602 Update (Personal Statement and CV Progression)

As I was struggling to make a start on my CV, I decided to rewrite my personal statement first. Over Summer, I had been writing a personal statement to apply for a PGCE in Art and Design, as I had no interest in pursuing animation any further. As discussed, I then had a change of heart which rendered this personal statement useless.

So, I went back through and took out the parts that no longer applied, rewrote some paragraphs, and reworded others so they made sense in the context of my new application. I then sent this to a lecturer for feedback, as well as the careers portal and a family member.

Link to Personal Statement (First Draft)

Link to CV (First Draft)

After the Easter holidays, I received feedback and made some altercations. The main issue was finding ways to reduce the word count, as I had about double the amount of words I wanted for both document.

My lecturer told me to start from scratch which was disheartening, given I only had a couple weeks left to make these amendments alongside the rest of this module. I also never received feedback from the Careers Portal.

Link to Personal Statement (Second Draft)

Link to CV (Second Draft)

I was critical and ended up reducing my personal statement down to four paragraphs, and my CV down to just over a page. I then sent these updated versions to my lecturers for some feedback. One advised me to lose the work experience section entirely, and instead replace it with information on the competitions I've entered. They also stated that I should lose my current references, and instead ask a tutor or classmate, as it would be more relevant.

As discussed in the previous blog post, I wanted to keep my CV looking professional so I didn't add any creative flares as I felt they were unnecessary. The advice was also contradictory considering a VP told us to keep them simple.

By this point, the Careers Portal had responded, and were very supportive and encouraging of the direction I had taken my CV in. They suggested rearranging the order, and changing the references however in my most recent draft, I lost the references entirely.

Link to Personal Statement/Cover Letter (Final Draft)

For this last draft, I changed the format from a personal statement, to a cover letter, as I felt this may be more useful when applying for jobs in the future. However, I was worried that this change in format may render the content useless, as maybe there are different targets to aim for in a cover letter, so I asked for feedback first.

Once approved, I posted it!

Link to CV (Final Draft - Producer)

Link to CV (Final Draft - Animator)

602 Update (Showreel Development Continued)

Despite receiving three sessions of feedback, two of which were in favour of the length and chosen clips, I recently found out that I needed to lose six seconds off my showreel, as the submission required that the length must be sixty seconds max.

Link to Showreel (For Submission)

Admittedly, I felt at this point we're just splitting hairs. While I'm very aware of how important it is to pay strict attention to the time constraints given in a commissioned piece of work, a showreel is much more personal, so I imagined it would be more flexible. Especially considering most lecturers and visiting professionals recommend showreels range between one minute and two, and six seconds felt like nothing.

Having said that, I've got a week to go so it's natural that tensions are running high. To think my time at University is almost over, and with the amount of pressure riding on submitting this final module on time and to the best standard, I must confess, has caused unnecessary anxiety and rising panic.

Complaining, when it's such a simple fix, seems pointless! Something that the maturity I've developed this year has made obvious. So, I reduced the length for submission, as asked, and updated my presentation. Now, I can upload this to my online accounts!

602 Update (Following on from Last Year)

Last year, we were tasked with making a contract and invoice slip. At the time, I didn't have a brand so these were very basic, boring, and the colour palette wasn't consistent.

Recently, I decided to update my invoice form. I found the hex codes for the oranges I used in my icon, and which I've since applied across all my physical documents, such as my CV and other forms. I updated this colour scheme so it was more fitting.

I also added my new icon and updated my email address.

Link to Invoice (Updated)

It was good to see the progression of my branding.

Study Task 5 - Create Your Brand

Part 1 - Online Presence

For this part, I need to create a visual brand through my online presence. This includes my Instagram and LinkedIn, as well as a website.

Online Portfolio:

- Website

I used Wix to put together my website, as I'm not a graphic designer so I struggle with layout and composition. I decided to use the colour scheme from my current icon and business cards, as this icon is already present on my Instagram, LinkedIn and Etsy account, so I wanted to make sure my online presence was consistent.

The lecturers have encouraged us time and again to purchase an upgraded plan, if making a website through Wix, as they believe the banner looks unprofessional. Making a website is a requirement for this module, however, I have never felt the need to put one together. I use Instagram daily, and make an effort to post weekly. As I'm able to post unfinished pieces (as WIPs often keep my audience engaged) I've always felt more comfortable using this site. 

With the website I feel this added weight and pressure to create a professional and polished space, that it took me weeks to eventually add my work, as I didn't feel any of it was good enough. While I'm happy to make one for the sake of the module, I can't imagine relying on this in the future and as a result, I'm not going to pay for something I won't use.

I have several tabs on my website including a bio, a page dedicated to my finished animations, my Instagram account (for more of my work behind the scenes), a page for my illustrations, and a queries tab - for people to get in touch.

Link to my Website

- LinkedIn

I made a LinkedIn last year however, I'm not a fan of the interface, so I'm struggling to use it as often as I do Instagram. However, I have made an effort to post some WIPs from University, and my icon is the same across all my accounts for consistency.

Link to my LinkedIn

- Instagram

I use Instagram daily, and try to post every four days, as I've been told this gets the best reach. It's important to have a structure with Instagram, to avoid getting shadowbanned, as admittedly this app isn't the most friendly to artists.

Link to my Instagram

- Etsy

I've neglected my Etsy page this academic year as 603 just about took me out and I had no spare time to relax, let alone work on more sticker designs. Last Summer however, I put loads of my attention into it and was regularly selling my prints. Hopefully this Summer I can pick it back up again.

Link to my Etsy

The deliverable for this task requires I convert this into a PDF file with active hyperlinks so, below is that document.

Link to Online Presence (PDF Format)

Part 2 - Printed Materials

Then I needed to focus on the physical aspects of my brand, such as my CV and business cards.

- Business Card

Last year we were advised to make business cards for a study task - so I did. This year, we have been asked to do the same. Considering I've already paid out and got these designs printed, I'm not looking to change them, especially considering Covid has ruined my opportunities to network this last year. Still, I've utilised these by adding them to my Etsy orders.

I asked a lecturer whether I could use the cards I made from last year and I was told that was allowed.

- CV

I kept my CV professional. The design elements are very simple as I want the focus to be on my written work. I prefer this formal approach.

Link to CV (PDF)

602 Update (Showreel Development)

For my informal and formal presentations, I wanted to end on my showreel. So, I put one together using the films I worked on this year. I included my basic, key-framed shots on the left and added the final outcomes on the right, to show how they worked in context, after inbetweens and effects were added.

Link to Showreel (Draft 1)

Above was my first attempt. I haven't found any royalty free music to add just yet, as last year we were encouraged in a lecture, to avoid editing the clips in time with the beat. I figured if I leave the music until last (as we've been told employers watch showreels on mute anyway), it wouldn't subconsciously effect how I edited the clips together.

I'm worried my showreel is currently too long, and that some of the clips aren't up to par with the rest. So, I emailed the lecturers asking for feedback on what scenes to cut, if any. One lecturer got back to me and said to trim the clips down so the showreel is no longer than fifty seconds. They also advised moving my name and contact details to the start and if possible, incorporating my icon.

Another lecturer told me to lose the format entirely and only show the final outcomes with my contributions noted on the side, stating "... the content is fine, but the side-by side layout is confusing to view.". A different lecturer however, told me that they were impressed with the layout, as they believe showing the breakdown behind shots is important. They also disagreed about trimming the timing down, as they felt anything up to two minutes was perfectly okay.

Link to Showreel (Draft 2)

Based on the feedback, I rearranged some scenes and removed others to try and reduce the timing slightly. I also added my logo to the start and end of my showreel, and changed my title from "Level 6 Animator" to "Character Animator" as a couple lecturers had advised me to do so.

I sent this to my classmates for feedback, and the majority felt the layout wasn't confusing and worked well. Once I was happy, and checked the spelling and order once more, I found some royalty free music to add.

Link to Showreel (Final Outcome)

What Went Well?

- I believe I found a professional and appealing way to showcase the final films I worked on this year all while highlighting my personal contributions.

- I was ready to drop out in my second year, and as a result, my showreel was lacking. It was rushed, poorly edited and filled with work I wasn't proud of. Whereas this year, I feel as though I'm leaving with a showreel I can proudly post online and send to employers.

How To Improve?

- Some of the feedback was contradictory, which is understandable considering each person would have their own preferences. Rather than worrying about pleasing everyone, in the future I will trust my gut instinct more.

Study Task 5 - So Pro

I currently use Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook primarily. I made a LinkedIn and Vimeo profile however, I don't check these as often.

My Facebook account is a personal account, so I can keep in touch with family and friends. I don't intend on turning it into a business account. The same goes for my Twitter so when it comes to finding a job, I will make the account private.

I have utilised Instagram however. I currently have a personal account, an art account dedicated to my paintings and drawings, and an animation account. I also have two old accounts that I've haven't posted on for a while. One is a cosplay account and the other is an old art account. I will either delete these or make them active again to reduce the amount of accounts I have.

I try to post as regularly as possible with these accounts. Certain commissioned work however, I can't post as I may not be allowed, so I need to make sure I stay on top of this with other work.

My YouTube account is a complete mess; it has videos related to animation but also some videos that are unprofessional and stupid. I need to make a new YouTube account dedicated solely to my animations.

I recently set up an Etsy page, where I intend to sell my artwork. To help sell certain pieces, I have posted my work on stan Twitter, as to attract the right audience. So my followers don't lose interest, I will try to post weekly. I also plan to be productive over summer as during that time, I won't have to juggle my personal art with my university work.


My Shortlist:

-  a YouTube account (professional, for animation videos only)
- an Instagram account (professional, for animation related content)
- a second Instagram account (professional, for art related content)
- an Etsy page (professional, to sell my work)

© Emily Kate Mullis 2020

Study Task 5 - Evaluate

Below is my evaluation.



Link to Evaluation

Study Task 5 - Writing an Introduction

This lesson aided us in writing an introduction to our essay. I started by writing a list of bullet points of things I wanted to talk about and then, moving away from the first person, I began writing my introduction, crossing the points off as I went.

Overview:

- women (female characters)
- character design (blonde, tall, skinny, white, etc. vs varied designs)
- sexism/ feminism (strong independent women characters vs real feminism)
- representation/ diversity (breaking the mould)
- society (standards and opinions)
- body image (important issue to raise or purely aesthetics?)
- evolution (80s - now)
- character turn arounds (practical outcome)
- body or narrative? what is more important (empowering)


'How has the portrayal of women, in animation, evolved within this generation circa 1980 - 2019?'


Over the last several decades, the depiction of women in media, particularly animation, has continued to evolve as the standards of society have transformed. While most forms are a reflection of the times, there are still some films being released in this decade which aren't as diverse or inclusive as its competitors. Likewise, not all films that were released thirty years ago had characters that fit into the same, arguably sexist mould that was often present in that time.

This generation of animation has introduced various designs for male characters that have consistently been diverse and unique. However, when considering the female roles from the same era, more often than not, the only time the designs deviated from the norm (roles such as the mother figure or the love interest) was when the woman was the villain. Characters such as Ursula from "The Little Mermaid" (1989) or Yzma from "The Emperor's New Groove" (2000) were given unique designs that didn't restrict them to the same skinny, young, model. These double standards are also visible when analysing the face shapes alone. Kat Brown, a writer for The Telegraph, expressed concern in her article "Disney and Pixar's female characters all have the same face" (2015) after Tumblr user Every-Flavored-Bean noticed a pattern emerging from recent Disney and Pixar films. While the male counterparts had expressive, diverse and unique designs, the women all seemed to have the same round face with large, doll-like eyes and a small button nose. The blogger calls the lack of diversity "lazy sexism" and argues that something needs to change

In 2013 Lino DiSalvo, the head animator for "Frozen"(2013) was heavily criticised after claiming it was "really, really difficult" to animate female characters as "they have to go through these range of emotions, but you have to keep them pretty". A year later in an interview he claimed he was misquoted and never meant to imply that only the women were difficult to animate, "It's not difficult because they're girls. It's difficult because when you're exploring animation and getting characters to look unique like Olaf, doing that range of emotion test and trying to identify what that emotion is is very very difficult" (2014).


Bibliography:

Amidi, A. (2013) "Frozen" Head of Animation Says Animating Women is "Really, Really Difficult". Available at: https://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/frozen-head-of-animation-says-animating-women-is-really-really-difficult-89467.html (Accessed: 4 November 2019).

Bailey, I. (2014) Q&A: For this animator, working on Frozen created a tricky career legacy. Available at: https://www.globeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/qa-vancouver-film-school-alum-ready-to-move-on-from-frozen/article20072363/ (Accessed: 4 November 2019).

Brown, K. (2015) Disney and Pixar's female characters all have the same face. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/inside-out/disney-pixar-characters-same-face/ (Accessed: 3 November 2019).

The Emperor's New Groove (2000) Directed by M. Dindal [Film]. California: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.

The Little Mermaid (1989) Directed by R. Clements and J. Musker [Film]. California: Buena Vista Distribution Company, Inc.

Tumblr. (2015) Every woman in every Disney/Pixar movie in the past decade has the exact same face. Available at: https://every-flavored-bean.tumblr.com/post/112569173199/every-woman-in-every-diseypixar-movie-in-the (Accessed: 4 November 2019).

Tumblr. (2014) Sameface Syndrome and Other Stories. Available at: https://turbomun.tumblr.com/post/80012362197/sameface-syndrome-and-other-stories (Accessed: 4 November 2019).

Women and Hollywood. (no date) Statistics. Available at: https://womenandhollywood.com/resources/statistics/ (Accessed: 4 November 2019).

Study Task 5 - Ways of Thinking

The Planning Process

In groups of three, we were tasked with researching one of the five different ways of thinking. My group, consisting of Demi, Yulia and myself, were assigned 'Brainstorming'. The presentation couldn't run over ten minutes and also had to consist of ten slides, including a title slide and a bibliography.

I began this process by making a group chat and planning the slides before we began researching them so we could assign the slides to each member and then there wouldn't be any overlap.

I then started my research process and began to create the powerpoint. We each approached the task from different angles to make sure we covered more ground. I put the powerpoint together and then had the other members email their slides to me so I could add them to the presentation and reorder them so it flowed better.

Below are the slides I worked on.

I didn't add as much text to this powerpoint compared to my BraveStarr presentation as a note I received was that I had too much information on one slide.

I also changed the font to match and added images so that the presentation looked more whole rather than several slides stuck together.



Link to Powerpoint Presentation

My Script:

*Demi will open the presentation as it will lead into her first slide, followed by Yulia's slide*

Brainstorming expands and challenges your thinking on a topic, however to visualise this and push it even further, people often mind map their thought processes, which is another one of the ways of thinking!
By using this method, the ideas and thoughts become more organised and it's easier to make connections between points as brainstorming is considered more like the first step.
To brainstorm, you let your mind explore multiple possibilities by letting your thoughts go and challenging your creativity.
Then to mind map, you sort through these possibilities and refine certain theories by connecting the dots.
This works best when working in a group as it allows everyone to see where the train of thought is going.

*Another two slides by Yulia and Demi follow this*

As we touched on earlier, some of the most successful methods used while brainstorming in a group are: being able to bounce ideas off of the whole team. Due to the team's varied experience, if one member got stuck, another member may be able to help by offering an idea they hadn't considered.
It also works great as a good team building exercise, and has proven to work better for solving more complex problems than working alone as you can find multiple solutions to any issue raised.
People are also more committed to an idea if they helped develop it.

Studies have proven however that in general, individual brainstorming sessions provide more effective results than group sessions. This may be because people are more likely to expand on their ideas if they don't have to worry about what others think of them.
Because of this, you can challenge your creativity.
It does however lack the wider experience of a group so there may be more dead ends when working alone. So, this method is the most effective when solving simple problems.

*Yulia follows this with one more slide*

Thank you all for listening!

Feedback

The total presentation took between six and seven minutes to deliver. In hindsight, because we finished early, this would have been a good time to ask the class if they had any questions.

We were given feedback after the presentation which included:

• Proof read the powerpoint (there was an issue which has since been fixed, where an image covered some text)
• Treat the powerpoint like an essay - reference within the slides (by adding dates) to show where each quote came from

Study Task 5 - Modelling Skills

In class, we continued to expand our knowledge about Maya. We were tasked with creating a wooden truck using basic shapes and tools we had covered so far, as well as rendering the scene by adding lights and textures.

I didn't feel confident with the outcome I produced in class because I didn't have access to the reference image at the time, nor had I completed adding the wooden texture. So I decided to restart a different day and I am now much happier with the result.

We also had to recreate a simple object on our own so, I decided to make a lava lamp as I have one in my room and I felt this would be difficult to render yet the shape itself is simple enough to work out.

I found some textures online for my lava lamp however, I thought they looked too flat so instead, I invested more time trying to find a higher quality image to map out on my UV net.

Keep On Truckin'

Above is the finished outcome of this task. I feel a lot more confident with breaking an object down into elements and then breaking those elements down into simple shapes. I also don't find Maya as daunting as I first did when I started the inductions and as a result, I am currently planning on using this software to build the sets for my end of year animation.

I feel the wood texture I sourced is accurate to the reference, and the size of certain parts are also pretty accurate.

Do It Yourself

This is the finished outcome for my lava lamp. I decided to use the blue on black liquid as I felt due to the background, this meant the wax looked more three dimensional, and not as flat. I feel however, that the metallic texture I rendered has lost some of it's shininess due to the angle so in the future, I need to work on better lighting my pieces.

Study Task 5 - The Power to Persuade

I remember seeing this advert on Facebook years ago after it went viral, and I've never forgotten it. The fact this advert is so memorable and unique even after so many years proves how successful this marketing campaign was. (France)



The visuals in this advertisement are absolutely stunning, and the narrative that is told by the racer's internal monologue evokes a very emotional and universal sense of patriotism. (Brazil)



I believe this ad campaign is incredibly successful in demonstrating it's message as it uses humour to attract the right audience it's hoping to reach. The character's designs are also very appealing. (Russia)



This advert stood out to me as I like the use of mixed media. (Canada)



I believe the use of sound to demonstrate the speed and purpose of the product works well in this advert. However, the visuals aren't that captivating so if I were to see this on the television, it wouldn't be that memorable. (Germany)



The timing in this animation is so smooth and the lighting and direction helps to capture the mood of the advert. The message is very influential due to the harsh cut and music chosen. (England)



I find adverts that are able to tell a story, no matter how short, will always be memorable and heart-warming. (Australia)



This is another advert I saw years ago after going viral on YouTube. The use of props and humour makes this a funny, memorable advert, and despite coming out years ago, I still quote it from time to time which means the advert has done it's job well and is very persuasive. (America)



This advert is very strange and funny, and I feel would work well if the target audience were children as the humour may be lost on a more mature audience. (Japan)



Out of all the adverts I watched, I found this one to be the least striking. I believe the story is unoriginal and I find the use of sound to be rather tedious. (India)

Study Task 5 - Bouncing Heads and Falling Bodies

Anticipation and Exaggeration

Inspired by Wile E. Coyote, I began this study task by sketching a storyboard featuring two characters who find a ticking time bomb, play hot potato with it and inevitably blow up, in a true cartoon-esque fashion.

Once I finished my rough draft and sketched the before and after designs of the characters so that they remained consistent, I soon began to animate them in Photoshop. I spent roughly four hours working on the timing in a scene in which they both realise their fate and reluctantly accept it by looking nervously at the audience, shrugging, and I had one character pull a sign out from behind his back that expressed his concern.

Then, the university experienced a power cut. Despite the fact that I frequently save my work, it soon dawned on me that I hadn't backed up my saved file and consequentially, lost all of my work. The only evidence I have is a photo I took to send to a friend, which sums up my feelings around this experience.

I decided to start again. I needed a story that captured the same sense of exaggerated anticipation as my original animation however I wanted it to be more personal and unique to me. Then, the answer came to me when my cousin filled me in on his day at the swimming baths.

I started again the same way I did my first animation, by sketching a quick storyboard and a turnaround of my cousin's head. The story goes, he went swimming and someone pooed in the pool. So, for my first scene, I wanted to portray an exaggerated sense of complete and utter disbelief and disgust. I thought the best way to do this would be a dolly zoom so I converted the background into a smart object and transformed the pool so it stretched behind him.



Link to Dolly Zoom

I animated the next scene again using Photoshop however found the motion to be incredibly shaky and distracting, so I removed the background and exported the image sequence to After Effects. I tried to stabilise the clip as best I could, with the help of my teacher as I haven't used this software before and then once happy with the new movements, I added my background and animated this around the character so it looked more natural.

Link to Failed Attempt



Link to Refined Clip

Follow Through and Overlapping Action

The next scene I animated was the shot where the poop is on a direct course toward my cousin while he is floundering around in the water. I thought it was comical how while my cousin is struggling and splashing the water about, this doesn't effect the poop (almost as though the poop defines it's own laws of physics).



Link to Panic Shot

In the next shot, the poop does sit more naturally on top of the water and bounces along it's ripples unlike the scene above which I feel only makes the previous scene funnier as I feel this personifies the poop, as though it was going about it's own business until it spotted my cousin, and then was filled with an overwhelming sense of determination to catch up to him.

As we had to include an element of mixed media in this study task, I painted a background in my book and using Dragonframe, created a cut-out animation. Then using Premiere Pro, I tried to correct the colour of the clip as the lighting gave the scene a yellow hue which I wanted to mute so the colours were cooler. However I haven't had this induction lesson yet either so I was limited in my practice.



Link to Poop Clip

Once I had finished animating these clips, I edited them together and added sound. While my original storyboard did have a couple extra shots that concluded the animation, I thought it was funnier to leave the clip on more of a cliff-hanger, especially after I added the screams.



Link to Final Animation

If I had more time, I would explore further scenes to see whether this would make for a better ending however considering that the university experienced three power cuts over the duration of this study task, I feel the footage I have demonstrates the principles well enough not to need any extra scenes.