Virtual Production micro-credential program returns this month at SIRT

Sheridan's groundbreaking Virtual Production micro-credential returns this month with a 12-week part-time program that is fully sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada and delivered by Sheridan's renowned Screen Industries and Research Training Centre (SIRT) in Toronto.

Introduced in 2022, this micro-credential is designed for professionals looking to enhance their skills in the field of virtual production (VP), which combines computer-generated imagery (CGI), game engine and mixed reality technology to enable new ways of creating film and television. Students receive six weeks of introductory training in both the technical and creative sides of VP, take four weeks of specialized courses in the areas of Virtual Art Department or On-Set Engine Technician, and spend two weeks creating two capstone pieces using SIRT's LED volume and other industry-leading technologies.

“This micro-credential program provides inclusive and accessible opportunity for both emerging and seasoned content creators to develop these in-demand skills.”

– SIRT Director David Oppenheim

This year’s Virtual Production micro-credential program begins Jan. 20 and will be delivered in a hybrid format. In-person learning will take place at SIRT, located within Pinewood Toronto Studios, a global destination for film and TV production.

Full scholarships for all 20 seats in the program are provided by Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, a program that creates pathways for Canadian creative and technical talent with an emphasis on championing underrepresented voices.

“Virtual production continues to dramatically change the film and television industry and is an extremely valuable skillset for content creation in the creative industries,” says SIRT Director David Oppenheim. “This micro-credential program provides inclusive and accessible opportunity for both emerging and seasoned content creators to develop these in-demand skills, gain hands-on experience and benefit from SIRT’s industry-leading research and training expertise.”

Micro-credentials certify an individual’s achievement in specific skills and differ from traditional education credentials, such as degrees and diplomas, in that they are shorter, can be personalized and help prepare students for employment in a specific role. Sheridan’s Virtual Production micro-credential was the first program of its kind in Canada to augment existing production experience with remote and in-person training in virtual production.

Sheridan teaches all aspects of VP in its Advanced Television and Film (ATVF) post-graduate certificate program, where students can specialize in art department, camera department or VP technician streams. Last year, the college installed an LED volume – featuring a 180-square-foot screen, 16-camera motion capture system, cinema camera, rendering engine and workstations – at Trafalgar Road Campus for the use of students in ATVF and other programs across the Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design.

SIRT, an integral part of Generator at Sheridan, opened its Virtual Production Innovation Hub in May 2021 to provide a collaborative space for industry leaders, technology partners and students to innovate, access and discover all aspects of VP. SIRT is also home to the first Unreal Engine Certified Training Centre in Canada, providing access to Epic Games course materials and instructors to help new and existing Canadian content creators develop their skillset and transition from traditional to VP filmmaking.

About the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre

The Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) drives creative and technological advances within the screen industries and innovative application of screen industry technologies within the performing arts and other sectors. SIRT empowers industry and community partners to advance innovation in storytelling and content creation through leading-edge applied research and customized training to equip professionals with the skills and practical knowledge they need to make an immediate and positive impact on the workforce. Visit sirtcentre.com for more information.