Final product in poster form.
Final product in poster form.
It is very important that during this project, I really narrow down exactly what I am criticizing about the education system as welll as offer up some sort of alternatives. In the process of researching the topic, I realized that it was not as easy a question to answer as I thought it should be. Many students are not satisfied with their education, but when asked what is wrong with it cannot explain their situation. After reading several articles, I have finally begun structuring my argument and possible amends.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/opinion/27taylor.html?_r=3&pagewanted=2&sq=Mark%20C%20Taylor&st=cse&scp=1
In this article, “End of the University as We Know It”, many of today’s educational problems are described and the second half of the article outlines a six part solution to these problems. I do not wish to address all of the problems that are mentioned in the article, but there was a few that really brought to light the feelings that I was having a hard time describing for myself. For example, the article describes that educational process as a mass production model that is doomed to fail. Also the author says that our educational focus is far too narrow and there is not nearly enough collaboration between disciplines.
“The dirty secret of higher education is that without underpaid graduate students to help in laboratories and with teaching, universities couldn’t conduct research or even instruct their growing undergraduate populations. That’s one of the main reasons we still encourage people to enroll in doctoral programs. It is simply cheaper to provide graduate students with modest stipends and adjuncts with as little as $5,000 a course — with no benefits — than it is to hire full-time professors.”
This quote really made an impression on me. I read it as this: In today’s educational system we are being asked to do more and more of someone else job with less and less in return all while focusing in areas of research and the arts that will not be able to support a career once and if we ever leave the university. I would very much like to find a way to focus the critical part of my animation on this fact.
There can be no criticism without a possible solution offered up in return. As I said before, the article outlines a six part plan that would completely revamp how we structure the educational system in our society. I do not want to focus on all six as that a lot of it is financial. Part two or six is where my focus lies. In this step, the author describes a complete change in the university process.
“2. Abolish permanent departments, even for undergraduate education, and create problem-focused programs. These constantly evolving programs would have sunset clauses, and every seven years each one should be evaluated and either abolished, continued or significantly changed. It is possible to imagine a broad range of topics around which such zones of inquiry could be organized: Mind, Body, Law, Information, Networks, Language, Space, Time, Media, Money, Life and Water.”
After having read this article and others like it, this idea makes a lot of sense. Why do we choose to just let it be? If the tool is obviously not working anymore, it is time to change it up. This idea of problem focused programs is a very interesting one. I feel that this style of education would open up huge possibilities for collaboration as well as prepare students to do what they want in a real world setting. Once these students graduate they will have the experience to hit the ground running, having already worked on projects that matter.
I will be using a variety of tools through out the process of this project. In the beginning stages I will be designing the characters and scene by free hand on paper. I will then transfer into a digital media and use an array of editing and animation software to bring motion into the project. These tools include Anime Studio Pro, After Effects, Illustrator and possibly Premiere. Also, I will most likely use tools such as online animation tutorials to really add some nice effects and other aesthetics to bring the animation to a higher quality of work.
The format of this project will be a 2D/3D hand drawn animation. I will most likely develop the characters and scene on paper. I will storyboard the narrative then use various programs to add motion. The video will be designed to appeal to a large audience and is meant to be shared via social networking. The format is somewhat difficult to describe, so I have started posting links to animations with similar styles to what I hope to achieve. This includes duration, content, animation style, etc.
I like the characters in this animation. The simplicity of how they are drawn leaves more room for other aspects of the narrative. It seems to be a good balance between simplicity while still having enough detail to show the necessary emotions and reactions. I want to focus on the meaning and message of the video rather then getting caught up in too much details. In this sense, the characters will represent the idea of ‘everyman’.
This style of animation is somewhat like what I want in my own. I like the mix of 2D animation in a 3D space. I also think that the camera movements are nice. If I can achieve a similar look in my own style, the cinematography will definitely strengthen the message as it will draw the audience in. For example, the reason the recent ‘Kony’ video was so popular was because of its unique cinematography that captured the audiences attention from the get-go.
The video will then be posted online and promoted. The idea is to bring the video into a social network as to gain as much attention as possible. The more people who see the video the more people will start asking questions about how the power and authority is distributed amongst the college campus. In the end, we want students to understand that they can take their education into their own hands and really get the most out of their time at the university.
The content of this release will be a short, satirical animation on how the education system we are involved with is structured. I hope to exemplify the unfair distribution of power through a metaphorical narrative called “The College Stand”. In the short, a character will walk up to the ‘College Stand’ and will pay the fee for college. Once payed the character running the stand will give the consumer no choice and tell him “this is what you get for your money” and that is that. The unsatisfied costumer will become disgruntled as he walks away from the stand. Deciding this is not fair and unjust, the character will build his own college stand. The next cut will be a new stand with the main character running things, a line of customers around the corner and the old stand completely barren. At the end, a short message may be displayed stating facts about our education and how we have the power to structure it for ourselves.
The purpose of an animation such as this, realistically, is to simply raise the thought. I believe too many students do not question or even understand how to get the most out of their education, seeing the university and its professors in a hierarchical structure sets them up to believe they are not the ones in charge…even though they are paying for it. If this simple video can get enough people start thinking about this concept then eventually the right questions may be asked that would start the reversal of the current power structure.
Running with my previous post, I want to make a satirical animation designed with the intent to be shared in social networks. The video will be used to incite conversation and controversy about a specific issue. I want to design the project around something that can be easily related as well as local and personal. In class we discussed many students unrest as to how the modern college is structured. The point was brought up that we pay all of this money to go to school. Once we get there, we are told for our money this is what we get, if we do not like it…its our problem. Many, including myself, believe this should be reversed. We should pay and say this is what we want for our money…I want to learn this! I have decided to use this issue as my foundation. I will then design a short animation to raise questions about how are education is being structured and where the power should be.