Strengths
What was the most successful project you ever tackled (in or outside of school), and what made you successful?
The most successful project I did was last semester during my Motion 3 class. This project was a volunteer project to work with the film department to create a title and a credit sequence for them. I think this project was very successful for me because it felt like one of the first projects where I was comfortable fully combining branding and my motion skills to create a real client project. Every step of the project felt comfortable and I was able to bounce ideas off the team in a way that was very constructive and helped move the project forward smoothly.
What was the most critical team role you ever fulfilled, and why?
During the same motion 3 project I fulfilled the position as project manager for our group of 8 people, and this was something that very much pushed me past my comfort zone for this project, but allowed me to really utilize all the skills that I learned, as well as pushing my own social interactions forward. I have always been shy, more so when I was younger, but even now I still have never been one to seek the spotlight or really jump on the leadership role, but in this case it felt necessary for the good of the group and we needed someone to step up, so I was willing to do it. In this role I helped organize our group brainstorming sessions, presented these concepts to our client, assigned roles for members of the group, and worked closely with the client for final delivery. The final project was a full group effort and I felt proud of myself for working with our group and it really felt like everyone gave their full effort, and I was so happy seeing it all come together.
When faced with an overwhelming obstacle, what’s your “go-to” skill to overcome it?
Under pressure I am very good at focusing in and getting the job done. I'd say my go to skill is just my ability to dig in when needed and get the job done. Honestly this skill is a double edged sword because I wish I was able to really dig into my projects like that without the high pressure weighting down on me.
What are the strengths that others acknowledge in me?
I've been told that I have good motion skills, and I work very well with others in groups. I've always been a team player, and I always strive to find ways to pull my weight and contribute in the groups as much as I can.
What strengths and skills came up over and over again?
I am really able to generate good project ideas even when I get lost in the weeds, so to speak, and that skill always comes up and will continue to come up for all my projects. This skill seems to come in when I am stressing over my projects, so idea generation is always stressful for me, but I've been able to push through so far. I'd love to develop this skill further so that idea generation isn't so stressful. I am also good at pulling inspiration into my projects, and finding ways to help visualize my ideas in the best way possible.
Which skills do you enjoy using as often as possible, regardless of the task?
I always love motion, especially when I get to take a piece into after effects and get to really work on the exact timing and feel of the motion, I spend so much time working on the easing and I get so happy when it looks just right. I also love working with color, from the color of the pieces in a motion project to overall color grading. Color is one of my favorite aspects of motion.
What skills have you mastered but would rather not use every day?
I am pretty good at logo design but it's not something I really want to focus on in my future. I am fine doing it for clients but I really don't want to be a logo designer, it's not where my passions lie.
What strengths and skills do you believe (and will research to find out!) will be most helpful after you graduate and begin your career search?
Pre production skills are vital for everything motion, and conveying your ideas to the client so they have trust in what you're making from the start. Story boarding, style frames, and all that general research to give the project the best chances at succeeding. I also know I need to push my motion more with visual and sound design, but I want to dig a little deeper and get into the specifics on that end.
What skills are you missing? What skills would you like to build but have not yet had the opportunity to practice?
I feel like my sound design is medicare at best, and I would like to work on that further for motion pieces.I don't expect to be good as a sound engineer but I would like my sound design to be passable and not hold my work back. I also want to continue working further into Cinema 4D, as I don't think my skills in that platform are good enough for a professional level, and I need more practice there.
Weaknesses
What are the weaknesses that you aware of?
Narrowing in my project scope and solidifying in on an idea are some of the hardest things for me. I think my projects suffer from me not fulling planning them out as much in the pre production phase and just winging it during the production. I think that causes all sorts of problems where my projects are too big for me to really complete to how I envision, or falling short and not being pushed as much as I would like. It's extremely frustrating for me, and even for some of my more successful projects I am always feeling like I could have done something more to push my concepts further and make it stronger.
When working on a team, what roles do you avoid that may be important to your goals?
I mentioned before but I've almost always in the past avoided the leadership role. I've always been fine sitting back and letting someone else take charge. Even after my experience leading a group, I still don't really go seeking that role. I think I need to push myself a little more in that regard, be more willing to speak up and push ideas that will be helpful for group environment and push my own comfort levels more.
When faced with an overwhelming obstacle, what’s most likely to cause you to become frustrated or give up?
I think the most frustrating thing is when I can't get a project to really follow what I am envisioning in my head, when I get that disconnect that I can't bridge over no matter how hard I try, or when even my own vision in my head isn't clear and I am just throwing things at the board and seeing what sticks. Sometimes i'm able to pull through when my plans fall apart like that but its always extremely frustrating each time.
What was the least successful project you have ever tackled, and what tripped you up?
My least successful project I think was my final in my typography 1 course. The final was to use type in a project of your choice, and I ended up making a Digital painting and putting text on top and making it into a video. Honestly I really failed to incorporate type in the painting in any way that mattered, and the piece felt just like something pretty rather than something with any meaning attached to it. I think I didn't go into this project with the right mindset and really didn't push my concept well enough.
What are three weaknesses that you want to use your thesis project to overcome because they may hinder your ability to achieve your professional and life goals?
I want to improve how I generate and approach new projects and I want to improve how I go into the pre production process so I don't push a project too large for it's scope or not enough. I also want to continue pushing my scene construction and make more visually interesting settings, as I feel a lot of my projects really run on the more simple side. I really want to push my skills and see what I can create without taking an option that is too safe.
How will you use your thesis project and future planning to mitigate, manage, and overcome your listed weaknesses?
I know that a lot of that effort will come in the planning process for my thesis, I will go 110% into the planning so I absolutely know how the production of my thesis will play out. I won't try and wing it later, I will figure out everything I need in the research and planning.
What skills are you missing that you have not yet had the opportunity to practice? What weaknesses would you like, or need, to turn into strengths?
Planning has been a weakness of mine that I need to improve, planning and research have always been hard for me, and I know how important it is for everything in my career going forward. If I can really improve how I approach projects and generate ideas that will always be a boon for my whole life. I want to learn how to not get stuck in my own head and be willing to really jump into more challenging work.