色狼窝

The students at are truly the stars of the show and are why we do what we do. Today, we shine the spotlight on some of our recent graduates, showcasing the portfolio work they created at 色狼窝.

The work created by these students is truly outstanding. Through their one year at 色狼窝, they鈥檝e transformed their creative skill sets, mastering the ins and outs of their craft 鈥� and even learning a thing or two about themselves along the way.

KOEN MARTIN 鈥� MAKEUP DESIGN

The portfolio work created through 色狼窝鈥檚 Makeup Design for Film & Television program is among the most mesmerizing. It鈥檚 an incredible (and rare!) talent to transform humans into fantastical creatures & beings 鈥� all through the power of production makeup 鈥� and the results are truly stunning. Koen Martin is one such student who has truly mastered her craft through her one intensive year of training at 色狼窝. Scroll to see a sample of her best work.

鈥�Building my portfolio at 色狼窝 was a very organic process. All the portfolio requirements and suggestions were directly tied to what we were learning in class, which made the process feel seamless,鈥� says Koen.

鈥�Each part of the portfolio was entirely personalized and created from scratch, especially during our Photoshop classes. The instructors were always available to offer guidance and share their expertise. The support was always there, which made a big difference.鈥�

Reflecting on her portfolio, Koen commented: 鈥�I find myself most inspired when I鈥檓 creating something rooted in fantasy or science fiction. One example is the alien mask I designed 鈥� it was entirely handcrafted by me. I sculpted, molded, cast, seamed, and painted it myself. That鈥檚 what draws me to makeup: the ability to evoke emotion.鈥�

鈥楻AGE QUIT鈥� 鈥� GAME DESIGN

All students in 色狼窝鈥檚 Game Design program graduate with a playable, retail-ready game in their portfolio. One recent team of students 鈥� comprised of Christopher Gomez, Ben Glase, Lev Zitron, Roman Karoly, Samuel L贸pez Tagle O帽ate, and Tomer Cohen 鈥� created , a fast-paced first-person melee combat game. .

This group of talented game developers collectively reminisced on making their game at 色狼窝: 鈥�Building our game at 色狼窝 meant that we got to meet talented, caring, and amazing people from all disciplines. From art to programming, everyone was able to put in a collective effort to create something spectacular.鈥�

鈥溕�狼窝 provided us with a realistic studio experience that enabled us to thrive in our roles and prepare for the future. 色狼窝 also invited industry mentors to come and help us in the process of our game too. They were VERY helpful, as they could give tailored advice and critique to specific students to help refine our ideas.鈥�

As with most Vancouver Film School portfolios, the game was truly a passion project: 鈥�Rage Quit is a collection of our talents. We wanted to make a game that could showcase the best of what each person on the team could do, and that's what we did. Each member can highlight a specific aspect of the game and use that as their portfolio piece moving forwards. We made something that we're proud of as a collective and individually.鈥�

SINA LABBAF 鈥� 3D ANIMATION & VISUAL EFFECTS

In 色狼窝鈥檚 3D Animation & Visual Effects program, students specialize in their choice of 3D Animation, Modeling, or Visual Effects, which informs the portfolio work they create. Sina Labbaf, who chose the former, created a poignant, touching short animated film through the program: Zal ().

Sina reflected on building his larger portfolio at 色狼窝: 鈥�The process was very similar to what is used by industry professionals, thanks to our mentors who work in the industry,鈥� comments Sina. 鈥淚t went all the way from the concept to pre-production to production. 色狼窝 was just the right place to do it.鈥�

On what his film means to him, Sina commented: 鈥�Zal was the dream project to show everyone a bit of the beautiful Persian culture and some of the old tales and stories that my grandfather used to read to us. And to me as the director and animator, it helped me to understand emotions in a new way and learn how to create them through my work.鈥�

鈥楢 GOOD DARK ROAST鈥� 鈥� WRITING

In 色狼窝鈥檚 Writing for Film, Television & Games program, students have the option to take a 鈥楶roducing for Writers鈥� class, where they鈥檒l write, produce, and direct a short film in groups. Recent Writing students Vaughn Rae and Angelika (Angel) Padberg were the writer and director, respectively, on A Good Dark Roast 鈥� which has since received attention on the festival circuit!

The film has been nominated for Best Canadian Student Film and Best Experimental Student Film at the , and has been officially selected in a handful of other festivals across North America.

Angel recounted her portfolio-building experience at 色狼窝: 鈥�Before 色狼窝, I had never seriously written anything and honestly didn鈥檛 think I could. I went from doubting I could cobble a story together to graduating with seven solid feature premises, three short film scripts, and a TV pilot.鈥�

鈥�Directing A Good Dark Roast gave me space to really focus on performance,鈥� Angel continued. 鈥�The film is essentially one long monologue delivered by a single actor at a desk, so we rehearsed extensively to layer in nuance 鈥� when to light a cigarette, when to stub it out, how to handle props with precision. Every detail needed to land in order to honour the subtext-heavy script, and I鈥檓 proud of what we managed to accomplish in a single shooting day.鈥�

YURI SANTOS 鈥� DIGITAL DESIGN

For his final project in 色狼窝鈥檚 Digital Design program, Yuri Santos created Loneliness Abroad 鈥� an animated Motion Design project for a fictional mental health organization, Mind Beings, to bring awareness to the risks and challenges of loneliness for newcomers to Vancouver. to watch the full video and learn more about Yuri鈥檚 creative process.

鈥�My goal with 色狼窝 was to build my portfolio while sharpening my skills, trying new things, and having fun. 色狼窝 gave me the space and confidence to do that,鈥� commented Yuri on the process of building his creative portfolio.

鈥�The classes helped me re-learn skills I already had and discover new ones in motion design, digital design, teamwork, and the Canadian job market. It鈥檚 important to keep asking questions, try new ideas, and experiment. Even if you explore themes or concepts others have done, you can make them your own by adding your unique perspective, creativity, and passion.鈥�

Yuri explained that Loneliness Abroad was a deeply personal project for him: 鈥�As an immigrant, I realized that loneliness remains part of the journey even after the pandemic. This project allowed me to connect with viewers on an emotional level, showing the challenges of loneliness in a relatable and visually engaging way. It pushed me to explore character animation and storytelling techniques I had not tried before, and it demonstrates my ability to translate personal experiences into motion design that resonates with an audience.鈥�

ELIAS BARNEVIK OLSSON 鈥� FILM PRODUCTION

You might recall we recently spoke with 色狼窝 Film Production student Elias Barnevik Olsson about his student film The Beanstalk.

We asked Elias what it was like crafting his career portfolio at 色狼窝: 鈥�It was fast-paced, intense, and probably the best possible crash course in filmmaking. You鈥檙e constantly switching between roles, working on multiple projects at once, and trying things outside your comfort zone. That鈥檚 part of the structure: everyone gets hands-on experience in all the core areas of filmmaking before choosing what to specialize in. The program gave me a broader understanding of the full production pipeline and allowed me to walk away with a portfolio that covers much more than just editing.鈥�

He also spoke on what The Beanstalk means to him: 鈥�It鈥檚 the kind of story I鈥檝e always wanted to tell. It鈥檚 strange, emotional, and a little unsettling. It鈥檚 personal, not because it鈥檚 autobiographical, but because it reflects how I see grief and responsibility, and how those feelings can grow into something bigger than you can control. Making the film gave me a way to channel all of that into a contained, focused story with a strong visual and emotional arc. I think it captures my strengths as a filmmaker across several areas. Even with the creature and body horror elements, the heart of the film is emotional and character-driven. That鈥檚 the kind of storytelling I love doing and want to keep pursuing.鈥�

色狼窝鈥橲 THREE-PART SERIES ON PORTFOLIOS

You are reading part three in 色狼窝鈥檚 series of editorial features on portfolio-building. Continue on with part one to discover why portfolios are crucial for creative careers, and part two to learn how students at Vancouver Film School build professional portfolios.

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