Month: September 2018

Week 3

We’ve just started into the 3rd week of classes. Since we have the Monday off, I’m using it as a time to do more prep work on my film and organise notes from last weeks classes.

The group project is still a bit up in the air. We have created a list of things that the film must be, but we haven’t decided on a plot theme or story. I pitched an idea and I’m surprised at how well it was recieved but I don’t know if we would make it. This pitch was mostly for practice, there is very little personal time gone into it, but it was not particularly weak. I’m going to develop it a little further to make the characters more interesting and flesh the acts out just a little bit more.

I feel that presenting my work in last weeks professional development class went well. The work showed the diverse and flexible side of my skills as well as my general consistency. It was easier to talk about my work this year then it was last year, so I feel that the practice across the year has stayed with me. More importantly I got a good scope of what my classmates had been doing over the summer, and the general growth in everyone’s work. I feel inspired to learn a little bit more about using Houdini, and have since installed it onto my laptop.

I’m really enjoying the conceptual studies class. We looked at the expressionist art movement and how that has impacted  film.  I don’t feel confident in my artist statement. It was the first time I had written anything like that and I was not very comfortable doing it. There was no word count, and I couldn’t tell how much I needed to write. This has left me feeling a bit nervous and uncertain.

On Friday we had our first 3d modelling and rendering class. I am really looking forward to this class. We didn’t start modelling last week, instead we spoke about industry and roles that we are interested in pursuing. It was a little surprising to have to show our work so suddenly, but I had some of my strongest stuff prepared for the presentation. Next week we’re starting on the basics of retopology. This will be a important to know for entry level positions modeling in a studio.

 

Film Pitch

For the film pitches in college I put together a short idea. It’s not one of high personal value to me, and it is mostly for practicing pitching ideas.

Curious Creatures (working title)

“ Hunter Gatherers… in Space  “

Captain Logan hunts down alien animals on a quest for pork in the newly colonized planet

Act 1
Captain Logan sits in their empty quarters and makes the first entry of her journal, recording the first animals that they encountered.(2 creatures) The creatures skeletons are kept for research.
The contents of the journal are narrated.

Act 2
Captain Logan has their first encounter with alien predators. After losing an eye, and crew to the animals, becomes more brutal with their hunt. Her trophy collection begins, and includes taxidermy. (3 creatures)

Act 3
Captain Logan settles to make another entry. We see her immense trophy collection. This entry is interrupted as we see Captain Logan analyzed the same way the she was analyzing the other animals.
In broken English “Humans taste like Bacon” is said much like the narration

Getting Back Into College

I’ve settled back into my home away from home and the first week of college has come and gone, bringing with it a new timetable for this week. today we got the title and interpretation of the theme for our group project.

Art and Design in Context

There are four separate angles that we can choose to approach this from. All of these issued by BTEC, the overseeing body on the project. Tomorrow as a class we will discuss what we want to do with the themes and what we aim to create in the final year film. This large group project is going to be challenging based on feedback from the year ahead of us and out theme this year has a much reduced freedom.

Hopefully I can get a role 3D Modelling and leading the art direction/design of the film. I want to try to push myself into leadership roles and try to take more responsibility in a group setting then I typically would. It is not my aim to be a production manager or producer as it would be a very difficult and stressful role.

The other classes that I have had so far are going well, I feel. This year has a mixture of new and old tutors, which is nice. The conceptual development module is completely new to me. It involves keeping a journal and is a practical subject. It’s great to have a subject that will talk, at least a little about the relationship with what we are doing (VFX) and art. Equally I am looking forward to the professional development class. I feel it will be beneficial to me as I can struggle with writing cover letters, and I have little experience getting interviewed. Both of these are covered in this module and it will hopefully help me with my confidence.

September 2018

Despite the touch and go of the future of the course that happened over the summer- it’s time to get back into the swing of college. It’s finally my last year, I can’t believe I’m heading towards graduation.

The timetable looks set to wiggle, as it stand I havn’t got any major complaints other then the wonders of a 3 hour lunch break on a Friday. However this is a great chance to get work done before the weekend- and hopefully subject to change.

I’m looking forward to the new subjects this year, and the new tutors that we will have. I feel that my skills stayed sharp over the summer and the new challenges lying ahead will be great fun to face. My only major concern is how the group project will go. The class has a good dynamic, but the challenge of managing the communication and work together is one that we have not faced together. I can definitely see this as a point of potentially conflict- but also a great chance to grow.