I’ve had a passion for story telling ever since I was little and once I discovered it could be done for a living, I knew that attending Sheridan College was right up my ally. I had heard through the grape vine that Sheridan was one of the best animation schools in Canada and animation happened to be my other great passion. Unfortunately I wasn’t accepted right out of High school, but that allowed me to get my BFA in Media Arts and Digital Technologies before trying again. After four years of art fundamentals and animation training at Alberta College of Art + Design, I decided to apply to Sheridan’s one year film program. I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life making movies so I thought it would be most beneficial to learn how the film industry works. That’s what attracted me to the program most.
My expertise prior to admission consisted of a background in fine art and animation. I also had a lot of experience making my own short films so I expected ATVF (Advanced Television & Film) to help refine my existing skill set. Thankfully, the program not only delivered what I was after, but went well beyond exceeding my expectations. As a director and editor I learned things about the filmmaking world that I hadn’t even considered before. Directors learn how to work with actors, how to break down a script for production and most importantly, gain hands-on experience communicating with actors and crew in the most effective manner producing the best work possible. It’s also an eye opener in terms of how long the various stages of production take and exactly what is required to successfully see a short film through from start to finish.
I left the program feeling confident and comfortable with the idea of performing above and beyond on any film set.
The Work
The program’s biggest headline was how closely it mirrors aspects of the film industry. Although I haven’t spent time on a film set since graduation to compare the learning environment from the real thing, I left the program feeling confident and comfortable with the idea of performing above and beyond on any film set. The Advanced Television & Film program for 2008-2009 was structured around 3 projects throughout the year. Our first was a 1 minute short film shot high definition on P2 (solid state digital format), the second was a 3 minute film shot on 35mm film at Toronto Film Studios on a closed set, and the third was our final 10 minute projects shot on a format of our choice.
One minute projects were designed to throw us in the mix of things so we could get to know one another and also familiarize ourselves with the structure of the various stages of production. Each student had designated roles with specific responsibilities. The films were written by our writing students who were then paired with directors and our actors were cast from a pool of Sheridan theatre students.
The experience I had working on the 3 minute films was probably the most rewarding. The films were officially called 3×3′s; 3 scripts, 3 actors, 3 minutes in length. ATVF holds a script writing competition each summer and the winning scripts are produced during the program the following September. I could write a novel outlining my learning experience but highlights were participating in casting sessions, working with 35mm, shooting on a closed set and being a part of multiple shoots on a tight schedule. Overall, I think the best part of this project was that the 3 scripts were distributed among 12 films resulting in more than one version of each film. This allowed me to directly compare and contrast my own work with others giving me the benefit of constructively dissecting what I did wrong or how I could improve.
The 10 min final project forced us to be completely independent which is particularly beneficial if you’re a director or producer. We were permitted to choose our own crew and actors and were also given an opportunity to pitch and work with writers. We were also one hundred percent responsible for our own budget and scheduling for every stage of production, distribution included. The things you pick up being completely self sufficient are astronomical.
Students with interest in master classes other than their own are not allowed access to technology outside their declared major.
The Facilities
For a solid eight months, I spent all my time in the technology building at Sheridan’s Trafalgar Campus in Oakville Ontario. I had access to computer labs equipped with top of the line Macs, an Avid Adrenaline editing suite, a green screen studio and lighting and camera equipment through audio visual services. The equipment is all top of the line, but the one thing that always got on my nerves was access. Each student chooses two master classes; different disciplines that will consist of their major studies and depending on your classes you get access to various technologies. Audio students get access to audio suites, editors get editing suites, camera and lighting students get studio access and can rent out cameras that other students cannot. At first glance this seems appropriate and makes perfect sense but I found that throughout the year scenarios often arose where access became an issue. ATVF is a graduate program so everyone accepted has previous experience in a number of areas, be it technical or otherwise. When a deadline is approaching you might have an editor or audio person who drops the ball, and unfortunately due to restricted access, you can’t pick up the slack for them even if you have the technical knowhow. Students with interest in master classes other than their own are not allowed access to technology outside their declared major.
Security in the building is great, each student gets an electronic access card that grants them access to their designated areas of technology, but sometimes I had a problem with the limited hours of access. You need special permission for access to labs and suites beyond 2 am which I considered very inconvenient. The intensive course load and tight deadlines warrant 24hr access to all areas but you need to jump through hoops to get it.
Aside from policies on access, the facilities and equipment are fantastic. Oddly enough my favorite part of the facility was 24hr access to a conference room equipped with HD television, couch and wall to wall white boards. Appropriately titled the “War Room”, it was home base exclusively for the 42 ATVF students and was a great place to work, hold meetings, or even have a nap after pulling an all nighter.
The Cost
ATVF changes from year to year because the program coordinator and faculty are always trying new things to improve what the program has to offer. The only drawback was miscommunication between the faculty and students. Deadlines are very important in the program and completing things on time is something that is stressed by all faculty members. Sometimes situations arose where faculty would release decisions and make demands for an unrealistic deadline. My only advice would be to stay on top of communication and be prepared to check your email as early and late as humanly possible on any given day.
The cost of tuition was approximately $12,000 and depending on if you’re a producer or director and how they structure the major project component of the program you can expect to spend $4,000 – $7,000 on the budget of your short film. My major 10min short film had a budget of just over $4,000 split between myself and my producer.
I started to realize that if I wanted to make films, I couldn’t do it alone and Sheridan was the perfect place to meet the people with whom I’m going to work with.
The Bigger Picture
The best part about the program was meeting like minded individuals who had a passion similar to my own. Over the years, I started to realize that if I wanted to make films, I couldn’t do it alone and Sheridan was the perfect place to meet the people with whom I’m going to work with. Upon leaving the program you realize very quickly how small the industry is and that everyone knows everyone else. Making connections and showing others what you have to offer becomes a necessity for survival. Although the learning curve was definitely a significant experience, I felt the most important part was meeting colleagues.
Upon graduation everyone enters the film industry at the bottom, and the more experience you get, the faster you can climb the ladder. In filmmaking there are many disciplines, and filmmakers who specialize in different areas have different success rates. In my opinion students who enrolled in purely technical streams such as audio, camera, or editing were far more prepared upon graduation than those who took directing, writing, or producing. Technical students are often immediately hired for work, whereas directors and producers have to create their own.
Despite obvious opportunity barriers in terms of paying work for creative graduates like writers and directors, you’ll definitely leave the program feeling prepared and confident enough to create your own films, especially if you have transferable skills in all areas of production as well as a passion for creating your own work. As a filmmaker with a diverse skill set and a variety of experience I would definitely recommend the program to anyone with enthusiasm for self employment in the film industry. It’s the perfect way to meet the people you will need to succeed and your experience will bring you one step closer to becoming a “jack of all trades”; a quality sought after by many.
In a continued pursuit for knowledge I enrolled in Sheridan’s Computer Animation – Digital Visual Effects program and will be graduating April 2010. My current aspirations revolve around doing visual effects work, directing my first feature film and creating an animated series. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions readers might have regarding my time spent at Sheridan.
Spencer Idenouye
kenjispence@skenji.com
www.kenjispence.com
www.officebotmovie.com
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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