End of Module Student Evaluation BA (Hons) Illustration Module Code: OUIL502 PPP Name: Jay Stelling Student ID: 254607 Please identify where the evidence for each of the learning outcomes is within your submission and how well you feel you have met the learning outcomes. Please also grade yourself in relation to the learning outcomes using terms: poor, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent (Note - This is so that the team have an understanding of how well you feel you have done. It is not an indication of the actual grade you may receive.) Learning Outcome
Evidenced where? Blog, Visual Journal, Roughs, Final Illustrations, Storyboards, Development Sheets etc. (No more than 75 words)
Your grade Using words: > poor, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent
5A3: Demonstrate an informed understanding of professional context of their practice within the creative industries and cultural environment. (Knowledge & Understanding - Research and Critical Awareness)
I have researched and analyzed examples of practitioners within the illustration, puppet and art toy industry on my blog under the label Studio Brief 1. I spoke to a professional puppeteer in my creative report (Studio Brief 2) where I learned more about her profession within the context of puppetmaking and puppet theatre. My final presentation also documents my understanding of the context and how my work fits within it.
Very Good
5B2: Identify and analyse the challenges and opportunities offered by future developments within individually appropriate areas of creative practice. (Cognitive Skills - Problem Analysis, Problem Solving)
Looking at potential job prospects and Good companies in the industry I’d like to work for (SB1 blog). Challenges include trying to communicate and network with professionals (several didn’t reply, see blog label SB2 for emails and responses gained). I discovered the opportunities that being in a collective can bring (SB3 presentation and blog). SWOT and PESTLE techniques (SB1) helped me to analyse strengths/weaknesses of my own practice and bigger organizations.
5C2: Develop a body of work in response to a defined brief that effectively demonstrates professional working practices in research, planning and communications. (Practical Skills - Visual Quality and Conceptual Development)
I produced a body of work in response to individual briefs (doll orders, SB1). Within these briefs, I communicated with clients, researched the topic/subject and produced a final outcome which I also photographed for use on social media. Life’s A Pitch (Studio Brief 3) was a collaborative effort to research and propose a collective publication. I worked in a team to pitch this idea.
Good
5D2: Employ a range of appropriate professional communication methods to record and present their own creative practice, concerns
SB3 blog shows me planning and emailing several practitioners. The networking presentation (blog) documents how my practical work and ambitions align with chosen artists. Speaking to Katherine Morton and summarizing our
Very Good
and ambitions. (Key Transferable Skills, Organisation, Communication and Evaluation)
conversation in the Creative Report shows communication and presentation skills. Evaluation is evidenced in the summative evaluation and self reflection can be read throughout the blog. Organization is evidenced in my consistent work ethic and completion of tasks to set deadlines.
Summative Evaluation (See Evaluation Guidance on next page for more information) You are required to write a 750 word Summative Evaluation of this module. Please type up your Summative Evaluation in the box below. Make a PDF of the document and post the PDF as your final post on your OUIL503 blog. Also, please cut and paste the text from this box into the final page(s) of your OUIL502 Project Report. I can see how I have developed my personal and professional practice since last year. I began on this course as a student but now I consider myself as a (very fresh faced) practicing artist. In Level 4, most of our research and tasks were set by the tutors and learning would be directed by their input, but this year I have been making more independent decisions, doing independent research and initiating self-directed projects. It’s rewarding and encouraging to see how much work I have managed to complete in my own time. I’m still a long way from the professional I want to be, but this is a journey and I can see that I am progressing and reaching towards that goal. I have grown in confidence since Level 4 and I believe that this is impacting the work I produce in other modules, as well as how I present it online. Having more confidence in what I do means that I am more willing to take risks, be bold and to be proud of what I’ve produced. I’ve also been feeling less anxious generally than last year. I am much more confident in crits and tutorials than last year; I think that practicing these sorts of meetings will make it easier for me to participate in formal meetings in the future and to accept/provide constructive feedback on projects. These are key transferrable skills that I know will be useful in work. Although I struggle with generalized anxiety, I have no issues or fears about presenting or working in a small group. I worked with a group of illustrators in a collective for Life’s a Pitch and we had a great time presenting our idea. Presenting is definitely one of my strengths and I love to make it into a performance. I know that this might not be the most professional approach, but it is certainly appropriate for the theatrical side of puppetry and animation that I am interested in. I’d never considered the idea of working in a collective before but I now realise that it might be beneficial after uni as a support network for us, to keep us in contact. I did research into existing collectives which informed my previously limited understanding of collectives and gave me ideas for setting up my own. My creative presence and my tone of voice have evolved over this year. I’m still maintaining my kooky persona in my creative social media accounts and networking style, but I’ve been trying to make posts a little less personal and more professional. I’m still telling stories but I’ve been trying to make them less conversational. I do think that I have found my voice; there is a clear artistic presence and a sense of who I am in everything I do. The briefs I chose in Responsive, for example, were relevant to my ambitions as a puppet maker. I’ve attended visiting lecturers and I’ve used my blog to research these practitioners (Rob Hodgson and Louise Lockhart). I’ve also used my blog to research the industry and potential jobs I might be interested in such as within the Puppetry department at LAIKA.
I’ve started to consider where I want to work after university and although this really frightens me, I am pleased that I have an idea of what I want to do and that I can start working towards that goal. I could have done more blogging and found more artists to analyze their professionalism and presentation. I set unrealistic expectations for myself this year and disappointed myself when I didn’t meet them. I planned to blog about an artist every Friday for the entire year but I didn’t manage to keep up with this. I have taken each doll order I’ve received this year as a mini brief for PPP. I’ve seen customers as clients and made dolls to their requests. I have reflected on the outcomes for each order on my blog, evaluating how I handled the process and what I might do better next time. Using the blog to reflect on my progress has allowed me to scroll through everything I’ve made and to My biggest achievement this year in PPP is receiving an order from the author of Wreck this Journal, which proves that my work is getting out there and is getting seen by other professionals. I enjoyed writing the creative report, though found the word limit difficult to stick to since it was so short and I received a very long response from the practitioner I interviewed. I was initially nervous about contacting a professional and couldn’t decide who to choose, but once I had settled on Katherine Morton from Long Nose Puppets, we had a brilliant conversation which I found really insightful. I hope to maintain this conversation and relationship because it may be useful if I do work within that industry. Next year I want to develop my creative presence further: make a website, a logo, business cards and portfolio. I will continue to network and communicate with practitioners. I need to be ready for professional practice post-uni and want to learn how to make professional invoices, manage accounts, file taxes and find out how I would go about setting up my own company. I hope to attend some of the ‘life after uni’ sessions. PPP has challenged me to face my fears about growing up and being a working adult but I know that this is something I need to conquer and that PPP is helping me get there.