I wasn't really dreading reading it until the page finally started to load and then it dawned on me how important it was. It probably won't be part of my final grade but I really needed a good mark right now and if I got too low I wouldn't be able to carry on next year. But yes, I got 70 overall which is dead on a first and although it's a good grade I know next year I'll beat it.
I've been getting my life a bit more organised in the last few days. As anyone who is reading this from Twitter knows, I've been waiting for my new PC to be delivered for the last couple of weeks after some initial problems but it's finally here and today I finished off the last installations I needed to get on with some work.
I've decided to make a lot more effort than I have been in the past. I've recently found a huge amount of determination (which is what makes people successful after all) and have put it to good use already getting myself in shape with a strict exercise regime. This has in turn given me much more energy and spurred me on to do other things. As it is going so well I started to write down all of the things I want to accomplish in the next year. Scratch that, all of the things I WILL accomplish in the next year. Some of the things include;
1. Improving my knowledge on human and animal anatomy to help both my drawing skills and my CG modelling ability.
2. Generally improving my grasp on the various programs I will be using once I have graduated. These incluse 3DS Max, After Effects, Premiere and some others I want to dabble in are Dreamweaver and Maya.
3. I want to ensure I keep to this exercise program. It's making so much difference overall that I have to keep it up now. And I want to aswell.
4. I want to read a lot more on the animation, film and visual effects industry and just about everything to do with them.
5. Getting back into some theory work, reading books on film, pop culture etc. and write blogposts on the subjects.
6. Write more stories. I'm actually a good writer and I have many ideas yet I never seem to get the chance to write them. This, I've realised is just an excuse. I can make time to write them somewhere.
7. Carry on studying French. Learning languages is something I'm really interested in and I've already got a good foundation in French so I see no reason why I should stop now.
8. Keep an artistic journal constantly to note down all my ideas as they're always getting away before I can remember them.
9. Take up a sport that I'm interested in. I'm thinking Martial Arts is my best option there and I've already started looking into places nearby.
10. And finally, keep this blog up to date with posts on all of these things I've been doing and how far I've gotten to accomplishing my goals.
And now I'll say something that sounds crazy. I want to accomplish all of these things starting right now, just as I'm about to start working full time to save for university next year. Unfortunately I don't get a lot towards my studies and I have to work to save so a 40 hour week is going to make it a bit more difficult for me but if I want to be successful then I better start working my hardest now.
Other than my motivational boost, I have spent the past couple of weeks working on some new work. One of the biggest projects I've done recently (and am still working on) is modelling a male human body just from a reference picture for some good topology. I think it's the best human I've modelling and I'm really surprised with myself, making something so realistic without a tutorial. Here is what I have so far, obviously there are some parts that need work on, but I wanted to get the main part down first;
Today I have spend the day working through a list of things to do and so far I've done my workout (even on a day off, woo!), done a couple hours of particle effects tutorials on 3DS Max, almost finished (it just crashed, losing half my work) a long After Effects tutorial from Video Copilot and almost done this blog post. I only have reading and a phone call to make now so I'm pretty well caught up. Going to write my list for tomorrow and relax with either The Illusion of Life or another book for an hour. G'night all
