five to finally arrive. They decided to take the critically-acclaimed series into their own… hands. With the help of many VFSers, they launched Plaid Men this past weekend – a web series that puts hand puppets inside the feisty Manhattan ad agency and picks up where season four left off. You can catch a new episode every Sunday night at PlaidMenWebSeries.com. In March there will be two episodes per week on Sundays and Thursdays in the lead up to Mad Men‘s season premiere on the 25th. Plaid Men features the talents of Writing grads Bob Woolsey, Derek Thompson, Steve Toms, and Wade Fennig; Film Production grad Ryan Jackson; Writing/Film instructor Rudy Thauberger; Acting for Film & Television grads Naomi Dayneswood, Shannon Lang, Lauren Martin, and Aaron McCallum; and Head of Acting Bill Marchant. Oh, and that title sequence? It’s created by Ian Berg, a grad of both Foundation Visual Art & Design and Digital Design. Check out the first episode and ‘like’ the series on Facebook.
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!
Things kick off today with the release of Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked and the much-anticipated Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. In Chip-Wrecked, you’ll see the work of Digital Character Animation grad Adam Yaniv (Animation Supervisor) and 3D Animation & Visual Effects grad Derek Tannehill (Animation Supervisor), while Game of Shadows showcases the talents of 3D grads Andrew Juano (Roto/Prep), Paul Rodgers (Digital Matte Painter), Ryan Clarke (Senior Compositor), Steven Davies (Roto Prep Artist), Teh-wei Yeh (Lighting TD), and Rommel Shamoun (Compositor) — along with Foundation Visual Art & Design grad Bradey Strong (Shading & Lighting TD) and Film Production grad Stephanie Meyerink (VFX Coordinator). Then next week, on December 21, we’ll see the debut of two big-budget films that will be sure to draw large crowds: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and The Adventures of Tintin. Ghost Protocol features the technical artistry of 3D grads SriKalyan Tallapragada (Technical Director), Geeta Basantani (Digital Compositor), and Santhoshi Bala (Compositor/Digital Artist) — and in Tintin you’ll see the handiwork of 3D grads Aaron Gilman (Senior Animator), Carolyn Wong (Creature Technical Director), Chrystia Siolkowsky (Motion Editor), Kristin Sedore (Lighting TD), Matt Weaver (Animator), Nick Craven (Animation Sequence Supervisor), Roland Vallet (Animator), and Tamir Diab (Lighting Technical Director). Digital Character Animation grad Chad Moffit also lent his talents here as a Previs Animator. Congrats to all the alumni whose work will keep us entertained over the holidays!
And it all started with a student reel about seahorses. (Check out A Friend Like Me, featured below.) First off, could you talk a bit about what you currently do in the industry? Humaira: I currently work as an animator for Wrinkled Pants. It’s a software company that creates iPad apps for kids with learning disabilities, and my job is to design all the visuals and try to make them appealing for children about 8 to 12 years old. The app we are working on right now is called “Are Squirrels Smart, or What?”, which is the third installment of the “Smart, or What?” series. The previous two were “Are Whales Smart, or What?” and “Are Bees Smart, or What?” which are already available at the app store. The app basically consists of a story with images and 5 to 6 learning activities. It is a lot of fun getting into the mindset of a child and creating animations and art that would keep them interested and playing the games. How did you land this job after graduation? Humaira: It was pure luck I must say. After graduation I put up my reel on many video hosting sites and one of them was YouAnimator.com. Eight months of a tiring job search and I had almost given up. I was thinking I’d have to end up going back home to Sri Lanka, when I got an email from Selma Wassermann, CEO of Wrinkled Pants. She said that she loved my reel and wanted to interview me for a position at the company. She sent me tasks to create a rascally squirrel for their upcoming app. I had a week to work on it, and then I went to the interview extremely nervous. But Selma Wassermann and John Horodyski (Director of Marketing and Business Development) were absolutely wonderful and immediately put me at ease. The interview went great, and 24 hours later I was an animator at Wrinkled Pants. How would you say the Foundation and 3D programs prepared you for what you do now? Humaira: The Foundation program was wonderful. I was really uncertain about what I wanted to do in the arts field. I had just finished my degree in Business Computing but I always wanted to work in the arts industry, creating drawings and animation that could reach out and help people. Foundation really helped explore my options, just because it exposes us to a variety of subjects, from acting to game design, to 2D and 3D animation, and film. It also helped me to meet people with similar interests and make connections. After Foundation I was clear that I wanted to do 3D animation. So I went into the 3D program. It was very different from Foundation. It was a year of intense learning, and hard work. I learned a LOT about the various aspects of creating an animated film. We had to create our own story and concept and bring it to life by modeling, rigging, texturing, and animating. We also learned a bunch about post-production techniques. I think this was a brilliant idea, because in the industry even though you are usually assigned just one position, it helps with communication with your co-workers because you know how the pipeline works. The 3D program helped me create a fun reel, which in turn landed me a job. At Wrinkled Pants we combine 2D and 3D techniques, creating a 2D look with 3D software. What were the main challenges you faced while creating your student reel, A Friend Like Me? Humaira: Wow, thinking back I’m not too sure how I got through that year, haha. Working on A Friend Like Me was a lot of fun for me, but the main challenge was that I decided not to use human characters. It was a big risk, in terms of animating as well as getting a job in the industry. I decided on using a seahorse as my main character just because I wanted to try out something different. I mean you see humans every day, but how often do you see a seahorse playing with a ball or rescuing a friend? Trying to make my seahorse character relatable and make his emotions believable was difficult. His underwater movement was a challenge all by itself. But I had the best mentors: Casey Kwan, Craig Roberts, and Magic Eslami. They really helped me out every step of the way, and in the end everything worked out well. Lastly, and most importantly, where and when can we see what you’re working on now? Humaira: If all goes well you should be able to see the new “Are Squirrels Smart, or What?” in the iTunes store by January 2012, and I really hope you have as much fun with it as I did making it. Thanks, Humaira! We’re looking forward to seeing more of your work!
Now — even while Antonio’s been busily creating award-winning work at Tribal DDB here in Vancouver — he’s managed to be named the 2011 Young Blood Interactive winner and is once again gracing the pages of Applied Arts magazine in the current issue. Check out Oomph for the full scoop and an exclusive Q&A with Antonio!
He’s once again teaming up with Foundation Visual Art & Design grad Ryan Copple (Co-Creator and Writer of Riese), who will serve as Writer-Producer for a new wedding-themed horror feature entitled Death Do Us Part. Acting for Film & Television grad Peter Benson is also a Writer-Producer on this project and will be starring as well. Some other familiar VFS faces include Makeup Design for Film & Television grad Sarah Elizabeth, EBM grad Sandra Gonzalez, and Film Production grad Greg Brown. A press release for the film hints at the horror to come: “What started out as a celebration quickly descends into a bloody nightmare. Friendships are ripped apart and accusations fly in this blood-filled psychological horror with a whodunit twist.” Principal photography begins this month. We’ll bring you more details as they become available. Until then, visit DeathDoUsPart.com for more info! Break legs, everyone!
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 GeorgeCelebrating 25 Years with Over $1,000,000 in Scholarships!
Sound Investments in Burgeoning Dubai
Vancouver Film School students come from all over the world, and, after graduating, take their talents back out across the globe. It’s an international network of professionals that stretches from India to England, Australia to California. Foundation Visual Art & Design and Sound Design for Visual Media grad John Kochanczyk has taken that a step further, both in distance and in ambition, by opening his own studio in Dubai, MILE Studios. Plaid Men Web Series Unveiled
VFS is a place focused on helping students spend most of their waking hours on amazing projects, staff and faculty also find unique ways to work together creatively.2011 Retrospective: Looking Back on an Amazing Year
Holiday Movie Preview
‘Tis the season to go to the movies! Hollywood continues to churn out big releases this time of year to give us a couple of hours of escape from the Christmas craziness. Looking back on 2011, it’s not surprising to see VFS grads on these big December releases — continuing the trend of alumni-backed blockbusters (which include 9 of the 10 highest-grossing movies of 2011).Animating iPad Apps for Kids
Humaira Thalayan, a graduate of both Foundation Visual Art & Design and 3D Animation & Visual Effects, put her skills to the test when she came out of VFS and hit the job market. As she explains, her new job came at the perfect time and has given her an opportunity to help make a difference.Grad Named the 2011 Young Blood Interactive Winner
On-the-rise design superstar Antonio Alarcon Roman continues to garner attention for his impressive skills. A grad of Digital Design and Foundation Visual Art & Design, he made Design Edge Canada’s list of notable designers under the age of 35 in 2010 and one of his student team projects was also recognized by Applied Arts magazine. Wedding-Themed Horror Features VFS Elite
As director of The Little Mermaid – an award-winning short film from Compendium IV: Psycho Princess – Entertainment Business Management instructor Nicholas Humphries is no stranger to working with VFS students and grads.