T2 2021: Week 8 — Refining & Developing
The weeks seem to go by faster and faster. Would you believe that I’m actually writing this weeks blog a day late?! That’s right. I completely got lost in the time. I had this epiphany as I was brushing my teeth.
“Wait…Oh my god! I forgot to write my blog!”
Cue the speed brush and rise, a sprint to the laptop and BOOM! Here we now are. Blogging and fresh breath, a solid combination.
Well, without any further hinderance or delay, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Masters Project Supervisor Meeting
Tuesday’s meeting with Michelle produced wonderful results for my survey construction. I had assembled a rudimentary list of potential questions for my would-be survey takers and with her guidance, I’ve been given the task of refining them and using them as a foundation for a prototype survey.
I spent some time this morning trying to adapt the questions into ones with multiple choice answers and re-organize them into a more appropriate order, which was a little trickier than I thought. I’m aiming to have the survey run about 5 to 10 minutes in length. The recommendations were to keep it as short as possible, to maximize user retention. A shorter survey, along with an emphasis on multiple choice questions should do the trick.
I’ve settled on what I believe is a suitable sample group as well. The survey will be primarily targeted towards Active and Non-Active Animators, in an age range between 18–35 years old. I think this an appropriate set up, but I’m prepared to change things if I need. I’ve already got some communities in mind where I can approach people and ask if they’re willing to participate in the survey, once it’s all ironed out of course.
I’m still leaning towards trying to get some expert interviews in as well. I’m not 100% on if this will work out or not. It’s hard to get industry vets to speak to anyone who isn’t an established player themselves. There are some potential candidates who have found their ways into dream jobs who no longer work there, so they may be easier to approach. We’ll see.
I’m looking forward to what Michelle thinks of these. I’m sure there will be plenty of re-writing and planning to do, but hey…it’s a start.
I’ve also got a couple of potential expert interview questions as well. I must remember to have Michelle glance at those too.
On an unrelated side note, I was able to catch up with Gemma. She stopped by Michelle’s office after me for her weekly critique. It was nice seeing her and seeing the incredible progress she has made on her project. Gemma definitely seems to have a firm grasp on her project and the process. I wish she would share some of that with me. Her MIRO board is so well constructed. Mine is a lumbering mess of ideas and non-starters. Ugh.
Note to self: Ask to speak to Kenny Wong (Disney Animation Apprentice) on LinkedIn.
Animation Mentor Class 06 — Feature Animation Acting & Polish
Well, I can now officially proclaim that my Animation Mentor Journey is truly complete. I suppose I could make the argument that it’s not officially over until after I graduate in November, but I guess that’s just semantics.
I’m somewhat nervous. I’m now, for all intents and purposes, on my own. I mean, I still have the fantastic community and I still have access to all the utilities that Animation Mentor provides, but…I still feel oddly alone.
Strangely, animating is a communal activity. Your work is always being reviewed and critiqued by your peers and colleagues. In a professional working environment, the majority of animators have to have their work assessed daily, this process is known as “Dailies.” While it can be daunting to have your work under such scrutiny, it also provides bountiful learning opportunities for the animator. Tons of things that the animator may have missed will be picked up by those reviewing it. It’s a marvelous way of developing a critical eye for animation and helps an animator become better.
The problem?
These situations only exist in professional settings.
As an amateur, sitting on the outside, it’s far tougher than one would assume to find consistent, reliable feedback. Most of the time, we’re left completely up to our own devices. Without this critical feedback, our work can stagnate and our skills can plateau.
I’m trying to figure out how I can overcome this problem. At the moment, I’m creating a game plan for how I want to proceed over the next year. Although I may not have gotten the apprenticeship I wanted, I can always work towards next year. It’s going to be very important that I come up with a solid plan that I can follow and prepare.
I’m feeling nervous, excited, scared and unsure. Really, the whole gamut to be honest. But, I have faith that I can do this. I’m just going to have to budget my time wisely. My Animation Mentor journey may be over, but my journey as an animator, is just getting started.
Seeing as this is now the end, I will no longer be including this section in the weekly blog. I may end up incorporating other endeavors if they prove relevant enough. We will just have to wait and see.
7539QCA — Design Research Methods
Naomi’s class continues to chug along. We’ve spent a litte more time covering methods and methodologies. It’s the one area that a lot of students struggled with, including myself.
After receiving some great feedback on my first assignment, I’ve decided I’m going to simplify a few things.
Now that I’ve got a better understanding of the project and my Methods and Methodologies, I’m going to cut out some things out. I had listed doing a Case Study as one of my Methods. After considering the project further, I’ve decided that this is no longer necessary.
I’m also going to be focusing more on Survey’s than Interviews. Resources permitting, I’ll still aim to include a small selection of Interviews, both expert and non-expert. This is still a developing area.
I’m also still in the process of refining the sample groups. To do this, I think I’ll create some user personas based around different individuals I may encounter during this process.
Animation Expert, Animation Junior, Animation Student and Non-Animator.
I think that should cover my bases. Once those have been built, I’ll do some dummy runs of my survey to see if the content I’m getting is pertinent to my aims and objectives. Based on that knowledge, I’ll adjust my sample group.
Conclusion
Progress is slow, but steady. I’m feeling pretty good about where things stand. I’ve still got a lot of work to do and I need to find the motivation to get it all done. Sometimes, I struggle to find that motivation. The project is daunting, but not impossible. One day, I’ll look back on all of this and think…
“That wasn’t so bad.”
I’m looking forward to that day. Thanks for reading! See you next week!
