Blog #3: My Relationship With "Cartoons" From Childhood-Now

Basically what led me to begin being interested in animation was my fascination with TV when I was a child. I would sit in front of the TV a LOT, at least more than usual kids in the 90's did. I would watch Nickelodeon, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, and the PBS kids cartoon shows. There was a time that if you threatened to take away my TV I would burst into tears. Life seemed unimaginable without being able to sit in front of that box and watch magic occur right in front of my eyes. Just so you get a gist of the stuff I've grown up watching here's a short list of the shows I used to watch regularly: Catdog, Angry Beavers, Rugrats, Looney Toons, Tom & Jerry, Pokemon, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Doug, Hey Arnold!, Rocko's Modern Life, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius, Spongebob Squarepants, Wizard's of Waverly Place, etc.) As I got older I found that I was still watching cartoons regularly while other people were watching MTV, sports channels, and other  "boring" TV. I really haven't stopped watching cartoons all together but I'm more into the believable animation (fantasy or not) and the process of how things are made. A lot changed from the 90's to the present 2010's. Though I saw the differences in graphics and animation over the years, I can't really think of a complete list of the movies that impacted me most. I do however, know that the original Shrek, Toy Story, Harry Potter, 1000 B.C., Up!, Avatar, etc. did really peak my interest in animation and CGI/SPFX. (Avatar was probably THE most influential for me. I watched documentaries, read books, surfed the internet for information about it, I was extremely inspired.) I don't think that I would be as into creating movies if I hadn't watched the amount of TV/movies that I did as a kid. So I salute my parents for not always encouraging me to go outside, and for taking me out to movies a lot, they may have sparked my interest in my future career!

Blog #2: Flows and Struggles With FlipBook Assignment

So for the first time ever I'm working on creating an animation video that's really not that long, but I've never used After Effects or scanners for flashcards before. I've been having difficulties using the equipment in the animation room, and honestly I feel pretty dumb as a Media Arts student not being able to use a freaking SCANNER! Regardless of how I feel, it's kicking my ass. Between work and school and schoolwork finding time to finish this project seems to be the hardest thing right now, however I feel once I understand what I need to do that it will flow and seem soooo easy, I just need to get on top of things as of tomorrow and Monday. Although it will be last minute (which I hate) I'm going to get it done with the help of people that know what they are doing. #MediaArtsStudentProbs

Wish me luck!

Blog #1: Wormhole into the Future (Words of Wisdom to the Distressed Me)

Future Randi in April 2012,

Okay so I know you’re stressing out right now.  Do you remember when you signed up for this class and you weren’t so sure that it would work out because you hadn’t taken one of the prerequisite classes, but you decided to stick with it because you needed to figure out if animation was REALLY what you wanted to do with your life? Well maybe it’s time you revisit that. Remember the reasons why you decided to study animation and eventually CGI/SPFX. You want to create; you’re an artist! You’ve always been creative and you’ve always loved making things from nothing. You want to create something that will last and that will be known unto others. You LOVE movies, especially the ones with CGI/SPFX, or animated characters like the ones from Disney and Pixar. You want to create something that has a meaningful purpose so that you feel fulfilled when it’s all said and done. And lastly, you want a successful career that makes you good money to support a family. You stuck it out until this long, so remember why you’re doing what you’re doing. You are in this class to achieve much bigger dreams in the future. It may seem hard and stressful right now, but this will prepare you for your journeys ahead. Stay strong and work smarter not harder. Don’t forget your whole picture, and keep being creative. I hope you learned a lot in this course and didn’t let it defeat you. I hope you came out on top and passed the class with an A or B regardless of what Tarr said the odds were. So go kickass these last few weeks and do your best! Good luck!!

Love,

Past You From January 9, 2012