Reflections and Aspirations
In late 2017 I attended a “Study for a day” event at the Melbourne campus of the SAE Creative Media Institute. I had considered studying 3D modelling and animation before but was never really able to commit due to work and family commitments. After attending the study for a day course I decided to take the plunge and enroll to study for a diploma of 3D animation.
My experiences at SAE
When I first began studying at SAE I had little idea what to expect. After all it had been more than 20 years since I had formally studied any subjects and I was a bit out of touch. After a few lessons I found that my anxiety levels decreased and I was able to apply myself. I never regretted committing to my studies and found myself really enjoying the time I was spending in class.
There were definitely some subjects that I found daunting, in particular drawing and creative classes. I had not applied myself to creative drawing for some time and found the prospect of having to submit drawings for assessment very daunting. As it turned out my fears were completely unfounded, largely thanks to the lecturers and in particular to the inspired and encouraging teaching methods that seem to come naturally to Pol Sigerson.
I also feel that I gained a great deal of knowledge from my time at SAE. It was awesome being able to gain knowledge from Lecturers that are actually working in the creative industries and I think this is an area where SAE excels.
There were times when I was unsure how I might apply what I have learnt at SAE. Moments of self-doubt where I began to question if studying this course was the right thing for me to do. Now that I have reached the end of my studies I have no regrets, I plan to further practice my skills with a view to gaining work in the creative industries either as a freelance artist or in the employ of a studio.
I am still unsure which particular area to focus on, after all there is such a huge variety of both 2D and 3D animation styles to choose from available today. I still have a passion for 3D computer aided animation but since I now have a much better understanding of the twelve principles of animation that apply to all styles I believe I have much more choices available to me.
I have enjoyed my time studying at SAE and believe that I have achieved a very solid foundation on which to proceed to follow my aspirations to become an experienced and skilled animation professional.