Exclusive: Vancouver Film School Launches Program for Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality
*By Tracey Cheek*
The Vancouver Film School announced on Cheddar Monday that it is launching a program for augmented reality and virtual reality, betting big that AR and VR will be the next disruptive force in entertainment.
Christopher Ian Bennett, Executive Producer for the Vancouver Film School, said the 10-month diploma program launching in 2019 will make VFS "one of the first and only schools in the world that offers this for augmented reality and virtual reality design and development."
He said the new program is in some ways a continuation of the school's 30-year mission to tell stories through film.
"Our whole foundation is around storytelling. That started with film and then television, and then that went into animation and visual effects," explained Bennett. "VR and AR, they're no different, it's all part of that. You're going to have your first-ever movie that will be a VR experience, and it's very likely going to be from one of the grads from our program."
However, the school also expects the market for AR and VR to be much bigger than entertainment. He said the school's students will be on the forefront of technology that will disrupt a number of fields, including real estate, engineering, and health care.
"We want to be the school that's producing the best grads in that program," said Bennett.
One open question is how much consumers will be willing to pay for AR and VR movies. Bennett said the program will also look into those financing issues.
"We know what the video game can cost when it's a best-seller, we know what a simple app like Pokemon Go can cost for a consumer," explained Bennett. "Part of our course is studying how VR and AR works within the industry and how consumers are interacting with it because want to foster that kind of disruption and that's how it's going to lead the market."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-the-vancouver-film-school-shaping-the-next-generation-of-creators).
While the U.S. may slowly be on the path to lowering inflation (and therefore interest rates), Europe has thoroughly trounced America, putting it on the path to lower rates by this summer.
April's release of the monthly Housing Starts and Building Permits reports by the Census Bureau provides crucial insights into the construction activity in the housing market. These reports are an economic indicator, shedding light on the current state of the housing market and its broader economic impact.
Caitlin Clark is heading to the Indiana Fever, the number one draft pick and the highest-scoring college basketball player of all time. And while she may not be getting millions from the WNBA, there's a few ways she'll net compensation for her generational talents.
Author of 'Clean Meat,' Paul Shapiro joins Cheddar to discuss how the cellular agricultural revolution helps lower rates of foodborne illness and greatly improves environmental sustainability. Plus, how his company The Better Meat Co. is bringing healthier food options to the table.
Recent headlines might make it sound like World War III is imminent, but when it comes to your finances, it's not the time to panic. The market is coming off its longest winning streak since 2011.
You may have noticed fewer new venture capital-backed startups (like Airbnb or Uber) lately. The market slowed to a crawl after 2021, but things are expected to take off again in 2025.
Corporate earnings season is underway, that time when companies share their billions in sales or double-digit profits. But the data shows even companies are struggling with high inflation and interest rates.
Boeing continues their terrifying trend of having their planes fall apart mid-flight, inflation — checks notes — is still up and the future of AI looks terrifying. Cheery!
Food waste – uneaten scraps or leftovers sent to landfills – is responsible for 10% of global emissions. Mill, a new product from the co-founder of Nest, thinks technology can play a role in eliminating it.
By the time the 2024 election is over, be prepared to see some form of a recession – but this shouldn’t be as bad as what we experienced in 2020 or 2008.
