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Hi, I'm Jess, a student at Escape Studios. What makes me both passionate and captivated by animation is the way it engages the imagination and evokes strong emotional connections. It presents an escape from reality, providing a universal appeal that connects people of all ages, cultures and languages. I love storytelling through artistic expression and I'm at home and in my happy place when animating and storyboarding. The career I want to pursue is a Storyboard Artist or an Animator.
Specialisms:
My specialisms are storyboarding and 3D animation
SHOWREEL
GET TO KNOW JESSICA
What was your inspiration for pursuing a career in Animation?
I have always been passionate about animation since a young age. Initially, this began by watching Disney films, such as The Lion King. Subsequently, I have wanted to pursue work in the animation industry and produce some of my own creative work. This is a consequence of watching a behind-the-scenes documentary of Shrek on a DVD, which incorporated very impressive storyboards, I was inspired to pursue a career in storyboarding or animation.
What hobbies do you have?
My hobbies are drawing, painting, writing, digital art, cooking and video games. I enjoy cooking because I like sharing treats with friends and family for film nights and special events like parties and work do's. Drawing because I enjoy as I like to draw characters and fan art of characters from films/TV shows. And finally, I enjoy video games because I find it a good way to interact with friends.
How would your peers describe you in 3 words?
Creative, Confident and Honest
Do you have any industry experience? If so, please give a concise explanation of the experience.
Whilst I have not had any direct work experience within the creative industry, I have attended seminars and talks from different industries and have visited MPC London for a seminar. I believe those experiences have given me a good understanding of what would be required of me upon entering the industry. I have had experience working as a Student Ambassador at Escape Studios which opened a gateway for me to connect with a variety of people from creative industries.
How would you describe your contribution to your group project?
In the project, D.A.N.S, my role was Animator. The project’s style took a lot of inspiration from the traits of a robot; there was a strong stimulus from Star Wars and WALL-E, which I utilized when animating our robot. I also gave and received daily feedback from the lead animator within my group, and collaborated well with my team and with my tutor. Communication was a key skill in the success of achieving our deadlines, by keeping my group updated and sharing my work for critiques, I was able to improve my animation as a result of effective feedback. I also researched a variety of styles for the robot, all to create a strong personality and powerful movement.
What lessons did you learn from undertaking your project that you'll take with you into your career?
A fundamental lesson for me that I will take with me into future projects, and my career as a whole, is that I will turn all my criticisms into constructive ones. I will reflect, plan, encourage and consider feedback to make sure that it is effective and constructive. I learnt throughout my time at Escape Studios that nothing is perfect, but your work will be improved with the help of other team members and tutors by receiving and acting on feedback.
What would your ideal first role in the industry be?
I would ideally wish to start my first role as a Storyboard Artist in a London studio or as a freelancer. My main aim is to improve my portfolio of work and collaborate on a professional project. I want to have the opportunity to produce some boards by working closely with other experienced Storyboard Artists, Directors and Producers. This type of role would allow me to strengthen my skill set and aim to improve my timing and camera angles, which are very important to me.
What's an achievement from the past 3 years that you're proud of?
I have been proud of the achievements I have accomplished throughout my three years at Escape Studios. A small example is whilst I worked on one of my third-year projects, I was given the role of a 3D Layout Artist. This was a role that I was a novice at, so I reached out for advice and feedback. I proved I was diligent and dedicated to the task, by placing lots of assets and props into Maya that were appropriate for the theme of the short film, which was aged and broken. My team members were impressed with the amount of work and effort that I had put in when it was finished. I really enjoyed my role as 3D layout and was pleased with the work and effort I had put into it.
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