'This is life changing': Student animators from Winnipeg pitch to Nickelodeon executives in L.A.
New short film Field Trip of a Lifetime follows students' dream trip to L.A. studio
When the people behind Rugrats and Spongebob SquarePants ask for a meeting, you take it.
That's exactly what 12 animation students from Winnipeg did when Nickelodeon asked them to pitch their own cartoon series, in person, in Los Angeles.
"This is like a lifetime opportunity for me, going to Nickelodeon. This is life changing for me," said Errol Abejero.
Abejero was one of the 12 post-high school animation students from Sisler High School's Create program who flew to L.A. in May to pitch three animation series to Nickelodeon.
Abejero and his team pitched Heave-Ho Coco, a pirate-themed series set on a deserted island.
The three-day visit was the culmination of months of work collaborating with professional mentors at the animation studio in California. While no deals were signed, the students hope the experience may open doors.
All the anticipation, pitch preparation, journey, and visit to Nickeolodeon was captured in a new short film called Field Trip of a Lifetime.
The video, created by two Sisler Create filmmaking program alumni, is part of an ongoing storytelling collaboration between the school and CBC Manitoba's Creator Network.
Meet the filmmakers
CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC journalists to produce short videos.
During fall 2022, CBC journalists led storytelling and producing workshops over several weeks with filmmaking students at the Create program at Sisler High School in Winnipeg. Since then, the students have produced original videos for CBC Manitoba.
The Sisler Create program focuses on education and career pathways into creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.