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1801737 Elena Eracleous - My Final Evaluation I have been organised from the very start even before this project began. I used Brief 2 to get a head start in this project, and it was very beneficial not only did it save time, but it also taught me a lot. I have never done a full animation before, and it was an amazing learning experience. I was able put all my research in animation and film into a product. I made sure to prioritise my animation rather than creating a full animatic. Although this would have been helpful it would have taken too much time and my work would have been set back. I believe my story is an important one, to be able to understand people, to come to terms with trauma, to let go and to take care of one another. I feel in this day and age, people are constantly trying to blame victims for their trauma. This story is to show that, all some people need is a helping hand. As someone who suffers from mental illness and knowing how many other people do, I feel this is a topic worth discussing. My objective for this project was not only to convey a meaning but also to educate people on the signs of abuse. Yet, the way in which I have shown is the most recognizable. Due to my research, and own experiences I have found that abuse comes in many forms often times psychological. I also wanted to create a high-quality animation that would both resonate with audiences on an emotional level but also to make them enjoy what they are watching. I believe having two child protagonists and a baby bird automatically makes most people grow an attachment to my characters. Having the hero’s journey represented in this way I feel is refreshing to the genre. I normally do not care for the characters I make but in this case I really do. As I have stated previously I am very educated in animation theoretically but not in practice. Having a father as an animator and loving animated movies, I felt it only natural to make my very own animated short film. I believe that my knowledge of animation as well as films codes and conventions in general is reflected in not just my final project but all my work leading up to it, from research, to essays, my dissertation, and even previous projects such as my documentary interview. If I were to do an alternative project to this one it would most likely be a Concept Art book about this very story. However, I do not feel that would have been necessary nor do I feel that the story I wanted to tell would have been digestible; an animated short film was the best way to tell this story. I also wanted to make a final film as I am always making concept art to things that don’t exist; I therefore wanted to see my concept art in motion. My project was rather ambitious, I believe it was good to push me but also recognise there has been an imbalance. Due to this in the future, my approach to personal and professional projects will need to be changed, I often find myself wanting to do more than I am capable. However, it usually works out, which in this case it did. I have wanted to create this animation since Year 2 and being able to create it was very beneficial to my practice. If I could change anything it would be revisiting the final scene that I did in Brief 2, so it was more to the standard of my current animated work. I also if I had more time like to add another scene, I have dubbed the Cage Scene as I feel it would have contributed nicely to the story and made it even more impactful. I will most likely do both these things in my free time before submitting it to film festivals. I would like to do this as I want employers to be able to see my work in action both as an animator and concept artist. I feel as though this project overall was a success. Although there were many setbacks I am pleased with the quantity and quality of my work. My animation is a lot better than I thought it would be, the animation itself is rather long, to a high quality and the narrative is clear and concise. I believe this animation is a great example of what I am capable of in my ability and creativity.