Final Reflections Semester 1

Some years ago, I faced myself with an exciting challenge of starting in Animation, as an industrial designer as first major I had to catched up in a lot of technical and theoretical knowledge for entering to animation field, my work experience helped me and a lot of personal study was requiered. 

The past september when I began my Master in Animation at Hertfordshire University I started with big expectations of fullfilling my existing knowledge, however many thoughts that I previously had about technical and theoretical issues were imcomplete or just not enought, making me reflect about my learning pathway. Animation learning is a continous and never ending process, which requires a lot of passion and work. In the first steps of the semester I experienced with a lot of new techniques and programs that I have never tried or focused before, including Maya, quadrupeds animation, sounds effects, Topology and re-toplogy, hard surfaces modelling, normal maps, among others. Althought the final outcomes were not perfect and needs a lot of more future work a really think that's how we really learn, trying, making mistakes and trying again. 

The creative methodology used for each project consist in three steps: Research, Project execution and Learning outcomes. 1) Research: In the research step I first made a general research about the topic of the animation, for academic purposes could be the equivalent of an inspiring concept to start. I complement it with a research of current animation work related to the topic, could also be artists or studios works.For conclude the research stage I made a brainstorm to visualize the keypoints of the project. 2) Project execution: starting from the brianstorm I create the idea or concept of the project, then I start the execution of it, this part is an iterative process of decisions and changes according to the development of it. The decision could include techiques used, programs, colors, shapes, geometry, time, format, etc. Finally, I come to a final outcome, it's consider final when it accomplish the major part of the objectives of the project or it's the most possible near to accomplishing them. 3)Learning outcomes: I identify the mistakes or issues to improve or could been done in a different way, considering efficiency and quality. If it's still possible I apply the learnings to the final outcome; if that is not possible I keep it as a learning feedback for applying in future projects. 

My hopes and expectations for the final semester of my master is to have a final outcome of really hight quality and I'm planning to work my best for it. This knowledge will help me in the future not just for making myself more skillful and hight quality animation trained; it will lead me to a higher professional development, which may include creating my own digital agency, working as an independent and starting a career as animation teacher. As an international student one of my goals in the returning to my country is to help to develop and increase my home country animation industry, which is still not enought developed and needs work and specialized knowledge for making it competitive in the global market. I sum up this semester one as an adjusting and starting period for great future outcomes as a whole master process.