ApplicationS are NO LONGER BEING accepted for the 2024/2025 school year!
PROGRAM APPLICATION DEADLINE: CLOSED
Do you want a career in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Film, Game Design, VFX, or other digital media? Your pathway starts here! The Sisler CREATE post-high program is for high school graduates from across Manitoba that are under the age of 21. Register for Sisler CREATE’s post-high program now to begin your creative journey.
THE SISLER CREATE PROGRAM focusES on preparing students for working in the creative industry or pursuing post-secondary education in their chosen field.
If you have questions about the program, please contact Mr. Leduc (jleduc@wsd1.org). We highly recommend scheduling a tour to check out the program and meet the staff.
About the Sisler CREATE post-high program
Sisler CREATE’s post-high program is a free, intensive year of training offered to high school graduates in Manitoba. CREATE focuses on career and post-secondary pathways in 2D animation, 3D animation, game design, and film/VFX/Digital Design. Students work directly with industry mentors to develop the skills and professionalism to succeed in their chosen field.
FILM / VFX / DIGITAL DESIGN (Program Highlights):
Skills Bootcamp: Students join our program with a wide range of prior experience. To start the year, we bring everyone up to speed with a skills bootcamp designed to prepare you to take on your first mini documentary.
CBC Creator Network: All film cohort students spend the first semester creating short documentaries for broadcast on CBC through the CBC Creator Network. CBC staff deliver masterclasses and mentorship. Students are paid for their content.
Bell MTS/Fibe TV: During the second semester, some film students work with Bell MTS to create a short factual series for broadcast on Fibe TV. Students are paid for their content.
Narrative Filmmaking: Students who focus the second half of their year on narrative short film production will receive mentorship from industry professionals and have the chance to screen their work at a theatre event sponsored by IATSE 856.
SafeWork MB: Last year our students competed in the annual “Norm the Safety” video contest, placing first and third overall, and receiving a total of $7000 in cash prizes. Over the last three years, the CREATE program and its student participants have received $16,000 from this contest alone!
Trend Micro: In fall 2023, two groups of students participated in the annual “What’s Your Story?” video contest and placed as finalists winning a total of $6000 USD.
Internships: Throughout the second half of the post-high year, students have the opportunity to be placed in a range of filmmaking internships at every stage of production, including office & pre-production, on set, editing, VFX, colour grading and more. Many of our internships have led to full-time employment in the year following completion of the program.
Client-based projects: Our students’ prominent reputation has led to many requests for client work from numerous organizations, such as True North Sports Entertainment, Festival du Voyageur, Winnipeg School Division, and more.
Workshops: The film cohort regularly brings in industry mentors and leaders to host talks & workshops, including gaffers, camera operators, producers, cinematographers, directors, editors, union members and more.
Tours: We regularly tour facilities such as Frank Digital, William F. White, Big Sky Studios, Winnipeg Film Group, Urban Prairie Post, Red River College, CBC Studios, and a variety of active Film & TV productions.
Industry Access – Toronto 2024: The film cohort is currently raising funds for a trip to Toronto to present their final short documentary projects at CBC National headquarters.
2D ANIMATION (Program Highlights):
The Orange Tree Project: Student groups are mentored monthly by Nickelodeon animators as they create either an animated short film or develop an animated series during the school year. This is the fourth year CREATE has been partnering with Nickelodeon.
Arnon Manor Social Justice Project: A group of CREATE students are working closely with Arnon Manor (filmmaker and Senior VP of Visual Effects at Sony Pictures) to create a short, animated film that deals with the lived experience of foster children.
Jam Filled Mentorship: A group of CREATE students is receiving mentorship and masterclasses from Canadian studio Jam Filled Entertainment as they create a series.
CREATE for the World: A group of students is working with mentor Jason Scheier (production designer for Paramount Animation) and Wacom Canada on the creation of a social-justice themed graphic novel and animations.
Project 11: Throughout the school year, students will be selected to participate in paid internships through Project 11, the charity associated with the True North Foundation. Students will create content that promotes mental health among youth.
Industry Access – Los Angeles 2024: All 2D animation post-high students will be traveling to Los Angeles this year to pitch/present their final projects at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. The mentors from other projects will be traveling to Nickelodeon to watch the presentations as well.
24 Hours Animation Contest: For the fourth year in a row, 2 teams of five Sisler students have finished first and second place in the high school division in the international 24 Hours Animation contest.
Skills Canada: For three years in a row Sisler students won the gold medal in 2D Animation at Skills Manitoba and back to back years at Skills Canada.
Spark FX 2024 – Visual Effects without Limits: This year, Sisler staff and students will be hosting a panel discussion on animating Social Justice short films under the mentorship of Arnon Manor.
3D & GAME DESIGN (Program Highlights):
Nickelodeon 3D Mentorship: Students receive monthly mentorship and masterclasses from Nickelodeon artists as they create a short 3D animated film.
REEL FX Animation: Students work with REEL FX to learn the 3D animation pipeline and create content with monthly mentorship from the studio.
CBC Kids and Ubisoft: Students create games for the CBC Kids website under the mentorship of both CBC and Ubisoft. Students are paid an honorarium for the games they create.
Skills Canada: Sisler students won the gold medal in 3D Animation at Skills Manitoba.
Industry Access – Montreal 2024: All 3D and Game Design students will be traveling to Montreal to present their final projects at REEL FX Animation.
Scholarships:
Vancouver Film School: The Schroeder Foundation and Vancouver Film School partner to offer 15 full scholarships per year to CREATE students who wish to pursue studies in 2D animation, 3D animation or game design.
IATSE 856: Three post-secondary scholarships of $5,000 are given each year by IATSE 856 to students from the CREATE post-high film cohort.
Toon Boom Animation: This year, Toon Boom will award its first-ever CREATE scholarships. A financial award of $5,000 will be given to the Top Animation Student and Top Storyboard Student in the program.
Carole Vivier Scholarship for Women in Film: An annual scholarship of $given to a female or non-binary student who wishes to pursue further studies in film or animation.