e-Comm Reflection

My time in e-Comm has been a wonderful and beneficial experience. I have been able to create computer art that not very many people have had the chance to do yet. From Sophomore Year (I joined the program my second year of high school because I realized animation was what
I always wanted to do) to Senior Year, my time in animation will give me a head start in college and realize that this is what I want to do as a career. I couldn't imagine anything different. My teachers have been so helpful and encouraging to push me to create something I've never done before.

PROGRAMS, ANIMATIONS, AND WHAT I CAN WORK ON

From Photoshop to Illustrator to After Effects to Maya, I have made animations that will stay with me forever. It's always nice to look back on them and realize what a great opportunity this was. Everything seems better when you're passionate about what you love and can't wait to get started.

During my time in the program, I have worked on projects such as rotoscoping, a holiday greeting animation, kinetic typographies, animating a house, a glow animation, a stop motion animation I completed with a group, (I helped out with editing, taking pictures, and moving our group's character's around) and so much more.

If I had to do anything differently with my animations, I would probably draw more to my characters to add a bit more depth. It would add a lot more emotion. I don't draw as much as I should, but I know I'll have to practice more in college. Take my college animation, for example. It was a simple animation that took me a month to finish and all I did was have her eyes move around and only show a front view. I'll have to add various views next time, but I thought I conveyed the emotions pretty well. I'll definitely begin to draw more when I take art classes in college.

IMPROVEMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD ANIMATION

I believe I have improved as an e-Comm student by telling a story and having good time management. I never miss a deadline. Whenever I don't know how to work on a specific effect, I always ask my teacher or go to YouTube for help. Practicing various effects in the programs can help you improve as well. Also, I always worked hard and used my time wisely and diligently. I believe that will take me far in life and I have improved as an animator by following these criteria.

I have also learned the importance of patience. It's not going to be done in a week or two; you just have to take the time to make it how you want your animation to look. For example, my rotoscoping animation took me two months to complete. I started it in the middle of September and ended before Thanksgiving. I storyboarded then filmed the animation like a real music video, collaborated with a few video friends, and imported the clips into Photoshop to draw over frame by frame. It was hard work, but I loved how it turned out. It was fun, but at times it was a hassle because it was late in the semester and I wanted to get the animation done. But patience is always a virtue and I loved how it looked in the end. I lost track of how many hours I worked on it, but I averaged about a week per shot. That's what makes you a successful animator - working hard, keeping track of deadlines, being patient, and learning how to tell a good story. It all makes for a good animation.

WHERE I CAN TAKE WHAT I LEARNED AND WHAT I CAN CHANGE

I believe I can take what I've learned about animation in high school to college and life. From the Senior Show to Open House, it's beneficial to talk to people about what you have learned and where your passion can take you. I can take my skills from high school to Missouri State University and beyond. I would like to inspire kids and adults with my stories.

Also, if I could change anything to my animations, I could change the views to a side view or a 3/4 view to my character in my college animation. I can also use different kinds of type in my typographies. I believe I could change that criteria someday because I know I'll need to show a variety of emotions, character angles, and stories. There's so many things I could improve on. 

CONCLUSION

I'm almost out of high school, but I've got a long way to go professionally. I can't wait to see where my animations can take me and I want to meet new people who are just as passionate as me. It's just the start of a new life and new beginning. 

Senior Show Analysis

I believe my Senior Show was a success.

How was it so successful? Well, I got to talk to potential clients and school friends, of course! I got to talk about my years in e-Comm and showcase a demo reel. I joined e-Comm my Sophomore Year, so I got to show everything from that year to now. Everyone seemed to enjoy my videos and I even gave them my business card, which I was able to create in Illustrator. I believe I have improved as an e-Communication student by telling so many good stories. It's all a part of good animation.

I told people about my favorite project, my time in e-Comm, what kinds of animations I completed, how I improved as a student, and what college I will be attending. Everyone I talked to wished me good luck in the future. I even got to talk to other animation students in different grades who were in my teacher's class. They all seemed to really enjoy it! Everyone who participated in the show got to share their work, including the video, graphic design, and web design kids.

Everything seemed to work well, including my demo reel. I received wonderful feedback from parents and professionals. I also brought in my sketchbook so people could see what I drew over the years. I thought I could work on decorating my table to be a bit more professional, but less is always more. It's best not to make it too flashy. I also thought my sketches could have been better, since I don't draw as much as I should. I think they turned out nice and organized though.

Before the show, we need to mail five invitations to people who wanted to come. A couple were not able to be there, but I got to talk to my old piano teacher and he couldn't believe I'm graduating!

In all, it was such a fun Senior Show. I got to talk to so many people who I could potentially work for. It was a fun experience to see what I could do with my talent. I can't wait to see what my next journey will bring at Missouri State University. I will be majoring in Electronic Arts with an animation focus and minor in Marketing.

Thanks for reading! You can also take a look at my demo reel below my clicking on the link. Hopefully an experience like this will land me a great job in the future. I hope to start my own company, but I'll need professional experience first. Whichever comes first, it'll give me a great start for my future. You can also take a look at some pics below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X7IWYtnRt8

Me and my piano teacher. Please notice how short I am.

Jason and Kelsie

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