PPP
was definitely one of the more enjoyable modules, as I love to binge watch animations and
usually have a couple of freelance projects going on on the side. The only
issue was that I rarely felt that I had the time to sit down and really get
into the research because of all of the other work I had to do. Half of PPP1
was completed throughout the year and the other half was completed at the end
of the year. With the latter, I still enjoyed the process as I was able to
really get into the research and follow one animation to another discovering
new studios and artists that inspire me.
Doing
this kind of research really got me thinking about the kind of work I want to
be doing in the future. When watching animations created by the students of
Gobelins School of Image in Paris, I realized that I need to raise my standards
of animating to a much higher level and aim to not only utilize but also
perfect my use of the twelve principles of Animation. My other realization was
that to create interesting ideas I need to absorb a lot more information. To
quote Chuck Jones with regards to creating ideas, what we need to do is "Read everything. It doesn't do you much good to draw,
unless you have something to draw. The only place you'll get anything to draw
is out of that head. And the only way that you can exercise the mind is by
bringing new ideas to it, so it'll be surprise. And say, 'god I didn't know
that!' That's the greatest thing in the world, 'Gee, I didn't know that!' And
there you are, you know?"
What
I really liked about Gobelin’s student work and Birdbox animations was that not
only was the quality of animation to a very high standard but their ideas were
rich with cultural and sometimes political references. With Birdbox studios,
the animations were short but very clever and played as a visual joke with a
visual punchline. I think to get to that level of thinking it is important to,
as Chuck Jones said, read. Thus, my second goal is to absorb as much
information as I can through reading books, keeping up with the news and
researching as many recent as well as old works of animation as I can. Not only
that, I believe it is also important to research different types of art to help
inform my projects.
Lastly,
researching professional animators ignited a curiosity in learning every aspect
of animation, not just the parts that interest me (character design and
animation). I want to explore creating three-dimensional spaces within
backgrounds, playing with lighting and color and really challenging myself by trying
out things I’ve never tried before. During the following year I want create a
short animation to do just that and to really push my skills to the next level.
I also crave to really dedicate a significant amount of time to just one
animation to really tick off everything I want to work on, down to creating my
own sound.