I wasn’t sure what to expect for the fall term review. The casual vibe of the review was perfect for me. I got a lot more out of the review this way.
The weird part about showing my animation in the screening room, is that I was either sitting in the dark, watching me and Bryson’s animations play over and over, or standing in the hall while people sat silently judging the work. And it also felt a little akward standing there while the people exited. Either way, I felt sort of alienated in that hallway, and I felt torn about where I should be and what I should be doing.
Anyway, as far as the actual review, I should have taken more notes because its difficult to recall the specific content at this point. Off the top of my head, it feels like the discussion was mostly questions directed toward me rather than suggestions or critique, which makes sense considering the early state of my project. It was suggested to me to include the dates and locations of the ads I used for my I Saw Us - to establish that they are based on real postings and to make it feel more authentic and significant. We also discussed submitting my work to different venues to get exposure and a response. One reviewer suggested submitting my work to New Grounds, as well as submitting my work to the publications themselves. The Eugene Weekly discovered my animations without my notification but I havn’t heard from the Mercury. I think its almost better to wait it out and let people discover them…at least until I have more material to present/submit. The artist with the domain eatpes.com was mentioned as something that I ought to check out at which point I was reminded by Ying that I was already familiar with his work - having seen it in her class.
As I mentioned, a large portion of my review was focused on work and opportunities outside of the program. I wrote down a short list of sites where you can submit your resume and let employers find you. We also talked about my internship – one of my reviewers happened to be a senior recruiter for LAIKA. It sounded like LAIKA was in a sort of transitional phase and not in an ideal position for interns, and what might be available was probably more on the commercial side. This led to a discussion over my interest in art and animation and whether or not working in the “machine” was something that suited my aspirations. Id like to make a career out of my passion for art, Ive worked hard to get where I am. But will a full time position in a media company developing someone elses ideas be a drain on my independent artistic pursuits? I think their is still alot I can learn from working for someone else, even if my creative input is minimized. Ive got to make a living somehow, and these are really the only skills that Ive honed/have the potential for the biggest payout. My hope is that if I work hard enough, keep producing, one day something will catch and with any luck I can make a living independently. All and all, I think the most useful information I recieved through the review was not directly related to my project or the BFA, but my life beyond the program.
