UNews - animation

New media alumnus Sitter making inroads to music industry

trevor.kenney — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:28:05 +0000

New Media rocks!

Jarett Sitter (BFA ’07) has spent the last eight years building a portfolio of stellar artwork and animation that can be found across Canada’s music scene. From Nickelback to Mother Mother, this alumnus has found a way to use his ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge new media degree to break into the music industry.

Sitter's stellar artwork and animation can be found across Canada's music scene.

Sitter has worked on several videos that received nominations for Video of the Year at the Juno Awards and Much Music Video Awards as well as a 2015 MMVA for Best Post Production in a Music Video. He also directed the music video for You Passed Through, by Johan Agebjörn & Young Galaxy, which was featured online in Wired Magazine alongside Bob Dylan and Alt-J as one of its favourite videos of the week.

Sitter’s work in Walk Off The Earth’s Rule the World was nominated for its post-production, in which he collaborated with fellow new media alumnus John Poliquin (BFA ’08) who directed the video and was nominated for his contributions as well.

The artwork does not begin and end with music video animations; Sitter’s repertoire encompasses original artwork for the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF), Said The Whale’s U.S. tour 2014, Sled Island, CKXU and cover designs for Fast Forward Weekly Magazine – to name a few.

Sitter also creates original artwork while he pursues more video and animation projects.

“I want to continue to develop as an artist, always improve my craft and work on cool projects with cool people,” says Sitter as he expresses his desire to expand in the areas where he has begun to establish himself.

Currently, he resides in his hometown of Calgary. For more information and to see more of Jarett Sitter’s work visit: www.jaretts.com.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ played key role in alumni couple's story

trevor.kenney — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:08:27 +0000

Some would call it luck, others fortune, but when her father, Dr. Keith Roscoe, accepted a position with the Faculty of Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1996, an entirely new world of possibilities opened up for Catherine Roscoe Barr (BSc '02) and her future husband, Aaron Barr (BFA '02).

Aaron, now a technical artist for Pixar Canada, and Catherine, a freelance writer, first met in Grade 7 in Grande Prairie but their friendship was cut short when Aaron's family moved to Lethbridge. With her father's new position at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Catherine was able to rekindle a friendship with Aaron in her final year of high school. After graduation, she enrolled at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the pre-vet program then quickly switched to pre-med studies.

"I realized I really didn't like physics so I switched to neuroscience. It was awesome," explains Catherine. "I had three favourite professors: Drs. Gail Michener, Peter Dibble and Glen Prusky. They communicated the material, which was often very complicated, in such a way that was fascinating and easy to understand."

Aaron and Catherine Roscoe Barr have parlayed their U of L educations into exciting, satisfying careers.

While Catherine concentrated on the sciences, Aaron enrolled in fine arts. He loved to draw and had a great interest in computer graphics and animation, but he was unsure about the reality of an artist making a living in the world of computer graphics, so he entered the U of L with plans to pursue a career in architecture. When the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ created the multimedia program in Aaron's second year, however, he quickly applied.

"There were college programs offering similar type programs but I really wanted the more universal experience I got at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Aaron, who was among the first to graduate from the program.

During one of his classes, Aaron had the opportunity to interview John Kahrs, a senior animator for Pixar, regarding Kahrs' work on the animated film Monsters Inc.

"I loved what he was doing and how passionate he was. I decided then that I wanted to abandon architecture and pursue my interest in film. I thought it was just a shot in the dark but he said go for it, you'll get there," remembers Aaron, who recently ran into John at Pixar. "I told him how I had met him at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and how he had inspired me. At Pixar, I build characters, sets, props, paint texture onto them, and add surface qualities and hair, anything involving the look of the character or object."

Catherine too had a life-changing moment while she was a student at the U of L. As a teenager she was always quite active but with her studies taking up so much time, her activity level dropped and she found herself eating a lot of unhealthy cafeteria food. One of her roommates in residence encouraged her to get a personal trainer.

"It changed the course of my life," she says. "I had wanted to become a doctor but I found that fitness was a proactive way to help people. I started taking fitness classes and got my fitness instructor certificate. The year after I graduated I got my personal trainer certification."

In July 2000, the couple was engaged, and in August 2002, just a few months after graduating, they married. A move to Toronto followed, where Catherine started her own business working as a personal trainer and teaching fitness classes at Sheridan College. Aaron earned a diploma in digital character animation at the college, and then began working for C.O.R.E. Feature Animation. Several career moves later, Aaron was given the opportunity to work on the movie, Legends of the Guardians, in Australia in 2009. It was a move that would affect Catherine's career as well.

"About three days after we moved to Australia, I was walking in downtown Sydney. I walked by this beautiful building, with all these beautiful people. I didn't know what it was but I knew I had to be a part of it. I went home and Googled the address. It was ACP Magazines, an enormous magazine publisher," says Catherine, who subsequently spent the next five months there as an intern.

She has since developed a successful career writing about her passions: fitness, health, food and travel. In May 2011, Aaron landed his dream job with Pixar Canada.

"Working for Pixar has been a long-time goal; they always put quality first and are determined to create original, compelling stories," says Aaron. "I said to Aaron the other day that if I won the lotto I would keep doing exactly what I am doing," says Catherine. "I feel so blessed."

GET THE FACTS

· Catherine writes for publications such as the Vancouver Sun, The Province, BC Home and Garden, Homes and Living, Western Living, Real Weddings, TV Week and BCLiving.ca

· Catherine's writings and adventures can be found at: thelifedeliciousblog.com

· Catherine recently returned from Jamaica where she ran the Reggae Marathon 10K

· Aaron's career path has seen him work for C.O.R.E. Feature Animation, Rainmaker Animation, Animal Logic, Image Engine Design Inc. and Pixar

· Aaron's major projects include: Partysaurus Rex, Legend of the Guardians, The Thing, The Wild, The Ant Bully and Escape from Planet Earth

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

New Media at the Penny

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:23:53 +0000

Cutting edge and highly creative, Collectively Independent showcases the precision, skill and imagination of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge new media students.

Opening Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. in the U of L Penny Building, Collectively Independent is an exhibition of student works spanning the breadth of media studied, including film, print, web design, 2D and 3D animation.

"The digital artists, all senior new media majors, have built a high degree of interactivity into their pieces, affording guests the opportunity to interact with the art," says Jeff Bingley, fourth-year new media major.

Bingley explains that although the works are credited to individual artists, their final creation was ultimately a product of teamwork.

"Collectively Independent was chosen as the title of the exhibition, indicating the close collaboration involved in the independent production of digital works involving students in four new media classes," he says.

Collectively Independent runs Nov. 25 to Dec. 6. For a schedule of exhibit times, visit collectivelyindependent.org.

Visiting students add to mosaic

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:50:48 +0000

For Nurul, Kamil and Datu, students from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Tecknologi Mara in Malaysia, discovering all there is to do and learn this semester at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is the experience of a lifetime. In turn, for students, faculty and staff in the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts, hosting these exceptional students is not only rewarding but also provides the opportunity to learn from their exchange visitors.

The exchange program, spearheaded by Theatre and Dramatic Arts Professor Emeritus, Dr. Ches Skinner, is the first of its kind for the department.

"Since I retired from the U of L, I have been teaching in the Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysia," says Skinner. "UiTM has a program that enables students to go overseas to complete a three-month practicum. I encouraged Nurul, Kamil and Datu to apply and they did. I approached the U of L Fine Arts department last year to consider hosting these students and the rest, as they say, was history."

Visiting Malaysian students Nurul Ain Binyi Mohd Salihuddin, Mohd Kamil Bin Zukepeli and Datu Hazriel Bin Datu Atik.

The students were in Lethbridge from August through October adjusting to their new life, moving into a new home, registering for classes and becoming acquainted with the theatre production shops where they are working.

"I really had no experience on a sewing machine," says Nurul, who is working in the Costume Shop with manager Teresa Heyburn and assistant Lynn Hopkins. "Back home, we mostly sew by hand. I have learned so many things from Teresa and Lynn. These skills are very valuable to my studies and career back home."

Kamil and Datu have been busy in the Props and Scene Shops, working on the set of the next Mainstage production, The Government Inspector, with properties master Jay Johnston, head shop carpenter David Green and scene shop assistant Arlene Curran.

"I chose to come to the U of L after talking to Dr. Skinner and exploring the U of L website. I plan to use the skills learned here in theatre back home in Malaysia. It's been a great experience so far," says Kamil.

"Nurul, Kamil and Datu come from small villages and pay for their education through loans and work they do out of school," explains Skinner. "They could never afford to travel outside their country, so consequently, the world beyond their borders is often a collage of what they pick up from films, TV and newspapers. This experience will immeasurably expand their knowledge of the world and themselves."

Meeting new friends, practicing English, discovering new skills and using new technology continues to expand the students' experiences every day.

"A university is a place where people from different cultures, beliefs, traditions and practices come together to share ideas and experiences; to get to know each other, and in doing so, contribute positively to the global community of which we are all a part," adds Skinner. "Nowhere is that more important than in the fine arts, which celebrates our humanity through all forms of expression. In a small way, I believe this program reflects that aim and will hopefully break through the geographical obstacles and help people from different parts of the world to get to know each other."

As Nurul, Kamil and Datu's visit concludes in November, it is hoped another handful of UiTM students will take advantage of the exchange program and join the Faculty of Fine Arts at the U of L, to discover all the opportunities found on campus and throughout the whole community.

"I hope the U of L will become the preferred place for students from UiTM for many years," says Skinner. "This program adds to their education and is exceedingly valuable for them."

Passion for film drives Poliquin

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:25:15 +0000

Do you remember when the family video camera was a rare and valuable piece of bulky equipment brought out of its protective case to record little more than holidays and birthdays? Fast-forward a decade or more and video cameras, found in everything from cell phones to laptops, are a common and well-used technology that we can no longer imagine living without.

Like most of his generation, 24-year-old John Poliquin (JP) (BFA '08) grew up using digital media to capture the everyday moments of his life. Unlike his peers, however, this up and coming music video director took it to another level, building a creative and promising career using the common technology.

"In high school I was into skateboarding and my friends and I were always making videos for that. I also took graphic design and was into flash animation and Photoshop. I designed a lot of posters for plays and parties, but it was just for fun. I really wasn't thinking about new media as a career," recalls Poliquin. "Then my mom read about the New Media program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in Macleans magazine."

Alumnus JP Poliquin at work in the studio.

After recommending the program to a friend, Poliquin visited her on campus, saw the facilities and enrolled himself.

Although Poliquin's initial intent was to focus on graphic design, he fell in love with film production during his second semester at the U of L. As a child, he'd acted in several commercials and spent time on set with a childhood actor friend. Taking Terry Gallie's film production course reminded Poliquin of how much he loved the energy and activity on a film set.

"After my first assignment in film production, I was so excited with it that I realized I really liked the aesthetic of film and working in that medium. I also really liked learning about effects and about how I could bring my design
experience into that," says Poliquin. "The New Media program at the U of L is really good. I know a lot of other directors that went to film school but I am really glad that I have a full university degree. It is so much broader in terms of the media we learned. The fact that I have different skill sets that a lot of people in my field don't, that I have experience with sound design and editing and graphic design and web editing, it just makes it a lot easier for me to market myself and not be pigeonholed into one thing."

Following his first year at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Poliquin spoke to Gallie and got some advice about how to work in the film industry. He returned home to Vancouver and began working with a production assistant on the sets of The Fog and RV. He continued to spend subsequent summers immersed in the Vancouver film industry, sampling everything from camera assistant and assistant director to working in wardrobe.

Poliquin also brought his passion for film back to campus. He and his friends founded the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Student Film Festival in 2007, premiering the film, Inside Charlie, which they had written and produced. He pulled all-nighters in the new media lab and even had to hide from a security guard once in order to keep working after hours – although he would not recommend doing that today!
Since his graduation in 2008, Poliquin has amassed quite a body of work directing music videos, and is beginning to break into commercial directing and fashion photography.

"I love being a director, writing the ideas and following it through to the editing. It is nice to be able to look back at your portfolio and see these different creations," says Poliquin. "My next goal is to move to New York City; I want to try it out while I am still in my twenties. My goal is to eventually direct high concept commercials, music videos, maybe a feature film or TV episode once a year, and then do fashion photography and editing on the side."

GET THE FACTS

· Poliquin has directed more than 30 music videos.

· He was nominated for music video directing awards for: ill Scarlett featuring Kardinal Offishall (Much Music Video awards); Paper Lions, Tim Chaisson, Morning Fold (East Coast Music Association Awards and Music PEI Awards); Hey Ocean (Leo Awards).

· His film, Inside Charlie, was nominated for Best Short Film at the Calgary International Film Festival.

· To check out some of his work go to: www.johnpoliquin.com.

This story first appeared in the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Alma Matters

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:54:27 +0000

What's new with our alumni? Let your classmates know what you are up to by sharing a note about your life. Share your news with us through e-mail (alumni@uleth.ca), or by phone (toll free 1-866-552-2582).

Check out the latest news from our alumni below.

1970

Kinahan holds community focus
Brian Kinahan (BMgt '79) believes his time spent at the U of L was foundational for his career. "At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ I gained the ability to think through problems and come up with solutions, to expand my mind and think beyond more than just one focus," he says.

Now the president and CEO of 1st Choice Savings, Kinahan has played an integral part in the growth of the credit union, which currently boasts a balance sheet in excess of $400 million. While helping to build a successful financial institution is something he is proud of, he is also grateful for the opportunities he has to serve his community.

"My goal is to continue building on the success of 1st Choice Savings, guiding it to be a viable and important part of the financial world that focuses on being a community-minded institution that cares about individuals."

1980

Nancy Walker BMgt '82
Walker was awarded a Fellow of Chartered Accountants (FCA) from the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Bill Neudorf BEd '88
"In memory: some of you may remember the little three-year-old girl who would come to class with her dad and spend the time colouring or playing with dolls. Her name was Bobbi Renee Neudorf. Bobbi later suffered from Crohn's disease through her time at university but finished a BSc in Occupational Therapy at the U of A and worked for three years in the QEII hospital in Grande Prairie. Bobbi succumbed to complications from the disease and passed away from a massive blood clot on Sept. 21, 2009. She was 25 years and two months old."

Pamela Zollner BEd '86
After graduating from the U of L, Zollner taught for a couple of years in Alberta before developing a taste for international travel by backpacking around Australia and New Zealand. Zollner incorporated this love for travel into her work by teaching in Singapore and India. Zollner completed her Master of Education in June 2008 and is currently teaching Grade 2 in Calgary.

1990

Winner of the $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award
Michael Davie (BMgt '94) won the inaugural $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award for his first novel

Author Michael Davie

, Fishing for Bacon. The Alberta Readers' Choice Award is modelled on the very popular Canada Reads prize. Five books, each one championed by a celebrity, vie to win a popular vote. With $10,000 going to the winner, the competition is on the same financial level as the Governor General's Awards.

Aaron Berg BSc '95, MSc '97
Dr. Aaron Berg was recognized as GeogNews' (News Digest of the Canadian Association of Geographers) Geographer of the Week. Berg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph. He completed a BSc and an MSc degree in Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, an MS in Geological Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin and his PhD in Earth System Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Irvine. His research focuses on hydrology and hydro-climate simulation. Areas of current research interest include: macro-scale modeling of hydrological states and fluxes; climate change and water resources; the spatial scaling of hydrological properties; and evaluating the impact of land use change on regional hydrologic cycles.

Thomas Latta BMgt '97
"I am currently working as the manager, Operations Accounting and Business Solutions for Enerplus Resources Fund and have been with Enerplus for a year and a half. Prior to that, I was with ConocoPhillips Canada and its predecessor companies for 15 years."

2000

Amos Altman BA '04
Altman's play FORTITUDE is part of Fuse 2010 (The Enbridge New Play Development Program) at Theatre Calgary. This heartwarming and hilarious play emerged from the 2008/09 FUEL Playwrights' Circle at Theatre Calgary.

Ryan Epp BA/BMgt '05
Epp, former captain of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team, is now a constable with the Lethbridge Police Department.

Barry Gergel BSc '05, MSc '07
"I'm currently working toward my PhD in the Department of Computing Science at the U of A."

William Katelnikoff BMgt '05
"I received my chartered accountant designation in January, and I am currently assistant coach with the Pronghorns men's hockey team."

Matthew Berrigan BEd/BA '06
Lethbridge College announced their 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and recognized U of L alumnus Matthew Berrigan with the Rising Star Award. Since completing his education degree, Berrigan's rise as a teacher has been meteoric. Named best new teacher by the Foothills School Division for his work in Cayley, Berrigan is now a lead teacher in Turner Valley. The success of his teaching is reflected in his students' achievement results.

Angela Kastelic BN '06
"I am currently pursuing a Master of Nursing (Family/All Ages) with intent to become a family nurse practitioner."

Keely (Kavanagh) Semenuik BEd/BA '09
Following graduation in April 2009, Semenuik was married and travelled to France. She is now excited to begin her teaching career with École St. Mary School in Lethbridge, teaching French immersion kindergarten.

Kinley passes on the inspiration
After attending a presentation by guest speaker John Carr from Pixar, Brad Kinley (BFA '04) remembers telling a friend that the talk was life-changing.

"Seeing what he does and his approach to the whole process of character animation crystallized what I wanted to do," says Kinley.

Now, after being a key player in the design of Mass Effect 2, one of the most popular and highly rated games ever made for the Xbox platform, Kinley returned to the U of L this spring and gave a presentation to the next generation of new media students.

"I know how influential my exposure was to somebody actually working in the business," he says. "If I can lend a little knowledge or inspiration to someone else, hopefully it will help them the way it helped me."

Congratulations
Daniel Wong (BFA '03), Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA '98) and Robyn Moody (BFA '00) have made the long list (Prairies and North region) for the 2010 Sobey Art Award.

Munton & Co. chartered accountants recently announced that Curtis Michaelis (BMgt '03) and Michael Quinton (BMgt '04) have been admitted to partnership.

Susie Martin (BEd '81), Judy Lynn Miller (BA '91, BEd '93), Matthew Berrigan (BA/BEd '06) and Tracy Inaba (BEd '92) were among 23 outstanding Alberta teachers selected to receive the prestigious 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Sports Hall of Fame

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chinooks women's basketball team (1970/1971) was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame at this year's celebration. The team won the provincial and national championships and represented Lethbridge with pride.

Members of the team included: (Back row, L-R) Wilma Winter (coach), Dixie Dow, Linda Dogterom, Leona Voth, Minnie Van Dieren and Sharon Giduk (BA '73, BEd '75). (Front row, L-R) Marge Moore, Linda Voth, Rosemary Brodrick, Joan Cannady and Linda Dow (BEd '71).

Andrea Hlady (BEd'93) and Sharon Chmielewski (BEd'75) were also inducted at this year's celebration. Hlady was recognized in the athletes category. She was a two-time All-Canadian basketball player with the U of L Pronghorns. Chmielewski, recognized in the builder category, was honoured for building high school and high-level curling in Lethbridge with her work as an official, instructor and coach.

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

A family of support

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:07:27 +0000

Only once did Priscilla Patel look over her shoulder and wonder if she'd done the right thing. It was then that she relied upon her father's reassurance to settle her fears.

Now, one semester later, Patel still looks to her father for guidance but fear has given way to excitement, and trepidation has been replaced by a confidence that helps support an entire family.

"Priscilla has really grown up," her mother Malti says. "I see a lot of difference in her since coming down here, she has totally matured."

The Patel family members have all come a long way. A year ago the entire family was in its home country of Malaysia, Priscilla set to graduate from high school, excited about a future she hoped would lead her to the United States and a dream job with animation studio Pixar.

That's when Trish Jackson of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's International Centre for Students happened upon Malti at a Study in Canada event.

"When we met Miss Trish, everything changed," Malti says. "We found that this university was what we were looking for, it had a lot to offer her."

Jackson, an international recruitment officer, extolled the virtues of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the burgeoning new media program being offered in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Little did she know that she was recruiting Malti as much as she was wooing Priscilla, because there was no way the Patels were sending Priscilla to Lethbridge on her own.

"It's not very often we find a student who has a parent and siblings who are relocating with them, so this was a little bit of a special situation for us," says Jackson.

Along with Priscilla and Malti came her three brothers and sisters, 12-year old Natasha, nine-year old Nashania and seven-year old Darren. Only Ashok, the father, stayed behind.

Suddenly, Jackson was more of a resource than she'd ever been before.

"I think my biggest role was trying to answer questions before they actually arrived," Jackson says.

"Beyond student support it's really difficult for our office to provide a lot of support to the family. Aside from trying to answer questions and providing some contacts in the local school division for the younger children, most of the support the family ended up needing came from the Immigrant Services Department of Lethbridge Family Services."

Malti gives Jackson a little more credit.

"Miss Trish was constantly in touch with us, whatever questions we had she was always willing to answer," she says. "What we wanted to know about the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, the city, even the education for our other children, she guided us in every way."

It was a bold decision to come to Canada but one that sent a strong message to Malti and Ashok's children. They seem to understand that the risk their parents have made is for their best interests and have embraced the transition from Malaysia to Canada. Leading the way is Priscilla.

"I love it here, it really is amazing," she says. "Getting to know people has been so easy, I really think it's better than where I'm from in Malaysia. I find people have so much respect here, they respect you for who you are and what you do."

The new media program has been everything she could have imagined.

"I don't know where to start, I've only taken five classes but they've all been great," she says. "Right now I'm not even sure what area I want to pursue. I want to go into animation but at the same time I feel like I want to do film, I want to do graphics, I want to do everything."

Priscilla truly lives the campus experience. She's active with the International Centre, has joined student clubs and taken in everything Canadian.

"I love the snow. Even though a lot of people tell me I'll hate it soon I don't think so, at least not yet," she says. "After coming here I started involving myself in skating and going to hockey matches, I just wanted to try everything."

Priscilla's brothers and sisters have followed her lead. They quickly adapted to their new schools, are active in local choirs and activities and have excelled academically.

Malti rests easier now knowing that the new life she and Ashok have chosen for their children seems to agree with them. She has also embraced her new surroundings, first by volunteering for local organizations this past fall and through the Christmas season, and recently by taking a part-time job.

While the family thrives here in Canada, it isn't without sacrifice as Ashok stays behind to support their new life.

"My dad's amazing," Priscilla says of Ashok, the managing director of a textile company. Malti finds it tough without her husband but instead looks at the situation from his perspective.

"I have my children with me and Priscilla, she understands what mom is going through and she helps out in every way," she says. "My husband is alone there and he has to take care of it alone and that is hard."

The plan is for Ashok to reunite with his family here in Canada in two or three years, just in time for Malti and her children to become Canadian citizens and for Priscilla to graduate (she's planning on taking summer courses to finish her degree earlier).

Now, it's hard to believe Priscilla ever had any doubts about coming to Canada – but there was that one day.

"When I landed in Lethbridge and I looked around and all I saw was prairies and mountains, I wanted to go home," she says. "I wasn't sure if I could do it, but my dad told me it's about change and I have to learn how to adapt and it turns out that it's pretty good now."

GET THE FACTS

• The Patels are from the Malaysian island of Penang. The average maximum temperature in Penang only varies from 30.4 degrees in September to 32.2 degrees in March.

• Jackson has been to 14 countries since being hired as international recruitment officer in August 2007. She heads out on a seven-country trip through Latin America this month.

• Priscilla and her siblings all attended international schools growing up. Priscilla's final years of study at Taylor's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College in Kuala Lumpur featured a Canadian-based curriculum developed in Ontario.

• The family pays great reverence to their father Ashok as Natasha brought a picture of him to the interview, telling her mother that he was a part of the family and should be part of the experience.

New media degree has Mass Effect on Kinley

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:51:58 +0000

Brad Kinley's (BFA '04) career path came down to a couple key decisions – one that was well researched and another that was off the cuff. Now, the U of L alumnus is one of the key cogs behind the mass appeal of Mass Effect 2, one of the most popular and highly rated games ever made for the Xbox platform.

"I had an interest in games forever. It started with an Atari 2600 when I was a kid, and from then on I was hooked," he says. "I've always been a gamer so to be able to develop games now as a character animator is amazing."

Kinley, 27, works for the Canadian-based company BioWare, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, one of the world's largest developers and distributors of video games. His path to BioWare began in the U of L's new media program.

Calgary born, Kinley visited the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ before applying. He spoke with professors, sat in on a few classes and was impressed. While friends of his opted to pursue certificates or diplomas from schools and colleges, Kinley liked the security promised by a university degree.

"It was a very new program and I guess I was taking a bit of a chance but the U of L is a well recognized institution," he says. "It was much less risky than going with a lot of the other schools at that time that are now closed. I had friends going into one-year programs for highly technical things, but I thought the BFA would always be useful and applicable regardless of what I ended up doing."

That decision was well thought out, while the one that really set his path was more of an after-thought.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ brings in really great guest speakers and John Carr from Pixar came in to talk and I remember telling a friend who'd missed the talk that it was life-changing," says Kinley. "Seeing what he does and his approach to the whole process of character animation kind of crystallized what I wanted to do. It might sound cheesy but that's exactly what I wanted to do."

With a goal in mind, Kinley worked with the new media professors to specialize his interests. He retook an animation class he'd enjoyed and focused his studies on applications that would relate to animation.

"All my other classes I would work to relate it back to animation because that was my key interest," he says. "I received a lot of support once I decided what I wanted to do. James (Graham), (Dr. Will Smith) and all the professors that were here worked really hard to make sure I had access to opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise."

Before long, the work he was doing in class was translating into the real world. He worked one summer at WhiteIron Digital, a leading visual effect and design company for the broadcast community, eventually completing his U of L internship there.

"All the graphics and designs they were working with at the time were all 2D and I came with a 3D background and I knew how to render and composite and animate," Kinley says.

He made his way into BioWare after completing post-graduate work at Sheridan College in Ontario. It brought him back to his native Alberta and gave Kinley the opportunity for which he'd been preparing.

"There are things you learn in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that you think are not applicable at all, until you go out working and you realize they are," he says. "It can happen on that first day or even two years later when you say, 'I'm sure glad I took that sculpture class because all of a sudden it's hugely applicable and I now have a basis for moving on and learning more about it'."

Kinley returned to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in January and gave a presentation to another generation of new media students.

GET THE FACTS

• Kinley is currently working on the development of Mass Effect 3.

• Mass Effect 2 was given a 96 per cent approval rating by the website Metacritic, tied for second all-time. Only Grand Theft Auto IV, at 98 per cent, rates higher.

• Kinley admits he rarely gets a chance to play games. "A lot of it is a time thing but I still like to see what other games look like. The unfortunate thing is I get critical with them when I try and play, I'm always looking at what I would change or think I could do better."

• One of Kinley's earliest jobs was with Nintendo, as a game promoter.

Official launch of new DAA program

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:20:42 +0000

The role of audio across all media has experienced monumental change from traditional broadcast media of the past. With worldwide Internet usage reaching upwards of 160 terabytes of information per second and innovative digital devices being introduced daily, the culture of audio and visual media continues to grow and evolve.

"We are living in times of exponential change," says Dr. Rolf Boon, a Digital Audio Arts faculty in the Department of Music, and director of the Audio Research Lab at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. "Without a doubt, future demands in communications and information technologies will experience unmitigated growth."

In response to globally expanding communication environments, coupled with interest from students, industry, and the public, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has implemented a new Bachelor of Music degree program in Digital Audio Arts (DAA). It is officially being launched Friday (11 a.m., room W700) in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts.

"This program responds to the increasing demand for expertise in advanced audio technologies as well as yet undefined media interfaces and artistic possibilities," says Boon.

Commencing in September 2009, the Digital Audio Arts program will be unique to Western Canada as the only undergraduate degree program of its kind.

"Building on the U of L's highly successful Bachelor of Fine Arts in New Media, this innovative degree major will produce graduates who are experts in music technology and whose skills integrate with visual media, audio, and advanced research, matching the needs of industry today and into the future," says Boon.

The Bachelor of Music in Digital Audio Arts is a demanding degree major that combines academic courses with rigorous hands-on training for careers in the digital arts such as: audio production, composition (film and electronic), sound engineering, advanced audio synthesis, multi-media sound design, software design for music applications, sonic art, technology in education and the potential for graduate research in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences.

Digital Audio Arts majors have the opportunity to apply their production skills to enhance the studies and artistic experiences of students in music performance, video, film, and digital animation streams at the U of L.

Students who earn a Bachelor of Music in Digital Audio Arts will graduate with a distinctive degree and a professional level portfolio for presentation to graduate schools and prospective industry employers.

New DAA program to fill demand

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:03:40 +0000

"This program responds to the increasing demand for expertise in advanced audio technologies as well as yet undefined media interfaces and artistic possibilities," says Boon.

Commencing in September 2009, the Digital Audio Arts program will be unique to Western Canada as the only undergraduate degree program of its kind.

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