Electronic Arts’ first-ever Great Canadian Arts Competition was supposed to award one grand prize winner. But excellence is excellence, and when the judges asked themselves which of two final entries was the best the answer must have been clear: both. So instead of choosing just one winner the judges declared a first place tie between VFS graduates Rani Naamani and Percy Fuentes.Naamani, a 3D Animation graduate, won for his short Defective , while Fuentes, a graduate of Digital Character Animation, won for Cinerama 199X . In addition to claiming the two top prizes, Dan Prentice, also a VFS graduate, took first place in lighting and rendering. Two other VFS grads, Xia Li and Wendy Yong, were also finalists in the competition.

We are delighted to see our students succeeding at such a high level,” said VFS Managing-Director Marty Hasselbach. “That in the end the judges could not say one film was better than the other speaks volumes about the quality of work these students produce.”

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They are in most everything we watch or read - titles, credits, graphics - and making them is an art in and of itself. For Kelly Falconer, the appeal of motion graphics was the opportunity to express ideas in a variety of forms. Wanting to learn more than just traditional design, she came to what was then the VFS Interactive Media Program (now Digital Design) to immerse herself in the discipline.

“By teaching 3D, audio, print, and animation, the program gave me a broader knowledge of the field,” says Falconer. “I find I am more technically knowledgeable than some of the other designers who come from just a classical design education.”

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When local production company Gray Productions went looking for dependable volunteers to staff the set of their new film, Gray Matters, their first and only stop was the Vancouver Film School.

Ted Jones, a VFS instructor with numerous ties to the film industry, received their call. Gray Productions needed numerous positions to be filled, including camera assistants, lighting electricians, grips, sound labourers, production assistants, and even personal assistants to the film’s cast, which included Heather Graham, Sissy Spacek, Bridget Moynahan ( I, Robot,) Alan Cumming (X2), and Molly Shannon (SNL).

Jones quickly grasped that the variety of skills needed was a perfect fit for the Foundation Visual Art and Design curriculum – especially for those students specializing in cinematography. So he packed the students into a van, drove them to the set, and instructed them to guide their own learning for a week.

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It takes years of hard work and dedication to make it to the top of your profession and even then, only those who bring unique skill and innovation stand out enough to be formally acknowledged by their peers. Recently, Makeup instructor Patricia Murray was honoured with a nomination for Best Special Makeup Effects Artist for Television or a Feature Film at the Canadian Network of Makeup and Motion Picture/TV Hair Awards .Murray began her makeup career in fashion, but knew early on that she wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry and started working on commercials as a springboard into feature films. It was not long before she was contacted to work on a TV pilot that was looking to fill a temporary position. But five days soon turned into nine months and now, sixteen years later, she has never looked back.

In the last decade and a half, Murray has steadily added to a roster of impressive credits and is no stranger to accolades from her peers. In 2003, she received an Emmy nomination for her special effects work on the Steven Spielberg mini-series Taken . “My work on Taken was extremely challenging,” says Murray . “Everyone has their own concept of what aging is. Sometimes it needs to be more subtle and realistic, other times more creative.”

Added to this accomplishment is a body of work that is a testament to Murray ’s expansive talents, ranging in everything from her prosthetic work on Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed to her recent CNoMA nominated special makeup effects work on Freddy Vs. Jason .

Along with these years of refining her craft, Murray has always used teaching as a way of passing on her knowledge. Having known Charles Porlier since the late 80’s, she joined the VFS Makeup Design Department a year ago excited to work with someone she respects so highly. Now, Murray remains busy balancing a hectic schedule between key makeup artist on Battlestar Galactica and teaching. But it is this very success and insight that will continue to inspire those on the threshold of their careers.

“I really love teaching. I may be saying the same thing that’s been said a thousand times before but someone will interpret it in a new way. It’s all about seeing things in a different way and creating what you want.”

It all began one Friday night in the West End of Vancouver. A movie was being filmed - Unforgettable, starring Ray Liotta and Kim Coates. Visiting from Saskatoon, Graham Cairns wandered over to check it out. Completely blown away by scale of the production, Cairns knew right then and there he wanted to be a part of the film industry.

After this professional epiphany, Cairns moved to Vancouver, attended a couple of VFS night classes, and enjoyed them so much he enrolled full time in Film Production.

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