My reasons for applying to VFS were twofold as I wanted to gain some great hands-on training and Vancouver looked like a great city to explore. Coming from Scotland, I wanted great work and play experiences. I wasn’t disappointed.
The overall application took a full 4 months from start to finish as I had a lot to organize, what with moving countries and all. Fortunately, VFS staff were there to help at every turn as the school has a large international community, everything from bank accounts to accommodation. At the time of application, I was just finishing an audio engineering course at a UK school and was considering my options. I never quite felt that music production was the right career choice for me as I had enjoyed the post production elements that I had studied. After surfing the net for awhile, I stumbled across the VFS website and knew that the sound design program was the right thing for me (one of those gut instinct moments!). Having a solid foundation already I felt I could get a lot out of the program and give myself a good chance at a career in the Audio Post Production industry.
The Course
The course leads you through all aspects of audio post production for film and video games. There is a leaning towards audio post and this is probably fair enough given the experience and skills of the staff, but both areas are well catered for. The skills you learn are definitely transferable so there is no need to feel you have to choose between them at the application stage or even the early days of the course. It’s all sound design at the end of the day.
The course could roughly be split into two halves. Whilst always hands on, one half is slightly more theoretical than the other.
The course could roughly be split into two halves. Whilst always hands on, one half is slightly more theoretical than the other. The latter half of the course finds you working on more collaborative projects with the guys and girls from the film production course. That being said, the staff are always looking for feedback on the program and it is constantly evolving so that it addresses the needs of the industry. Also, you don’t need to be a musician to take the course but it certainly helps to have a trained ear. Okay, that’s the official talk over with, what’s it really like being a student on the sound design course and what can you expect?
Firstly, the scary facts of the matter. It involves very long hours (reflective of the real world industries). You’ll get one terms grace as you meet your classmates and get acclimatized to VFS and their way of working, but after that its all go-go-go. There’s no way you can hold down any kind of part time job. More often than not you’ll find yourself in class by day and working on projects/films/animations in the evening and/or throughout the night. What is good about this though is that you can really focus on what it is you’re there to learn. The building is open 24/7 so why not get your moneys worth? Whatever it takes right?
Joking apart, to acquire the necessary skills takes some serious hard graft and the course is structured to introduce everything gradually as there are a lot of technical aspects to learn before you get to the creative ones! You’ll eventually welcome the extra early morning opportunities in the mixing theatre when the time comes. Hopefully you’ll come into the course with a real intrigue and interest about sound and if you do, you’ll really enjoy the learning process. An integral part of this learning process is having the ability to get along with people. Please drop any egos at the door. When you’re working with the same people all day and all night you want it to be a fun experience. Deadlines, tiredness and pressure will test you! (Again, reflective of the real world).
This all seems like scare-mongering but you will have a laugh as you go along. I’ve made some true life long friends because of those all-night foley sessions. A big aspect of getting work can be through networking so always look to support your friends and help each other out as you never know what may transpire from it. Also, the staff within the department are golden; such a rich background of different experiences and personalities. To be able to pick the brain of a Hollywood Supervising Sound Editor is worth every cent of the course. It gave me confidence to think that you were learning skills that are being used at a high level within the film industry.
I would quite happily recommend this course to anyone considering sound design.
The Verdict
I would quite happily recommend this course to anyone considering sound design. For me, it was a great experience that I really couldn’t fault. Previous graduates have gone onto impressive careers at the likes of Electronic Arts and Skywalker Sound to name but a few (some plucked straight from the course) and the course is well regarded within the industry.
What I would say is that the course isn’t necessarily a golden ticket into the industry and you won’t learn everything there is to learn about audio in one year alone. If you can show you have the right attitude and an ongoing interest in learning your craft then the sound design course and its staff will help to put you ahead of the rest. As for myself, since graduating, I have returned to the UK to get myself set up as a sound editor and have been approaching audio post production studios for that vital first step into the industry.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Rig
Jamie
mehernosh kapadia
Dear Ali, this was very useful review. I would really like some more info about VFS, and I would be delighted if you are willing to share some more info with me.
If you are ok with this, please e-mail me at matijagajic@hotmail.com
Thank you so much in advance!
Matt