Vancouver Film School’s (VFS) 3D animation & visual effects program has announced that it is launching a new performance capture course, developed by VFS embodied process senior instructor Charles Douglas, and 3D animation & visual effects instructor Arthur Gonzales making it the first animation school to include performance capture in its curriculum. This course has officially launched, preparing students with industry-grade motion capture studio experience through the in-house partnership with Beyond Capture Studios, that will enable them to work on AAA game projects once they graduate. Performance capture will also be incorporated into VFS’s acting curriculum.
“While other film schools may also invest in performance capture technologies for their curriculum, VFS is unique in that it aligns its curriculum closely with a state-of-the-art mocap facility that is purposed primarily to provide professional service to the industry. Establishing performance capture for the 3D animation & visual effects program has been a highly collaborated initiative and we couldn’t be more proud to offer our students the opportunity to work in a production environment alongside industry professionals, and the opportunity to augment the produced data that bring animated CG characters to life,” said Gonzales.
Already, VFS animation alumni are some of the most successful and sought-after professionals in the entire animation and VFX industries. Alumni can be found working all over the globe, pushing boundaries, discovering new frontiers, winning all kinds of awards and honours, and leading today’s creative economy.
This semester-long practical course marks VFS as the first animation school to include performance capture in its curriculum, giving students a chance to explore current capture technologies, exchange with guests at the forefront of the industry, develop their skill for the medium, and end the term with a shoot at Beyond Capture Studios, where even before this new curriculum, approximately 15 per cent of Beyond Capture shoots were student projects.
The course became a reality due to VFS’s close and responsive relationship to industry, which allows it to adapt to industry feedback and roll out new learning opportunities. Beyond Capture Studios offers students real world experience within their 32,000 cu. ft motion capture facility onsite at VFS. There has since been over $2.5 million invested into the on-campus studio – equipping the studio with leading-edge technology and making it the gold-standard in global performance capture studios. Finally, VFS can draw upon the expertise of instructors who are at the forefront of this emerging global industry.
“Beyond has always been extremely proud of our partnership with Vancouver Film School and we’re equally excited to work alongside even more future industry leaders through this ground-breaking addition to the animation curriculum,” stated Beyond Capture Studios president and CEO Graham Qually.
Motion capture has placed the movement of actors at the heart of the global gaming industry, with an estimated global market share of 170 billion dollars, more than film, music, and the top five most expensive sporting leagues on earth combined. As capture technology has progressed, the creative industries have witnessed the birth of a 21st century medium ‘performance capture’.
“The performance capture volume is a key arena for 21st century creators. It’s an exciting space that brings together people, language, and practices from many disciplines. Learning how to contribute positively within this ecosystem is an invaluable competency for VFS graduates. I look forward to continuing to support this exciting new piece of the 3D animation & visual effects curriculum – it’s always a joy to work with the wonderful Beyond Capture Studios and Instructor Arthur Gonzales,” said Charles Douglas.
Vancouver Film School is Canada’s premier post-secondary entertainment arts institution, offering 15 production-oriented programs in film, animation, video game production, VR/AR development, motion and interactive design, programming, art/production foundation, and more. With a student body of 47 per cent international students from over 75 countries, VFS is consistently named one of the leading film schools in the world and was recently ranked the number one Game Design School in Canada by The Princeton Review.
