Have you RSVP’d for the upcoming VFS Open House yet?

This Wednesday, July 23 event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get a first-hand look at all 13 programs at VFS, meet their Heads of Department and senior faculty, and see award-winning student work.

You’ll also have the chance to meet students and grads, including some we’ve profiled on this very blog - Nicky Forsman and Tihemme Gagnon are but two examples!

VFS Open House
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
6pm – 8pm
VFS Café
390 West Hastings Street

To register for this Open House, email openhouse@vfs.com or call 604.631.3590.

Kris Krug, Internet Technologies instructor in Entertainment Business Management, was profiled this week in the free daily newspaper Metro. For more on how arts and business combine to make for one exciting career, read the article now.

A chance like this doesn’t come along every day.

Join us on July 23, 2008 to experience a behind-the-scenes look inside all 13 of Vancouver Film School’s programs: an unparalleled introduction to a one-year education in every dimension of film, TV, games, and design, all under one roof.

This evening is not to be missed.

At this unique VFS Open House you will:

- Hear about our 13 programs: 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Classical Animation, Digital Character Animation, Acting for Film & Television, Acting Essentials, Digital Design, Entertainment Business Management, Film Production, Game Design, Makeup Design for Film & Television, Sound Design for Visual Media, Writing for Film & Television, and Foundation Visual Art & Design

- Meet our award-winning leaders, including the producers, writers, sound designers, makeup artists, and execs behind Zoolander, Three’s Company, The Butterfly Effect, Whale Music, EA’s NHL video games, and countless others

- See amazing examples of student films, reels, and portfolios from all of our programs, including incredible never-before-seen work

Wednesday, July 23, 2008
6pm – 8pm
VFS Café
390 West Hastings Street

To register for this Open House, email openhouse@vfs.com or call 604.631.3590.

EBM was proud to have guest speaker Inga McLaughlin visit the Show Production and Touring class last week. Inga has been Production Manager for touring shows like Some Like it Hot, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Starlight Express.

A native Vancouverite, Inga told the story of her entry into the world of touring: she was originally a dancer who proceeded to work her way up in stage management. Her lesson? “I got in by being there, and wanting it.”

Inga was generous enough to provide the class with samples of detailed docs such as tour schedules, loading schedules, and tech riders (including the meat and cheese plate that must be in Tony Curtis’s dressing room!). She also entertained with stories of life on tour, including how one gets 36 elephants with the Ringling Brothers Circus across Manhattan to the setup site. (The answer? On foot, through the Lincoln Tunnel, at 2 AM.)

It was clear to everyone in the room how grueling life on the road can be, and how the logistics and management must be top-notch, or thousands — millions — of dollars (not to mention the well-being of elephants) could be at stake.

Last Thursday night, Entertainment Business Management students were treated to a panel discussion featuring some key players behind film production in BC: Paul Altilia from the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), Don Cott of the BC branch of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), Tom Adair of the BC Council of Film Unions, and the event was moderated by Gordon Hardwick from the British Columbia Film Commission.

The panel was part of a curriculum module on business planning and production entities, and focused on the issues and challenges of dealing with unions & guilds — a timely topic, given the recent settlement of the writers’ strike and the possible upcoming strike by actors in the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG). Don gave the audience a snapshot of the looming actors strike, noting that there had been several days of bargaining so far, but with little progress. Don said simply: “We’re hoping.”

The panelists detailed the relationships between their various organizations and the craftspeople and artists they represent… going into some detail on the infamous Tysoe Report (read here for more), why Vancouver offers great production services relative to L.A.’s (our studios are more up to date, whereas Hollywood’s were built in the ’30s and ’40s; plus a little matter of tax credits), and what one aspect of the industry keeps the rest in motion (actors… duh).

It quickly became clear how crucial it is for anyone considering joining the film industry as a producer, production manager, or agent to understand the factors involved in keeping all branches of the industry running smoothly. Many of the EBM students in attendance are working towards becoming film producers. All of the panelists agreed that relationship are everything. Tom put it plainly: “If you don’t keep your word in this industry, you will not survive.”

Entertainment Business Management student Ian McDonell was already leading a complex professional life in San Francisco, from promoter to magazine producer to DJ. And now that he’s at VFS, he’s taken on even more. But Ian’s finding ways to keep his ongoing projects alive while he delves into the one-year EBM program, and he’s already putting to use what he’s learning here.

We caught up with him for some background, and as you’ll see, he has strong opinions about the state of the industry and his motivations for coming to VFS…

For someone who’s pretty established, why on earth are you here?

The short answer is to broaden my horizons, raise my potential pay scale, and get that official piece of paper that the corporate world values so greatly. But how the decision came to be was developed over 8 long years of my career.

I started in the entertainment industry by producing club nights and one-off concert events, raves, hip-hop shows and the like in northern California. After 5 years of operating my production company Compression I had built a reputation that was unsurpassable, a following similar to that of a cult, and processed nearly $2,000,000 in grossed income through my hands. Now that sounds very exciting, and the value attached to it is definitely something to be proud of, but behind the scenes, my end of the year Net, around $50k, did not equal time spent and risks took.

So who was making the money? ‘Cause it sure as f*** wasn’t my partner or me. The performers were definitely making money; from UK Drum & Bass acts bringing in 3-5k for a 2-hour DJ gig, to the mainstream urban performers making 10-40k per gig. What about the outsourced services we used to run our business? Printing, Radio, Distribution, Print advertising, sound, lights, so on…

Interview continues after the jump:

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Event planning and management is a big part of our Entertainment Business Management program, and it’s a busy month for those EBMers - here’s three places to be in the coming weeks.

On Saturday, May 17, there’s Where Were You in ‘92, a love letter to ’90s dance music produced by Ian McDonell, Tony Huang, Anna Pesavento, and Rico Amezquita, then Click & Sip on Wednesday, May 21 - that’s the handiwork of Annie Dumitrescu and Jasmyn Pozzo, with Ian DJing this celebration of amateur photography - and finally Beautiful Struggle on Thursday, May 29, a screening of the film Diamonds in the Rough which will include a performance and Q&A with Silas.

Whew! Check the sites for tickets, times, and locations!

Students in our Entertainment Business Management program are some of the most focused people you’ll ever meet. Some are exploring the wheeling-and-dealing side of the entertainment arts to see if it suits them, but there are many who approach EBM as a means to a very specific end.

Jennie Orton is one of the latter. The current EBM student and Calgary native had particular goals in mind for her time in the program - namely to get an artist management career off the ground - and she was kind enough to share her plans and her EBM experience so far.

Maybe you could go into a little detail about your ultimate aspirations in the entertainment business.

There are many sides of the entertainment business that interest me, but my main focus is music management. I originally got into the program so that I could represent a friend’s band. It was my dream to become the kind of management entity that would be able to guide an artist through the system unscathed.

I intend to operate a small management company that will cater to the niche market of Industrial and progressive rock music. I would also like to be involved in concert promotion so that my clients have a one-stop shop at the beginning of their career.

What’s the appeal of the “business side” for you?

The business side appeals to me because I am a largely artistic individual but have yet to find the right way to express it. Meanwhile I have seen artists who do know how to express it get taken advantage of by people who know more about the business side of things that they do. And with an aptitude for business already, I believe I am a good “hybrid” of artistic appreciation and business know-how to be able to represent them fairly.

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Maybe you didn’t know that hosting a great party helps you get high grades in Entertainment Business Management. It’s true. Greg Loukas is the latest student to take on a big Vancouver nightclub for his lesson in event planning and promotion. His party at the Caprice is called Love Stoned and it promises to be “a night of self intoxication and all things beautiful. Shameless vanity is the new sexy.” Oh my. Not to be missed.

The last event hosted by an EBM student was the Bowie Glam-Bash at Celebrities on March 27. It was crazy-packed with all sorts of glammed-up, glitter-dusted diamond dogs, and featured live painting by Vancouver’s legendary outsider artist I, Braineater, a glam makeup booth, and some serious dance shoes. The pictures below the fold should tell you everything you need to know about what you missed at the Bowie party and why Love Stoned will be another memorable Thursday for club kids. Entertainment Business Management students know how to throw down!

Check out the pics.

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Nicky Forsman likes a challenge. She followed her year in Foundation at VFS with another in Entertainment Business Management, and now, in addition to working in Program Development & Production at Vancouver’s Shavick Entertainment, she’s tackling the monumental job of producing an independent feature called The Coming.

You might remember it – we’ve touched base with the production a few times. It’s written and directed by Film grad and Foundation instructor Chad Costen and Nicky estimates that 90% of the crew were friends and colleagues from VFS.

Nicky’s Foundation experience mirrors that of many other students. It’s not just a way to lay the groundwork for continuing on in another VFS program - it’s a place to experiment, to try disciplines on for size, and to discover career paths they might never have found otherwise.

When it was over, she had a revelation: “After working on a variety of indie shows in varying capacities and after having many many conversations with Foundation TA [now instructor] Chad Costen, I realized what was really lacking from our local independent scene - young aspiring producers,” she says. “I saw an opportunity to grow in the industry, outside of the creative, but I had no idea how.”

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