The first year Yuriy Sivers applied to Sheridan’s animation program, he was rejected.
The year he graduated, he won Best Animated Film category at the Student Film Showcase organized by the Toronto International Film Festival.
“I always loved to draw and I always loved animation,” says Sivers. But it wasn’t until his application to Sheridan College was denied that he realized how much. “Because I wasn’t successful, it made me love it all the more. Failure is a part of learning. So it was actually a big step for me.”
Sivers spent that year completing a prep course offered by Sheridan designed for the art inclined who need extra training in a specific field such as animation or illustration. “The competition was still huge, but I felt a lot more confident when I applied the second time.”
Rightfully so. By the middle of his second year Sivers had already begun working on the three-minute film, Humpty Dumpty is Scrambled, which would go on to be his fourth-year independent project and winner at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.
While he welcomes the award, it was not his objective. “It’s not about winning or losing,” he says, “but more about giving it all you’ve got. Falling in love with it. If you truly dedicate yourself to a particular project, completely and utterly, it will be a success.”
He also credits Sheridan for that success. “It was a combination of experienced faculty, brilliant tech support and the competitive environment of the school that gave me all the necessary ingredients to make my film.”
And much of the school was there to see the final outcome. “The associate dean and other people from the school were [at the screening] showing their support. I really appreciated that. Having them in the audience was a big comfort,” says Sivers, who describes the experience as something you see in the movies: “Everything goes in slow motion and all your senses are exaggerated.”
Sivers received a lot of positive feedback since the screening as well as a number of smaller contracts. Most recently he signed on to lead one of the biggest animation projects in China. “It’s a great opportunity,” says Sivers. “It’s supported by private investors and the Chinese government. It will target the highest quality animation but also focus on Chinese culture.” For three years, the project’s estimated completion time, Sivers will be travelling back and forth between Toronto and China, doing what he loves.
