Seneca College - RED 2016 - 19

"The faculty and students in our communication,
art and design programs value the currency
of ideas, and nurture them to spark progress.
Our collaborative setting encourages individual
and collective expression. Out of this comes
expertise that is vital to a meaningful and
successful career within the creative economy."
-Mission statement,
Faculty of Communication, Art and Design

how to sew (a skill developed during long hours in the Seneca
sewing lab). As she saved the day with needle and thread, a coworker quipped, "Wow. You're like gold around here."
For a designer used to having fabrics in her hands and designs
in her head, working on set has been a welcome departure for
Doreen, allowing her to tap into a new strain of her imagination.
"It's been very exciting. I'm not just sitting down and sewing
things," says Doreen. "I'm really using storytelling to pull pieces
together, stylistically. I'm working with producers and directors
who already have this image and feeding them ideas of what this
character is going to look like in future episodes."
Doreen's foray into film production came from a curiosity she
had about acting and the ambition to capitalize on the opportunities available in "Hollywood North." A cold call to a costume
designer she found on Facebook led to a weekend job that led to
another and another. Doreen's work spoke for itself, and the designer became a key reference.
"Through her, I was able to get other gigs," says Doreen. "There
are long hours but there are definitely a lot of perks. It's exciting."
Her day job hasn't taken Doreen away from her design work. She
has her own women's wear line, which has been exhibited in Beijing
and Toronto, and she also does custom work for individual clients.
"Recently I've made a prom gown for a friend's little sister, who
couldn't find the dress that she wanted," says Doreen. "I've done
a few wedding dresses as well, and I'll soon be taking on my first
Indian wedding reception gown."
She imagines the future as a hybrid of day jobs and side projects
that allow her to create, while also expanding her skill sets and
networks. Like the sewing example illustrates, the more she can
do, the more valuable she will be in the creative economy. Personal
branding plays a big role in communicating value too. And social
media is king.
"If I don't put myself out there, nobody will know I can design
these beautiful garments," she says. "I'm always on my Instagram,
Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, and any work I have I throw it up
there. It helps being a millennial; this is kind of in my blood. But
you have to hustle, have to have thick skin, and also not be afraid
of rejection."
Big business on the big screen
Toronto's multiculturalism also makes the city an ideal incubator and test market for the global demand of products. By some
estimates, the creative economy workforce consists of more than
100,000 people. Employment and entrepreneurial opportunities

for FCAD graduates have never been greater.
A poster boy for Seneca's international place in the creative
economy is visual effects compositor Guillermo Ramos, even if he
doesn't know it.
"I never really thought about it," says Guillermo, when asked
about the impact of his work on international films like the Oscarwinning The Revenant. "But yes, it surprises me how much money
is dedicated to the different stages of production, from shooting to
post production. It's a big chunk of the budget."
Guillermo, a Mexican national, completed a degree in computer
studies at the University of Texas (commuting across the border
each day to get to school), before a school trip brought him to
Toronto. He fell in love with the city, and when Guillermo found
Seneca's Visual Effects graduate certificate program, it gave him
the perfect excuse to come back ... and stay.
He graduated six years ago and is now a digital compositor for
Soho VFX, a feature film visual effects company in Liberty Village.
Along with The Revenant, you will see Guillermo's handiwork in
films like The Conjuring 2, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
"When I finished school, I got a job right away," says Guillermo.
"My first movie was Jack the Giant Slayer. They were giving me
difficult stuff, so I had to go back and look at my notes from class.
What we learned at Seneca is pretty much the real thing. It was
easy to jump from school to work."
Over the past five years, Guillermo has seen more studios like
Soho opening in Toronto, as well as those from cities like Montreal
and Vancouver scouring for talented new graduates-all good signs
that the creative boom is continuing.
While he calls this his dream job, Guillermo is looking to the
future, thinking about preparing himself to take on more supervisory roles and doing his own movies. It's also a priority for him to
continue honing both his technical skills and creativity.
"It always helps to do something arts related," he says. "I liked
drawing and painting as a kid. The boom happened with computers. Instead of drawing Spider-Man, you could make him on the
computer. This is when my mind went to a different area."
And even though Guillermo and his team at Soho didn't get
invited to The Revenant Oscar party, the satisfaction for him comes
when all the elements come together and he sees that final shot on
the big screen. Plus, his dad is a teacher, so we may see Guillermo
at the head of a Seneca classroom sooner than later. Indeed, this
would be welcome news to his former dean.
"We need to be bringing back more alumni to share what they
are doing in the industry," says Michael Maynard. "What I'd like
RED

2016

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