Vancouver Film School
Vancouver Film School
This private school was established in 1987 in the city of Vancouver, in the province of British Columbia. It’s usually referred to as VFS. The school has six buildings overall in the downtown of the city. Actually, when it initially started its operation, the first class was comprised of only twelve students. Today, Vancouver Film School welcomes people from all over the world, and more than one thousand students are studying here right now on the fifteen programs offered at this educational institution. Besides having a campus in Vancouver, the Vancouver Film School opened another one in Shanghai, China, as a part of the Shanghai University.
Programs
As was already mentioned, the Film School offers international and local students the opportunity to choose from fifteen academic programs. One of the peculiarities of the Vancouver School is that all the programs are aimed at building a portfolio of professional-level works for which students work on their own but under the guidance of experienced instructors. Every program is constantly updated as the sphere of moviemaking is always evolving. The Film School perfectly understands that all graduates should keep up with all modern trends and teach them new skills and technology when they emerge. The Film School offers the following Advanced Production programs: Classical Animation; VR/AR Design and Development; Game Design; Film Production; Digital Design; Acting for Film and Television; Writing for Film, Television, and Games, and a number of others.
The programs are mostly notable for the talented graduates of the Vancouver Film School. For example, 2019 saw the collaboration of former students of the Vancouver Film School with the students and staff of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of British Columbia. 105 of alumni of the Vancouver Film School worked in the production of Game of Thrones, including the graduates of the program of VR/AR Design and Development. This program lasts for only eight months and leads to a diploma. A short but highly concentrated period of study aims at the effective acquisition of all the necessary skills and experience needed for real work. During the first term, students learn the foundations of programming, algorithms, 2D and 3D design, and start working with the VR/AR applications and tools. In the course of their studies, students immerse themselves in the disciplines and constantly work on individual and collaborative projects with other students at the Vancouver Film School. After their graduation, international students can work in any industry that demands profound knowledge of VR/AR technology, and, today, it’s needed virtually everywhere: architecture, education, health care, and even aerospace and defense.
Writing for Film, Television, and Games is one of the unique programs offered at the Vancouver Film School. This one also leads to a diploma as an academic credential, but it lasts a little longer than the previous one, for twelve months. On the initial stage, the Vancouver School teaches international students the essentials skills and theory of writing. In the course of their studies, students incrementally develop and hone their skills to specialize in writing for films, television, or games, as all of them demand different writing strategies. But the choice comes only in the final academic year; during the first three years, students learn about all the peculiarities of the three types of writing.
The program of Makeup Design for Film and Television is also offered at the Vancouver School. It lasts for twelve months and is divided into six terms. International students learn different techniques of makeup, sculpting, and hair-laying at different levels of difficulty. The Vancouver Film School provides students with the opportunity to study such courses as Corrective Makeup; Bald Caps; Hairstyling and Wigs; Prosthetics Construction; Foam Latex Appliances; and a number of others. All of them aim at teaching students the hard skills they need and raising the next generation of professional make-up artists who will work for Hollywood movies as well.
The Vancouver Film School provides students with an opportunity to become professional actors. During the program of Acting for Film and Television, students learn all aspects of acting and performing in front of the camera. Besides, they train their speech and voice skills and also work with their body plasticity. As every acting career starts with auditions, the Vancouver Film School has a special course for teaching students how to successfully flow through them and stand out from the rest of the actors.
International students of the Vancouver Film School are offered the opportunity to gain academic credentials from Regent’s University London. It will take students one year in the full-time mode to achieve a diploma in Acting for Film and Television; Film Production; or Writing for Film, Television, and Games. And after that, they spend another two years in the Regent’s University London to obtain an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in the programs of Acting for Stage and Screen; Film and Screen Production; or Screenwriting and Producing. Many students from all around the world strive to study at the Regent’s University London. One of its main advantages is the very small groups that are comprised of only twelve students. Instructors can provide every student with personalized feedback and attention that boosts their studies. For this reason, the number of students accepted for the Vancouver Film School and Regent’s University London transfer program is limited, and students need to have a high GPA and show enthusiasm for their area of study to go to London to continue their education.
Regent’s is not the only choice for the Vancouver Film School students, but it has exchange and pathway programs with other educational establishments: Royal Roads University, Wilfrid Laurier University, 3iS Paris, OCAD University, and a number of others.
The tuition fee for the diploma program in Writing for Films, Television, and Games at the Vancouver Film School is CAD 29,000. The VR/AR Design and Development program costs more—around CAD 33,300.
Accommodation
The Vancouver Film School doesn’t have its own dormitory for students, but the school cares about its students. That’s why it organized a special department that helps students find proper housing and a roommate. Aspiring students need to reach out to housing coordinators, who will do everything possible to find a room or a flat that suits students’ needs. Whether a student wants a private bedroom in a flat or share a bedroom with a neighbor, the housing coordinators of the Vancouver Film School have established connections with landlords who can offer all kinds of accommodations.
The approximate price of a one-bedroom flat without a neighbor begins at CAD 2,500, and a shared flat will cost somewhere around CAD 1,100 per month. The prices, though, often change and vary according to the type of furnishing and other factors.
Homestay is another option for the students of the Vancouver Film School. It costs almost the same as shared housing—around CAD 1000 per month. A host family can charge a higher amount if, for example, a student has special preferences in food. An international student pays for a private bedroom, three meals a day, and equal access to all house amenities as other host family members. A homely atmosphere aims to support a student during their initial time of adaptation to the environment and culture. International students spend weekends and holidays together with family members, and that only facilitates their academic studies at the Vancouver Film School. Many newcomers to the country choose homestay, and they only rent a flat with friends or alone after becoming acquainted with other students and the city of Vancouver.
Vancouver is filled with a number of post-secondary education institutions; that’s why there are many students’ shared housing providers. So the fact that there is no on-campus accommodation at the Vancouver Film School won’t become an obstacle on the path of international students.
Future Prospects
After completing their studies at the Vancouver School, international students have many options to choose from. They can either connect their lives with Canada or with any other country in the world. Canada offers international graduates a perfect opportunity for both. Diplomas, certificates, and degrees earned inside Canada are perceived as confirmation of a high level of knowledge and well-developed skills in a field. For this reason, international graduates, generally, find it easy to find a job anywhere. Canada offers students a great opportunity to stay in the country as well. A special type of working visa was designed specifically for talented international graduates to stay in Canada and invest in the development of the country with their knowledge and skills. It’s called a post-graduation work permit, and it allows foreigners to work in Canada for three years. After its expiration, former graduates of the Vancouver Film School can apply for permanent residency, which can be turned into Canadian citizenship if needed. That is how graduation from the Vancouver School can bring a foreign citizen many great opportunities.
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