Responsive

        The Responsive module provides us with the opportunity to undertake a number of external briefs, (competitions and live briefs set by real clients) which will allow us a glimpse of working to professional standards. At first these briefs will be undertaken individually, but as the module progresses we will be encouraged to collaborate with other students, not just from the animation course, but illustrators, graphic designers, fashion, advertising etc. Such collaborative work enables us to begin to form professional relationships, learn about cross disciplinary approaches, and understand how our own skills fit into the creative industry.

        For now however, the focus remains on refining and developing our individual skills by choosing a number of appropriate briefs from websites such as YCN and D&AD. Our first exercise was to select three briefs and summarise why we had chosen them.

1. Save the Children (inspire and motivate dads to read to their children) -  This brief appealed to me due to my own love of books and fond memories of being read to by both of my parents, and reading to them. The occasions with my dad were indeed rarer, which the information in this brief suggests is not uncommon. I had never imagined that just a few minutes reading with their dad had the potential to drastically improve a child's prospects. It seems a worthy cause to attempt to bring something so simple, easy and beneficial to the public's attention, with the intention of bringing about a positive change.
2. Interflora (boost awareness of Grandparents' day) - I chose this brief because it is dual layered. As well as advertising Interflora, it aims to raise awareness of Grandparents' day. This would allow for a little more depth, perhaps even the opportunity to construct a story of the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild. This added perspective makes this brief a more exciting prospect than a simple florist's advert.
3. Pan Macmillan (create new illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland's 150th anniversary year) - This brief (assuming it can be made more animation friendly) I chose because it sounded like a challenge, but also like the best option for telling stories (which I love). I had no great affection for Alice in Wonderland when I was younger, and have come to find the obsession with all things Alice quite annoying. Yet in the world of creative industry it is highly unlikely that I will be able to work with characters and concepts that I love 100% of the time, so this would be good practice for me.