Preety K. Raj -2018/2019

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

Before enrolling at Seneca for Visual Effects for Film and Television, I had completed my Bachelors in Technology (B.Tech) in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from India and I was working at a software company called Infosys for 4 years as a Systems Engineer. I always wanted to do something more creative so on the side I was learning the basics of 3D and VFX by watching tutorials online, and when I had enough stuff for a demo reel, I applied to Seneca. Which was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my career.

Tell us a bit about your experience at the college.

My time at Seneca was really awesome. The learning curve was steep especially because I came from a non- artistic background. But the structure of the course and the effort of all the industry expert instructors was very helpful in laying the foundation of Visual Effects. And the best part was, the lab is accessible 24/7. I learned the most while doing assignments and working on my demo reel along with my classmates. All the instructors at Seneca were so invested in us that they used to be always ready to look at our work and give us constructive feedbacks. Which was very helpful in improving my work.

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

I was really lucky to get offered job from multiple studios like Jam Filled, Framestore and Technicolor. I am currently working as an FX TD at Framestore, Montreal. Which is literally a dream come true. The education I got at Seneca helped me build a solid foundation. We always had the latest versions of the tools, which helped us in exploring all the new features and all of the things I learned at school, I still use it everyday at work.

What advice would you give potential students who are thinking of taking the course?

I would have to say, ask all the questions that pops in your head, because that's why you are in school, and that's the best thing you can get out of the expert instructors. Make the most of the time you get, it's a short course but if you put in enough hours you will be surprised how much you can learn. And utilize the 24/7 lab facility, that's where you learn from your other classmates. The more mistakes you make, the more troubleshooting you will be doing and that's one of the major skill set you require in this industry. Don't be afraid to push your limits. Good luck!

(Written in 2019)