The Vancouver Film School Might be the Best Film School in Canada

What Makes VFS Either Worth Attending or Avoiding ...

The Vancouver Film School (VFS) produces over a thousand skilled graduates every year.

Students are guided through film courses and other art classes that are designed and overseen by members of the VFS' Advisory Board.

The Advisory Board is made up of members from some solid organizations like LucasFilm, Pixar, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Electronic Arts, Digital Domain, BioWare, PBS, and many others.

The best part about the VFS is its location near one of the largest film industries in North America. VFS has one of the best records in the world for finding their graduates work. Graduates often secure work before they even complete their final classes.

The numbers don't lie. Here's why this Canadian Art School turns out so many "School to Job" graduates.

• Aggressive Recruitment Program

There are many Film Studio representatives actively recruiting upcoming talent. Vancouver is full of media opportunities, not to mention it's home to one of the largest film studios outside of Hollywood.

They are looking for talent and they look first to the Vancouver film school.

• Greatly Talented Instructors

Vancouver attracts a lot of talent largely because of the sheer size of its Film Industry. Many very talented people find teaching others to be a great way to express their creative side and get paid while taking a break from the grueling 15 hour days they spend on set while working a project.

Don't forget to tell us all about your best or worst Teacher or Professor on the Rate My Professor page. It's where Students can write about their favorite Professor at any level.

Say what you will but keep it coherent. Please.

• Many Movies are Made in Vancouver

The film business in Vancouver city alone was just under 2 Billion Dollars in 2010. Scroll down the Page for just some of the more recent films shot in Vancouver city.

The industry in Vancouver was started by producers looking to cut their costs. The US dollar was worth 30% more than the Canadian dollar back then. Today it is just about even, but movies are still getting made.

That shows stability and that the film industry in Vancouver will be a reliable place for future film makers to find work.

• Well Equipped Labs with Top Facilities

VFS (Vancouver film School) has Green Screens for the Animation School Program so that they can do motion capture; a Dolby 5.1 theatre for Sound Design; multiple computer labs and industry-standard software for all students; editing suites and HD cameras for Film; and two movie theatres.

Every student is required to complete some sort of project to do with their line of study. VFS student projects get submitted to film festivals as well as national and international competitions at no cost to the student.

There is a free job board that any graduate of the school can access for hot job prospects on the school's website. Only graduates can access this job board. I wish I could tell you how to access it because it is a gold mine for job prospects.

• Vancouver is a Beautiful City

Vancouver is blessed with some of the finest natural beauty in the world. You can snow ski in the winter on great mountains just an hour and a half by bus from the downtown core.

So those are the reasons to attend or avoid. But there is an intangible.

Abundant Opportunity

Take take a look at some of the movies and TV shows currently filming in Vancouver.

It proves that Vancouver film school graduates have more opportunity waiting outside their front door than Graduates from a similar film school in Bellevue, Washington or Orlando, Florida.

When students of an animation school, acting school and art school have the opportunity to work on shows and movies like the ones below, it is of great benefit.

It is one of the reasons that the Vancouver Film School belongs on our list of the top 10 film schools.

Major Blockbuster Movies Filmed In Vancouver

:

The Hurt Locker

1. The Hurt Locker
2. The Incredible Hulk
3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
4. Watchmen (film)
5. 2012 (film)
6. Resident Evil

Plus many more ...

Popular Tv Shows

1. Smallville
2. Supernatural
3. 24 (Vancouver)
4. House M.D (Pilot Only)
5. Outer Limits
6. Battlestar Galactica

Plus many more ...

The Supernatural TV Series

VFS graduates worked on seven of the ten highest grossing films of 2008, including The Dark Knight, Iron Man, and Wall-E.

They were also active on some of the most successful video games in recent years, including Halo 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Gears of War 2.

Kevin Smith attended the Film Production program at VFS.

He didn’t graduate, but it was at VFS that he met his longtime producer, Scott Mosier, and cinematographer David Klein.

Yes. Kevin Smith went to school to find people to work on his films.

I wonder if he ever intended on Graduating?

Film Making Courses and Art Schools Programs

There are 13 courses / classes offered by the Vancouver Film School. Each of them is very specifically targeted to specific jobs associated with the arts, film or media format of your choice.

Even if you can't find a course that sounds exactly right, remember that the courses offered are designed to get you in the door and working. The courses are tailor made knowledge designed to suit the specific needs of a very specific area of work.

Once you get in the door with a film production or any other form of media arts, the rest is up to you.

Get more information on the Arts Courses Offered at The Vancouver Film School.

You'll also learn the school's teaching philosophy and what is expected of each student in the form of completed projects that are mandatory to the completion of your classes.

The Vancouver Film School Stands Out

For some people these points may be of little value but to others they may be coins of valor. If you find yourself questioning why you are even reading this Page then it might be because you have already chosen which film school you want to attend.

Or if the VFS is even a realistic possibility. But this site is meant to give you the tools to find a great school no matter the price or the location.

Enter your Questions, Comments, Creative Opinions or even Stories of Your Own Days at the Vancouver Film School in this box. If you are Alumni of the school then give us your view of the school; Good Bad or Ugly.

We must stick to just one rule. If the story or question and subsequent answer add something of value for other visitors then we'll publish it! Heck, we'll publish almost anything besides an illegible, incoherent rant

So, What makes Vancouver film school different or outstanding over other top film Schools, Acting Schools, Computer Animation Schools Photography Schools and other Art schools?

• The Cost of Tuition and The Value of Saving

It's an intensive one year course at VFS. Most other schools do the same amount of work in 4 years. 1 year versus 4 years means you'll save money on school fees but you'll also save time.

Being able to start a job 3 years before other future graduates means 3 years of savings in the bank.

Unless you're bad with money and party too much. 4 years tucked into one means you'll have to work so hard that you're butt might fall off. Sounds funny but make sure you're ready.

• The Vancouver Film School was Named Top Film School in all of Canada

In early 2008, VFS was named the top school in Canada and fifth worldwide. This appeared in 3D World Magazine's 'Ivy League' ranking of Animation Schools around the globe.

This may be a website about film schools but animation is now a huge part of the film and gaming world. The Vancouver film School's Computer Animation Program is ranked 5th in the world!

• VFS has The Number One Film School Channel on YouTube

It is located at youtube.com/vancouverfilmschool. The account has more than 35,000 subscribers.

The VFS student films shown on the YouTube channel have combined for over 27 million views.

Have a look at them. They are examples of what you'll be capeable of doing after a year at the VFS.

• Vancouver Is the Perfect Place to Study

Whether it is media, arts, and entertainment the Vancouver Film School is home to productions like X-Men and Battlestar Galactica and game companies like Electronic Arts and Propaganda Games.

Students study just blocks away from major film and television production companies, casting agents, game developers, web developers, animation houses, and post production houses.

Students train in the city that is the 3rd largest film and game production hub in North America for.

• Scholarship Programs Are Regularly Available To The Best and Brightest

Just kick butt in your classes and apply for everything offered in the way of loans, grants and scholarships and you might end up studying for free!

Schoarships are offered year round at the Vancouver Film School. Everything is so condensed into that one intensive year that scholarships rotate about every three months.

Remember that any of the courses available at the VFS run between $30,000 and $55,000 Canadian dollars. This tuition fee includes everything you'll need except the clothes on your back.

Check out their website for Scholarships at Vancouver Film School.

To find out more, please speak to a VFS Advisor.

Where is the Vancouver Film School?

Campus #1 1380 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 1. 3D Animation & Visual Effects 2. Classical Animation 3. Digital Character Animation 4. Foundation Visual Art & Design 5. Sound Design for Visual Media 6. Film Production	Campus #3 198 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 1. Admissions 2. Acting Essentials 3. Acting 4. Entertainment Business Management 5. Makeup Design for Film & Television 6. Writing for Film & Television
Campus #2 1248 Franklin Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada 1. Makeup Design for Film & Television	420 Homer Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada 1. Digital Design 2. Game Design 3. Student Services 4. VFS Café
400 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada 1. Film Production	VFS MEDIA CONTACT If you are a journalist and need information about VFS, please contact Their Public Relations Department. Thuy Khuc Public Relations Coordinator E. tkhuc@vfs.com T. +1 604.631.3563 F. +1 604.685.5830 TF. 1.800.661.4101 (within North America)

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