I D M W O R K S H O P S
D I G I T A L V O I C E S 2 0 1 9
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C A P I L A N O U N I V E R S I T Y
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Capilano University is a teaching-focused university offering a wide range of programs and services that enable students to succeed in their current studies, in their ongoing education, in their chosen careers, in their lifelong pursuit of knowledge and in their contribution as responsible citizens in a rapidly changing and diverse global community.
Q U E S T I O N S
1. When it comes to final projects for any creative art course, do students often collaborate with other students from different courses to work on their final project?
2. Knowing that the industry is booming for creative individuals, how do 2-4 year long programs help prepare individuals to get a job in the industry straight out of school?
3. What is it like to hear back from / learn of the success of your alumni, knowing that part of their success within the industry rooted from the education that you provided them?
R E F L E C T I O N
The overall experience was amazing. I really enjoyed the work that Capilano University presented to our class. They provided really great insight on their programs such as 3D Animation for Games and Film, 2D Animation, and film. After seeing the work that the students create, I am beyond impressed and am not surprised that they all have a high success rate with getting a job in the industry. Capilano provides an excellent education for those that are driven to work in the creative arts field, and they made that most especially evident in the conference call.
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D E R E K B R U E C K N E R
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Derek Brueckner is a visual artist who works and teaches in Winnipeg, Canada. Past solo exhibitions include Plug-In ICA (Winnipeg), Ace Art Inc. (Winnipeg), Site Gallery (Winnipeg) and international group exhibitions in Italy, Chicago and New York City. Artist residencies for research have been completed in Chicago, Italy and most recently in Vermont. (via http://www.derekbrueckner.com/cv.html)
Q U E S T I O N S
1. When looking at one's portfolio, what do you tend to look for immediately while critiquing an artists' work?
2. Knowing that you've been involved in exhibitions in places internationally such as Winnipeg, Italy and New York, what are a few of the similarities and differences that you've noticed in terms of what is showcased at these places?
3. What drives you to create?
4. Do you plan to pursue any different career paths involving art in the future?
R E F L E C T I O N
The overall experience was so amazing. I really loved collaborating with Derek within this workshop, most especially because we were all involved from the start until end. The fact that he managed to get a lot of students (including myself) to model in the middle of the classroom for a reference was really cool. It was amazing to see how skilled he is with his own artistic vision. After seeing the quick sketch he made of me, I was really excited to see what else he could create for the other models. This workshop was by far one of the most collaborative, and ultimately, one of my most favourite ones.
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T O M A S P A J D L H A U S E R
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Tomas Pajdlhauser is an artist and Creative Director based in Ottawa, Canada and co-owner of Birling, a local skateboard brand and shop. By day, he works as an Art Director for animated TV shows and movies and has worked with clients including Disney, Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, and Mattel. Tomas has always been interested in the tactile and physical process of design work and in recent years have shifted his focus from digital commercial design to projects that highlight his love of travel and adventure. Tomas's personal work is based primarily on my lived experiences captured on-the-go in sketchbooks.
Q U E S T I O N S
1. When critiquing ones portfolio, what immediately stands out to you and convinces you that the artist is a good candidate to hire on for a job?
2. Your art definitely stands out from most. How did you really find your own style in artwork?
3. What piece of advice would you give to any artist that goes through that one phase where they might lose their own inspiration to create?
4. For future reference, do you plan on going beyond your own comfort zone and possibly exploring different mediums of art, or anything revolving around the creative industry?
R E F L E C T I O N
Last year when Tom came by, I was beyond impressed with his work. His style of art is something that I've never really seen. I found that the coolest thing to watch was the creative process. His vision is absolutely insane, and it's so cool to see it come to life right in front of you. Tom definitely stood out last year for me, and when he came back this year, I was super excited to see him again. From seeing all of his work all the way to him showcasing work within the industry is super inspiring.
One thing that stood out for me the most was when he critiqued resumes. It really goes to show how strict it is when coming to hiring on an individual.
Overall, the workshop was amazing once again and I hope to see him more in the future.
P I T C H T O T O M
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A L A I N D E L A N N O Y
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Alain Delannoy is a Canadian independent animation filmmaker. Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Delannoy studied at the University of Manitoba’s School of Art. He has created several short animated films, which have screened internationally in such festivals as the Palm Springs International Shortfest, the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the official competition at the Montreal World Film Festival and the Foyle Film Festival in Northern Ireland. His film « FRACTION » (2012) was awarded the prize for Best Experimental Film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and was presented in the Best of the World Program at the Hiroshima Animation Festival in Japan. Currently, Delannoy teaches animation and video production at Université de Saint-Boniface in Manitoba, Canada.
Q U E S T I O N S
1. Outside from working as an independent animator. do you have any goals in the future to follow a different path within the creative field?
2. Knowing that some of your films take a long range of time for completion, with thousands of LIFE drawings made in the process, how do you manage to work on a project for that long of a duration without losing any motivation and also without losing organization at the same time?
3. Do you feel that as an independent filmmaker, you have a lot more freedom in terms of your own creativity for your projects?
4. Throughout your experience as a filmmaker and working within the creative arts field, what is one piece of advice that you think is integral to anyone that chooses to follow the same pathway in the arts?
R E F L E C T I O N
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05
H E S H A M H A M M O U D
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Hesham’s first role was playing a Thief on the Fox series Almost Human. He has also appeared in ABC’s Once Upon a Time in Wonderland as Ghazi, and as a Minoan Guard on Syfy’s new series Olympus. His most recent credits include X-Men Apocalypse and the new season of Prison Break. Hesham continues to grow as an actor with the help of his acting coach Andrew McIlroy and attending workshops. Hesham is also co-founder of RevvFilms, a production company that creates short action films.
Q U E S T I O N S
1. How does it feel to have some of the biggest films within the last century to have for your portfolio?
2. Having insight on your pathway toward the industry, how does it feel seeing how hardworking the youth are nowadays when trying to follow the same pathway?
3. Working on huge films like X-Men Apocalypse, do you have any specific films in the future that you want to see yourself either act on or work on for the VFX?
R E F L E C T I O N
Meeting Hesham last year, it was so cool to have him back here again. It was super inspiring seeing all the work he has for his portfolio. Not only is he a VFX artist, but he is also an actor. With his life story, it really proved that anything is possible as long as you're persistent. Hesham by far has one of the most intense stories, yet he managed to work hard and get to where he was today. It really taught me to not create excuses for myself and just keep clear of the goal I have ahead. Hesham is super outgoing and it was an honour to have him here. One of the coolest things was when he did the mock interviews. He really put whoever was getting interviewed at ease, despite how shy they would have been. It was a great learning experience.
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A N I T A L E B E A U
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Anita writes, directs and edits in documentary and animated film. She has created two award-winning animated films with the National Film Board of Canada (www.nfb.ca/film/louise_en and www.nfb.ca/film/big_drive), and with Scott Collins, created a number of documentary projects through MTS - Stories From Home (Art City, the Starry Night Exchange series). Anita does contract freelance animation and graphic work. She has a full working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite and Toon Boom Animation software. She also presents an Artists in the School (Manitoba Arts Council) residency in Winnipeg schools called Scraphic Novels, with writer Karin Adam.
Q U E S T I O N S
1. What gets you in the 'zone' when wanting to create?
2. How much have you noticed changes in how stories are told within the last century?
3. Have you ever been wanting to explore different forms of animation such as 3D?
4. Knowing that a lot of your films can take a long time to create, do you spend an intensive amount of time creating them, or is it often spread out?
5. Has there been any projects that you've really been wanting to create, but you haven't gotten to it yet?
R E F L E C T I O N
Anita's workshop was super fun. It was really cool to see the films that she's created. The first film was very touching, especially since it was very personal. Anita's style of animating definitely stood out from many others' I've seen, and it was really cool to see her own approach to how she tells stories as well. She is super humble, which is one of the most important things I've taken from this workshop. Anita succeeds in silence, which is one of the many things that I want to accomplish myself.
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K A R A V A L L E G A
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Kara was a graduate from Sisler in 2017, back when I was in grade 10. Kara once took a deep interest in being a filmmaker, but then later became super interested in being a VFX artist. Kara has worked on films such as "The Big Picture", and "Detective Pikachu". Enrolled at Vancouver Film School immediately after graduation, she also started working right after her graduation at VFS as well. Working as a compositor on Detective Pikachu, she has future ambitions to work on even more blockbuster films.
Q U E S T I O N S
1. Was there a lot of pressure going into VFS immediately after graduating from Sisler?
2. Comparing how the work was here at Sisler, how much more intensive was the program at VFS in comparison?
3. Are there any specific films/ companies you want to see yourself working for in the future?
4. How do you seperate yourself from everyone else within your class?
5. What are your future goals in terms of career path?
R E F L E C T I O N
It was super cool to have Kara back! Kara's been one of the people that have been supporting me for a long time in film. I always talk to her about film, whether it is for advice or just about film in general. It's really an honour knowing someone like her because she has one of the craziest work ethics ever. When I first met her in grade ten, I remember seeing how great her work was. Seeing where her work is right now is insane, because the amount of progress she's made before and after VFS is almost unbelievable. It was so awesome seeing how much her hard work has paid off. I can't wait to see what work she's going to create in the future.
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M A N I T O B A F I L M & M U S I C
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MFM supports Manitoba film and music through our objectives, which are to create, stimulate, employ and invest in Manitoba by developing and promoting Manitoba companies, producing and marketing film, television, video and music recording projects as well as to promote Manitoba as a film location for off-shore production companies. MFM is a member of the Association of Film Commissions International (AFCI).
Q U E S T I O N S
1. How can you compare how different the film industry was a decade ago in comparison to today?
2. Knowing that the creative industry is booming right now, what ambitions do you have for where this film industry can be in the coming years?
3. Knowing that this industry is heavily based upon networking, what advice could you give to those that may face a bit of a struggle when networking with others?
4. What pathway do you have to follow to get in the film industry?
5. What/ who are some of the coolest companies and films that you have all found yourself working with?
6. Does your company collaborate with others' worldwide?
R E F L E C T I O N
Knowing that I specialize in film making, it was super cool to have a lot of the MB Film and Music staff come out. It was most especially an honour to meet Carol, knowing that she will be retiring. I loved watching their demo reel and ultimately hearing how everyone found their way into the film industry. Even though everyone had a different role, it was super uplifting knowing how they got to where they are today. Nobody had the same story, which was the coolest because it really show's that you don't have to live up to anyone else's path except your own. I loved learning more about the film industry and I am super excited to learn more about them in the future.
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M A R S H A L L W I L L I A M S
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Williams was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[1] Williams was a contestant on Canadian Idol in 2007 and 2008.[1] As a model, he has worked with Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Diesel, Mattel, and M.A.C. Cosmetics, in addition to walking the runway in both Toronto Fashion Week and Los Angeles Fashion Week. In his latest TV movie, Marshall Williams stars in the Disney Channel Original Movie, How to Build a Better Boy, as Albert Banks.[1] Williams also starred in the sixth and final season of Glee, in which he played Spencer Porter, a member of the McKinley High School football team who joins the glee club.[2]
Q U E S T I O N S
1. What are the most important factors to have as a film director?
2. Being on a big television series such as Glee, what is it like to meet some of the biggest actors?
3. What relationships do find yourself developing, and how do you learn from them when it comes to applying it to your own career?
4. Knowing that you were born in a small city (Winnipeg), how does it feel to have a career that involves travelling to bigger cities?
5. Do you have any future career paths you want to follow besides just being in the film industry?
R E F L E C T I O N
Marshall came super last minute but it was great meeting him. Knowing of the amount of films he's worked on, it was super cool learning about how he got himself to all those points. I found it really cool how much turns he's had in his life in terms of what he wanted to pursue. From football to film, it was really cool knowing how much he has accomplished with how young he is.
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U B I S O F T W I N N I P E G
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Ubisoft’s newest Canadian studio is officially open in the heart of downtown Winnipeg.
The team at Ubisoft Winnipeg is honoured to be part of such an innovative and creative community where we have already started to see strong success in the few months since announcing our studio in April 2018.
We’ve already hired more than 35 passionate, talented and creative individuals to join our team. And we are looking for more!
The contribution of the team at Ubisoft Winnipeg is truly something special. We are the only Ubisoft studio focused on creating technology to empower our creators – at all of our Canadian studios – to build even better worlds across our major brands such as Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs.
This leading-edge studio is the vanguard of technology and tool advancement in video game development.
Q U E S T I O N S
1. You're a huge studio coming to a small city. What initially sparked your interest in bringing your company to Winnipeg?
2. In terms of experience, what is the bare minimum that you would want when choosing a candidate for a position?
3. As a company, what do you plan to do to really expand to other places worldwide where the industry may be booming as well like it is here?
4. What is it like working at Ubisoft Winnipeg day-to-day?
R E F L E C T I O N
This was one of the coolest workshops. Playing Assassins Creed when I was younger, I never would have thought that I would meet the creators behind it. Everyone that came was awesome. They all had different pathways into the industry, and it was super cool. What stood out to me the most was how one of them once took a deep interest in film and wanted to pursue it, but later had a change of heart and chose to pursue a different career path. Being a film maker myself, that really baffled me the most because it really show's that anything can change at any given moment. Another worker from Ubisoft was super confused with her career path too. She didn't know if she wanted to be a nurse, doctor, etc. Instead, she took a leap of faith and took programming at UofM with no experience. The fact that she ended up pursuing that with absolutely no knowledge prior to enrolling, it was clear to me that if you find yourself doing what you love, everything plays out perfectly in the end.
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G L E N S Y L V E S T E R
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"Glenn’s Animation career began over 30 years ago working on children’s TV shows and the film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. Since then he has worked around the world on such classics as “The Magic School Bus” (Assistant Director), “Men in Black” (1&3), “The Mummy”, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”, “Hotel Transylvania 2” and many more. His work titles range from Animator to Lead Animator, to Director, and now Educator. Experiences in both 2D and 3D animation fields have given him a well rounded understanding of what is expected of a working Animator and how to bring life to your work. Glenn has recently completed an MA, Creative and Media Education from Bournemouth University in the UK."
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-sylvester-75931b1/
Q U E S T I O N S
1. Out of all the films you've worked on, what have you found to be the most favourite/ memorable?
2. How does it feel working on some of this centuries biggest films?
3. What kind of pressure do you have set on you knowing that you have to sometimes take the responsibility of being an Animation Director on some films?
4. Working so long in this industry, what have you noticed in terms of changes when it comes to working within the VFX and Animation field?
R E F L E C T I O N
With this being our final workshop of the year, it was a great way to wrap up Digital Voices. Glen has worked on some of the biggest films that I have even seen growing up. It was super cool to me because I would have never thought that I would get to meet someone that has worked on some of the biggest films of the century (Star Wars!!!). Glen is super humble and it's crazy to believe that he was born here in Winnipeg, and has been working his entire career in places around the world. The biggest lesson that I can take from this workshop is that when opportunity comes knocking, always answer.
