Sisler partnership adds depth to animation program

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This article was published 16/11/2022 (1052 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sisler High School’s CREATE program is adding some dimension to its program. The program has partnered with an industry leader, Reel FX, to help its students dive into the world of 3D animation.

“The fact that we have an amazing animation studio that works out of Dallas, Montreal and Vancouver that recognized the talent that here in Winnipeg’s North End at Sisler High School, it’s just such an amazing opportunity for our students to mentored and trained,” Jamie Leduc, head of the Sisler CREATE program, said.

Reel FX has worked on numerous big-name projects, such as the Open Season franchise and the visually spectacular The Book of Life.

“It’s going to add a whole new level to what we do at Sisler CREATE by getting more students into the 3D animation industry,” Leduc said.

Leduc said the program held a student showcase in June, which animation professionals from Reel FX attended.

“They were completely blown away … They basically said to us, what you are doing is amazing, and we’d love to be a mentor in any type of way. And of course, we said yes,” Leduc said.

“We are amazed at the quality of work coming out of this program and the dedication of the staff who are leading it,” said Donna Henry, Reel FX Animation President, in a press release.

Students have already had their first meetings with mentors from Reel FX.

Student Felipe Silveira said he’s been excited to get things rolling.

“Being able to talk with people that are of that calibre, that worked on shows and movies that some of us watched as kids, it’s like, wow, these are some of the best in the industry. It’s crazy to think they’re teaching us and we could all be at that level one day, and possibly even be working with those people in the future,” Silveira said.

Silveira said being able to talk to people who’ve reached those heights in the animation world makes a career in animation seem all the more attainable.

“Sometimes it feels like it’s so far out of reach and that it’s going to take forever for me to get to that place … but with their help and with these people around the CREATE program, it definitely feels like it’s not as far as we think,” he said.

Onah Fuendes, another student, said she went out of her way to ask to work with Reel FX, after having focused on 2D animation to this point.

“I really want to learn because 3D is something that I find difficult, and it’s something that I would like as an artist to have as a skill set,” she said. “Mostly, I’d like to to background, because it’s more structured and there’s more architecture.”

Students will first submit work to their mentors for evaluation, and they’ll speak directly every three weeks to get detailed feedback and discuss how to go about improving, with the goal of producing professional quality 3D animation by January or February.