This week was focused on several key talks, from Anis’s FMP presentation to industry sessions, which together gave me a clearer picture of both the creative and professional pathways ahead.
Anis walked us through the entire FMP process from conception to final render. He emphasised working a little every day, even just sketching, to maintain momentum and productivity during the summer. This approach resonated with me because I often struggle with consistency during summer, when I’m not used to a structured schedule. His advice challenged me to build daily creative habits rather than relying on sporadic bursts of effort.
His idea was developed by merging, or “cooking,” different elements he enjoyed. This method feels particularly useful for me, as I tend to overthink or fixate on a single concept rather than allowing ideas to evolve organically. Seeing how he combined influences into a cohesive vision made me feel I should adopt a similar approach, testing and combining multiple interests instead of waiting for a single perfect idea.
We reviewed his previs, storyline, and shader work. The shader caught my eye first because of its distinctive visual style, but the story was very dark, obscuring parts of the animation and limiting how clearly the motion could be read. This highlighted the tension between visual style and storytelling clarity. While I am drawn to strong aesthetic choices, I now need to be more critical about how those choices support or hinder communication.
Anis’s talk genuinely motivated me to start thinking seriously about my FMP. However, I am becoming increasingly confident that I will not pursue a short film. Instead, I am leaning towards motion graphics or a product advertisement. This direction feels more aligned with my strengths, particularly because I enjoy working with stylised visuals, branding, and pacing rather than narrative-driven storytelling.
The industry talks covered internships, networking, and career development. These sessions highlighted the importance of building professional relationships and being proactive. I realised I need to start thinking more strategically about networking, whether through events, online platforms, or direct contact with professionals. At the moment, I am not confident reaching out to people in the industry, so this is an area I need to develop.
Overall, this week helped me connect the creative and professional sides of my development. My main areas for improvement are building a consistent daily creative practice, being more critical about how visual style interacts with storytelling, actively exploring motion graphics concepts for my FMP, and developing a networking strategy. For evidence, I should include screenshots of early ideation sketches or mood boards to show how I am applying Anis’s approach to my own process.