APW International Portfolio Day is going online!
Get valuable feedback and expert advice from APW Directors, Instructors and Guest Artist Reviewers on how to improve your animation and illustration school entrance portfolio!
APW International Portfolio Day gives prospective animation/illustration students an opportunity to see accepted portfolios and to have their animation/illustration school portfolios assessed and reviewed by APW Directors, Instructors and Guest Artists. Students receive one-on-one valuable feedback and advice from Canada’s animation/illustration portfolio experts on how to improve their portfolio submissions going forward.
DATE : December 5th, 2020
TIME : 10 AM to 5 PM
COST: FREE
LOCATION: Online Using ZOOM
PRESENTATIONS 10 AM – 1 PM
Introduction by Moderator Luke Peters
Opening remarks by APW Directors Gerard Sternik and Vince Peets
Animation & Illustration Portfolio Presentations by APW alumni
Discussion topics include; assessment categories, rejected and accepted portfolios, scoring criteria, and the differences between portfolio requirements for various animation/illustration programs.
Q & A
LUNCH BREAK 1PM – 2 PM.
PORTFOLIO REVIEWS 2PM – 5PM
APW Directors, Instructors and Guest Artists assess and review on a one to one basis, the animation/illustration school portfolios for timed 15 minute periods for each student.
Each student can sign up for a maximum of two of these sessions with two different reviewers and must do so in advance of the event. Spaces will fill up fast and they will be filled on a first come first served basis. Once a reviewers’ roster has been filled their session will be closed to any other participants.
5 PM – CLOSING REMARKS
End Meeting.
REGISTER HERE
You can sign up here for your portfolio review sessions. Make sure that you read the bios of each reviewer before you make your selection.
If you are a student preparing your portfolio for entrance into any post-secondary institution for animation, illustration or other arts you are eligible. You can include any sketches, studies or works in progress. Submit below now.
If you do not have a portfolio or any images to present during a review with one or two of our experts but you would like to view the general presentations and participate in the Q&A sessions then click on the button below
HOW DO I SHOW MY PORTFOLIO?
All participants who sign up for one or more portfolio review sessions must have their entire portfolio on hand as a pdf file on the day of the event to be able to present through a screen share with the reviewer. Each participant will be pre-screened and have to show their face as well as run through their portfolio in advance of being sent to their review sessions. If you are not prepared or do not have your digital portfolio on the day, you will not be permitted into the session. APW and its agents reserve the right to end any review session or eject any participant throughout the event when deemed appropriate.
APW Portfolio Reviewers
APW Directors and Instructors will meet with individuals one-on-one to review portfolios and offer their expert feedback and suggestions.
Gerard Sternik
APW director Gerard Sternik is a graduate of the Drawing and Painting Department at Ontario College of Art. He spent two years studying drawing and sculpture in Florence, Italy, and four years studying anatomy in conjunction with the University of Toronto Department of Gross Anatomy. He taught Life Drawing and Anatomy at Sheridan College in the Classical Animation Department.
Josh Miller
Josh is an APW grad, Seneca Animation grad, Children's Book Illustrator and Storyboard Artist and a Senior Instructor, Program Coordinator and Teacher Trainer at APW. Josh also teaches at U of T School of Continuing Studies where he was awarded Honorable Mention as one of the top ten instructors from a pool of over 700 for 2019.
Vince Peets
APW director Vince Peets has years of experience as an educator (storyboard, illustration, drawing for animation, character design) as well as professional experience in illustration, animation, visual development and storyboarding for TV and feature films. He taught drawing for animation, storyboarding and visual language at Sheridan College Animation.
Niko Powell
Nikolas Powell is an APW Instructor, an aspiring Story Artist and graduate of Sheridan College's Bachelor of Animation '19. Niko's experience includes work as an animator at Yowza! Animation (HBO Max Looney Toons) in Oakville ON and work as a Story/Animation intern for Nørlum in Viborg, Denmark (Big Hero 6 Disney TV). Niko also worked on the stop motion short film The Curious Case of Ms Binks
Guest Portfolio Reviewers
Experienced animation professionals, notable animation educators, visual artists, friends of APW and APW grads will review portfolios and give helpful feedback.
Patrick O'Keefe
Patrick is an Academy Award winning Art Director with Sony Pictures Animation on Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse . Patrick is an APW grad and his extensive experience includes EA and work on Big Hero 6 with Disney Television.
Jim Zub
A former coordinator of Seneca Animation, Jim Zub is a writer, comic artist and art instructor based in Toronto, Canada. Over the past twenty years he’s worked for a diverse array of publishing, movie and video game clients including Marvel, DC Comics, Disney, Capcom, Hasbro, Cartoon Network, and Bandai-Namco.
Werner Zimmerman
Werner Zimmermann is a celebrated and experienced Life Drawing Professor at Seneca College Animation and an award-winning and bestselling Canadian children's book illustrator and author.
Geordie Millar
Geordie Millar teaches figure drawing and art direction with Sheridan College Animation. He studied at The Art Students League of NY and the NY National Academy of Art and when not travelling to study wildlife and making art about animals and natural history, works making art for films and TV, such as Director Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘The Shape of Water’ and his upcoming feature ‘Nightmare Alley’.
Sonia Furier
An APW grad and a Sheridan Animation grad, Sonia has worked at: Smiley Guy Studios, Brown Bag - 9 Story Media (Numb Chucks, Camp LakeBottom), Arc Animation (Kody Kapow, Zodiac Kids), Jamfilled (Rusty Rivets), Portfolio Entertainment (Doomsday Brothers - Adult Swim), Snowball Studio (AlienTV - Netflix) and as a freelance storyboard artist at Jamfilled (Wellie Wishers,Polos), Loogaroo Animation Studio, and Switch VFX & Animation. Sonia also worked as a Life Drawing instructor at APW.
Myke Bakich
Myke Bakich has helped craft the stories of many feature films including Marvel’s AntMan & The Wasp, Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 3, and the Golden Globe nominated The Book of Life. As a Story Artist he’s contributed to projects for Netflix, Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Illumination Entertainment, Dreamworks Animation and Blue Sky Studios among others.
Presenters
These APW grads will present their successful animation and illustration portfolios and answer questions about their portfolio making experience and their working process.
Jessica Lu
Jessica is an APW Grad and a TA for APW Online. She is a third-year Illustration student at Sheridan College. In her spare time, she loves spending time with family and her cat. Her goal is to inspire and be inspired - to connect and tell visual stories!
Ruby Saysanasy
Ruby is an APW grad and is currently an APW TA and a 2nd-year student in Sheridan Animation. She loves designing layouts as well as funny characters.
Audi DeOliveira
Audi DeOliveira is an Atlanta-based artist who attended APW in 2017. Since then, they've completed 2 years in the Sheridan Animation program, and are now working professionally as a comic artist and as a Teacher's Assistant on the APW team.
Christine Fitzgerald
An APW grad (2019/2020) and a student in Sheridan Animation’s class of 2024, Christine spends her time making comics, creating character art, and enthusiastically rewatching the same three Ghibli movies.
Renee Macpherson
Renee is an APW grad and is currently in her 2nd year in the Sheridan Animation program. Often inspired by revisiting old favourites like Neon Genesis Evangelion or Ouran HighSchool Host Club, she also enjoys drawing layouts and cute characters with sinister backstories that reflect a more personal expression in her work.
Sophie Alberdingk Thijm
A graduate of BFA Animation at SVA in Manhattan NY, Sophie is currently working as an animator on the Netflix production Angry Birds: Summer Madness at Yowza! Animation. She is also a member of the film group Party Rocks and enjoys participating in collaborative animation projects during her free time.
Miranda Li
Miranda is an APW grad and a 2nd year student at Sheridan Animation. Her favourite animated film and a great inspiration is Kubo and the Two Strings. When drawing, Miranda tries to take little wacky moments and memories from her life and cram them into the characters and backgrounds she creates.
APW International Portfolio Day FAQ’s
application and portfolio process and 2. feedback and advice from APW Instructors, Directors and
Guests.
What’s in a Portfolio?
learn more
