EOC Week 10: Future Career

There was a point in my time here at the Art Institute that I really questioned just what I was doing here. I hadn't had any experience working with animation software or any software they used here for that matter. This made some classes extremely difficult and made me question if I really had what it takes. To be honest, at the time, I probably didn't. I was lazy and scared about all these new things I had to learn and keep up with. I wondered about just dropping out and finding a "normal" career path to look into. It took a lot of introspection and positive reinforcement to finally realize all those negative thoughts I was experiencing were just a bump in the road. Nothing in this life comes easy and it took me a while to realize that before I really started getting serious with my education at the Art Institute. The big hurdles I was faced with were the new technologies and programs I had to learn. It was very daunting at first but after a lot of in class help and experience working on projects, those fears started to diminish. Sure I'm not an expert modeler but I don't want to be and that's just fine, I focused on learning more about animation and using the software to assist me instead of hinder me. I had the same kind of problem when it came to drawing. I've always enjoyed drawing and have been above average, but when I came to this school it was a whole new playing field. My skills were diminished by the flurry of talented artists and their level of work they produced. I knew I had to do something to keep up and with the help of one of my mentors, Kevin Anderson, I did just that. In his life drawing classes my knowledge and skill of drawing went up exponentially. In other classes I learned how to draw digitally and that made a world of difference for my drawings. With digital drawings my creations flourished way faster and I was able to use color in a way I never had before. Now I have more confidence than ever in my drawings and animation skill. I had to learn the hard way that it takes time and energy to really achieve what you need, a notion I had not learned before. Every day I continue to progress and get better and have the confidence to know that I'll keep getting better. I believe with that confidence and know how of what it takes to make great projects a reality, I will have no problem finding a job and furthering my career in this industry.

EOC Week 8: Selfie

EOC Week 7: Career Goals

My ultimate career goal is to be making major motion pictures that can be viewed and enjoyed by all. I want to write and direct movies or at least be involved with the process and have my voice embedded in the project. I know that is a long way to go from where I'm at now which is an almost graduate from the Art Institute of Las Vegas, but I believe I can achieve it.
They say you have to dream big in order to make it big, and that's what I've been doing ever since I was a little kid. As a child I never longed to be an accountant or have some boring safe job, I wanted to do something big and be big myself. At an early age I discovered I had an affinity for drawing and creating. I didn't think anything of it until people started telling me how good my work was and that I should pursue a career in it. I was skeptical because I knew almost no one makes it big in art, but that didn't stop me. After attending a "normal" college for a year and a half, I knew this was not the type of learning I wanted to undertake. After much contemplation I became a student at the Art Institute and was more than happy with the type of education I was receiving. Over the years I have developed my skills in drawing, design and animation. I even acquired a few graphic design jobs where I got to put my love of creativity to good use. I learned that making art was about so much more than expressing yourself, its about telling a story. No matter what medium of art you practice, a well done piece tells a story that can't be put into words.
With all the knowledge and skills I have gained at this school I will pursue my career in the media arts and animation industry. I plan on getting an entry level job in animation and working my way up. Now I love animation but it's not necessarily what I want to be doing for the rest of my career. I want to be on the ground floor of the animation or film making process. Even if I don't come up with the story, I want to be collaborating on it and developing it to make it an amazing piece. I have done this in class and it was something I thoroughly enjoyed, I would love to do that in my career. I know my ideas and creativity would be a valuable asset on any story making team and that's why I plan on pursuing that type of job. I know I could make a great film maker or director and am excited to pursue a career in that.

EOC Week 6: Website Ideas

According to the instructor, the average person will spend 7 seconds on a web page before deciding if they want to stay on the page or not. Using this knowledge we need to make sure the front page of our personal websites have enough flash to get a person to stay on the page and see what we have to offer.
The first idea I have to make this happen is to use an opening animation when my website is open. An animation will catch the persons eye and make them want to see what else this website has to offer. I am an animation student and I think that would also showcase what I can do and get the audience interested in what other pieces of animation I have.
My second idea is focused on the design and layout of the website. No one wants to look at a website with no color and times new roman font laid out with minimal effort. When you open my website the first thing I want is to grab peoples aesthetic side with my colors and design. I am using a red white and black color scheme which is the most successful and widely used color scheme in advertising.
The third idea that popped into my head is the use of sound. Sure, when an advertisement starts playing without me prompting it to on a webpage I get frustrated and want to close it. However, I think if used correctly; the use of sound, in this case a song, could be a great tool in getting peoples attention. Not only would it be nice to have something playing in the background but the particular song I use can reflect a bit of my personality and maybe relate to the audience a bit.
Another idea I have is the use of an original and personal drawing or logo I create. Nothing makes you stand out more than being an original and expressing yourself through what you love. I love drawing and am trying to showcase that skill in addition to my animation skills. A simple and charming drawing can express me and my abilities. I believe if the audience were to see one of my drawings and enjoy it right off the bat, they would look more into my work.
My last idea to make my front page stand out is to have it be simply a slide show. This would put out some of my work right from the start. I would have to use flashy and well done pieces of my work in order to really make the audience want to stay. But once they see some of what I can do, I'm sure they'd want to look more into it. A well placed slideshow can really ease the audience into what they're about to see.

EOC Week4: Deeper meaning of movie, "The Devil Wears Prada"

           "The Devil Wears Prada" is a comedy about a person with no sense or care of fashion working for the top fashion magazine editor and chief. However, when we look past the glitz and glamour of this Hollywood film, we have an opportunity to learn a little something about dressing for success and preparing for an interview/ job. Knowing she is about to go into an interview for a fashion magazine, the main character makes no effort to prepare for it. She knows it's a fashion magazine yet doesn't dress to fit the culture, meaning she goes to the interview in a casual and ordinary outfit. As we see her walk into the building, we notice all the other woman going in and out wearing tall fashionable boots and designer label clothes while the main character wears loafers and what looks like a good find at a thrift store. She goes in for a position as an assistant to the editor and chief yet has no idea who she is and what she is capable of. She is clearly unprepared by not researching anything about the company and the important people to know. This Web Portfolio class teaches us not only to build a successful website, but how to get a good job and be prepared for whatever obstacles face us when we go in for the interview. This movie is a good reflection on how not to be prepared for an interview and what not to do. The main tip from this movie is dress for the job you want, in this case the main character wanted a job at a fashion magazine yet dressed as if she had never heard of the word fashion before. Another tip this movie gives is to make sure to research what you're getting into. For the main character, this position is just another job, with that mindset she is totally unprepared for the role. She doesn't know she's working for the toughest lady in the game or who the people she needs to get on the right side of are. In an ironic twist of fate, she ends up getting the job regardless of everything that happened. It's a great movie with real world experiences to learn from.

BOC Week 3: Deeper meaning of movie, "Swingers"

            On the surface, the movie "Swingers" appears to be a romantic comedy about a struggling comedian in Los Angeles who just isn't that funny since he left his girlfriend back home. From the very beginning we can see how upset and distracted by this girl he is and how he can't move on with his life because of it. I've seen this movie before and I didn't get much out of it, however since re-watching it with my teacher's commentary, I can see the deeper meaning behind it now. While it is a romantic comedy about relationships, this movie can be viewed as an insight into networking. The main character's interactions with people are filled with uncertainty and doubt, while his friend can seem to get anything he wants because of his confidence and coolness. This shows that people will not only like you more but be more persuaded if you speak with confidence in what you're saying. An example of this is the main character's first attempt at picking up a girl versus the second attempt. During the first attempt he is filled with self doubt but somehow manages to get a girl's phone number. This achievement is quickly destroyed when he gets home and decides to call the number right away and leave her a series of awkward voice messages which ends in the girl telling him to never call her again. At the end of the movie he forgets himself and starts chatting up a good looking woman sitting at the bar. He turns into a cool and confident machine and has a great night with this girl that ends with her calling the very next day. Which goes to show that a little confidence and determination can get you anywhere, especially in regards to interviews and networking. Another example of networking in this movie is the interactions and relationships the main character has. When he is with his male friends they are usually discussing work and how their careers are going, insinuating that they are always working. On the other hand when it comes to girls they are only interested in one thing,and that's not getting connections. I think the main message of this movie is to not be distracted and taken down by little things in our lives and to have our head held high and charge in with confidence to any opportunity we see.

BOC Week 2: Optimal Resume

https://artinstitutes.optimalresume.com/previewDoc.php?tkn=045e6b687a8745a7711f4238ad4a0def-r3106543

BOC Week 1: SWOT analysis of domain hosting sites

SWOT analysis of domain hosting sites

Wix.com:

§  Strengths:

o   Monetary assistance provided

o   High profitability and revenue

o   Reduced labor costs

o   High growth rate

o   Experienced business unites

o   Existing distribution and sales networks

o   Skilled workforce

§  Weaknesses:

o   Costs

o   Future competition

o   Small business units

o   Investments in research and development

o   Tax structure

§  Opportunities:

o   Growth rates and profitability          

§  Threats:

o   Tax changes

o   Increasing rates of interest

Hostgator.com:

§  Strengths:

o   Experienced business units

o   Skilled workforce

§  Weaknesses:

o   Future competition

o   Competitive market

o   Small business units

o   Costs

o   High loan rates are possible

§  Opportunities:

o   Income level is at a constant increase

o   Growth rates and profitability

o   Growing demand

o   New acquisitions

o   New markets

§  Threats:

o   Rising cost of raw materials

o   Global economy

o   Increase in labor costs

o   Tax changes

Dreamhost.com:

§  Strengths:

o   Domestic market

o   Reduced labor costs

o   Existing distribution and sales networks

o   Barriers of market entry

o   High profitability and revenue

o   Monetary assistance provided

o   Skilled workforce

§  Weaknesses:

o   Small business units

o   Costs

o   Tax structure

§  Opportunities

o   Growth rates and profitability

o   Growing demand

§  Threats:

o   Global economy

o   Unexpected problems

Web.com:

§  Strengths:

o   Experienced business units

o   High profitability and revenue

§  Weaknesses

o   High loan rates are possible

o   Tax structure

o   Investments in research and development

o   Small business units

§  Opportunities:

o   Growing demand

o   Venture capital

o   Global markets

o   Growth rates and profitability

§  Threats:

o   Increasing costs

o   External business risks

o   Tax changes

o   Financial capacity

EOC Week 1: Objective Statement

My name is Mackenzie Ashford and I am an Animator/ Creative artist.
Coming up with creative and inspired ideas is my strong suit.
Multi talented and hard working are what get me where I need to be.

EOC Week 1: Elevator Speech

I'm Mackey Ashford and I am a creative artist that works in animation and graphic design with a talent for drawing.

EOC Week 1: My Voice

I am a creative force to be reckoned with. I look at problems from all angles and search for new ways to solve hurdles. I believe my creativity and my imagination are my strongest suits, and I use them daily. From creating original and charming drawings to animating a character to life, my creativity is always behind it. Ever since I could remember I’ve had an affinity for drawing and expressing myself creatively and have tried to use this outlet constantly. It wasn’t until I came to the Art Institute of Las Vegas that I learned to really hone those skills and transfer those ideas in my head into works of art. I have gained not only knowledge of the craft but experiences to help me grow as an artist. With every new experience and teaching, I grow a little. Not just mentally but creatively and spiritually as well, I am an ever-changing artist in this constantly developing world. I think that's one of the most important assets in this perpetually advancing society we live in. I am skilled in various mediums such as digital painting, 2D/ 3D animation and graphic design. I have been specializing my skills to work more in the animation industry. To me, a piece of art is meant to do one thing: make people feel. Whether it is an old familiar feeling or a new emotion that brings you to tears, art is meant to elicit emotions. My ultimate goal is to make feature length films and make people experience those emotions and feelings as I have throughout the years.