VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Film School (VFS) soon will open a brand-new Animation & Visual Effects campus located in the 106,000-square-foot city-owned space in Gastown, which previously housed the Storyeum theatrical museum.
After $4.5 million in renovations, phase one of this new state-of-the-art VFS campus will open to students in August. Every classroom is designed to optimize the learning experience by giving students access to high-powered software, including the leading renderfarm management system, as well as more studios and lounge areas to foster collaboration and synergy between VFS's programs. The space's many groundbreaking features include a 280-degree greenscreen studio and a new fiber network.
"We have reinvented the entire space from the ground up, turning it into a leading facility in the heart of Vancouver's bustling creative core," says Marty Hasselbach, Managing Director of VFS. "At VFS, we stress the importance of being industry-led, so we worked with representatives from the local industry to maximize the space and emulate a true studio experience."
VFS's Animation & Visual Effects programs help students become confident production artists, ready for the industry in visual effects, animation, or 3D modeling. From day one, students are guided by industry pros as they create a reel that demonstrates their talent and skills on their way to launching their careers.
"I am beyond excited to move into the new facility," says Marianne O'Reilly, Head of Animation & Visual Effects at VFS. "Our students go on to achieve great things in film, TV, and games. They're making a real difference on the world stage, and I believe this space truly does their talent and work ethic justice."
In keeping with Vancouver Film School's naming convention, the new campus space will adopt the name "151." The Animation & Visual Effects portion of the facility is 42,000 square feet, double the size of the current campus, and provides students with two 72-seat theatres, editing suites, sound studios, a customized life-drawing room, three design studios, and much more.