January 25, 2005 - Ryan, the ground-breaking computer animated film about the ‘riches to rags' story of Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, has received critical acclaim throughout the digital-media, animation, and short film festival world. From rave reviews at Toronto's Hot Docs film festival to a grand prize win at the Canadian Film Centre's Worldwide Short Film Festival and now the coveted Academy Award nomination, Ryan is a compelling film not only in its story and visual artistry, but in the story behind the making of a film that would not have been possible without the students and graduates of Seneca College's Animation Arts Centre.

"Seneca College swooped in out of nowhere and really kind of saved the day," says Ryan Director, Chris Landreth, referring to 2002, when he found himself without a studio and no one to work on the film.

Seneca provided some of its best students and graduates, and the College's Animation Arts Centre created a designated production suite equipped with eight high-powered workstations using the latest in 3D digital technology. In return for providing the space, equipment, and talent needed to create the film, Seneca's students received some of the best on-the-job training possible.

"This was truly a 24/7 project for our students," says Jed DeCory, Chair, Seneca College School of Communication Arts and one of Ryan's Executive Producers. "With Chris mentoring, providing his expertise and inspiration, the Seneca students and graduates who worked on Ryan refined their animation technique and artistry to create the visual effect that makes Ryan so exceptional. All of the 11 students who had a major part in the production of Ryan are now employed in the animation industry, and The Animation Arts Centre at Seneca has truly become a major player in the training of the next generation of great animation filmmakers."

The animated documentary offers a stylized portrait of artist Ryan Larkin, whose life as a 1960s Canadian icon in the world of experimental animation was shattered by addiction, personal tragedy and homelessness. Now living on the streets of Montreal, Ryan describes his own decline as "a story of drugs and alcohol pulling down a strong man."

With the help of students and graduates of Seneca's 3D Animation program, that story has been retold by Landreth through a striking marriage of interpretive animation and real-life audio clips from an interview he conducted with Ryan in 2000.

"I started working on Ryan upon graduating from Seneca's Animation Arts program," says Sebastian Kapijimpanga, one of Ryan's animators. "This film represents more than a year and a half of my work - it was a fantastic learning experience and an integral part of the foundation of my career. As animators we did really put our hearts and souls into Ryan. We always hoped we were making something 'Oscar-worthy' but actually getting the nomination is just incredible."

Ryan has played to international audiences - having earned awards around the world including the Kodak Discovery Award for best short film at the Cannes Film Festival in France, the Jury Honors at Siggraph in Los Angeles in August, and having been named one of the Top 10 Canadian Films of 2004 by the Toronto International Film Festival Group.

"The Oscar nomination represents the highest honour one can receive in film making," says Seneca College President Dr. Rick Miner. "We couldn't be prouder; at Seneca we provide our students with opportunities to work with leaders in their chosen fields. Helping to create Ryan with now twice Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chris Landreth truly gave our students a tremendous experience of working with the best."

Seneca College's Animation Arts Centre in Toronto offers advanced specialized training in digital media environments. In less than 10 years the Centre has grown from 20 students to more than 200. In that time it has gained a reputation within the animation industry for attracting top-quality professors and students from across Canada. The Centre distinguishes itself further with a breadth of instruction that includes 3D animation, special effects and gaming. A foundation of traditional animation is well established before students move on to state-of-the-art equipment that includes VICON Motion Caption system. On average, the Centre fields more than 600 applications for its 48 spots. Graduates of the program have gone on to work on major on major Hollywood films such as The Matrix, Spiderman, Harry Potter and Gladiator, as well as at leading gaming companies including Blizzard and Electronic Arts. The Centre offers the following programs: Animation, 3D Animation, 3D Gaming, and Visual Effects for Film and Television.

Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology School Profile

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