Do you ever get the funny feeling that you’re not alone, but in a good way? That’s exactly the vibe going on at Sony Vancouver — and that’s because no less than 30 members of the global Animation Mentor community are living their animation dream right there and right now.

Just Like in Class
How amazing it is to take what you learned inside the Animation Mentor classroom — and to then apply it directly on an animated feature film. AND, to do so alongside your mentor. That’s the life of our Animation Mentor alumni at Sony Vancouver. Just in the past few years alone, our graduates and mentors have worked on Oz the Great and Powerful, Hotel Transylvania, and The Smurfs. What an awesome show of strength from the Animation Mentor community.

Patience from Around the World
Jobs in animation and visual effects can be incredibly rewarding (and challenging). So we applaud our graduates, many of whom have moved from different parts of the world to Vancouver. But their ultimate path from Australia, Germany, and the United States (not to mention Canada) was well worth it. After all, they never lost sight of their dream to animate feature films. And believe us, dreams are a good thing.

The Sony 30
Say hello to the Sony 30:

Shad Bradbury, Chris Buckley, Nic Cabana, Jocelyn Cofer, John Coomey, Avner Engel, Eva Fan, Fredrick Fassé, Julie Bernier Gosselin, James Humphries, Mariya Kalachova, Joseph Kim, Peer Lemmers (mentor), Jason Martinsen (mentor), Agata Matuszak, Valerie Morrison, James Pearson, Eddie Prickett, Philip Rudolph, Tania Simeons, Chad Stewart (mentor), Alexander Snow, Karen Trieu, Melt van der Spuy, John Vassallo (mentor), Tobias von Burkersroda, James Ward, David Wesch, and Daniele Zannone.

Showcase Shot Breakdowns, Too
In case you missed the news, three of the alumni were also featured in the Student Showcase. Watch as James Pearson, Tania Simeons, and David Wesch break down their Showcase-winning shots.

One, Two, Three … Cheese
A big Animation Mentor thank you to alumnus Fredrick Fassé for gathering the Sony 30 for this fantastic group photo. And to our graduates and mentors at Sony Vancouver — a big shout out to all of you for your passion, dedication, and reminder of everything good about this world we love. We are so proud of you (and we can tell by the look in your eyes — you’re proud, too).

You have completely inspired us.

— The Animation Mentor Crew