History 1
A question I am asked a fair amount is, "How did you get to animate at PDI (you lucky %$#@)?". Rather than rehashing the same old history every few months, I thought that I would commit my (not very) amazing story to words so that I can lazily direct people here, henceforth.
As a child, I was always drawing, and upon my introduction to computers in school, I realised that I wanted to "draw with computers". Where the moving drawings come in, is, I suppose, a result of the combination of "Toy Story" and the original Star Wars films mixing in my brain and making a popping noise. I was around fifteen at that point I suppose, and I began tailoring my studies to achieve that goal. I took Mathematics and Design subjects for my chosen subjects, and began looking for university courses that could teach me the other stuff.
Looking through all of the prospecti for various places around Britain, it was actually my dad who found the listing for "Computer Visualisation & Animation" at the National Centre for Computer Animation, Bounemouth University. Straight away, that seemed like the right place to go, and so I applied for the undergraduate program. Unfortunately the programme is ridiculously over-subscribed, but I managed to secure one of the 50 places available annually through the winning tactic of desperation and jammy babbling. Note to future applicants: I don't know if they still ask this one, but make sure you have a decent answer to, "From a cinematographic point-of-view, what is your favourite film?".
With my place in the bag, I realised that before I jumped straight into computer geekery, I wanted to learn a little more about using a pencil and paper, and that kind of stuff, so i deferred my place at the NCCA and went to the Glamorgan Centre for Art & Design Technology to take an Art & Design foundation course. Although a great place to learn in many respects, it was there that I was told I would never make an animator because my drawings were too static (read, rubbish), and that I was better off with graphic design. (Good call on that one, squire!)
Ho hum. So anyway I ignored that advice and started at Bournemouth in 1998, and now nursing a massive inferiority complex....
Time to stop here for now, I think, and I will continue this journey down memory lane later.
: )
As a child, I was always drawing, and upon my introduction to computers in school, I realised that I wanted to "draw with computers". Where the moving drawings come in, is, I suppose, a result of the combination of "Toy Story" and the original Star Wars films mixing in my brain and making a popping noise. I was around fifteen at that point I suppose, and I began tailoring my studies to achieve that goal. I took Mathematics and Design subjects for my chosen subjects, and began looking for university courses that could teach me the other stuff.
Looking through all of the prospecti for various places around Britain, it was actually my dad who found the listing for "Computer Visualisation & Animation" at the National Centre for Computer Animation, Bounemouth University. Straight away, that seemed like the right place to go, and so I applied for the undergraduate program. Unfortunately the programme is ridiculously over-subscribed, but I managed to secure one of the 50 places available annually through the winning tactic of desperation and jammy babbling. Note to future applicants: I don't know if they still ask this one, but make sure you have a decent answer to, "From a cinematographic point-of-view, what is your favourite film?".
With my place in the bag, I realised that before I jumped straight into computer geekery, I wanted to learn a little more about using a pencil and paper, and that kind of stuff, so i deferred my place at the NCCA and went to the Glamorgan Centre for Art & Design Technology to take an Art & Design foundation course. Although a great place to learn in many respects, it was there that I was told I would never make an animator because my drawings were too static (read, rubbish), and that I was better off with graphic design. (Good call on that one, squire!)
Ho hum. So anyway I ignored that advice and started at Bournemouth in 1998, and now nursing a massive inferiority complex....
Time to stop here for now, I think, and I will continue this journey down memory lane later.
: )
posted by Kevan at
6/27/2005 08:17:00 PM
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