Media Practice in the UK - Personal Statement Example

Media Practice in the UK As (school name) is one of the best schools for media practice in the UK, I would like to join the Animation Directing course to pursue my lifelong ambition to become an animation and film director. I am attracted by the industry-standard facilities, and hope to become more familiar with certain types of technology which I may not have used yet. If I am accepted to your university, I will dedicate my best work to this course: I feel that my commitment will result in a good grade, which will reflect well both on myself and on the university. After this I hope to either join an animation team for the production of a television programme or film, or, alternately, set up one myself. It is unwise to be too focused in the current economic climate, so although I remain ambitious, I am keeping my mind open to whatever comes along. Describe why you feel your background, experience and aptitude make you a suitable candidate for the Animation Direction course. Personally, I cannot help but feel that the Animation Direction course is the best thing I could possibly do with my life at the moment. As a teenager, I felt caged in my surroundings, and found that I could only release my emotions through the creation of a story and the visualization of ideas. Since I was nine years old and started making flip books, I have spent much of my free time – and all of my time in higher education – writing novels and drawing comic books. Such a hobby came naturally to me, and happily it is something at which I am skilled. This is why I am applying, specifically, for the Animation Direction course. I studied the Media, Art and Design Foundation course at the London College of Communication; I have a BA in Animation from the University of Westminster, and an MA in Illustration and Animation from Kingston University. I have excelled in these courses, due to both my passion and my talent. I have studied film theory in depth, and developed both practical and mental skills necessary for the type of career I am entering. I am also a confident person and have never been shy to communicate my artistic visions: I am always discussing projects with my peers and potential colleagues. Given your choice of specialisation, describe in your own words the role you would expect to take in the process of development and production of an animated film. I would welcome the chance to work at the highest possible level, as a director. The director of an animated film holds the most senior position in the animation department, and as such is ultimately and personally responsible not only for the quality of the animation, but also for the department's ability to produce results on time. This means that from the very beginning I would have to liaise with the writers to understand their vision and help communicate that vision to the artists. Delegation is an important part of being a director, so I would need to be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team member to be able to assign work fairly and to the best advantage; later on I would critically review the work of my staff, encouraging or suggesting improvement as necessary. Select one item from your submission and write an evaluation of the dramatic strengths and weaknesses including that of your own creative contribution. One of my submission items was the opening live-action footage of my experimental animation. I challenged myself to create an effective atmosphere without using sound effects. The series of close-ups on banal items such as shoes and gloves heighten the senses, and the cinematic colour I used creates a feeling of suspense in the audience. More astute members of the audience will work themselves into a state of fear, creating links between the blue saturation and bathroom, in silence. I believe I have succeeded in making an atmospheric opening scene without resorting to music or sound effects. I am proud of the final result, particularly as it was shot with a Canon S90 camera and no special equipment. However I would like to see how I could improve the film with specialist equipment. What kind of films, television programmes or media productions do you intend to concentrate on in your future career? Please give examples and/or influences. I am interested in creating both films and television programmes, although I see them as very different types of media and, as such, I have very different ambitions to follow in these areas. I would like to create films influenced by such programmes as the various CSI series, particularly CSI: New York, and Criminal Minds, because I think it takes a powerful director to take this kind of crime thriller and extend it, successfully, into a feature-length film. The most successful thrillers have generally been TV shows like 24, which can produce tightly-crafted storylines in a short time period each week. I recognize that these present their own challenges, but I think it is much more difficult (and hence much more rewarding) to sustain the 'thriller' emotion in an audience over a period of ninety minutes to two hours, particularly in the twenty-first century. In terms of television programmes, I am keen to join the legion of animation directors who have succeeded in creating popular shows for children. This is by no means a niche area, but I feel I could contribute to the genre with a series of short animated films for young people. As a child I deplored the lack of imagination and maturity in animated shows, and I dream of an animated series which does not talk down to children. Relevant Skills – list here any certified or technical skills (ie software programmes) that you have gained and which you consider to be relevant to your specialisation. I am skilled at using the following software programmes, after using them copiously in my earlier studies: Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro and 3D Maya. Tell us about any other interests including your leisure activity. My interests are as varied as the genre of film itself: I am fascinated, primarily, by how the mind works. Psychology and philosophy I find highly interesting, and enjoy reading about these other areas of study in my free time. I hope to be able to portray some of my learnings through my animated work. The cultural manifestation of mind is also interesting to me, such as the study of religion and art history. The most successful animators probe deeply into the human subconscious. Similarly, I am constantly aware of potential storylines in everyday life. One of my leisure activities is to observe strangers and hypothesize about their lives: what do their shoes say about them, or the shape of their nails? What does a person's unique gesture, or posture, or tone of voice say about them? These are integral aspects of humanity, and something that an animator must be aware of if they want their audience to identify on a deeper level with an animation. Also, I simply find it fun. I am an active person: I play football and go running in my spare time. Read More