Results Matter

The need for a strong artistic "process" is at times confused with a belief that the act of creating something is actually more important than the final product. Yet in any sphere of society - be it arts, business, or education - the ability to produce results is ultimately valued above all else.

As a results-focused educational community we teach the arts through the principles involved in their application - in the doing - rather than theory divorced from tangible realities. The method derives from a conviction that the arts must be learned by going directly to their sources.

Discovering these sources involves delving your own desire - that which is inside you, that which possesses and obsesses you, that which captivates you - to develop the primary source material around which ideas can be shaped. You also need access to the training - the tools of instruction, the technology and resources - to push boundaries and transcend convention.

In the last two decades, VFS has applied this proven educational philosophy to eleven production disciplines, making the vital collaboration so intrinsic to entertainment arts a natural part of the educational experience. Our faculty is building integration with other departments into curriculum; our students are seeking each other's expertise for projects.

All of this brings your learning out of the lecture hall and puts it into a production context. Throughout the year you develop individual and group projects which become a body of work, a portfolio, or a reel, so that you see the fruits of your labour, and have something to build on creatively and professionally.

By learning to take ideas from conception to completion, VFS graduates are able to deliver when it matters. Our graduates find success in many forms and on many continents including the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Japan, India, South Africa, Venezuela, and England. Some work as animators, writers, and designers for top companies like Microsoft, Lucasfilm, and Electronic Arts, and contribute to blockbuster films like Lord of the Rings, Triplets of Belleville, and Matrix: Revolutions.

Others elect an entrepreneurial route. Recent graduates have featured their independent work at top festivals like Cannes, Sundance, Siggraph, and Annecy. They write pilots for comedy series, cut documentaries, work as casting directors, and start their own production studios where they make feature films, specialize in post-production, animation, or sound design. No matter your path, VFS students and faculty are motivated by the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.