News & Events
48 Hour Horror Film Project – Do not watch if squeamish.
October 25th, 2011
This year we gathered several of our current class and some of our alumni to help us create a 48 hour Horror film for a Bloodshots Canada competition. We had no sleep, lots of pizza, lots of red bull, lots of blood and a ton of fun! Thank you to Team Lost Boys for all your hard work. Voting has completed and thanks to everyone's support we are proud to announce that we've secured second place!
Behind the Scenes
October 7th, 2011
Class 09 Have just begun their second project.
Here they are having fun on the set of X-23
.
Back in Vancouver and celebrating our current graduating class!
June 30th, 2011
We are back in Vancouver and celebrating our current graduating class.
Take a look at their impressive demo reels.
Congratulations to:
Marcelo Bassoli - http://marcelovfx.com/
Michael Balzer - http://www.balzervfx.com/
Carlos Guzman - http://carlosvfx.com/carlosvfx/
Gustavo Kasai - http://www.gustavovfx.com/
Miguel Ponce - http://mponcevfx.com/mponcevfx/
Jason Tranetski - http://www.jdtranetzki-vfx.com/
Gregory Watkins - http://www.watkinsvfx.com/
Visual Effects Society Awards
January 27th, 2011
Congratulations to LBL Alumni Manuel Llamas (class 2), Perry Sohn and Jennie Bates (class 3) for their contributing work on Visual Effects Society nominated shows this year – Salt, Black Swan, Barclaycard, Tron: Legacy, Prince of Persia, Lost, The Walking Dead…the 9th Annual Awards are on February 1st in Los Angeles.
Manuel is freelancing in Europe and New York, most recently with LookFX; Perry is at Weta Digital in New Zealand, and Jennie is at Stargate Studios in LA.
http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/ves-awards
VFX Students Get Gory at Special FX Make-up Workshop
January 17th, 2011
As part of the pre-production process for the ghost project shoot, Ria Ambrose (Lost Boys’ Production Manager and owner of Colour FX Specialty Make-up) offered the students a one day Gelatin Wound Making Workshop.
Ria Ambrose leads the Workshop
The workshop was a new addition to the curriculum to inspire the students in conceptualizing the visuals for their ghost projects. During the day, the students were instructed on how to cast, apply and paint gelatin wounds. Ria also demonstrated some simplified techniques to create old age and zombie skin. The model that was used during the demonstration was also filmed over greenscreen to be later composited into one of the ghost projects (see final image below).
Ria Ambrose – Colour FX:
“I so enjoyed seeing the enthusiasum of all the students once they began to apply the wounds on each other. It is amazing what a little fake blood can do to a room full of guys.”
Student Grant Robertson; wounds self-applied
Marcelo Bassoli – Student:
“The best thing about the Gelatin Make-up Workshop was that I could make things that I didn’t imagine that I could do. It was the first time that I made done anything like this this and I liked the results. It is always challenging when you have to try something for the first time. I was afraid to do something wrong or not finish it properly, but it wasn’t a problem. The workshop exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed participating in it.”
Student Jason Tranetzki; wound by Kishor Joshi; student Miguel Ponce; wound by Michael Balzer
Kishor Joshi – Student:
“When I started observing movies I had always wondered, how do they make wounds and blood? It makes me curious when they show a swollen/wounded eye in films, I know it’s make-up but how do they do it ? After attending this workshop, I at least know how they start, so for me and this was the best part of workshop.
As a visual effects artist this workshop should help me to get the basics right. While working on a ‘slit throat’ my focus was to blend it with (fellow student) Jason’s skin tone and to show fresh blood dripping. It was not the best looking but I think I was happy with my first attempt.
To sum up I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. It was quite educational. One day I would like to do a swollen eye make-up. Let there be blood!”
Model Heather; compositing by Carlos Guzman
Carlos Guzman – Student:
“For me it was really interesting because I have never done makeup before. I think the class was awesome, but so fast, I would like to do more, maybe two or three more classes. I think we need more practice and would like to learn more about the techniques.”
Compositing by Michael Balzer
Lost Boys Learning Announces Upcoming Relocation to Vancouver
November 4th, 2010
We are excited to announce our upcoming relocation of the school in the summer of 2011. Going back to our roots in Vancouver, where we operated our visual effects studio for almost a decade, we are looking forward to reconnecting with our many friends and associates and sharing our school community.
The Vancouver VFX scene is busy and vibrant and we will have the opportunity to attend more industry events and screenings; this is an added benefit for our students as well. We have met with studios including Digital Domain, Prime Focus, CIS and Image Engine and they have expressed their encouragement and support for our plans to provide a high-end visual effects training solution for the community.
In order to facilitate the best possible set-up and infrastructure, we have decided to postpone the May 2011 intake in order to concentrate our resources on the current class's success, and the relocation needs. If you have any questions please let me know at gillian@lostboys-learning.com. We look forward to an exciting year and to seeing everyone in September in Vancouver!
Sneak Preview – Ghost Shoot #1
October 25th, 2010
As All Hallow’s Eve approaches again for another year, the leaves are turning orange and red and drifting to the ground, the fog rolls in off the ocean on dimly lit days… and it is time for the Ghost Project. Students in Class 8 are creating a few longer sequences this year, with more ghost shots in each sequence, and working in groups. Variations are possible with different look development treatments, some different ghost characters (still to be shot) and different edits.
The first project shoot was at the historic Filberg Lodge in Comox, recreating a scene from the classic Christmas Carol story. In our version, Scrooge has come in from the cold, gotten ready for bed, and is just having a snack and a drink by the fireplace. He hears a noise… a clatter of chains… and the ghost of his partner Marley appears in the room to question and torment him.
Many thanks to the whole class for helping with the shoot, and especially to Jason Tranetzki for acting in the Scrooge role. Lost Boys’ Production Manager/Specialty Make-up Artist Ria Ambrose cosmetically “aged” Jason for the shoot.
Also big thanks to Carlos Guzman for the following location photos.
Sculpey 2010
October 1st, 2010
Big thanks to Ken Meyer from Jackrabbit Pictures for presenting our annual Sculpey Maquette Modeling Workshop this week.
An opportunity for the students to get off their computers for a few days, and create a handmade, tangible art object, the Sculpey Workshop also teaches character preparation and design as it relates to the animation and visual effects pipelines.
Ken is a freelance Animator, Director, Visual Effects Artist and he is currently creating an animated short series. He founded both Jackrabbit Pictures and the Caffeine Collective in 2004. Ken lives and works in Vancouver where he collaborates with international artists, directors, agencies and studios to create digital imagery for film, television, and the gaming industry.
Class 8 Begins!
September 17th, 2010
Welcome to the fall 2010 session – Class 8 at Lost Boys Learning. Students hail from Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Barbados via Gatineau, and good ol’ Los Angeles. They are joining the Class 7 group, already in progress and working on their first Term 2 project, the UFO (sneak peek coming soon!).
The first project for the new class is the Title Project. We’ve been shooting all week, everywhere from a farmer’s field to a brewery to a back alley. The concepts are challenging and the results will be great! Here are a few location and set photos from four of the shoots.
Graduation – Class 6
August 18th, 2010
Congratulations to the new class of graduates! Our sixth and largest class, comprised of Caleb Clark, Drew Erickson, Lance Frisby, Stephen Holbrook, Mark Poe, Evdoxia Sardi, Kenneth Van Aken and Hui-Wen Wu are just wrapping up their final week.
The graduation ceremony was held on Friday, August 13, at the Courtenay & District Museum Rotary Room. Cocktail party style mingling, then speeches and handshakes, diplomas and demo reels.
Way to go Class 6! A heartfelt thanks from Mark and Gillian to all of you for spending the last year with us. 