You can learn anything as you go
Software, is just software. If you have something you want to try and achieve, something that you think is cool and will excite you, don’t let not knowing how stop you. You can learn anything online or by asking those around you, and even if you don’t, you can find your way there through experimentation and play. There are fundamental practices to animation yes, but also there is no one right way to do it. All animation is viable and all routes to an end point are valid.
I often worry that not having an art background will hinder me, but I I feel more empowered now to use this as a strength and not a weakness. I can learn technique and I will get better at animation the more I work at it, but it’s all the extra skills and experience I bring to the table that will make me unique and employable.
Just make the damn thing and put it online
I get bogged down in “should I” a lot. Turns out I should just do stuff. Its easy and hard both at the same time. As someone who works alongside studying, the concept of having time to just make art that I want to make feels quite unachievable, but I’m not going to pressure my self. I’m going to focus on the grad film and do my best up until that is finished, then once we graduate, If I get a job straight away, fab. If not I will be kind to myself and continue trying to exercise my creative muscles alongside working elsewhere.
I have a couple ideas for small films I would be interested in making, but I think almost more valuable in the early stages would to just be practicing animation exercises and fundamentals, go back to the core principles we explored at the very beginning of the course and apply all the knowledge and skills I have accumulated since them to create bigger and better versions.
I’m so glad I went to CAF, it feels like an invaluable step in the early stages of my career and felt hugely validating in this life changing decision I made. Having the film screened, talking to young queer people about my work, being a part of the Skwigly filmmakers talks and having the opportunity to meet so many incredible filmmakers made me so excited to continue down this path that I have only just begun walking down.
Skwigly Podcast – https://www.skwigly.co.uk/podcasts/skwigly-caf-2024-2/