A small idea can sometimes go a long way. When Classical Animation and Foundation Visual Art & Design grad — also now an Entertainment Business Management student — Sheryl Vedamani first conceived of the idea for her animated final project, a conversation between two friends about dealing with a zombie apocalypse, she couldn’t have known it would one day lead to her winning the Teletoon Pilot Project, $10,000, and a trip to the largest animation festival in North America.
News of her win was announced over the weekend on Teletoon at Night, and Sheryl was kind enough to carve out time in the chaos to answer a few questions.
First of all, congratulations! Tell us how this came about.
Sheryl: Thank you! I sent my short film in on a whim thinking there was no way of winning and that it would just be another place my film was on the internet. I actually forgot all about it until I received an email telling me I was one of the five finalists in the competition. I finally convinced myself that even if I didn’t win, I’d rather lose knowing I had tried my best than if I lost and always wondered what would have happened if I HAD tried.
I then started to inform my friends and family of the competition and proceeded to post the link to the five finalist videos in all the sites I was a regular at. It was great because it got more people involved in picking out their favourites and also gave a chance for people who were curious about the process of classical animation to ask questions. Then one day I turned on my computer and opened my email account to find a message titled “Teletoon at Night Pilot Project: Congratulations!”. I didn’t end up opening the email for a few minutes because I just sat there, staring wide-eyed at my computer screen.
Where did you get the idea for the short? How did you go about developing the story?
Sheryl: I’m a pretty nerdy person. I tend to spend a lot of my free time on the internet, playing games and watching sci-fi films (when I’m not watching animated movies frame by frame). We had about a week left to finish off our first storyboards and leica reels for the class pitch day, but I hadn’t come up with anything good. I had thrown a few story ideas around about animals and children and monsters and so on but nothing had really stuck. I was starting to get nervous. Then at two in the morning, three days before the pitch, I woke up with an idea — or rather, a punchline. I stumbled out of my bedroom to my desk to find a pen. I scribbled down the words “zombies, sister mom douchebag, epic lolz, axe, bat?, weapons?” on the corner of an old assignment sheet and went back to bed.
I had 3 days to do the boards, make a recording of myself doing the dialogue on my cellphone and throw it all into a leica reel in time for the presentation. Luckily I made it. It was rough around the edges — a mess of doodles, a horrible audio recording — but the audience laughed at all the right spots and applauded at the end, so I guess that meant it was good. Worried by the warnings our teachers gave us about how everyone started off loving their film and ended up hating it by the time they get to the clean-up stage of animation, I decided to make it interesting for myself by making the zombies in my film my classmates and one of my teachers (Senior Instructor Dieter Mueller).
It worked. I loved working on my film. I even got all my friends in my film to voice all the zombies. Well, all except Dieter. I had my friend Rob do an impression of him. I sort of hoped he wouldn’t find out that I turned him into a zombie until the actual showing of my film at graduation.
Can you tell us about your decision to take Entertainment Business Management after finishing Classical Animation?
Sheryl: Well I did the Foundation Visual Art & Design program and discovered how I really loved the creative and planning portions of making both animation and live action films. As the time to choose our preferred streams grew closer, I had a meeting with Ted Jones, the Head of the Foundation department, to help me figure out what I would be best suited for. I decided I was more interested in animation so I took the Classical Animation program.
During the program, however, I became more confused. The creative part of me was definitely being fulfilled and I felt I was really learning a lot, but I still wanted to handle the planning, business, and marketing side of things. I talked to a few people about my future in the industry and how I might have a better chance of starting my own animation company in the future, be a production manager in a studio, or be a successful artist if I knew how the business side of everything worked. I then decided that going into Entertainment Business Management after Classical Animation would probably be worth the time and money for me.
Any insight you can give us on the show as it develops? What’s going to happen to these two characters?
Sheryl: They’re best friends and roommates who love games, sci-fi, and the internet, so there will be a ton of references for the nerd/gaming community. This show idea is sort of based on just their friendship (or bromanship) and how approaching life in a way that would normally work in a game or on the internet can, in fact, only end badly if attempted in real life.
How about some advice for aspiring animators?
Sheryl: Remember, you’re not Frank or Ollie yet. There’s still room to improve so be sure to ask for help. Whether you think you need it or not, get some feedback and advice. Sometimes you get so close to your work that you don’t see it from the audience’s perspective anymore and you either overlook something or spend too much time on details that aren’t very important.
Thanks, Sheryl!
You can find Sheryl right now at the Ottawa Animation Festival, on from September 21 to 25. And if you’re there, visit VFS at “Table C”.
Also, be sure to check out her winning short Great Minds Taste Alike on the VFS YouTube channel, or right here on the VFS Blog.
This special evening features the Heads of Department from all 13 of VFS’s acclaimed programs, representing a huge body of industry credits and high-profile awards in one room, from Tropic Thunder and Changeling to the Academy Award-winning Unforgiven, television series like Three’s Company, Smallville, and The X-Files, the NHL videogame franchise, plus experience working with clients like Nike and Microsoft. Register now for a night of: - Advice from industry pros An Evening with VFS Register online at vfs.com/evening or call 604.631.3095. See you there!
As the most-watched student portfolio channel in the world, we recognize the impact of distributing student work on a global scale, helping alumni spread the word about their talents. It’s an extra boost for the students and grads behind some of the most amazing projects created here at VFS. Take a look at a selection of VFS Community Favourites, and tell us on Twitter and Facebook which ones you like best! It’s only fitting that the 999th and 1000th posts are from a project that involves people from so many parts of VFS. In these final videos from Compendium III you’ll learn about the joys and dangers of choreographing fights with real weapons, and see Peter struggle with the choice that will define him. Enjoy both videos here or on the VFS YouTube channel.
Brad Keys (r) and Matthew Miner at a Vancouver game jam. Typically Game Design grads are at VFS for one reason and one reason only – to make great games. And that’s exactly what they do, at companies like Radical, BioWare, Ubisoft, and Relic. Occasionally, though, they want to stretch their ideas and abilities to other aspects of gaming. Enter Game Design grad Brad Keys and Foundation grad Matthew Miner with their Unity analytics service, Lumos, released through their company, Rebel Hippo. Lumos, currently a free service, allows Unity game developers to easily monitor their games and player base. It was awarded $25,000 from the University of Waterloo’s VeloCity Venture Fund. We caught up with Brad to find out how he came to be on this side of the games industry. How did you decide on an analytics service over making a game? I find that when I’m developing a game there are a lot of moments where I say, “Man, I can’t believe there’s not an easy way to do this”. And game analytics was one of those moments. My friend Matthew Miner and I saw that there weren’t many analytics solutions specifically geared towards games. So we went for it. Our goal now is to make great tools so we can make better games. The biggest challenge was trying to architect a way that would ensure that we could offer the service at a price that compares to other analytics solutions out there. But like you say, since there aren’t many comparisons available, it’s tough for us to say how many features we need to offer before it’s worth people paying that money. Right now we’re actually offering it for free and getting as much feedback from developers as possible, so we can get it to a point where developers are happy enough to really want to pay for our service. Unity has made it possible for developers to produce fairly high-end, graphically-sophisticated games delivered through web browsers. Do you think the industry is headed away from platforms towards web-based services? I think 3D on the web is certainly picking up fast. The Unity web player install base has grown exponentially over the past couple of years. I don’t think that the industry is headed away from platforms, though. I just think it’s expanding to reach an even wider audience. Lumos offers developers real-time analytics. It’s a service that can track various bits of information about a game’s player base. This includes hardware, software, player decisions and accomplishments, and how regularly they play. It can also provide developers with information about errors that occur while people play their games. And we have a feedback system that allows players to communicate directly with developers, to submit bug reports or just give general feedback about the game. The best part about the service, in my opinion, is that it requires no coding to use. You can simply drag and drop it into your game. Thanks, Brad! Matthew, the other half of Rebel Hippo, is looking to move onto Lumos full-time come September, while keeping an active hand in filmmaking, game development, and software design. Look out for great things from these two!
5 days. 10 intense and fun programs. Your one chance this summer to learn from our top instructors and experience what it’s like to be a full-time student at VFS. Each program is carefully designed to give you a valuable educational experience, and Summer Intensive fees can be applied toward your VFS tuition if you choose to pursue a full-time program. Last year, students came from 17 countries to be a part of the Summer Intensives experience. While getting a sneak peek at VFS curriculum, they collaborated and made lasting connections with a global network of like-minded artists all considering the same path. This year’s week-long programs include Acting, Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Design, Entertainment Business Management, Film Production, Game Design, Makeup Design, Sound Design, Writing, and a special Experience VFS Intensive that allows you to get a taste of everything VFS offers in entertainment arts education. Seats are very limited and many Intensives sell out quickly every year. Click here to learn more about the 2011 VFS Summer Intensives and to register.
The project began with Writing for Film & Television grad Dan Benamor, but would eventually encompass alumni from Entertainment Business Management, Makeup Design, Acting, Film Production, and Foundation. “The screenplay was developed initially as a directing vehicle for Oren Benamor (my cousin),” Dan says. “He gave me the germ of the idea — a painter decides to rob a house he’s painting — and let me loose.” “Ultimately, the fates conspired to put me into a better situation to produce the film (in large part due to my connections with fellow VFSers), so I asked Oren if he was okay with that, and with his blessing I took over directing it.” Dan had previously collaborated with Entertainment Business Management grad Bo Gembarsky on Bo’s final project, a web series pilot called “Red Zone.” The two worked well together, so Dan brought the script for Betrayed to him, and Bo decided to add his producing skills. “The screenplay grabbed me right away because it’s dark,” he adds. “I like movies that take me to places I don’t normally go and allow me to meet characters I wouldn’t generally encounter in real life.” Here’s how Bo pitches the film: “Betrayed is a 90-minute independent feature film about a bunch of criminal misfits whose desperation, stupidity, and greed lead to tragic outcomes. It begins with a robbery, it climaxes with a murder… and then it gets weird.” Krysten served as Head of Makeup on the production: “It was a lot of fun to work on,” she says. “We spent a little less than a month in Delta [just outside of Vancouver] shooting at an amazing farm house. We had a very talented cast and an amazing crew.” The number of VFS grads that came together on this independent project is impressive, and reflects the kind of network Dan, Bo, and Krysten were able to build over their year. “This is the part that was the coolest for me personally,” says Dan. “During my year at VFS I jumped at every opportunity. If someone I didn’t know from another department sent an email out that made its way to me, looking for a writer, I applied for the gig… It’s all a snowball effect, you get in with one person and they happen to know another and so on.” Here’s the list of the many other VFSers who were involved in Betrayed: Writing grads Kevin Smith, Co-writer Acting grads Vance Brews, Actor (“Tom”) Not to mention… Foundation grad Kaiyu Chen (Cinematographer/Camera Operator), Makeup Design grad Carolyn Williams (Makeup Artist), and Film Production grad Jessy Dupont (Boom Op). Congrats to everyone on a successful collaboration! The team is currently submitting Betrayed to international film festivals. For now, you can check out the new trailer.
What’s the occasion? As you know, this year we’re celebrating the 5th anniversary of the VFS YouTube channel, and now it’s time to bring the party to Canada, from sea to shining sea. It’s the 2011 Cross-Canada Roadshow, with info sessions in 9 cities. Register for one of these events, and you’ll: April 7 – Vancouver Click here to find out all the details and register now. We hope to see you in April in a city near you!
The Zeros to Heroes-created property is nominated for an Interactive Award in Motion Graphics at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival (March 11-15). It features the work of the following VFSers from Entertainment Business Management, Writing for Film & Television, Digital Design, Sound Design for Visual Media, and Foundation Visual Art & Design: Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, Head of Entertainment Business Management (Producer) The motion comic pilot was produced in partnership with Unlimited Digital Communications, an aboriginal filmmaking studio, and the series will air on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN). Click here to check out the first six chapters of the Animism story.
Update (March 30, 2011): We will be awarding more scholarships over the next few weeks, so be sure to contact an Advisor to learn more about this opportunity. 2011 marks the 5th birthday of the VFS YouTube Channel, and we’re celebrating in a big way! We’re proud of our channel (youtube.com/vancouverfilmschool). It’s thrilling that so many viewers have been drawn to the work our students have created, but it’s not just about views – it’s about the community that’s formed around that student work. That community is an ongoing tribute to talent, drive, and creativity. To celebrate the big year, we’ve launched $500,000 in scholarships to seek out the best and the brightest in the world – the next next generation of talented, creative students. The scholarships range from $1,000 to $10,000 each and are available for all full-time VFS programs for selected 2011 start dates. You’ll also have the chance to find out more in person in April at the VFS Cross-Canada Roadshow, with stops in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, Moncton, Halifax, and Victoria! Full details of the Roadshow will be announced in March.
Orizuru is the result of an intense collaboration with Sound Design for Visual Media student (now a graduate) Matthew Golden. Andy offered his thoughts on the story’s roots and how he combined different media to create a truly unique film. Hi, Andy. Could you start off by telling us what your short film Orizuru is about? Andy: Orizuru is a tribute to Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who developed leukemia as a result of radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Japanese legend states that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish, such as recovery from illness. Having folded only 644 before her death, her friends completed and buried them all with her. The Thousand Origami Cranes has become a symbol of world peace through Sasaki’s story. The short portrays her as a crane, from her first steps to her final breath in a journey through Japanese history and art. Why did you want to make this film? Andy: I read Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes as a child and was inspired by the story. I wanted to create a tribute to it. Although it’s a tragic story, I still wanted to have a feeling of optimism afterward, to show the spectrum of colours of the paper cranes. Can you take us through the different animation processes you used and the challenges for each? Andy: Each one had its own challenges. I used techniques I learned at VFS and spent hours developing the style and look afterward. I used stop-motion animation as well as motion graphics to tell this story, and each technique was very difficult to create, especially stop-motion animation — since it is frame by frame. I built my own green screen studio — everything had to be built from scratch, including the paper crane, for which I used a combination of copper and steel wires to build the interior structure. Later came the task of animating it frame by frame. I used clay and other metal rigs to animate, and used After Effects to key out and composite the new background and remove the metal rigs. The crane, birds, and scenery were painted and drawn in Illustrator and then composited and animated all within After Effects with some Flash animation for reference. What was the audience response like when it premiered at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival? Andy: Many people were impressed by the visual style, because it was an interpretation of Japanese ‘ukiyo-e’ style artwork, which is printed on woodblock. People were pleasantly surprised to see that the digital reproduction had meshed together very well. The story was familiar to them as well, since many had read it before. Are you working on any new projects right now? Andy: I recently graduated from the 3D Animation & Visual Effects program and am working as an animator for an independent studio. I still have short films to come that are based on children’s stories and childhood recollection. Can’t wait to see them, Andy! Check out Orizuru below, or watch it on our YouTube channel.
An Evening with VFS: October 13, 2011
If you’ve been wondering what it takes to start a career in film, television, video games, animation, or design, you can find out on October 13 when VFS opens its doors for a public information session.
- Stellar student work
- Live, hands-on demonstrations
- Alumni success stories
- Info on how to apply to VFS
Thursday, October 13th
6pm SHARP
420 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC, CanadaVFS Hits 1000th Upload Milestone with Final Compendium III Videos
After 5 years of uploading innovative, inspiring, and award-winning student films and reels, Vancouver Film School has reached the 1000-video milestone on our YouTube channel! In that time we have hit over 51,000 subscribers and almost 33 million total views.How to Measure Fun
What are the challenges with making something like this, when there aren’t a lot of comparable products?
Can you give us a quick breakdown of what Lumos offers?2011 Summer Intensives Are Coming this July!
Though spring has just sprung, we’re already thinking about the upcoming 2011 Summer Intensives, starting this July!VFS Grads Bond on ‘Betrayed’
Sometimes you just have to go out there and do it yourself. The barriers to breaking into today’s filmmaking industry aren’t as daunting as they used to be. There are more opportunities than ever for driven, creative VFS grads – such as the many that came together recently to shoot the independent feature, Betrayed.
“I was the executive producer,” says Bo, “which means that, among other things, I also put up the money that paid for the various makeup and SFX appliances [Makeup Design grad] Krysten Merrick and others used for the film.”
Brennan King, Editor
Dylan Thompson, Assistant Director
Younghoo Kwon, Gaffer (also a Film Production grad)
Tamara Wood, Caterer
Alex Coulombe, Actor (“Mark”)
Kelsey Murphy-Miles, Actor (“Madeleine”)
Andrew Zeleny, Actor (“Rob”)
Michael Germant, Producer2011 VFS Cross-Canada Roadshow, April 7-14
We’re going on the road April 7 to 14, 2011, and we’ll be bringing exclusive scholarships with us!
April 11 – Victoria
April 11 – Saskatoon
April 12 – Edmonton
April 12 – Toronto
April 13 – Calgary
April 13 – Ottawa
April 13 – Moncton
April 14 – HalifaxVFSers’ Work in ‘Animism’ Nominated at SXSW Interactive
VFS grads and faculty continue to lead the way in interactive media. Want proof? Check out Animism: The Gods’ Lake. It’s a multi-platform project that includes a motion comic TV series, a mobile application, an alternate reality game (ARG), and a social network.
Matt Toner, Writing grad (Executive Producer/Writer)
Morgan Jeske, Foundation grad/TA (Assoc. Producer, Storyboards, Layout & Background)
Ryan Eves, EBM instructor (Associate Creative Director)
Natasha Ali, Digital Design and Foundation grad/instructor (Animator)
Shi-Won Jang, Digital Design grad (Animator)
Aaron Bell, Digital Design grad (Front-End Developer)
Alan Wong-Moon, Sound Design grad/ Digital Design instructor (Sound Design & Music Score)
Jai Field, Digital Design grad (Designer)
Ryan Nadel, EBM instructor (Content Strategist)$500,000 in Scholarships to Celebrate 5 Years on YouTube
Congratulations to all the currently and newly enrolled individuals who have received a VFS YouTube Channel 5th Anniversary Scholarship! From the original $500,000 scholarship fund, VFS has awarded $400,000 in scholarships to date. The remaining $100,000 will be exclusively available to new applicants who apply for this fund.The Story Behind ‘Orizuru’
Andy Cheung‘s work is starting to turn heads. Recently the graduate of both Foundation Visual Art & Design and 3D Animation & Visual Effects saw his final project from his Foundation year screen at this past Vancouver Asian Film Festival.