The balloons have been popped, the music has subsided and all Bootcampers have returned to home base for one more year. As this year was our 10th anniversary of Bootcamp, we wanted to make it the biggest and best ever, and judging from initial feedback, we think we succeeded.
This year we welcomed almost 130 high school students from across BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan to join us on campus for a fun-filled and informative test drive of our digital arts programs. Bootcamp 2015 began with a welcome and orientation from our President, Martin Theiss. It was a wonderful sight to see all Bootcampers with their parents in tow, checking in, and settling in among their soon-to-be new friends.
Once Orientation concluded it was time to move on to classes. Students were enrolled in specific “missions” geared toward an area of the digital arts sector they were interested in. Mission choices included Animation, Graphic Design, Photography, Film, Event Planning and Interior Design. Bootcampers were led through their missions by our team of industry-professional CAT instructors and finished the week with some tangible projects they could be proud of!
Throughout the week we hosted some extra events to round out the Bootcamp experience. Tuesday evening saw an Animation Industry Night – a panel including Anne Denman from Bardel Entertainment and Candace Olson from Yeti Farm Creative addressed a crowd of over 60 Bootcampers and their parents, and spoke to the viability of a career in the animation industry. Wednesday evening was our “Crazy Fun Evening Event”; a chance for our Bootcampers to “let loose”. We had a video game area, a League of Legends room, board games, an Instagram photo booth and a hopping dance party! Special thanks to our Event Planning Bootcampers, who coordinated the entire evening as part of their mission. We concluded the week with a free-flowing Open House. Stations representing our programs were dotted around the campus and Bootcampers beamed as they showed off their new skills and completed projects to their parents. Program Advisors were also on hand to speak directly to parents and answer any specific questions they may have.
Bootcamp is always a busy week, with all hands on deck required to make each moment run smoothly, but each year we are always sad to see Bootcamp come to an end. It is truly inspiring to see each Bootcamper connect their passion with career options and find new friends and confidence. Each year, we try to make Bootcamp run more smoothly, align better with student expectations and be all around more fun than the previous year. We definitely achieved these goals this year and are now left with just one question – how do we possibly top it for 2016?
Update April 17th 2015 – The Digital Filmmaking film is available for viewing at long last! We think it was worth the wait….you?
Video of DF Bootcamp 2015 FINAL