Vancouver Film School - 1996
In 1996, I decided to change my trajectory and pursue a career in 3D Art and Animation. "Toy Story," the first full feature 3D animated film, had hit the theaters, and there was a lot of buzz around the possibilities of 3D in film and video games. Schools were popping up everywhere to catch the influx of curious 3D-inspired students, and Vancouver was a hotbed for the film industry with a lot of work heading to “Hollywood North.”
Before making a decision about which school to attend to learn 3D, I began researching local animation companies to see if they could offer advice on what program to sign up for. Fortunately, Disney had just started a feature animation studio in Vancouver, and they were happy to connect me with a recruiter for a discussion. The recruiter at Disney confirmed what other studios were saying: it was advisable to start with a foundation in Classical Animation rather than jumping straight into 3D. Pixar, a 3D Animation Studio, only hired Classical Animators for a reason. The core foundations of Squash and Stretch, Anticipation, and Timing were essential to making animation look great. Armed with these skills, I was assured that I would stand out from the crowd.
With this great advice from professionals, I did further research and decided to apply for the Full-Time Classical Animation Program at Vancouver Film School (VFS). This intensive one-year program was taught by industry animators. I wasn't the best artist in the world, but I enjoyed drawing, so I assembled a portfolio and submitted it to VFS. In little time, I was accepted into the program.
I was in Class 11 at VFS, located in an old building in Gastown. The downtown vibe was great, and my classmates were varied in their backgrounds and ages, each bringing their own flavor as artists. We each had our own assigned drawing desks with a cool animation disk. I felt like a true animator and was inspired to get going. Classes were varied; we studied film, animation, attended life drawing classes, and spent hours upon hours at our desks working on key poses. Although I wasn't the most talented artist, I was surrounded by exceptional artists who had spent their entire lives thinking and practicing animation. Some classmates went on to have exceptional careers in film and TV animation, like Roman Laney, who became an Art Director at Warner Bros Animation and a Netflix Visual Development Art Director.
We worked tirelessly at our desks, often staying late to maximize our time. Drawing all day, every day, naturally improved our skills. For inspiration, VFS brought in guest speakers. One of my favorites was Dave Burgess from Disney, who walked us through the character design process, showing us his work on Porter for the film "Tarzan."
As we developed our skills, we learned to in-between our work and bring life to our drawings. The next step was to create line-tests, which involved signing up for the camera station, capturing one frame at a time. It was a time-consuming process but necessary to see our drawings in motion.
About halfway through the program, we began working on scripts for our short films, which would be the majority of our grade. My short film was about a scientist and his shrinking machine, featuring a cat that shrinks the scientist, who then runs into a mouse hole. While my film wasn't a masterpiece, it helped me learn the core fundamentals of animation.
Upon completing the Full-Time Animation program, I looked for my next program to learn 3D. I decided to stay at VFS and signed up for an Alias Wavefront Program, a three-month introduction to 3D. I was the only student with traditional animation experience, which wasn't taught in the full-time 3D programs at VFS at that time. I decided to produce an animated short, inspired by Pixar's "Luxo Jr.," featuring a Spray Can chasing its Lid on a table. This project allowed me to apply everything I had learned.
Creating the Spray Can was straightforward, and I focused on using "clusters" of vertices to apply squash and stretch. The results were impressive, showcasing the essential foundations of animation. My short was well-received, even showcased at the London Film Festival. Shortly after graduating, VFS began offering a term of Classical Animation to all 3D students, and I like to think I played a small part in that decision.
My schooling was complete, and I was ready to get my first job as a 3D Artist. My goal was to work at Electronic Arts (EA) on FIFA Soccer, inspired by my father's career as a professional soccer player. Though I never worked as an animator, I used everything I learned to support tremendous animators on various projects. Being able to speak the language of animation has always earned me respect among my peers, and my eventual goal is to return to these core skills and produce more animated shorts for fun in retirement.
Meta:
Paul Goad. Game Development Credits. Vancouver Film School. Full time Classical Animation program
Paul; Goad; VFS; Vancouver; Film; School; Classical; Animation; Alias; Wavefront; Disney