Faculty of Media & Creative Arts News
Senior Dean Update: Media & Creative Arts Anti-Racism Action Plan
Fri, October 15, 2021
In June 2020, I committed the FMCA to seven action items to address the attitudes, behaviours and structures that act as barriers for students from Indigenous and equity-deserving communities.
Update: Humber Music Solidarity One Year On
Fri, October 15, 2021
In June 2020, Humber Music faculty pledged to address systemic racism and gender discrimination in the music programs by working with students, alumni, administrators, and industry experts
No news at this time.
Faculty of Media & Creative Arts Events
Continuous Professional Learning Registration Now Open
Humber
Fri, July 22, 2022
All Campuses
Fall Scholarships
Humber
Mon, August 08, 2022 to Sun, September 18, 2022
We are happy to share that the Fall scholarships will launch on August 8th and will close on September 18th.
Find out what shows and performances are coming up at the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts.
Performing Arts & Music Success Stories
Humber Music Alumni Support Music Educators
Tue, April 06, 2021
Everyone knows that college is a time for learning and developing skills. For those in Humber’s music programs, it’s also a time for developing your network of future collaborators.
Making Waves: A Q&A with Atcheleh Aryee
Tue, April 06, 2021
Atcheleh Aryee is an 18-year-old trumpet major and multi-instrumentalist in her first year of Humber’s Bachelor of Music program.
No news at this time.
Information, Computer & Digital Technology Success Stories
Meet the Faculty: Trever Johansen
Wed, January 27, 2021
Trevor is an instructor in the 3D Modelling and Visual Effects Production program and is an alumnus of the 3D Animation program.
Grad Spotlight: Fadi Sara
Tue, January 21, 2020
Fadi Sara graduated from 3D Animation in 2015 and is now the Tracking and Layout Department Lead at Mr. X in Toronto.
Fadi was recently featured in The Focus Magazine for his team's work on the dramatic scene where Brad Pitt's character plummets 80,000 feet to Earth from an antenna that extends outside the planet's atmosphere.
We caught up with Fadi to find out more about what he does and how Humber helped him get there.
What is your current job title and what does that mean on a daily basis?
My current job title is "Tracking and Layout Department Lead" at Mr.X Inc in Toronto, Ontario. The tasks I perform in a day can vary, so here are some of the things that I do:
Lead - I oversee a team of 8 others on a daily basis as part of my duties as lead. I work with them to address any issues or concerns they have, as well as just general supervision, support, and direction.
New Show Setup – I work with the technical leads in the studio to set up new shows. I help ingest the data that’s been given to us by clients and set up the foundation required for each show so they’re ready for our artists to work with. This includes things like dictating render resolutions, color spaces, and software templates.
Interviews – I conduct interviews alongside my manager to scout for potential new hires in the Toronto tracking and layout department.
General Troubleshooting – I work alongside all the artists in my department to help them with any issues they may have. This can be related to the specific shot/show that they’re working on, or it could be one of our proprietary tools that needs bug fixes.
Pipeline Overseeing – I manage and oversee the pipeline for the Tracking and Layout department across all 3 locations. The "pipeline" is the technical term for the proprietary toolsets that allow for the transfer of data from one department to the other. I discuss, oversee and approve any development that affects the data coming into or going out of the tracking and layout team.
Training – Having worked with a team to pioneer the current training system in place for Tracking and Layout, I still oversee the training to this day. New hires for Toronto are seated next to me and get 1-on-1 time as they are introduced to the tools and workflow. Once they’re at a comfortable level, we put them into production. During this phase, they continue to sit next to me so I can oversee their work and troubleshoot any hiccups they may experience.
Shot Work – If there’s nothing from the above list on my plate for that day, I work on individual shots alongside my team.
What was your career path to get where you are now?
My career path after leaving Humber has been fairly single track. I was hired at Mr. X while still in my third year and have been here ever since. I was brought in as an "Entry Level Tracking Artist". Over the years, I was presented with more responsibility and higher-level tasks as my skillset, knowledge, and experience grew.
In the fall of 2017, I worked with my supervisors to restructure and establish an entirely updated training program for new hires in our department. This training has been widely successful. Over 10 artists have gone through it since and almost all are now at a senior level.
In the spring of 2018, I was given the opportunity to travel to India. We opened a branch in Bangalore and I was sent there to train the staff of the tracking and layout department in our proprietary toolsets and workflows. I held live demos, recorded hours of video training documentation, established personal connections and rapport with the individual artists, and continued communication with them afterwards, overseeing their work and progress.
In the fall of 2019, the position for department lead became available and I was presented with the promotion. I’ve been in that role since.
How did your time at Humber prepare you for what you’re doing now?
Humber did a fantastic job of preparation me for my career.
The education I received allowed me to build a portfolio that helped me acquire the position in the first place.
The outreach to former students and industry professionals prepared me by helping set up an in-depth network of resources and contacts. This helped me understand the importance of communication and references. It was a Humber grad I met through this networking that recommended me for the position at Mr. X, helping me secure the job.
Studio tours and guest speakers hosted by the professors gave me insider knowledge about the workings of the industry, and supported everything the instructors were telling us. Humber also helped prepare me with useful pointers on how to set up my demo reel, website, and resume to stand out more than other applicants.
Find out more about Fadi Sara on IMDB and read the articles where he and his team were featured:
https://www.thefocus.com/news/ad-astra-fall-brad-pitt-mr-x-fall-from-space
https://www.thefocus.com/news/ad-astra-brad-pitt-fall-mr-x-visually-chaotic
No news at this time.
Creative Arts & Design Success Stories
Grad Feature: Cassandra DePetrillo
Wed, April 07, 2021
Cassandra DePetrillo has been working in the film and television industry since she graduated from the Film and Television Production program in 2011.
Grad Feature: Anne Logan
Wed, April 07, 2021
Anne Logan graduated from the Creative Book Publishing program in 2008 and has been involved in the Canadian book industry for the past 12 years.
No news at this time.
Media & Public Relations Success Stories
From classroom to boardroom: Humber student launches eco-friendly business
Thu, April 15, 2021
Xana Mills is a graduating Bachelor of Digital Communications student. We caught up with Xana via email to hear more about her business and how it developed over her time at Humber.
Grad Feature: Alfredo Films - Alexander, Holly and Shivam
Wed, April 07, 2021
Alexander Henry, Holly Rowden, and Shivam Pandya graduated from the Bachelor of Film and Media Production in 2016.
No news at this time.
Applied Technology & Engineering Success Stories
Humber Professor of Game Programming Talks About eSports with CBC Radio
Thu, November 08, 2018
Kristopher Alexander, Professor of Game Programming, recently spoke with CBC Radio Canada about eSports and the newly announced Overwatch team.
In the article, he discusses how video game players are real athletes and describes SMSIT’s Game Lab, outfitted with super-fast computers and ergonomic chairs.
Read the full article (note, the article is written in French).
Game Programming Students Demo New Game
Tue, October 16, 2018
On September 27th, The School of Media Studies hosted an event in the E Building concourse in partnership with Microsoft and Relic Raiders.
The event was a live demo for Relic Raiders, a new indie game made by local Toronto developers, which will be released in late October.
Microsoft provided high-end laptops for students to play the game on. After playing the game, students were invited to provide feedback to on-site representatives. The event was a huge success, with over 400 students from all Humber faculties coming to play the game.
The event was also a major networking opportunity for Game Programming students from all years, but especially our third-year students. These students had the chance to connect with an upcoming local developer and to interact with a professional-grade Beta about to go through its final polish, as well as the opportunity to provide feedback and thoughts on how to further improve the game's design.
Overall, Microsoft was overjoyed with how the event turned out and is extremely interested in doing more of these events on an even larger scale.
No news at this time.
Business, Accounting & Management Success Stories
Which Media & Creative Arts program is for you?
Thu, November 19, 2020
Find out at an upcoming program information session!
From Monday, November 23, 2020, to Friday, January 29, 2021, the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts is hosting one-hour virtual information sessions at various times. Connect with our professors to hear how you'll get hands-on experience through Live Labs, performances, and ongoing work-integrated learning, and learn the industry-specific business skills needed wherever your career and your story take you. Your professional future starts here.
Student Success: Devon Jackson
Mon, February 05, 2018
Devon Jackson is crafting an impressive resume: he's made a mark in the worlds of literature, theatre, music, and art.
No news at this time.