Irina Berdyanskaya
Irina Berdyanskaya
VFT Program-2015
What education did you have before you took the Visual Effects for Film and Television course?
Irina Berdanskaya
I had a dramatic career shift in my life. I have a degree in economics and political science and before visual effects I was working in public relations and strategic marketing. In time my marketing work shifted more towards advertising, including design, web development, video and motion graphic production. Passion for post production I discovered while working in advertising inspired me to go into visual effects for film.
Tell us a bit about your experience at the college.
I did a very thorough research of the program and got in touch with former grads and some industry professionals so I knew exactly what I was getting into. I'd say that VFT was the best educational experience I have had in my life. The program is very flexible letting students focus on their primary specialization. The instructors are all accomplished and currently working professionals in their field and they are very passionate about "growing" new talent helping students achieve as much as they possibly can in the 8 months at Seneca. VFT also keeps up with evolving and ever changing industry so the knowledge we got was never outdated.
How do you use the education you got at Seneca in your job today?
Skills and tricks I learned in class are pretty much the exact solutions to many challenges I face at work daily. You get exactly what you need to successfully start the career at a VFX studio.
This was Irina's demo reel when she graduated from the VFT program in 2015.
What advice would you give potential students who are thinking of taking the course?
Don't look for cheats or shortcuts, there's no half-assing. Treat your school assignments as if they were your work tasks. Forget about standard grades, it's not about GPA, it's about your demo reel. It will be hard and challenging and it will require you to spend most of your waking time at school. Try to learn as much as you can before the program begins, this way you'll move even further by the time it ends. Know your caffeine safe limits and cut down on partying for those 8 months. It'll totally worth it!
(Written in 2016)