A recent article in the Vancouver Sun covered the state of the digital media industry in Vancouver, reporting that our city is still a “hotspot” despite events like the closure of Pixar Canada. The article focuses on the local company Gener8 and its expansion in hiring as it takes on more feature film projects.
Several VanArts graduates have worked at Gener8, past and present, as part of their continued growth, including Suman Lakkireddy, Anastazja Karolewska, Vikas Ganer, Steven Des Roches, Alvin Grado, Belinda Fung, Nicole Smith, Eden Munoz & Pranjal Verma.
Some highlights from the article, in quotes from Gener8’s chief operating officer Tim Bennison: “It’s not all doom and gloom out there. There are many companies hiring, and I know that for a fact because we are competing with them for people,” he said. “People look at (Pixar’s recent exit) because it is high-profile … but that doesn’t mean the Vancouver industry is on the downturn. Far from it.”
“We can train somebody within a couple of weeks, and they can be working on a major blockbuster like Harry Potter as their first film on their resume.”
“The visual effects industry in town is thriving. We see a lot of stories about filming being ramped down, and that is a fact. But most of the major visual effects houses in the States have operations in Vancouver, and they are growing,” he said.
B.C. has 900 digital media companies employing 14,000 people, according to the B.C. Jobs and Tourism Ministry, and generates annual revenues of $1.2 billion.
For much more in the full article, click here >>
Photo © The Vancouver Sun
Gener8 chief operating officer Tim Bennison at the company’s studio in Mount Pleasant.
Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann , The Province