End of Year Reflection

One of the many Draw the Squad memes I created in my free time, starring the Dank Meme Warriors.

This year has been an amazing year in Animation. I learned so many things, strengthened so many friendships, and made so many Draw the Squad memes whenever I didn't have work to do. Today, I am going to reflect upon my time in Animation this year and what it was that made it so great.

Valuable Takeaways

My magnum opus, the In My Element animation.

I learned a valuable takeaway from each of eComm's five guarantees: Technology, Collaboration, Communication, Project Management, and Leadership. For Technology, I learned how to use Maya and Adobe AfterEffects, which is important because it taught me an easier way to animate and a way to animate in 3D. I also learned how to use the Burn and Dodge tools in Photoshop and how to trace paper-and-pencil drawings in Photoshop, which I have since used for my digital art.  faced many challenges when it came to both; for AfterEffects, when I was working on my In My Element animation, I originally did not know how to extend the time bar for all the frames, which is why Argentia's mouth doesn't match what she is saying. In Maya, I had many challenges when it came to applying textures, but I eventually learned how to do it. In terms of Collaboration, I had to work with others for the final project. Usually, I'm not very good in group projects because I am autistic and have a hard time socializing with people, but in this group project I managed very well. It helped that two of the people in my group were people I already knew and was friends with. I learned that working on something is ten times more fun when someone else is also working on it with you. In terms of Communication, I have learned even more about how to write engaging and professional blog posts such as the one you are reading right now. In terms of Project Management, I have learned to manage my time wisely and complete projects quickly and effectively. In the second quarter alone, I was so effective with my time management that I ended up having enough spare time to create seven different Draw the Squad memes. I made it my goal to make the most of every second. Finally, in terms of Leadership, I learned how to be my own boss and take charge of my own work. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

Another animation I'm extremely proud of- this bottle of Falcon Punch!

My greatest strength is my determination. Once I get an idea for a project, nothing can stand in my way. I will make every second count until it is done. Due to my autism, I am notoriously stubborn, but stubbornness goes hand in hand with determination and refusal to give up. This is why I often complete projects so quickly. However, this undying determination is offset by my tendency to be easily distracted if a project is NOT something I would be interested in. However, nowadays, if a project doesn't sound interesting, I still try to complete it to the best of my ability as soon as possible, so I can get it out of the way. My work ethic has improved drastically from when I used to procrastinate all the time, but I still need to work on quality assurance and making sure everything is the best it can be. 

How I Will Use This Knowledge

Penny Geld's official portrait for In My Element, made possible thanks to what I have learned!

 I will use what I have learned for my own YouTube videos, especially my upcoming web series Dank Meme Warriors. In fact, it's thanks to this class teaching me how to trace traditional art and use it in Photoshop that I have abandoned the previous method of "drawing a bunch of things on an app on my phone and putting them in Photoshop to animate them". As stated before, I also have used and will use this knowledge for my drawings and for the sprites in the games I'm making. This includes the official art for my upcoming book series In My Element, as well as the official art and sprites for my upcoming Touhou fan game Touhou Baseball: Gensokyo League. In fact, I have already created some official art for both of these thanks to what I have learned.

My final project for this year, This Is My Seat.

In the end, I have learned so much this year and I can say with 100% certainty that Animation was my favorite class this year. And that's saying something, because Animation beat out Chemistry- a subject that I am passionate about to the point of creating humanized periodic table elements. Overall, while I will miss Mr. Olson, I cannot wait for Animation next year.

Revolving and Lofting

This week, we were assigned to create two things in Maya: a cup and a salt shaker. How did we do this? Simple. Revolving and lofting. Now you might be wondering, "Maddie, what even is revolving and lofting, and what does it entail?" Well, allow me to explain.

Revolving is sort of like making something on a potter's wheel. You start with a simple NURBS curve, then you shape it into what looks like a cross-section of whatever you're going to make. Then you just click Revolve on the Modeling menu and spin it around an axis, and ta-da! You have your object.

Lofting is more akin to building a structure. You start with a NURBS surface and shape it into the base for whatever you are creating, then duplicate it and move the duplicates up until you have it at the height you want. You can also use NURBS surfaces that are differently shaped. Then, once you have the framework for whatever you are creating, you go to the Surfaces menu, click Loft, and voila! You have just successfully lofted.

Animation Semester Reflection

Over the following semester, we have been creating several things. Today, we were asked to reflect on our favorites. Here are mine.

1. Walk Animation

In this project, I learned how to shade in Photoshop, and that moving the limbs of characters is a lot harder than one may think. You have to move the opposite arm and leg, alternating between them, and make sure the rhythm of the movement isn't off. I chose this project because I am so extremely proud of how Metal Girl looks. She's fully shaded, anatomically sound, and the metal blades on various parts of her body actually look like metal.  Not to mention, this was the first video that I got to incorporate my characters into. I think the best part of this animation was how Metal Girl looks, but the worst part of it is the background, which looks quite out-of-place in comparison to the style of the character. I'm going to use this knowledge of how to make characters walk for my upcoming web series, Dank Meme Warriors. I will also use my new knowledge of how to shade in Photoshop for the official character portraits in my upcoming book series In My Element, among other things. If I were to change anything, I would most definitely use a different background and not just a screenshot from an NES game. In conclusion, I feel like this project showcased how beautiful I can make my characters look and how smoothly I can make them move.


2. Maya Castle

This was our second project using Maya, a 3D modeling software. I learned how to use booleans to make more complicated shapes and how to apply textures to objects. The only reason I chose this project is because we had to choose 2 Maya projects to reflect upon, and one of them is one that I am NOT proud of. I will use what I have learned to make appealing and detailed things in Maya for this class. The best thing about my castle is that it actually turned out decent. Throughout my project, I had no idea how to do a lot of the things due to my terrible memory, so I had to get others to help me on several occasions. However, my castle is a little basic. If there was anything I would change, it would be adding more things to make it stand out. In conclusion, this castle was very difficult, but I am so proud of it.


3. Polything

Going from one Maya project to another, the Polything was our first attempt at using lighting. I learned how to use lighting in Maya, for the most part. I also had some more practice with booleans and making complex shapes. I chose this project because it's the Maya project I'm most proud of. It's so beautiful! I will use what I have learned to make equally beautiful things in Maya. I believe that while I could work on the lighting, the shape and the way the light shines off of it are spectacular. If I could change anything, I'd make the light a little brighter. In conclusion, this is the best thing I've made in Maya thus far.


4. Multiplane Animation
This animation, which I have dubbed "Moonscape" was not only a project that I learned a lot from, but also an opportunity to sneak in references to astronomy, mythology, and pop culture. I learned what a multiplane animation entails, and that the things in the back must be shorter and move slower than the things in the front.  I chose this project because I'm proud of not only how it moves, but all the things I was able to sneak in there. The best thing about this animation is the smooth animation, but I do think it could have been shaded more. Again, I will use this skill when making multiplane animations for my upcoming web series Dank Meme Warriors. If I would change anything, I'd take some time to shade everything. Overall, this animation is truly "out of this world".


5. Story Animation

Finally we come to my In My Element Story Animation, which I consider to be my magnum opus. I learned not only how to put audio into an AfterEffects animation, but also how to use the various skills I have learned to create something beautiful. I chose this project because it is the greatest thing I have created in this class- beautiful, quirky, lighthearted, smooth, heartwarming, and educational. The best things about this animation are the character designs and the voice work. However, there were a few slip-ups, such  as the beginning when Argentia's mouth movements didn't match up to her lips and when Courtney had to have her mouth covering up a clear spot at all times even when she was talking. If I was to change anything, it would be those slip-ups. I will use everything I have learned here not only for my class, but for my own independent projects. In conclusion, this is the gold standard of my animations, that will lead the way for sodium many good animations. It may be a little silicon, and it could be ironed out a little, but as it is, it shows that for me, animations are serious bismuth.

Thanks for reading this, everyone. See you in 2018!
-Madeline

4th Quarter Reflection

My 4th quarter project was exhilarating but fun. My group's product was called the Lingua, and it was a microphone that could translate languages accurately and quickly. Usually, it took us a while to get anywhere with our projects, since CERTAIN members of the group were always lollygagging, but we ended up doing them in the end. One of the big challenges I faced was that I was one of 2 people who were trying to take this seriously, and the one who declared himself the so-called leader of our team was always lollygagging and never got any work done. And while I did make very practical animations and designed the logo, things usually would end up devolving into chaos, as shown by how chaotic our commercial was:

However, I learned along the way that marketing something is pretty easy, and making logos is far easier than I thought. I also learned that making a good commercial is difficult, especially when you have 3 different people to work with (and in the case of one of them, working with him was like trying to herd cats). The feedback we were given was simple. While my work was greatly appreciated, others pointed out that our commercial was far too chaotic or something of that nature. Next time, I hope I don't get paired with people whose ideas clash with my own like that. But I guess that's how group projects are. Group projects are like a game of chance: you roll the dice and see who you get. Sometimes, you get a good group, other times, you get a not-so-good group. However, I believe that my work in 4th quarter was quite phenomenal. Here are some examples of things I did:

In this quarter, I was sure to use my time in class well.  I made sure to make every minute count. Only when I was done with all that I needed to do did I look at funny pictures online. When I was done early, I'd look back over what I had and see what else I could add. Outside of class, I tend to use Photoshop a lot in order to explore what it can really do, so I can better my skills in this class.

As a student in e-Communications and as an employee, I have many strengths. One of them is my artistic talent and endless fountain of good ideas. I tend to think outside the box and see things more creatively, which helps me with projects like this. My knowledge of technology is another good point, considering my ability to use computers well is important in this class. I maximize my strengths by using them more and more, and that way, I can get better the more I do these things.

Areas I have in need of improvement include my ability to work as a member of a group. Yes, I CAN work with others, but when having to deal with someone like Mr. Lollygagger, I blew my top one too many times. I'm known to be slightly temperamental, and with him being the "leader" of our group and still not doing anything, I got angry to the point of crying at one point. However, my mom said that learning to deal with people like him is normal, and I think I should work on that.

This semester was an exciting semester. What I loved most was the Video Production we learned in Quarter 3, which was unbelievably fun. What I would do differently is fix the system of grouping used for our group project, because while you said you grouped us via our MBTI personalities, we were of completely different MBTI groups. I know that the intent was to have two introverts and two extroverts, but still. I have learned several things in this semester that I am most definitely using in the future, and I hope that next year, I can create more complex animations. As for my final thoughts? Well, in short, I'm glad I chose this 21st Century Program. It's well worth having to change schools for it, and it's definitely better than taking regular classes at East.

The Myers-Briggs Test- My Results

We took the Myers-Briggs test yesterday, and my personality type turned out to be Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving, or ISFP. To quote the test itself:

"More in touch with the reality of their senses than their INFP counterparts, ISFPs live in the here and now. Their impulses yearn to be free, and are often loosed when others least expect it. The ISFP who continually represses these impulses feels 'dead inside' and may eventually cut and run."

Basically, ISFPs are impulsive and act on their emotions. They are very charming, and tend to find organized education to be boring. They enjoy honing a favored skill for the joy of the experience, not for practice. They are known for outbursts of emotion and acting on impulse. Famous ISFPs include Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears, Ulysses S. Grant, Paul McCartney, and Marie Antoinette.

This is extremely fitting, as I have been known for outbursts of emotion. Often times, I act on impulse. When I repress my impulses, I feel dead inside. I love doing things just for the fun of it and not to practice. And, yes, I think that school can be a little boring.

Semester Reflection

1. What are your areas of strength in the content areas you learned this semester?

My area of strength is probably creating art in Adobe Illustrator and in my sketchbook, as well as creating 2D animations (since it's basically the same thing). While I am not one for shading my art and I don't draw realism most of the time, you can't deny that the things I draw are very well-drawn and brightly colored. 

2. What are your areas in need of improvement?

Probably web design. I'm not too good at making complex websites, and, as mentioned before, Dreamweaver hates me. 

3. What did you love most about this semester?

For 1st quarter, what I loved most was the sketchbook drawings. They were always fun. For 2nd quarter, what I loved most was definitely the house animation. Not only did it give me a chance to be nerdy and weird, but it gave me a chance to do ridiculous things like put Eridan in a koi pond. That alone was worth it. 

4. What would you change or do differently? 

Nothing, really. This semester was amazing!

5. What is your overall take-away or learning this semester?

I learned so much about how to animate and draw things in Adobe Illustrator. This will definitely come in handy, since I am planning on making a web series in my free time, but shhh! That's a secret. 

6. What's one goal you'd like to set for next semester? Final thoughts?

To ham it up in Video Production next quarter, and just keep doing what I do! As for my final thoughts, all I can say is I'm so glad I got to join this program!