Three months ago, I started my journey as a 3D animator. Since my background comes from the graphic design field, the past weeks have been extremely challenging, yet rewarding.
Learning Animation & Software Skills
This term, the 3D Computer Animation Fundamentals Unit was crucial as it allowed me to learn about the principles of animation as well as the technical aspects of the software.
George’s sessions were essential, as he gave us an overview on the animation principles, besides from teaching us how to record reference videos. We also received numerous frame by frame corrections, which helped our characters to move in a natural way.
Nick’s sessions were also of utmost importance, as he explained to us how to navigate Maya’s interface. We also learned how to import rigs to our files, but most importantly, how to adapt them to fulfill our animation needs.
In this sense, both focal points were essential as they are complementary in the animation industry.
Receiving Work Feedback
I truly treasure the feedback my professors have given me since it enabled me to learn from my mistakes.
One of the major things I have cherished this term, was the meticulous feedback I received from George over the past weekends. I deeply appreciate one-to-one corrections, as he has helped me to become a better animator and push me even further. In this sense, he has helped me reconsider different issues which have led into a significant improvement of the animations I was working on.
Moreover, the time we had on campus to work on our animations was very limited, and therefore, I invested much time at home and over the weekends to practice and actively connect with the animaiton discipline.
Navigating the Journey
Taking into account that I did not have any experience at all in the animation field, it is understandable that at times the tasks were incredibly challenging for me.
Even though some times I ended up exhausted and frustrated when my animations did not go as I had pictured, what kept me going is my perserverance. Animation, as well as graphic design, is a journey we have to navigate and overcome the obstacles step by step.
Conclusions
I am truly grateful for my professors; the experience I gained; and the knowledge I acquired within the animation field. Furthermore, I am also looking forward to receiving more feedback and comments in order to become a better animator.