It is a common sight these days to see Kathryn Meushaw crossing the street with a cane in her hand. Set to graduate this month after a year at VFS, the cane is part of Kathryn’s preparation for her role as Scarlett Deer, a woman diagnosed with cerebral palsy, in the Judith Thompson play Lions in the Streets . Along with classmate Kasia Riddle, Meushaw is performing the one-act play as part of Series of Dreams , an evening of theatre hosted by the Acting department.The cane, as it were, is only a sign of the deeper emotional transformation Katherine has experienced since coming to know her character. Distinctive walking motions and slurred speech patterns are only a small part of what Kathryn is learning about cerebral palsy. “By the first three lines of the script I was taken by the emotion behind the story,” says Kathryn. “But I found I knew nothing about cerebral palsy. I was scared at first, but Bill [Marchant] persuaded me to take this as an opportunity to really stretch my abilities. If Bill hadn’t asked me to do this role, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”

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Hael Kobayashi is Head of Production at the Australian-based production studio Animal Logic. He is also a member of the 3D Animation Advisory Board, and was recently in town to visit with VFS animation students. He brought with him insights gained from an impressive career as a leader in the industry, and a few tips about becoming a professional animator.

“At Animal Logic we look for people who can process information while assimilating artistic creativity. We are always trying to find lateral problem solvers,” Kobayashi said. Speaking to students in the main theatre, Kobayashi spoke at length about the importance of merging artistic talent with the ability to solve complex problems.

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From Argentina to New Zealand, Digital Character Animation grad Juan Guiraldes has scoured the face of the earth in search of the perfect animation job. He just found it - at the famous Weta Workshop in New Zealand.

From an early age, Juan was fascinated with images. He read comic books, watched cartoons, and was wowed by the special effects in his favourite movies. But, as Juan puts it, “Something was missing. I was on the wrong side of the camera.”

With the aid of his friend and mentor Cristina Cesares, a former VFS student and now head of Laluna Studios, Juan traveled to beautiful British Columbia and enrolled in Classical Animation at VFS. After a successful year of study, Juan was offered a scholarship into the Digital Character Animation program. He accepted.

“Intense,” he says in regards to his time at VFS. “It was intense.” But with the help of his instructors, Juan persevered and, a week after graduation, was working for Bardel Animation in Vancouver. “They liked my stuff and called me in. It was a flash animation project and they asked me if I had any flash animation experience. I told them I was an expert but in reality I had no idea how to use the software [since, at that time, VFS didn’t teach Flash]. I showed up the next day and said I’m ready to go. I think they were impressed. I’ve been in animation ever since.”

Just Another Giant Dragon

On his present exploits, Juan casually reports, “I’m working for Weta in New Zealand.” Weta is the Academy Award-winning special effects house that brought life to The Lord of The Rings’ famous characters Gollum, Shelob, the Orcs, and the up-and-coming King Kong.

Juan is primarily in charge of animating the Dragon on the children’s television show Jane and the Dragon for Weta’s digital division. “I animate the Dragon and his interactions with Jane, the rest of the secondary characters, plus props, and other creatures, [but] Vancouver Film School was my first real glimpse into the animation world. They molded me into the person and professional that I am today.”

Juan has big plans for his future. Not only does he intend to perfect the art of animation, he wants to take the skills, stories, and knowledge he has acquired and share it with his home country of Argentina: “I just want to help the people and the industry.”

Fielding questions from enthusiastic animation students, Laurence Plotkin of Digital Domain accepted reels from students and provided counsel on professional development and the future of the animation industry during a recent visit to VFS. California based Digital Domain is one of the leading Effects houses in the world, creating animation sequences for Lord of the Rings, I, Robot, and The Day After Tomorrow. Plotkin, who is the company’s Director of Human Resources and Recruitment, is also a member of the 3D Animation advisory board.”This is an excellent time to be doing what you’re doing,” Plotkin told a packed house in the main theatre. “From my perspective I see things looking good in the industry. I’m constantly being told that we need to find more artists.”

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