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SAIC statement of purpose (animated films). Am on the right track?


stc3 1 / 2  
Nov 29, 2008   #1
Hello everyone,
I have never written a statement of purpose before, and really don't even know what one is supposed to sound like. Please let me know if I have the right idea here. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Discuss your interests, creative influences, educational goals, and anything else that is important for us to know regarding your interest in art, design, and visual culture.

Animated films have enthralled me for as long as I can remember. Creating thinking, feeling characters, as well as entire living, breathing worlds for them to inhabit are skills that I have constantly aspired towards. For these reasons my interests lie primarily in character animation, as it is fundamentally the most important aspect of any film. You can have the most entertaining story in the world, but the film will lose its magic, and ultimately fail, if the audience does not feel a strong connection to the characters. Yet as technology progresses, the creation of animated films has become more and more reliant on computers. Characters are now created entirely inside of a computer, and audiences are expected to relate with images that do not really exist. For this reason the ability to breathe life into computer generated characters has become more important that ever, and can only be achieved through the careful study of age-old animation fundamentals and techniques.

As I have submerged myself in the visual culture, my own preferences and tendencies have been shaped and molded by multiple masters of the art. John Kricfalusi, the creator of Ren and Stimpy, is the author of an online guide to animation, which he frequently updates. This has become not only a guide, but a means to discover the styles and techniques of other animation experts. Kricfalusi offers some great insight and uses cartoons from the golden era to emphasize key elements. Cartoons such as Looney Tunes and Popeye do an excellent job of creating lovable characters that audiences can believe in. This is done by infusing the characters with real human emotions with which we are able to connect. Warner Bros. did not only have an excellent command of animation fundamentals; they were capable of presenting characters that were unashamedly human. Characters like Foghorn Leghorn and Yosemite Sam were so much fun to watch because they reminded us of people that we really knew. Older cartoons such as these are among my personal favorites because they are rich in entertainment as well as fundamentals.

It is my goal to instill in todays computer generated films the same magic and charm that is so palpable in many older, hand-drawn cartoons. Doing this requires a solid foundation in animation fundamentals and the ability to tell an engaging story. And while these skills are beyond my reach at the moment, I feel that SAIC will provide me with the resources I need to hone my craft and become more competent in my own artistry.
andreagayle 1 / 6  
Nov 29, 2008   #2
hi.
I'm trying to write this same thing..
maybe I can help?

"You can have the most entertaining story in the world.."
Try to avoid the word you in an essay.. try "Even the most entertaining story in the world will lose its magic, and ulitmately fail, ect."

All of the examples in the second paragraph are helpful but maybe more so if you connect them to their influence on you personally and how you plan to take those characteristics and make them your own.

maybe include a description of something you have already done?

I hope this helps?!
psypsy 3 / 9  
Nov 29, 2008   #3
Hi I'm trying to write the same thing too!
Sorry that I'm not commenting.. but are you guys applying for undergraduate or graduate? cause undergraduate doesn't have any major or animation class right? :0 and Are you guys nominated for the merit?

Good luck!
andreagayle 1 / 6  
Nov 29, 2008   #4
I'm applying for undergraduate.. studio art.
and yes! i'm nominated for the merit!.. i doubt i'll get anything though.
psypsy 3 / 9  
Nov 29, 2008   #5
Yay! we are on the same page haha I'm applying for undergraduate too.
why do you think that you won't get anything though? I'm really nervous about this because I really really need scholarship...
andreagayle 1 / 6  
Nov 30, 2008   #6
oh god me too.
this is my only hope.. If not i'm destined for regular old cheap college.
psypsy 3 / 9  
Nov 30, 2008   #7
omg...ME TOO!!..good luck for both of us. are you applying any other art college though? I'm applying Cooper (low chance haha) SVA MICA and Ringling.. I dunno. I'm just applying everywhere because I really need scholarship.. sorry about all the babbling but I haven't met any other applicant.. I got excited.. haha :)
andreagayle 1 / 6  
Nov 30, 2008   #8
I'm just applying to some local colleges other than this.. OU and ECU. Every art college is way too expensive.. SAIC was the only place to suggest i might get something.. I live in oklahoma so there is nothing really in the way of good art school.
psypsy 3 / 9  
Nov 30, 2008   #9
:( my situation is not bright either,,, :(... I'm an international student with a poor family so I won't go to SAIC or the other colleges unless I get scholarship.. It's sorta a gambling to apply all the colleges. I was just thinking about going back to my country but I really wanted to stay here and study art.
psypsy 3 / 9  
Nov 30, 2008   #11
Korea (south :).. I've been here for 3years now.. haha but the thing is, I can't even do any art-related study even if I go back there!
andreagayle 1 / 6  
Nov 30, 2008   #12
"/
I think these art colleges need to realize most good artists are poor.. haha.
psypsy 3 / 9  
Nov 30, 2008   #13
yeah.. Oh well.. sorry stc3! I put up like 5 posts up there,, Thanks andreagayle for replying my comments, and I wish I could see both of you guys' work! and meet you guys at SAIC! I have to continue my essay. bye! :)
OP stc3 1 / 2  
Nov 30, 2008   #14
Thanks you so much for your suggestions! I can't believe I let a "you" slip in there. How embarrassing. I've added in some of the things that you suggested. I know it's not all the way there yet, but please let me know if it's closer...

Animated films have enthralled me for as long as I can remember. To create thinking, feeling characters, as well as entire living, breathing worlds for them to inhabit are skills that I have constantly aspired towards. In fact, I studied a web-based animation program over the summer several years ago. Since then, I always find ways to complete school projects by creating short animated films. Boring essay projects about the different types of energy are transformed into sing-along cartoons that inspire the entire class to learn together. The juvenile appeal of cartoons helps my fellow classmates enjoy learning about even the most mundane subjects through lessons that are both fun and coherent.

For these reasons my interests lie primarily in character animation, as it is fundamentally the most important aspect of any film. Even the most entertaining story in the world will lose its magic, and ultimately fail, if the audience does not feel a strong connection to the characters. Yet as technology progresses, the creation of animated films has unfortunately become more and more reliant on computers. Hand-drawn work has been abandoned in favor of characters that are created entirely inside of a computer, and much of the human touch has been lost. Audiences are now expected to relate with images that do not physically exist. For this reason the ability to breathe life into computer generated characters is more important than ever, and can only be achieved through the careful study of age-old animation fundamentals and techniques.

As I have submerged myself in the visual culture, my own preferences and tendencies have been shaped and molded by multiple masters of the art. John Kricfalusi, the creator of Ren and Stimpy, is the author of an online guide to animation, which he frequently updates. This has become not only a guide, but a means to discover the styles and techniques of other animation experts. Kricfalusi offers some great insight and uses cartoons from the golden era to emphasize key elements. Cartoons such as Looney Tunes and Popeye create lovable characters that audiences find believable. This is done by infusing the characters with real human emotions with which we are able to identify and connect. Warner Bros. did not only have an excellent command of animation fundamentals; they were capable of presenting characters that were unashamedly human. Characters like Foghorn Leghorn and Yosemite Sam were so much fun to watch because they reminded us of people that we really knew. Older cartoons such as these are among my personal favorites because they are rich in entertainment as well as fundamental techniques.

It is my goal to instill in todays computer generated films the same magic and charm that is so palpable in many older, hand-drawn cartoons. Doing this requires a solid foundation in animation fundamentals and the ability to tell an engaging story. And while these skills are beyond my reach at the moment, I feel that SAIC will provide me with the resources needed to hone my craft and become more competent in my own artistry.
TheFlameProof 4 / 20  
Nov 30, 2008   #15
great essay! couldn't find anything really wrong with it, i think it answers the prompt quite well :)

it would be nice if you could comment on mine too. thanks man and good luck.


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