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Software expert Robert Bridson helps develop visual effects for some of Hollywood’s top films
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Richmond man wins an Oscar
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Five teachers sidelined in arts centre dispute Most classes still on at Richmond Arts Centre despite contract dispute by Matthew Hoekstra
by Matthew Hoekstra
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
City officials have refused to renew contracts with five Richmond Arts Centre teachers who are disputing terms that include requiring instructors to buy insurance. Some of their classes have been taken over by other instructors, while others have been cancelled. Clay teacher El Crighton, who has taught a busy load of classes for 18 years, received what she calls a “termination letter” Jan. 14 after taking issue with new contract terms. “I have this passion for the clay. I enjoy teaching immensely,” she said. “I feel really bad I never got to say goodbye to the students.” As first reported by The Richmond Review last week, the city says it identified a gap in insurance coverage for arts centre teachers. It had believed contractors were covered under a city policy, but now says that’s not the case. Not all teachers agreed. Insurance would cost Crighton—who teaches 10 to 20 classes each term—at least $750 annually. Teachers are being compensated to offset this cost, but Crighton said that money was only promised for this year. She’s also worried about what the insurance would cover, as she believes teachers should be classified as employees, not independent contractors. Crighton feels her treatment is contrary to the city’s arts strategy, which says Richmond is keen on developing and honouring the arts. “They’re not doing what they’re saying. It’s very disappointing. I guess for the people that aren’t interested in the arts it means so little, but it is really valuable to so many people.” Music teacher Jason Cook is also without a contract. In two-and-a-half years at the arts centre, Cook said he built up a private voice studio of almost 20 students, and demand for his group classes exceeded space. See Page 3
A Richmond man is joining the ranks of Hollywood greats. Robert Bridson, a Steveston resident, will be recognized for his work in visual effects by the Oscars at the annual Scientific and Technical Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. next month. “I was thrilled,” he said of receiving a letter with the news of winning a Technical Achievement Award. “It was definitely a celebration moment.” Bridson, a software expert who works with the Autodesk company, is known for his work with numerous hit films, including Gravity, Life of Pi, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. His first work with Hollywood came with Avatar, James Cameron’s 2009 epic science fiction film. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bridson is being recognized for his “early conceptualization of sparse-tiled voxel data structures and their application to modeling and simulation.” In short: storing data. “I’ve been involved in things like simulating a fire, in which case the computer needs to track and compute at every point in space things like temperature, how thick the smoke is, and so on. We can do that
Robert Bridson’s behind-the-scenes work can be seen in films including Gravity and Life of Pi.
by slicing up space into little cubes,” said the Newfoundland native. “The award really is about efficient ways of storing and computing data.” Bridson will collect his Oscar certificate at the Scientific and Technical Awards Feb. 7—and he already has a tuxedo. “I’m part of the Richmond Orchestra, so I have to perform in
one every year,” he said. Portions of the awards will be included in the telecast for the main event—the Feb. 22 Oscars honouring the best in film for 2014—which is watched by millions of people. “I don’t want to think about it,” laughs Bridson. Several other Canadians are also up for Oscars this year,
prompting a statement from Telefilm Canada’s Carolle Brabant, who said the awards and nominations are an honour for the Canadian film industry as a whole. “Our country is a hothouse of incredible creative talents, who are increasingly making a mark at festivals, markets and movie theatres around the world.”
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