S.M.A.R.T targets / 27th Nov – 3rd Dec

In the industry and during education it can often be hard to find the time to self-reflect and aim my projects in a direction that is accurate regarding self-improvement and artistic growth. This is often due to been immersed in the creative process and creating engaging content for personal interest and that of a client. There is a time though where a line must be drawn, and an artist must be self-critical and decisive, this is where ‘S.M.A.R.T’ targets come in! ‘S.M.A.R.T’ Is an acronym that stands for ‘Small’, ‘Measurable’, ‘And’, ‘Realistic’, ‘Targets’. This translates into a weekly review of my current projects and goals for the purposes of artistic growth through accurate and appropriate target setting regarding my current goals and skillset into a concise action plan.

Context of last week

Last I planned to address the targets of critically analysing one of my print batches as well as researching character walk cycles, photoshop animation, motion graphics, and Maya animation to support both my Digital Skills Application and Alternative techniques modules. I did not achieve these targets which is an important thing to address this week as to why these targets were not achieved and how I can attend to the obstacles that resulted in this outcome and better plan for next time.

Last week I began my research character walk cycles which will be posted onto my blog as soon as it is completed, and for the most part is nearly complete. Alongside this research I spent time looking into walk cycles that I deem to exert an amount of brilliance and impact as a result of clever creativity through both animation techniques and thoughtful character design. I am confident that due to my time spent identifying these resources for observation that I will be able to take my research outcome further than I would have previously been able to take it.

Alongside my research I had the opportunity to take part in one tutor ran workshop and one class organised one taking my previously etched 5mm acrylic plate and utilising it in a roller press to create both embossed cards prints and 1 tone relief prints. The experience of executing and demonstrating my understanding in relief print creation is an integral part in the success of my alternative techniques module and I am confident I am making good time and work regarding Its execution.

Although I deviated from my original plan of analysing character walk cycles last week I did perform research into animation workflow and process. Last week I spent time reading extracts out of the “Animators Survival Kit”, a book written by industry veteran Richard Williams. Due to the context of my Digital Skills Application module, workflow is an integral aspect of my projects learning objectives and due to this when reading into the Animators Survival Kit I made sure to take note of workflow and approach as this will lay the foundation for my traditional animation aspect within my third module.

 

The above photograph is a picture highlighting what the “Animators Survival Kit” looks like as well as an example page of workflow.

What I need to reflect on

My original plan for the week was to research, reflect, and analyse. This did not come to pass due to a change in priority I placed on the creation of multiple different relief prints as well as co-ordinating with my colleagues how to better improve the results of our novice production utilising the roller-press. I feel this boils down to a lack of boundaries and a short-term time plan ensuring that I complete each task in the order I require it to be done. Currently I follow a list method of approach where I highlight tasks that need to be done in yellow, completed tasks in green, and tasks I should do next in blue. This has worked well up to this point but I feel that It may be time to refine this approach to task execution to include time frames to better achieve time scaling when dealing with a larger number of tasks.

Above is an example of last week’s tasks and how I approached them from a planning standpoint.

Having spent time studying workflow and approach from the Animators Survival Kit I now need to try and test the methods outlined so that I can reflect on such a method and create an analysis. To do this I believe it is best to approach my line tests for the first scene of my Digital Skills Application module utilising the methods and approaches which I have read about and were outlined within the book. I am confident as a result of this research and it’s testing that the resulting animated test will ensure I can take this project further than I could have otherwise.

Target 1 – Create a new approach and method for managing short-term deadlines.

Time scaling is an issue that all creatives must face. The difference between aspiration and achievement regarding industry standards is the methods, approaches, and coping mechanisms that a professional makes use of to tackle such obstacles. I in the past have combated this issue by dividing a large project into smaller tasks with short deadlines to micro manage my ability to meet deadlines and utilise time effectively however my last SMART targets goals were not met, and I feel it is a result of a lack of boundaries in my management of short-term deadlines. To solve this issue, I will create a blog post outlining an alternative method for ensuring short-term deadlines are met successfully. I can measure the success of this target by achieving an alternative solution that works. This can be assessed by not missing another targets short-term deadline moving forward.

Target 2 – Execute 3-line tests utilising the workflow I researched in the Animators Survival Kit.

On Tuesday working through until Thursday I will be in timetabled in class where I will be performing my production processes. I have planned to spend my time executing line tests for my Digital Skills Application module and as such will utilise this time to apply this target in practice. I can measure the success of the target by successfully completing and posting about these line tests onto this blog where I can review them as well as discuss the strengths and weaknesses of my newly developed approach.

Conclusion

In response to my two outlined targets for this week I will be performing in-class animation character walk-cycle line tests making sure to apply the approach and methods that I have read about in the “Animators Survival Kit” Book. Upon completion of at least 3-line tests I will reflect and record my process outlining the strengths and weaknesses of my reflective process refining my cycle until I am confident in its results. On top of this in-class production work I will in my own time be outlining and developing a new approach to managing short-term deadlines which I will script and outline on my blog discussing the benefits and solutions of this approach. By completing each of these tasks, I will achieve my SMART targets.