FMP: EVALUATION

Screen shot from REM (my final outcome/animation)

Throughout the Final Major Project (FMP) I was able to learn about a topic that has interested me for a very long time: Dream Logging. However, not only was I able to explore this topic, but I was introduced to new ideas such as, higher planes of existence, the third eye and sleep paralysis. It is accurate to say that these ideas captivated me, and my project turned more towards theme as a result. I have definitely moved away from the project proposal that I made at the start of the FMP. I have produced an animation that still connects with my project title, Dream Logging because it’s content is inspired by a dream I had logged and drawn out, but the lucid part of my project faded fast. I enjoyed looking into lucidity and generating potential storyboards that explored the suggestion of escapism through lucidity, but ideas like astral projection were so much newer and unfamiliar to me that I could not resist taking them on.

In regards to my final outcome, I am not completely pleased, as some of the effects that I applied have not turned out as I wanted them to. For instance, near the end of the animation the dreamers skin colour is supposed to fade back into a grey scale colour, but instead a very abrupt change from one shade to the next occurs. The sound was a bit too relaxed, which caused the more dramatic scenes to lose some of their impact. Aspects that I would consider to be successful include, the entrance of the third eye, the underwater scene and the running scene. As a result of slowing the film down, the underwater scene provokes a feeling of suspension, which adds to the transcendental feel to the piece. I think that the sound was successful in helping create a transcendental mood too, but it did mute any potential for dramatic tension. However, I was never aiming to make an animation that was anything other that euphoric, transcending or perhaps a little bit creepy. I wanted to make sure the viewer felt as thought they too were in this dreamy space and I did not want harsh sounds to break that spell. Overall, I think my piece was most successful in creating mood, perhaps stirring up some peculiar emotions.

During these seven weeks I was able to learn a lot about how important research is and how much it can benefit your work. Being aware of other people’s work and ideas can only strengthen your own, but it also pushes you to create something that is more unique and individual. For instance, looking at René Magritte’s work help me design my character and researching the New Age Movement lead me to all the wonderful ideals that are now prominent components to my storyline. I have also improved dramatically on my animation skills and become more aware of how long the process actually takes when drawing out each frame by hand, a naivety that did not fend well for me in this project.

The process that I found most enjoyable is between the character designing and making the music/sound. Both of these tasked allowed me to sink into this creative zone and really try to understand what I wanted to portray, but also what I wanted the viewer to see (these became two separate things in my mind). The sound was a very important choice for me because it hugely effects the emotions experienced by the viewer, the mood of the film and what becomes most important in the piece. The most tedious part of this project was the animation production, purely because of how uncooperative my technology was being and I did not allow any time for this issue in my timetable.

Within my final outcome my goals have been achieved. When watching it over, I personally feel that the idea of a desired to escape is prevalent and degradation of the most commonly experienced reality is firmly stated in the visuals. I believed I have produced a project that explores ideas effectively and is open-minded. However, this open-mindedness did not help with my time management. Although, I do wish I had documented earlier research more thoroughly and carried out more animated experiments, I am pleased that I produced a peace that, at the end of it all, still preaches (in a more obscure way than initially planned) the connection between our desire to explore our dreams and our desire to escape reality.