Oakville, Ont.-based Sheridan College, which has turned out many talents in the film, tv and new media industries, is especially excited about the new school year for two reasons: the unveiling of its new multimedia centre and the addition of director of photography Richard Leiterman to its teaching staff.

The $32-million, 85,000-square-foot Sheridan Centre for Animation and Emerging Technologies opened Sept. 7. The focus of the facility, which has been three years in the making, will be on animation, multimedia, advanced tv and film, new media journalism and telecommunications. Sheridan’s goal is to converge content creation and distribution infrastructures in one complex.

Williams Communications Canada has deployed a Voice Over Internet Protocol system at scaet which integrates voice, data and multimedia traffic onto one network. Williams and Vyvx, its sister company, also collaborated in installing a dedicated fiber point-of-presence to enable global transmission and reception of broadcast-quality video and multimedia content to any major Internet user in realtime.

Sheridan believes its state-of-the-art systems make it a full-service production facility, which will educate students on the digital skills Canadian companies require. This will help address what Pierre-Paul Allard, managing director of Cisco Systems Canada, one of Sheridan’s corporate partners in the enterprise, calls ‘the skills crisis.’

Another major partner is Toronto-based Alias|Wavefront, whose 3D animation and visual effects software Maya is scaet’s tool of choice. IBM Canada and SGI Canada round out the other key private sector contributors, with a $12 million 1997 loan from the Province of Ontario being the other major source of funding.

In terms of personnel, Sheridan has a mandate to bring noted industry professionals into the mix. Aspiring cameramen will be especially pleased with Richard Leiterman’s appointment to the school’s new post-graduate Advanced Television and Film Program. Leiterman, believed by many to be the dean of Canadian cinematographers, will teach a course in Camera & Lighting Techniques as well as special classes such as HDTV for Producers, aimed at working professionals. He will also participate in the Journalism-New Media and post-secondary Media Arts programs.

The Toronto-based Leiterman began shooting network news and documentaries in Europe in the 1960s and returned in 1970, going on to shoot the well-known Canadian features Goin’ Down the Road and My American Cousin. He has two Genies and two CSC Awards to his credit.

‘This new program at Sheridan really appealed to me, because I will be working with students who have already acquired considerable knowledge,’ Leiterman said in a statement. ‘I’ll be helping them refine what they’ve learned so far.’ *

-www.sheridanc.on.ca

-www.williamscommunications.com