Best Film Schools in the U.S. & Canada 2020, Presented by CU Boulder

Canada

Vancouver Film School (Vancouver, British Columbia) – Outstanding animation training

The world-renowned animation programs at VFS dive deep into the versatile medium with courses pointedly created to guide students into a fruitful career after graduation.

In one year, artists can get a diploma in Classical Animation, Animation Concept Art, and 3D Animation and Visual Effects, plus a polished demo reel or portfolio. “Our program is an immersive production-based experience. It allows students a full understanding of the production pipeline while offering the ability to specialize,” says Colin Giles, department head of Animation & VFX. Alumni have worked on such films as Toy Story 4, Captain Marvel, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu.

Red Deer College (Red Deer, Alberta) – Top-notch equipment facilities

Ryerson University (Toronto, Ontario) – Outstanding film preservation training 

Ryerson’s one-of-a-kind graduate program in film and photography preservation adapts the need to safeguard the past and future of cinema to the digital era. Paired with access to the Ryerson Image Centre for exhibition and research, the courses imparted by museum, library, and archival professionals combine both the theoretical importance and real-world applications of the historical and technical aspects of preservation. As a final step before joining the workforce, graduate students can spend a residency at institutions like the Anthology Film Archives in New York City or Amsterdam’s Eye Film Museum.

Capilano University (North Vancouver, British Columbia) – Outstanding variety of unique programs

Capilano University offers the Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking Diploma, a two- year program exclusively for indigenous storytellers taught by indigenous instructors. It deals with both aboriginal and industry practices for audiovisual productions. Students can then move on to obtain their Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts Degree. Other unique below-the- line educational opportunities at Capilano are a Costuming for Stage and Screen diploma, a Documentary certificate, and programs focused on Grip Work for Digital Imaging and Film, and Lighting for Digital Imaging and Film.

Toronto Film School (Toronto, Ontario) – Outstanding screenwriting training 

Toronto Film School’s Writing For Film and TV program sets out to closely replicate the experience of a working writer. Its faculty includes industry veterans who offer not only the rules of the craft and tips on industry standards, but also real-world insights and credibility. They style their classes on professional writing rooms, and also provide students with experience in table reads and the art of showrunning. Students will learn to pitch, write, produce and edit for all formats, and can expect to emerge from the program with finished scripts to show off their skills.

Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario) – Outstanding Theory and Criticism Training

Queen’s University utilizes a blended learning method that features screenings, pertinent podcasts, and weekly seminars and lectures. Courses range from the general to the highly specific. They include one that analyzes the animated output of Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks, as well as “The Figure of the Witch in Popular Culture” and “The Comedy Film: Chick Flicks — Laughing at or Laughing with?”

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