Evaluation

OUAN403 Evaluation

One thing I've noticed about this module, is that every task and brief that we did I learnt something new that I could in some way apply to the next. The amount of transferable skills I've learnt that I can and have been applying to multiple briefs with confidence and reliability. Some of the things we have covered during the module such as the '12 Principles of Animation' have been really interesting to learn about and at the same time very helpful for me personally in creating fluid and accurate animation. Since the module began I've felt as if I constantly had tasks to complete and undertake, which I'm actually quite happy about because it meant that I was learning all the time and developing as an animator, the heavy workload has also increased my motivation and I enjoy the tasks we are being asked to do. The work load has also encouraged me to be organised and meet deadlines, something that is an important trait to hold in not only the design and animation industries but in life in general. Finally, I've noticed a distinct improvement in my drawing skills since starting. I've never drawn so much in such a short amount of time before and it's allowed me to better myself in terms of traditional drawing and apply what I've learnt to the production of animation in briefs.

My favorite brief that we have undertaken since the beginning of the module would have to be the final one, where were given a choice of words or 'themes' and asked to create an animation based on the word we chose. I really like the pre-production process of idea generating using different methods and thinking up stories to be able to transition into a moving image telling that particular story. I like the task of story boarding and planning the animation before the production process is started, and using what I've learnt about aspects such as direction and camera angles to make sure the story is told in a fluid and interesting manner. One thing I would have liked to under take during this module is more group work and collaborating with others, like we did on the Pixilation task. It was enjoyable and interesting at the same time to combine ideas with other people and produce work with multiple people's efforts and contributions. Another thing I like about working in groups is having constant feedback and idea generation. The novelty of having someone there to improve or criticise an idea helps you understand generally what of your ideas work and which don't, and can lead to some interesting results or experimentation at the same time.

Before I started the module, idea generation was something I struggled with. But after being encouraged to sketch ideas and concepts I soon felt I was more able to generate ideas using this method and consequently became better at it as a whole, to the point where I've found new methods of generating ideas for myself. Something I need to improve on, in less practical and hands on terms in patience. I find myself sometimes becoming quite sloppy or losing motivation when working on frames or a task for long periods of time. I think to make sure this doesn't happen I can take regular breaks rather than working for few long periods. Over time, however, I feel like this will become less of a problem as things like my ability to frames by hand drawing them improves and I get more work done, at a faster pace.

During this module I have really enjoyed learning about the animation industry as a whole, different animation techniques and methods and then the technical side of animation such as the use of camera angles, different frame rates and direction as a whole. All of this information has made me appreciate animation for different reasons than just the visual onscreen motion pictures, but also the effort, creativity and imagination that are funneled into each and every animation, whether it's short or feature length.