Canada has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish itself as a global centre for screen-based industry production: That was one of the key messages that emerged during a webinar hosted by Seneca featuring an expert panel of industry insiders on May 13th.
The Hollywood North 2.0: How Digital Transformation has Canada poised to Take Centre Stage webinar is part of Canadian College for a Resilient Recovery, a ground-breaking pan-Canadian college initiative to bridge the skills gap for a post-pandemic future.
The panel featured Jeff Melanson, partner with the Stratagem Group and one of the most prominent executives in the Canadian arts and culture community. Joining Melanson were Kadon Douglas, the Executive Director of BIPOC TV and Film, a Toronto-based grassroots nonprofit organization advocating for increased representation of screen-media professionals from Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities in front of and behind the camera, and Thiago Carneiro, who in addition to his work as a professor in Seneca’s School of Creative Arts and Animation, is also an Unreal 3D artist at Pixomondo. The webinar also included a presentation from student Charlene Joseph, who summarized the sustainability initiatives she has been a part of at Odeyto, Seneca’s Indigenous Centre.
Melanson pointed to the skyrocketing demand for screen-based content as driving this opportunity for Canada, noting that global production spending went from $44 billion in 2016, to $177 billion in 2019. He suggested micro-credentials such as Film and TV Career Launch are a key to allowing industry and the college sector to partner for fast, agile training for jobs of the future.
A resilient recovery has to be inclusive, and it has to make room for all of us to thrive. We have an opportunity to reimagine, reinvent, and reenergize our sector. Let us not squander that.
Douglas said she has been encouraged to recent developments in the industry, citing commitments to diversity made by Telefilm Canada and the Canadian Media Fund. However, she said much work remains.
Carneiro gave a fascinating overview of “virtual production”, an emerging approach that leverages game engine technology to allow filmmakers to create any environment they want on site, without travelling to remote locations.
“Virtual production is a huge industry disrupter,” he said. “It’s really changing how movies are being made.”
Jeff Melanson, one of the most prominent executives in the Canadian arts and culture community, is lauded internationally for his inventive approach to leadership, his bold strategies, and his practical vision. Prior to joining Stratagem, Jeff was President and CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, President of The Banff Centre, Dean of The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Community School in Toronto, and Executive Director of Canada’s National Ballet School. Jeff was the first arts leader to be appointed one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, and has been named Wilfrid Laurier University’s MBA Alumnus of the Year. In 2010, he was appointed special advisor on arts and culture to the Mayor of Toronto. He is a recipient of a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and is a globally sought-after voice on disruptive innovation, creative economies, and creative entrepreneurship.
Kadon DouglasKadon Douglas is the executive director of BIPOC TV & Film, a Toronto-based grassroots nonprofit organization advocating for increased representation of screen-media professionals from Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities in front of and behind the camera. Prior to BIPOC TV & FILM, Kadon championed gender equity and inclusion in screen-based media at Women in Film & Television-Toronto (WIFT-T) as the manager of communications and engagement. Most recently, she worked within the Dean’s Office at FCAD, Ryerson University’s faculty of communication and design. There she revitalized the brand and provided strategic guidance to the FCAD ecosystem as its manager of marketing and communications. Kadon also worked for several years in documentary as a production coordinator, researcher and digital marketing specialist, and is a two-time fellow of the Hot Docs Film Festival: Doc Accelerator (2013) and Shaw Media Diverse Voices (2015). Kadon is also an active member of the screen-based media community, volunteering her time on various committees and juries, and is the former chair of the Reelworld Film Festival.
Thiago CarneiroThiago is an experienced 3D Generalist and Unreal Engine Virtual Production Artist with a demonstrated history of working in the higher VFX Industry and education industry. Skilled in Unreal Engine, 3D Modeling, Texturing / Surfacing, Look Dev and Environment Creation.
Currently working as a Unreal 3D Artist at Pixomondo Toronto.
January 20, 2021—The Hannin Creek Education and Applied Research Centre (HCEARC), one of Saskatchewan’s major centres of applied research, has been recognized by the United Nations University for its role in addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #15 Life on Land. The goal, one of 17 SDGs, is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
Sustainability is one of Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s core values. We are deeply honoured that the centre has achieved this global recognition, and would like to thank all those who have, and those who continue to contribute to making the centre such a unique and inspiring place to learn and conduct applied research.
The centre, located at Candle Lake, SK, received a Global Acknowledged Flagship Project certificate. The awards recognize projects and programs within the Global Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Network that bridge local and global perspectives on sustainable development; those that engage with transformative learning and research; and initiatives that contribute to community engagement, research and development and capacity development of stakeholders and partners. This recognition comes from the United Nations University, which headquarters the Global RCE Service Centre.
The Hannin Creek centre is an equal partnership between Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF). As the only boreal forest field station in the province and one of two boreal stations in Canada, HCEARC is a unique place to study and conduct research in such diverse programs as forestry, fisheries, wildlife, conservation law, and environmental, civil and water resources engineering technology.
“Sustainability is one of Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s core values,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech president and CEO. “We are deeply honoured that the centre has achieved this global recognition, and would like to thank all those who have, and those who continue to contribute to making the centre such a unique and inspiring place to learn and conduct applied research.”
“The Hannin Creek centre has won several national and international awards, including awards for our outdoor education programs, which hundreds of people enjoy and benefit from each year,” says Clark Schultz, SWF board of director’s president.
The current challenges to sustainability addressed by the work done at the Hannin Creek centre include climate change, overpopulation, deforestation, urbanization and economic austerity. Conservation, education and research are of critical importance to mitigate these challenges, according the award nomination.
The award nomination was submitted by RCE Saskatchewan. Sask Polytech is a founding partner of RCE Saskatchewan since its formal acknowledgement by the United Nations University in 2007.
For a complete list of recipients of 2020 RCE Global Awards, see 2020 RCE Awards for Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development | RCE NETWORK.
Originally published by toronto.com
Seneca College will soon have more trees and shrubs at its Newnham Campus on Finch Avenue East in North York.
The college said it has received $73,653 through the city’s Greening Partnership Grant to plant 1,220 shrubs and trees at Newnham by 2022.
By planting native trees and naturalizing our campus, we are acknowledging that we share the land with our Indigenous Peoples and that we respect their sustainable teaching and land use values.
The funding will create a “more sustainable and naturalized landscape” on campus, helping reduce Seneca’s carbon footprint and creating more green spaces for students, employees and the community, the college said.
“By planting native trees and naturalizing our campus, we are acknowledging that we share the land with our Indigenous Peoples and that we respect their sustainable teaching and land use values,” Don Forster, a senior manager at the college, said in a news release. “Planting trees also promotes biodiversity by attracting butterflies, birds, bees and squirrels and many other insects and small animals.”
The tree-planting program will include education for Seneca students through hands-on learning opportunities in the Environmental Landscape Management, Environmental Technician and Environmental Technology programs, the college said.
A pan-Canadian coalition of colleges, cégeps, institutes and polytechnics supporting a climate-focused economic recovery.
