UNIVERSITY RESEARCH - ROUGH NOTES - 9/6/21
Evidence Methods and Future Plans:
1. recordings of me talking about ideas/my work
2. blogs - Day out to universities
3. backups if university fails (explore other possible future paths)
4. write ups (text)
5. websites and other references
Other Priorities:
1. portfolio research
2. portfolio development
3. 3D skill development
Useful Websites:
Course search results (discoveruni.gov.uk)
Animation Degree BA (Hons) | University of Portsmouth
Animation creative portfolio guide | University of Portsmouth
BA (Hons) 3D Animation and Visual Effects | Courses | University of Hertfordshire (herts.ac.uk)
BA (Hons) 3D Games Art & Design | Courses | University of Hertfordshire (herts.ac.uk)
BA (Hons) Computer Animation Art and Design degree | Bournemouth University
Extra ideas:
Hertford, Portsmouth and Bournemouth Uni (Option 1, 2 and 3) - Order to be decided...
Falmouth university? - Option 4?
South Essex Uni (SEC) - 5th and final option
UNIVERSITY INITIAL IDEAS - WRITE UP - 10/6
Now, the FMP is over and with it Year 1 is complete. However we have 3 weeks remaining until the break off before Year 2 begins. I need to prepare for Year 2 and plan my next steps beyond. For instance where do I want to go, who do I want to become? As well as establishing multiple possible destinations, I will also need to map out the route and step necessary to get there.
University has been a goal of mine for many years at this point. I had my mind set on it way back in 2017 (my Year 11 school year). I nearly went there to study Maths in 2020. Studied 3 A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Psychology before deciding a career change was needed. I went through the UCAS process, crafted my personal statement, gather references from my teachers, got 4 offers and narrowed down to my final 2 - only to cancel in January/February.
This means I have a small head start in comparison to my class mates, with a small amount of experience due to going through the process once before.
However animation is not maths and I am already aware of some major changes between each. Most, if not all, animation courses at level 4 will require an interview before an offer is even considered. Compared to Maths which mainly relied on the grades on the test.
I will also need to construct a portfolio to get into these Universities. It is an unskippable step into getting in and so must be research just as thoroughly. Each course will have specific requirements for their portfolio, I will need to cater to multiple offers while having a broad enough range present to not isolate any offers off.
PORTSMOUTH - 10/6
This is the University that I have had my eye on for years. I originally had an unconditional offer to study here for Mathematics but turned it down for an animation career. The city is beautiful, the staff is friendly and I generally had an amazing time at their open day back in 2019.
Now the original idea was to screenshot important areas of their website to gather information on the course. This was to be done for all the universities I am interested in. However, I found with Portsmouth's website that it is simply far too big. Once I was done with my screenshots, half the website was uploaded to my wix. This is especially annoying if I was to start comparing Universities. By the time that the other 4 unis have been covered, the information would just turn into a mass of text and images. I will have to experiment with different methods going ahead - maybe a excel spreadsheet.
Portsmouth, U. o., n.d. ANIMATION BA (Hons). [Online]
Available at: https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/ba-hons-animation
[Accessed 10 June 2021].
Key areas of information are underlined in red below. 12 hours a week of contact time is roughly what I get at my current college, so it's very manageable.
reference
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
Extras, C., 2021. 10th June Blog - Beginning of 3D and Uni Res. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNxwcp_g7N4
[Accessed 10 June 2021].
OPEN DAY BOOKING CONFIRMATIONS - 10/6
too detailed
take essential info into box after for 5 unis rather than huge amount like you did with port...
compair - portfolio sect - video work show compair - entry compair
too detailed
take essential info into box after for 5 unis rather than huge amount like you did with port...
compair - portfolio sect - video work show compair - entry compair
VIRTUAL Bournemouth Uni Open Day - 12/6 - 14/6
Extras, C., 2021. BU Virtual Open Day PART 1. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VC1IH_e-TE
[Accessed 12 June 2021].
Extras, C., 2021. BU Virtual Open Day PART 2. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1CutUVxpFc
[Accessed 12 June 2021].
So I attended and recorded my experiences at Bournemouth's virtual open day. There is easily over 3 hours of footage above. Part 1 focuses on animation courses and gathering useful websites to look at in the future. While Part 2 focuses on game courses and Bournemouth Uni as a general.
Although I mainly intended to look at the animation side, the games talk was in a convenient place to watch. A benefit it seem (compared to being there in person) is the fact that everything is in 1 place in the comfort of my own home. This made jumping from area to area much easier and more convenient. Furthermore, I was able to ask multiple questions to varying levels of teachers/students at the same time. Any questions I had were answered swiftly. They could provide me with links to sites with more information. I was able to get multiple perspectives at the same time.
On top of this, I could see what other students were asking and their answers - a feat impossible in normal circumstances.
Many of the questions I had planned to ask were dealt with by other students and applicants. Screenshots of said questions can be seen below. There were also many questions I asked that were not screenshotted.
Websites ranged from several potential courses, personal statements, year aboard, placement year, clubs/societies, sports and more.
A prospectus may of covered these if the open day was in person. However the virtual experience provided me with the sources of everything I needed to know. I intend to scroll through all these and find out as much as possible. This wouldn't of been possible on the actual day (due to all the talks) but will definitely be helpful going forward.
Overall I was very impressed with the experience. I expected to have to deal with many technical issues. I also didn't expect it to hold as much value as going there in person. However, until I personally visit the area, I can't make a judgement for if the university is for me or not. The course details, staff and existing students all seems great. However until I see the accommodation, city, vibes/feelings and the general area, I don't know if ill be happy for 4 years.
I will say now. Regardless if I end up in Bournemouth, Portsmouth or Hertfordshire, I am perfectly happy to attend any of the 3.
Now I was surprised by how tailored I would have to make my portfolio to get onto these specific courses. There are 2 games courses and 4 animation courses, each with different approaches and requirements. This experience gave me a very broad insight into each 1, how it's structured and the main content covered.
For example the vfx portfolio is demanding observational art (like "computer animation art and design") but has extreme emphasis on high detail, digital observation, as close to reality as possible.
Now computer animation and design has closer ties to a fine art portfolio than a 3d collection. When mentioning Maya to staff, they recommended that it would be better in technical art. However technical art contains more programming and coding, which I don't like at all from past experiences. Observational drawing, still life, understanding of people (anatomy, shape, movement...) as well as environment and character designs. This is what I will likely tailor my portfolio towards, combined with 3D Maya work - I should have most bases covered. I am going to be looking at the courses in more details to see what each entail in terms of topics. I found out at the presentation that this particular course covers the majority of the design process.
As a side note, I did find out that 80 - 100 student are submitted to computing animation and design. However the other animation courses have very few spaces in comparison.
When asking about portfolios below, I was redirected to the course page of each. The small box of info on each is what I have to go off.
Figure drawing, human drawing (in particular photographs or drawing classes), pose sheets and expression sheets are also recommended. Anything that explores the human body, structure, poses and figure. These messages give me a good idea into what they are interested in. Although the website is very brief and wide ranged. These comments narrow it down for me and let me improve it even more.
Also the first year is completely coursework, with no actual exam into year 2.
Sketchbooks are also regarded highly. Its not just the polished final product they are interested in. They want to see progress, improvement and development. I already have 1 character design and 1 environment art (digital) that could be improved and adapted. The start of a sketchbook is also in development.
Another thing I could try and do (which I haven't attempted up to this point) is sequence images. This will help me practice my anatomy, form and depth while showing a core understanding of animation.
1.1
Although as of this point, I currently do not have a personal statement for my UCAS application. My ambition is to go to university, one of the best universities for my industry. I have the strength of the fact I went through the ucas application process once before - possessing knowledge of the process. I have the strength of being able to write a lot of my ideas out in a short space of time, quickly creating any work/missing links within my application. While my time-management needs to be improved my dedication and commitment is good. My other weakness, in terms of soft skills, is my patients. I need to be able to deal with situations while keeping my composure. Sometimes it is not worth the battle. Other time you only need some time to fix an issue. I need to not be so gun-ho when it comes to my ambitious workload. My currently level of my grades and course work are exceptional when time is given to complete it. The only area that is currently dragging my academic grades down is my core time management, occasionally leaving important tasks too late. This weakness needs to be fixed for both university and for future employment. As meeting my deadlines is a important skill if one is to be successful.
Personal Statement Draft 1 - 17/6
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
Personal Statement Draft 1 - FEEDBACK 1 - (2.2)
Throughout the process of me creating a personal statement, I have to use my current knowledge to make it as good as possible. Although this wont be a complete knowledge. So a way I will account for that weakness is to routinely ask for critique and feedback to improve my work.
The image to the right of this text is the personal statements with the necessary adjustments made. Although extremely rough round the edges, good progress is being made towards my future at university. Every time my application is improved (whether the personal statement, cv, cover letter...) I am one more step closer to reaching my destination.
Personal Statement Draft 1.5 - NEW PLAN - (2.2)
UCAS, 2014. Personal statements – Finding a formula. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8hFkMAjW-I
[Accessed 19 June 2021].
These videos will help me in improving my personal statement. It will begin to highlight any common key weaknesses in my personal statement. Tips such as don't waffle especially needs to be kept in mind -as I have a habit of waffling.
thestudentroom, 2016. Why your Personal Statement may get rejected (from Oxford, Sussex, Greenwich and Bangor university). [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlg_oGHX7e0
[Accessed 19 June 2021].
Personal Statement Draft 2 - (2.2)
My personal statement has been improved through the use of the research sources above. The videos let me explore common pitfalls many at my current level fall into. Likewise, planning my writing in advance really help me organise my thoughts. Although considering the importance of the personal statement - my 1 chance to sell myself on my university application - I want to get this perfect. There will be multiple drafts written after the draft above. Several areas can still be improved. For example I likely spend too much time talking about pizza hut. With such a limited wordcount, I cant afford to do that. I also haven't answered the question of why university? why is it for me? what do I hope to achieve there? These questions will have to be clearly answered for my personal statement to be successful. My main ambition is to get into Hertford , one of the best universities in the uk for animation. If I am to set a good impression, I will need to have a excellent personal statement and cover letter. While the cover letter is mostly out of my control, created by teachers, I do have the power to make a good personal statment.
VIRTUAL Hertfordshire Uni Open Day - (1.1, 2.1)
1.1, 2.1
The talks at the university has helped me greatly in understanding what the unis are looking for. Tailoring my CV and cover letter towards my future roles will increase my chances of getting in. The skills the universities are looking for are similar to the skills used to get jobs later on. This gives me a strength that few have at my current level. Unlike most people on a level 3, I have already went through the UCAS process once before. I have attended these university open days, virtual, talks, applicant days...
This experience means I already have a great understanding in the process required to get onto a level 4 course. I initially went to study maths, however my ambition changed to study animation instead.
of course there are still drawbacks. Due to the new area and career, my understanding on how the job applications work is extremely limited. To solve this, I will later find examples of job advertisements to booster my cv and understanding of the industry. Because as of right now, my knowledge is not good enough to get a job within the career. Although limited, I do possess some understanding from personal research in other projects outside this one.
CV - Development and Progression - (2.2)
My CV has been a work in progress for the last 5 years. Although earlier copies may be lost to time, I have saved a copy of my first CV and my CV from the last 2 years. The 2022 version was created off the feedback and lessons during south essex college.
When it came to the earlier versions, it resembled the new structure. The headings were the same, just with less content to their name. At this point I had few qualifications and little employment experience.
As I experienced new things my portfolio of experiences expanded. I added more onto my qualifications including GCSEs, A-levels and volunteering.
Likewise, by 2022, other aspects no longer relevant to my profile were removed. The Intermediate maths challenge bronze award at secondary school was useful for getting a position as a student in A-level maths. Although as a level 3 animation student, this no longer serves a purpose.
Likewise my pool of references expanded with my experiences. Much of my current critique has been focused at personal statements. Although much of the same statements will be applied to my CVs.
2.1
The improvements made from my 2021 CV to my 2022 CV were done during this project. CV's are highly important as they are necessary for almost every job application. When I applied to PIZZA Hut back in 2017, I still had to hand a functional CV over to the manager. My personal statement is required as part of my UCAS APPLICATION. without it I cannot go to uni which would close me off to my ambitious progression routes. So it is VERY important!!!
I broke down my old CV and made sure to reference the desired skills found in the job adverts below. I also spoke to my tutors to see what employers were looking for in an applicant. The cover letter is written by the teacher as a part of the UCAS process. This is the university's deep dive into you as a person outside your own opinion of yourself. The teacher will tell them who you are and your overall attitude to learning. This could be the make or break of your university application - HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
Job Application Research - (2.1)
This section will look at my current knowledge to make applications within my chosen career routes. This tracks MY PROGRESSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF MY UNDERSTANDING ON HOW TO GET A JOB IN THE INDUSTRY.
So right of the back I realised I have little to no experience when it comes to job application. So I went onto indeed to look at current job applications. Looking through these gave me a basic understanding on what employers are looking for in an applicant. In order to be employable, these companies are looking for in depth experience within the specific area (in this case 3D). Skills that help you manage deadlines, work well in a team and working independently.
Thanks to this experience with looking into job roles. I have become more prepared and furthered my understanding into how to apply to my future progression routes. The end goal of my university experience and college life being a job within the animation industry. The jobs above focus on various levels of roles (for greater variety) and a few examples of different niches.
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go-to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
Hertford Student Talk
+
Application Progress (1/2-4/2)
Thanks to the progress I did on my personal statement, and the cover letter my TEACHER created, I got an interview at my chosen university. So much of my time was spent on my portfolio, alongside my discipline project.
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go-to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
YouTube Progress - Socials - (3.1)
Extras, C., 2018. Callums Extras. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrV3fpc46-H4Cvq1cVBiTDQ
[Accessed 11 February 2022].
This section is specific to analyse which social medias would be a better option to use for my art career. The social media on this wix site have accounts created for all of them. That way I can experience the benefits of multiple accounts and network across them. Likewise, having a singular account will only strengthen any flaws with said platform. For example YouTube is used for videos. Videos that rely heavily on watch time and external algorithms to get it out to the world. This site would not be viable for singular pieces of work. Although big studies (videos of 10-20mins), would make much more sense.
So I decided to begin to convert my old YouTube channel to make it more professional. I began to go through old videos and private any that didn't make my cut. If they served no purpose, they were cut. The channel description was edited as well as the channel art.
The results of my progress can be seen below. This channel looks much more associated with art content than it did before. While it's origins lie in gaming, the conversion to an art channel has commenced.
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go-to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go-to font for titles, paragraphs & more.
Instagram - Socials - (24/1-30/1)
Now Instagram runs differently to YouTube. Videos run for an average of 30 seconds over 15 minutes. Although this social media is made more for posts (photos/vids) rather than videos. There is the option to livestream on stories, similar to YouTube.
This makes Instagram amazing for quick posts. It takes much less time to make than YouTube content. YouTube does also have YouTube shorts, similar to Instagram reels.
This would be a good way to advertise a YouTube video. However, my art videos would be extremely short if I was to post it here. As a support, this app can be useful although it's format is not suitable for my purpose.
Like most other social medias, Instagram's algorithm helps those who upload consistently. Saves are prioritised over likes.
When working in tandem with other apps, this could be very useful.
LINKED IN - Socials - (14/1)
Linked In is specifically built for career purpose. It is layed out similar to Facebook or twitter. Although it is purposely created for job advertisement and people looking for jobs. This grants the social media a greater professionalism compared to the other 2 social media. Although it is also the one I have had the least experience with. More research needs to be done.
The issue I found is that a lot of the information it asks for are for degree level and above. Job experience for example is something I lack in the animation industry. However this site is built to showcase your career. For someone with little experience to his name, there is little I can put on this site. This will be useful in the future when I reach a degree level. Until that point there is little use for me in this site.
ART STATION - SOCIALS - (28/12-4/2)
This website is one of the most useful for my career. it allows me to professionally present my work for interviews and career related events. It is built specifically for art, unlike Insta or YT built for almost every aspect. I used it during the UCAS process to display my portfolio for university. It has already help my career in the art world. Images can be uploaded and shown like Instagram. I can also link YouTube videos in my posts. This lets me have the benefits of Instagram and YouTube at once.
I have little issue with this social media. It does all the purposes that I look for in an Art Software.
Personal Statement Draft 3-5
DRAFT 3
DRAFT 4
DRAFT 5
HERTFORD
UCAS APPLICATION
EVALUATION + EXPLAINATION OF EACH CRITERIA
Extras, C., 2022. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - PROJECT 2, TASK 1 EVALUATION. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmtCRxRhB0Q
[Accessed 11 February 2022].
Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go-to font for titles, paragraphs & more.