(5) Artist Statement

Animation is a relatively new tool making waves in the modern world. It offers a unique combination of narrative and artistic design that can go a number of different ways. As an animator, I am able to create imaginative worlds where the characters and story exist outside the limitations of a real life. It is this freedom that drew me to animation and has allowed me to become a part of the artistic community.

Creating animation is a process that is in constant motion. With the changes in technology and development of new techniques, there are many possibilities for many exciting concepts to be brought to life. Being in such a unique field has encouraged me to try diverse methods of storytelling and style in my animated films.

Each piece I create offers a snapshot of who I was at the time the film was made. It is this aspect of animation that I find to be the most compelling. At the start of each project I take a new approach my narrative and a style to match. My animations involve few characters and the focus is usually laid on a specific event through which the story unfolds. The characters in each piece are created to mirror the mood of each piece, whether comedic or unsettling, they are an extension of the atmosphere I am creating. The narrative varies from film to film but I avoid any type of linear progression to keep the audience from becoming disinterested.

It is vital for my work to be completely separate from anything I have done previous. I work completely in digital at times and other times I choose to do everything drawn on paper. This keeps me invested in what I am creating and raises my awareness of how style can affect narrative. Pounding the audience over the head with a message or meaning is something I stray away from. I do not over think my material when starting a new project and instead allow the process of creating the animation to fill up the screen. The meaning of a piece comes from what is in between the lines rather than setting out with a goal to make a film about one specific idea and driving that idea home.

Trying to encompass all my animation and label it as something specific is not possible. I would rather each piece exist independently to act as a marker for that specific time in my life. They can be viewed by others and enjoyed for their difference and variety. To me they tow the line from where I started to where I am heading and remind me to constantly look for new methods of animation.

Fanciful Character Ideas for Thesis