SWOT
What elements did I find the most difficult?
Creating in Unity and blender was absolutely impossible at first, and still is to be honest. I think it’s due to the technicality of the advanced softwares. The complex structure of these softwares makes everything complicated, so when I’m trying to make an asset, or build up an island, I have no idea how to do certain things because I can’t find how. There have also been times when I don’t realise the limits and possibilities of the softwares, so it causes me to limit my ideas and plans. I definitely come up with ideas I’m happy with, but these become less how I envisioned them because I believe that I won’t be able to carry out the idea I have.
What things would I like to improve on?
Although my biggest weakness is technical softwares, that’s not what I want to improve on solely because of where I see myself in the future. Lately, I have been pulling further towards the film side of things. I understand that is a general term and that is why I am still struggling to find specifically where I want to take my focus. But I love learning about film and attempting edits so much that I’ve built a strong liking towards both areas. This is why I feel it would make the most sense, and for myself, to build on the skills I’ve already learned and learn even more. It intrigues me a lot so I feel that this would be enjoyable for me but also incredibly helpful. Over the holidays, I completed research into things like camera angles, camera movement, colour tone, colour temperature, types of cuts in film, and Steadicams & Gimbals. This was all really fun for me, and I learned loads, so I am looking forward to personally adding onto that and becoming increasingly knowledgeable in this sector to really help me.
What could I find myself focusing on?
Following on from the last question I believe I have chosen what I would like most for my future. I am open to learning and experiencing more in the other various subjects, however I certainly know what my focus is right now and what I am planning to continue developing knowledge and technical skills in. Creating video content is of strong interest to me and I thoroughly enjoy editing videos, coming up with creative ideas and making videos from scratch using a camera and other equipment. The film side of things has definitely sparked me, so I have chosen to apply attention to that. Also had the recent idea of a producer. This would match well with my organisational skills and something I could definitely see myself doing and enjoying. Another job is director, or specifically, film director. This is quite a stretch and huge goal that I would like to aim towards. At this time I do feel this is an unrealistic choice, but it isn’t necessarily bad to want a key role like this. I always have the ideas for films and how they look (how the acting is done and deciding how scenes are shot) but I don’t really have the skills to execute it or physically produce it which is why this job would suit me really well.
Where are my strengths?
Strangely enough, animation has been a strong point for me since the beginning of the year. I have a natural ease when developing ideas for animations and I have demonstrated my skills through the numerous animations I have posted on my YouTube channel. I have created a variety of animations such as digital videos made using PowerPoint, and Claymation using Plasticine. I did really well with my animation project at the beginning of 2021. I was really happy with the result of this and made me realise that I was better at animation than I thought. This animation was live animation as it involved real objects. Creating ideas from the base of my imagination is something I have found easy enough as I have never struggled to form ideas no matter what the brief. Self-motivation is another thing that comes as a given trait, depending on the task at hand, and it helps me hugely in delivering work and content to an efficient standard.
What area of digital media have I enjoyed the most?
Definitely the video editing side of film and digital media. I love making videos from my imagination come to life and editing can be so enjoyable for me as I’ve already discussed. Most of the time I plan by creating the image in my head and can use this method to make editing choices and film making choices. I ask myself questions like “What colour temperature would give the mood I’m looking for here?” and “Which camera movement can create the effect I would prefer?”
What specific sector could I learn more about?
Of course, automatically I would suggest film production. But there are so many different areas of each sector that I could gain lots from thorough research. There are job roles that I’ve been looking at in animation that I have interest in.
What threats would I be facing while getting into the industry I want?
Over saturation is the biggest thing I will certainly need to look out for. The film industry already has many people within it, and I question whether I would be able to acquire a job here. The game industry is becoming so increasingly popular, and the job roles entail a very wide range so this could be something to investigate. Other people at a higher stage than me is a problem. Someone who is aiming for the same role as me may be the one to get the job due to more experience and better understanding of the field, also generally having more skills. Lacking experience will have a big impact on whether I am able to acquire jobs. For most jobs you need to have experience of many things and I think this means it will take me longer to reach my goal. I also believe that it’s all good having the ideas, but I need to actually make use of them. Whenever I have an idea, I need to get into the habit of noting these ideas down. That would be a good starting point. Joining a film club could also be beneficial to me as well as it gives me a chance to build and create my skills and ideas.
How could I improve my technical skills?
You learn more by physically doing. So, dedicating my time to develop helpful skills is the best way forward. Learning a little bit every day is the best strategy and will help me to get the experience I want as it breaks it up. There are lots of video courses online (places like Udemy) which can come to great use.
How could I improve my creative ideation?
Developing techniques like mind mapping and creating lists will let me become more confident in producing ideas for a video or project. Asking myself questions seems to work in creating ideas of a good structure. Following the ‘who, what, why, where, when, how’ always works.
