Friday, May 15, 2009

1st year retrospective : D



My first-year film. :D I was lucky enough to have it included in the Producer's Show--actually a record number of freshmen got in this year. Watching the show is very surreal, though. The open show is very loud, which has the charm of removing the awkward to some extent--in the Producer's Show, a string of animations can go by with only a lukewarm applause at the end of each one, especially if you're lagging into the second half. I got intensely flustered about my position between three senior films and went spinning off somewhere and couldn't focus.

With that Show ended, the year is basically over. The only thing to do in Character Animation is to creep through abandoned cubes and go through the motions of trying to enjoy all the performances and shows you said you were going to go to once you were done with your film.

Here's some things I think I know:
1. As soon as you get to Calarts, the astounding achievement of having gotten into Calarts becomes immediately unimpressive.
2. Color and Design is a weird class. I'm still not sure I learned anything except how to follow strict instructions.
3. Story by Robert McKee was actually worth reading, but Story for Animators isn't so much worth taking.
4. Storyboarding is mysterious. So is storyboarding class.
5. Sometimes a bad rig happens.
6. Figure drawing is pretty creativity expression time, not learning time (unless you force yourself to learn).
7. BIGGEST REGRET: being stuck with the cafeteria food!! It's not awful, but the monotony of taste makes it absolutely unbearable.
8. Some people have REALLY GREAT music libraries.
9. If you went to CSSSA, the weather in the first three weeks and the last weeks of school will be very disorienting. It feels and smells much like CSSSA.
10. Interaction with other departments is optional.
11. Love Sushi has the cheapest, best sushi in possibly the whole world.
12. Getting out of critical studies classes is a good thing.
13. People are nice but it takes a long time to figure that out. It takes me a long time to figure that out.