Maria Galindo -2017/2018

What education did you have before you took the Visual Effects for Film and Television course?

Before enrolling in the course I previously graduated in a 2 year graphic design program; it was a very illustrative and 2d based course and I had no previous experience in vfx or 3d. However on my own time I would study and work on personal projects,that eventually helped me build a portfolio for the VFT program.

Tell us a bit about your experience at the college.

My experience at Seneca was very memorable, the environment and faculty was very welcoming. The teachers for the VFT program all have experience in the field, which helped bring good insight into the industry and up to date techniques that assisted in creating our reels. In addition  the classroom was very accessible ( computers and software was always available) plus any other hardware that we needed to complete our demo’s was easy to rent out.

How do you use the education you got at Seneca in your job today?

The program has very strong fundamental courses that teach you the importance of understanding the vfx pipeline. No matter what stream you go into, it is vital to have an insight in how other artists work, so that was very helpful when first coming into my job. The quick pace of the program is a great insight of  how a vfx studio runs, in that there is always deadlines that you have to meet and that almost every day should be treated as learning experience.

Being able time manage yourself and meet deadlines is super important because not only is it critical in the classroom but also when you go into your job. Learning how to work and respect others in your class environment is also very necessary thing you should keep in mind and finally being able to ask questions and help others when you can is probably the most significant skill you can practice while taking the course.

(Written in 2019)