St Brice's Day (Act 1)

Since starting BA (Hons) Animation in September 2022, my development as an animator has evolved significantly, particularly in relation to my chosen specialism, previs. Initially, I was focused on understanding the fundamental principles of animation and basic technical workflows. However, over time I have transitioned towards a more specialised role as a previs artist, developing skills in cinematography, camera work, narrative storytelling and production workflows.

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This self-evaluation reflects on my progression across just 2023-2026, as I believe the skills I acquired in Year 0 were tailored more towards contextual research in games development. It will analyse how my skills have developed, compare my eariler and more recent work, and evaluate both strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, it will address my professionalism, workflow development, and experiences with collaboration. Finally, it will outline my future goals using a structured outlook on past, present and future development.

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At the beginning of my course, my focus was primarily on developing a foundational understanding of animation principles. Projects within Animation Fundamentals, Narrative modules, and Body Mechanics demonstrate that my approach at this stage was largely technical. My work centred on timing, spacing, and basic character movement, with previs being used as a functional tool rather than a device to tell a story.

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In these early projects, camera placement was often static or simplistic. Shots were composed primarily to display action rather than to communicate meaning. There was limited consideration for cinematic techniques such as framing, staging, or audience perspective. Previs in this context acted as a rough planning method, but it lacked intention in guiding the viewer's experience.

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Additionally, my workflow during this period was relatively linear. I would move from idea to execution with minimal iteration, often focusing on completing tasks rather than refining them. While this allowed me to build technical confidence, it limited the depth and clarity in my final outcomes.

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As I progressed into later first-year modules, particularly Narrative Part Two and Professional Life Practice (PLP), I began to reflect more critically on my work. This marked a key turning point in my development.

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During this phase, I started to consider how animation functions as a medium for communication rather than purely technical execution. I began analysing how scenes could be structured to improve clarity and began experimenting with sequencing rather than isolated shots. I started identifying specific weaknesses in my work, such as static shots, ugly tangents in the graph editor, washed lighting and dull tones.

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This period also introduced to me the idea of pipeline thinking. I became more aware of the stages involved in production, with assignments beginning to force me to start thinking in terms of Research > Development > Production, which would later become integral to the building blocks I had put in place for my workflow to continue building in my second year.

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In my second year, particularly across Industry Exercises, Character Performance and Body Mechanics, my work demonstrated a clear shift towards either becoming a body mechanics animator or a previs artist.

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My approach to camera work was beginning to pick up momentum, specifically during the Industry Exercises module. I started out in the first Industry Exercise just throwing things together with no attention to keeping consistent, believable animation at the sake of attempting to capture a story. This applied to animating both characters and cameras. Beforehand, I animated in straight ahead rather than blocking out in pose to pose, which significantly stunted my animation quality.

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It was around this time in my second year however, that I began animating in Inverted Kinematics (IK) animation. Before brushing up on these disciplines, I found myself animating everything in Forward Kinematics (FK), which I quickly realised was a really poor use of my time and was causing me more issues than I needed.

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In my final year, I really start to pick up speed with my personal development. My use of previs has evolved. It is no longer a rough planning stage but a critical component of the storytelling process. I now use previs to establish timing, pacing, and shot continuity, ensuring that sequences are coherent and readable to tell the correct narrative.

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Technically, I have expanded my skillset through the use of both Maya and Blender. Developing workflows across these platforms has allowed me to streamline my process of blocking out scenes, particularly through the incorporation of tools such as the Camera Sequencer in Maya and a Scene Strip Tools add-on in Blender. These tools have enabled me to think in terms of full sequences rather than individual shots, improving the overall structure of my work.

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My previs work from semester one further demonstrates this progression. Here, I have begun positioning myself as a previs artist working within a professional context, particularly focusing on short-form educational content. This reflects not only technical improvement but also a clearer understanding of who my audience is and relevant industry formats.

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I think what went well over the course of my studies at Ravensbourne was that I became more adaptable in my work. I started this course with the intention of sticking to analogue art forms such as stop motion, due to a lack of savviness with computers which nearly led me to pursue a different path. However, I am now far more technically competent and invested in animation than I was before joining the course. Even my file organisation has improved, with this extending to my own workflow refinement where I had begun utilising reference files in Maya for my animations. I now have enough momentum with 3D animation to continue learning more tools and tricks.

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I have also become more critical of myself. I identified storyboarding as one of my weaknesses. Being more adaptable enabled me to look past my own creative limitations and seek out solutions, evident in my use of AI in last semester's Portfolio module, where I fed it a prompt and took steps to refine and improve them manually. I also set myself more realistic goals for the future - considering work within the educational sector has highlighted my adaptability when it comes to problem solving, as I have now accepted that large scale productions are not providing the only kind of work out there in this industry. This level of self critique is a skill in itself that I have acquired and has been absolutely pivotal in my development.

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That being said, I could still improve by exploring lighting in more depth. This will be explored when I begin experimenting with Houdini and Unreal Engine in the future. Since my skills in 3D are in both character animation and camera layout, I could enhance my projects by blending these elements in my future work. Continuing to build skills in storyboarding is what I need to focus on now.

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A major area of development has been my workflow. I began implementing more tools to help me develop and produce my animations. I also experimented with Blender during the Portfolio module to familiarise myself with an alternate 3D program I aim to use once I leave university. Upon finding new tools within Blender, I became confident in having a first-person camera workflow when generating shots with more natural and physically sound camera movements. At the same time, discovering the use of Maya's Camera Sequencer was the moment I stepped away from being a beginner level Maya user to become a previs artist within the industry.

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Past

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In my early work, I was learning and applying the fundamental principles of animation, focusing on developing technical skills and understanding basic workflows. I was building a foundation, experimenting with different approaches, and beginning to understand how animation functions as a medium.

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As I progressed into my second year, I began analysing and integrating more advanced concepts into my work. I was exploring cinematography, developing workflows, and refining my approach to previs. I was also evaluating my work more critically, identifying areas for improvement and finding new methods to improve.

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Currently, I am developing and positioning myself as a previs artist within a professional context. I am applying industry workflows, creating work with a clear audience in mind, and refining my technical and creative skills. I am also continuing to experiment with new tools and approaches, building on the knowledge I have gained so far.

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Moving forward, I will be expanding and refining my skills further. I plan to develop a stronger understanding of lighting and mood, improve my storyboarding abilities, and integrate body mechanics more effectively into my previs work. Additionally, I aim to learn new software such as Unreal Engine and Houdini, allowing me to expand my technical capabilities and adapt to industry demands.

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Professionalism

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I believe that throughout my course, my level of professionalism has improved significantly. In my first year, my approach to organisation and workflow was relatively basic. However, as I progressed, I developed a more structured approach to managing my work.

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My projects are now organised into clear stages, including research, development, and production. This is reflective of my growing understanding of industry workflows and allows me to manage my time more effectively. I have also become more consistent in my use of file naming and organisation.

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I have developed a greater awareness of the importance of planning, using to-do lists and spreadsheets to manage my projects. This has helped me to stay on track and make my tasks more manageable and bite-sized.

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In terms of technical output, I have gained experience working across multiple software platforms and exporting work in appropriate formats. The work I have on this website highlights an understanding of how content needs to have varied outputs to meet the requirements of different platforms, particularly in relation to short-form media.

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Moving forward, I aim to further improve my professionalism by implementing cleaner utilisation of animation layers and I should also continue to work on my communication skills.

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Collaboration

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My experience with collaboration has contributed to me creating a piece I can be proud of for my final production. Looking back at my previous animations, I can't say I am impressed with their quality, however, I am impressed with how far I have come. This project has reminded me that collaboration and teamwork are what make projects enjoyable, and in that, is where real quality lies.

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I gained more experience working with others, specifically in collaborative modules. This involved sharing ideas, responding to feedback, and simplifying my ideas based on how much work I should expect from others.

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Another example of where I have improved would indeed be my collaboration skills. In my first year, I had a positive experience collaborating with one of the music students, Sam Hunter, for my PLP module. Not only was the experience positive and not only was Sam super friendly, but I realised at that moment that I didn't need to be afraid to reach out to others for collaboration opportunities.

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I since reached out to Sam and we have both met up in person for a beer and a chat about the final production. This helped me communicate to him better and him to me. Being able to talk and communicate with others in person that I am working with mimics studio 'dailies' and I believe this is a strength of mine for working in a studio.

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Comparatively, one of the main challenges I faced in collaborative work during my time on the Animation course was when I was hit with radio silence and honestly, the times where I was radio silent. I still find it difficult to reach out to others I'm working with on a project because I react to people's needs better when I am there in person.

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Regardless, my ability to collaborate has only improved since I started at Ravensbourne. I am now far more confident in working as part of a team. Learning to be more communicative in remote working environments is something I am continuing to focus on, as evident through my collaboration with Tom for his project through syncsketches and his collaboration with mine as my character modeller + rigger, not to sell short Grace's contributions as the character designer that enabled Tom to generate them in 3D, something he said he lacks the creativity for. Moving forward, I aim to take on more responsibility within collaborative projects, particularly in a leadership role related to previs and visual planning.

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Conclusion

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Overall, my development from 2022 to 2026 demonstrates a clear progression from a foundational understanding of animation to a more specialised and professional approach as a previs artist. I have improved significantly in areas such as cinematography, workflow development, and visual storytelling, while also gaining a better understanding of industry practices.

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While there are still areas for improvement, particularly in lighting, storyboarding and remote working, I have developed a strong foundation to build upon. My current work reflects a more focused and professional approach, and I am confident in my ability to continue developing my skills in the future.

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Ultimately, my journey has been one of growth and refinement. By continuing to learn, experiment, and reflect, I aim to further establish myself as a previs artist capable of contributing an ever-expanding skillset to leave a positive trace on the animation industry.​