Our team at SIGGRAPH 2025 in Vancouver.
True to its name, Lost Boys has had a truly remarkable journey. Starting as an award-winning visual effects studio in the 1990s, we transitioned into a boutique visual effects school in 2006 with an industry-based curriculum to adjust to Hollywood client expectations. At the time, this was an innovative approach that not only impacted the local VFX industry with new, studio-ready talent but was also hailed by the students, alumni and veterans for our commitment to setting up grads for employment advancement.
Nineteen years later, much has evolved with the industry, its technology and expectations. The same holds true for our school.
Ria Ambrose has officially assumed the role of CEO and owner of both Campus VFX locations. Ria began managing the school in 2009 and helped to build the trusted brand. She was directly responsible for instigating the evolution of focused programs and opening our second location in Montreal seven years ago.
Her new position as CEO will see some fundamental transformations for the school.
" It was time for a change and for a few reasons. I recently acquired full ownership of the businesses and felt it was time to move the school’s culture and mandate forward, as technology and filmmaking are also evolving. Version 2.0, if you will. I was recently asked about our management and brand changes at SIGGRAPH Asia. I cheekily said that we are not lost and not just for boys. We all had a good laugh, but in essence, there is some truth to it. "
Campus VFX will be one brand with two viable locations and transition out of the name Lost Boys.
Our new logo, the Phoenix, symbolizes renewal and rebirth. It perfectly captures our school’s position and our vision for the future.
Notice the easter egg elements paying homage to our roots?
Our values of providing each student with every opportunity to succeed in this business are still very much a part of Campus and will never change.
We know every student by name, and we support them as artists and as people. Our class sizes are deliberately small. That means timely and real feedback, real connection, and a real sense of community. Students grow alongside peers, who are just as passionate and committed, and our grads leave with not only a portfolio but with confidence, clarity, friendships and connections.
Over the past 5 years and after COVID, the industry, as the world, has changed. Campus VFX knows the future is constantly shifting, and we are going to keep up with those changes, making new paths for students that reflect the new world. Our mission is to ensure that Campus VFX aligns all aspects of our students’ careers with precision and purpose and that includes new online programs.
" One thing we learned during COVID is that it is possible to teach online while keeping lectures live and in real-time. Not everyone is able to move to Canada for the full in-house experience. "
Another advancement in our curriculum includes starting to incorporate AI tools into our existing courses. Keeping true to our commitment to align students’ careers with purpose, Ria and her leadership team are actively seeking to evaluate how and when industry AI tools are utilized and what it means for the VFX pipeline.
The best approach is to augment our core foundational VFX skills with emerging AI techniques. Thus, future-proofing our students while encouraging them to continually evolve from grads to professional and successful VFX artists.
ILM‘s CG Supervisor, Shaun Roth, at one of our Voices of VFX events.
We’ve already, and with resounding excitement, brought back fireside chats called Voices of VFX: Artist Experience. Every month, we invite industry professionals to share their experience and journey, from their humble beginnings to present day achievements. Intimate chats include behind-the-scenes stories, breaking into the industry and what it’s like working on blockbuster shows, as well as Q&As.
Our logo has changed, but one thing that still holds true: our success story is a testament to the power of combining practical experience with education and an incredible amount of determination to always put the students first, and we are taking it forward to the next decade.
We invite our alumni, studios, partners, and students to join us on this exciting journey.
– The Campus VFX Team
*Campus VFX is officially doing business as “Lost Boys-Campus VFX” in British Columbia as it transitions and Campus VFX in Montreal.
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