Greetings and Salutations my most Loyal Viewers. It seems like only yesterday that I started my junior year, and I say it's been a pretty wild ride. My goals this year included a number of large projects, yet only a few were actually realized in their entirety. This represents the biggest lesson I've learned this year: don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach (And according to historical precedent, I have some big eyes). I know I've touched on this lesson in several other posts, but I feel I really need to set it up as the biggest lesson I've learned this year. I let myself believe I could accomplish any project in a set amount of time, yet I failed to take into account so many factors and setbacks time and time again.
It's worth noting that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results, yet others say that repeated mistakes help one learn and grow. By those accounts, does that make me a maniac one the swift road to success?
the project Primitive is likely the best example of this mistake. I began the year intending to make a full four part animation, but ended with only the first part completed. While all the project's many assets were actually completed before work on part 1 even began, it still sucked up a lot of time that could've been used making it just a little further. Additional setbacks such as getting time in the sound studio to narrate also cost me some time (And it still turned out riveting, I know. Not boring or monotone at all). In the end, it's truly my project management skills that need some work. I have the technical skills and attitude necessary to make these things happen, just never as quick as I originally predict.
To succeed today, it is imperative that one must possess skills such as project management, but one must not forget the necessary skills of communication and leadership. Without the ability to coordinate work with others, nothing gets done. It's no use being a master in a particular field if all that comes out of your mouth when you try to speak is stuttered gibberish. Luckily, I don't have that problem. The leadership and communication demonstrated during the stop motion gummy bear project was one of the reasons it was so successful. We all worked effectively as a team, and had a great time on the project, and got sick on candy once or twice.
I feel I've grown not only as an animator this year, but as a person. My leadership and communication skills have improved drastically since my awkward freshman days, and I've rediscovered some previously forgotten talents in regard to stop motion animation. While not as common these days, stop motion animation is my absolute favorite type of animation. I've done work with it for years, and like a young Doctor Frankenstein, I always enjoy bringing my monsters to life, and giving personality to simple inanimate objects. Leadership and social skills have played a big role in my life this year. I made many new friends, both within the e-Communication program and outside it, and learned some valuable management skills from group work this year. My technical skills have also made some leaps forward. After my work on Primitive, I learned some important skills in After Effects. The art of vector based graphics made everything within Primitive possible for both character design and setting.
Next year, I'm going to use what I've learned this year (particularly in stop motion) to create a larger stop motion film. Unlike Primitive and the other unfinished projects of the year, I plan to do much of its asset design over the summer, so I can jump headfirst into filming next year. No more running out of time for this animator, I'm getting a vital jump start that will serve me well in the future. What better lesson to learn than preemptive work? I plan to make this stop motion project the center of my work in e-Comm next year, and am looking forward to it not only because it's my favorite form of animation, but because of its deep subject matter.
All in all, I have not a single regret about this year. There is not a single moment I would change. I've had my fair share of both mistakes and triumphs this year, and I treasure each one of them. Each of those moments has made me who I am today, and forged a small piece of me with every moment. If there must be one thing I could change, however, it would be to make more mistakes. Had I made more mistakes this year, it would have made me just a little more prepared for next year's journey. I'm satisfied with my year, and am glad I had the experiences I did.
In conclusion, this has been a pretty epic year. I made penguins beat one another with sticks, gave life to candy and LEGOs, and made an awesome playlist to listen to during work. I've learned valuable lessons about leadership, project management, and seating choices (yet another mistake). I'll be sure to keep everyone out there updated on my work and progress during the summer, so don't go anywhere. I've had an amazing year, and I look forward to making more memories.
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