OUGD202 Evaluation

Throughout this module I have been challenged daily and constantly faced problems and issues for which I had no choice other than to overcome. Having never worked with any form of moving image software before, I would say that I have come on leaps and bounds within my own frame of reference. It is however when I begin to compare myself to fellow classmates and their level of competency that I feel left behind. I am more than confident with my application of basic skills within my work, yet do become aware that I have not fully comprehended the After Effects software to the optimum level. It is not just software skills that I have picked up on in this module, my time management skills have also greatly improved. Simple things such as writing down targets for the day helped me to stay on schedule, and ensuring that my videos were completed at least three days before hand in, so I had time to concentrate on the packaging, helped give a more rounded finish to my work.

An area of design practice that I have developed within this module would have to be the development of ideas, through storyboarding and asset creating. Rather than jumping head first into design work, something I have done on pretty much every other brief, I had to take a step back and really consider what I wanted to do before I could do it. Due to my insecurities with the software I wanted to guarantee that I had credible and visually appealing assets, therefore when it came to putting them in a moving image environment, the quality of work would not be below par. However this created more problems than it solved. Due to me working on still image, I had no clue how to animate the assets when it became necessary.

One key factor that I have strengthened within this brief would, without a doubt, be my level of dedication. I have always felt dedicated and considered the amount of time and effort put into previous briefs was appropriate. However after this module I now realise that punctuality and attendance are vital. I have spent countless hours sat in front of a computer screen, not moving until I was absolutely satisfied with what was in front of me. At times it has been draining and I would be lying if I said giving up didn’t cross my mind. But it was with great determination that I carried on and overcame obstacle after obstacle.

It has been a hard module to process as I have had to altar my own personal standards. Usually within my work I would never consider settling, it has never been an option before. However when faced with a subject matter that was totally alien, I had to be patient and understanding with myself, or else I would have become incredibly frustrated with the slow speed at which I have learnt the skills required.

This module has helped confirm in my mind that I am better suited to working for design for print. This hasn’t been a useful thing to learn, it has meant that I have struggled immensely in parts and been close to breaking point in others. However it seems as though it has been a lesson worth learning the hard way, at the very least so that in the future I know to stay away from moving image. I hope the time that I have put into syncing up audio and making sure the assets flow from one to another is visible. I also hope that my lack of After Effects capability has not hindered my final pieces and that the time that has been spent on creating them has not been wasted.