HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2009-12-30, Page 20Page 20 The Huron Expositor • December30, 2009
News
Central Huron students get animated
Sarah McDonald
Students at Central Huron Sec-
ondary School are discovering their
love of all things animation thanks
to the school's communication s and
technology program.
And, with the help of the animation
program's teacher, Jacqui Vercruys-
sen, the skills they are developing
have not gone unnoticed.
Students Carissa Schenck, Sara
Johns and Amber Walton have all
recently been recognized for their
proficiency in the area of animation.
Schenck and Johns brought home
top prize from the Educational Com-
puter Organization of Ontario prov-
ince -wide competition for their stop
motion animation film celebrating
freedom. Their work even caught
the attention of Robert Wagner, cre-
ator of Hyperstudio, who gave the
pair free software that has yet to hit
stores.
It was just one of several opportu-
nities to show off their talents that
Schenk and Johns say they would
not have had without their involve-
ment in the communications pro-
gram at CHSS and encouragement
from their teacher.
"We've really been happy because
it really broadens you and now it's
going to be made available to grade
nines which is great.. We were only
able to take it in grade 10 -and 11,"
says Schenck.
Johns says that one of the best
parts of the program is that it offers
a change from the traditional class-
room setting. "It's a different learn-
ing environment than any of your
other classes because you're not sit-
ting in a desk, you're out there doing
things."
"You're able to be more indepen-
dent and have more responsibility,"
adds Schenck.
Walton, who credits CHSS with
opening the door to her love of ani-
mation as well, will be taking the
next step towards making her pas-
sion into a career next year when
she attends her first year at Max the
Mutt animation school in Toronto.
Max the Mutt only accepts 50 stu-
dents into its program each year and
after submitting an extensive art
portfolio, Walton was overjoyed to
learn she would be among them.
"I was ecstatic.
At first I was self-
conscious because
I didn't know if
my art was good
enough.... the in-
terview was so
short, but she
looked at my port-
folio, compliment-
ed me on it and
said, ok, you're
in."
Ninety-eight per
cent of students
who graduate from
Max the Mutt go
on to find work in
animation. Some
of them recently
completed work
on the latest ani-
mated offering
from Disney: The
Princess and the
Frog.
And, that's good
news for Wal-
ton, who says her
dream, is to work From left, Carissa Schenck, Sara Johns, teacher Jacqui
for Disney. Vercruyssen and Amber Walton. The CHSS students have
been recognized for their proficiency in animation.
• colour photocopying • business cards • flyer design, printing, inserting, "& mailing
• contact Max Bickford at 519-527-0240 • seaforth@bowesnet.com
Walton says
she is looking
forward to being
around other peo-
ple who share her
passion for art.
"I'm really
looking forward
to improving my
drawing, ...and
being in an area
that's arts re-
lated, because
around here
there's not much
so it gets kind of
depressing after
a while. I'm in
the art club here
at school and one
year I was the
only member,"
she says.
However, she
notes, interest in
visual arts does
seem to be in-
creasing.
"It is getting
better since I got
here. We've done
murals around
the school and
...just walking by
them and seeing how great they look
is awesome."
Being given the creative freedom to
explore her own concepts has made
a big difference to her enjoyment of
the program, says Walton.
"I love to see my own characters
move. I have all kinds of characters
of my own and I just never knew how
to animate them and make them
something more than just a flat pic-
ture on paper."
Walton says her decision to apply
to the school had everything to do
with the communications program
and her teacher's encouragement.
"I've been taking Com/tech in
Grade 10, 11, and 12 and in Grade
11 we do stop motion animation. I
had never done any kind of anima-
tion before that, I hadn't even made
a flipbook, so doing that, I thought
it was the most amazing thing ever,"
she explains.
"As part of my portfolio, I had to
have a reference letter and she wrote
it for me. It was amazing. She got as
excited as I did when I found out I
was in. If I had someone who didn't
really care what I was doing, I don't
think I'd be doing computer anima-
tion like I am now because Ms. Ver-
cruyssen is helping me teach myself
and encouraging me to do what I
want to do."