Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the
entertainment industry. This
program profiles Stephanie
Gignac, an animation storyboard
artist;
Marie-France Coallier, a
press photographer for a major
newspaper; and Andrea Dixon, a
senior film colorist for Rainmaker,
a company that provides
complete post-production services, on-line editing,
film developing, special effects, and multi-media. Remarks from co-workers and
supervisors provide additional layers to the descriptions of each job. View a
preview video clip and read below for descriptions of each segment, or scroll to
the bottom to order!
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Stephanie Gignac is an animation
storyboard artist. The storyboard artist is
responsible for what is considered the
"blueprint" of animation. The job involves
taking a script and illustrating each scene
in sequence with dialogue and actions.
She has worked in the industry for 6
years. Stefanie received her Classical Animation diploma after attending a 3
year-program at Sheridan College. She has worked on animation shows such as
Rupert, Franklin, and Little Bear for Nelvana. At the time of her interview,
Stefanie had been working freelance for Cinar Corporation for 4 years.
Stephanie does her work in the comfort of her home, along
with her younger sister, who is also a storyboard artist. One of
the shows Stephanie worked on - Arthur - won 2 U.S. Emmies
for best children's animation.
"It's a great job - hard but fulfilling - and very creative. You can earn a good living if you're willing to commit to crazy schedules. There aren't many women in the field, so it's kind of special to be doing this.
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Marie-France Coallier is a press
photographer for The Gazette in
Montreal. Sometimes, she does photo
essays, or short articles on a story
accompanied by a big picture. Reporting
is a small part of the job as well -
knowledge of the story (names of people,
places, etc) is required before a caption
can be written.
Marie-France has always liked drawing and the visual arts. She took
photography in high school. Her post secondary education consists of a double
Bachelors in Visual Arts and Communications. She studied photography at the
Dawson Institute.
Marie-France says that - to do the job - you need to
be in good shape, carrying up to 35 pounds of
equipment. Many photographers tend to have back
problems. You must be passionate and determined
and talented - have an eye for it. You can be a
freelancer too - but need money to cover your
expenses. You can also work for magazines and
agencies, or wire services. If you work for them you
have to travel abroad.
The salary is commensurate with seniority and experience. Career advancement
opportunities may include becoming chief photographer or photo editor at a
newspaper. It's not a man's world anymore. It would be nice to have more of a
woman's perspective.
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Andrea Dixon works as a senior film colorist
for Rainmaker, a company that provides
complete
post-production services, on-line
editing, film developing, special effects, and
multimedia. Andrea turns photo images
into electronic images for color correction.
She creates the 'look' for a show. Some of
the shows Andrea has worked on include XFiles
and Millennium. Also, she worked on 'Aftershock: Earthquake in New
York,' and a mini-series for A&E named Barnum.
Andrea first developed her interest in television production through photography, which she took
up when she was 16. She enrolled in a two-year
Television Production program. During her first
semester, she started working at Rainmaker
Imaging.
For those who are interested in this line of work,
Andrea recommends volunteering for cable TV
stations to get experience with the machines. Hard work is necessary, as well
as perseverance and a sense of humility as a beginner. According to Andrea,
it's sometimes your connections that can help you 'break into' the field.
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
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Developed in 2006 in Canada, the Career Options for Women series is an
outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to Science,
Technology and Trades!
Please Note: These videos are an excellent depiction of women in these jobs
and are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are
similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on
these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the
DVD(s) you are ordering.
Pricing - Career Options for Women: Emerging Technologies DVDs
