Category Archives: Arts and Entertainment

The Internship Chronicles – Sami

Leave a reply

By Sami Vashaw (EDUC ’18)

As an Early Childhood/Elementary Education major with a minor in Computer Science, I wasn’t sure what kind of internship I would get while studying in Montreal. I was thinking of going into the educational game field, maybe QA testing games with an educational perspective. When I was given the opportunity to intern at Kids Code Jeunesse as a curriculum developer, my ideas for this semester went from trying something new with the risk of not enjoying myself to a perfect opportunity to put my two passions together and do what I hoped to do after college.

Continue reading →

In The Streets

Leave a reply

By Laura Reilly (EGPR ’18)

With the weather getting warmer and warmer, there is no valid excuse to stay indoors (that includes schoolwork, right?). Whether you’re just getting out of class or looking for something to do on the weekend, there are almost too many places to check out around the city. While Burlington might have Church St, we’ve got some streets of our own that are full of city life and things to do.

Continue reading →

The Internship Chronicles – Katie

Leave a reply

By Katie Boynton (GDDM ’17)

Maybe it’s the sentimentality of these Montreal days, or the rapidly approaching end of my college career, but I can’t seem to stop reminiscing– sorting through and reliving my memories of the past four years. I don’t mean this to sound bleak. In many ways, my introspection is happily and embarrassingly self-indulgent. I’m beyond proud of everything that I have been able to accomplish during my time at Champlain College, but this semester has definitely been the cherry on top.

Continue reading →

I Swear I Made A Movie!

Leave a reply

By Freeman Fletcher (FILM ’18)

If you’re a film major, you’ll know how daunting the task of making anything is. There’s equipment you have to wrangle, actors you have to coordinate, a crew you can’t argue with, a spectacularly under-considered shooting schedule; the list goes on. Did the lens always have that crack in the side? What do you mean the batteries aren’t charged? Are we sure that outlet can withstand those lights? Can we get that again but this time do it entirely different? You want to put the dolly where? We can’t wrap, we haven’t rolled yet! What a pleasure!

Now try it with four people in a country that only mostly speaks the same language. Welcome to semester abroad Montreal Film 2! “If Nancy doesn’t wake up screaming, she won’t wake up at all!” [Nightmare On Elm Street reference -ed.]

Continue reading →

Gaming the City

Leave a reply

By Laura Reilly (EGPR ’18)

Montreal is a huge gaming hub. What I mean by this is that Montreal is full of not only great game companies like Ubisoft or Compulsion, but Montreal is also home to some of the greatest gaming opportunities for either developers or those that just love playing video games. To name a few would be an understatement, so I’m here to name all of the different aspects of gaming culture here in Montreal!

  1. In the classroom

If you’re majoring in a division of the Game Studio, chances are your professors are developers themselves at different companies. For example, artists here learn VFX  from a developer at Behaviour, and two sections of Production ll learn from a producer and a gameplay programmer at Ubisoft! Since our professors are in the industry themselves, they have the firsthand experience of working in the industry to apply knowledge into the classroom. And if you’re lucky, they’ll invite recruiters to come and play your Production games! (Some are coming next week to see mine…help).

Continue reading →

The Internship Chronicles – Tyler

Leave a reply

By Tyler Chermely (EGPR ’18)

One of the things I wanted most while at Champlain College was to get workplace experience with an internship. Luckily, Champlain College has an abroad campus in the heart of one of the biggest game development hubs, Montreal. With over 150 different studies ranging from AAA to Indie, I knew I had to go abroad.

During this semester, I have been an intern at Moment Factory as a Unity Programmer. Moment Factory is a multimedia studio which combines many different skillsets in order to create incredible experiences for the public. From decorating LAX to creating a beautiful interactive experience in a forest, there is no company that does it better.

Continue reading →

A City on the Thaw

Leave a reply

By Freeman Fletcher (FILM ’18)

Keanu Reeves, star of John Wick 2, shocked to find out that he is indeed Canadian. (Courtesy: dlisted.com)

The other night, I went to see John Wick: Chapter 2, the sequel to one of the better Hollywood action offerings of the last decade. The sequel is even better. My feelings towards the film aside, one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had at a movie theater unfurled before my eyes. There is a scene when the titular Wick (Keanu Reeves,  a native Canadian) is beset upon by a female assassin who moonlights as a street violinist. It’s a lot cooler in the movie.

What follows is a good, fun, neck-snappy brawl in a cool, colorful, stylish hallway; lots of back-lighting and changing LEDs. But you know what the best part is? I LIVE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF IT. Yeah, the scene is SUPPOSED to be set in New York but it was shot in Montreal’s very own Place des Arts, a block away from where our student residence!

Continue reading →

City of Lights

Leave a reply

By Laura Reilly (EGPR ’18)

It’s a great year to be studying abroad in Montréal! 2017 marks the city’s 375th anniversary, which means there are celebrations everywhere! Montreal en Lumiere is a two week long festival that takes place all over Montreal each year, from live performances to a 3.6 kilometer route of illuminated artwork starting from the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles. Montreal does an amazing job incorporating interactive art with the city, and the best part is that you can experience the celebration barely a block away from Champlain’s residences!

Some key facts about Montréal en Lumière, Nuit Blanche à Montréal:

  • Over 600 artists
  • 300 activities and shows
  • 13 countries represented
  • ~1,000 projectors
  • 2600 kg of cheese!!!!!

Continue reading →

Making the Most of MIGS

2 Replies

By Maina Chen (PWRT ’18)

A section of Ubisoft’s booth, featuring a VR glimpse into Watch Dogs 2.

For gamers coming up to Montreal in the Fall, one of the most talked about events other than the weekly game company visits, deals with prepping for the Montreal International Game Summit; classes are shuffled around and professors reschedule to accommodate. Titled MIGS for short, for three days in mid-November, MIGS is a gathering place for anyone interested in the game industry. With people appearing from Hibernum, EA, PlayStation VR, Microsoft, Playtika, Frima, Ubisoft, WB Games Montreal, Eidos Montreal, Ludia, and a bunch of indies; MIGS is open to those looking for future jobs.

In fact, they’re marketed not only to those already in the industry, but students like us who want to try stepping foot in that door. The price of the tickets is daunting, but with the Super Early Bird discounts, the price can be cut down 20 percent, and even more so for Student passes. I’ve had the pleasure of attending and have some words of advice to anyone looking forward to the 2017 edition.

Continue reading →

Nature’s Path

Leave a reply

By Spencer Pearson (BRSM ’18)

As part of our weekly labs in the Earth Science class here in Montreal, there are a number of ‘excursions’ to various sites throughout the city that help students better understand some of the concepts taught in class. This past Friday, we spent our morning exploring the Redpath Museum and all of its little intricacies. The Redpath Museum is a natural history museum located the center of the McGill University campus, and has been around for a number of years, cementing itself as a Montreal institution.

Continue reading →