PPD: Personal Statement Update

Personal statement pretty much finished now, and ready to add to my UCAS application:

I've always loved videogames, films and books.  As I’ve grown up, however, I’ve found that these three formats are crossing over more and more often. Thus, I particularly enjoy games with the deeper characterisation of a novel, the narrative excitement of a film and the interactivity of a videogame. With increasingly powerful hardware, the depth and range of such experiences can only increase. This is what attracted me to my current course at College; and why I want to study Game Design at a higher level. 

Due to the growing market for Indie games, this is a really exciting time to enter an ever-expanding industry. It also means a huge range of opportunities for aspiring designers. The great thing about indies, is that the limitations of low budgets often lead to greater innovation and more unique, albeit smaller experiences. 

I am flexible and adaptable, the variety of assignments I have completed successfully at college showing that I can derive enjoyment and inspiration out of almost any project. 

Having always been more than capable in Mathematics and Physics, (achieving A grades in both at GCSE), I am well-equipped to tackle the more technical aspects of the subject. I realise that Games Design can get very complex, and am prepared to work hard to understand the applications of these disciplines in the field. 

Touching equally on animation, games and interface design, my current studies are extremely well integrated. All the skills are interchangeable, from Cinema 4D to Photoshop, and the course is aimed at giving us a taster of each subject so we can choose where to specialise. From the beginning, however, I have been primarily interested in game design and this course has only reinforced that.

I work well both independently and with others. In High School, I completed a week’s placement in the Art Department of Hirst Park Middle School, where I worked with children from Year 6 through to Year 8. I worked both with large groups of students and with individuals. On one of my days there, the teacher was ill, so I stepped in and took the lesson until the substitute arrived. The experience improved my communication skills and demonstrated my readiness to take the initiative. 

I participated in the 'Tour de Censored' poster design competition under the conditions of a live brief during a work experience week at college. I also participated in a live brief presented by Coutts bank. I feel these experiences showed I could work well to strict deadlines and gave me insight into the workflow of professionals.

I am a dedicated student. I do a lot of extracurricular work and actively seek opportunities to exercise my abilities. To this end, I have participated in Deviantarts 'Artistic Journey' competition and in several smaller online competitions.

I have a huge range of interests in art and design. For instance, I have done some rudimentary sound design for a few animations I've made – and I look forward to expanding on this. I also enjoy photography, sometimes incorporating my own photos into my design work. My A level studies of English and History tie in with my interests in art and I like to come up with stories and scenarios for my work, often influenced by these subjects.

I mainly use digital techniques, preferring to work in Photoshop CC, having started out on Photoshop Elements 8. I started off small, creating desktop backgrounds, avatars and signatures for fora. Gradually, I realised that the techniques utilised in this work could be used to retexture armours and other items in videogames, so I started teaching myself to modify games. Ever since, I've been experimenting and expanding my knowledge and skills in all areas, dabbling in 3D modelling, 2D animation, Digital Painting, illustration and photography.

I particularly enjoy the conceptual stages of projects as it goes hand in hand with my enjoyment of experimentation. Thus, through higher education, I hope to develop the skills required of a concept artist.