PPP1 Evaluation

             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.