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www.postmagazine.com 30 POST MAY 2015 concentrated one-year entertainment arts programs consisting of six two- month terms. With eight campuses and more than 1,000 students, VFS has 13 departments, including 3D animation and VFX, classical animation, animation and concept art, digital design, film produc- tion, game design, sound design for visual media, plus makeup design, acting and writing for film and television. "A large percentage of our students have some type of previous education or professional experience but don't necessarily have the practical experience, portfolio or tangible skills to get into the industry," explains managing director Marty Hasselbach. "Most people under- stand that the industry is changing so rapidly that unless they focus on core skills, it's a challenge when it comes to the job market. They're spending time, money and energy when what they need to do is develop the right level of skills then con- tinue their learning in the industry." Generally, the first half of the program has students developing their required skills in classes and labs as they work on projects. The second half focuses on the student's portfolio piece; they partner with industry mentors to create high-quality projects which "really show what they are capable of and what they excel at," Hasselbach says. "The last half of the year, students are working in envi- ronments that emulate the real industry, so a lot of experiential peer learning hap- pens," he adds. Students typically work cross-collaboratively, so students in the film program find themselves working with writing and sound design students — just as they would in the real world. VFS alumni, local luminaries and vis- iting artists are frequent guests on cam- pus, too. Industry leaders guide gradu- ates toward "employment opportunities, not internships," says Hasselbach. VFS boasts a new animation and VFX campus featuring 10 production studios and a 280-degree greenscreen studio; the school also has a full mix stage and Avid editing suites, and its own fiber ring throughout the downtown core that con- nects all the campuses. Since Vancouver is a film and video production hub, the city is full of other facilities, which stu- dents can utilize when appropriate. "Act- ing students may use a local studio for voice work; game design students can use a game company's motion capture studio," says Hasselbach. When VFS opened in 1987, "the film industry was new here," Hasselbach re- calls. "The school was developed primar- ily to supply talent in a short amount of time, and since then we have paralleled the industry in our success and growth. Our new programs are aligned with growth in the industry: We introduced digital media/new media programs in the '90s and our new animation concept art program launches in June." He notes that the VFS animation programs "have been staples for the industry; students go into the classical or digital animation pipeline produc- tion-ready, but the time they spend developing characters and environments has been minimal. We saw a big need in animation, VFX and games for more concept and storyboard artists so we developed the new program." VFS's "holistic" approach to deliver- ing the best-of classroom and practical learning during an intensive 12-month pe- riod is constantly evaluated, says Hassel- bach. "We continually fine tune and en- hance the programs so students get the most out of their year. Every two months, as students start and finish a module, we look at how to make subtle changes and add value to their education." RINGLING COLLEGE Founded in 1931, Ringling College of Art & Design (www.ringling.edu) has more than 1,200 students on its 35-acre campus in Sarasota, FL. It confers BFA degrees in 11 majors, including computer animation, film, motion design, photography and imaging, plus a BA degree in the busi- ness of art and design. A creative writing program, across all media, will launch next year, and a minor in content development will run alongside the film program — both meeting an industry need for "story- telling in all disciplines," says Jeff Bellanto- ni, vice president for academic affairs. Bellantoni says that Ringling's focus on experiential learning "is the key to educating students for the next 10 years. It's difficult to pull off; tying it to curric- ulum is a real challenge. We have a very rigorous curriculum; we work our stu- dents very hard. But with their real-world working experience, graduates are ready to hit the ground running." One way Ringling students learn by doing is through the school's relation- ships with leading names in the industry. Students are currently working with VFS's animation and VFX campus has production studios, as well as a greenscreen stage. EDUCATION