Photo caption: OCAD U LiVE student content creators are excited about the new partnership with TIFF. From left to right: Christian Markland, Wrynn Geswin, Mina Vekaria and Amanda Campos.
A new partnership between OCAD University and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will further enhance the John Street cultural corridor in Toronto while supporting students seeking careers in the media content production.
“By partnering with TIFF, we’re enriching the experiential learning experience for students in our Experimental Animation program and students who produce content for OCAD U LiVE, our 24/7 digital streaming channel,” says OCAD U President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano.
“This collaboration is a natural fit between two leading arts and cultural institutions in Toronto, and will further drive positive impact for the creative economy and provide students with opportunities to gain employable skills, explore innovative ideas, find community and develop a fulfilling career,” she adds.
Under the partnership, student content creators for OCAD U LiVE will have access to professional equipment, including lighting, recording and editing tools, at a dedicated street-facing studio located in the Gallery Annex at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 350 King St. W. Similar to morning news shows, this new studio will encourage people walking by to watch a live show in action.
OCAD U’s Experimental Animation program will hold classes in dedicated learning studios at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. There will also be opportunities for the University to use TIFF’s main gallery space for exhibitions and a cinema to showcase student work and hold screenings.
“We’re thrilled to see OCAD U and its new Experimental Animation program make TIFF Bell Lightbox their working studio,” says TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. “We salute Ana Serrano and her team for their vision in bringing some of Canada’s most creative young screen artists to our home. We look forward to learning as much from their work as they learn in our spaces.”
ABOUT OCAD U LIVE
Created in October 2020, OCAD U LiVE is a 24-7 digital streaming channel featuring content produced by students. In this experiential learning program, students get hands-on training in all facets of media production and valuable experience to contribute to Canada’s booming content creator economy.
OCAD U LiVE is also growing as a production house for brands and organizations to hire OCAD U students to create their video content.
“Organizations are seeking young talent who have the creativity and real-world experience to produce content to appeal to Gen Z audiences and beyond, and they are coming to OCAD U LiVE for that expertise,” says Serrano.
Since its launch, OCAD U LiVE has hired more than 130 student content creators, produced more than 60 multi-episode series, presented over 500 original videos and broadcasted over 100 hours of programming.
Now in its sixth season, OCAD U LiVE recently launched a short film grant for students to help them bring their vision to production and receive mentorship and support to ensure their films reach audiences and are screened at festivals.
ABOUT OCAD U’S EXPERIMENTAL ANIMATION PROGRAM
OCAD U has a long history of graduating successful animators in art and film, including George Dunning who directed the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine and Richard Williams who was the animation director for Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In the fall of 2022, art director and graduate Karen DeJong released Ron’s Gone Wrong, a computer-animated feature that has generated over $60 million in box office sales since its premiere in the United Kingdom.
In September 2022, the University welcomed its first cohort of undergraduate students in its new Experimental Animation program where they are developing the technical and conceptual skills to thrive in a range of creative industries.
Unique in Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree focuses on animation as an artistic practice with strong involvement with industry, offering students an exciting alternative to programs in the country that are primarily technically focused.
“This program is about exploring creativity and curiosity. Students will develop their personal vision and push the boundaries of the art form,” says Philippe Blanchard, who contributed to the program’s vision while in his former role as Chair of Integrated Media and Digital Painting and Expanded Animation.
“As faculty members we are interested in animation as a focus of critical inquiry as well as a medium that can tackle today's big topics through innovative storytelling in new and powerful ways,” he adds.
ABOUT TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit.
The organization generates an annual economic impact of $200 million (Cdn). TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel, and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC.