#Statement of Intent

[patchwork-crow-writes]

Kris as Narcissus except it's their reflection (Ralsei) that's fallen in love with the real one.

This is becoming a drabble soon. You've been warned.

[porrettaposting]

[moosescorner]

Statement of Intent

The intent of this advertisement is to promote a fictional coffee brand called “Hootbucks Coffee” where the genre is ironic comedy. Therefore, the art style and narration of the animation will be exaggerated. The name of the brand is inspired by “Starbucks Coffee”, where the character of the ad is an insomniac owl who works in a 9 to 5 office job.

The idea of the advertisement is to present ironic humor, where “Hootbucks Coffee” makes its consumers stay awake forever.

[j-august]

John, Lord Hervey, Memoirs of the Reign of George the Second from His Accession to the Death of Queen Caroline

[teaboot]

Yeah no I didn’t “always know I was trans” but I WAS incredibly defensive of a girl’s ability and personal desire to do absolutely anything a boy could do, repeatedly throwing down against parents and teachers who insisted that girls and boys were just naturally predisposed to distinct binary interests and abilities, often telling them that short hair and masculine interests didn’t make me less of a girl because physical traits and hobbies don’t retroactively determine your gender or sexual identity. Yeah I’m actually still onboard with that belief by the way, not sure how some of yall lost the plot

[sas-casebook]

Specialist Animation Studies (SAS): Statement of Intent - Powerpoint Presentation

[victoria8223]

Onto a Beach of their Own

Project: A Structure within a Structure

Statement of Intent:

Create a sculpture to address, relate to, intervene, or activate a specific architectural situation or entity. Utilizing steel, preferably scrap and other material/s, create a work that addresses ideas relating to line, structure, architecture and space.

Structure:

Incorporate scrap metal, metal bars and home debris, into a sculpture. The scrap metal came from the studio work area and the shutters were from a 3 bedroom 2 bath  1950’s house being torn down to make way for a 6 bedroom 5 bath home.

Three shutters are one foot off the ground on thin, square metal re-bars, as if floating, and only one shutter is touching the back wall to further give the sculpture an ephemeral effect.  The shutters were arranged to create a shadow configuration on the wall.  The shadows then played on the 8x11 photos of my children.   

Re-bars extending from the base on three of the five legs to the light source, incorporate the light source into the sculpture.  The light source is framed with scrap metal. 

The sound of waves lapping on a shore accompanies the piece.

Inspiration of the Sculpture:

I wanted to address the reality that parents are just observers of their children’s lives.  Imagine a parent looking out through a shuttered window at their children playing on the beach.  A floating shutter, not a rigid structure is all that separates them because the separation is never defined.  We can only watch from a distance and only witness a slice of their lives.   

The photos are of my children on the beach.  They grew on up on the beach, collecting shells in the wrack line, chasing seagulls and listening to the rhythmic pulse of the waves.

They are adults now that have walked away onto a beach of their own.

Vickie Siegel

November 8, 2023

[performanceandcharactercasebook]

Performance and Character: Statement of Intent

[wandersongbkwks]

hmm. i should probably start posting some of this stuff, huh

[septemberlikestea]

one of the many malenias resting peacefully on my puter.

[pasta-pardner]

attack dogs shouldn't bite the hands that feed them

[melmedardaapologist]

so i was thinking about this when i first tried my hand at drawing mel, but i always loved how distinctive the purple-with-a-dash-of-gold makeup is, the way it offsets the green of her eyes and matched her lip shade, and how it manages avoiding looking like dark bags under her eyes—

but what if it was that? we know mel from her flashback didn’t have this sort of makeup, and it’s implied that her nightmare of the princess is common (if the painting is anything to go by), so what if mel in her early years in piltover can’t sleep for the pain of stress and betrayal and learning to navigate piltover politics, and can’t put enough foundation on to cover it up, and in a fit of genius, decides to turn this mark of “weakness” into part of her armor? make it look beautiful and “exotic” instead of a symptom of the inescapable human condition?

[thankstothe]

im...................

[smartzelda]

Sorry guys I gotta speak my truth on this one

I'm not kidding when I say that I think that blaming shit media literacy from fans on shipping/shippers avoids the actual root of the problem to throw people you can easily throw under the bus (simply because it's not unpopular to consider people who post about ships or ship characters in media as having lesser or derivative tastes by default)

And here's why.

I think when you blame people who are "shippers" or "consume media through shipping lenses", the true root of it all is a mindset problem.

In actually, putting on shipping lenses can be helpful when trying to analyze a piece of media. When analyzing media you're supposed to approach it through a number of mindsets and put on different lenses (both to deepen your personal understanding of the media, and to pick it apart and see what you can find there (whether intentional or not on the author's part)), and different ships can be some of those lenses

When it comes to ships between main characters (for those who are genuinely willing to see what the narrative is showing with their relationship and what it's doing), there are times when analyzing it from a shipping lens may be helpful. As someone from KH fandom, I have seen people come to deeper understandings and pick canon apart in the process of analyzing a relationship that is genuinely integral to the story (platonic or not). I've also seen people get into rarepairs of characters who barely interact or who just suffer little screen time, and I've seen them come to better understandings of those side characters and how they potentially fit into the world of the media simply because people are now focusing on these characters and how they fit into the narrative.

Frankly, I resent the idea that the only way to truly objectively analyze a piece of media is by turning off the part of your brain that gets excited over relationships and individual characters. Don't get me wrong, that is a way to approach a piece of media and a valid one at that, but the truth is that we cannot be free of bias.

For instance, I was watching House MD with my parents circa last year. At some point I started heavily tuning into what was going on with House and Wilson's relationship. My parents, on the other hand, were largely watching casually. They're not thinking of character relationships or getting heavily invested in most characters, they're watching because they like watching. One of them in particular did try to analyze things that were happening in the show as they happened. However, when it came to the scene late in the series where House threw out Dominika's letter approving her American citizenship, my parents could understand that he was doing that because he didn't want her to leave, but not much beyond that. I ended up explaining to them that House's fake marriage for Dominika was an explicit parallel to when Wilson was living with House in the early seasons. Both situations started with House being none too happy about it but ultimately letting them stay, spending a considerable amount of effort getting them to leave/getting this situation to be finally over so he didn't have to deal with it anymore, and then by the time a piece of news comes through that would mean the person in question actually leaves, House hides this news as long as he can. Because he doesn't actually want them to leave and has grown attached. And by doing this he became a self fulfilling prophecy. By reacting to the truth of Wilson and Dominika leaving him the way he does, he seals his fate and they ultimately leave anyways. Maybe I ship Hilson, but becoming open to how their relationship was handled allowed me to transition to doing character studies and recognizing patterns/parallels that I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't particularly care about the characters or their relationship.

Likewise, I've seen mutuals complain about how people who don't like or don't care about certain characters often overlook these characters (what they're actually like and their place in the narrative), while the mutuals in question (by default) are able to come to deeper understanding of what the writers/story is trying to do because they care about this funky guy

You can't eradicate bias when you're engaging in media analysis, but you can consciously put on a range of lenses and observe the media through different povs with the goal of understanding the media better or bolstering your reading of it. And those lenses/povs can include focusing on specific relationships or the perpective of certain characters

And this is why I say it's actually a mindset problem. Shippers and people who have this one blorbo they like a lot aren't inherently terrible "fandom brained individuals" who are the root of media analysis problems. The problem only arises when people's readings/analysis of a piece of media are inherently restrictive/narrow and self centered. Your problem is with people who view a piece of media through a ship they like but don't keep an open mind about it, and whose "media analysis"/views on canon cannot be split from fanon and their comfortability levels. These are the people whose "media analysis" starts and ends with justifying their fanon as canon, whose views on media revolve around sorting characters and relationships into categories they personally enjoy rather than trying to understand what's going on.

Here's another example.

Here we have a fictional ship we'll call uhhhh...Blanebin. this fictional ship I made up on the spot for characters that don't exist named Blane and Corbin

Person A is super into Blanebin. They're part of the main cast of characters and canonically childhood best friends, so person A (as much as they enjoy fanart and fic) is also enjoying analyzing how narratively important to each other they are. Recently, Corbin started dating another character in canon, but Person A is enjoying watching how Blane is reacting to this. "Is this potentially a tell that Blane is jealous or is having complicated feelings about this? What if he was, how would that contextualize his behavior this season? Here's what I think based on how Blane dealt with explicit jealousy last season in a different situation". It's not impossible that person A is still missing further understanding due to their obsession with Blanebin, but at the end of the day this obsession has allowed them to start picking through the characters both in and outside this relationship. It has allowed them to see potential subtext and theorize on what might happen next with these characters' relationship. Not to mention that with addition of Corbin dating someone else, instead of trying to erase this fact or state that Corbin canonically isn't into that person, Person A is trying to factor in how Corbin's current dating life affects his relationship with Blane (irregardless on personal views on the nature of Corbin's relationship with the person he's dating).

Person B is also super into Blanebin. They really enjoy fanart and fic of the characters, love obsessing over their moments together, and just feel like there's really something between the characters. To person B, every moment between them is just further proof that the writers are ship teasing them. But Corbin getting together with someone else this season? Oh that pissed person B off. They cannot believe that even though Corbin and Blane are CLEARLY gay for each other the writers had Corbin get with someone else this season. Perhaps, they think, it was even a decision specifically made to spite fans. How evil of the writers to tease a perfectly good ship and then have them not get together first? They must have been just doing those teases to get views from Blanebin shippers those scoundrels. To Person B, since Corbin started dating someone when he obviously has some chemistry with Blane (even though the series is far from over) means that Blanebin can never get together now and Corbin x person he's dating is ruining Blanebin by existing. In fact, they think, this is terrible writing for Corbin to be dating someone else because they don't like that relationship and don't see the point. Obviously if the writers were good then Corbin would have started dating Blane instead because this was supposed to be the Blanebin show.

Person C despises Blanebin. Don't get them wrong, they've always enjoyed the character's childhood friendship, but they actually have always thought Blane would have been better off with Victoria. They have a lot of moments too! But they're tired of seeing people ship Blanebin. Corbin just got together with someone else, so obviously that's not gonna work out. Plus Corbin and Blane totally has always given person C bro vibes. In fact, person C thinks, sure Corbin and Blane have a close friendship, but people shouldn't be shipping them. Person C likes Blanetoria and Blanetoria can't be canon if Corbin is in the way of it. So Person C likes to read Blanebin as siblings anyways. Sure they're canonically friends, but obviously their friendship turned into brotherhood. This means that nothing can be in the way of Blanetoria and Corbin can keep dating the person he's already canonically dating. Actually, now Blanebin just straight up makes Person C uncomfortable. Don't the pesky shippers understand that Blanebin are sibling coded because they're childhood best friends and that they're important to each other because they're brothers? It's obvious to anyone with eyes.

Sure, ships are involved here, but is the root of this problem shipping? Character A isn't as knowledgeable of other characters in the plot due to this lens they're using, but at the end of the day they're dedicated to analysis. Their love of the characters is pushing them beyond what they like or dislike to try to understand what might be happening through their lens. Not perfect, but they are slowly broadening their horizons. But Person B and C's problems here are their restrictiveness. What is or should be canon to them is tantamount to what they personally like or find comfortable. Is person C actually analyzing the this fake show when they decide to "read" Blanebin as basically canonically siblings (and this all of their moments are totally a bro thing) just because they don't like Blanebin and the idea of them getting together over Blanetoria makes them uncomfortable? Is person B actually analyzing this fake show when their "analysis" of Blanebin goes only as far as asserting it's being ship teased and deciding anything short of canonizing Blanebin is a targeted attack or "bad writing" because it's not what they wanted personally to happen?

This is what I'm talking about. This is the mindset. Shipping isn't the problem. The problem is when people marry fanon and canon to the point where they have a vested interest in superimposing their fanon over canon as "a reading" and trying to make "collective decisions" on what is canon (or what canon is trying to say) based on what does or doesn't make them uncomfortable. The problem is people being restrictive and centering their own likes and dislikes in the conversation, so they can only interact with canon "analysis" wise by deciding what is canon or should be canon "as obviously agreed on by everyone". You can't simply claim you like media analysis. To be able to analyze media and bolster your views on any given canon, you must be open to looking at it through multiple povs, to studying characters without trying to pretend things you don't like don't exist or do like do exist. There is a balance that must be kept between trying to keep objectivity and putting on specific focus/bias based upon the lenses you're putting on. You have to be willing to try to figure out what a media is doing or saying, not saying you're trying to figure out what it's saying while in actuality trying to define the narrative around what people believe it's saying in ways that suit you.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[sas-casebook]

Specialist Animation Studies: Statement of intent

 I am currently attending The University of Salford, studying Animation and working on the animation module Specialist Animation Studies.

Purpose of the statement of intent.

This module's brief requires me to choose and explore a specific area of study within the field of animation. I aim to develop a visual identity, use and improve my current skills, and develop a fuller understanding of my chosen specialism. In this statement, I will outline the specific area I have chosen, some of the main areas of research I will use, how I intend to progress through the process and how I will portray (through the work) a strong sense of self-identity, opinion and beliefs.

Background and context of the topic/area of research.

For this module I am required to produce an essay developed from a substantial body of research, a final product such as an artefact, 2d animation or stop-motion animation and to chart the production process.

I have decided to explore the stop-motion filmmakers Tim Burton and Henry Selick. Analysing and researching their works and how they compare/contrast each other in terms of style, storytelling, themes etc. I will also explore the Auteur Theory as it pertains to each of them. From this research, I will design two characters - One in the style of Tim Burton films and one in the style of Henry Selick films. I will then write a storyboard and produce a stop-motion animation using the created characters.

Research questions.

The main questions I will pose and seek to answer are:

Who are these two artists?

What work have each produced?

What are their working styles and processes?

What makes them distinctive?

How do these similar artists compare to or contrast with each other?

Significance and relevance of the topic/Rationale

I feel this subject is relevant to the field I wish to pursue, which is stop-motion, as both Henry Selick and Tim Burton are two of the most successful stop-motion animation directors of all time. Their respective films like Coraline and Corpse Bride are sighted as major influences by many animation and filmmaking creatives to this day. I have been a huge fan of the work of Henry Selick, such as Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas. So, I would be excited to investigate these two animation artists who influenced my own style and sensibilities at a young age and explore why they resonated with me.

Research methodologies and sources.

My research will include gathering and reading books on stop-motion that may include chapters/sections on Selick and/or Burton, sourcing books and articles on their processes and character design, online articles and watching YouTube video documentaries on Selick and Burton.

Learning objectives and expected outcomes.

My learning objectives include:

Learning how to create and produce my own brief.

Learning how to design characters based on and using a pre-existing art style

Honing my stop-motion skills and creating a set/background (if time allows).

To create a substantial body of research from multiple sources.

Improve my project management skills, including step-by-step process and time management.

Improve and further develop my analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills within my essay writing. 

Essay writing.

As part of this project, I will use my research to inform and aid me in ultimately writing my essay about Tim Burton and Henry Selick. Its main purpose will be to analyse the work of Selick and Burton side by side and compare/contrast them as artists. Analysing how they differ in terms of their style, influences and approach to storytelling. I will do this by answering the five main questions listed above and applying and challenging the auteur theory with both artists. The essay will be approximately 3000 words in duration.

Resources needed for the research and project.

In terms of resources, I will need both physical reading materials such as books and digital reading material, i.e. online articles, to get reliable research for my essay. I can get the books from the university library and online bookstores. For the online articles I will look to the website Flipboard. Along with this, I will also look at online video essays and documentaries on YouTube regarding the work of Selick and Burton. I will also rewatch these artists work.

For character design, I will work with my usual pipeline of drawing design sketches and thumbnails in my sketchbook and then colour/edit those designs digitally on iPad Procreate or Photoshop.

For the animation, as I will be working with stop-motion, I will use the University stop-motion studio booths. I will also need armatures. I have one of my own that I will use. For the animation test/scene itself, I will use the stop motion software Dragon Frame and Adobe Premiere Pro for post-production editing.

Timeframe for completion of the project and milestones

Deadline 3rd May

14 weeks duration

[yayaoflanguage]

As for the PhD application, I think many programs (I’ve written around 7-9 applications) ask for a statement of purpose. Each graduate program is going to ask for an SOP w/ slightly different criteria (word/page count, spacing, etc) but generally the contents will be the same:

1) “im applying for [program] to receive my [degree] in blah blah blah”

2) discuss how you became interested in your topic, in other words, describe the evolution of your research interests

Example: I was always interested in Russian > studied Russian in undergrad > courses/papers/projects (basic experiences that in formed your thinking) > research interests in a sentence or two

3) talk a bit more about how you’ve prepared to meet the demands of the program thru courses, internship experiences, personal projects, literally anything has helped you/anything you enjoyed working on

4) in some case, it might be useful to go thru the faculty member directory and identify a potential advisor/mentor within the department. What courses have they taught? What are their current projects? Do they have experienced advising, serving on committees? Reference them and their work when discussing how stand to benefit from being in the program

5) conclusion: identify how you’d like to use your degree. I was pretty vague in mine, I think I said something like I’m interested in blahblahblahblah through blahblahblah because I was really sure

I think that covers the more general info, but please feel free to reach out if you have anymore questions. Good luck !

Does anyone have tips for writing a PhD proposal?