Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects is looking to fill a position of Houdini Effects Technical Director Program Lead.

Our ideal candidate would possess:

• Prior experience in instruction/mentor ship
• A minimum of five years production experience working on high end broadcast and feature film visual effects projects.
• The ability to work (or have the qualifications to obtain a Visa) within Canada
• A positive and supportive attitude, everyone of our students are important to us.

Practical experience in several or all of the following disciplines:

• Procedural workflows (geometry & texturing)
• Mantra/Redshift shading, lighting, & rendering
• Environmental effects (rain, snow, dust, smoke…)
• Particle systems
• Digital destruction workflows
• Fluid effects
• Python & VEX

Full-time consists of 35 hour weeks.

Benefits:

• Steady and predictable work weeks
• Working with a small, vibrant, and growing company
• Owners that are approachable and open to suggestions
• Small class sizes (6-8 students per intake)
• High quality of student applicants
• Curriculum already developed
• Wage ranges on experience (80-120,000.00 per year)

As a trade school, Lost Boys takes great pride in our near perfect placement rate. We meet regularly with key industry personnel to insure our program curriculum is relevant and meeting their hiring needs.  We also strive to create a perfect hybrid of education and simulated studio environment.  Our curriculum is project based in nature with theoretical lecture constantly being balanced with practical application.  Much of our core curriculum is previously recorded video content and delivered through our online curriculum management system.  You will be expected to work together with our FXTD Program Lead based out of Montreal location to adapt and shape the future curriculum design.

UPDATE!

The Job Board Address is now VFXVancouver.com.

Enjoy!

Mark

<Link back to Source>

Announcing our new Effects Technical Director Program (Houdini)

Spread the Word!

Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects is excited to share the first inside peek into our new 8 month Effects TD Diploma Program.  

The success of our Visual Effects Production Diploma Program has attracted the attention of a certain Senior Effects TD with over a decade of experience creating Visual Effects on numerous Hollywood blockbusters.  He is a rare breed of artist who also possesses a natural instinct for instruction and tutoring.  As a published writer with experience instructing Houdini to students around the world he has developed an Effects TD Curriculum that is unrivaled by any other academic offerings.


In respect to our new Program Lead, career changes of this magnitude can be a sensitive transition so this is all the information I can announce publicly at the moment.  Contact us directly to learn more details.  

contact@lostboys-studios.com
 
Program Start Dates

Spring - May 2013
Fall - September 2013
Winter - January 2014

Program Outline

We work primarily within SideFX Houdini and a small component in The Foundry’s NUKE, supplemented by other specialty software to provide more personalized exploratory options.

During each week students are provided with several lectures and demonstrations to further assist with the learning process. Scheduled courses include various FX techniques. Weekly Industry Studies classes bring us together to view current media, breakdowns and techniques from real-world industry examples. Every Friday we gather for weekly screenings, where finished and work-in-progress projects are presented and discussed. Students complete assigned projects, working both individually and in small groups. In the final term the FX students will work on a project with the VFX Production students to really experience the group dynamics of working in a studio together as a team member.

Our purpose is to train the necessary analytical, creative and technical skills to get started in the Visual Effects Industry as quickly as possible, while still upholding a high standard of excellence.

All programs are primarily focused on producing projects, modeled after real studio industry environments. Demos, lectures, courses and plenty of lab time are included in an effort to support the project-based curriculum.

All our programs are fully accredited and each student is assigned their own workstation to use during the full duration of the program. We have had a very successful 98% placement on our past program and we are looking forward to including the FX TD Program to that list.

For more information please follow this link


Term 1 (4 Months)

• Orientation/Basics
• 3D & FX Generalist training:
  
  • Surfaces
  • Lighting, shading & rendering
  • Animation
  • Project relevant technique lectures
• Project 1 - Simulated Destruction – A large proportion of feature film effects which are handled by the FX pipeline would fall into the category of destruction.  This would encompass taking in environmental, structural, and other modeled assets and designing a system to destroy it in a highly realistic way.  The techniques involved focus on three key areas:
  
  • Procedural geometry manipulation
  • Particle simulation
  • Rigid body dynamics

• Industry Studies

Term 2 (4 Months)

• 3D & FX Generalist Training:
  
  • Advanced FX System design & procedures
  • Project-Relevant Technique Lectures
• Project 2 - Environmental Effects – Environmental effects are extremely common in film and involve the creation and rendering of realistic natural phenomenon.  Tasks could include snow, dust, rain, smoke, clouds, and terrain.  
  These may include:
  
  • Common particles
  • Volume fluid simulations
  • Shader construction
  • Advanced rendering
• Project 3 – Advanced Simulation & Effects  – This project will involve students with special effects tasks of higher difficulty and relying on a more complete understanding of simulation and rendering.  The main element of this project will be a Pyro or Fluids Simulation.  These may include:
  
  • Fire
  • Combustion
  • Explosions
  • Water / fluids
• Project 4 – Group Project – This project will be a combination the the previous skills acquired and may include simulated destruction, environmental and advanced simulations.
• Industry Studies
• Career Prep and Demo Reel Edit
• Job Placement Assistance
• Graduation

Supported by Side FX (Houdini)

“Thank you for your consideration to offer a Houdini FX program at your school. I have read through the proposed curriculum outline for your Houdini FX program and agree with it and agree with 8 months being an acceptable duration for this program.

There is a very large demand in the VFX and gaming industry for highly skilled Houdini FX technical directors and artists. Given the fact that Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects has a very good reputation for helping build relevant, ready for production skilled talent, I am very pleased to support your efforts.”

Aliza Sorotzkin - Global Education and Training Manager” Side Effects Software

Link to an Overview of Houdini 12 on Vimeo

About Lost Boys

Based in Vancouver Canada, Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects is North America’s top dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive ten month Visual Effects Production Diploma program.  Led by award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, a pioneer of Vancouver’s VFX Industry, bringing over 16 years of studio, on-set and supervisory experience from projects across the globe. Carrying the honour of being the Visual Effects Society (VES) | Vancouver Section’s Chair of Education & Technology, Bénard stands out as a leader in VFX Educational Development.  As an influential contributor to the VFX Industry he holds annual responsibilities as a judge for the Visual Effects Society Awards and the Silver Screen Awards.

Boasting over a 98% placement rate, Lost Boys is the preeminent school of visual effects. For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, www.lostboys-vfx.com or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX.

Link to our Latest Student Montage on Vimeo

Just in case anyone needed a non-Facebook link to register you can fill in your form here ->  Registration Form

*Link to Source

The Craft of the Senior Compositor
with Landon Bootsma

Spread the word!

Date
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013

Time
6:30PM -> 8:30PM

RSVP
Register here at VESVancouver.com


Overview

The primary focus of this talk will showcase the mindset of a Senior Compositing Artist. Senior Compositor, Landon Bootsma will share insight into his experiences with major VFX studios and working in various pipelines. In addition, Landon’s experience as a VFX Instructor will also give prospective students valuable insight into what it takes to learn the art of Compositing, along with sharing tips on how to best succeed in the industry. If you are interested in Digital Compositing please come and check it out. The presentation March 27th, 2013 6:30-8:30pm and is free to attend.

Speaker Bio


Landon Bootsma - Senior Compositor and Instructor

A true Vancouverite born and raised in the Lower Mainland, Landon made his start in VFX here in Vancouver. Like many others, a start in the industry equated to working on episodic Sci Fi shows like Andromeda and Stargate SG1. Since then, Landon has taken advantage of the global industry and has worked at major studios including: Weta Digital, Double Negative, MPC and ILM to name a few. In addition, Landon has worked as an Instructor for several years at some of Vancouver’s Digital Art Schools.

View Landon's IMDB Credits

An example of Landon's work


Select Speaker Credits


Event Location

Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects
Suite 200 - 495 Railway Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada

Email: contact@lostboys-studios.com
Studio Phone: (604)558-4999


About our Sponsors

Visual Effects Society - Vancouver Section
The Visual Effects Society (VES) is the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of more than 2,500 members in 29 countries, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a multitude of domestic and international events, screenings and programs.

Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects
Based in Vancouver Canada, Lost Boys | School of VFX is North America's top dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive ten month Visual Effects Production Diploma program. Led by award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, a pioneer of Vancouver’s VFX Industry, bringing over 16 years of studio, on-set and supervisory experience from projects across the globe. Boasting over a 98% placement rate, Lost Boys is the preeminent school of visual effects. For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, www.lostboys-vfx.com or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX.

*Lost Boys will be holding an Open House March 23, 2013 1:30 – 3:30PM - More information here!

The Foundry - Nuke
The company's award-winning NUKE compositing product was born out of industry-proven technology developed at Digital Domain. An aggressive development schedule has created a product that is today the de facto standard in VFX compositing. A key addition has been support for stereoscopic imagery and the OCULA toolset, which have facilitated VFX on groundbreaking productions including AVATAR, TRON: LEGACY and HUGO, winner of the 2012 Oscar® for Best Visual Effects

NUKE is the industry standard Swiss army knife for film, battle tested on the most ambitious visual effects projects ever attempted and proven to deliver a robust pipeline able to adapt and scale to any production demand.

Link to Source

Lost Boys | School of VFX - Open House

Spread the word!

DATE
Saturday, March 23, 2013

TIME
1:30PM – 3:30PM

RSVP
contact@lostboys-studios.com or register on our Facebook Event Page


Overview

We are opening our doors to welcome potential students to see our amazing studio space. The award winning Mark Bénard, Founder/VFX Supervisor, will be available to discuss career options within Vancouver’s rapidly expanding Visual Effects Industry.

We are North America’s Top Visual Effects School.  We are the Studio that teaches.

Come by and see for yourself.

Student Work Showreel


Select Alumini Credits


Event Location

Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects
Suite 200 - 495 Railway Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada

Email: contact@lostboys-studios.com
Studio Phone: (604)558-4999


About Us

Based in Vancouver Canada, Lost Boys | School of VFX is North America’s top dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive ten month Visual Effects Production Diploma program.  Led by award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, a pioneer of Vancouver’s VFX Industry, bringing over 16 years of studio, on-set and supervisory experience from projects across the globe. Carrying the honour of being the Visual Effects Society (VES) | Vancouver Section’s Chair of Education & Technology, Bénard stands out as a leader in VFX Educational Development.  As an influential contributor to the VFX Industry he holds annual responsibilities as a judge for the Visual Effects Society Awards and the Silver Screen Awards.

Boasting over a 98% placement rate, Lost Boys is the preeminent school of visual effects. For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, www.lostboys-vfx.com or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX. 

Lost Boys | School of VFX - New Practicum Component


As North America's top school of Visual Effects, we strive to provide the best Visual Effects training experience for our students.  

Currently Vancouver’s Visual Effects industry is booming and is home to several of the largest Visual Effects companies in the world (with more opening shop here regularly). Our students will now have an incredible chance to work alongside some of the industry's leaders on some amazing projects.

We've recently extended our program to include a 2 month practicum component. This new addition has received immense industry support, with the majority of the local studios signing on to open their doors to our students, eager to find new talent. A work practicum greatly increases our graduates chances of being hired.  During their practicum our students will have an unprecedented opportunity to learn propriety workflows, strengthen industry connections, and possibly gain a valuable production credit.

Our new 10 month program is intensive and offers the new practicum students an exciting opportunity to gain real world working experience, working with industry professionals and learning the trade hands on.


If you are interested in our September program there is limited seating so please contact us now.  admin@lostboys-studios.com

Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is North America's only dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive ten month program supplying world-class training in photo-realistic 3D for VFX and compositing for film and television.  Our students work with the award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, in a project-based learning environment, covering VFX pre-production and shooting, 3D for VFX and compositing.  Boasting over a 98% placement rate, Lost Boys is the eminent school of visual effects.  For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, www.lostboys-vfx.com or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX.

Lost Boys | School of VFX - New Location


Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects has returned to Railtown which neighbours historic Gastown. Close to downtown we are situated among the eclectic mix of contemporary fashion and design boutiques, restaurants, night clubs, upscale housing, art and music studios and galleries. Occupying the top floor of 495 Railway St. we enjoy spectacular views of the Burrard Inlet and North Shore Mountains.
 


We have been updating our new facility, which now includes open concept classrooms, student kitchen area and a deluxe screening lounge fitted with beautiful vintage theater seating.  The open concept allows maximum layout flexibility.  Furniture can be easily rolled to the side, freeing up valuable space for our green screen and any mini-sets that we may build for student projects.


If you are interested in our September program there is limited seating available so contact us now for further information.  admin@lostboys-studios.com

Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is North America's only dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive ten month program supplying world-class training in photo-realistic 3D for VFX and compositing for film and television.  Our students work with the award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, in a project-based learning environment, covering VFX pre-production and shooting, 3D for VFX and compositing.  Boasting over a 98% placement rate, Lost Boys is the eminent school of visual effects.  For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, www.lostboys-vfx.com or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX.

Lost Boys | School of VFX - Class 9 Showcase



Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is proud to announce the graduation of Class 9 of it's Visual Effects Production Diploma Program.

Our full-time Visual Effects program is an intensive study of creating photo-realistic VFX, primarily using Autodesk's Maya and The Foundry's NUKE, supplemented by other specialty software to provide more exploratory options.

"It was a pleasure and an honour to have shared the studio with such a creative and skilled set of individuals.  The level of support and camaraderie that I witnessed amongst the students was unprecedented.  They banded together, inspiring and pushing each other to higher levels.  We are very proud of their achievements and welcome them to the Lost Boys Alumni. I am not surprised that this class has also enjoyed 100% placement."  - Mark Bénard | Founder & VFX Director

Select Demo Reels and Website Portfolio Links

Pedro Colmenares - CG Generalist


"Lost Boys Studios | School of VFX helped me to be where I am since the first day of the class, because their program is designed to prepare us to work for the VFX industry. We do more than just projects and VFX exercises. We do portfolio and web preparation, we do industry studies and studio tours and we learn what the industry expects from us and that helps us to be prepared.  Also, the LBS staff is always promoting us, showing our work to several studios and people around and that's why most of the LBS graduates can find a job very easily."

Country of Origin: Spain
Current Employment:  CG Artist, Gold Tooth Creative
Website URL:  http://www.colmenaresvfx.com/


Andre Rios - VFX Artist


"Besides the best program, and the best teachers in Vancouver, the school has unique qualities in the market. The total immersion within the projects is a very strong point, the lostboys actually live the projects, and participate in its conception to its completion by traveling all fields of vfx.

Another strength is the way which teachers  and staff treat students, is an almost paternal relationship, where the difficulties of each student are taken into consideration. Teachers are present to answer questions and allay anxieties whenever we have problems.  I feel that the school was like a home for me, where i spent most of my time and always had access to the best content possible, from best books and bluerays to the best tutorials and workshops.  Besides of course the company of my classmates that even today are great friends. Oh, and even had my own key so I could spend day and night on my crazy projects."

Country of Origin: Brasil
Current Employment:  Jr. Compositor, Hydraulx VFX, Vancouver
Website URL:  http://www.andrerios.com/


Rajavel Loganathan - Compositor


"Mark Bénard is a very influential Mentor, helping us with ideal inputs to make our shots look stunning. He gave us more freedom and support in executing our projects. I very much loved working with him. Thanks for making learning Visual Effects more fun and easy."

Country of Origin: India
Current Employment:  Jr. Compositor, Prime Focus, Vancouver
Website URL:  http://www.rajavfx.com/


Shane Kao - Compositor


"When I first came to Lost Boys I worried about my lack of computer graphics experience as well as my struggle with the English language. The way Lost Boys records all lectures and demo's made it possible for me to study at my own pace and better understand the complex techniques involved in the creation of VFX. I highly recommend Lost Boys | School of VFX."

Country of Origin: Tiawan
Current Employment:  Jr. Compositor, Hydraulx VFX, Vancouver
Website URL:  http://www.shanevfx.com


Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is North America's only dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive ten month program supplying world-class training in photo-realistic 3D for VFX and compositing for film and television.  Our students work with the award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, in a project-based learning environment, covering VFX pre-production and shooting, 3D for VFX and compositing.  Boasting over a 98% placement rate, Lost Boys is the eminent school of visual effects.  For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, www.lostboys-vfx.com or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX.

Hey everyone!

Here's a link to the new job board.  Just in case you didn't get the memo we won't be updating the Forum jobs any longer.

http://lostboys-vfx.com/jobs-2

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Mark

Happy New Year!

Artifex is looking for an on-set VFX coordinator for an upcoming project. On-set experience in the VFX department is necessary. This position requires the ability to professionally represent the VFX supervisor and facility when communicating with directors, producers, and all department heads in prep and production. Experience gathering camera data, shooting HDRI, setting up tracking, etc. is a big plus - however some training can be provided. Additionally experience as a VFX artist in studio is a plus, as well as being up to date with current technologies in production and post workflow - e.g. digital camera tech (Red, Alexa), imaging, colorspace and luts, shot tracking and post I/O. Rate negotiable, based on suitability and experience.

Position to be filled ASAP. Please email resumes to info@artifexstudios.com.

Lost Boys | School of VFX - Class 9 - X-23 Project Showcase


Project Description - As our second challenge within our curriculum we choreographed and filmed a short sequence that involved our interpretation of Marvel's X-23 character.  Essentially a female version of Wolverine, we explored integrating reflective CG blades into our actor's hands.  

Behind the Scenes Timelapse

Learning Outcomes - Our goal was to further develop the student’s ability to analyze and replicate real world phenomenon to a high level of photorealistic accuracy. This project covers a solid foundation of common VFX integration issues such as matchmoving CG to Actor movements, adding environment and actor interactive reflections to a CG object, matching practical lighting, interactive and/or contact shadows, track point paint out, digital make-up, and optical glows/glints.  


Schedule - This project was completed over a three week period.  In the first week we filmed and edited our background plates as well as created the 3D asset model.  In week two we matchmoved, lit and composited our first version of the sequence.  Finally in week three we focused on integration elements so that the blades felt appropriately blended with the actors flesh.


"This marked the first time in 7 years that I have deviated from my well known Telekinesis "Spoon" Project.  One of my recent graduates, Kishor Joshi, completed a Wolverine VFX shot and I realized that it essentially covered the same challenges while at the same time allowed us to explore match moving and actor/CG integration to a deeper level.  As a creative guy that teaches, it's always great to break the rules and try new things.  I'm very happy with how Class 9 stepped up to the challenge and made work that we can all be proud of."  - Mark Bénard | Founder & VFX Director

X-23 Mini-Sequence Edit - (Temp Sound)


Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is North America's only dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive ten month program supplying world-class training in photo-realistic 3D for VFX and compositing for film and television.  Our students work with the award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, in a project-based learning environment, covering VFX pre-production and shooting, 3D for VFX and compositing.  Boasting over a 98% placement rate, Lost Boys is the eminent school of visual effects.  For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, www.lostboys-vfx.com or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX

Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects - Ghost Project Showcase
Visual Effects Diploma Program, 2010-2011

We are coming up on the Christmas holiday season and one of our Class 8 ghost projects was inspired by the "Christmas Carol" which we revered to as "Scrooge"

Hope you enjoy and Seasons Greetings!


If you take a look at many of the current television shows and blockbuster movies you will observe scenes with ghost, spirits or apparitions. These apparitions are often created using real or live action background plates with green or black screen ghost character plates and practical elements (smoke, oil, sparkles, etc.) composited together to create stunning ethereal effects.


During their first term at Lost Boys, students are asked to create a shot in which a ghost can be inserted into a scene.  The goal is to create a believable cohesion between the various 2D elements with consideration of focal length, camera height and other real world limitations. The Ghost Project requires the students to work entirely within our compositing software NUKE, to hone their compositing skills using matchmoving, rotoscoping and masking.  The students are involved in shooting live action background plates and green-screen character plates. In addition to other available elements, the students can use a variety of "cloud-tank" elements (the cloud-tank is a re-purposed fish tank that is set up with a black light in which we shoot a variety of substances including fluorescent ink, egg whites, cream and sparkles).  The students are only provided four weeks from start to finish for the Ghost Project. The timeline includes finding relevant film reference, designing their idea, scouting locations, arranging costumes and actors, and filming plates.


The 2010/2011 class worked together and created two short story sequences.  The first was "Scrooge!", a tribute to "A Christmas Carol" and the second "The Asylum", inspired by a sequence in the videogame “Fatal Frame”.  Both Ghost projects were shot on the Canon 5D and supervised by VFX Mentor Mark Benard at Lost Boys Studios - School of Visual Effects.   Actors in "Scrooge!" were Jason Tranetzki as Scrooge and Gregory Watkins as Marley.  Actors in "The Asylum" were Gustavo Kasai as the Reporter, Michael Balzer, Miguel Ponce and Heather Sabourin as the ghosts.


Gregory Watkins - Student

“I selected the "Scrooge!" project, as it was recognizable, I knew what it was about. I liked that there were specific references to draw from.

I was inspired by the ghost effect that was used in the recent animated "A Christmas Carol" movie. The ghosts had a wispy, smoky, ethereal effect around the edges, which I wanted to try to recreate.  Trying to track the smoke effect to the ghost became very complicated.  I was using a 3D reference, and trying to recreate it with a 2D image.  All the smoke elements naturally drift and dissipate over time.  I needed the smoke to cling and follow the ghost.  It required creating multiple tracking points and several smoke layers.  I even tried to construct a 2D procedural, but found the (cloud tank) smoke elements gave a more believable effect.

I really enjoyed playing the role of Jacob Marley.  Filming of the character became a bigger production than I initially thought.  Special make-up was applied and then I was dressed in costume and suspended on an outdoor rig in front of the green screen. After the project was finally composited together, I was really pleased with the results.”


Michael Balzer - Student

"I chose "The Asylum" ghost project, as I really liked the darker environment and the concept of the ghost only being seen through the lens of the camera.

For the creation of my ghost, I was inspired by scenes from two movies - the dream sequences in "Harry Potter" and the way Nightcrawler, from the "X-Men", appeared and disappeared.  I wanted a contrast between light and dark (good and evil), so I chose to use ink and fire elements to portray my ghostly apparitions.

Although I enjoyed all aspects of this project, I particularly enjoyed filming the ghost.  I was selected to be one of the ghosts and I really enjoyed getting into character.

I really wanted the ink elements to form the ghosts and found getting the timing just right to be the most difficult part of this project.”


Miguel Ponce - Student

"My ghost project was inspired by a video game called "Fatal Frame".  It was the first game cinematic that actually frightened me.  I was captivated by the story, the concept and the characters, but wanted to modify it to make it workable as a class project.

As far as the conceptualization of the ghosts, I wanted to replicate a fire effect for the bathroom ghost. After I had finished compositing the sequence, I saw a similar effect in a scene from the television series "Smallville". I found that very encouraging.  For the second ghost I wanted to create a watery effect. I have often seen in Asian horror films that the ghost will appear in fluid like substances like water or oil. I liked being able to show some diversity between the two ghosts.

As I am new to the software Nuke, I found all aspects of this compositing project very challenging and rewarding."


Jason Tranetzki - Student

"I had recently watched the CG version of “A Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey. I really enjoyed the concept and wanted to try to convert a CG film into live action, instead of the reverse.

I intended to completely copy the concept of the ghost and achieve the same smoky look with real plates and elements composited together.

I really wanted to blend the smoke and ink cloud-tank elements and have them interact with the ghost. I found this incredibly challenging to achieve.  In CG you are not limited to real world physics. I found it very difficult to track the elements to the ghost as he moved.

I really enjoyed working with Nuke and learning the possibilities and limitations of the software.  I think we selected a very ambitious project. The experience working on this project has definitely clarified for me what I would attempt to execute in camera and what I would do in compositing."


Gustavo Kasai - Student

"As I wanted to work on a project with more opportunity for creative exploration and vision, I chose to work on "The Asylum" as opposed to the "Scrooge!" project.

For the shots of the ghost seen through the camera lens, I decided to give it a sepia or yellowish treatment, to simulate the film cameras of the era.  I also wanted to make the ghost appear in a thick, almost cigarette smoky atmosphere. For the ghost that was not seen in the camera I created a shadowy ominous impression of a figure.

The biggest challenge I faced during this project was painting out power cords, cables and various other objects.

I would say the highlight for me was keying out the green screen and playing with color correction. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to edit together the scenes into a short stylized story."


Marcelo Bassoli  - Student

"Was excited to work on the ghost project and film on a rig on a green screen. I chose to work on "Scrooge".

Probably the biggest challenge was that I wanted to complete more than one shot and tried to complete a few different ones."



Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is North America's only dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive eight month program supplying world-class training in photo-realistic 3D for VFX and compositing for film and television.  Our students work with the award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, in a project-based learning environment, covering VFX pre-production and shooting, 3D for VFX and compositing.  Boasting over a 93% placement rate, Lost Boys is the eminent school of visual effects.  For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-studios.com, http://lostboys-vfx.com/ or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SchoolOfVFX.

Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects - New Student Montage




Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is proud to announce the release of it's Fall 2011 Student Montage! 

The montage has been freshly updated for the annual Visual Effects Society - Celebration of Visual Effects event which Lost Boys sponsors every fall.





We Are

• Immersed into the craft of Visual Effects and passionate about sharing our knowledge.
• Streamlined and focused on what is relevant. We are North America's only dedicated Visual Effects School.
• A studio environment, creatively inspiring, reflects your future workplace.
• Selective with our applicants, your peers will be like minded and serious about their craft.
• Alternative and progressive with our teaching methods.  We embrace project based learning and mentorship.
• We respect all sources of information and learning styles. Constantly pushing your limits, providing information as quickly as you can process it.
• Compassionate, we value developing personal relationships between faculty and students. We listen as well as share.
• Trusted and respected, our reputation opens doors and builds connections. Through our networks, the VFX Industry will take an active role in your career development.

Our Program

Our purpose is to train the necessary analytical, creative and technical skills to get started in the Visual Effects (VFX) Industry as quickly as possible, while still upholding a high standard of excellence.

The full-time Visual Effects Production program, is an intensive study of creating photo-realistic VFX, primarily using Autodesk's Maya and The Foundry's NUKE, supplemented by other specialty software to provide more exploratory options.

Led by award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard. Bringing over 15 years of studio, on-set and supervisory experience Bénard emphasizes an open mind for personal exploration, new experiences and the development of life long learning skills.

The VFX Industry's top priority is creative problem solving. We embrace project based learning to master the application of our tools and develop and refine our skills while providing you with content to build a professional reel. We balance production simulations with disciplined exercises and technical demonstrations delivered by industry professionals.






Industry Testimonials

"Lost Boys provides exactly the kind of curriculum the VFX industry needs; project-based studies that incorporate all aspects of today’s digital pipeline. The students are extremely fortunate to have in Mark Bénard a real, experienced VFX supervisor, and we know that graduates from Lost Boys will be able to hit the ground running"
Adam Stern, VFX Supervisor
Artifex Studios  

"I appreciate a school who teaches the student, to be production ready with some production “sense.” I  find a majority of schools don’t know how to accomplish this. Your students would be welcome at SPIN anytime, I have been consistently impressed with your grads. Good work!"
Doug Campbell, President
Spin West VFX        

"I’m impressed to hear about the real-world compositing & visual effects problems being posed to the students at Lost Boys.  We’ve seen very few curriculums, in the US or Canada, which offer students a chance to be challenged by such realistic production  problems."
Rob Taylor, Founder/Creative Director
Pendulum Studios  

"Anyone who’s lucky enough to get training like this, would truly have an edge on the competition."
Trevor Adams, VFX Technical Director/Supervisor
Leviathan Studios


Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is North America's only dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive eight month program supplying world-class training in photo-realistic 3D for VFX and compositing for film and television.  Our students work with the award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, in a project-based learning environment, covering VFX pre-production and shooting, 3D for VFX and compositing.  Boasting over a 93% placement rate, Lost Boys is the eminent school of visual effects.  For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-learning.com, http://lostboys-vfx.com/ or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/lostboyslearning.

Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects - Class 8 Showcase

Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is proud to announce the graduation of Class 8 of it's Visual Effects Diploma Program.

Our full-time Visual Effects program is an intensive study of creating photo-realistic VFX, primarily using Autodesk's Maya and The Foundry's NUKE, supplemented by other specialty software to provide more exploratory options.

Class 8 Experience - Graduation Commemoration Video


"It was a pleasure and an honour to have shared the studio with such a creative and skilled set of individuals.  The level of support and camaraderie that I witnessed amongst the students was unprecedented.  They banded together, inspiring and pushing each other to higher levels.  We are very proud of their achievements and welcome them to the Lost Boys Alumni.  It's no surprise to me that Class 8 have enjoyed a 100% placement rate within the Visual Effects Industry."  - Mark Bénard | Founder & VFX Director

Demo Reels and Website Portfolio Links

Carlos Guzman - Effects Artist


Country of Origin: Mexico
Current Employment:  Effects Animator, Stargate Studios Vancouver
Website URL:  http://carlosvfx.com




Gregory Watkins - Compositor


Country of Origin: Barbados
Current Employment:  Roto Artist, Method Studios Vancouver
Website URL:  http://www.watkinsvfx.com/




Marcelo Bassoli - Compositor


Country of Origin: Brazil
Current Employment:  VFX Artist, Freelance
Website URL:  http://marcelovfx.com/




Michael (Mitch) Balzer - VFX Artist


Country of Origin: Germany
Current Employment:  VFX Artist, Arctic Air Series - Omni Films, Vancouver
Website URL:  http://www.balzervfx.com/




Miguel Ponce - VFX Artist


Country of Origin: Mexico
Current Employment:  Compositor, Arctic Air Series - Omni Films, Vancouver
Website URL: http://mponcevfx.com/




Jason Tranetzki - VFX Artist


Country of Origin: United States
Current Employment:  VFX Artist, FX Shop, Mexico City
Website URL: http://www.jdtranetzki-vfx.com/




Gustavo Kasai - Compositor


Country of Origin: Brazil
Current Employment:  Compositor, Arctic Air Series - Omni Films, Vancouver
Website URL: http://www.gustavovfx.com/


Lost Boys Studios | School of Visual Effects is North America's only dedicated visual effects school offering an intensive eight month program supplying world-class training in photo-realistic 3D for VFX and compositing for film and television.  Our students work with the award-winning VFX Supervisor/Mentor, Mark Bénard, in a project-based learning environment, covering VFX pre-production and shooting, 3D for VFX and compositing.  Boasting over a 93% placement rate, Lost Boys is the eminent school of visual effects.  For more information please visit our website at www.lostboys-learning.com, http://lostboys-vfx.com/ or join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/lostboyslearning.