Changing lives & building the next generation of creative leaders through animation

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According to a Hanover Research report, the 21st century (soft) skills students need to successfully participate in the global economy of tomorrow include collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking and problem-solving. Facing automation, young people can safeguard their careers by leveraging these abilities to become AI-proof and oriented towards high-paying creative industries. Sisler High School recognized this shift and responded with its Interactive Digital Media (IDM) program — with animation courses using Toon Boom software as its foundation.
Launched in September 2015 by department head Jamie Leduc, the Sisler IDM program’s goal is to create a well-educated workforce that addresses current and emerging labour-market needs. The global IDM industry is booming — with animation studios around the world hiring constantly.
Case study at a glance:
• Sisler High School prepares students for 21st Century creative careers by teaching them animation skills in Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard Pro
• IDM program has grown from 250 students to over 1,000 in four years
• Disadvantaged students can access life-changing scholarships and future-proofed careers
• Average base animator salary of $56,000 (Glassdoor)
• Toon Boom partnered with MSi to make animation course integration easier than ever
“As content streaming services and gaming gain popularity, more talent will be needed to satisfy demand.”
– 3D Animation Teacher Bernard Alibudbud
From humble beginnings to huge demand:
Leduc developed a holistic program that connects the dots and addresses students’ creative needs across Animation, App and Game, Film and VFX, Digital Design and Sound Design. Many of his students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, with creative-industry careers offering the promise of a brighter future; the base salary of an animator in Canada is $56,000, according to Glassdoor. Sisler’s IDM program has gained governmental and industry recognition, with its animation course acknowledged as an excellence hub by Toon Boom, Vancouver Film School (VFS), New Media Manitoba and Manitoba Film & Music.
The IDM program has transformed into a community for nurturing creativity
and career paths since its launch, instilling the importance of collaboration, communication and critical thinking. Students rely on each other and seek help from those with different skills needed to complete projects — a fundamental formula that fosters a culture of open communication as well as inclusiveness.
2007 — Sisler launches IDM program as a club, progressively adding specialized classes
2014 — Province of Manitoba asks Sisler to write new vocational IDM framework to support local industry, aimed at students grade 9 and up
2017 — Toon Boom animation software incorporated into Sisler IDM program
2018 — IDM enrolment has grown from 250 to over 1,000 students
“The things we learn go beyond just animation — these are skills
we can apply to life. Being in an environment like [Sisler IDM], you just keep learning, especially from each other.”
— Says Luisa Roscuata, a post-grad student.
Since integrating
Toon Boom animation software into the Sisler IDM program:
• Enrolment in Animation courses increased from 253 students in 2017 to 328 in 2018
• Animation Course offerings increased from 12 courses in 2017 to 20 courses in 2018
“The educators and IDM program framework at Sisler are in a league
of their own – it is perhaps the top IDM program in Canada. Sisler consistently produces some of our country’s brightest young talent and we highly value their collaboration with VFS.” says Dr. Ted Gervan, former VP of Education at VFS.”
“Our alumni have found employment at Atomic Cartoons, Amblin Studio, Biba Playgrounds, Big Bad Boo Studio, The Cartel Production, CBC Documentaries, Disney Games, Eagle Vision, Encore Studios, Farpoint Films, Lionsgate Entertainment, Loogaroo Studios, Media Rendezvous, Moving Pictures Company, Netflix Productions, 20th Century Fox, SkyBox Lab games, VMC games, and Vancouver Film School.”
Preparing students for the workforce requires introducing them to the tools industry professionals use. Toon Boom software is the animation industry standard.
“Since introducing Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard Pro into the IDM program in 2017, Leduc is able to cover more material than ever and finds students —and teachers— are not only learning easily and enjoyably but are mentoring each other.”
Today, Sisler teaches paperless animation and the principles of animation using Harmony Premium. These classes are so wildly popular that the school can’t run the number of sections needed to keep up with student demand.
Exposure leads to exceptionally bright futures
Sisler students discover different creative career paths in two ways:
1. Workshops
A variety of specialized workshops educate and engage all students, regardless of grade. They are especially beneficial to younger pupils who aren’t able to register for the IDM classes yet, allowing them to gauge their interest level.
2. Exploratory classes
Students are introduced to animation, app development, game design and video editing concepts and skills. They will also learn how to brainstorm, plan, create, develop and deliver digital media projects. After completion, students can select a specialized learning pathway.
“Working digitally in Toon Boom software accelerates the learning curve and allows for more content to be taught in less time.”
PATHWAY
Animation
App and Game
Film and VFX
Digital Design
Sound Design
EDUCATIONAL FOCUS
2D/3D Animation, Concept Art, Character Design, World Building, Storyboarding, Character Animation, Rigging, Cutout Animation, Story Development
VR/AR, App Development, Game Design, Coding, Web Design & Development, Asset Design, Sound Design
Cinematography, Non-Linear Editing, Motion Graphics, Visual Effects, Sound Design, Script Writing, Directing, Story Development, Previsualization
Graphic Design, Photography, Photo Manipulation, Vector Design, Branding, Packaging, Typography, Layout, Publishing
Automated Dialogue Replacement, Foley Art, Walla, Score Design, Voice Acting, Sound Design, Filters and Effects, Composition
Industry Connections:
• Sisler IDM prepares students by introducing them to industry professionals and regular guest lecturers
• Vancouver Film School (VFS) visited in 2015 and set up formal scholarship program
• In 2018 alone, Sisler students received over $200,000 in scholarships
• Former Pixar CFO, Dr Levy & Disney Studio Supervising Animator, Trent Correy
© 2019 Toon Boom Animation Inc. All rights reserved. | toonboom.com
Teaching complex subjects like storyboarding and animation successfully
Toon Boom understands it can to be very challenging for educators to teach subjects like storyboarding and animation when most likely they do not have an industry or arts background. Rest assured, school administrators should never shy away from an animation course because of cost
and training complications. Toon Boom makes these cutting-edge, creative career courses easier than ever to teach by offering a host of training resources from full courseware through to the free Learn Portal (learn.toonboom.com).
Toon Boom partnered with Moore Solutions, Inc (MSi) to develop courseware and test preparation designed for students in grades 9 to 12 that teaches Harmony and Storyboard Pro. The MSi courseware includes everything needed to conduct an effective course. Upon successful completion, students have the option of pursuing
Toon Boom’s Associate Certification (TCA).
Bridging software and soft skills
Whether students pursue animation or not, they will benefit from soft skills acquired in learning to storyboard and animate in Toon Boom.
Combining creative, technical animation and soft skills,
the Sisler High School IDM program not only prepares,
but future-proofs students’ careers. They are passionate and committed to learning, and gain abilities with lifelong benefits like public speaking, being open and assertive with others — all applicable in any workplace. Coming from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, this can and does change their lives.
Grade
9
10
11
12
Course Name
Intro to Motion Pictures
Concept Art
Animation
IDM Project Management
Description
Students explore the world of ICT through a variety of animation and filmmaking tools and hands-on projects. Plus, introductory skills in:
• Recording, editing and exporting video
• 2D digital animation in Harmony
• Storyboards and animatics in Storyboard Pro
Students develop their animation and creative storytelling skills by blending digital image creation techniques and traditional theory to produce characters, scenes, settings, props, environments and concepts in Storyboard Pro.
The course offers students a vocational pathway towards animation and concept art — developing the their creative skills via the industry-standard software, Harmony.
• Import files from Storyboard Pro in Harmony
• Developing visual language and principles
of animation
• Harmony animation skills: Multi-planes,
camera work, parallax, cut-outs, animating pegs, rigging, lip-sync, walk and run cycles, compositing
• Collaborate by managing summative/ capstone project
Students learn how to plan, create and promote a project of their choice while experimenting with cutting-edge digital technology, and can collaborate with peers and industry experts.
“In my classroom, one of the focuses is developing communication and collaboration skills, and students learning to be team players. Once those soft skills are there, it’s amazing to see what the students can accomplish because they feel confident and empowered, which is the key to success,” — Says Leduc.
Regardless of the background of your teachers and students, Toon Boom is committed to working with passionate educators like yourself to inspire young people and positively impact their lives with creative career skills in animation.
To learn more about teaching Toon Boom animation, please email us at academic@toonboom.com. animation.sisleridm.com
© 2019 Toon Boom Animation Inc. All rights reserved. | toonboom.com
Sisler High School