About
I joined UCLan from an artistic background with little-to-no experience of animation. During my time at university, I mostly explored 2D animation, editing and concept design using Adobe, Toon Boom Harmony and Procreate. I found the overall experience thrilling whilst being surrounded by like-minded creatives with such unique art styles and a wide variety of talent.
I have enjoyed the entire process of producing an animation and look forward to developing more skills in the industry. As of leaving university, I hope to continue learning about animation and working with other creatives whilst I continue – and hopefully – create stable foundations for a freelance career.
During my free time at university, I have accepted portrait, mural, graphic design, and digital commissions as well as balanced a part-time job to practice freelance work. I already have a couple of commissions waiting for me for when I complete my course! This has taught me how to speak to clients, work towards strict deadlines and produce ideas in a short space of time. Thanks to the opportunity from UCLan’s CJAM Industry event, I was awarded an internship from Adrian Barber at Bolton Film Festival whom I am excited to be working for until the end of 2024.
Project overview
The Music That Heals Me
For my major project, I created two short 2D animations demonstrating the positive impact music can have on people’s lives. Music drives me as a creative and contributes heavily to the development of my artwork, so I decided to research just how much music can activate our brains. This is when I came across ‘music therapy’.
Researching into the transformative work of the British Association of Music Therapy (BAMT), I found that music can help all walks of life; helping dementia patients reformulate forgotten memories, assist autistic children with improving their social and learning skills and those with accident induced brain injuries regain their ability to speak.
Music activates our brains in ways we cannot describe in words or draw on paper and we must preserve it. I took the time to speak to a new music therapist, Aisling Palmer, who lost her job as a musician during the COVID pandemic. She now works as a music therapist with the elderly and the young sharing not only her beautiful talent on the piano but teaching how to play too! You will be able to hear her piano playing in one of my animations, a piece she entirely composed from my animatic. Thank you, Aisling!
Here is a collage of backgrounds, concept art and character designs that I completed in my final year.
My first animation takes the perspective of an 8 year-old girl who has severe ADHD and minor autism struggling to make sense of the ever changing and overstimulating world around her. The animation begins in a very bleak living room where we follow Jane as she attempts to read a book. Her jarring and distracting environment of flashing television lights and loud sounds cause the words to jumble on the page so Jane puts on some headphones and plays music. As the music plays, Jane is able to read and her imagination takes her on a physical psychedelic journey of child-like creativity. The animation ends with a statement on the benefits of music therapy in children.
My second animation takes the perspective of an elderly dementia patient called Jean. Jean is mostly unresponsive, visibly depressed and heavily confused. Her nurse attempts to interact with Jean, who is almost disassociated from reality, so the nurse brings her a radio and plays music from her childhood. Jean instantly formulates images of memories around her as the music jogs her mind. What was a grey and sombre environment becomes a colourful and joyful setting as animations of Jean's life are visualised in front of her. The patient, after such a long time of confusion, finally remembers their husband and their life, smiling to themselves.
Here is my showreel summarising my work at UcLan. More of my work can be viewed on my website at: rosejxnec.wixsite.com/rosejanearts
