FYP (For Your Pride)

Is a bit ridiculous to hear about this question at this stage... haha well, no question is a stupid question. So I will still answer that. Pay attention Loveless. /:)


Basically, FYP is the short form of “Final Year Project.” It's an animation project that you're going to do throughout your final year (Delta), and you're going to present it to the outside audience just like what your seniors did last Thursday. Your 1st job and your future destiny will very much depend on this, so please be very serious on it.


During my year, my FYP started on the 2nd semester which I needed to write a thesis, and I did a research on a topic selected by ourselves. Do keep it simple and special. Always try to narrow down your topic so that you can have a better grip on it. Focus on how you're going to clean your toilet rather than to build a bungalow with a thousand of pipes. (well this is just an example, imagine if you can invent a automatic cleaning machine for toilet, the world will love you, especially China - an example on how a small detail can affect a big thing :D )


Your study of your thesis is related to what you're going to do in FYP, so choose wisely. Normally, you will start your preproduction at the beginning of 3rd semester (after the thesis). But then you have only 3 months left for your FYP, which is… too little time for you to come up with a stunning artwork - remember you will still have other courses to take care.


So, my advice is: Start your preproduction on 1st semester when you are doing your industrial training. You will have more time than you've ever imagined during the training period, so utilize those 3 months to plan what you're going to do for FYP and what you're going to research on your thesis. Like what Mr. Moon from Moon FX mentioned last Thursday, the most important stage of a production is preproduction stage. You plan your time, you prepare your tasks, you come out with sketches, you have a vision or visualization on what you going to do in your FYP... plan your progress wisely. “No time to do” is just an excuse. Pixar Animation Studio has only 24 hours per day, just like us. So do a good planning on your time management (take note kito :D).


And one funny thing is… usually people will neglect the time for rendering. During my year I've always heard that my friends have not enough time to render. (Is just like you have prepared the spice, you have cooked the food, but you have no time to serve to your customer). Always reserve at least 3 weeks for rendering. Bare in mind that usually “error” will occur during that technical period.


During you industrial training, you will be exposed to many ideas. You will see a lot of things, and you will have many things playing in your mind. Most of the people will get confused, and some of them will get ambitious, thinking of doing “big thing”, “big project”, “epic story”, or doing the “War of The World” kind of animation - good is good… but it is ridiculous. Keep your ideas for your future, you will not have enough time to do an epic story for your FYP. Again, keep it simple. A simple story happen in one scene will do. For example, those Pixar’s short movies like “Gerie’s Chess”, “For the Birds”, “One Man Band” or “Lifted”… everything happen in one respective scene, it's easier to focus, and yet is a world class animation short movie. Compare to it, and ask yourself... can you do it? Why not. It's not too fantasy for you, right? Just keep it simple… no epic story!!!


Wow… I talked too much again. I think I'll stop right here. I will share my thoughts again in the future. Remember, do a good planning during your preproduction~~ good luck in your training. And, please ask more questions~~~ ask, ask, ask, ask, ask and ask again~~~ as a student you have the right to do so! :D


Cheers,
lawliet