Vancouver Film School Alumni Success

Steven Chen is the senior director of animation for Blizzard Animation at Blizzard Entertainment, a lofty, accomplished position that took Steven a decade and a half to deservedly achieve, requiring the drive and dedication necessary to turn a new studio initiative into a successful cornerstone of the company.

“Steven first entered Blizzard in 2006 as a Cinematics Modeler. At the time of the first day of Blizzard's work, the modeling supervisor gave him the practice of modeling the human model into an orc. It took 3 hours to do it. The first model in Blizzard. In 2009, he moved to the Cinematics Look Development as an artist. In 2012, he was promoted to Cinematics Surfacing Supervisor. At the time, it was a new organization. It needed to be constructed from scratch, and the team was about 7-8 people. Later, he turned to Cinematics Senior Supervisor, and every supervisor in the animation department needed a return status to Steven. In 2017, he became the Director of Animation and is now Senior Director of Blizzard Animation (Senior Director, Blizzard Animation).“

Now, Steven’s team is part of the Story and Franchise division which consists of five teams including the Creative Thinking Department, Animation Department, Film Department, Music & Sound Department, and Peripheral Product Development Department. All of these divisions combine to help build Blizzard’s expansive catalogue of lore that guides narrative in every game they produce, and Steven’s team in particular is responsible for the cinematic animations seen throughout each game, a feature with immense reverence throughout the industry and most recently exemplified with Overwatch’s character cinematic shorts.

Aditya Virmani is a graduate of the VFS Sound Design program, and the creative force behind the Indian industrial rock band, Nivid. During his time at VFS, being in Canada where most people speak English or a ‘Western’ language, it inspired Virmani to write and represent music in his native Hindi. It wasn’t a clean path to where he stands today, however.

“Upon his return to Gurgaon, Virmani founded a boutique new media audio design studio – Barren Sound, where he would often work late into the evening working on his passion for writing music in Hindi. As things progressed, however, he then suffered a tragic bike accident. Breaking his collarbone, his injuries severely limited his abilities in playing the guitar for a time. Determined in his attitude, Virmani learnt to adapt his craft and he began to favour synthesisers and computer technology, writing 2 EPs and take huge strides towards the sound he is becoming well known for.“

One of the coolest things for a writer is when their works are given tangible form, whether brought to life on screen by talented actors, or published as books they can feel in their hands. 

Ryan Uytdewilligen, a VFS Writing for Film and Television graduate, has been granted that pleasure with his newest novel, Akela, which came out on paperback, hardcover, and eBook earlier this month! Ryan’s enjoyed a success filled few years writing for screen, page and blog, with Akela being the latest of his endeavors.

“After writing—producing his first short film Tea Time (2014), he optioned three feature film scripts and has since worked as a script doctor/ writer for hire.

In 2016, he published his first non-fiction work; a film history examination called 101 Most Influential Coming of Age Movies. That same year he released his first fiction book Tractor, a YA novel with Sartoris Literary. His next fiction work, Akela, has been released by BHC Press along with his first novella, a western titled The Last Cattle Drive. Kids Can Press will release his first children’s picture book in the coming future.

“Behind every great Hollywood production are the names of hundreds of people who, with their talent, achieve an artistic piece worthy of appreciation. And among the credits, there are more and more Mexicans willing to show that the Aztec country not only produces great directors, but also excellent animators and creative team.“

Mexico’s presence really is being felt on the creative stage worldwide, and their contributions to animation and film have been phenomenal, as evidenced by MANY of the posts on this very blog!

One of those driving Mexican creative muscle is VFS alumnus, Miguel Ortiz. “Originally from Mexico City, he came to Canada to study animation at the Vancouver Film School and, since then, he has been forging a career that includes films such as 'Suicide Squad', 'The Dark Tower' and 'Deadpool 2'.“

Thiago Artimonte, VFS graduate, veteran of Brazilian television and for over a decade the director of over 400 works for the largest agencies in the country.

“In his curriculum, he has an international background with a degree in film from the Vancouver Film School, a specialization in scene direction at the New York Film Academy, History of Photography, Italian Cinema, Renaissance and Modern Art at Studio Art Center International in Florence, Italy. He also did Business Administration at Positivo University in Brazil and in 2018, he went to Los Angeles to do a photography workshop at the American Society of Cinematography.

International experience and training have translated into awards: Cannes, London International Awards, El Ojo, Professionals of the Year, Brazil Columnists, Creative Club among others.”

VFS graduate Devin Clarke’s latest directorial effort has debuted in America!

“Tear Us Apart tells the story of a young couple, Drew and Helen Hayes, who are taken to a cottage in the woods for intensive counselling following the disappearance of their daughter. As they work to resolve their issues they struggle with what is real and what is a figment of their mental recovery.“

“The script was unlike anything I had ever read in the genre.” said Loschiavo. “Our writer John Kelley really delved into the dark side of what human beings are capable of. We look forward to seeing how audiences react at the festival.”

Who couldn’t have seen Avengers: Endgame’s success coming? A journey of blockbuster quality films with hit after hit spanning over a decade, culminating in one final, enormous production. The quality of personnel needed to produce such a monolith is huge, and VFS graduates are always up to the task.

Take VFS graduate Denny Ertanto, born in Indonesia, living in New Zealand and working for the famous studio at WETA Digital. His compositing and visual effects contributions to Endgame’s visual effects can’t go understated, as the team at WETA did an excellent job throughout.

Denny’s path hasn’t been limited to only Endgame or Infinity War. His journey so far has taken him across numerous well known films and nations.

“The 30-year old’s interest in art and design flourished at a young age. After graduating from senior high school in Indonesia, he studied at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore and continued to Vancouver Film School in Canada for one year. He has also worked in Batam and Shanghai before moving to New Zealand in 2016.

A young career certainly doesn’t mean a lack of success, especially when it comes to critical reception. VFS graduate Rodrigo Ferrat has enjoyed a fair bit of critical accolade in his young film career, making him a promising filmmaker to watch!

The most recent of his award-winning productions is “Oh My God!”, an excellent web series that has screened the world over, joining previous winning works like “El Minthó Escarlata“, and intriguing shorts such as “A Prey’s Prayer” and “Expires 2/11″.

A nice description could be written for VFS graduate Mitchell Villa, but his personal site does such a good job of it that we’ll let it speak for itself.

“Mitchell Villa is a primarily self taught artist. Drawn to the endless possibilities and mark-making applications of the painting medium, he began experimenting with acrylics early on and transitioned into oil in 2018. Villa has established himself as a painter in Western Canada, eventually settling down his practice in Victoria, BC, where he finds the quieter pace of the city better suited to the containment and focus a studio practice requires. Villa studied Visual Arts and received a diploma in Digital Design at Vancouver Film School. He was a regional semi-finalist in the Bombay Artisan Series and has been showcased at Fortune Art Gallery, Sooke Fine Arts, Polychrome Fine Art, The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.“

A healthy, vibrant workflow is what many professionals strive for. It allows for constant growth and preparation for even greater challenges ahead while turning out great work today. VFS graduate and co-founder of Munro Media, Carter Smith, has seen just such a healthy career.

“Born in New Orleans, LA, Carter moved to Canada to study film production in 2007. Since then he has produced thousands of corporate videos for local businesses, before moving on to Television Production in 2014, serving as a Field Producer, Location Series Producer and Edit Producer for the Discovery Channel's 'GOLD RUSH' since season 5.

“Biggest”. Many of us dream of being the biggest, the best, the most notable. To be recognized as the pinnacle of any field in any capacity, even if it’s making the world’s biggest pizza, there’s a joy to be earned from such an accomplishment.

At Papakura Ganesha Temple in South Auckland, New Zealand, the largest portrait of Lord Ganesha is a masterpiece created by VFS graduate, Nagender Reddy Vangala. His “single mind devotion to Lord Ganesha“ led to the portrait’s creation in only three months, rendering a positively beautiful and vibrant piece.

Game development isn’t easy. Ask almost anyone working in the field and they’ll tell you that from conception to end product, developing a video game is a grueling yet incredibly rewarding endeavor.

VFS graduate Pedro D'Andrea wasn’t scared by the challenge, he was drawn to everything surrounding games as a profession. He even left production engineering in Brazil to pursue a full time career in the games industry! Today, he owns his own Canada-based development studio.

“While attending Vancouver Film School for some technical classes, I came across a makeup program that the school offered.  Two classes in, I had fallen in love with my new artistic journey and was determined to make it my career path. I promptly quit the job I had at the time, found work at a local theatrical make-up store and dove in, head first.“

This is the power of makeup and practical effects. The tangible nature of application and results are enough to lure the curiosity of talented creative minds. VFS graduate and celebrity makeup artist, Lisa Aharon, was hooked from the beginning, and since falling for the craft has perfected the looks of many notable names, from Rachel Brosnahan, Juergen Teller and Florence Welch.

While it’s not the typical VFS alumni success story, graduate Mariah Gates discovered the world of yoga when she attended Vancouver Film School. Since then, she’s has become a full-time instructor in Adelaide, and is very proud to have achieved that mark in her life.

Starfield is an upcoming enormous game project being undertaken at Bethesda Game Studios, by the creators of the modern Fallout games and the Elder Scrolls franchise. Among those working on the project is character artist and VFS alumnus Herbert Lowis.

Born in Indonesia, Lowis came to Canada to pursue fine arts in 2000, and since his graduation in 2005 has worked on numerous major franchises at well known studios including Infinity Ward - the creators of Call of Duty and Modern Warfare, Propaganda Games, and Bioware - the creators of Mass Effect.

“What do you think when you hear that someone is a 'game tester'? Visions of Tom Hanks bashing Transformers together in a boardroom? Someone strapped into an ergonomic leather chair with a Red Bull I.V. drip staring at five different blinkering screens at once?“

Game testing to many isn’t a luxurious career, while for those who find developers where the craft is truly valued as it should be, they’re known as an indispensable part of the game development and design process, and as important as those constructing assets and coding tools. Their expertise and guidance helps studios to ensure they’re delivering the best experience possible for players, and offers designers alternate solutions to pursue to their biggest challenges.

Illustration is more than just a pastime or hobby for many, and even more than a profession for many more. For Mexican-born and Tokyo-residing illustrator Julieta Colás, the value of illustration rides much deeper. During her formative years in Monterrey, Julieta suffered from harassment and rejection at the hands of her classmates, leading to an affinity for animated characters, and a desire to create and share animated characters with lonely and disadvantaged children, giving them a swath of new friends to call their own.