Self Critique: Finals

DVD:
The aspect ratio jumps several times in the early parts of the DVD.  To fix this I had to squash my animations to 16:9.  I need to know if there's a better way of preserving quality and not having ratio jumps.  My resume could use a little more structure.

Digital Portfolio:
I have everything posted on the server.

Web Portfolio:
All my videos are on youtube, and on my personal blog.  Some of them are on vimeo, but I've maxed out my megabytes for the week.

Near-Future Goals

During winter break, I’d like to plan out some aside animation projects that could be put into my demo reel.  This can include storyboards, character designs, and backgrounds.  For many summer internships, February is a good application period.  During January and February I plan on animating some sequences and writing cover letters for all possible summer animation internships.  I’m largely focused on applying for big-named studios as a summer internship.

Through Spring I’ll continue to add to my demo reel through classes and my own work if time allows it.  If I hear back from any of the companies I’ll definitely accept and work during the summer.  There is a scholarship for summer internships which I need to ask if and how to apply for it.  If I do not get a summer internship, I will be home during the summer but would continue researching internships (including local.)  By the end of the Spring semester I should know if I get a Summer internship or not so I can apply for local Fall internships before school ends.  

Visiting Artist Lectures

Tyree Guyton
Started the Heidelberg Project in 1986 in old African American communities in Detroit.  The Heidelberg project itself is a community folk art that paints and sculpts on and around many abandoned houses turning them into colorful public places.  The project was started with a few paint strokes on a house before long had covered an entire neighborhood.  140 countries have visited Heidelberg Street and Tyree Guyton was given his doctorate in 2009 in Brussels.  Guyton wants his art to heal people and encourage change in the community.
       Tyree was very passionate in his lecture but seem to have trouble dealing with very many questions which left him coming across as absent minded.  He probably is more used to giving high school lectures.

Lilly McElroy
Lilly is largely a performance artist and many of her works have a flair of humor while still making interesting notes on public behavior.  She likes to put interruptive stickers in public places to raise awarness of issues and of peoples own surroundings.  It sounds almost like a 4th wall break of real life.  She grew up in Arizona and was heavily influenced by cowboys, rodeos, and the movie "8 seconds."  One of her pieces is a series of photos where she is in a public place huddled on the floor wearing a slip.  She video recorded herself hugging strangers in the streets to see their reactions.  She blocked off a piece of the sidewalk and tried to keep people from entering it.  This one was particularly playful in that strangers would take part in either helping her or trying to foil her.  She also took photos of herself jumping into strangers arms at different bars.  Overall her works are fun and interesting social experiments.

Carrie Mae Weems
Weems is a very well known African American photographer.  She tries to grapple with why she does and why she does not like certain art works.  She is very occupied with finding her voice.  Recently she has been making propaganda art to raise awareness of violence in certain areas.  She is also very interested in unrequited love.  Her film was fairly dull though with very repetitive shots and little cohesive structure.  Overall it seemed like her lecture didn't give us much reason to be impressed with her work aside that she is a well established artist.  

Travel Fellowship Application

Annecy International Animated Film Festival 

Each June in Annecy, France there is large animation conference where professionals, students and general public alike meet together and reveal the newest in animation world culture.  From Pixar and Dreamworks to French,Russian, Japanese, and independent studios all participate in this festival.  As an aspiring animator, visiting such an event would be a great learning experience as well as a potential time to establish contacts.  I’m a well organized and well behaved person who likes to travel.  I’ve been to large conferences before so I know how to move well in a big crowd.

Screenings are held throughout the five day event as well as workshops and booths.  While attending, I can witness great new animations from around the world and learn useful tips from a wide range of animation styles.  These useful tips could benefit my skills as an animator and give me a greater feel for the animation industry in different regions of the world.  The event lasts from June 4th to  the 9th.  An ideal date to leave would be the 1st of June.  Planes to Geneva take 17 hours, after that it’s only a 40 minute taxi ride to Annecy.  The Hotel Mercure is close to the conference and has very reasonable prices.  On the 9th, I can return to Geneva for the plane ride back to Memphis.

While at the conference and festival I could take photos, participate in workshops, and even shoot videos of what I see.  After the experience, I hope to use what I learn in an animation inspired from the many works I see.  I could also create a detailed record of the event to share it my peers and teachers.  

Behance visit

I really like the animations by Emmanuelle Walker.  He only has a few videos up, but what videos he has are rich in color and style.  There is a rough, hand drawn feel to his world but a deep, real sense of space with it.
I also liked Tendril Design's animations.  Their demo reel showed a great deal of high quality 3D motion graphics.  The creativity and detail was mesmerizing.
Vladimir Shelest's portfolio I enjoyed for its imaginative sci-fi imagery.  Many of his works, be it animated, stills, or ads have a very retro 60s space-age look but with a very new edge to them.  They are rendered in very nice 3D graphics.

Dossier Report

Mat:  Mat is an orderly person.  If there are loose threads he feels the need the fix them.  However this need for order often comes into conflict with his shy tendencies which cause him to back away.  Combined into one person this creates an awkward, hesitating individual.  He finds a sense of completion and wholeness when talking so Susan at the party.  Even though he only finds her bra, Mat knows there is a way to find her, but wether or not he is willing to go the distance is still uncertain for himself.

Sam:  Sam is the foil to Mat.  He lazes contently amongst his surroundings without a real call to action.  He does, however, have the confidence which gives him enlightenment that can be shared Mat.

Susan:  Susan does not feel comfortable amongst the normal crowd of her peers.  She is obligated to her work and sits quietly alone during parties.  This leads to her extreme frustration with Mat when her already limited social status is shattered by the bra fiasco.

Lauren:  An artistic person with unfulfilled desires.  Her practices and habits have often deterred friends and possible relationships, yet her passionate spirit continues to pine for what she is missing.

Boarding and Blocking

I've marked each of these shots with their appropriate camera marker from my overhead maps.