Creative Industry Day Showcases ECU Students’ Work to Industry Leaders

Shannon McKinnon, director of Career Development + Work Integrated Learning (CD WIL) at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU), marvels at how far Creative Industry Day has come since its humble beginnings nine years ago.

What began as a conference, panel series and Preview Night ahead of ECU’s annual graduating student exhibition has grown into an entire day dedicated to connecting ECU students with top practitioners from across the country and beyond.

“Creative Industry Day emerged because we wanted something more intentional and targeted for students and industry to connect,” Shannon says. “This day is about making those connections before they graduate and helping to streamline their transition to the workforce.”

This year’s Creative Industry Day saw the largest turnout yet, with over 260 students meeting with 40 companies ranging from design and software brands such as Arc’teryx, Herschel Supply Company and Microsoft to visual effects and animation studios like DNEG, Mainframe Studios and Sony Pictures Imageworks.

The event was held in ECU’s Integrated Motion Studio, where students met with three company representatives for 20-minute slots to share their final works and chat about their process.

Miguel Rodriguez, lighting and compositing artist at Mainframe Studios, says he was deeply impressed with the calibre of work produced by ECU students.

“Students are so passionate about what they do,” he says. “Within their reels and portfolios, we see different levels, techniques and areas of the production pipeline, and they are all 100% committed to what they do.”

Miguel understands how nerve-wracking networking events like Creative Industry Day can be. Still, he encourages future students to start showing off their work as early as possible and not be intimidated by the critique process.

To set up students for success, Shannon and Ghislaine Crawford, the work-integrated learning coordinator, held workshops ahead of the event.

“We hosted ‘Preparing for Creative Industry Day’ presentation to teach students about networking, professional etiquette in these rapid situations and how to form genuine relationships,” Shannon says. “We instruct them on how to prepare a short elevator pitch about their work and guide them in how to follow up after their meetings.”

For fourth-year 2D Animation student Ryah King, the event provided a valuable opportunity to deepen connections with companies similar to where she might find herself working in the future, including Atomic Cartoons and Brace Yourself Games.

“You always hear 2D animation is a dying art form, but these interviews reassured me there is work out there and space for every artist to succeed if you hone your skill set,” Ryah says. “I realized the studios are looking for specificity. They want to see you are as interested in them as you’d want them to be in you, even to the point of catering a portfolio, particularly to their style of work.”

Ryah acknowledges the stress of sharing work with professionals but notes the event encourages students to be themselves and that their work will shine through the nerves.

As Creative Industry Day grows, it reinforces the importance of real-world experience and networking in shaping the careers of the next generation of creative artists and designers.

Shannon often hears from industry members that students, due to their experience with critique throughout their studies, hold themselves with authenticity and authority as they transition into their professional careers.

Through initiatives like Crit Night and Creative Industry Day, CD WIL provides graduating students with essential opportunities to connect with future employers and expand their professional networks.

Visit CD WIL online to learn more about their programs.