Fresh Meet gives Vancouver Film School 3-D animation and visual effects students a chance to meet future employers
(This article is sponsored by Vancouver Film School.)
For the folks at the Vancouver Film School, Fresh Meet is a play on words. And before your mind drifts into the gutter, keep in mind that the key word—“meet”—does not refer to a secret tryst on the wrong side of town.
Rather, Fresh Meet is series of get-togethers that the school’s 3-D animation and visual effects department hosts at its Gastown campus.
These meet-ups enable students to get acquainted with recruiters and artists in the video game, television, and movie industries.
Sarah von Fersen, the department’s mentorship and industry relations lead, said there are two aspects to these events.
“For industry, it's a wonderful opportunity for people who are hiring right now to come along and to view the students' work,” she said. “For the students, it's fantastic because they get to get over their initial fears about talking to industry professionals and realize that they are just like them.”
Von Fersen has 17 years’ experience as an artist and manager in the animation industry. Prior to joining Vancouver Film School in 2014, she was the character and sets lead at Pixar Canada.
She created Fresh Meet to connect students with decision-makers who might be able to hire graduates.
So far, Vancouver Film School has hosted 14 of these events. They begin with students speaking about themselves and showing their work in a theatre on the animation campus.
“In the speech we want them to give an idea of who they are, where they came from, what brought them here, and what their aspirations are,” von Fersen said. “We also ask them to compile a 45-second snippet of their best work.”
That’s followed by a meet-and-greet social event with food and drinks in the school's large green room.
“You usually get around 15 different studios in attendance, which is great,” she added. “Double Negative, MPC, and EA are always there. Sony comes along quite often. We get a mixed bag of recruiters and artists that attend.”
Vancouver has become a global hotbed for animation and visual effects. It's due, in part, to the Vancouver Film School's demonstrated track record in supplying job-ready graduates coming out of the intensive one-year program.
The 3-D animation and visual effects department’s creative director, Casey Kwan, told the Straight that he’s seen many former students move into senior positions in studios both in Vancouver and in California.
“I really feel we have played a major part in building the community that’s here today,” Kwan said.
At Vancouver Film School von Fersen oversees the career-preparation track. It includes courses to help students understand pipelines into the industry, writing a résumé and cover letter, and interview preparation.
There’s also tremendous emphasis on teaching teamwork and the importance of being an open, friendly, helpful person.
She revealed that having a pleasant personality was a requirement for anyone to get a job at Pixar Canada. She described the interview process there as “intense” because the studio didn’t want to hire anyone who would create an unhappy work environment.
“I have always felt like I’m not the strongest artist, but I kept getting good jobs because I believe I have the right attitude,” von Fersen said. “I try to tell that to students, as well. We always say ‘you don’t want to burn your bridges.’ ”
The head of the Vancouver Film 3-D animation and visual effects department, Vanessa Jacobsen, said that Fresh Meet attracts industry representatives who work in video games, film, and television.
“The connection is invaluable,” Jacobsen said. “I’ve seen students get hired on the spot.”
For von Fersen, the value of Fresh Meet goes beyond just getting students on the industry radar screen.
She pointed out that those enrolled in the program work exceptionally hard to prepare for the event. And understandably, some students feel the jitters in anticipation of meeting big shots in the industry.
But by the end of the evening, all that tension has dissipated.
“They all come up to me afterwards and they say, ‘It’s been, like, the best night of my year. I’ve had the best time and thank you so much for putting it on,' " von Fersen said.
Part of the reason, she added, is that the students realize that people who work in the video games, movies, and television industry are not "scary". In fact, they’re a lot like them.
“Students have that moment of realization that 'maybe I could work in this industry,' " von Fersen said. “It’s a fun night for everyone.”
(This article is sponsored by Vancouver Film School.)