Reflection
Completing this module has improved my understanding of the steps involved in creating an animated film, particularly the need to make numerous drawings before deciding on a final character design. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy creating the same character designs, but I ended up having a great time and seeing how the character would appear in “different universes.” However, as I find that I have “same face syndrome” when drawing, I would like to do more character designs and experiment with different body shapes and faces in the future. I would also love to investigate this further next semester, as I feel my character development process could be improved.
Additionally, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of teamwork in the animation industry. Although I think my team and I were able to collaborate fairly effectively, I believe that we could have improved our communication, particularly when it came to assigning tasks. In addition, I believe that we struggled with decision-making when it came to things like colour schemes, which ultimately hampered the development of our project.
To enhance my animation I’d like to undertake more animation experiments and testing, such as turnarounds and facial animation tests, such as displaying how expressions change, because I enjoy animating faces and expressions the most. I would also change the way I approach animation since I want to do more work for my blog. I follow several animators online and follow their tutorials to improve my animations, which would have been useful to include in my blog, such as Ethan Becker and Toniko Pantoja. I would also examine characters more thoroughly by undertaking shape breakdowns and anatomy studies to better grasp form.
Regarding adjustments I would like to make to the animation. Some of the ideas we abandoned were ones I really loved, like the idea of an anime-style transformation scene when Ethan transforms into his dream character. I thought that would be really beautiful to animate and would be a lot of fun to watch. Additionally, I thought it would be a wonderfully entertaining approach to switch between worlds to have Ethan’s walk to work serve as a gateway from day to night.
Additionally, I loved the idea of Heartbot literally emerging from Ethan’s heart, which illustrated how Heartbot represents Ethan’s goals and aspirations and how he finds it difficult to pursue them due to his boss’s controlling presence in his life.
I would approach the project differently if I had to start this module fresh. I would like to take a more proactive part in teamwork by being more open and honest with my ideas and opinions. I would also like to become more organised by setting aside specific hours to complete composition and animation tests in order to improve artistically. In addition, I would alter my animatic and storyboards after seeing more excellent examples on YouTube or Studio Binder.